The Frequency (audio story)

 was the first story in the audio anthology Visitants, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Tajinder Singh Hayer and featured Angela Bruce as Brigadier Bambera, Alex Jordan as Sergeant Savarin and Yemishi Oyinloye as Dr Louise Rix.

Publisher's summary
UNIT has been invited to take part in the testing of a top-secret US Air Force project designed to make military groups function better as a team: the 'Hoplite Frequency'. However, the implications of this powerful mind-altering technology make Sergeant Savarin uncomfortable. Will Bambera heed the misgivings of her loyal Number Two, or take the charismatic Colonel Hagen up on his offer and choose to embrace the Frequency?

Plot
Bambera, Savarin and Rix fail a pretend mission designed by the US Air Force to test their ability to work as a team. Afterwards, Colonel Hagen apologises for the strength of the sonic cannons in the exercise and takes them to watch Special Tactics undertake the test. Captain McClean and her two colleagues move in unison despite having no contact with one another and quickly find one another, after which they easily get past a Haruspex Robot and complete the maze.

Hagen explains that, whilst his superiors think that robots are the future of soldiering, he believes that the Hoplite Frequency which allowed Special Tactics to work in unison via telepathy is the future. Bambera and Rix are intrigued whilst Savarin is more sceptical, but all three agree to a demonstration. They put in the earpieces and start to give the same answers to Hagen's questions when the Frequency is activated, impressing Bambera. Savarin and Rix ask McClean about the project and, although she refuses to answer most questions due to them being classified, she says that the Frequency makes her feel a sense of belonging.

Afterwards, Hagen commends McClean on her answer and, when she tells him about her nightmares of bloodshed at the base and not at Valge Maja where she fought, he uses the Frequency to make her forget.

Bambera admits to Savarin and Rix that they have come to investigate the Hoplite Frequency and that she kept their true mission from them so that they would shape their opinions of Hagen and his project organically. Savarin expresses his distaste for people in the military who want their soldiers to think the same, an opinion shaped by his knowledge of the treatment of gay people in the British and United States Armies. Bambera attempts to get more answers out of McClean and, upon learning that she is suffering from memory loss, gives her her number. When she, Savarin and Rix go to see Hagen, he locks them in the maze.

Savarin gives Bambera and Rix earplugs to help protect them from the Hoplite Frequency and shoots the speaker. Bambera has Savarin build a cul-de-sac and Rix make a sonic grenade which destroys the trapped robots, after which they break out and go after Hagen, having informed UNIT and the Pentagon. Hagen orders McClean to kill them, but she has emptied her gun of bullets and he is arrested. Before he is taken away, he warns Bambera that the authorities will not bury his work on the Hoplite Frequency. Later, she receives a phone call from somebody who tells her that she has made the weapon available to people even more dangerous than the US military and that they are getting ready to make their move.

Cast

 * Brigadier Winifred Bambera - Angela Bruce
 * Sergeant Jean-Paul Savarin - Alex Jordan
 * Dr Louise Rix - Yemisi Oyinloye
 * Colonel Alexander Hagen - David Menkin
 * Captain Carmen McClean - Sarah Griffin

Worldbuilding

 * Bambera and Rix prefer coffee to tea. Savarin says that he prefers champagne.
 * The French Foreign Legion, British Commandos and Gurkhas have trained at the Haruspex Project.
 * Captain Carmen McClean works in Special Tactics at the US Air Force.
 * Rix mentions Robot Wars.
 * The Haruspex Robot has a thermal imaging camera and a sonic cannon.
 * The Haruspex were Roman diviners who read the future in animals' entrails.
 * Hagen says that Tom Hanks was approached to voice the Haruspex Robots.
 * Savarin says that watching Special Tactics is like watching Pac-Man. Rix says that Doom would be a more timely reference.
 * The Greek Hoplites were part of a phalanx.
 * Rix is currently dating Private Jake McManis.
 * Rix mentions Paul McKenna, a television hypnotist.
 * Savarin believes that the beer in the United Kingdom is appalling.
 * Rix mentions Dungeons & Dragons.
 * Savarin used to run marathons.
 * Savarin mentions Carmen, an opera.
 * McClean eats sloppy joes.
 * McClean fought in Valge Maja.
 * Hagen's home is in New Hampshire.
 * Rix makes a sonic grenade.
 * Bambera used to compete in shot put.
 * Rix mentions Kobayashi Maru.
 * Carmen's mother chose her name.

Continuity

 * Savarin mentions how he pushed Rix to ask out Private McManis. (AUDIO: Dark Side of the Moon)
 * Hagen mentions Valge Maja. (AUDIO: Rogue State)