Lords of the Red Planet (audio story)

Lords of the Red Planet was the third release in the fourth series of The Lost Stories from Big Finish Productions. It tells the origin story of the Ice Warriors.

The story had originally been intended for TV however it was dropped and the script for The Seeds of Death was created in place of it. The original story had been written by Brian Hayles, the creator behind the Ice Warriors, but for the audio release it was adapted by John Dorney.

Publisher's summary
The TARDIS crew land on Mars, home of the Ice Warriors, far back in its history. The Doctor is convinced it's much too early for them to meet their frozen foes.. but the Doctor is wrong.

Far below the surface of the planet an evil scheme is in motion. A scientist works night and day at the command of an insane despot. A despot intent on creating a terrifyingly familiar army.

What exactly does Zaadur plan? What dark secret lies at the heart of the Gandoran mines? How far will the Doctor go to save his friends? In the deepest caves, the true Lords of the Red Planet are ready to emerge... Can anyone possibly survive their birth?

Part one
A huge creature screams in the underground city of Gandor as scientist Quendril attempts to save it but he is unsuccessful. He debates with his servant Risor about whether he should continue performing these horrible experiments for Zaadur.

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe materialize in a strange and dusty red environment. The Doctor deduces that they have arrived on a planet in earth’s solar system, Mars as a matter of fact. Since it is cold out, the Doctor suggests they move around for warmth. As Zoe sprints off, Jamie reminds the Doctor that Mars is home of the Ice Warriors, whom they have encountered before but the Doctor assures Jamie that they don’t exist yet as it is too early in history. They take off after Zoe.

They find an early life-form that looks like a lizard and chase after it.

Meanwhile Zaadur meets with Quendril in his lab where he protests about continuing the experiments due to the mounting death tolls. She blackmails him to continue anyway, reminding him that the princess Veltreena’s life is on the line. She reiterates that his experiments are for the “good of all” while Risor slips away.

Jamie and the Doctor catch up with Zoe, spotting that the creature is actually a baby and part of a family. They suddenly hear a bugle-like noise. The Doctor fears that these creatures may be being hunted and agrees with Zoe that they should go back to the TARDIS lest they accidentally get caught in the hunt. They begin to run back the way they came.

Zaadur demands Qunedril’s decision whether he will continue his work or not as chief scientist because if he chooses not to, she will cut off his access to “life drink”. Quendril relents and agrees to continue with Zaadur’s scheme. She demands that he speed up the research. He offers to show some of the progress he has made. He reveals Aslor, one of his research subjects, is still in its primitive stage, to which she goads him into finishing it.

Risor stumbles through the crowded streets of Gandor attempting to find someone.

Veltreena sits in a room, being tended to by servants. She observes a screen displaying the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie on the surface. She is intrigued by these estrange creatures, having never before seen anything like them. Risor arrives and warns her that her life is in danger due to Zaadur. Veltreena laughs, assuring him that she is in control of the city and Zaadur is nothing but a joke. Risor tries to explain that Zaadur is in control now but Veltreena laughs again. She reassures Risor that everything is fine and persuades him to stay with her and watch the strangers on the planet’s surface as they are quite entertaining to her.

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe continue to try and escape the hunt. The hunters, however, get closer. The trio then fall into a large pit, after which Jamie realizes is a trap. The trap is revealed to be a metal box that closes them in and drags them down below the surface.

Veltreena tries to find them, but Risor comments they have fallen into a Saurian pit. Risor realizes that something may have happened to the strangers and attempts to leave, but Veltreena wants him to stay. He convinces her otherwise and leaves, despite her annoyance. She sees that the hunters are now following the stranger's tracks.

The trio remove their environment suits as they descend below and the Doctor surmises that due to the nature of the trap, the people they are dealing with are clearly advanced creatures capable of reason, so perhaps they will understand their predicament. They arrive in a tunnel and venture forward.

Veltreena continues to watch.

The trio enter a chamber. It is revealed to be a laboratory with computers and all manner of scientific equipment with a large box being cooled in the middle. Zoe notices that much of the equipment is for temperature control. Jamie, bored by Zoe and the Doctor’s scientific intrigue and investigations, starts exploring another corridor. The Doctor peers into the box and sees eggs. The two surmise that the eggs are of a species they have never seen before. Suddenly a green creature bursts in and frightens them, followed by several more. It fires at Zoe, sending her flying across the room and knocking her out. The lead warrior then turns to the Doctor....

Part two
A bipedal reptilian hurrying towards them suddenly calls out for the green creature to stop, explaining that they are not Saurians. The creature drops its weapon and stands off to the side. He apologizes for Zoe being hurt to an unamused Doctor. As she comes back to consciousness, she blurts out “Ice Warriors” to the Doctor but he tells her to remain calm as she falls unconscious again. The reptilian creature introduces itself as Quendril and assures the Doctor she will recover within the hour. As he offers the Doctor a hand to shake, the doctor notices the same reptilian-like creatures behind him, one which he notices is a “a broad, muscular and beautiful female reptilian creature with an air of arrogance”, two large creatures behind her which he assumes are body guards, and the the fourth one an entirely different creature, a mixture of the creatures that he, Jamie and Zoe observed on the surface and an Ice Warrior, but looking more weak and without the height and muscle. He introduces himself to the female, named Zaadur, but before being able to say anything else Risor, the fourth creature, remarks that there was one more person traveling with the Doctor. The Doctor explains it is Jamie, and Zaadur commands Risor to go and find him, escorted by one of the Ice Warriors.

Jamie, finding nothing, goes back to the laboratory but notices shadows on the wall that resemble Ice Warriors. He remembers his previous encounters with them darts away to find out what was happening.

The creatures are ordered to move Zoe onto a table and the Doctor, frightened for Zoe’s safety, accidentally comments if it is really safe for the Ice Warriors to move her. Zaadur and all present have never heard of the term before but discover they like the name and decide to call the large green creatures “Ice Warriors”. Quendril explains that the Ice Warriors are merely slaves and will not doing anything without being commanded. Zaadur invites the Doctor and Zoe to come see her when Zoe has recovered because she is interested in studying them.

Jamie, meanwhile, continues to try to evade Risor and the Ice Warrior. Eventually he stumbles on a large chamber filled with the same reptilian creatures walking across a large square, seemingly inter-connecting many tunnels on all sides. Retreating into another tunnel, he sees shadows approaching him from both sides. Pressing himself against the wall, he discovers a hidden door and enters. Catching his breath, a voice from across the room asks who is disturbing her. Jamie looks up to see it is Veltreena. She tells her guards to restrain him, advancing towards him with a laser cutter as Jamie attempts to break free and escape.

Meanwhile, Zoe has recuperated but berates the Ice Warriors for their actions. Qunedril, however, explains they are hunters and were just doing their duties. He believes they are ready to go see Zaadur but the Doctor attempts to prolong the meeting by remarking to Qunedril about his scientific equipment. Quendril, impressed that Zoe and the Doctor are interested, proceeds to show them around his lab.

Jamie fights to break the restraint but fails. He closes his eyes, feeling the laser close to his face when suddenly he is released and sees the princess holding a lock of his hair. She explains she wanted it because it was pretty and half-heartedly apologizes for not telling him earlier. She invites him to sit with her and eat. She reveals that she was created by her father thanks to science.

The Doctor marvels at the equipment while Zoe nervously eyes the Ice Warriors but remarks about how advanced Quendril’s equipment is. Quendril asks whether they are native but reveals he knew they were not. He explains that Gandor used to be made up of many civilizations but only his species and the Ice Warriors are left, further revealing that they are immortal and before the Doctor can find out anymore Qunedril nervously and abruptly changes the subject. He shows them his latest creation, Aslor. Zoe is shocked and the Doctor recognizes that it is an Ice Lord.

Veltreena explains that Quendril took regular Gandorians and made them “special”, genetically modifying them to be “better” and “special”, describing herself as “perfect”, vainly and egotistically explaining that she is Qunedril’s “perfect creation” and that the others are merely defective versions of her, less perfect in fact. However, Veltreena is more keen to find out more about Jamie. He explains to her that he is from earth but they are interrupted by Risor and an Ice Warrior.

The Doctor investigates Aslor. Quendril explains that he is a Saurian, one of the creatures from the surface that the trio were chasing earlier. He further reveals that most Ice Warriors were previously Saurians. He remarks that Aslor is more advanced, a leader. Zoe is surprised while the Doctor is disgusted about them using ‘forced evolution’ to create these creatures, forcibly causing their evolution into Ice Warriors. Quendril then explains that he was in the middle of fixing one of the problems of forced evolution when the Doctor and co arrived, interrupting his work. He elaborates that while the bodies have evolved, the minds of the creatures have not. He demonstrates this to the Doctor and Zoe, sadly, by activating a machine and brings Aslor to life, who screams in pain. Quendril shouts over the screams that most of the creatures at this stage die due to not being able to survive the forced evolution of the brain. Zoe, horrified, demands why Quendril has done this to which he explains that Zaadur is forcing him to but the Doctor counters by saying that Quendril and his people are immortal. Before Quendril has a chance to answer, Zoe, unable to bear the screams of agony any longer, rips the wires out of Aslor’s head and Aslor stands up, almost in a feral, bestial state and lunges at the Doctor.

Risor asks Jamie to come with him but he refuses. Veltreena doesn’t want to give up her new playmate. She tells Risor that if Zaadur wants to see Jamie she can come here. Risor says he will speak with Zaadur, and then goes over to the screen.

Aslor flings the Doctor out of the way and escapes trough one of the doors. Zoe apologizes, saying she couldn’t stand watching Aslor in agony all the while Quendril informs Zaadur by activating an alarm.

Risor runs from the room.

Zaadur instructs Quendril to put Zoe and the Doctor under guard after he timidly and reluctantly blames Zoe for the accident and then orders him to recapture Aslor. Zoe and the Doctor attempt to escape but are captured by one of the Ice Warrior guards.

A tannoy system activates and Zaadur informs the citizens of Gandor to return to their sleeping quarters early so they may receive their life drink. Risor, however, stumbles through the crowd attempting to get back to his master.

The Doctor is brought to and reunited with Jamie in Veltreena’s room while Veltreena then excuses herself to go and receive her life drink.

Zoe, meanwhile, flees through the tunnels, looking for Jamie and the Doctor. She observes how beautiful the city is. Suddenly, two Warriors block her path and stop her escape but Zoe warns them of something behind them. Thinking it is a trick, the warriors ignore her and advance closer but are then knocked out by Aslor, who lurches towards Zoe...

Part three
Zoe tries to reason with Aslor explaining that she tried to stop its pain. Aslor stops, clams down and remembers, slowly running his claw through her hair but is knocked down by another Ice Warrior who reports that they have successfully captured it. They tell Zoe to return back to her quarters so she may receive life drink.

Veltreena’s servant reaches into something looking like a tabernacle and withdraws a ruby liquid. Jamie asks if they should participate but the Doctor says he never likes to partake in these sorts of rituals and is content to merely observe.

Veltreena and her servants drink and seemingly in a delightful trance they sink to the floor. Jamie pokes Veltreena, and she airily apologizes for not being a good host. The Doctor, more curious, asks her what exactly life drink is. She explains that it helps them to live forever. It is revealed that Zaadur controls the supply, confirming the Doctor’s suspicions. Veltreena jealously explains that Quendril is given unlimited life drink whenever he wants and so does not have to take it at the designated hour as everyone else must. She further elaborates that since the surface of Mars can no longer be used to provide sustenance to sustain the Gandorans, they must rely on life drink to remain alive. However, all but Zaadur need life drink, and the Doctor wonders why.

Zoe follows the Ice Warriors back to Qunedril’s lab. When they arrive, she finds Quendril talking with Risor and ducks behind a table to eavesdrop on them. Quendril reactivates the machine and continues to force Aslor’s brain to undergo an evolution.

Jamie and the Doctor decide to go find Zaadur after a lengthy discussion about what they suspect are her motives, including turning Gandor into a fascist state, given that she controls the resource all Gandorans require to survive, life drink.

Back in the lab, Zoe notices that Aslor is no longer screaming and writhing in agony and Quendril declares his success. He orders Aslor to stand. The Ice Lord obeys. Aslor noticeably has become more intelligent and aware of his surroundings. He recalls losing his brothers and his former life on the surface. Suddenly he notices Zoe and points her out to Quendril. Zoe is discovered. Aslor asks what he should do with her, approaching her menacingly.

The Doctor and Jamie trick the Ice Warriors guarding their room into allowing Jamie to leave. They go to get further orders from Zaadur, leaving the Doctor behind, after which Jamie returns to get him.

Quendril instructs Aslor to stop, but Aslor never intended to hurt her. Aslor and Quendril begin to question her for returning. They consider sending her to Zaadur but Quendril is conflicted, relaying to Zoe his predicament about whether he should turn her in or not and how Zaadur is a dictator, has blackmailed him and now maintains control over him.

The hour of life drink is over and Veltreena awakens to find Jamie and the Doctor have disappeared. Meanwhile, Zaadur berates the Ice Warriors for leaving the Doctor alone and letting Jamie go. Zaadur then uses some surveillance monitors in her room to try and find the Doctor and Jamie, which she eventually succeeds in doing. She then orders the warriors to follow and capture them and Zoe.

Quendril puts Aslor to sleep as the gongs playing over the tannoy system signaling the time for life drink seem to have effected him, while Zoe explains that the best course of action is for her to leave and go find Jamie and the Doctor. Zoe asks why Quendril hates Zaadur so much but they are interrupted by a tannoy announcement in which Zaadur orders that there are two traitors in the mines (Jamie and the Doctor) )who are to be captured and brought to her. Quendril decides to send Risor with Zoe to show her the way and help her rescue the Doctor and Jamie.

The Doctor and Jamie are in an area which is not reached by the announcement and so are unaware of that they are to be detained. The Doctor notices that the mine has not been in use for a long time, which is unusual if this is where life drink is mined. They then hear a troop of Ice Warriors enter, unsure if the weapons the warriors have are still set to stun or are now set to kill. They run deeper into the mine.

The Gandorans begin filling the corridors of the city again bustling to and fro now that the hour of life drink is over. Zoe and Risor walk the halls of the city while some Gandorans stare at Zoe all-the-while they discuss Risor’s history. He explains that he is a failed experiment, the first version of the Ice Warriors but he came out weak, frail and thin while the Ice Warriors are supposed to be large and strong. Zoe says that this does not necessarily make him weak but he dismisses her.

Jamie and the Doctor enter another large cavern. He finds explosives but notices Jamie is no longer with him. He returns to the previous room and hears footsteps, expecting Jamie but the figure reveals itself to be an Ice Warrior. The Doctor tries to flee but a second warrior catches him and stuns him, knocking him out.

Jamie, having lost the Doctor, runs into a dead end. He hears someone advancing on him. Seeing no way of escape, he pulls out a plank holding the ceiling up, preparing to use it as a weapon. Sneaking up on his followers, he hits the large figure as hard as he can, as Zoe yells for him to stop but it is too late and Risor crumples to the floor. Zoe berates Jamie but they hear footsteps and run, Jamie explaining that Risor will be safer being left behind since the warriors have no reason to harm him.

The Doctor, meanwhile, regains consciousness and finds himself tied to a table in Zaadur’s room, who tells him not to struggle as escape is futile. Zaadur asks him to tell her about earth. The Doctor initially refuses and Zaadur reveals she will invade the earth, since she is tired of the Gandorans and their imperfections and about her plan to start a new species, more perfect and similar to her. The Ice Warriors are her army. She demands the Doctor assist her invasion but he refuses, so she reveals that as Jamie and Zoe, unaware of the danger ahead of them, travel further into the mine the air down in the deeper parts of the mine will become toxic and will kill them. She gives the Doctor an ultimatum: either he relents and she will send her warriors down the mine to save Jamie and Zoe, or she will let them continue on to their deaths....

Part four
The Doctor begrudgingly accepts Zaadur’s terms and agrees to help her to save Jamie and Zoe. Zaadur orders her warriors to execute royal command delta and begins planning her invasion of earth. In the mines, the warriors obey Zaadur’s order command delta, revealing that they are to capture and kill Jamie and Zoe. Risor overhears them and becomes distressed about the pairs fate.

Zaadur then summons Qunedril to come from his lab and bring the Doctor to the thought extractor. Zaadur explains that she cannot trust the Doctor so instead of asking questions and receiving answers, which gives the Doctor the opportunity to lie, she will merely extract the necessary information by seeing his thoughts. The Doctor comments that Zaadur is similar genetically to Veltreena, which she confirms is true and that they are sisters and both are Quendril’s daughters. She also explains that they are the result of Quendril’s genetic modification experiments to his species, hoping to distill the best traits of his species and make a leader that would be able to guide the Gandorans on the darkest of days. Veltreena was the first but came out weak and still reliant on life drink. Zaadur, however, had come out stronger, as she put it, since she is more intelligent and not reliant on the life drink but at the cost of extreme pain, as she too went through the forced evolution process to develop advanced intelligence. The Doctor is disgusted but holds his silence, noting Zaadur’s arrogance which she claims she is aware of.

Jamie and Zoe continue evading the warriors. Zoe notices something is wrong with the air and they begin to cough. However they are stopped by one of the warriors. The warriors prepare their weapons and aim them at the two.

Quendril arrives in Zaadur’s room. He is upset about what Zaadur has done to the Doctor but there’s nothing he can do as she reminds him. She orders him to take the Doctor to have his thoughts extracted and Quendril reluctantly obeys. The Doctor, as he is wheeled out by Quendril, calls Zaadur a failure and remarks that the a winner of a game is not determined until the game is done.

Zoe and Jamie are saved by Risor in the nick of time who convinces the warriors to return to Zaadur. Risor warns them that they must find a control station and get Zoe and Jamie oxygen supplies as they do not have enough time left and the toxic air will kill them before they manage to make it out of the mines.

The Doctor is brought to the information room. The Doctor reveals to Quendril that he knows Zaadur is also his daughter. Quendril explains that his people had poisoned the surface of Mars long ago and were forced to live underground by their own doing. They were lucky to find the mine that the city was built on because it provided the nutrients and minerals the Gandorans needed to survive, found in the life drink. Quendril knew that this resource was limited and was forced to think ahead, about how his species could survive without the life drink. So he decided to experiment on genetically reshaping his species but since he felt he could not ask anyone to risk their own life, he chose to use his daughters. When Veltreena had been reshaped, his people were dazzled by Veltreena’s appearance and her beauty and took her on as a princess. However, he muses that he had achieved physical perfection with her despite her frailty, however, the mind had not caught up, which is when he decided to experiment on Zaadur. He bemoans the agony he put her through, however she came out stronger... and with a cold disposition. She viewed her fellow species as inferior, believing she should be in charge and quickly brought an end to the leaders and took control of the life drink, saying it needed rationing. Quendril notes that this was not true, it was merely a way to control the people. Only he was allowed to drink whenever he desired because Zaadur needed him to continue building her army. He also points out that despite her cruel demeanor which the people are not aware of, they follow her willingly. Quendril admits that it is the same for him... and apologizes to the Doctor before activating the thought extractor.

Risor, Jamie and Zoe head to “the vent” which will lead them to the planet’s surface where they can find breathing masks. Suddenly they hear construction noises. They continue on, disturbed, but only to stop dead in their tracks.

The Doctor tries to convince Quendril to stop the machine, explaining that Zaadur plans to leave Gandor and invade other worlds and he wants to put a stop to it. At first Quendril is thrilled to hear of her leaving because it will mean being rid of her but the Doctor points out that the Ice Warriors are the ones who did the work in the mines and without them it would be very difficult to extract the minerals and nutrients. Furthermore he points out that when he and Jamie were in the mines, the equipment was very rusty, showing it hadn’t been in use for a long time. He puts the images in his mind onto the screen of the thought extractor. Quendril is shocked that the Doctor is correct.

Jamie, Zoe and Risor stumble onto a large rocket. First they quickly go to the supply hut and get oxygen masks. Once re-oxygenated, they hear the construction noises again. They peer out the supply hut window to see many more Ice Warriors arriving, carrying the eggs from Quendril’s lab.

Quendril wonders whether they can just fix the equipment once Zaadur has left, still unconvinced by the Doctor’s explanation. The Doctor then shows him on the thought extractor that there was also a massive amount of explosives buried deep in the mine, explaining to Quendril that she likely wants to wipe out her people as she departs, believing them inferior and start anew elsewhere. Quendril finally turns face and releases the Doctor, remorseful over the horrible atrocities he has committed in Zaadur’s name and finally deciding that it is time to stop her once and for all. The Doctor then locates the schematics for the rocket which Quendril did not believe even existed from the computer data files, then prints a map and deduces that the rocket must be located in a large cavern, showing Quendril the map. Quendril remarks that that particular cavern is called “the vent” that accesses the surface. The Doctor prepares to leave while Quendril decides to stay so that in case Zaadur comes, he can bear the brunt of the blame, and wishes for the Doctor to stop Zaadur should they not meet again.

Zoe, Jamie and Risor discuss what possible course of action to take. Before they can decide, they are discovered by an Ice Lord who prepares to kill them.

Zaadur interrogates Quendril about the Doctor’s disappearance. She discovers her private data of the mine’s schematic has been accessed, ordering Quendril to be punished and preparing to find the Doctor herself.

Risor confirms that Quendril has not made any other Ice Lords, so they deduce that the Ice Lord who has discovered them is Aslor. Zoe tries to convince Aslor to stop since she saved him earlier. Suddenly Zaadur announces over the tannoy system that all Ice Warriors are to cease activity and find and execute the Doctor. Aslor acknowledges his new order and departs while Jamie, Zoe and Risor decide how to save the Doctor.

The Doctor, meanwhile, navigates the mines. He discovers the source of the life drink, scraping up some of the mineral residues. He uses a stethoscope on the walls to listen but is oblivious to having been discovered by Aslor, intent on killing him...

Part five
to be added

Part six
to be added

Cast

 * Jamie McCrimmon - Frazer Hines
 * Zoe Heriot - Wendy Padbury
 * Quendril - Michael Troughton
 * Zaadur - Abigail Thaw
 * Veltreena - Charlie Hayes
 * Aslor/Risor/The Ice Warriors - Nicholas Briggs

Continuity

 * Jamie, Zoe and the Doctor recognise the Ice Warriors from their previous meetings with them. (TV: The Ice Warriors, The Seeds of Death)

Jamie’s and Zoe’s safety.
 * The Doctor mentions that he prefers not to partake in alien rituals, in this case the one for the life drink provided for the people of Gandor. The Doctor would later relax his stance on this, as in The Rings of Akhaten he takes Clara to participate in the Festival of Offerings, although the Doctor mentions that he used to come with his granddaughter Susan. (TV: The Rings of Akhaten)
 * However, it is possible that the Doctor was avoiding partaking in this particular ritual because he was concerned for his,