Primeval (audio story)

 was the twenty-sixth story in Big Finish's main range. It was written by Lance Parkin and featured Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Sarah Sutton as Nyssa.

Serving as a prequel to The Keeper of Traken, it was notable for exploring the history of Nyssa's home planet of Traken and the wider Traken Union, as well as for being novelist Lance Parkin's first audio story.

Publisher's summary
Nyssa will die at dawn, and the Doctor doesn't even know why.

To save her life, he must make a desperate journey to the only place in the universe where a cure might exist to heal her.

When even that fails, the Doctor has a choice —­ let Nyssa die, or make a deal with the devil.

After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions...

Part one
The Doctor begs Shayla, a great Trakenite doctor, and her assistant Sabian to help Nyssa, who has collapsed. She is in critical condition. This illness is the same as the one the Doctor tried to fix before by putting her into deep sleep (TV: kinda) and has been causing increased psychic sensitivity. They are 3000 years in Traken's past, so that Nyssa can be treated by an expert on Trakenite biology. Nyssa wakes up, and Sabian agrees to stay with her while the Doctor goes with Shayla to announce his presence on the planet to the Consulate. Consul Hyrca keeps watch while Consul Janneus communes with the source to learn more about the Doctor, finding danger, and a strange pattern across space and time.

Shayla explains that Nyssa has been exposed to evil, and this is acting like a cancer to cause this illness. The Consuls and Shayla discuss perfection and evil with the Doctor. The Traken Union believes they exist in a state of perfection, with leaders chosen among the elite by the elite, and their society and decisions are guided by the Source. Meanwhile on a ship, Anona talks to Captain Narthex, who is summoned by Kwundaar. However, Narthex tells Anona to go instead. She feels it is an honour, but becomes worried as she enters a room, alone, to the sound of laughter.

Nyssa tells the Doctor that in her time they did not study Traken's history, because surely nothing can be learned from it, but she knows that they must be in the Primeval times. The time before the Keepers, when the Source governed itself, and back when they still had disease and religion. At the same time, Anona is told by Kwundaar that the source is burning him, and enters her mind, telling her that she cannot remember the time before she came to the ship, and must not look at his face. Anona promises to obey him as he declares that he will bring the Traken Union down and destroy the Source. Sabian explains that the Source is a mechanical sun, built to allow Traken to exist in a state of paradise. Hyrca believes the Doctor poses too great a challenge to their authority, a danger to their way of life, whilst Shayla explains that Nyssa has been through so much, and is unlikely to survive more than a few days, while Janneus calls the Doctor "borderline abusive" for putting her in so much danger. They discuss removing the Doctor and Nyssa from Traken to protect their society.

Narthex knows what questions Anona has about Kwundaar because he has them too, describing him as a "living God". He tells Lieutenant Anona that the Source will turn them to stone if they get any closer. Meanwhile, Shayla breaks the news to the Doctor, telling him he must leave by nightfall and pledge never to return, but then Sabian interrupts them, saying that Nyssa is relapsing. Shayla tries to help her relax, allowing her to sleep. She suggests that their only hope may be Kwundaar, with the only way to get there being Captain Kabe.

Sabian begs them not to leave, but they go to the space port anyway. The pair ask Kabe to be smuggled out of the Union, and the Doctor agrees to pay whatever he wants.

Nyssa and Sabian talk about how incredible Shayla is at saving lives, but she isn't convinced when he tells the Consuls that they went to the northern shores. Nyssa's presence is demanded for a meeting with the Consuls, whilst on Kwundaar's ship, the crew note Kabe's approach, believing them to be his agent on Traken. Anona is told telepathically to intercept the ship and do what they will with the passengers. Kabe tells the Doctor and Shayla where Kwundaar is stationed, and that they're basically pirates, splitting loot and worshiping Kwundaar. Some "pirates"- including Anona- intercept them, boarding the ship and killing Kabe. They take the Doctor and Shayla to see Kwundaar. Meanwhile, Nyssa proclaims that the Doctor is in terrible danger and about to die. The Doctor and Shayla find the ship to be old and Kwundaar to be reportedly immortal before the Doctor is sent to see Kwundaar alone. He already knows about Nyssa's condition, and the Doctor tells him that he'll do whatever Kwundaar wants to save Nyssa, then asks Kwundaar to show his face. The Doctor gasps and yells as he sees Kwundaar's face, who is laughing all the while.

part two

to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Peter Davison
 * Nyssa - Sarah Sutton
 * Shayla - Susan Penhaligon
 * Kwundaar - Stephen Greif
 * Sabian - Ian Hallard
 * Anona - Romy Tennant
 * Janneus - Rita Davies
 * Hyrca - Mark Woolgar
 * Narthex / Captain Kabe - Billy Miller
 * Etrayk - Alistair Lock

Crew

 * Cover Art - Clayton Hickman
 * Director - Gary Russell
 * Executive Producer - Jacqueline Rayner
 * Music - Russell Stone
 * Producers - Gary Russell and Jason Haigh-Ellery
 * Sound Design - Gareth Jenkins
 * Writer - Lance Parkin

Worldbuilding

 * In this era, the Source exists but there is no Keeper.

Continuity

 * This story portrays the planet Traken three thousand years before TV: The Keeper of Traken. It also tells how the Keeper's position came to be.
 * This story reveals that Nyssa's collapse in TV: Four to Doomsday and the telepathic powers which she demonstrates in TV: Time-Flight are the results of Kwundaar's manipulations. Seeking to regain control of the Source, Kwundaar needed to use a native of Traken who had left the union. He chose Nyssa. Ultimately, it is the Doctor that Kwundaar wants to use to regain control of the Source.
 * Kwundaar knows of Traken's eventual destruction. (TV: Logopolis)
 * Nyssa refers to Adric's death. (TV: Earthshock)
 * Nyssa had previously considered asking the Doctor to take her to Traken before its destruction on numerous occasions before he actually did so. (PROSE: Empire of Death)
 * Nyssa teaches Sabian the Charleston. She had herself been taught the dance by Tegan Jovanka while attending a party at Cranleigh Hall in Oxfordshire on 11 June 1925. (TV: Black Orchid)
 * The Doctor alludes to the loss of his sonic. (TV: The Visitation)