Maelstrom (audio story)

Maelstrom was the third and final story in the audio anthology Water Worlds produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Jonathan Morris and featured Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush, Ruth Madeley as Hebe Harrison and introduced Cherylee Houston as Elise.

Publisher's summary
The Doctor, Mel and Hebe visit the archipelago world of Veludia, only to discover a planet beset by electromagnetic storms where three survivors traverse the seas in a ramshackle township. These survivors are 'corps' - bodies used as hosts for minds stored in the vessel’s ‘mind-drive’ - and the Doctor, Mel and Hebe are seen as welcome replacements. But there's something lurking in the waters below, something of rage and power that wishes to destroy them all: the Maelstrom!

Part one
The TARDIS materialises in the rain on Veludia and the Doctor finds an injured manatee-like creature stuck on land. He sends Mel to the TARDIS for a medical kit and, able to understand the creature, learns that it used to be human. The tide comes in and the creature returns to the sea, after which the Doctor and Hebe go looking for Mel and find that the TARDIS has disappeared and a medical kit is floating nearby.

Having been knocked out after leaving the TARDIS, Mel is kidnapped by Jom and possessed by his daughter, Alef, who is appalled that she is wearing a stolen body and demands to be returned to the Mindbank. Jom is called away to the launch bay by Captain Vale and locks Alef inside.

The Doctor reconfigures the medical kit to serve as a life preserver for Hebe to protect her from the elements. They are found by Captain Vale, Vice-Captain Mada and Scavengineer Jom and taken to safety aboard an air boat, being given dry clothes and offered food. They learn that there are five hundred crewmembers in the Mindbank but currently only three bodies (or "corps") for them to be downloaded into; they are running low on fuel and are searching for an old ark tanker. Jom has Alef pretend to be Mel and presents her to the group.

The Doctor suggests that the crew use marine life as corps as well, so Mada swaps with neuroscientist Saskar to discuss it further. Saskar says that it would not work and is sceptical of the Doctor's claim to have spoken with a manatee creature. Jom draws his gun and demands that the travellers become new corps and tranquilises the Doctor whilst Vale and Saskar take Hebe and Alef to the transductor room. The exchange does not work, however, and the Doctor wakes up and promises that he and Mel can find the ark tanker thanks to their respective genius.

Jom tells Alef that he sabotaged the machine to prevent her from being detected in Mel's body. Alef does not want to go on pretending to be Mel and asks for Jom to return them both to the Mindbank, but it is damaged beyond Jom's ability to repair.

The Doctor detects an energy trace which does not belong to the TARDIS, suggesting that it is coming from the ark tanker. The Doctor and Hebe go down in a bathosphere with Jom to investigate, Alef staying behind as a hostage to ensure their good behaviour. Beneath the water, Hebe tells the Doctor that she saw evidence of Saskar experimenting with putting minds into marine animals, indicating that she is responsible for the manatee creature. Hebe hears telepathic screaming and sees a black hole of evil which she calls the Maelstrom. The bathosphere loses contact with the boat and the Maelstrom is approaching.

Part two
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Colin Baker
 * Mel / Alef - Bonnie Langford
 * Hebe - Ruth Madeley
 * Vale - Kim Durham
 * Mada / Saskar / Alef - Nimmy March
 * Jom - Amerjit Deu
 * Elise - Cherylee Houston

Continuity

 * Hebe says "not again" when the tide starts coming in. (AUDIO: The Tides of the Moon)
 * The Doctor uses a technique implied to have been taught to him by Pasambavata. (AUDIO: The Secrets of Det-Sen)
 * Elise has a distress beacon from Evelyn Smythe as Hebe did. (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep)