Bridgehead (audio story)

 was the third story in the audio anthology, Extinction, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Andrew Smith and featured Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, Ingrid Oliver as Petronella Osgood, James Joyce as Josh Carter, Ramon Tikaram as Vikram Shindi and Tracy Wiles as Jacqui McGee.

Publisher's summary
With Nestene energy units falling from the skies around the globe, UNIT's resources are stretched to breaking point as they try to respond.

Josh Carter has gone undercover inside Devlin FutureTech. His safety is jeopardised, however, by the activities of investigative journalist Jacqui McGee.

As the Nestenes progress their plans, Kate becomes a target.

Plot
UNIT and the Autons race and fight to claim the two-hundred and eighty-two Nestene energy units falling to Earth. Colonel Shindi is disappointed to learn that UNIT have only managed to find and destroy twelve, but Osgood shows him that they all landed near Devlin Futuretech facilities. Still without any concrete evidence against Devlin, he arranges close surveillance and Kate tasks Osgood with analysing the unit from the Gobi Desert and examining a 3D printer.

On Orbit TV News, Jacqui warns about the deaths connected to the Devlin printers and speaks out against Devlin and the control that he now has. She is removed from the studio after the broadcast and goes looking for evidence, calling a contact who, although she has since forgotten, previously supplied her with a pass to the Futuretech launch. Devlin intercepts the call and, wondering if she is working with UNIT, has her brought to him and leaves her to be killed by Autons.

Josh infiltrates Devlin Futuretech's sales and marketing department and Shindi has a satellite do a sweep of the headquarters, finding no readings in the central block due to shielding. Using the hologram projector, Kate sends Josh to investigate. He hears Jacqui being attacked and gives her instructions to get the Autons to destroy the door and allow her to get free. They run outside and Jacqui goes to let the world know that Devlin is mad.

All of the Devlin printers around the world activate and begin to print Autons, even after the devices are unplugged, in what Orbit TV reports is likely a publicity stunt. Jacqui attempts to speak about what she has seen on Orbit TV, but she is removed from the building, and Shindi speaks with UNIT Central Control and is informed that there will be a synchronised raid on Devlin facilities in two hours. Osgood's energy unit opens and the energy within hijacks a computer to connect with that of the other units in Devlin's network. It uses cables to defend itself against Shindi, but Osgood manages to isolate the energy and make it fade away.

Kate and Jacqui are kidnapped by an Auton and taken to Devlin, who has has Kate strapped to a frame to be injected with a liquid polymer to encase her skull with plastic. He sends Autons to stop Josh from releasing computer virus to take down the network and they force him to surrender, but Osgood, appearing thanks to the hologram projector, completes the coding and prevents the Nestene from controlling anything except local Autons. Josh threatens to destroy Devlin's computer with an exposed wire and releases Kate and Jacqui, but the Autons capture him and he is injected with the polymer. His skeleton is encased in plastic and the Consciousness orders him to remove the virus.

The Autons wipe out the staff of Devlin Futuretech and seek out Kate. Sergeant Jenkins leads soldiers to her and Jacqui's rescue and Devlin raises an impervious dome. As Autons begin attacking the public, Devlin tells Josh that the Nestene energy is once again flowing through the network and that the physical Nestene will soon be formed.

Cast

 * Kate Stewart - Jemma Redgrave
 * Osgood - Ingrid Oliver
 * Colonel Shindi - Ramon Tikaram
 * Captain Josh Carter - James Joyce
 * Simon Devlin - Steve John Shepherd
 * Jacqui McGee - Tracy Wiles
 * The Nestene Consciousness / Autons / News Presenter - Nicholas Briggs

Crew

 * Cover Art - Tom Webster
 * Director - Ken Bentley
 * Executive Producers - Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs
 * Music and Sound Design - Howard Carter
 * Producer - David Richardson
 * Script Editor - Ken Bentley
 * Writer - Andrew Smith
 * Autons and Nestene Consciousness created by Robert Holmes

Worldbuilding

 * Pharos II has linked into the world tracking network.
 * The World Astronomical Society report that the supposed meteor shower was the most extensive in living memory.
 * Osgood is part of a chess club.
 * Kate plays bridge.
 * Josh poses as Bill Bradley, whose memory Kate alters to make him think he applies for a job at the Ministry of Defence in Belize.
 * George works in security at Devlin Futuretech.

Continuity

 * Shindi was recently in Geneva. (AUDIO: Earthfall)
 * Devlin says that UNIT has used investigative journalists before. (TV: Robot)
 * Kate asks Devlin if the Nestene Consciousness's completed form will be a "giant squid with anger issues." (TV: Spearhead from Space)