The Death of Peladon (audio story)

The Death of Peladon was the third story in the Peladon audio anthology, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Mark Wright and featured Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush and Jane Goddard as Alpha Centauri.

Publisher's summary
The Sixth Doctor and Mel arrive on Peladon to discover a world on the brink of environmental disaster. Civil war looms and a dark plot brews in the shadows of the court. Unless they can help avert catastrophe, there seems to be little hope left for one of the Doctor's favourite planets.

Plot
Helais' grandmother expresses concern for the men in the mines and says Aggedor's name before dying.

Queen Minaris, who's suffering from a headache, is trying to make King Peladon's music box work before her daughter, Princess Isabelda, tells her to make herself presentable for the Galactic Federation liaison.

The TARDIS materialises in the tunnels and the Sixth Doctor and Mel step out, unsure of where they are. They go to explore and find disused mining equipment indicating that no work has gone on for some time; despite this, there are lit torches. They come across red water and a Peladonian killed by blunt trauma to the back of the neck.

Helais stops herself weeping, choosing to grieve for her grandmother without shedding tears. She is angry with Minaris for doing nothing whilst her subjects die of starvation and swears that she will hear the roar of the people.

Alpha Centauri arrives at court. Isabelda is impatient to learn what Alpha Centauri wants, earning her an admonishment for Minaris. Alpha Centauri is semi-retired but continuing as liaison to Peladon due to the poor relationship between the Pels and the Federation at present, reassuring Minaris that the Federation considers Peladon an important member world. Isabelda, however, believes that the Federation turned its back on Peladon when the trisilicate ran out.

The Doctor, who now knows where they are, examines the red water whilst Mel covers the body with her jacket. She notices a sound and spots that a rock face has been disturbed; inside of the rock is a thermal detonator which the Doctor tries to defuse as it counts down. Mel refuses to return to the TARDIS.

Helais meets with the people of her village, the miners of the last operational trisilicate mine in Megeshra Province. She rouses them against Minaris, who has barely been seen in public in five years.

Minaris thanks Alpha Centauri, agreeing that they can work on rebuilding the relationship, but Isabelda wants to know what Peladon has to gain and demands reparations for generations of service.

The Doctor is repeatedly stopped by deadlocks as he tries to defuse the detonator and runs back towards the TARDIS with Mel as it approaches detonation. However, they do not reach the ship before the explosion and dive to the floor as the countdown ends. The villagers hear the cave-in and sound the alarm.

Alpha Centauri gives their word that they will pass on Isabelda's concerns to the Federation, but Isabelda believes that words are no longer enough. Minaris feels that something is wrong and hears the emergency sirens at the mine. Her Guard Captain informs her that casualties could be in the hundreds.

The Doctor has been saved from the cave-in by Helais, who says that nobody was with him when they dug him out. He goes looking for Mel, despite Helais following him and telling him that he cannot go back down there. A half-mile-wide sinkhole has opened up and it seems that Mel is dead.

The Captain tells Minaris that more than a hundred people are confirmed to be dead whilst many more are missing. Minaris tells her to do what she can for the village and Alpha Centauri says that they will contact the Federation for aid, which Isabelda suggests is because they have a guilty conscience. The Captain produces an unconscious Mel, who was dug out from the cave and is largely unharmed. Isabelda suggests that she is Alpha Centauri's accomplice.

The Doctor gives Helais, who has heard stories of him and knows of Erimem, his condolences and asks for equipment to allow him to descend into the mine. She refuses as she has people down there already making sure that it is safe. As day begins to break, the Doctor sees that the land is barren and learns of the troubles that Peladon has experienced since the trisilicate began to run out. He says that he will speak with Minaris and drinks some water, which he promptly spits out.

Alpha Centauri says that disaster relief teams are being dispatched and that they would very much like to meet the Doctor again, valuing his counsel. Isabelda is sceptical, believing that he simply causes trouble. Mel asks Minaris to join her in helping at the mine, which Alpha Centauri agrees would be a good idea, but Isabelda says that that is not what the royal family does. Minaris is unsure but has the Captain prepare the royal carriage.

The Doctor looks at the water in the village's well and, as he suspected, the water is tainted by trisilicate and has been increasingly contaminated over decades if not centuries. Peladonians, including Helais' grandmother, have been dying of acute trisilicate poisoning and it is imperative that the Doctor and Helais speak to the royal family.

Mel, Minaris, Isabelda and Alpha Centauri travel to the village in the royal carriage.

The Doctor gives a Pel a medical examination and diagnoses him with acute trisilicate poisoning. He says that they need to find a source of clean water urgently and bemoans the loss of the TARDIS, which could have helped in the short term.

to be completed

Cast

 * The Doctor - Colin Baker
 * Melanie Bush - Bonnie Langford
 * Queen Minaris - Sara Powell
 * Alpha Centauri / Guard Captain / Grandma - Jane Goddard
 * Helais - Liz White
 * Isabelda - Remmie Milner

Continuity

 * Alpha Centauri refers to their first visit to Peladon during the reign of King Peladon. (TV: The Curse of Peladon)
 * The Doctor refers to having a complicated history with Peladon. (TV: The Curse of Peladon and The Monster of Peladon; AUDIO: The Prisoner of Peladon and The Bride of Peladon)
 * The Doctor recalls Erimem's departure. (AUDIO: The Bride of Peladon)
 * Alpha observes that the Doctor has regenerated once again. (TV: The Caves of Androzani)
 * Helias is a descendant of King Peladon's high priest Hepesh. (TV: The Curse of Peladon)
 * Alpha recalls the Third Doctor being sentenced to death for entering the Temple of Aggedor. (TV: The Curse of Peladon)
 * The Doctor recalls his meeting with Queen Thalira. (TV: The Monster of Peladon)