Parts: 4
Writer: Terence Dudley
Airdates: 18 January - 26 January 1982
Production Code: 5W

Doctor: fifth
Companions: Adric, Nyssa, Tegan

Creature Feature: Urbankans

Story: Tegan's hopes of getting back to Heathrow are dashed when the view outside the TARDIS is not that of Terminal Three, but a room full of advanced technology. When they investigate, the TARDIS crew find that they have arrived on a large spacecraft patrolled by floating camera-eyes. While Nyssa and Adric examine the dormant technology, the Doctor and Tegan are led through the ship to the control room, where they meet the monarch of the Urbankans, and his ministers of Enlightenment and Persuasion.

Monarch and his ministers have been visiting Earth for thousands of years, and have rescued certain members of the planet's population who now spend their time aboard his ship. But now their sun has collapsed, and their planet has been destroyed, and they hope to resettle elsewhere. But questions loom large in the minds of the Doctor and his companions. Why are they watched wherever they go on the ship? How are the people from Earth still alive after thousands of years aboard Monarch's ship? And, above all, is Monarch really telling the truth, or is he hiding his true intentions?

With only four days before Monarch's ship reaches Earth, the Doctor must find the answers to all their questions in case his intuition is correct. But Tegan is panicked and desperate to leave, Adric is being swayed to Monarch's side, and Nyssa's investigations are getting her into trouble with Monarch and his crew. Caught between trying to keep Monarch appeased, trying to keep his companions in line, and trying to investigate in secret, can the Doctor solve Monarch's mystery before the ship arrives on Earth?