A Day on the Job (TV story)

## Release details

**A Day on the Job** was the third in a trilogy of minisodes released in the build-up for Series 20. It acted as a bridge between *Final Destination* and *Monsters and Legends*.

This minisode featured Simon Lance, Johnathon Danielsen and Alicia Sallow before they were assigned to be the Eighteenth Doctor's personal squad, showcasing their first time out on a mission together.

## Synopsis

On their first mission together as a team, Simon, Johnathon and Alicia find themselves facing an alien warrior who seems to be one with the shadows...

## Plot

Simon Lance is waiting inside a plane alongside Johnathon Danielsen and Alicia Sallow, getting ready to paraglide out to the team’s first mission together. As he watches the clock, Alicia checks over her gun and Johnathan reads a book. After some turbulence, the three begin to talk to each other, learning about their lives before they reach the drop-off point.

The trio make the jump, before wrapping up their parachutes, priming their guns and beginning the hunt, as Johnathan expresses doubt that their guns will even work on the target - a Skronsonian Warrior. He then places a charge onto a door and detonates, allowing the three to enter the dark room and find cover. Simon is grazed by a laser bolt which flies over his shoulder, which he treats using his canteen of water.

Leaping out, Johnathon quickly falls under fire from the Skronsonian, forcing him to find new cover. Alicia berates him for his stupidity, but he informs them that he managed to spot the point of origin of the shooting - the upper levels on the right side of the room. However, neither Simon or Alicia can see it. Telling Johnathon to provide suppressing fire and Alicia to keep a lookout, Simon heads upstairs where he notices the darkness itself shifting. He tells Alicia to throw a flare, which the darkness simply swallows up, leading him to realise that the Skronsonian is able to create shadow in order to hide itself.

Johnathon offers to blow open the roof to let the sun in and prevent the Skronsonian from hiding, to which the others agree. As they hold the Skronsonian in place with bullets, Johnathon dashes upstairs, sets the charges and warns them to vacate the building. After ten seconds, the charges detonate and they rush back inside, however, Johnathon fails to report in.

Alicia and Simon scan around the room, looking for the Skronsonian whilst remaining unaware that it is now sweeping behind them into the door frame, in order to block their escape. It aims and prepares to fire, but it is then suddenly shot in the back by Johnathon, falls out of the shadows and collapses. Alicia runs up to Johnathon and hugs him in relief, as Simon congratulates him on a job well done, before calling Kate to request extraction.

## Cast

* Simon Lance - Alexander Ludwig
* Johnathon Danielsen - Alex Pettyfer
* Alicia Sallow - Naomi Scott
* Kate Stewart - Jemma Redgrave (cameo)

## Crew

* Writer - Cal A. King
* Director - Jamie Childs

## Story Notes

 **The Specials** | Regular Episodes | *Lost in the Artirex* • *The End of the Line* • *Dead Men Tell No Tales* • *Gunpowder, Treason and Plot* • *The Operation of Time: Part One* / *The Operation of Time: Part Two*