Lindy Pepper-Bean

Lindy Pepper-Bean is one of several wealthy young adults, from the nearby Homeworld, that live in the city of Finetime that is shielded from the dangerous Wild Woods that surround the city. They primarily live through a social media-like interface, in the form of a Bubble projected around their heads by small floating robots called Dots, with the city's computer directing their every movement and decisions.

As Lindy wakes up to another day in Finetime she activates her Bubble and sees that several of her friends are missing but is unconcerned by this. She is then interrupted by The Doctor appearing in her Bubble, warning her of extreme danger, but she immediately blocks him. Lindy then goes about following the instructions of the city’s computer to get up and arrive at her place of work where she has to carry out an obligatory 2 hours of ‘work’.

However, while Lindy is at her place of work, Ruby Sunday appears in her Bubble and claims to be running a system check for Finetime Enterprises. After questioning her on the whereabouts of her colleagues, who should be in the room with Lindy, Ruby convinces Lindy to look through a gap in her Bubble where Lindy finds them gone.

The Doctor

After some coaxing from Ruby, Lindy reluctantly drops her Bubble and alongside her she sees a giant slug-like creature eating one of her colleagues. With her Bubble reactivated Lindy discovers that along with Ruby another person has joined her social group. This is The Doctor, and the two convince her to run, though she struggles to move without the guidance of the Bubble.

Lindy eventually manages to reach the outside and convinced to remove her Bubble again Lindy witnesses multiple giant slugs eating the residents. But strangely they seem to be ignoring some of the residents, including herself. Hiding from the horrors she has witnessed Lindy then views a message from her mother Penny, whom The Doctor and Ruby recognise, though from different places. The Doctor recognises her from the face of the robotic Ambulance, that he encountered on the battlefield on the planet Kastarion 3 (see "Boom"), while Ruby recognises her from the woman hiker that she met in Wales (see "73 Yards").

Ruby Sunday

Lindy is then confused to see that The Doctor and Ruby are in the same room, and she recognises The Doctor as the man she previously blocked. She calls a group chat to inform the rest of her friends what is happening. During which Gothic Paul is eaten in front of them.

The Doctor and Ruby instruct Lindy and her friends to evacuate Finetime via conduits that lead to an underground river so that they can wait for rescue by their families from Homeworld. Lindy’s Dot however, runs out of power, forcing her to find the conduit on her own. Lindy though finds herself amongst a group of giant slugs. She is eventually aided in person by another resident, Ricky September, a pop singer that she idolises. He reveals that unlike the other residents, he turns his Bubble off regularly and can function without it. He has therefore been aware of the giant slugs for quite some time. He later learns that Homeworld has already been consumed by the giant slugs but does not inform Lindy, so as not to upset her.

The two find the entrance to the conduit and Lindy is able to charge her Dot. As Ricky opens the door, The Doctor realises that the giant slugs were created and bred within Finetime by the Dots and that the residents are being directed to their deaths. He deduces that it is likely that the city’s computer has grown frustrated with the childish population and has been working alphabetical through the population, sending them to their death one-by-one. This is therefore why the giant slugs have been ignoring Lindy. But The Doctor then realises that alphabetically Lindy is next on the list.

A Finetime Slug

Suddenly Lindy finds herself no longer able to control her Dot as it reveals its true colours and tries to attack her. When Lindy is cornered, she selfishly reveals Ricky's true surname is ‘Coombes’ and so alphabetically he should be the computer’s next target, and not her. As Ricky tries to fend off the attacking Dot alone Lindy enters the conduit, closing the door behind her, so abandoning Ricky to be killed by her Dot.

Lindy finally meets up with the few remaining fleeing residents that The Doctor and Ruby managed to rescue earlier. She lies to them about what happened to Ricky. Despite The Doctor encouraging them all to come with him in the TARDIS, to find a new home, they disdainfully refuse out of racial prejudice and instead plan to take their chances in the Wild Woods.

The Doctor dismisses their racial slur against him and begs them to come with him. But the survivors have no interest in going with him even when he warns them that they will die, as the Wild Woods are dangerous. They ignore him completely and Ruby returns to the TARDIS, shocked and disgusted by the refugees' racist and ungrateful attitude. The Doctor can only scream in frustration as the group launch their raft onto the river. Unable to stop them The Doctor, filled with sorrow and anger, returns to the TARDIS, knowing that the residents will surely die on their own.