The Apocalypse Element (audio story)

The Apocalypse Element
Doctor:	Sixth Doctor
Companion(s):	Evelyn
Featuring:	Romana II
Main enemy:	Daleks
Main setting:	Etra Prime Archetryx Gallifrey
Key crew
Publisher:	Big Finish Productions
Writer:	Stephen Cole
Director:	Nicholas Briggs
Producer:	Jason Haigh-Ellery and Gary Russell
Post production:	Nicholas Briggs
Cover by:	Clayton Hickman
Release details
Release number:	11
Release date:	August 2000
Format:	4 Episodes on 2 CDs
Production code:	7C/C
ISBN:	ISBN 1-903654-01-7
Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories
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The Apocalypse Element was the eleventh story in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by Stephen Cole and featured Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, Maggie Stables as Evelyn Smythe and Lalla Ward as Romana II.

It was the first audio story to feature Ward reprising her role of Romana. It was also the first audio story to feature the Sixth Doctor and the Daleks. The last story to feature the Sixth Doctor and the Daleks was 1993's Doctor Who Magazine comic story Emperor of the Daleks!.

The spine of this story's CD case was marked "Dalek Empire Part Two", marking it as taking place as part of Big Finish's series of linked audio stories that formed a large and long setting for the Dalek Empire during a particular phase of their galactic expansion.

Publisher's summary

When the planet Archetryx is threatened by a Dalek assault squad, the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn become embroiled in an ever-deepening mystery. What has become of President Romana, missing for twenty years? What lurks in the vast gravity wells of Archetryx? What is the secret of the ancient element the Daleks are synthesising — and how does Gallifrey feature in their plans?

The Doctor finds that if his oldest enemies cannot conquer the universe they will watch it go up in flames...

Plot

to be added

Cast

• The Doctor - Colin Baker
• Dr. Evelyn Smythe - Maggie Stables
• Romana II - Lalla Ward
• Monitor Trinkett - Karen Henson
• Assistant Monitor Ensac - James Campbell
• Commander Vorna - Andrea Newland
• Coordinator Vansell - Anthony Keetch
• The Monan Host - Toby Longworth
• Lord President of Gallifrey - Michael Wade
• The Daleks - Alistair Lock & Nicholas Briggs
• Vrint/Captain Raldeth - Andrew Fettes
• Alien Delegate - Neil Corry

References

Daleks

• The Dalek force is led by a Black Dalek.
• Twenty years ago the Daleks removed Etra Prime from space-time, kidnapping a Monan and Time Lord delegation including Lady President Romanadvoratrelundar.
• Evelyn is shot by a Dalek, paralysing her legs.

Elements

• Particles found on Etra Prime are what the Daleks call the "Apocalypse Element".

Galaxies

• The Daleks detonated a particle of the Apocalypse Element in the Seriphia Galaxy, destroying everything in it.
• The Seriphean Galaxy is four times the size of the Milky Way galaxy and home to over six hundred billion stars.

Gallifreyan technology

• The Rod of Rassilon and the Sash of Rassilon are needed to manipulate the Eye of Harmony.
• Much of Gallifreyan technology relies on an iris scan.

Other realities

• The Doctor mentions Romana having been in E-Space.

Planets

• Archetryx is host to a "Time Treaty" of "twenty of the greatest powers in space-time".
• Etra Prime is the oldest planetoid in the known universe.

Psychology

• At one point, Evelyn worries that Romana has Stockholm syndrome, but she initially believes it to be called Stockbridge Syndrome.

Species

• The Monan Host haven't yet managed dimensional transcendence with their time technology.
• Species attending (and part of the treaty) include the Time Lords, the Monan Host and the Virgoans.

Science

• The Gravity wells on Archetryx are subterranean shafts where zero gravity is able to be manipulated.

TARDIS

• TARDISes on Gallifrey are kept in TARDIS cradles.

Time technology

• Archetryx is protected by a temporal barrier, inside which everything is one minute in the future.
• The Monan Host's time craft has powerful engines, more so than even the Time Lords' TARDISes.

Notes

Art by Lee Sullivan from DWM 294

• This story is marked as being "Dalek Empire Part Two".
• An illustrated preview for this story appeared in Doctor Who Magazine issue 294 with art by Lee Sullivan.
• This story was originally released on both CD and cassette.
• Russell T Davies references the Etra Prime Incident in Doctor Who Annual 2006 as one of the inciting incidents to the Last Great Time War.
• This audio drama was recorded on 26 and 27 February 2000 at The Moat Studios.
• aHistory dates the parts of this story not set on Gallifrey to circa the same year as The Genocide Machine (4256 in the first two editions, 5256 in the third).

Cover gallery

• 

  Cassette cover and cassettes

• 

  Original CD cover art

• 

  Revised cover art

Continuity

• It was established in PROSE: Happy Endings that Romana was Lady President of the High Council of the Time Lords.
• This story goes some way to explain why the Eye of Harmony in the TARDIS in TV: Doctor Who required a human eye in order to open.
• Evelyn's legs are temporarily paralysed when she is shot by Dalek weaponry, as previously happened to the First Doctor's companion Ian Chesterton during his first encounter with them on Skaro. (TV: The Daleks)
• The Doctor refers to Romana's time in E-Space. (TV: Warriors' Gate)
• During their attack of Gallifrey, the Daleks redirect their attention towards the Doctor upon detecting his presence. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
• Due to these events, Romana later established the Temporal Powers, an alliance with multiple time-active factions. (AUDIO: Insurgency)
• The Matrix records this event as happening during the Rassilon Era year 6796.8. (AUDIO: Neverland)
• Romana would later meet a version of the Sixth Doctor from an alternative timeline who referred to himself as "Lord Burner." (AUDIO: Disassembled)

External links

• Official The Apocalypse Element page at bigfinish.com
• The Apocalypse Element at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• DisContinuity for The Apocalypse Element at Tetrapyriarbus - The DisContinuity Guide