The Twilight Kingdom (audio story)

The Doctor's used to winning. Stumbling in, reading the face of the enemy, and then beating the odds... but what if this time he's got it wrong? Charley and C'rizz think he has.

Stripped of all that is familiar, just who is the Doctor? Major Koth thinks he knows.

Lost among the dark caverns of an unknown world, has the Doctor finally met his match?

Plot

Part 1

Lieutenant Fraxin is in a cave looking for Major Koth, he finds him, along with a strange entity. Lieutenant Fraxin shoots the entity, but his weapon has no effect on it. The entity swiftly murders him.

The Doctor, Charley and C'rizz are making their way through a jungle, Charley is complaining that she is hot and exhausted, The Doctor and C'rizz make fun of her. The three of them are trying to find the TARDIS, Charley asks the Doctor how he knows that the TARDIS is on the planet they are on, the Doctor tells her that he can feel it. Through a camera, some people observe The Doctor and his gang. The Doctor and his gang find a waterfall, which makes Charley happy because she can now cool off. They find a skeleton in the bushes, the Doctor says that it only died a few days ago, so it is strange that all of the flesh is gone. The skeleton is also filled with moist soil, yet the soil in the surrounding area is dry. An armed woman tells the Doctor and his gang to put their hands in the air. She asks them who they are and what they are doing here. The Doctor says that they are tourists, and that they have nothing to do with the skeleton in the bushes. The armed woman punches the Doctor and says that she has lost two men recently. The Doctor and his gang are taken away.

The armed woman seems to be under the impression that the Doctor and his gang were sent here by Major Koth, the Doctor is able to convince her otherwise. The armed woman introduces herself as Commander Vayla. Outside, Sergeant Bryn tells Charley not to move, she asks why, and he tells her that she is standing next to a plant that is mostly blind, but reacts to sudden movements. Charley asks what will happen if she moves, and her question is answered when the plant stings her.

Where C'rizz is, Corporal Orvik is having trouble with his radio. C'rizz asks why he needs to be tied up, Orvik just says he has his orders. The Doctor and Vayla enter the cave. Back where Charley is, Bryn tells her that the infection will spread through her body, eventually paralyzing her, but fortunately there is a cure. He boils some water and tells her to put her infected arm in it, she is hesistant to do so, so he has to manually put her arm in it. Charley cries as soon as her arm is submerged in the water.

Back in the cave, Vayla tells the Doctor about an island that got infected by a virus called Kestila, which killed everyone on the island. As they go deeper into the cave, a loud noise rings through the Doctor's head, the noise doesn't affect Vayla for some reason. When it stops, the Doctor describes it as being a telepathic roar, and ask Vayla if Major Koth can do telepathy, to which Vayla says that he can't. They find another skeleton in the same state as the previous one; Vayla says that it must've been Lieutenant Deral, as he also went missing recently.

Sergeant Bryn takes Charley to a place where rebels resided; there, she meets a medical officer named Byzar Janto. C'rizz thinks that Charley is still in the forest, and says that one of them needs to find her before she gets hurt. Corporal Orvik knows that he will get in trouble if he releases C'rizz, but he also does not want to go into the forest on his own, so they both go. At some point they arrive at the place where Charley is, and C'rizz is put into a trance. Later, the Doctor arrives at that place with Captain Tysus. Sub Commander Quillian gives a speech. After giving it, the Doctor, Captain Tysus and Sergeant Bryn are brought in front of the crowd. Quillian hypnotises Bryn and tells him that the Doctor and Tysus are his enemies, and that he must execute them. Bryn shoots and executes Captain Tysus. Quillian tells Bryn to reload his weapon, the Doctor tells Bryn to concentrate as he is being controlled; Quillian tells Bryn to take aim, the Doctor tells Bryn to remember why he came to this place; Quillian tells Bryn to fire.

Cast

Crew

Cover Art - Steve Johnson
Director - Gary Russell
Executive Producer - Jacqueline Rayner
Music - Russell Stone
Producers - Gary Russell and Jason Haigh-Ellery
Sound Design - Gareth Jenkins
Writer - Will Shindler

Worldbuilding

Individuals

Some of the things that are in Charley's mind are England and plum pudding.

Diseases and illnesses

Kestila sickness is ultimately fatal. Early symptoms include fever, vomiting and sores. It was previously believed to have been eliminated centuries earlier.

Species

The Doctor sarcastically claims that complaining is a defect in humans.
Grelligs resemble rats and were brought to Setarus by Koth.
The Eutermesans are unknown to the Ondrockans.

Planets

Ondrokkon has six major continents which are policed by a global defence fleet.

Gallery

Original CD cover art
Illustrated preview by Martin Geraghty from DWM 341

Notes

This audio drama was recorded on 14 and 15 May 2003 at the Moat Studios.

Continuity

The Doctor believes that they are getting closer to the missing TARDIS. (AUDIO: Scherzo)
Charley once again asks C'rizz to stop referring to her as "Charlotte." (AUDIO: The Creed of the Kromon)
It has been two days since the Kro'ka sent the Doctor, Charley and C'rizz from Light City to the jungles of Setarus. (AUDIO: The Natural History of Fear)
Charley refers to the Eye of Orion. (TV: The Five Doctors)
The Doctor previously referred to Major Koth shortly after he and Charley entered the Divergent Universe, though paradoxically he did not know who he was at the time. (AUDIO: Scherzo)
The Doctor refers to mind probes (TV: The Five Doctors) and thumbscrews. (TV: City of Death)
The Doctor asks Charley if she was "expecting someone else." (TV: The Caves of Androzani)
The Doctor claims that he is on a quest to find Rassilon, whom he later finds on the Forge world. (AUDIO: The Next Life)
It was the cave creature which brought the TARDIS to Setarus. (AUDIO: Scherzo)
This is the first time that C'rizz tries to strangle Charley. He did so again only a week later while under the influence of the 23rd Church of Lucidity in the Multihaven. (AUDIO: Faith Stealer)

External links

Official The Twilight Kingdom page at bigfinish.com