Freedom of Information (audio story)

 was the thirty-seventh Bernice Summerfield audio story released by Big Finish Productions. It was the third story of the eighth season.

Publisher's summary
They're saying it isn't a war. The Draconians have taken over the Braxiatel Collection, but they claim they come in peace.

Insurrectionary acts are easily being quelled — but the Draconian's new head of state on the Collection is troubled by a missing academic. Is Bernice Summerfield one of the revolutionaries, undermining the peaceful campaign? Where is she hiding, and who is protecting her?

And if she's nowhere to be found, why does he keep hearing her voice?

Meanwhile, an unlikely peacebroker struggles to cut a deal on the Mimsphere. But how can Hass, the Collection's gardener, convince the Mim to back down when they think he's one of the enemy?

Plot
Whilst collecting plant samples on the Mimsphere, Hass and Joseph are told by Minister Prem that the Braxiatel Collection seem to be cooperating with the Draconians and send a message to Braxiatel informing him that things are not looking good. Hass is arrested after Prem comes under investigation for granting him diplomatic immunity, with Lwd accusing Hass of passing on information to the Draconians which led to the destruction of an outpost.

Kothar, now head of state of the Collection, asks Braxiatel, Jason and Doggles about Benny's whereabouts, as she disappeared on the same day that Otlin, a Draconian, was killed. Adrian, imprisoned after being found with weapons and explosives, is recaptured following an escape attempt which he claims Benny had no role in. Whilst interrogating him and making threats against Peter, who disappeared with Benny, Kothar hears Benny's voice and again before Doggles tells him that he believes that Otlin might have sexually assaulted Benny.

A Draconian spaceship is blown up on the ground and a hallucination of Benny taunts Kothar about his lack of progress in finding her. Doggles tells him that he is affected by the hallucinogenic Harvey Virus which Doggles himself drank in Braxiatel's brandy before passing it on to Kothar, in whose body the virus has activated; the smart virus has made Kothar obsessed with Benny whilst making him doubt his own sanity. Kothar gives Jason information to use against Braxiatel, namely an unedited list of those who died on the Stonehauser Medical Facility including a child named Clarissa Jones, in exchange for being taken to Benny. In truth, Benny has been secretly educating disillusioned Draconians and Otlin killed himself out of shame.

The Mim dismantle Joseph and torture Hass, but keep his suit intact to avoid killing themselves with his radiation. Once Prem is exonerated and no data relating to the destruction of the outpost is found inside Joseph, Hass is released and Joseph is amateurishly restored. The Mim announce that there will be no peace with the Draconians and, warning Joseph to raise his radiation shields, Hass removes his suit and wipes out all life on the Mimsphere.

Kothar arrests Benny, but has her and Adrian released upon learning of the Mim genocide and advises the Emperor to allow the Collection its sovereignty as well as the protection of the Draconian Empire. He speaks with Braxiatel about how he will be remaining at the Collection to ensure a smoothe transition and confirms that Braxiatel was behind the Harvey Virus in order to keep him busy. Hass returns to the Collection injured whilst Joseph has lost his recent data and plants his samples of Mim plants in his garden, pretending that he is unaware of what destroyed the Mimsphere. When he asks Braxiatel if he too feels guilty, Braxiatel denies it and says that things will be far better now.

Cast

 * Bernice Summerfield - Lisa Bowerman
 * Jason Kane - Stephen Fewell
 * Kothar - Michael Fenner
 * Adrian - Harry Myers
 * Irving Braxiatel - Miles Richardson
 * Doggles - Sam Stevens
 * Joseph - Steven Wickham
 * Hass - Paul Wolfe

Uncredited

 * Peter Summerfield - Thomas Grant

Worldbuilding

 * Doggles says that Braxiatel cut him out of "that business with the Cybermen".
 * Doggles and Braxiatel share a brandy and Braxiatel offers brandy to Kothar.
 * Jason does not know which football team the Beatles supported.

Continuity

 * Braxiatel recalls the Fifth Axis invasion of the Collection. (PROSE: Life During Wartime)
 * Doggles tells the tale of when he slept with Benny. (AUDIO: Summer of Love)
 * Doggles gives Kothar information about the Stonehauser Medical facility where one Clarissa Jones has been reported dead. (PROSE: Parallel Lives) Kothar tells Jason and this starts Jason's investigations into the temporal activities of Irving Braxiatel with them eventually confronting in The End of the World.
 * Doggles mentions the business with the Cybermen. (AUDIO: The Crystal of Cantus)
 * The Mim feature again in Nobody's Children.