Revolution in Space (audio story)
Revolution in Space was the story comprising the thirteenth release in The Third Doctor Adventures, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Jonathan Morris and featured Tim Treloar as the Third Doctor and Sadie Miller as Sarah Jane Smith.
Publisher's summary
The Doctor and Sarah find themselves in an asteroid, on the outer reaches of Earth’s solar system. It’s the future, and humans have colonised this inhospitable place, to mine vital minerals to supply their home planet. However, links with Earth are becoming ever more strained, and forces within the colony are seeking independence. Revolution is in the air.
Meanwhile, in the deepest chambers of the asteroid, a powerful force is emerging. Its influence is growing rapidly. But how will it affect Sarah Jane Smith and her place in future history?
Plot
Part one
On the way back to Earth, something interferes with the TARDIS's navigational systems and the Doctor, who believes that his people could be responsible for the diversion, and Sarah land inside the asteroid Hygieia in the asteroid belt. They observe another asteroid being collected for mineral extraction via gravity beam and the Doctor deduces that they are in the 24th century, a time during which miners use machines to draw out minerals in a stream of molten debris. Realising that they are in the path of such debris, they are detected by the mining team as they try to escape through a hatch and are saved by Operator Rellack when the process is stopped.
Rellack explains that Hygieia is a former Earth penal colony, the current residents of which are demanding independence, and Security Officer Miro takes the Doctor and Sarah to Governor Rogan, who was once a prison governor. On the way, Sarah hears whispers which she dismisses as her hearing things. Rogan initially accuses the two of them of being anti-colonial activists, but goes on to show them a picture of the Big Dumb Object, a crystalline, star-shaped object found on Hygieia being studied by Dr Gottfried, whom he sends the Doctor to. His sonic screwdriver dates the object to 10 million years ago and detects psychic radiation.
The miners gather to discuss their situation and call for rebellion, but First Tribune Foyle, who represents them in meetings with Rogan, will only agree to a transfer of power from Rogan to himself if it is done peacefully. Operator Goole reports the planned mutiny to Rogan, who urgently requests a military suppression force.
Sarah asks for a tour of the prison and Miro introduces her to Mullins, who has been in a childlike state since the deaths of his parents in a gravity beam accident and performs odd jobs around the prison. Mullins agrees to show her around and takes her to meet Zyla Kalstein, the last and unrepentant inmate who reveals that she influenced Sarah into coming to see her with her telepathic powers. Zyla's powers scare Sarah and she runs, followed by Mullins; he tells her that she has angered Zyla and, as a result, he too is angry, which coincides with the BDO letting off an increased amount of radiation.
Part two
Miro stuns Mullins with a tranquilliser dart to stop him attacking Sarah, causing the BDO's psychic radiation to return to normal. The Doctor deduces that Mullins was channelling the energy and examines him, running tests over the night and finding that he has been contaminated and developed telekinetic powers controlled by his emotions. Also during the night, Miro learns that Rogan has summoned the suppression force not to prevent the uprising but to ensure that the miners are dealt with in the harshest way possible once they usurp him, hopefully allowing him to return to Earth. In the morning, the miners forcible get a hold of tranquillisers and attack.
Rogan announces his relinquishment of the governorship and orders his guards and the colonists to stand down and surrender to Foyle's new regime. The Doctor is unsurprised as he knew of this revolution and its outcome, but he declines to tell Sarah what else is going to happen so as to keep her from getting involved. She refuses to stay out of it and reminds him that she is not actually his assistant before leaving him to make psychic contact with the BDO whilst Dr Gottfried records him.
to be completed
Part three
to be added
Part four
to be added
Part five
to be added
Part six
to be added
Cast
- The Doctor - Tim Treloar
- Sarah Jane Smith - Sadie Miller
- Governor Rogan - Richard James
- Tribune Foyle - David Dobson
- Operator Rellack - Barry Aird
- Operator Goole - Robert Whitelock
- Officer Miro - Anna Critchlow
- Dr Annis Gottfried - Charlie Norfolk
- Mullins - Tom Alexander
- Zyla Kalstein - Juliet Aubrey
- Operator Carver - Harry Myers
Crew
- Cover Art - Sean Longmore
- Music, Script Editor & Director - Nicholas Briggs
- Executive Producers - Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery
- Producer - Heather Challands
- Sound Design - David Roocroft
- Writer - Jonathan Morris
- Senior Producer - John Ainsworth
Worldbuilding
- The Doctor believes the TARDIS was detoured by the Time Lords.
- The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to open an observation hatch.
- The asteroid belt is sparse.
- A gravity beam can be used to collect asteroids.
- On Earth, convicts were sent to Australia.
- Sarah says that she might need some coffee.
- Gottfried is a geologist.
- Gottfried speculates that the artefact is made of osmium.
- The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to perform carbon dating.
- The four types of radiation are: electromagnetic, particle, gravitational and psychic.
- Miro uses a tranquilliser dart on Mullins.
- Sarah once covered a story about telekinesis.
Notes
- In behind-the-scenes material, Revolution in Space is identified as "the Boston Tea Party in space". (BFX: Revolution in Space)
- Zyla is also compared to Hannibal Lecter. (BFX: Revolution in Space)
- Notably, Sarah temporarily gains psychokinetic powers over the course of this story.
- This story was recorded on 21-23 August 2023 at the Soundhouse.
Continuity
- Sarah refers to seeing mining work on Exxilon (TV: Death to the Daleks) and Peladon. (TV: The Monster of Peldadon)
- The Doctor tries telling Sarah one of his stories about the hermit on the mountain, but unlike Jo, Sarah is neither charmed or relaxed by it. Instead, she frequently interrupts. (TV: The Time Monster)
External links
- Official Revolution in Space page at bigfinish.com
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
