Mindbomb (audio story)

Mindbomb (identified on the cover simply as Chapter Thirteen) was the fourth story of the third series of Big Finish's Gallifrey audio series. It was written by Justin Richards.

Publisher's summary
"They used to tell me at the Academy that anyone could become president. I'm beginning to believe it."

The first presidential election for millennia is about to be held on Gallifrey. But in the wake of the civil war that has torn the Time Lords apart, can even an election restore calm and order?

And what of the candidates? Darkel — determined to win at any cost... Matthias - a dark horse with his own agenda... Romana — impeached for high treason...

But even as the candidates manoeuvre and plan, an assassin stalks the galleries of the panopticon. Gallifrey will soon have a new president, but at what cost? How many people will have to die? And which — if any — of the contenders will survive?

Plot
At the Panopticon, Surgeon-Master Elbon and Lord Delox discuss the election in which Matthias is currently over fourteen points ahead of Romana, who herself is ahead of Darkel. Acting-President Valyes begins the ceremony in which the three candidates for the presidency present themselves and calls for any dissenting voices to speak before his third striking of the Rod of Rassilon.

After the second strike, Darkel says that Romana is ineligible as, were it not for the civil war, she would have been impeached for high treason. She orders Commander Janartis to arrest her, but Matthias points out that the three candidates act as an interim High Council during the election and that a majority vote is required to impeach her. Whilst Romana votes in her own favour, Matthias agrees with Darkel and she is taken away.

Matthias tells Darkel that he agreed with her because it was the moral thing to do and a contest of two would mean that the winner would have an overall majority. Darkel is surprised by his ambition and ruthlessness, which he says is necessary for the job. As a final act of partnership, Matthias says that they should annul Romana's legislation from a certain point in time, which Darkel suggests should be Pandora's escape from the Matrix. This would have few actual consequences but would paint her as incompetent and remove what support she still has.

Leela and K9 Mark II are ready to save Romana, but Narvin says that politics is what they must use if they are to free her. K9 informs Leela and Narvin that of the annulment of Romana's legislation and Narvin says that, to speak with Romana whilst she is in isolation, K9 and Leela must go to her as her lawyer and lawyer's assistant. K9 leads the way to Romana's cell, where Acting-Castellan Annos orders Janartis to leave so that Romana can speak to the pair in confidence. Romana believes that they are missing something and asks Leela to invite Matthias to visit her.

Janartis takes an audio recording of Romana's meeting with Leela and K9 to Darkel, who already knows that the meeting took place. He plays a brief extract of K9 discussing legal strategies and claims that the entire recording is more of the same. Darkel does not ask to hear any more.

Leela and K9 go to speak with Matthias at his quarters and follow him when he heads down a service staircase. Leela picks up K9 and tells him that he will be her eyes.

Darkel tells Janartis that she has a job for him which he is not to speak of to anybody, including his superior Annos.

Matthias meets with a figure whom K9 believes he can identify before determining that he has made an error as their physiognomy does not match his known data. Leela flees with K9 when she accidentally makes their presence known.

Darkel meets with Narvin and asks whether he is on her side or Matthias'; he says that he is impartial and warns that even if she had the support of the Celestial Intervention Agency, it could easily backfire just as her impeachment of Romana and her repeal of her legislation has, making her look petty to the public. When Narvin denies that Romana lost her mind during her presidency and that her appointment and exile of Braxiatel had been right, Darkel reminds him that it was his evidence that got Braxiatel stripped of the Chancellorship, which he now sees as a mistake.

Matthias declines to meet with Romana due to a need to appear impartial and heads to the Panopticon for a live debate with Darkel.

Annos visits Romana, who asks him if she can speak to Leela again. He says that there were questions about the meeting, but that he will ensure that she can speak with Leela and K9 again once they next visit. He leaves for the Panopticon, giving Robersuun orders to attend to Romana's needs.

Narvin moderates the debate at the Panopticon, where Elbon asks the candidates about the idea of separation of powers rather than the head of state having supreme power. Matthias says that the separation of powers is actually the sharing of powers and that this is not very different from Gallifrey's own long-lasting system. Darkel says that reform is necessary and begins going off-topic, talking about not giving in to violence when a man shoots her in the shoulder with a staser and escapes. Elbon takes Darkel to the hospital on a hover-stretcher and Matthias shouts at Annos for his incompetence at allowing the attacker to escape into the catacombs. Leela and Narvin are suspicious of Matthias, but Matthias suggests that they think about how desperate Darkel is for the presidency.

Leela and K9 visit Romana in her cell and tell her about the supposed assassination attempt. When Leela says that Darkel was only shot in the shoulder and that Matthias had been next to her at the time, Romana suggests that Darkel might have meant for Matthias to be killed by an assassin; as pardoning political prisoners is expected of an incoming President, Darkel could refuse to free the assassin and use that as a precedent for keeping Romana incarcerated as well. K9 intercepts an encrypted message sent to Matthias, but cannot decode it nor identify who sent it, and says that Capitol surveillance has logged Matthias returning to the catacombs.

Darkel contacts Annos and tells him that she does not want the would-be assassin to be captured alive.

Leela and K9 enter the catacombs, where Matthias is meeting with the same figure that he met with before. Although Leela believes that the figure is the assassin, K9 finds that the Chancellery Guard are now making contact with the assassin in another part of the catacombs. Leela suggests that they go and help instead of spying on Matthias.

Narvin is on his way to vote when Annos calls him and informs him that he has been told that the assassin should not be captured alive. Using code, Annos confirms that it was Darkel who gave the order; Narvin tells him that Darkel does not need to be kept up to date on the operation and that the assassin should be captured alive to answer the CIA's questions.

Robersuun takes Romana from her cell to meet with Narvin, who is making sure that their meeting is not logged or recorded. Romana shares her theory that Matthias was the intended target, but Narvin tells her of Darkel's order to Annos and suggests that Darkel staged the attack to boost her popularity and invite suspicion of Matthias. Annos and Henzil take the assassin prisoner and inform Narvin, who sends a message to Darkel telling her that this is the case. Romana suggests that Narvin check Braxiatel's records to see if he might have noticed something before he left which they have failed to.

Darkel admonishes Annos for disobeying her command. He tells her that the assassin is Janartis and that he is handing him over to the CIA as Narvin wants an explanation for his actions. She says that he has disappointed her and that that was an unwise thing to do to a future president.

Leela and K9 reach Braxiatel's office and, when K9 goes to deactivate the stasis lock, they find that the office has been broken into and that somebody is inside. As they go to enter, Braxiatel walks out and greets them.

As Henzil watches, Annos tells Janartis that Darkel ordered his death and claims that she told him what to do to get out of the trouble that he is in because of him. He says that he intends on keeping his job.

Leela and K9 visit Romana but are called away by Robersuun to watch the presidential results at the Panopticon. Valyes prepares to read the result and asks for those who believe that the election has been fair and free to make themselves known. When he asks for dissenting voices and quickly moves on, Braxiatel says "no". He reminds everybody that the Chancellor becomes President if no successor is named and that, as he is Chancellor, this election is redundant. When Darkel tries to have Annos arrest him and says that his title was stripped from him, Narvin points out that Darkel had that order annulled. Braxiatel declares the election null and void and has Annos arrest Darkel for contempt, but Darkel says that a new President is bound to release political prisoners.

Braxiatel has Darkel released and begins to suffer as a result of Pandora being in his head, bringing an end to proceedings. Braxiatel goes to the President's office and Darkel gives Narvin the task of ensuring Romana's lawful termination.

Braxiatel tells Leela that Pandora is now only evil and extinct and that, without the Matrix, it could destroy his mind but would quickly die. He does not suffer as much when he is away from other Time Lords and the telepathic link that they share and reveals that he was the figure who met with Matthias in the catacombs. Darkel visits and speaks with him in private, telling him to name her as his successor as he cannot long remain on Gallifrey without Pandora breaking free. Braxiatel scoffs at the idea.

Narvin tells Romana that he believes they have a good case against Darkel with Janartis' testimony and her attempt to have Romana executed. Matthias takes Romana away on the orders of the President.

The Time Lords are gathered once more in the Panopticon where Elbon and Delox gossip about Braxiatel resigning. Braxiatel begins his speech and explains that he is resigning and will name his successor when Romana walks in, Braxiatel explaining to an angered Darkel that, as a political prisoner, he had freed her. Janartis too has been released and has made a public statement about his supposed attack on Darkel, who Braxiatel plans to keep under house arrest. Darkel forces Braxiatel to think about Pandora and tells him to let it out. He warns her, but Pandora slips free from his mental shackles.

Braxiatel reveals that Pandora is not in his head. Although he held the key which restrained her, Pandora has been in Darkel's mind all along and is now free to devour her. She dies and Pandora is destroyed, save for a small portion in Braxiatel's mind. He says that he will soon be leaving Gallifrey forever as he is about to burn all of his bridges, naming not Romana as his successor but Matthias. He accepts the offer.

Cast

 * Former Lady President Romana - Lalla Ward
 * Leela - Louise Jameson
 * K9 Mark II - John Leeson
 * Inquisitor Prime Darkel - Lynda Bellingham
 * Coordinator Narvin - Seán Carlsen
 * Acting Lord President Valyes - Steven Wickham
 * Cardinal Matthias - Stephen Perring
 * Captain Henzil - John Dorney
 * Acting Castellan Annos - Dickon Tolson
 * Commander Janartis - Charlie Ross
 * Surgeon-Master Elbon - Paul Grunert
 * Lord Delox - Roger Parrott
 * Guardsman Robersuun - David Cromarty

Uncredited cast

 * President Braxiatel - Miles Richardson

Continuity

 * Article 17 was mentioned and used by the Doctor in TV: The Deadly Assassin.
 * The Morbius affair is seen (in varying degrees) in TV: The Brain of Morbius and PROSE: Warmonger.
 * Braxiatel uses the presidential suite (complete with lead lined walls) which appeared in TV: The Invasion of Time. Leela remembers with a smile which President introduced the lead-lined walls.