Lies (audio story)

Lies (identified on the cover simply as Chapter Five) was the first story of the second series of Big Finish's Gallifrey audio series. It was written by Gary Russell.

Publisher's summary
"I don't believe in destinies foretold and all that. I am a rational, straightforward thinker."

Some time has passed since the events surrounding the Timonic Fusion Device threatened Romana's presidency with impeachment, and life has calmed down on Gallifrey. Well, apart from Romana's latest scheme, the opening up of Gallifrey's famed Academy to the students of alien races with the ability, or the potential, to harness temporal powers.

Unfortunately, deep below the Capitol, Leela, confused and morose over the truth about her husband Andred, disturbs a malevolent power. Something from the Dark Days of Ancient Gallifrey.

Something that wants to be reborn and will use any and every means that is at hand. Including the past of Gallifrey's incumbent President...

Plot
In the forbidden vaults below the Capitol, Tutor Braxiatel looks for his student, young Romanadvoratrelundar, who only reveals herself when he threatens to fetch one of the castellans. He empathises with her hatred of studying at the Time Lord Academy and says that he will tell whichever cardinal is waiting for them that he got them both lost on a field trip. Before they leave, however, Romanadvoratrelundar hears a ghostly voice say her name and offer her help. She goes back, saying that she needs to collect her data pad, and the voice tells her to remember the word "imperiatrix"; together, they would one day have the future.

In the present day, Narvin and Darkel watch the non-Gallifreyan students at the Time Lord Academy, the presence of whom Narvin disapproves. Darkel too disapproves of Romana as her liberalisation has made her largely redundant, but Narvin nonetheless remains loyal to Romana, even though he is irritated to learn that Braxiatel has been put in charge of the Academy. Darkel says that Romana has gone one step too far in having the oldest scriptures of Gallifrey amended by the High Council and asks Narvin to stand beside her when she is ready.

to be added

Cast

 * President Romana - Lalla Ward
 * Leela - Louise Jameson
 * K9 - John Leeson
 * Romana - Mary Tamm
 * Inquisitor Prime Darkel - Lynda Bellingham
 * Cardinal Braxiatel - Miles Richardson
 * Coordinator Narvin - Seán Carlsen
 * Andred - Andy Coleman
 * Castellan Wynter - Ian Hallard
 * The Archivist - Trevor Littledale
 * Pandora - Brenda Longman

Continuity

 * Valyes attended the Academy with the First Doctor. In year fifty, the Doctor fed a snapping wart fowl to his summer project. Valyes has held a grudge ever since. (AUDIO: The Next Life)
 * There are references to TV: The Ribos Operation (when Romana was sent to assist the Fourth Doctor's quest for the Key to Time) and TV: The Armageddon Factor (when Romana was tortured by the Shadow).
 * Braxiatel informs Narvin that, in direct contravention of the First Law of Time, he has been supplying his future self with alien artefacts for his collection and makes a veiled reference to his future self's associates. This refers to the events depicted in the Big Finish Bernice Summerfield series as well as establishing that his experiences with Bernice Summerfield, Jason Kane and Adrian Wall occur or rather will occur many years after the events portrayed in Gallifrey in Braxiatel's personal timeline. Furthermore, he claims that he will be more adept at hypnotism in the future, as shown in AUDIO: The Mirror Effect. This confession would later have major ramifications for Braxiatel in AUDIO: Pandora.
 * Maxil has been promoted to Castellan since the events of TV: Arc of Infinity. He would later make his first and only appearance in Gallifrey in AUDIO: Appropriation, in which he was played in an uncredited cameo by Colin Baker.
 * Wynter mentions Romana exposing the Oubliette of Eternity and disbanding its use. (AUDIO: Neverland)