Ghost Walk (audio story)

Ghost Walk was the two hundred and thirty-fifth story in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by James Goss and featured Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, Matthew Waterhouse as Adric, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa and Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka.

Publisher's summary
This is a city of ghosts and no-one knows them better than Leanne. Twice a night she leads tourists to visit the most haunted sites - the Hanging Yard, the Witch Pool, the Screaming House, and, of course, the Catacombs.

Leanne’s realised the ghosts of the city are real. Something’s lurking in the Catacombs - an ancient force that has been growing in the darkness for centuries. Sabaoth is returning and they must be stopped before they devour the world. Leanne knows this, because a ghost told her.

A ghost called The Doctor.

Part one
Leanne leads a guided tour of the catacombs. Initially successful, things spiral out of control when they hear strange sounds, and other frightening events begin to occur... when suddenly, Leanna hears the voice of the Doctor in her head.

The TARDIS crew land in the 17th century searching to help the senders of a distress call they intercepted. They split up and Adric and Nyssa are attacked by something unseen. Tegan and the Doctor discover a wall with blood markings on it and a pile of bones that shown sign of damage at the deepest molecular level. Adric, having fallen down the stairs in a panic, hears Nyssa call to him that she can't move as the creature seem to be holding on to her and instilling fear in her against her will. Adric tries to save her but also becomes stuck when the creature holds on to him. Tegan and the Doctor find the two frozen on the floor shivering, and prop them up, and they explain that the alien subdued them to lead the Doctor to it. They hear the creature's roar and run back to the TARDIS. Once inside, they realize the TARDIS is dead, and was trying to leave which is why it was making groaning noises before when they first arrived. The Doctor explains he can get it working again but they need to go back outside. They get a displacement generator working and he transports Nyssa, Tegan and Adric elsewhere. Just as he prepares to take on the creature, it is revealed Tegan didn't listen and left the circle for the generator at the last second to stay and help the Doctor, suspecting he didn't actually have a plan. He admits she's right. Leanna asks the Doctor if this is how he got stuck here, which he admits it is, but when she asks how he got out he reveals he never did and that he died here...

Part two
Nyssa lands in a village and the townfolk are convinced she's a witch and attempt to burn her, however, she is saved by Matthew Doyle the Reverend who takes her on horseback back to the vicarage. The Doctor and Tegan theorise how the creature managed to feed on the TARDIS, and the Doctor tries to help Tegan regain composure after she becomes tired, where the Doctor realizes the creature is feeding on her. He gets her to safety.

Adric, having landed in the same village at a different point in time, is put on trial for stealing some bread but is interrupted when he spots someone wearing a cloak, revealed to be a member of the Brotherhood of Sabaot. Matthew and Nyssa have a chat where she also learns about the Brotherhood of Sabaot and she learns she has been moved forward in time but not space and they plan to have Matthew go and visit their temple to see if there's anything they can learn. Tegan and the Doctor discuss about what they will do now and how they will escape. Matthew returns having been unsuccessful in talking with the brotherhood, and being egged by children. The more time she and Matthew spend together, more rumours, spread by Mrs. Stubbs, the Reverend's housekeeper at the vicarage, fly around the village that the Reverend has been bewitched by her. Matthew eventually reveals he has fallen in love with Nyssa but she turns down his advances due to the situation. Adric finds some people, having fled the trial, and asks them to tell the Doctor he's here, however, they are confused as they know no one of that name. Just then they are interrupted by cloaked men of the brotherhood and Adric tries talking to the cloaked men on behalf of the frightened villagers, while the events are recorded by a "journalist" on the scene while Adric is taken to his execution, his fate decided.

Nyssa and Reverend Matthew arrive at the church where he is to give a sermon, however, the villagers block him from entering until he recants and rids himself of Nyssa. Matthew attempts to defend her and her actions but the villagers are unconvinced and attempt to burn her. Matthew, in a change of heart, sides with the villagers (having had his heart broken by Nyssa) and they attempt to drown her in a river as the Brotherhood of Sabaoth encroach on her position. Meanwhile, Adric is placed in the gallows to be hanged, and the floor beneath him is dropped...

Part three
to be added

Part four
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Peter Davison
 * Adric - Matthew Waterhouse
 * Nyssa - Sarah Sutton
 * Tegan - Janet Fielding
 * Leanne - Fenella Woolgar
 * Matthew - Sacha Dhawan
 * Sabaoth - Stephen Greif
 * Mrs Stubbs - Carolyn Seymour
 * Giles - Philip Childs
 * Louie - John Banks
 * Nancy - Rebecca Tromans

Continuity

 * Nyssa tells Matthew about the death of her father Tremas (TV: The Keeper of Traken) and an encounter with a "giant frog". (TV: Four to Doomsday)