Christmas Eve in the year 3060, and the earth Puxatornee houses a prosperous individual colony. A space craft has arrived in orbit holding the Slithergees, a race of obsequious alien slugs. Their house world continues to be destroyed and they are humbly requesting permission to settle around the initial moon. And if they don’t get permission, they are humbly intimidating to declare all-out war. The near future hangs in the balance. The decision rests with Bailey, the colony’ s chief executive – but she has other things on her behalf mind. Xmas Eve in the entire year 3090, and the earth Puxatornee has changed beyond all reputation. THE PHYSICIAN and Mel arrive, on a completely unrelated objective to defeat a race of awful monsters, and shortly find that something rather confusing has been happening to history.