Panacea (audio story)

Panacea (identified on the cover simply as Chapter Fourteen) was the fifth story of the third series of Gallifrey. It ended on what at the time seemed like the end of the series with a definite end/cliff-hanger to the series. The series returned in March 2011 with Reborn.

Publisher's summary
"How much for just the planet?"

Gallifrey is ruined. The great and good of her once-mighty Capitol gather in disease-ridden shanty towns outside its walls. Her 'friends' in the temporal powers anticipate her total collapse and the beginning of a new galactic order.

The Time Lords' latest president has a drastic scheme to restore this world to its former glory -- but can a cure for all Gallifrey's ills really be found in the hands of entrepreneur, adventurer and self-confessed swine Mephistopheles Arkadian?

And what of the Lady Romana? Exiled to her ancestral house of Heartshaven, she's about to uncover the greatest threat that Gallifrey has ever faced, one that might yet cause the Time Lord race to become extinct...

Plot
Romana returns to the House of Heartshaven, to which she is the heir, and the doors are eventually opened not by the Doorkeep but by Janartis, former Commander of the Chancellery Guard who has been squatting there and feeding on pig-rats since Narvin banished him. He blames her for his current situation and says that her corpse will provide ample sustenance for the pig-rats.

Narvin hurries to President Matthias and expresses his concerns about his meeting with Mephistopheles Arkadian, but, as the Agency's records concerning Arkadian's crimes were destroyed in the civil war, Matthias says that all that Narvin has to say is hearsay. As Gallifrey is still suffering from the effects of the war and has no friends, Matthias believes that he cannot be picky about whom he works with; soon after, Arkadian disembarks his spacecraft.

Janartis tells Romana that he needs a woman to cook, clean and keep him warm at night, disgusting Romana. Leela arrives with K9, who subdues Janartis, and says that they came looking for her after she left the Capitol. Due to Janartis' weakened state, he is killed by K9's laser despite it being set to non-lethal. Although he does not regenerate, his life signs begin to return and he says "Free Time", indicating that he has been infected with the original strain of the Dogma Virus. K9 kills Janartis at great effort and departs with Romana and Leela when his localised heat beam causes the house to catch fire.

Arkadian, who claims to be a philanthropist and runs a charitable foundation for fallen women, asks about Romana and goes with Narvin and Matthias to discuss their agreement.

Romana, Leela and K9 watch the House of Heartshaven burn down. Romana asks K9 if he still has access to Elbon's medical wing, but Leela is loath to trust him.

At the medical wing, Elbon is visited by Captain Henzil, who needs treatment after tripping on his cape and falling down the Panopticon's steps. Romana is smuggled in by Leela and K9 under a blanket and informs Elbon of the presence of the original Dogma Virus before there is a power cut.

Arkadian repairs the power in the Presidential Office, after which Matthias dismisses Narvin. Matthias says that Gallifrey needs money in return for highly lucrative reconstruction contracts, mining rights in various parts of Gallifrey's dominions and consultants to work on approved stellar manipulation projects. Arkadian, however, is more interested in Pandora's stockpile of temporal weapons.

Elbon is not interested in the Dogma Virus, believing that it is not the remit of civilians. Romana takes him to the stasis chamber containing Commander Hallan, who was exposed to Pandora's technological variant, and explains to him the history of the virus and the effects that it would have on Time Lords. Elbon, however, is already aware and shows her that he has a number of infected Time Lords, acting like zombies, locked away.

Acting-Castellan Annos is in the Vaults, hunting pig-rats at the pumping station to meet Matthias' quota, and is called by Narvin. Narvin tells him that Matthias is convening a special meeting of the High Council and that he wants Annos to provide him with living evidence to use when Matthias proposes working with Arkadian.

Romana has K9 identify the infected Time Lords using their biodata extracts and learns that they are a teacher, a taxman and a drainage operative. She determines that the outbreak is not a localised one and that the virus is unlikely to be in the water given that Janartis too was infected. K9 agrees and calculates that at least one ninth of Time Lords are carrying the virus and will not know until they regenerate; Elbon has been trying to find a way to test for the virus without success. Annos enters and escorts Leela, whom he has tracked using biometrics, to address the High Council per Narvin's request.

The High Council argue over Arkadian's proposal until Matthias brings order and demands an organised debate. Chancellor Valyes asks Arkadian what he plans to do with the stockpiled weapons and, when Narvin suggests that Arkadian is planning on selling them, Arkadian claims that they are to be decommissioned off-world so that he can acquire the taranium and other resources within them. Valyes is unconvinced but Arkadian mentions that the weapons are suffering chronal decay and leaking, necessitating them to be removed from Gallifrey swiftly. Before Matthias can call for a vote, Narvin brings in Leela as an eyewitness to Arkadian's crimes.

When Elbon stops himself short of telling Romana what the infected are programmed to do, Romana threatens him with their release. He then reveals that the infected go to the catacombs and that there are already hundreds down there. Romana and K9 go to investigate.

Leela is dragged away from the High Council, shouting about how evil Arkadian is. Matthias calls for a vote and Arkadian's proposal is defeated. Arkadian thanks the High Council and goes to leave, but Narvin has him stopped by the guards and demands to know the catch. He confesses that he has been lying and says that battle lines are being drawn in the catacombs.

Romana and K9 flee from the Chancellery Guard when they spot them in the catacombs and encounter the thousands of infected, who show no interest in them and are building a giant pig-rat nest. K9 speculates that the infected caught the virus from the pig-rats and that there is now a link between them. Romana goes back towards the Chancellery Guard, calling out for Henzil that she is an ex-President and that he should get her out of there.

Arkadian tells the High Council that the Time Lords are facing extinction and Matthias reveals that he is aware of the virus being spread by pig-rats, hence his attempts at exterminating them. Gillestes had bred the virus in pig-rats at the Academy, pig-rats which were released when the Academy was destroyed during the civil war and have been infecting themselves and Time Lords. Matthias allowed Arkadian on Gallifrey as he knew that he was involved with Free Time and agrees to give him anything in return for a cure.

Leela visits Andred's grave outside of the Capitol and tells him that she is thankful that he did not live to see what has happened to the city that he loved so much. She believes that, despite her blindness, she will see him again and reminisces about how they lived together before his regeneration. She names Arkadian as her target, saying that he has Torvald's blood on his hands.

Narvin enters the office of Matthias, who long desired the Presidency but is now feeling the weight of responsibility. The deal with Arkadian for his cure has been made; the weapons will be taken by Battle TARDIS to an undisclosed location whilst the cure is verified by Romana and Elbon. Matthias is called by Henzil and promotes him to Commander after he says that he has Romana in is custody. Henzil brings her and K9 in.

Valyes gives Arkadian a tour of the Capitol's cultural treasure houses, during which Arkadian receives a message asking him to return to his ship. He departs for the spaceport, declining the offer of a guard. Leela runs into Valyes in search of Arkadian and, when he tells her where he is, she heads off.

Romana refuses to go along with Matthias' plan until Narvin convinces her that it could see the defeat of Free Time, whom they both suspect are Arkadian's buyers. The weapons will be held in chronic stasis whilst in the Battle TARDIS but will rapidly decay once removed, exploding and killing whomever the buyers are. In return for Romana's assistance, she will be given a TARDIS and permitted to live as a renegade without fear of repercussion.

In Arkadian's ship, Leela overhears him speaking to an accomplice on Gallifrey about a triple-cross and attacks him, threatening to torture him unless he reveals the identity of the Time Lord he was talking to. He says that he is acting in everybody's interest and that, whilst he stands to profit from the deal, it is in his interest that the weapons are never used; that amount of temporal weapons on the market would drastically lower their price. Leela's sight recovers temporarily and Arkadian offers to make it permanent in return for her silence.

Matthias has the infected barricaded in the catacombs with a taser field and then turns his attention to the pig-rats. Leela arrives and Romana asks that she accompany her on the mission. Matthias allows this but says that K9 must remain; K9 calls him "Master" and tells his mistresses that he has accepted an offer of employment as the head of the pest control operation. Leela, however, says that she will remain to keep an eye on Arkadian and that she is tired, something that Romana does not believe.

Narvin, Matthias and Arkadian, accompanied by Annos, meet at the CIA headquarters. Romana and Elbon are in the Battle TARDIS and enter the coordinates that Arkadian receives on his phone and travel to deep space, then entering more received coordinates which Romana recognises as belonging to Monan space. Further coordinates take them to the Sunari axis, the fourth to the Nekkestani's and the fifth to the Daleks'. Leela enters the CIA headquarters and informs them that Arkadian has an accomplice, aware that he had deceived her by working on her mind rather than her eyes. Romana's TARDIS disappears after she enters another set of coordinates and Arkadian uses his phone to cause a power cut to allow him to flee, but Leela goes after him.

Romana and Elbon dematerialise, Romana believing that Arkadian or an associate must have had the Battle TARDIS deregistered mid-flight. The pair exit and are escorted by Servitor droids to Irving Braxiatel; they are, as Romana suspected, at the Braxiatel Collection.

Leela chases Arkadian and is joined by Narvin, who says that Arkadian has run to the Biodata Archive and that there is only one entrance. Matthias is annoyed by Narvin abandoning his post and, when Henzil reports that the infected are breaking through the taser field, he orders Annos to have all entrances and exits to the Capitol sealed. However, there is no power to do so.

Braxiatel has lost most of his collection, saying that a lot of it had fallen into the hands of others, but denies extorting Gallifrey. He shows Romana and Elbon a Time Scoop.

Arkadian is cornered by Leela and Narvin, who says that the High Monan and the Nekkistani have a high price on Arkadian's head. K9 prevents Leela from killing "Master Arkadian" and reveals that he is the accomplice. He activates a partition and sends a message to Braxiatel informing him that they are ready for the Time Scoop. The Biodata Archive and all within are taken to the Collection, where Braxiatel says that he gave his collection to Arkadian in return for the Archive and the disposal of the weapons. According to Braxiatel, something is coming for Gallifrey which could only have been stopped by Pandora and they need to protect and conserve what they can.

Annos and his guards are overrun and Matthias cannot think of anything to do to save them.

The Collection has been partitioned and can serve as an ark, safe from the rest of the universe. Braxiatel has a Servitor bring a pair of pig-rats carrying the cure, one which Gillestes created in the Academy's labs and which will prevent regeneration by deactivating Rassilon's symbiotic nuclei. Without regeneration, however, the Time Lords will become no more than human. Braxiatel, who has put an end to Free Time, presents Romana with the choice of whether to release the cure and end the Time Lord race or to abandon Gallifrey. Elbon takes the pig-rats and the group realise that he is infected, hence his willingness to help. A Servitor shoots him as he tries to enter the TARDIS, having orders to protect the weapons within from being stolen.

Elbon becomes a zombie and leaves in the TARDIS with Arkadian, who has sneaked aboard and still hopes to sell the weapons on to "some metal gentlemen". Elbon kills him.

Romana plans to reverse the polarity of the Time Scoop to hoist the TARDIS out of the Time Vortex, but the scoop overloads. The group all look to Romana for an answer of what to do. She thinks for a moment and begins to give an answer.

Cast

 * Former Lord President Romana - Lalla Ward
 * Leela - Louise Jameson
 * K9 Mark II - John Leeson
 * Irving Braxiatel - Miles Richardson
 * Coordinator Narvin - Seán Carlsen
 * Chancellor Valyes - Steven Wickham
 * Lord President Matthias - Stephen Perring
 * Mephistopheles Arkadian - Hugo Myatt
 * Captain Henzil - John Dorney
 * Acting-Castellan Annos - Dickon Tolson
 * Commander Janartis - Charlie Ross
 * Surgeon-Master Elbon - Paul Grunert

Art

 * Braxiatel mentions artists Holbein, Rodin and Bolland and says that the works of theirs that he has collected have fallen into other hands.

Food and drink

 * Matthias and Arkadian drink a Pandak III vintage wine. Arkadian describes it as a "distinctly average Ormelian wine" with "an aftertaste like a dromedary's unmentionables".

Individuals

 * Arkadian is an arms dealer, drug smuggler, people trafficker and multiple bigamist. He runs Arkadian plc and a charity for "fallen women" to which he donated 5% of his pre-tax profits the previous year.
 * Virett is an Under Cardinal and specialist in secular studies who is infected with the Dogma Virus. Romana describes them as a teacher.
 * Pernell is a ledger in Office of Regenerative Duties and Renumeracies who is infected with the Dogma Virus. Romana describes him as a taxman.
 * Bodlin is a substratum drainage operative (third class) who is infected with the Dogma Virus. Romana describes them as a "sewage slopper-outer".
 * Andred was buried in the Outlands.
 * Leela says that Torvald's blood is on Arkadian's hands.
 * Pandak III was painted by the legendary star computer QH77F.
 * Leela says that Arkadian lost his honour the moment that he exited his mother's womb.
 * Arkadian has an Auntie Mim who gave him cologne for Christmas, as well as several illegitimate children and at least five wives.
 * On his own adventures, Braxiatel has brought an end to Free Time.

Locations

 * The Capitol is dwarfed by Mount Cadon.

Science and technology
Braxiatel has had his TARDIS delisted to force Romana into making her choice
 * Arkadian has a limited edition Esquera-class Galaxy Slimskimmer with ultra-chrome attachments.
 * Taranium is mentioned by Arkadian.
 * Time Scoops were banned in the Twelve Galaxies by legislation written by Braxiatel.

Species

 * Valyes suggest throwing all the Pandora's weapons at the Sontarans or even at the Daleks.
 * There are sand beetles and dust worms in the Outlands.
 * The Daleks are implied to be the real brains behind Free Time and the "big threat" to Gallifrey.

Time Lords

 * Leela mentions the Time Lords having thirteen lives.
 * Romana refers to herself as "Mortal Heir to the House of Heartshaven, Inheritor of the House of Dvora and Custodian of the House of Everston".
 * Periods of Time Lord art include modern, pre-modern, pre-pre-modern, post-pre-ante-modern, ante-pre-ante-moderns, post-classicist, pre-classicist and ante-classicists.

Continuity

 * Arkadian attempts to goad Narvin by remarking that he is "the only senior Time Lord who wasn't Lord President this week." This refers to the fact that the office had recently been held by Romana II, Pandora, Valyes (in an acting capacity), Braxiatel and finally Matthias in rapid succession. Furthermore, Romana, Matthias and Darkel were vying for the position before Braxiatel assumed the office and appointed Matthias as his successor. (AUDIO: Imperiatrix, Fractures, Warfare, Appropriation, Mindbomb)
 * Braxiatel says that they are on the planetoid housing his Collection and that he has separated it from the rest of the universe. The former is false (AUDIO: Reborn), but the latter would eventually be true. (PROSE: Mother's Ruin)
 * The Daleks created the Dogma Virus. (AUDIO: Ascension)