The Devouring (audio story)

 was the first story in the audio anthology Audacity, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Lisa McMullin and featured Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor and introduced Jaye Griffiths as new companion Lady Audacity Montague.

Publisher's summary
Lady Audacity Montague - strong-minded and unconventional - has been gazing at the stars. But unfortunately for her - and everybody she knows - they've been staring back. She's made inadvertent, intergalactic eye contact with a malevolence known as The Devouring. Now it wants to consume her. But Audacity is already consumed. With rage.

Plot
After confronting the Prince Regent for failing to enact parliamentary reform despite him agreeing to it in return for her support, Audacity returns home to watch a shooting star through her telescope and makes contact with the Devouring, which threatens to consume her. She and her husband, Ignatius, force Clementine Inglewood and other guests at their ball to hand over valuables to benefit the poor and meet the Doctor, an uninvited guest who is the only one not to flee when Clementine is swallowed by the air. He is arrested by Bogderry when he is found searching the house for a telescope and tells Audacity not to look at the stars.

Audacity's maid, Dolly, is consumed like Clementine, leading her to have the Doctor released. She realises that she is the connection after Bert and Bogderry are consumed as well and heads to her observatory with the Doctor to show him her astronomical records of what the Doctor claims are spaceships, one of which belongs to a Devouring which intends to consume everyone around her before killing her. The Devouring attacks the house and apparently kills Ignatius and the staff, but the Doctor's sonic screwdriver tells him that they were taken to the Devouring spaceship by an extraction line.

The Devouring sends a projection of Ignatius to threaten Audacity, only for Ignatius to briefly take it over and tell her that he is "where [he] always was", and the Doctor takes her to the ship in his TARDIS. Refusing to remain inside, Audacity joins him in exploring the ship and they follow a projection of Ignatius to the Devouring, which is unable to capture her through the extraction line due to the Doctor being a Time Lord and getting in the way. She surrenders herself in return for those who have been captured being returned to Earth, but the Doctor materialises the TARDIS around her before she can be killed and the extraction link is severed.

Although Audacity has been saved, the Devouring will continue searching for her in 1812 and the Doctor offers to take her on adventures throughout the universe to keep her safe from it. She says goodbye to Ignatius, who is happy that she will be able to have the life that he had never been able to provide for her, during a brief visit to Earth and agrees to be the Doctor's companion. She refuses to refer to him as a Time Lord, however, believing that it is a ridiculous and entitled name.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Paul McGann
 * Audacity Montague - Jaye Griffiths
 * Ignatius Montague - Joseph Millson
 * Clementine Inglewood / Dolly - Emily Woodward
 * Bogderry / Carmichael / The Devouring - Richard Reed

Worldbuilding

 * George is Prince Regent of the United Kingdom.
 * Audacity has a novelty fire-lighter which looks like a pistol.
 * The Doctor is looking for Jane Austen.
 * Edward Burns attends the Montagues' ball.
 * Bert owes Audacity a pie since losing to her at arm-wrestling.
 * Ignatius has a rapier.
 * Caroline Herschel is an astronomer and, the Doctor believes, the first woman to receive a salary from the British government. She assists her brother in his work.
 * The Doctor offers Audacity warm milk.
 * The Doctor likens Audacity to Eurydice.
 * Audacity is fond of puppies.

Continuity
to be added