The Very Dark Thing (audio story): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Story
{{Infobox Story SMW
|image           = The Very Dark Thing (audio story).jpg
|image                 = The Very Dark Thing (audio story).jpg
|series         = ''[[The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield (audio series)|The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield]]''
|range                  = The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield (audio series)
|number         = 3.3
|series in range        = The Unbound Universe (audio anthology)
|main character = [[Bernice Summerfield]]
|series number in range = 3
|featuring      = [[The Doctor (Sympathy for the Devil)|The Doctor]]
|number in series      = 3
|enemy           =  
|series                = ''[[The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield (audio series)|The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield]]''
|setting         = [[Tramatz]]
|number                 = 3.3
|writer         = [[Una McCormack]]
|main character         = [[Bernice Summerfield|Benny]], [[Unbound Doctor]]
|director       = [[Scott Handcock]]
|enemy                 = [[Effenish]]
|music           = [[Jamie Robertson]]
|setting               = [[Tramatz]]
|sound           = [[Richard Fox]] and [[Lauren Yason]]
|writer                 = Una McCormack
|cover           = [[Tom Webster]]
|director               = [[Scott Handcock]]
|publisher       = Big Finish Productions
|music                 = [[Jamie Robertson]]
|release date   = [[24 August (releases)|24 August]] [[2016 (releases)|2016]]
|sound                 = [[Richard Fox]] and [[Lauren Yason]]
|anthology       = ''[[The Unbound Universe (audio anthology)|The Unbound Universe]]''
|cover                 = [[Tom Webster]]
|format         =  
|publisher             = Big Finish Productions
|production code =  
|release date           = 24 August 2016
|isbn           = ISBN 978-1-78575-360-2
|audio anthology       = The Unbound Universe (audio anthology)
|prev           = Planet X (audio story)  
|format                 = 1 CD<br/>Download<br/>3rd of 4 stories
|next           = The Emporium At The End (audio story)  
|production code       = BFPDWNABOX003
}}{{Audio stub}}
|isbn                   = ISBN 978-1-78575-360-2 (physical)<br/>ISBN 978-1-78575-361-9 (digital)
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the third story in ''[[The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield (audio series)|The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield]]'' box set ''[[The Unbound Universe (audio anthology)|The Unbound Universe]]''.
|prev                   = Planet X (audio story)  
|next                   = The Emporium at the End (audio story)  
|producer              = [[James Goss]]
|epcount                = 1
}}
'''''The Very Dark Thing''''' was the third story in ''[[The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield (audio series)|The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield]]'' box set ''[[The Unbound Universe (audio anthology)|The Unbound Universe]]''.


== Publisher's summary ==
== Publisher's summary ==
Line 29: Line 34:


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
''to be added''
With the [[Empire of Tramatz]] burning, [[Idratz|Captain Idratz]] and [[Aramatz]] activate a device that they never thought they would have to. Five years later, [[Effenish|Fleet Admiral Effenish]] of [[Combined Ninth Fleet]] arrives above Tramatz, a world of singing [[river]]s, talking [[sky|skies]] and [[unicorn]]s, and asks the people below to surrender. She receives no response and begins bombarding the planet.
 
[[Unbound Doctor|The Doctor]] is camping out near a [[village]] on Tramatz and speaks with [[Megatz]], who is aware that the rivers, skies and unicorns are strange and does not understand why nobody talks about them. [[Bernice Summerfield|Benny]] tracks him down several weeks after he came to save the planet from the very dark thing and is brought up to speed, but she cannot understand why she is the only one able to hear Effenish's demands for surrender and threats to drop [[reaper bomb]]s. Similarly, only Benny and the Doctor are able to see the very big, very dark thing, which has always been here, until they point it out to Magatz.
 
As the very dark thing is in the corner of one's eye, Benny and the Doctor do not know how to reach it. Benny hears Effenish making planetfall and, when a unicorn approaches, the Doctor asks her to talk to it and believes that it is a representation of a war machine. Benny and Magatz follow the unicorn whilst the Doctor goes to find and reason with Effenish, whose entire attack squad is humming along with the river. The Doctor finds her after she has primed the reaper bombs and saves her from a unicorn; she does not accept that the Tramatzians could not hear her and, after bringing her squad to their senses by firing her [[gun]], she returns to her ship.
 
Benny explains to Magatz how there was a [[Great War (Unbound Universe)|Great War]] which disrupted [[Unbound Universe|the universe]] and admits that the [[Tramatzian]]s were the "bad guys". The unicorn leads them to an underground research facility where the Tramatzians built weapons which wiped planets from history during the war as well as one that they used to disrupt reality on Tramatz when the war got closer. They see echoes of Idratz and Aramatz, Magatz's parents, launch the [[bomb]] which caused the disruption.
 
Although [[Neave|Colonel Neave]] is eager to activate the bombs, Effenish wants to give the Tramatzians one last chance. Magatz switches the weapon off rather than using it on the fleet and contacts Effenish, explaining that they could not hear her and apologising. Effenish accepts the apology and orders that the Combined Ninth Fleet returns home, although Neave does not agree and has to be hit by [[Gallario|Sergeant Gallario]]. With the weapon deactivated, the Tramatzians are able to understand what they did during the war. The [[gravity]] is still intermittent and unicorns still exist because, the Doctor says, the universe can be strange.


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
* Professor [[Bernice Summerfield]] - [[Lisa Bowerman]]
* [[Bernice Summerfield]] - [[Lisa Bowerman]]
* [[The Doctor (Sympathy for the Devil)|The Doctor]] - [[David Warner]]
* [[Unbound Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[David Warner]]
* [[Megatz]] - [[Kerry Gooderson]]
* [[Megatz]] - [[Kerry Gooderson]]
* Fleet Admiral [[Effenish]] - [[Deirdre Mullins]]
* [[Effenish|Fleet Admiral Effenish]] - [[Deirdre Mullins]]
* Colonel [[Neave]] - [[George Blagden]]
* [[Neave|Colonel Neave]] - [[George Blagden]]
* [[Gallario]] - [[Richard Earl]]
* [[Gallario]] - [[Richard Earl]]
* [[Aramatz]] - [[Aaron Neil]]
* [[Aramatz]] - [[Aaron Neil]]
* [[Idratz]] - [[Laura Doddington]]
* [[Idratz]] - [[Laura Doddington]]


== References ==
== Crew ==
''to be added''
 
* Cover Art - [[Tom Webster]]
* Director - [[Scott Handcock]]
* Executive Producers - [[Jason Haigh-Ellery]] and [[Nicholas Briggs]]
* Music - [[Jamie Robertson]]
* Producer - [[James Goss]]
* Sound Design - [[Richard Fox]] and [[Lauren Yason]] @ FoxYason Studios
* Writer - [[Una McCormack]]
 
== Worldbuilding ==
* The people of Tramatz are called [[Tramatzian]]s.
* Effenish threatens to drop [[reaper bomb]]s.
* [[Annish|Lieutenat Annish]] and [[Solish]] answer to Effenish.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
''to be added''
* Benny calls a unicorn "Dobbin", the name of a pantomine horse in the children's TV show ''[[wikipedia:Rentaghost|Rentaghost]]'' which was broadcast between 1976 and 1984.


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* Benny mentions [[Ace]], saying that she would be proud of her calling a unicorn "Dobbin". The two were recently travelling together with the [[Seventh Doctor]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Lights of Skaro (audio story)|The Lights of Skaro]]'', etc.)


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{bigfinish|releases/v/1458|{{StoryTitle}} - The Unbound Universe}}
{{bigfinish|releases/v/1458|{{StoryTitle}} - The Unbound Universe}}
{{BFBS}}
{{BFBS}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:The Unbound Universe audio stories]]
[[Category:The Unbound Universe audio stories]]
[[Category:2016 audio stories]]
[[Category:One part audio stories]]
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield stories]]
[[Category:Stories that use the Blair Mowat Doctor Who theme]]
[[Category:Stories set in parallel universes]]

Latest revision as of 07:10, 1 April 2024

RealWorld.png

The Very Dark Thing was the third story in The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield box set The Unbound Universe.

Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

Tramatz is an idyllic world – the rivers hum to themselves, unicorns prance through the emerald forests, and, at the very corner of your eye, is a horrible secret.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

With the Empire of Tramatz burning, Captain Idratz and Aramatz activate a device that they never thought they would have to. Five years later, Fleet Admiral Effenish of Combined Ninth Fleet arrives above Tramatz, a world of singing rivers, talking skies and unicorns, and asks the people below to surrender. She receives no response and begins bombarding the planet.

The Doctor is camping out near a village on Tramatz and speaks with Megatz, who is aware that the rivers, skies and unicorns are strange and does not understand why nobody talks about them. Benny tracks him down several weeks after he came to save the planet from the very dark thing and is brought up to speed, but she cannot understand why she is the only one able to hear Effenish's demands for surrender and threats to drop reaper bombs. Similarly, only Benny and the Doctor are able to see the very big, very dark thing, which has always been here, until they point it out to Magatz.

As the very dark thing is in the corner of one's eye, Benny and the Doctor do not know how to reach it. Benny hears Effenish making planetfall and, when a unicorn approaches, the Doctor asks her to talk to it and believes that it is a representation of a war machine. Benny and Magatz follow the unicorn whilst the Doctor goes to find and reason with Effenish, whose entire attack squad is humming along with the river. The Doctor finds her after she has primed the reaper bombs and saves her from a unicorn; she does not accept that the Tramatzians could not hear her and, after bringing her squad to their senses by firing her gun, she returns to her ship.

Benny explains to Magatz how there was a Great War which disrupted the universe and admits that the Tramatzians were the "bad guys". The unicorn leads them to an underground research facility where the Tramatzians built weapons which wiped planets from history during the war as well as one that they used to disrupt reality on Tramatz when the war got closer. They see echoes of Idratz and Aramatz, Magatz's parents, launch the bomb which caused the disruption.

Although Colonel Neave is eager to activate the bombs, Effenish wants to give the Tramatzians one last chance. Magatz switches the weapon off rather than using it on the fleet and contacts Effenish, explaining that they could not hear her and apologising. Effenish accepts the apology and orders that the Combined Ninth Fleet returns home, although Neave does not agree and has to be hit by Sergeant Gallario. With the weapon deactivated, the Tramatzians are able to understand what they did during the war. The gravity is still intermittent and unicorns still exist because, the Doctor says, the universe can be strange.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Benny calls a unicorn "Dobbin", the name of a pantomine horse in the children's TV show Rentaghost which was broadcast between 1976 and 1984.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]