Nestene Consciousness

The **Nestene Consciousness**, was a disembodied life force, a hive mind race and a singular entity existing as energy with the ability to possess plastic. The Third Doctor described the Nestenes as "ruthlessly aggressive [and] intelligent." (DW: Terror of the Autons)

## Characteristics

### Biology

The Nestene Consciousness could manifest itself either as the same solid plastic an Auton was made out of, as it did in its first invasion of Earth, or as a creature of "pure force and energy", as it did during the second invasion. Its appearance was of a many-tentacled monster which was something between spider, crab and octopus. (DW: *Spearhead from Space*, *Terror of the Autons*, *Blood of the Autons*) According to the Third Doctor, the Nestenes manifested themselves as a "disembodied, mutually telepathic intelligence", (DW: *Terror of the Autons*) and according to Channing, the way the Nestenes appeared on their home planet did not resemble the plastic manifestation that was grown on Earth. (DW: *Spearhead from Space*)

Because of its nature, "humanly speaking" a Nestene manifestation served as the brain or nervous system, (DW: *Spearhead from Space*) This body would be made out of plastic, allowing it to manipulate its surroundings, (DW: *Spearhead from Space*) though a Nestene's original body was large enough to dwarf a radio telescope. (DW: *Terror of the Autons*)

### Abilities

Because of their molecular affinity, the Nestenes had the ability to possess plastic, animating it and making it quasi-organic, "almost like flesh and blood". (DW: *Terror of the Autons*) It existed within everything it controlled, with the more significant of these manifestations including the energy unitswhich transported the Consciousness, the Auton robots used as soldiers, and the Nestene creature that served as the central brain/nervous system of the Autons, created from the collected intelligence of the energy units. (DW: *Spearhead from Space*)

While they were fragments of the Consciousness, Autons had degrees of individuality depending on the portions of intelligence given to them. Channing, a Swarm Leader, could directly control another Auton and was unaware of another's destruction. (DW: *Spearhead from Space*) The Nestenes could speak through their Autons (DW: *Terror of the Autons*) Over the course of its invasions it possessed shop-window dummies, the more advanced Autons (DW: *Spearhead from Space* et al.), and inflatable chairs, dolls, telephone cords, plastic daffodils designed by the Master, (DW: *Terror of the Autons*)

### Invasion Strategy

The Nestenes invaded planets either for colonisation, using them for sources of plastic and protein, or to destroy them. At first they sent several plastic meteors to a planet. These asteroids could telepathically control specially created plastics, but were more effective when combined. The Consciousness would next control people to create Autonforces to help with further waves of invasions. One of the planets the Nestene took over was Earth.. (DW: *Blood of the Autons*)

On some worlds, its takeover strategy was as follows: portions of the Consciousness would travel through space in hollow spheres known as energy units, making planetfall in formation but appearing like normal meteorites to indigenous lifeforms. When they became active, the spheres would pulse with light and ring with electronic beeps. The first spheres could place a local being under mental control. The Swarm Leader unit created a facsimile of a native and would proceed to construct other Autons and collect the other spheres. The Autons could replace key authority figures. Once the Consciousness within them recombined in an environment tank, the Consciousness would take on a form that it believed perfectly adapted for conquest of the planet on which it had landed. (DW: *Spearhead from Space*)

## History

### 20th Century

The Nestene's first attempt to invade the Earth in the 20th century, using human-looking Autons to replace key government figures, was thwarted by UNIT with the help of the Third Doctor. The remains from this attempt were stored by UNIT. (DW: *Spearhead from Space*)

In their next attempt, the Master obtained one of the Nestene meteors and took over a plastics company. Using the company to create fake daffodils, disguised Autons would hand out these flowers for free. Eventually, once millions had been distributed, the Nestene would activate them by remote radio signals, causing them to suffocate and kill millions of people. The Master also created dolls, inflatable chairs and telephone cords to kill difficult individuals. The Third Doctor was able to figure out this plan. He convinced the Master that the Nestenes were too dangerous to be reliable allies, and they reversed the radio beam the invasion force was coming in on, sending it back into space. (DW: *Terror of the Autons*)

### 21st Century

In 2001, the Nestene used the Autons to invade Seattle Washington, placing them in various department stores as shop window dummies. The Autons later began an attack, but were stopped when the Tenth Doctor and Stella Cunningham destroyed the radio transmitter and the Nestene. (DW: *The Auton Skirmish*)

### Legacy

To Be Added. (DW: *Ascend From Darkness*)

### Alternate Timelines

To Be Added. (UNIT: *Alternate Realities*)

## Behind the Scenes

* When they were first introduced, they were referred to only as "the Nestenes" in *Spearhead from Space*. The actual name "Nestene Consciousness" seems to originate from the novelisation *Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion*.