Planet of the Drashigs (audio story)

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Planet of the Drashigs was the second story in the eighth series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Phil Mulryne and featured Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Jane Slavin as Ann Kelso and John Leeson as K9.

Publisher's summary

When the TARDIS lands on an alien planet, the Doctor's intentions to show Ann Kelso an advanced future society are thrown into disarray. Because they have arrived on DrashigWorld - a park where every known species of the terrifying predators has been gathered together to entertain and thrill the public. The familiar wetland Drashigs, the albino burrowing Drashigs of the desert, and deadliest of all, the tiny Emerald Drashigs of the rain forests.

And it's not the best day to have arrived. The park has been shut down due to a visitor fatality. A Galactic Attractions inspector is on site meaning everyone is extremely tense and under pressure.

It's exactly the right circumstances in which someone might make a mistake. And on Drashigworld, mistakes are deadly.

Plot

Part one

Dr. Vaneesa Seaborne records an observation log of the experiments being observed in the park. After failing to gain access to something, she storms off in a rage to get a drink. Some strange noises begin to come from the computer but no one is around to hear the.

Inside the TARDIS, Ann complains to the Doctor that they are not going anywhere interesting.

The Doctor introduces Ann to K9. They take off to Newmenor minor, but the TARDIS suddenly goes berserk, shaking and rattling around.

Lord Braye and Trencher walk through the wetlands enjoying the nice weather and lack of visitors. They discuss that park has been closed due to an accident in which a visitor was killed for turning off their energy shield. They check if the teleport pad is operating properly. They then use it to teleport to the next region. After making sure everything is working properly before the inspector arrives, they prepare to teleport to inspect the next area.

The TARDIS manages to land. Ann sees through the view screen and is apprehensive about going outside into the cold, damp weather. The Doctor orders K9 to stay but Ann tells him quietly to follow along. Ann is unimpressed by the barren landscapes in front of them until she sees a rocket. They follow the rocket on foot. Ann complains why they can’t just take the TARDIS but the Doctor says he doesn’t want a journey like the one they just had. They find a field that vaporizes anything that tries to pass through and the doctor walks along the perimeter to find a way through/past it.

Lord Braye decides Trencher will greet the inspector, much to Trencher’s sarcastic enthusiasm. Lord Braye practices his introduction, mentioning that he has achieved his life’’s dream of opening a park devoted to the most dangerous creature in the galaxy... the Drashig.

Meanwhile the Doctor and Ann stumble upon a piles of dead bones. The Doctor, a little unnerved, believes they should head back to the TARDIS. They hear something and the Doctor decides it better to try and avoid the new creature potentially stalking them.

Lord Braye practices introducing the four kinds of Drashigs. He then goes to find professor Seaborne, who is having a late lunch. She mentions he should look through the view-screen at the emerald Drashigs hunting. He asks her for how she would describe and emerald Drashig as he would like help for his introductory speech to the inspector.

Part two

to be added

Cast

Uncredited Cast

References

  • DrashigWorld is a planetoid or dwarf planet, one of the 700 Wonders of the Galactic Hub. It is divided into four quadrants separated by energy barriers, with telepads for transportation.
  • The TARDIS arrives in the wetland.
  • There are dozens of Drashigs on the planet, and they are fed on goats.
  • Vanessa designed a catalytic fusion reactor that powers the park.
  • Emerald Drashigs are the smallest and deadliest, more vicious than any predator in the known universe. They travel in packs of five, with the alpha having a white marking.
  • Wayland claims Braye paid the family of the victim 1000 credits not to talk.
  • The door to Vanessa's lab is double-plated romalian alloy, the only metal Drashigs can't bite through.
  • Vanessa's project involved a remote electroencephalograph and a neural oscillation detector, which allows the user to connect to the Drashig's neural oscillations, their higher and lower beta waves. The user can then experience the co-ordination and thrill of the Drashigs hunting.
  • Drashigs are non-sentient, the Doctor explaining that they don't have a consciousness or imagination.
  • K9 assimilates the 3D map schematic of the park.
  • Trencher uses a grenade to kill an alpha emerald, and the others mourn it.
  • Trencher had a dog once, but a Manussian ligrid tore her to pieces.
  • A single Emerald wiped out a group of soldiers in the jungles of Hydroxus 3.

Notes

  • This story marks the Drashigs' first appearance in an audio, and is reminiscent of Jurassic Park. Behind-the-scenes material makes this connection explicit. Nicholas Briggs also compares the Emerald Drashigs to the velociraptors of that film and franchise. (BFX: Planet of the Drashigs) There is also a cheeky reference within the script: the Doctor notes that Lord Braye had "no expense spared" in DrashigWorld's lab, echoing a recurring line from the film.
  • While the Doctor's use of air vents to escape is a running joke, in this story characters use "atmospheric distribution tunnels."

Continuity

External links

v • e
Big Finish Fourth Doctor Adventures
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
Series 5
Series 6
Series 7
Series 8
Series 9
Series 10
Series 11
Series 12
Series 13
Dalek Universe
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