The Alchemists (audio story)

The Alchemists was the second story of the eighth series in The Companion Chronicles audio range. It was produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Ian Potter and featured Susan.

Publisher's summary
The TARDIS lands in Berlin in the 1930s, where Hitler and his National Socialist party are in the ascendant.

Some of the greatest scientific minds are gathering here: Einstein, Heisenberg, Planck, Schrödinger, Wigner. The people who will build the future of planet Earth.

But the Doctor and Susan have brought something with them. Something apparently harmless, something quite common. Yet something that could threaten the course of history...

Wedding Gold (1)
In the TARDIS, Susan is writing a letter to Barbara. She explains this is a letter to be opened only if she died or has left the TARDIS. In the first case, she asks Ian and Barbara to look after her grandfather; in the second one, she asks them to ensure he doesn't go back in time to change that. She worries, she said, about what the Doctor would do without her. She says that, even though he told Barbara they can't change history, this is not exactly true: every action has consequences, every action, though minimal, can change the present and the future of everyone. There was a time, she says, she was tempted to change the past, something that happened long before they met them. Back then, the Doctor was looking for a place where he could hide a mysterious casket he was carrying with him, and determined that 20th century Earth could be a good place to hide.

One time, Susan and the Doctor landed on a street nearby a railway station, whose walls were paved with posters of various political parties, all of them ending with "D". From that, the Doctor deduced they landed in Germany, in November 1932. He then asked a bypasser whether they are in Berlin. He was delighted when the man answered positively, because, as he explained to Susan, on this time on Earth can be found many great scientific minds, like Einstein and Schrödinger, whose discoveries would change the future. By studying the map of the railway station, the Doctor deduced when these geniuses may gather in some institutes, and determined to go and visit them; however, Susan pointed out that they had no money to pay the railway. The Doctor then came back to the TARDIS and took out some of the Roman golden coins they took from ancient Rome, meaning to exchange them in a shop for money.

After some searching, the Doctor and Susan entered a jewellery to exchange the money. The jeweller, Herr Straidmacher, accepted their coins, and started inquiring about what they were doing in Berlin as he valued the money. They told him they were here to visit some scientists. The jeweller assessed that the coins were in perfect state, "almost as new", and gave them some banknotes in return; he then offered to give them a ride himself in the taxi of a friend of his to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, when many scientists of that caliber could be found. Ignoring Susan's concerns, the Doctor accepted the offer.

As they rode to the Institute, Straidmacher expressed his opinion on the current political and economical situation. The country's economy is in great difficulty, there has been two elections in five months with no satisfying results, the police doesn't dare to keep order and the only ones at work are the "brown shirts" - the SA, Hitler's men. They finally reached the Institute, where Stritmatter left them, giving them a card so they could call him if they needed him.

The doormen at the entrance of the Institute refused to let them in, and the Doctor resorted to a trick: he wrote some scientific formulas on the back of the notes, and gave them to a doorman to bring them to the director, Fritz Haber. As they waited, the Doctor told Susan about him: his formula for synthetising ammonia had been the key to create fertilisers which solved the problem of hunger for many people in the world. However, he also gave Germany the chance of creating its own staff of gunpowder, allowing them to go to war. Haber reached them outside, amazed ar the formulae the Doctor wrote, and led them into the Institute.

As the Doctor wandered admiring the scientists discussing and working, Susan had to fend off the unwanted attention of some youngsters, and finally exited the building with the excuse of getting some air. Some kids surrounded her, offering to do anything for money, and she asked them the direction for a cafe. They pointed out one, and she went there. As she was admiring the streets and the passers-by, Susan was approached by a young English man, Pollitt. He said he was an artist, a painter, and finally started to ask her what she was doing there. Susan told her they were here for science and that the Doctor was visiting Haber. When he heard about the Doctor and Haber, Pollitt described her how Germans blamed Jews for her recent misfortunes, including the defeat in the war and the economy crisis, and only forgave Haber for his achievements.

Suddenly, Susan started to feel weak, her head spinning. Pollitt led her outside the cafe, where the boys of before surrounded her, asking whether she was alright. Susan, accompanied by Pollitt, came back to the Institute, where she saw the Doctor and Haber being taken away from some security men in a car. Susan tried to follow the car, but she is too weak, and fell into Pollitt's arms. Pollitt told her they had probably come for Haber and the Doctor was dragged into it, and insisted she would come with him: she needed to rest, and he had some friends who could help her trace her grandfather. Susan however refused, and Pollitt left, giving her the card of a club where she could find him. As he was gone, one of the boys adviced Susan to ask the help of the SA to find the Doctor.

Dahlem Lead (2)
to be added

Cast

 * Susan Foreman - Carole Ann Ford
 * Pollitt/Herr Stridtmacher - Wayne Forester

Continuity

 * Susan recalls the events of this story in the form of a letter to Barbara and Ian, to be opened in the event that she dies or leaves the TARDIS. (TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth)
 * She recalls their meeting with Marco Polo in 1289, and says he would not have become famous if they didn't save his life. (TV: Marco Polo)
 * Susan has an excellent knowledge of chemistry. (TV: An Unearthly Child)
 * Susan considers that she has the power to alter events to prevent the outbreak of the Second World War. However, the Doctor argues it would unpick the fabric of reality. Susan later concedes that had she altered history, the versions of Ian and Barbara that she came to know would never have existed. She also remembers the Doctor telling Barbara they couldn't change history (TV: The Aztecs)
 * The Doctor says he must show Susan the latter half of the 20th century eventually. (PROSE: Time and Relative)
 * The Doctor is said to have a "packing case" in the TARDIS which he wants to leave on 20th century Earth. It is implied that this is in fact the Hand of Omega. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
 * Susan refers to having observed a Zeppelin attack during World War I. (TV: Planet of Giants)
 * Susan mentions Adolf Hitler's rise to power as Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933. (AUDIO: Neverland)