Taren Capel (audio story)

Taren Capel is the fourth audio play in the Kaldor City series, written by Alan Stevens. It focuses on Iago's attempt to get to the bottom of a scheme apparently instigated by Taren Capel before his death.

Publisher's summary
"The man was a maniac. Now he's a dead maniac. How can a corpse be a threat?"

Strange times have come to Kaldor City. A long-vanished prophet speaks again; a plot is uncovered hinting at corruption among the Founding Families. Even the robots on which the city depends might hold secrets that no one dares imagine.

Carnell must pit himself against an unseen adversary in a game which may bring him face to face with the dead...

Kaldor City - Taren Capel uses characters and concepts from Chris Boucher's Doctor Who novel Corpse Marker to tell a sinister tale of awakening evil.

Cast
(in order of appearance)
 * Carnell - Scott Fredericks
 * Voc 31 - Robert Lock
 * Uvanov - Russell Hunter
 * Rull - Trevor Cooper
 * Taren Capel - David Bailie
 * Iago - Paul Darrow
 * Paullus - David Collings
 * Blayes - Tracy Russell
 * Justina - Patricia Merrick
 * Cotton - Brian Croucher
 * Landerchild - Peter Miles
 * Security Man - Bruce McGilligan
 * Terenist 1 - William Johnston
 * Terenist 2 - Alan Stevens
 * Terenist 3 - Jim Smith
 * Yardley - Alistair Lock
 * Packard - Nicholas Courtney
 * Zala - Jasmine Breaks

Continuity

 * Uvanov is given a painting of a Fendahleen, foreshadowing the emergence of the Fendahl in AUDIO: Checkmate.
 * At the climax of the story Carnell mentions that Kaldor City is being manipulated and used by something very powerful that has existed for millions of years which has become part of them all. This also foreshadows the emergence of the Fendahl in AUDIO: Checkmate.
 * The play closes with a grand piece of misdirection, with Iago managing to convince Uvanov of the danger but with the robots being activated: this created expectations that the following plays would deal with a robot-destroyed city. Instead, in AUDIO: Checkmate, this threat is neutralized relatively simply using extracts from Taren Capel's diaries.
 * The story saw the apparent departure of Carnell from the series, although the character may have possibly returned in the following play: it is likely, however, that the Carnell in AUDIO: Checkmate was a projection of Iago's mind and/or the Fendahl rather than the actual psychostrategist.
 * The events of TV: The Robots of Death occurred "ten years ago".
 * V31 was last upgraded on 09/01/90.