Journey stories are a staple of early Doctor Who Who, with Marco Polo being perhaps the most distinguished example. In later years, of course, decreasing season lengths and escalating audience expectations largely put an end to this form, so it‘s interesting to see it used as the basis of Christopher Bulis‘ fifth Doctor novel.
Perhaps the closest fifth Doctor stories to this form are Enlightenment and The Five Doctors, which is appropriate, since in both these stories, the journey is undertaken in the belief that a prize awaits at the end. And in both these stories, the prize is not quite what it seems.
The Doctor and Peri have stopped off at a spaceport and the Doctor‘s new companion is eager to do some shopping. Their visit to one shop just happens to coincide with that of the representatives of a crime boss, who are seeking the co-ordinates of one of the galaxy‘s greatest mysteries. When the criminals escape, the TARDIS is hijacked by the police officer in charge of the case and the Doctor is forced to use it to pursue the criminals, who have just embarked upon the search for the ultimate treasure.
The treasure once belonged to an emperor who disappeared with it many centuries ago. Another party seeking the treasure is led by an impoverished noble who believes it will prove that his niece is a descendant of the emperor and by a scientist who believes that the emperor found the secret of eternal youth.
The Doctor and company are also joined by a man who apparently believes himself to be Falstaff, a character from the plays of Shakespeare, and the journey is being observed, through a series of robot drones, by a journalist.
Impressively, all these characters manage to be distinctly more interesting than the Doctor or Peri, both of whom are adequately written, but never really stand out until the very end, whilst the guest characters all either grow or change during the novel.
The planet on which the treasure is supposed to be hidden is inhabited by a sect of mystics with psychic and telepathic powers who actually administrate the quest for the treasure. Across the centuries, they have built up and developed the many fiendish obstacles and traps that lie along the true path.
Along this path, the seekers of the treasure also encounter treachery, self-doubt and the strange morality of the press, something that the author investigates at some length and finds wanting. Okay so far? Right, well, just when you think The Ultimate Treasure is another of that rare breed, a novel entirely devoid of continuity references, I should warn you that there‘s a surprise awaiting right at the very end.
This surprise (which I won‘t spoil) doesn‘t quite work for me - partly because it is a bit of a deus ex machina ending and partly because it felt wrong after the continuity free nature of the novel up to that point.
The lack of heavy continuity may be part of the reason why The Ultimate Treasure never feels much like a Peter Davison era story, although that‘s hardly a criticism of the book. Nevertheless, there definitely seems to be something missing from The Ultimate Treasure, for much as I enjoyed reading it, ultimately, it wasn‘t entirely satisfying.
© Tim Farr, 2006
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