The Apocalypse Element (audio story)
The Apocalypse Element (audio story) was the first audio to feature Lalla Ward reprising her role of Romana II. It is also the first Sixth Doctor audio story to feature the Daleks.
Publisher's summary
When the planet Archetryx is threatened by a Dalek assault squad, the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn become embroiled in an ever-deepening mystery. What has become of President Romana, missing for twenty years? What lurks in the vast gravity wells of Archetryx? What is the secret of the ancient element the Daleks are synthesising -- and how does Gallifrey feature in their plans?
The Doctor finds that if his oldest enemies cannot conquer the universe they will watch it go up in flames...
Plot
to be added
Cast
- The Doctor - Colin Baker
- Dr. Evelyn Smythe - Maggie Stables
- Monitor Trinkett - Karen Henson
- Assistant Monitor Ensac - James Campbell
- Commander Vorna - Andrea Newland
- Coordinator Vansell - Anthony Keetch
- Monan Host - Toby Longworth
- The President - Michael Wade
- The Daleks - Alistair Lock / Nicholas Briggs
- Romana - Lalla Ward
- Vrint / Captain Raldeth - Andrew Fettes
References
Daleks
- The Dalek force is led by a Black Dalek.
- Twenty years ago the Daleks removed Etra Prime from space-time, kidnapping a Monan and Time Lord delegation including Lady President Romanadvoratrelundar.
- Evelyn is shot by a Dalek, paralysing her legs.
The Doctor
- The Doctor's status as Lord President has been revoked.
Elements
- Particles found on Etra Prime are what the Daleks call the 'Apocalypse Element', an entropic power present in crystals which can channel mental energy and behave contrary to the laws of physics.
Galaxies
- The Daleks detonated a particle of the Apocalypse Element in the Seriphia Galaxy, destroying everything in it.
- Gallifrey's galaxy is a neighbour of the Seriphean Galaxy. It is four times the size of the Milky Way galaxy and home to over six hundred billion stars.
Gallifreyan technology
- The Rod of Rassilon and the Sash of Rassilon are needed to manipulate the Eye of Harmony.
- Much of Gallifreyan technology relies on an iris scan.
Other realities
- The Doctor mentions Romana having been in E-space.
Planets
- Archetryx is host to a 'Time Treaty' of 'twenty of the greatest powers in space-time'.
- Etra Prime is the oldest planetoid in the known universe.
Psychology
- At one point, Evelyn worries that Romana has Stockholm syndrome, but she initially believes it to be called Stockbridge Syndrome.
Species
- The Monan Host haven't yet managed dimensional transcendence with their time technology.
- Species attending (and part of the treaty include: the Time Lords, the Monan Host and the Virgoans.
Science
- The Gravity wells on Archetryx are subterranean shafts where zero gravity able is able to be manipulated.
TARDISes
- TARDISes on Gallifrey are kept in TARDIS cradles.
Time technology
- Archetryx is protected by a temporal barrier, inside which everything is one minute in the future.
- The Monan Host's time craft has powerful engines, more so than even the Time Lords' TARDISes.
Notes
- This story is marked as being "Dalek Empire Part Two".
- This story was featured in the preview section of Doctor Who Magazine issue 294 with art by Lee Sullivan.
- Russell T. Davies wrote in the 2006 Doctor Who Annual that this story marks the first battle in the Last Great Time War.
- This audio drama was recorded on 26 and 27 February 2000.
Continuity
- It was established in NA: Happy Endings that Romana was president of the High Council.
- This story goes some way to explain why the Eye of Harmony in the TARDIS in DW: Doctor Who required a human eye.
- Due to these events, Romana established the Temporal Powers, an alliance with multiple time-active factions in BFG: Insurgency.
- The events of this story are later known to the Time Lords as the Etra Prime Incident, where the escalation of hostilities began between the Daleks and the Time Lords leading up to the Last Great Time War. (DWAN: 2006 Doctor Who Annual)
- The Matrix records this event as happening during Rassilon Era year 6796.8. (BFA: Neverland)
- Romana would later meet a version of the Sixth Doctor from an alternative timeline who referred to himself as "Lord Burner." (BFG: Disassembled)
Timeline
For the Doctor
- The Apocalypse Element occurs after BFA: The Spectre of Lanyon Moor
- The Apocalypse Element occurs before BFA: Bloodtide
For the Daleks
- The Apocalypse Element occurs after BFA: The Genocide Machine
- The Apocalypse Element occurs before BFA: The Mutant Phase
External links
- Official The Apocalypse Element page at bigfinish.com
- The Apocalypse Element at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- DisContinuity for The Apocalypse Element at Tetrapyriarbus - The DisContinuity Guide
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