Embrace the Darkness (audio story)

 was the thirty-first story in Big Finish's monthly range. It was written by Nicholas Briggs and featured Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor and India Fisher as Charlotte Pollard.

It was the fourth in a series of six audio stories featuring the Eighth Doctor.

Publisher's summary
The Doctor and Charley travel to the remote Cimmerian System to unravel the mystery of its sun. But darkness has already embraced the scientific base on Cimmeria IV in more ways than one.

In a fight for survival, the Doctor must use all his wits against a deadly artificial life-form and an ancient race whose return to the Cimmerian System threatens suffering and death on an apocalyptic scale.

Part one
Haliard wins at drafts against Ferras, when Orllensa, their boss, returns from the cold outside. They were listening to a recording of Professor Astrov's instructions, but were ignoring it in favour of the game. They power up the ship they're in, ready to leave the planet they're on, but the base begins to shift, causing the power to fall. They begin to lose light, which is a problem, as they're on a planet with no sun. Ferras goes to get some lamps and something touches his arm- they send out a distress signal. An unknown voice whispers "embrace the darkness", and the three are attacked. The voice declares them to be safe forever.

On the TARDIS, the Doctor picks up a temporal energy discharge from a flotilla of type 70 TARDIS's. The Doctor tries to avoid them but the TARDIS becomes temperamental, and Charley comes to see what's happening. They end up in the Sumerian system, and Charley accesses the TARDIS data bank to find out more about it. One day, the star suddenly vanishes, but the TARDIS has taken them to a time before that. The Doctor wants to find out why the sun disappeared, so they go back to when it happened. They crash landto be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Paul McGann
 * Charley Pollard - India Fisher
 * Orllensa - Nicola Boyce
 * Ferras - Lee Moone
 * Haliard - Mark McDonnell
 * ROSM / Solarian / Cimmerian - Ian Brooker
 * Cimmerian Voice - Nicholas Briggs

TARDIS

 * Type 70 TARDISes emit a particular temporal energy discharge signature.
 * Charley knows how to access the TARDIS' databank.

Technology

 * ROSM is an acronym for Rescue Operational Security Module. It was designed by Professor Astrov.

Species

 * The Doctor is aware of other species who refer to themselves as the Solarians.

Planets

 * Cimmeria IV is located hundreds of light-years from Earth.

Culture

 * Ferras and Haliard play draughts.

Continuity

 * ROSM detects the anti-time infection in Charley's system but is unable to recognise it. (AUDIO: Neverland)
 * The Doctor runs into a flotilla of Type 70 TARDISes in the Time Vortex and steers around them. He later learns the reasons for their presence from Lady President Romana during the anti-time crisis. (AUDIO: Neverland)
 * The Celestial Toymaker would later refer to the Cimmerian in a riddle while Charley was playing his games in the Celestial Toyroom. (AUDIO: Solitaire)
 * After Charley escaped from the Ever-and-Ever Prolixity, a Viyran agent was stationed in the Cimmerian system to search for her. (AUDIO: The Fall of the House of Pollard)