Dead Man's Switch (BFBS audio story): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Story | {{Infobox Story SMW | ||
|image = Dead Man's Switch.jpg | |image = Dead Man's Switch.jpg | ||
|series= ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' | |series = ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' | ||
|story number = 52 | |story number = 52 | ||
|range | |range = BSSR | ||
|series in range = Series 11 (BFBS) | |series in range = Series 11 (BFBS) | ||
|series number in range = 11 | |series number in range = 11 | ||
|number in series = 4 | |number in series = 4 | ||
|number=4 | |number = 4 | ||
|main character = [[Bernice Summerfield]] | |main character = [[Bernice Summerfield|Benny]] | ||
|setting = [[ | |enemy = [[Matka]] | ||
|writer = | |setting = [[Moon (Dead Man's Switch)|Moon]], Year 54 | ||
|director = [[John Ainsworth]] | |writer = John Dorney, Richard Dinnick | ||
|producer = [[John Ainsworth]] | |director = [[John Ainsworth]] | ||
|music= [[ | |producer = [[John Ainsworth]] | ||
|sound= | |music = [[Thea Cochrane]] | ||
|cover= [[Adrian Salmon]] | |sound = Thea Cochrane | ||
|publisher = Big Finish Productions | |cover = [[Adrian Salmon]] | ||
|release date = | |publisher = Big Finish Productions | ||
|format = 1 CD | |release date = December 2010 | ||
|production code = BFPCD52 | |format = 1 CD | ||
|isbn = ISBN 978-1-84435-529-7 | |production code = BFPCD52 | ||
|prev = Year Zero (audio story) | |isbn = ISBN 978-1-84435-529-7 | ||
|next = The Kraken's Lament (audio story) | |prev = Year Zero (audio story) | ||
|series2= ''Bernice Summerfield'' releases | |next = The Kraken's Lament (audio story) | ||
|prev2 = Year Zero (audio story) | |series2 = ''Bernice Summerfield'' releases | ||
|next2 = Epoch (audio anthology) | |prev2 = Year Zero (audio story) | ||
|sample = https://soundcloud.com/matcochr/bernice-summerfield-dead-mans | |next2 = Epoch (audio anthology) | ||
|sample name = Diary End | |sample = https://soundcloud.com/matcochr/bernice-summerfield-dead-mans | ||
}}{{audio | |sample name = Diary End | ||
''''' | }}{{you may|Dead Man's Switch (BFTW audio story)|n1 = the Torchwood audio story}} | ||
'''''Dead Man's Switch''''' was the fifty-second ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' audio story released by [[Big Finish Productions]]. It was the fourth story of the eleventh season. | |||
== Publisher's summary == | == Publisher's summary == | ||
26 years ago, a team of | 26 years ago, a team of [[scientist]]s came to a [[moon]] to unearth the [[secret]]s of a long-dead civilisation. They were later found to have [[death|died]] in what the authorities called an [[anti-matter]] explosion. Alone and desperate, [[Bernice Summerfield]] will do anything to get back home. But where is home? | ||
The capital world of [[Zordin]] seems to offer the only chance of answers, but that's a long way away. The offer of a job could be her best way of paying for the voyage but... [[archaeology]] is illegal... and there's a quarantine... and she'll have to leap from a spacecraft in orbit. But what does that matter? | The capital world of [[Zordin]] seems to offer the only chance of answers, but that's a long way away. The offer of a job could be her best way of paying for the voyage but... [[archaeology]] is illegal... and there's a quarantine... and she'll have to leap from a spacecraft in orbit. But what does that matter? | ||
On a world guarded by armed | On a world guarded by armed [[satellite]]s and patrolled by defence drones on the surface, Benny's going to have to use all her knowledge, skill and wits. And that's just to get there! Because it's not the moon itself that's the problem. It's what happened there; what remains there; what might escape. What matters? Nothing. | ||
== Plot == | == Plot == | ||
''to be | [[Matka]] tells [[Bernice Summerfield|Benny]] about an [[anti-matter]] explosion that destroyed a pre-Year 1 [[moonbase]] twenty-six years ago and which was used as evidence that the past was dangerous; she hires her as part of an illegal [[archaeology|archaeological]] [[expedition]] to find out what the purpose of the moonbase was and what the people there found. They take a [[shuttle]] and Benny jumps out to the [[moon]] in a shielded suit to plug a [[wave generator]] into the base's [[transmitter]] and deactivate the [[quarantine satellite]]s with an [[electromagnetic pulse]], allowing the shuttle to land. | ||
Upon entering the atmosphere in a shielded suit, Benny [[parachute]]s to the ground and uses her [[geophys]] to scan the [[soil]] and to disable [[defence drone]]s with an electric shock when they come after her. She finds the most concealed excavation and is escorted by [[Robot (Dead Man's Switch)|Robot]] to [[Otek Pron]], who has had his finger on a button for twenty-six years due to his belief that the universe will end if he stops. He explains that he was hired by [[Hyren Borsch]] to steal the base's [[wormhole]] technology and that the explosion was actually caused by an experiment involving the [[universe of nothing]]. He pressed the button to contain the nothing but, with the base severely damaged, he has had to keep his finger on it ever since. | |||
Otek has Robot show Benny to the transmitter so that she can disable the quarantine satellites, although he is sceptical that Matka will be able to help him. When Matka lands, she starts cutting into the [[particle manipulation chamber]] despite Benny's warning of the nothing, believing it to be full of anti-matter which she can feed to her children who, like her, are [[Sonshi]]. Benny plans to use [[Bernice Summerfield's Time Ring|her Time Ring]] to place the moon in a [[time loop]] to prevent the spread of the nothing upon its release and, after being pinned down by Matka and her children, she uses it to [[teleportation|teleport]] herself into the particle manipulation chamber to wire it in. | |||
The Sonshi kills Otek and Robot and Benny escapes as the nothing is released and the time loop is put in place. She gets to the shuttle and departs, taking Otek's messages and the fee that she was paid by Matka to [[Ema|his daughter]]. Using [[money]] from the sale of the shuttle, Benny enters [[stasis]] for three years on a flight to [[Zordin]]. She awakens and looks out of the window at Zordin, which she recognises as [[Earth]], and is told that it has been redesignated as Atlantis by order of the [[Great Leader]]. | |||
== Cast == | == Cast == | ||
* [[Bernice Summerfield]] - [[Lisa Bowerman]] | * [[Bernice Summerfield]] - [[Lisa Bowerman]] | ||
* [[Matka]] - [[Maria McErlane]] | * [[Matka]] - [[Maria McErlane]] | ||
* [[Otek]] - [[William Whymper]] | * [[Otek Pron|Otek]] - [[William Whymper]] | ||
* Robot - [[Alex Mallinson]] | * [[Robot (Dead Man's Switch)|Robot]] - [[Alex Mallinson]] | ||
== Worldbuilding == | |||
* Otek has a [[nutrient bar]] and an injective of [[caffeine]] for [[breakfast]]. | |||
* Otek records message for [[Ema]] and [[Vumi]]. | |||
* [[Raster]] has several [[moon]]s. | |||
* Benny has a new [[Bernice Summerfield's diaries|diary]]. | |||
* Benny says that [[salmon bisque]] is her speciality. | |||
* Benny performs a [[HALO]] (high atmosphere, low opening) jump in a shielded suit. | |||
* Benny has a [[respirator]]. | |||
* Benny scans the [[soil]] with a [[geophys]]. | |||
* [[Hyren Borsch]] was chief operator of [[Esiop Technologies]]. He died in a [[particle manipulation chamber]]. | |||
* Benny has been in a few [[wormhole]]s. | |||
* Benny compares [[Peter Summerfield|Peter]]'s fate to [[Schrödinger's cat]]. | |||
* Benny once spent a weekend in [[21st century]] [[Coventry]]. She did not enjoy it. | |||
* Matka is [[Sonshi]]. | |||
* [[Rema]] is one of Matka's children. | |||
== | == Cover Gallery == | ||
'' | <gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true"> | ||
Dead_Man's_Switch.jpg|Cover | |||
Dead-Man's-Switch-Col.jpg|Textless cover | |||
Dead Man's Switch pencil.jpg|Sketch | |||
Dead Man's Switch roughs.jpg|Thumbnails | |||
</gallery> | |||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
* This audio drama was recorded on [[8 May (production)|8 May]] [[2010 (production)|2010]]. | * This audio drama was recorded on [[8 May (production)|8 May]] [[2010 (production)|2010]]. | ||
* A download version of this story was released on [[23 May (releases)|23 May]] [[2022 (releases)|2022]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/bigfinish/status/1528664756529373186 Weekly Deal announcement for Bernice Summerfield Series 9-11 available on download]</ref> | |||
* When [[Robot (Dead Man's Switch)|Robot]] fails to answer [[Otek Pron|Otek]]'s question, Otek says, "you never know the bloody answer when it's important, do you?" [[Tom Baker]] once said, "you never f*cking know the answer when it's important" to [[K9 Mark II|K9]] on the set of ''[[The Armageddon Factor (TV story)|The Armageddon Factor]]''. | |||
== Continuity == | == Continuity == | ||
'' | * Benny does not know if [[Peter Summerfield|Peter]] is alive. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Escaping the Future (audio story)|Escaping the Future]]'') | ||
* Benny is not married anymore. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Eternity Weeps (novel)|Eternity Weeps]]'') | |||
* Benny mentions [[Irving Braxiatel]] and how the two of them should be dead. She bets that Braxiatel is still alive as well. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Escaping the Future (audio story)|Escaping the Future]]'') | |||
* Benny mentions [[Pallis]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Year Zero (audio story)|Year Zero]]'') | |||
== Footnotes == | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
{{bigfinish|releases/v/dead-man-s-switch-90|Dead Man's Switch}} | |||
{{dwrefguide|bs_a45.htm|Dead Man's Switch}} | {{dwrefguide|bs_a45.htm|Dead Man's Switch}} | ||
{{BFBS}} | {{BFBS}} | ||
{{TitleSort}} | {{TitleSort}} | ||
[[Category:Series 11 (BFBS) audio stories]] | [[Category:Series 11 (BFBS) audio stories]] | ||
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield | [[Category:Bernice Summerfield sources]] | ||
[[Category:Stories set on Zordin]] | [[Category:Stories set on Zordin]] | ||
[[Category:One part audio stories]] | |||
Latest revision as of 18:39, 2 March 2024
- You may be looking for the Torchwood audio story.
Dead Man's Switch was the fifty-second Bernice Summerfield audio story released by Big Finish Productions. It was the fourth story of the eleventh season.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
26 years ago, a team of scientists came to a moon to unearth the secrets of a long-dead civilisation. They were later found to have died in what the authorities called an anti-matter explosion. Alone and desperate, Bernice Summerfield will do anything to get back home. But where is home?
The capital world of Zordin seems to offer the only chance of answers, but that's a long way away. The offer of a job could be her best way of paying for the voyage but... archaeology is illegal... and there's a quarantine... and she'll have to leap from a spacecraft in orbit. But what does that matter?
On a world guarded by armed satellites and patrolled by defence drones on the surface, Benny's going to have to use all her knowledge, skill and wits. And that's just to get there! Because it's not the moon itself that's the problem. It's what happened there; what remains there; what might escape. What matters? Nothing.
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
Matka tells Benny about an anti-matter explosion that destroyed a pre-Year 1 moonbase twenty-six years ago and which was used as evidence that the past was dangerous; she hires her as part of an illegal archaeological expedition to find out what the purpose of the moonbase was and what the people there found. They take a shuttle and Benny jumps out to the moon in a shielded suit to plug a wave generator into the base's transmitter and deactivate the quarantine satellites with an electromagnetic pulse, allowing the shuttle to land.
Upon entering the atmosphere in a shielded suit, Benny parachutes to the ground and uses her geophys to scan the soil and to disable defence drones with an electric shock when they come after her. She finds the most concealed excavation and is escorted by Robot to Otek Pron, who has had his finger on a button for twenty-six years due to his belief that the universe will end if he stops. He explains that he was hired by Hyren Borsch to steal the base's wormhole technology and that the explosion was actually caused by an experiment involving the universe of nothing. He pressed the button to contain the nothing but, with the base severely damaged, he has had to keep his finger on it ever since.
Otek has Robot show Benny to the transmitter so that she can disable the quarantine satellites, although he is sceptical that Matka will be able to help him. When Matka lands, she starts cutting into the particle manipulation chamber despite Benny's warning of the nothing, believing it to be full of anti-matter which she can feed to her children who, like her, are Sonshi. Benny plans to use her Time Ring to place the moon in a time loop to prevent the spread of the nothing upon its release and, after being pinned down by Matka and her children, she uses it to teleport herself into the particle manipulation chamber to wire it in.
The Sonshi kills Otek and Robot and Benny escapes as the nothing is released and the time loop is put in place. She gets to the shuttle and departs, taking Otek's messages and the fee that she was paid by Matka to his daughter. Using money from the sale of the shuttle, Benny enters stasis for three years on a flight to Zordin. She awakens and looks out of the window at Zordin, which she recognises as Earth, and is told that it has been redesignated as Atlantis by order of the Great Leader.
Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Bernice Summerfield - Lisa Bowerman
- Matka - Maria McErlane
- Otek - William Whymper
- Robot - Alex Mallinson
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Otek has a nutrient bar and an injective of caffeine for breakfast.
- Otek records message for Ema and Vumi.
- Raster has several moons.
- Benny has a new diary.
- Benny says that salmon bisque is her speciality.
- Benny performs a HALO (high atmosphere, low opening) jump in a shielded suit.
- Benny has a respirator.
- Benny scans the soil with a geophys.
- Hyren Borsch was chief operator of Esiop Technologies. He died in a particle manipulation chamber.
- Benny has been in a few wormholes.
- Benny compares Peter's fate to Schrödinger's cat.
- Benny once spent a weekend in 21st century Coventry. She did not enjoy it.
- Matka is Sonshi.
- Rema is one of Matka's children.
Cover Gallery[[edit] | [edit source]]
Cover
Textless cover
Sketch
Thumbnails
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- This audio drama was recorded on 8 May 2010.
- A download version of this story was released on 23 May 2022.[1]
- When Robot fails to answer Otek's question, Otek says, "you never know the bloody answer when it's important, do you?" Tom Baker once said, "you never f*cking know the answer when it's important" to K9 on the set of The Armageddon Factor.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Benny does not know if Peter is alive. (AUDIO: Escaping the Future)
- Benny is not married anymore. (PROSE: Eternity Weeps)
- Benny mentions Irving Braxiatel and how the two of them should be dead. She bets that Braxiatel is still alive as well. (AUDIO: Escaping the Future)
- Benny mentions Pallis. (AUDIO: Year Zero)
Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Official Dead Man's Switch page at bigfinish.com
- Dead Man's Switch at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
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