Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Goddess Quandary (audio story)

Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Goddess Quandary, or simply The Goddess Quandary, was the twenty-seventh Bernice Summerfield audio story released by Big Finish Productions. It was the fourth audio story of the sixth season, released in February 2006.

This story featured Keri, a character who was first introduced in the 1994 Virgin New Adventures novel Legacy. This was the second time that Keri appeared on audio; the first was the free-to-subscribers Making Myths where she was voiced by Sarah Mowat. On this occasion, she was voiced by Jane Goddard.

Publisher's summary
Legend has it that the mighty warlord Aldébrath will return to defeat the enemies of Imogenella. Should the need ever arise.

When the monks of Etheria stumble across what they claim is Aldébrath's last resting place, it looks like the legend might come true. If nothing else, the monks could make some cash from tourism — perhaps even enough to repair the monastery roof. All they need is a certain professor of archaeology to verify their claim.

Simple. You think?

Bernice soon finds herself trapped in a race against death on an unstable planetoid where there's more to the tomb than meets the eye. Mind you, the monks aren't all they appear either — oh, and Benny's old friend Keri wants in on the audience share.

Plot
''On Liberation Day, Parasiel, a student on the Braxiatel Collection, asks Benny about what has happened to Braxiatel and Ms Jones. The story, Benny says, goes back to an adventure of hers in the planetoid field of Etheria.''

Father Secundo and Abbot Primus contact the Collection to verify that the remains inside an ancient spaceship on Etheria are that of Aldébrath, legendary saviour of the Imogenella star cluster, and make a deal with media company Sol Tri-D to cover the matter. Braxiatel sends Benny and Sol Tri-D sends Keri, who board the same Palistani spaceship and catch-up with one another on the journey to the Great Monastery of the Holy Order of Etheria. They meet Father Secundo and the ailing Abbot Primus, whom Keri visits in the night and asks about the spaceship, which seems to be a freighter rather than a warship.

Benny flies to the ship with Brother Myriad, but they crash after being hit by a rock and Myriad is killed. As she makes her way to the ship, Keri learns from Father Secundo that he is one of many clones of Abbot Primus, who cloned himself to rebuild the Order after the Festari War wiped out his brothers. The other clones went out into the universe but Secundo remained at the monastery and has since rebuilt the Order again with clones of himself, known as Myriad. To keep herself from being executed, Keri converts to Secundo's religion and promises to broadcast the Word of his God.

Benny meets another Myriad on the planetoid and deduces his true nature.

to be completed

Cast

 * Bernice Summerfield - Lisa Bowerman
 * Ker'a'nol - Jane Goddard
 * Secundo - Duncan Wisbey
 * Aldébrath - Lizzie Hopley
 * Parasiel - Paul Bryant

Continuity

 * Benny first met Keri in Legacy.
 * Benny mentions inviting Keri to her wedding. (PROSE: Happy Endings)
 * Keri would later assist Benny and the Twelfth Doctor in Big Bang Generation.
 * Parasiel went to Benny's lecture recounting the events of the Fifth Axis occupation of the Braxiatel Collection. (AUDIO: Death and the Daleks)