The Wasting (audio story)

The Wasting was the final story in the original run of the UNIT series. It featured David Tennant's final appearance in a Big Finish Productions audio story before assuming the role of the Tenth Doctor.

Publisher's summary
A deadly flu-like infection is sweeping the planet. Its first cases appeared in Britain, but now millions are infected worldwide and there is no sign of a cure. The emergency services can't cope with what the press have dubbed a plague...

Under attack from all sides, UNIT in Britain is in disarray. It faces a stark choice -- to close its doors and concede defeat, or to fight back, whatever the cost... and the injured Colonel Emily Chaudhry knows UNIT has never backed down from a battle.

If UNIT is to fight back, it's going to need the services of its missing commander, Colonel Brimmicombe-Wood, and the experience of the Brigadier, who can never refuse when duty calls...

Plot
In hospital after awakening from a two-week coma, Colonel Chaudhry is visited by Sir Alistair and goes with him to Colonel Dalton's grave. She holds ICIS responsible and is certain that they have kidnapped Colonel Brimmicombe-Wood after Professor Meade handed her a component of the spacecraft stolen at the same time he was kidnapped. With Alistair's family safe at a UNIT facility in Geneva, he tells Chaudhry that he will help her take ICIS down.

Francis Currie reports on a flu-like epidemic in the United Kingdom, the United States and most of Europe which has caused Australia to isolate itself. At a hiding spot fifty yards from UNIT HQ, Andrea Winnington listens to the report and decides that something must be done about Currie as he knows more than he should. She spots Chaudhry return to HQ sooner than expected, accompanied by a man whom she cannot identify, and informs her superior.

Chaudhry and Alistair go to Chaudhry's office, which Alistair sweeps for bugs with a device made in Geneva. He informs her that the police have made no progress in locating Brimmicombe-Wood and they find that the Ministry of Defence has put UNIT in charge of investigating the infection. Alistair tells Chaudhry that an untraceable link into the phone networks is being fitted to the UNIT computer system and receives a call from Commodore Sullivan, whom he asks to supply an analysis of tissue from the infected.

Outside St Catherine's, a hospital now dedicated to the care of the infected, Currie reports that shots were heard inside after armed policemen entered. He and George watch patients escape from the hospital and are attacked, with George being bitten. They flee and get footage of several soldiers gunning down an infected person in cold blood.

Whilst Chaudhry has an hour's sleep, Alistair joins two soldiers on patrol to get a glimpse of the violent infected and is spotted leaving by Winnington. When he returns, Chaudhry shows him a message picked up by the link he provided indicating that Winnington is watching them. She is sure that Winnington is based in a nearby van and that she is in contact with somebody at Markham army base in Berkshire, empty since the Cold War and likely where Brimmicombe-Wood is being held. Sullivan calls Alistair back and sends him the analysis, identifying the infection as an artificial alien toxin, and informs him that his people are working on an antitoxin.

The Prime Minister addresses the House of Commons regarding the infection and says that the army will assist the police in maintaining law and order during the crisis. He introduces a curfew and denies that the country will be under martial law.

Corporal McLeish brings Currie to Chaudhry and Alistair, having caught him trying to break in. Currie shows them his recording of the patient being gunned down and points out that the soldiers are wearing the UNIT insignia but not using UNIT transport or wearing UN berets. They determine that ICIS is likely responsible and realise that George, who is taking a tape to the station, is in danger. Indeed, George is attacked and the tape stolen from him. Chaudhry shows the recording to the soldiers and warns them that the Ministry is sending soldiers to arrest them. When given the option to walk away, none of them do.

Alistair, who has asked Chaudhry to call him "Brigadier", drives away from HQ with Sergeant Willis to distract Winnington, staging a car crash with the help of Sullivan's colleagues at NATO and faking their deaths. Once Winnington drives away, Alistair calls Sullivan and learns that a cure should be forthcoming. He and Willis go to join Chaudhry.

Chaudhry, accompanied by Currie and a group of soldiers including McLeish, heads to Markham and liberates Brimmicombe-Wood. She and Brimmicombe-Wood look around the base, having been separated from Currie, and locate the spaceship that ICIS stole and have since been experimenting on. Chaudhry checks the log and discovers that the infection came from the ship and Brimmicombe-Wood says that it has been mutating people into food for the ship's creators. Chaudhry is surprised by his knowledge of the infection and Sullivan being based in Deepcastle, leading him to attack her.

Brimmicombe-Wood reveals that he has been the commanding officer of ICIS ever since joining UNIT and uses Chaudhry as a hostage to force McLeish and the other men to drop their weapons. He tells Chaudhry how he disagrees with the UK having to report to the UN and wasting British lives in defence of other countries, unaware that Currie is recording him. Currie emerges from his hiding place and tries to shoot Brimmicombe-Wood, but he has the safety on and his target escapes into the spaceship's control room. Chaudhry has her men fire at the ship, but it is seemingly impenetrable, and a shootout begins when ICIS arrive. She sends Currie away and calls Alistair to warn him that ICIS are aware of Sullivan.

Chaudhry and McLeish escape by aeroplane with Alistair and Willis despite Brimmicombe-Wood, having got out of the spaceship, ordering his men to bring it down. Alistair tells Chaudhry that Sullivan's men were able to come up with an antitoxin to stop the mutations thanks to the Silurians; as the virus is airborne, the antitoxin will be launched from a former Soviet missile facility. The RAF attack the plane, but the UN assist by scrambling the RAF planes and escorting the plane to Russia. They find that Brimmicombe-Wood and ICIS have beaten them there and taken over the missile facility.

Alistair and Willis are able to load the antitoxin into the missile but are confronted by Winnington, who shoots and injures Willis and, having been betrayed by her father and ICIS, is no longer sure of what she believes in and tries to goad Alistair into killing her. She decides that all she has is her mission and goes to destroy the controls, but Alistair shoots her in the hand and has the Russians arrest her before setting the missile to launch.

In a fight with Brimmicombe-Wood, Chaudhry uses a flash grenade to blind him and beats him with a rifle, angered by his betrayal, before arresting him for murder, attempted murder, hijacking, treason, terrorism and being "the biggest arsehole on the planet". The missile is launched and Chaudhry spits blood before collapsing from her injuries.

Currie sneaks into Planet 3 and finds George, promising him that they can get revenge for the people that have beaten him. They broadcast the footage that Currie had recorded at ICIS headquarters and, a week later, he reports that the Prime Minister has shut the organisation down with its leaders, including Brimmicombe-Wood, being charged with treason. The epidemic is slowly coming under control and, Alistair tells Chaudhry, UNIT has been absolved and awarded new funding.

Chaudhry has been made commanding officer of UNIT and asks Alistair if he will take on the position of unofficial scientific advisor. He accepts, asking "why not?"

Cast

 * The Brigadier - Nicholas Courtney
 * Colonel Emily Chaudhry - Siri O'Neal
 * Colonel Ross Brimmicombe-Wood - David Tennant
 * Sergeant Willis - Nora Brande
 * Andrea Winnington - Sara Carver
 * Francis Currie - Michael Hobbs
 * George - Adrian McLoughlin
 * Prime Minister - Steffan Rhodri
 * Corporal McLeish - Alex Zorbas

Worldbuilding

 * The Brigadier reflects that Captain Yates was very good at paperwork, but Sergeant Benton was not.
 * The media compares the pandemic to SARS and Ebola.
 * The Brigadier interacts with Commodore Sullivan at NATO.
 * Chaudhry's men include Hegarty, Benson, Gardner and Flemming, who is injured in the shootout.
 * Brimmicombe-Wood orders his men to contact Harris at the RAF.
 * Chaudry discusses the role of Scientific Advisor and how the Doctor used to hold the title with the Brigadier, and promotes him to the role.

Continuity

 * The Brigadier attended Colonel Dalton's funeral. (AUDIO: The Longest Night)
 * Currie reports that the flu-like epidemic has spread to a pandemic across mainland Europe and the United States, with Australia closing its borders. The Brigadier says it was first reported a few weeks ago. (AUDIO: The Longest Night) Currie reports that were as many as 10,000 fatalities because of the virus.
 * The Brigadier uses a secure laptop he names "The Old Boys' Network". (AUDIO: Minuet in Hell)
 * The Silurians, whom humanity has made peace with, are helping to find a cure for the virus. (AUDIO: The Coup)
 * UNIT's berets are said to reflect their relationship with the UN. (TV: Battlefield)
 * Chaudhry mentions Will Hoffman's death. (AUDIO: The Longest Night)
 * The Brigadier describes the Doctor as "splendid chaps, all of them." (TV: The Five Doctors)
 * Chaudhry mentions having met the Doctor before. (PROSE: The Terror of the Darkness)