Evolution (audio story)
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Evolution (disambiguation)for other, similarly-named pages.
Evolution (identified on the cover simply as Chapter Twenty) was the second story of the fifth series of Big Finish's Gallifrey audio series. It was written by Una McCormack.
Publisher's summary
Before the fall of Project: Rassilon, the Regenerators of Gallifrey committed atrocities upon their slaves in the name of science. As Leela discovers the results of one such crucible, Romana and Narvin are pushing forward ways to discover the secrets of time travel, and jump-start their new Gallifrey's evolution.
However, science isn't always the way forward, and in a society built upon the foundations of amorality and fear, a backward step may be the only solution...
Plot
Assisted by Traine, Hector welcomes everybody to an experiment where he asks the spectators to imagine a pathway. When they open their eyes, the pathway has appeared and soon, he says, they will walk upon it and reach their new home at the White Lands. The voice of a woman emerges from the pathway, saying "In time".
Romana visits Narvin, who has been working hard to return to Gallifrey Prime by monitoring the Time Vortex, looking into medical science and spending a lot of time with Kavil. He finds Lord Zakar's financial prize for time travel breakthroughs crude, but Romana believes that it could only be helpful despite having been presented with a number of unconventional and unsuccessful attempts by people labelled by Narvin as crackpots. Twenty-four of these people will be gathered together in one place at the same time, which Narvin believes will be a disaster and will require Slyne to be there with the Chancellery Guards.
In the Wildlands, Leela enjoys the fresh air whilst Maris, who invited her on a journey into the wild, falls asleep. Leela thinks that their quest to find an abandoned Regenerator base is foolish and that she would be of more use at Mancipia or Anekos, but Maris says that they might be able to trade the secrets of the base with the Inner Council.
Romana delivers a speech to the scientists at the Ministry of Science and says that she plans on speaking with each of them throughout the week and, at the end, will award the Zakar Prize. Afterwards, Guard Commander Lukas tells her that, after attending preliminary presentations with Academician Jeranti and Chief Analyst Baroc, prodigy Assistant Analyst Jonias will be giving her an overview of his project. Narvin expresses no interest in seeing anybody but Jonias.
Maris tells Leela that it was common knowledge that the Inner Council were having projects done in the wild, many of which involved experimenting on slaves, but that this one was the most notorious. Maris says that she had managed to avoid being sent to any such bases and that it is ironic that she is now looking for one voluntarily.
Romana and Narvin watch Jonias' project overview and find that he is clumsy and nervous, but confident in his abilities. According to him, everybody's attempts to merge Jeranti's Simultaneity Theory and Denaloc's Multiplicity Model have been a waste of time and that there is a pathway through space and time which he will show them at his demonstration tomorrow. Upon entering that path, with Romana identifies as the Vortex, time travel is possible.
Whilst Leela sleeps, Maris calls Narvin and expresses her displeasure with having to spy on Leela for him. She says that she will find the base tomorrow and, when the call ends, she is grabbed by Taine, who demands that she and Leela accompany him.
Romana is falling asleep during Analyst Glower's speech on Denaloc's Multiplicity Model when Slyne calls her away to speak with Kavil.
Taine, who is clearly a former slave, takes Leela and Maris to the base to see Hector. Hector welcomes them as guests and promises that they will be joining them in their journey along the path into the White Lands.
Romana goes to Kavil and learns that he attended a private demonstration of Jonias' technology and that he had succeeded in creating a pathway. During the demonstration, his technicians picked up a faint signal which seemed to be bleeding through the fabric of reality itself. Romana listens to it and asks Kavil to contact her the minute that his technicians are able to make any sense of it.
Hector explains to Leela and Maris that the Regenerators left twenty-four slaves behind to die after abandoning the base following the experiment's cancellation. The slaves chose to remain there and believe that a woman will lead them to peace in the White Lands when the pathway is opened. Leela says to Maris that she has seen slaves on other worlds make up similar fantasies in order to deal with their lives of suffering. Maris believes that this is indeed what has happened and that the group of slaves might be intending to commit mass suicide in order to reach the better life that they dream of.
Romana tells Narvin about the signal that the Ministry of Science is working on, but he dismisses it whilst it remains undeciphered. He gives her a pile of disks showing that Jonias was involved in experimenting on slaves and warns her of the political scandal that would result should she endorse his work given her outspokenness for the Outsiders. When Romana asks how he uncovered this, he remains vague, but she accepts that it might be best for her to remain unenlightened in this instance.
to be completed
Cast
- Supreme Leader Romana - Lalla Ward
- Outcast Leader Leela - Louise Jameson
- High Chancellor Narvin - Seán Carlsen
- Castellan Slyne - Peter Sheward
- Guard Commander Lukas - Scott Arthur
- Science Minister Kavil - Simon Fisher-Becker
- Hector - David Yip
- Taine - Alexander Gordon
- Maris - Anjli Mohindra
- Glower - Paul Jones
- Assistant Analyst Jonias - David Menkin
References
- Narvin mentions Mephistopheles Arkadian and his greed.
- Leela wonders if she would be of more use at Mancipia or helping Sura set up Anekos.
- Maris is a freed slave and a member of the Outsiders.
- Maris says that Valyes would not have used the Regenerator base for good.
- Narvin sarcastically says that Romana's speech has moved him and that he is almost inspired to return to the Academy.
- Romana listens to preliminary presentations from Academician Jeranti and Chief Analyst Baroc, whom Narvin says is a crackpot and a bore.
- Jonias mentions Jeranti's Simultaneity Theory and Denaloc's Multiplicity Model.
- Analyst Glower belongs to the House of Solshine. Narvin worked with another version of him on Gallifrey Prime.
- Kavil says that he has seen pigbears with more dexterity than his scientists.
Notes
- Evolution was recorded at the Moat Studios.
Continuity
- Narvin refers to Lord Zakar (AUDIO: Emancipation, Arbitration) and Mephistopheles Arkadian (AUDIO: Weapon of Choice, A Blind Eye, Panacea).
- Maris refers to Valyes' betrayal of Leela and the Outsiders. (AUDIO: Emancipation)
- Jonias' theory of time is similar to the Charged Vacuum Emboitment which links N-Space and E-Space. (TV: Warriors' Gate)
- Narvin refers to Leela's enhanced vampire abilities. (AUDIO: Annihilation)
- Hector's experiment is similar to the manner in which the Tharils see time, which comes from Jonias' early experiment. (TV: Warriors' Gate)
External links
- Official Evolution page at bigfinish.com
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