Leo: Constant Companion

"Get rid of the cat!"

Writer: Simon A. Forward

Format: Short Story

Released: March 2002

Printed in: Short Trips: Zodiac 05

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

Take a TARDIS trip through the constellations, as the Doctor travels to twelve thrilling tales inspired by the mystical zodiac. 

Telepathic fish, miniature lions and twin planets are the least of his problems, as the Doctor – all eight of him – faces the Capricorn Killer, endures a mind swap with the Machiavellian Master, and dances with Death herself. 

And that's not the half of it – as the two K9s can attest.

Verdict

Constant Companion was a somewhat average story to continue my way through the Zodiac edition of Short Trips. I think it would be kind to say that this book is still finding its feet in terms of quality and that’s not a huge surprise given this is the first of the Short Trips books under the Big Finish umbrella. I still think the Zodiac theme is not really offering much at all and even after reading the Kasterborus take on the star sign of Leo and its focus on being ruled by the centre of the universe, I didn’t really see what relevance that had to the adventure. Maybe I just don’t quite understand the star signs and the likes of horoscopes? I am absolutely fine admitting that and maybe that is why I’m on a pretty consistent run of average tales in this collection. I was excited by the way things started as the potential for a cat to join the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe on their travels was very fun because of the chaos it would inevitably cause. Now, it wasn’t actually a cat but the Doctor going by that moniker because that was the closest thing they could was helpful. It had cat tendencies and as a cat owner myself to two little mischiefs Polly (yes, named after the companion!) and Pirate (not after the space Second Doctor serial but my son who was only one at the time of taking her in). The image of the cat clawing the insides of the TARDIS was amusing and the scale of it jumping up the roundels and even opening them was baffling. The length of time for the story was unexpected and I’m not big on unseen moments within stories. We barely got any details and it was just used to have the Doctor and his companions return to the TARDIS to see what damage the feline had caused this time. If I know anything though, I’m amazed the cat wouldn’t dart out of the TARDIS doors every time they opened because despite being predominantly indoor cats, my two love to sneak out when they get the chance. The humour of the cat continuously returning back to the TARDIS no matter how and where they left it might have something to do with that. The cat was literally attached telepathically and the Doctor was suffering with the amplification. The way he was almost having an outburst at his companions for them simply having thoughts got a little uncomfortable but it really is no surprise that it all became too overwhelming for the Doctor. That’s where the timeframe of the story comes in because the longer the cat was around, the more the telepathic link was established and he was hearing more and more thoughts. He needed his companions to listen and go away which is a strange dynamic for sure. The Doctor working out that he needed to return the cat to its owner at the right time was at least something of a logical conclusion as the mystical woman was trying to get rid of the cat all along and she’d used her own telepathic connection to mask her whereabouts. The Doctor was clever though and jumped three centuries ahead where the woman’s power had wained. She couldn’t live with or without the cat in an internal struggle, and now she was reunited all along. Jamie and Zoe had become attached and even the Doctor had, showcased by him not being sure if he’d lost a companion or defeated a foe. Overall, not exactly bad but just not a great amount happening.

Rating: 6/10