Intervention Earth (audio story)

It was the first release not to focus on the dynamic of Romana II, Leela and Narvin, instead focusing on Romana III, Ace and Narvin. Additionally, the story marked Stephen Thorne's return to the role of Omega, whom he had previously portrayed in the 1972 Doctor Who television story The Three Doctors.

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

Times change...

Romana is approaching her final term of office, and hopes to leave her world in a state of peace and harmony. Narvin is concerned about the implementation of a controversial Precog programme, one that seeks to predict the Time Lords' future. Ace is an operative for the Celestial Intervention Agency, having learned the art of interference from one of the best...

And somewhere, across the stars, an ancient force is stirring: one of the Time Lords' greatest heroes is returning to our universe. But he may also prove to be their greatest threat.

When the history of Earth is threatened, and an ancient conspiracy reaches the heart of Time Lord government, can even Romana's closest allies truly be trusted?

Time will tell... but by then, it may already be too late.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Part one[[edit] | [edit source]]

On a CIA mission, Ace has stopped a species from discovering time travel and is fleeing from them into her TARDIS where she finds Rexx. He steps out of the shadows and informs her that he has been sent by the High Council to accompany her and to deliver a message from President Romana; a black hole in Mutter's Spiral is growing exponentially, draining energy from the universe around it and threatening to warp established history. Rexx programs the coordinates and dematerialises the TARDIS.

On Gallifrey, Coordinator Narvin meets with Merkis to discuss the Precogs, precognitive Time Lords whose use was introduced by Adjutant Coordinator Tauras. Whilst Narvin wants the project shut down, Merkis asks him to listen to what they are saying. No matter what timeline they look into, they say that "he is returning" and predict that Gallifrey will fall as reality ebbs away. Narvin contacts Commander Lukas to arrange to meet with Romana and heads to the Presidential Office despite him saying that Romana is busy.

Ace and Rexx materialise on a derelict planet, protected from the lack of an atmosphere by the TARDIS's field. When the clouds part, Ace sees that they are on the event horizon of the black hole.

Narvin speaks with Romana, accusing her of standing back whilst allowing others to fail to resolve the crisis. She denies this, saying that the Time Lords should observe rather than interfere and act only after properly identifying the threat. Once the culprit has been identified, she agrees that eliminating them might be best.

Rexx explains that the Sun of this planet has been brought to an end far before its time due to some sort of manipulation. Ace begins to hear the echoes of alternative timelines and learns that they are on Earth circa 2015; their mission, Rexx says, is to find and secure an artefact brought to this planet some time ago.

Merkis tells Narvin that the source of the energy disturbance is on Earth and that it was originated by a Gallifreyan device which seems to have been taken from the armouries and deployed. Narvin hurries to alert the High Council.

The device is the Hand of Omega, which Ace and Rexx manage to find and move to the TARDIS with only a minute before Earth's destruction. They travel back to the source of the disturbance in about 3000 BCE, homing in using the Hand's signal.

The voice of Omega says that he will return.

Ace and Rexx arrive at Greater Henge, a mysterious trihenge of unknown origin, in 2986 BCE. Rexx pulls a gun on Ace; whilst everything that he told her was true, albeit with some embellishment, he has abused her fondness for Mutter's Spiral, TARDIS ownership and privileges to acquire the Hand. He has brought the Hand back to this time to deploy it, hoping to remove those not loyal to the history of Gallifrey. He stuns her and regrets that he cannot kill her, but she is the key to Omega's return.

Part two[[edit] | [edit source]]

Lukas is approached by Endrogan, Tauras' new bodyguard, outside of the Presidential Office as Narvin and Tauras argue in front of Romana about the Precog programme. Narvin believes that the Precogs could be fuelling the paradox by damaging the Web of Time, but Romana reminds him that it is hypocritical of him to say such a thing given that he tasked the Fourth Doctor with averting the creation of the Daleks. Romana orders him to leave so that she can speak with Tauras, who believes that it has been so long since Narvin regenerated that he is opposed to progress.

Romana reminds Tauras that Narvin is his superior and that, having only one term of office left, she would like to end it with a stable and peaceful Gallifrey. He tells her that he is concerned about Narvin's loyalties, bringing up the fact that he chose not to tell her that the anomaly was located on Earth and that he might be an Adherent of Ohm. Romana has known Narvin for a very long time but notes Tauras' concerns. He heads to the Monitoring Station with Endrogan whilst Romana queries Lukas about the Adherents before asking him to surveil Narvin.

Tauras meets with Merkin, who informs him that Ace has disappeared from the site of the source of the anomaly. Her timeline has veered off course and it will take some time to locate her.

Lukas follows Narvin and hears him say that he is going to meet Cardinal Pertinax at sunset at the Shrine of Pandak. Lukas bumps into Endrogan, who suggests that they go for a walk through the Tamandra Gardens together. Unable to tell her what he is really doing, he agrees and explains to Romana the following day why he had to abort the mission. Romana tells him to show in Tauras and to continue surveillance with more subtlety. Tauras informs Romana that they have found Ace's approximate location and that she might have some involvement in the anomaly given that she has history with the Hand.

Merkis confirms that the source of the anomaly is the Hand of Omega, information that Tauras tells him not to share with Romana so as not to devastate her. Other than Narvin, they are the only two that know.

Lukas follows Narvin as he meets with Cardinal Harriax and Deputy Castellan Gabal in the Panopticon, discussing the Cardinal's trip to the Nekkistan field office. Narvin leaves with Harriax and Lukas continues to trail them.

Tauras informs Romana of the Hand's location on Earth and that it is in the possession of Ace. She demands to be shown the findings immediately and follows him to the Monitoring Station.

Lukas watches Narvin from a balcony and, in his recording for Romana, says that it seems unlikely that Narvin is part of a secret society. Endrogan approaches him and tells him that she is an Adherent and that Romana will soon be dead. She draws a gun, saying that "he" will soon return and that she must now kill Lukas for knowing too much. They fight and Endrogan starts strangling him, but she is shot by Narvin and falls from the balcony. Narvin reveals that he knew that Lukas was following him and that Endrogan was following Lukas and tells him to come with him to the Panopticon to save Romana.

Tauras tells Romana that the Doctor could also be involved in the debacle, but she denies that that could be the case. Snipers fire from several directions and Tauras, who manages to shoot two of them, is injured and takes her to the Panopticon, alerting his agents to the attempted assassination of the President.

In the Panopticon, Romana is reunited with Lukas and learns about Endrogan, who was wearing a medallion with the Crest of Hedin, the symbol of a Time Lord who died trying to bring about Omega's return and became a martyr of the Adherents. Tauras has made some arrests, but it seems that all of the attempted assassins were killed in the attack. Romana orders Narvin to go to Earth to locate Ace and the Hand of Omega and neutralise the anomaly by any means necessary, including killing Ace if she is indeed responsible. Lukas will find him an appropriate TARDIS.

Part three[[edit] | [edit source]]

On Earth, Narvin meets Sol of the Distant Hill, a human who points her bow at him and takes him to her home. He fires his staser to scare her and her husband, Min of the River, from whom he learns that the source of the anomaly is at Greater Henge. After informing Romana of this, he travels there with Sol and Min on their boat and, leaving them, asks the Woad Wearers for the Hand of Omega, which they call the Arc of Ohm. They imprison him and reveal that they have received Time Lord help.

Sol and Min do not know why Narvin chose not to use his staser against the Woad Wearers and decide to save him before they eat him. Min also suggests that they could become the new chieftains.

The leader of the Woad Wearers, Rexx, enters the TARDIS where he is holding Ace prisoner to become Omega's vessel.

Sol and Min free Narvin and see that the stones are beginning to glow and the Sun darkening. Narvin realises that the fourth stone at the trihenge is a TARDIS and, whilst Min returns to the boat, he tasks Sol with guarding the TARDIS once he has gone inside; in return, he agrees to give them his staser. He manages to get inside and finds Ace hypnotised, but he is seemingly able to restore her to normal by grazing her with staser fire. She tells him about Rexx, information which he relays to Romana. Romana orders him to kill Rexx.

Exiting the TARDIS, Narvin finds Rexx holding Sol captive and shoots him. Rexx says that it is just as the Precogs predicted before regenerating into Tauras, making Narvin realise that Tauras had gone back in time to steer Rexx in the right direction. Ace disarms Narvin and reveals that she is already Omega's vessel. Omega orders Tauras to pass through the gateway into the universe of anti-matter to truly free him. Tauras obeys, forcing Narvin with him into Ace's TARDIS and dematerialising.

Romana contacts Narvin for an update on the mission but receives no response.

Part four[[edit] | [edit source]]

Unable to get in contact with Narvin, Romana informs Lukas that she will be dealing with this situation personally and, per his insistence, allows him to accompany her to Earth.

Narvin, Tauras and the Omega-controlled Ace arrive in the universe of anti-matter and journey to Omega's citadel so that Omega can return to his body.

Romana and Lukas go to collect a TARDIS from the CIA, using her sonic screwdriver to gain access to one without having to send Merkis for authorisation codes. She traces Ace's TARDIS into the black hole and follows.

At Omega's citadel, Omega leaves Ace's body and returns to his own before forcibly overtaking Tauras', subsuming his mind, so that he can escape. As the universe requires a Time Lord's will to exist, he plans to leave Narvin behind in his place. Romana arrives with Lukas and tells Omega that he would be better off existing in this universe. He decides to destabilise the world to kill them all if the black hole is going to destroy the universe anyway, but Romana, Narvin and Lukas use Contact to stabilise it with their combined will.

Omega's mind is too strong, so they make Contact with Ace's mind as well. In truth, Omega has tricked them into taking on his burden and departs in Romana's TARDIS, causing the anti-matter universe to readjust without him. Lukas suggests that he remain here for a time and Romana agrees that it is a good idea, promising to come back one day to save him. As Romana, Ace and Narvin depart in Ace's TARDIS, the universe starts to collapse.

Romana, Ace and Narvin follow Omega, who contacts them via the scanner. Romana tells him that he will only be swapping one form of nonexistence for another by leaving the anti-matter universe and promises to help him return another way. Omega is happy for the Time Lords to share his fate and says that he could resolve the issue of the black hole by shutting down the Hand. He does so, leaving Romana, Narvin and Ace behind. Taking control of the TARDIS, Romana jettisons all non-essential rooms to give them the thrust to escape the black hole. This action is successful and they are able to clear the anomaly, but the TARDIS dies.

Trapped in the TARDIS's one room whilst Omega is on Gallifrey, Romana and Narvin say that this could be the end and that the oxygen will soon run out. However, another TARDIS materialises and saves Romana. Braxiatel says that it is good to see her again and asks if it is time to begin.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited[[edit] | [edit source]]

Irving Braxiatel - Miles Richardson

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Lukas follows Narvin on Pazithi Avenue.
Narvin speaks with Agent Kalzon and Agent Balmundi.
The Shrine of Pandak is located on Gallifrey.
Lukas and Endrogan go for a walk in the Tamandra Gardens. Lukas has only been there three times.
Endrogan says that she cannot remember whether "no rest for the wicked" is a saying of the humans or the Chelonians.
Tauras mentions how Leela betrayed Romana and broke her hearts.
Narvin meets with Cardinal Harriax and Deputy Castellan Gabal.
The Time Lords have a field office on Nekkistan.
The Woad Wearers were once led by Gullen.
Narvin dined in the palace of Arcadia with a delegation of Sunari.
Type 160 TARDISes are considered to be outdated.
Omega knows that Romana belongs to the House of Heartshaven and asks if Gallifrey has sunk so low as to have somebody of that house as President.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story was recorded on 6 and 25 July 2014 at The Moat Studios.
The first part of the story was released as a free podcast on 21 January 2015.
This story debuted a new theme tune for the series, composed by Neil Gardner.
Stephen Thorne previously portrayed Omega in TV: The Three Doctors.
This story was originally released on CD and download.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Ace has no recollection of how she first came to Gallifrey, but suspects that it must involve the Doctor. (AUDIO: Dominion, The Lights of Skaro)
Ace refers to her TARDIS as not being "a tatty old blue police box". (TV: An Unearthly Child)
Secret societies on Gallifrey were dedicated to the worship of Rassilon, Omega, and the Other. (PROSE: Lungbarrow)
Hedin was considered a martyr by the Adherents of Ohm. (TV: Arc of Infinity)
The Time Lords' loss of power and the destruction of Gallifrey foreshadow the events of the Time War. (TV: The End of the World et al.)
Ace mentions the Hand of Omega "once helped me out with a squad of Daleks back in the sixties." (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
Narvin was once told that handshakes were common on Earth. (AUDIO: Pandora)
Romana is keeping a cache of outdated and decommissioned TARDISes to protect Gallifrey. (AUDIO: Luna Romana)
Romana, Lukas and Narvin make telepathic contact in order to hinder Omega's willpower. (TV: The Three Doctors)
Romana possesses her own sonic screwdriver. (TV: The Horns of Nimon)
Narvin possesses a staser. (TV: The Deadly Assassin, et. al)
Narvin ascribes to Block Transfer Computation the disguise of Ace's TARDIS as a monument. (TV: Logopolis)
Rexx refers to the Doctor as the best agent the CIA has ever had. (PROSE: World Game)
Romana jettisons the rooms of her TARDIS to escape the black hole. (TV: Castrovalva)

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

Official Intervention Earth page at bigfinish.com