Faustian (audio story)

Faustian was the first story in the audio anthology Master!, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Robert Valentine and featured Eric Roberts as and Laura Aikman as Lila Kreeg.

Publisher's summary
Drake Enterprises is the most powerful company on Earth. Dr Lila Kreeg is its most valued asset. But her experiments open a doorway which allow an evil back into the universe. can offer Lila the world, so long as she obeys him...

Plot
Dr Lila Kreeg is hit by a blast and is towered over by, the haunter of her dreams. He tells her that she should not have meddled with things that she did not understand, words which she knew that she would one day hear. She knew that her story, which began a week ago, would end like this.

A week previously, on 23 April 2223, Lila announces a test run of Project Yellow Brick at Drake Interplanetary, teleporting a cargo pack 10.2 metres across the laboratory. Her colleague Eddi Bhole and super computer Ariel commence the experiment, creating a warp tunnel which collapses.

Lila remembers her father telling her that she was never good enough and her mother telling her that she hated her. The Master says that she does not need them; she only needs him.

Eddi has Ariel shut down the system and Lila awakens, her life having flashed before her eyes. She had thought about her father's harsh homeschooling, her mother threatening her with Daleks, the pair of them arguing the night that she decided to leave home, her girlfriend breaking up with her and when she met Eddi. The last thing that she saw was Cathrin Travers lying dead on an office floor. She suggests that she and Eddi tidy up the mess.

Cathrin watches footage of the experiment's failure and threatens Lila, saying that she should tell Magnus Drake about it. Lila calls her bluff, knowing that she would not dare to, and says that they need more time and resources. However, Cathrin believes that R&E has become a rogue department since Lila took over and that, if she had her own way, she would shut them down.

Eddi asks if Lila had to antagonise Cathrin, but Lila says that nothing will come of it. Over a tannoy, Lila is told to go to Drake's office, which comes as a surprise as neither she nor Eddi have ever seen him.

Lila goes to Drake's office and explains that the test run showed signs of temporal distortion, an avenue which she would like to explore, but he tells her that the company's mission statement is to rebuild the world following the Dalek occupations. When she brings up how wealthy this mission has made him, he reminds her that his money kept her out of prison when she was kicked out of the University of Cambridge. He makes Cathrin her project supervisor, meaning that her approval will be needed from now on.

On Meteor Shower, Jake Azezello reports on the race to create a new propulsion system for the transport of supplies and personnel to the Outer Space Defence Halo. A contract which many expected to be given to Drake Interplanetary was instead given to Raxle Technologies, who are soon to give Starship Ilium 1 a test run. Drake, however, is not concerned about this.

Lila has Ariel prepare for another test run and has to have her override the requirement for Cathrin's approval. She has Ariel repeat the failed experiment with only minor changes, creating a warp tunnel. Lila finds herself somewhere else and hears the Master, who tells her to free him and shows her eternity, promising to share all of his Time Lord knowledge, including that of time travel.

Upon awakening, Lila goes home and tells her cat that she thinks that she might have finally cracked. She hears the Master in her dreams and learns some of his secrets.

Lila applies what she has learnt to Project Yellow Brick, dispensing with traditional numerics and using equations that better describe time and relative dimensions in space; that is, equations in Gallifreyan. She successfully inputs them into Ariel and Eddi says that she might just be a genius.

Drake asks Cathrin about the unapproved Yellow Brick test and says that Lila's insubordination can no longer be tolerated. Cathrin has all of Lila's equipment and research confiscated, which she is able to do because of Lila's unauthorised use, and informs her that security will escort her off of the premises.

Lila and Eddi go to a virtual bar where she tries to convince him not to give up on Yellow Brick despite them having been fired, which he says is too dangerous without a backer like Drake. They are served by the Master, who invites Lila back any time. Eddi abruptly leaves.

On Meteor Shower, Jake Azezello says that Penny Carrington will report from the crash site of the Ilium 1 before talking about the main story: the waste of Lila's genius. He changes into the Master and converses with Lila, saying that he will help her, and gives her a fright by appearing outside of the television. She then calls Eddi with the suggestion that they steal their equipment back, complete the experiment and sell to China.

to be completed

Cast

 * - Eric Roberts
 * Lila Kreeg - Laura Aikman
 * Cathrin Travers - Rachel Atkins
 * Eddi Bhole - Glen McCready
 * Magnus Drake - Alistair Petrie

Continuity

 * Earth is recovering from the 22nd century Dalek invasion. (TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, AUDIO: Lucie Miller, To the Death)
 * The Master feeds on life energy to sustain his form. (PROSE: The Dead Travel Fast, The Velvet Dark, AUDIO: Masterpiece)