Conflict Theory (audio story)

Conflict Theory was the fourth and final story in the audio anthology The Sixth Doctor and Peri: Volume One. It was written by Nev Fountain and featured Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown.

Publisher's summary
Concerned by the Doctor's increasing over-protectiveness, Peri presents him with an ultimatum: either they seek counselling or she leaves the TARDIS permanently. Reluctant to lose one of his closest friends, the Doctor seeks out one of the finest psychoanalysts in the universe: Dr Sigmund Freud.

Plot
The Doctor takes Peri to a mental health facility run by robot Sigmund Freuds, so that they can both receive therapy. Receiving therapy from separate Freuds, the Doctor believes that their relationship has been healthy until recently and that Peri enjoys fishing and playing chess with him, whilst Peri believes that their relationship is difficult and states that she does not enjoy either activity very much.

''The Complex attack a library whilst Peri hides with the librarian, Dodo. The Doctor attempts to surrender by waving a handkerchief in the open and sends Peri to man a laser cannon to blast a tower to fall on top of the spacecraft when it approaches. The plan is successful.''

Freud notes the danger of the Doctor and Peri's relationship and asks her if she sees putting herself in harm's way and obeying the Doctor as ways of sustaining their friendship, both of which she denies. However, Freud suggests that she is drawn to situations which can only be solved by violence and that, subconsciously, she invites her own destruction time and time again.

''The Doctor, Peri and Dodo examine the partially-robotic pilot, which repeats that "inferiority must be removed", but they are forced to flee to a subway tunnel and leave him behind when they come under fire. Peri's arm is bleeding because of damage caused by debris; the Doctor decides to staunch it with his handkerchief.''

Freud claims that the Doctor feels that he has to feed Peri's craving for danger and that Peri has told her Freud that she is concerned about his overprotectiveness, but the Doctor says that Peri is mentally unstable and is being manipulative so that she can get what she wants.

''The Doctor finds that his handkerchief is missing. He and Peri spot Dodo in the open, waving the handkerchief around, and he is quickly killed.''

Freud mentions the fact that Dodo shared his name with one of the Doctor's companions, Dodo Chaplet, although the Doctor believes that this is irrelevant. Peri says that, after Dodo's death, "nothing happened" for months and they realised that they had a problem.

''In the TARDIS, Peri finds the Doctor looking at a Barvan scout ship in a jungle on the TARDIS scanner and says that they have to stop them from invading. The Doctor refuses to get involved, saying that it is too dangerous, and dematerialises the ship. Not having left the TARDIS for months, Peri demands to be taken to Baltimore in the mid-1990s, refuses his alternative of living her life in a capsule and threatens him with a bow, leading him to connect himself to the telepathic circuits to take them where would be best. Although he believes that the TARDIS is making a joke by taking them to the Freuds, Peri insists that they go.''

Peri asks if her relationship with the Doctor is worth saving and goes on a walk with her Freud. Freud tells the Doctor that meeting this other Dodo caused a breakdown; he travelled with Vicki, Steven and Katarina because he felt that he was saving them like he did Susan. Peri, like Dodo Chaplet, was not in any danger when she joined him and he says that he cannot understand why she has travelled with him for twelve years.

Freud suggests to Peri that the Doctor's neuroses would best be resolved through exposure therapy; she is accosted by a Rorschach, a black cloud which can uncover subconscious thoughts and forcibly takes her to the Complex via a transmat cubicle. The Complex contact the Freuds' bridge and demands to know why they sent Peri to them. Freud explains that the Doctor has to witness Peri's death in order to get over his overprotectiveness. The Doctor agrees and says that he will allow Peri to take responsibility for her own welfare.

One of the Complex is ordered to throw Peri from the airlock, but Peri upsets him by discussing his weight before offering to throw herself from the airlock whilst he composes himself. When she is chased, she begins a discussion between the two pursuers by claiming that one had said that the other was too needy. Meanwhile, the Doctor tells his Freud that he has more to get off of his chest.

''Upon getting into the crashed spacecraft, the Doctor examines the pilot's headphones and finds that he was listening to motivational slogans. He and Peri realise that the Complex see themselves as inferior to the Alicandrons and, when the attack continues, the two of them and Milo flee and find out who supplied the tape: the Freudian Institute. Realising that the Complex are neurotic robots built by the Freuds, the Doctor decides to manipulate the Freuds by misrepresenting adventures from the past to get Peri sent to the Complex.''

Freud questions the Doctor calling the man "Milo" rather than "Dodo", saying that his entire diagnosis was based around that premise. Peri has convinced the Complex to direct their attentions towards the therapists who failed them; the Complex attack and the Doctor, after deactivating the Rorschachs, and freezes the Freuds with an Oedipal complex. He plans to take them off-line, return them to the Space Medicine Institute and flush out the Complex's neuroses.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Colin Baker
 * Peri Brown - Nicola Bryant
 * The Freuds - David Sibley
 * The Complex - Raj Ghatak
 * Dodo - George Naylor

Continuity

 * Peri warns the Doctor that his erratic behaviour is reminiscent of his post-regeneration confusion, and refers to when he tried to strangle her. (TV: The Twin Dilemma)
 * Peri mentions her years as a a warrior queen on Krontep, remembering how to build and use weapons, although she says it feels like a dream. (TV: The Ultimate Foe)
 * The Doctor uses the TARDIS's telepathic circuits to travel, allowing the TARDIS to read his mind and decide the correct destination to go. (TV: Listen)
 * Freud reminds the Doctor of the five years Peri spent at the mercy of the mind parasite Mandrake, (AUDIO: The Widow's Assassin) and of his initial escape from Gallifrey with his granddaughter Susan, placing her in danger. (AUDIO: The Beginning, Home Again, Home Again)