Gardens of the Dead (audio story)

 was the first story of the sixth season of Big Finish Productions' Short Trips series. It was read by Mark Strickson.

Publisher's summary
Turlough has joined the TARDIS — the snake in the orchard — and is trying, with limited success, to gain the others' trust.

But when they land in the Gardens of the Dead, the whole team — Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough — will have to join forces and fight together to keep the Doctor safe. And discover what is behind the very last door in the TARDIS.

Plot
Turlough has joined the TARDIS crew, but struggles with the idea of killing the Doctor and knows that Tegan does not trust him. Irritated by her and knowing that he will not be able to get the Doctor alone in the ship, Turlough hits the landing gear and they materialise in the Gardens of the Dead which, the Doctor explains, is home to psychic dust which can take on the representation of the dead.

Nyssa leaves the TARDIS almost immediately and Tegan goes after her, giving Turlough an opportunity to kill the Doctor. However, the Doctor leaves the console room and Turlough worries about getting lost in the corridors, so he leaves the ship instead and finds Nyssa, hoping that she will be able to assuage Tegan's suspicions. Nyssa is upset when the dust takes the form of the Master instead of her father and screams when Turlough is pained by the Black Guardian and the dust takes the form of the Doctor.

Tegan finds a man who has been choked to death by the dust and the four travellers split up to find a child they had seen earlier. Whilst worrying that he might have somehow caused the man's death, Turlough saves the child from the dust and Nyssa uses water to turn it to mud, keeping it from transforming. The Black Guardian again orders Turlough to kill the Doctor and Nyssa hears Turlough agree, under duress, to do so. He chases her, but chooses to save her when the dust turns into the Master and grabs her by knocking her to the ground, hitting her head on a gravestone.

The dust chokes Turlough and he ensures that it is passed on to the Doctor in order to kill him. Turlough leaves him with Tegan and takes Nyssa back to her bedroom on the TARDIS, the knock to her head having made her forget what she had learnt. He then decides to look for water, finding a hose in a replica of the Gardens of the Dead inside the ship, and saves the Doctor's life in addition to cleansing the gardens of the dust, which is actually a parasite which Turlough believes was brought by the Black Guardian.

Characters

 * Fifth Doctor
 * Nyssa
 * Tegan Jovanka
 * Vislor Turlough
 * Black Guardian

Continuity

 * Nyssa mentions her father being taken over by an . (TV: The Keeper of Traken)
 * Turlough has just joined the TARDIS crew and he mentions Mawdryn. (TV: Mawdryn Undead)
 * The Black Guardian is still trying to get Turlough to kill the Doctor. (TV: Mawdryn Undead)