Intervention Earth was a standalone release following the sixth series of Big Finish's Gallifrey audio series. It was the first release not to focus on the dynamic of Romana II, Leela and Narvin, and instead focuses on Romana III, Ace and Narvin. Additionally, the story marked Stephen Thorne's return to the role of Omega, whom he previously portrayed in the television story The Three Doctors in 1972.
Publisher's summary
Times change...
Romana is approaching her final term of office, and hopes to leave her world in a state of peace and harmony. Narvin is concerned about the implementation of a controversial Precog programme, one that seeks to predict the Time Lords' future. Ace is an operative for the Celestial Intervention Agency, having learned the art of interference from one of the best...
And somewhere, across the stars, an ancient force is stirring: one of the Time Lords' greatest heroes is returning to our universe. But he may also prove to be their greatest threat.
When the history of Earth is threatened, and an ancient conspiracy reaches the heart of Time Lord government, can even Romana's closest allies truly be trusted?
Time will tell... but by then, it may already be too late.
Plot
Part one
On a CIA mission, Ace returns to her TARDIS to find the presence of Rexx, who has been assigned to Ace by the High Council. He explains that events are spiralling out of the Time Lords' control and that the universe is in jeopardy. He relays a message from Romana, which explains that a black hole in Mutter's Spiral is growing exponentially, draining energy from the universe and threatens to warp established history - and the Time Lords themselves.
On Gallifrey, Merkis speaks to Narvin concerned over the precogs, beings who can predict the future introduced by Tauras in Romana's absence. The precogs repeat a myriad of voices: "He is returning." The precogs have predicting the fall of Gallifrey within every reality, causing the walls between universes to collapse and placing the timelines in flux.
Narvin requests access to President Romana, and meets with her in her private rooms despite Lukas' refusal. Romana believes the Time Lords should observe the universe rather than interfere, despite the actions of her previous incarnations. Narvin sees this as suicide, but she believes it is the only option with the threat of the fall of Gallifrey as predicted by the precogs; she cannot interfere with the anomaly as it would affect public perception of her. Narvin mentions that the CIA produced a presidential writ to give them power in which to interfere with the anomaly. Romana believes the anomaly should be analysed further before it is dealt with, and suggests if a malevolent force is behind it, they should be eliminated from the timelines.
Ace's TARDIS materialises on an atmosphereless, primitive and derelict Earth, devoured by the anomaly and burnt out by the sun prematurely in 2015. Ace is taken aback by how beautiful the dead world is. Rexx theorises the anomaly has been engineered, given its coordinates. Ace hears a cacophony of abstract voices, echoes from alternative universes, which gives her a migraine. Rexx tells her she is not a true Time Lord and that the Time Lords are used to these phenomena. Realising everyone she knew is dead, Rexx explains that they are there to find a relic that should have never left Gallifrey's arsenals - the Hand of Omega.
Merkis informs Narvin that they have located the source of the anomaly, Earth, and the origin of the energy signature - the Gallifreyan armouries. Narvin leaves to inform the High Council.
Ace and Rexx locate the Hand of Omega, explaining it cannot be stopped but should be moved into her TARDIS. She is able to operate it because of her previous encounter with it. However, the cloister bell is activated, and Rexx warns her they only have a minute before it threatens to destroy Earth. Ace and Rexx hear more voices from the past and future, indicating all timelines are bleeding into one another. Locking her TARDIS, Rexx tells her she must travel to the source of the anomaly in 2986 BC.
Amongst the cacophany of voices, Omega's voice is heard: "I will return!"
Tracing the time distortion to Greater Henge in a storm, Ace explains no-one understands its origins. Suddenly, Rexx raises a gun to Ace, explaining he embellished the truth, manipulating her relationship with Mutter's Spiral and in spite of the privileges handed to Ace by Romana. Rexx wants to restore Gallifrey to its former glory by deploying the Hand of Omega, removing its off-world "traitors" and securing its future. Having used Ace to open the Hand, he stuns her, in joy over Omega's return...
to be added
Part two
to be added
Part three
to be added
Part four
to be added
Cast
- Romana - Juliet Landau
- Ace - Sophie Aldred
- Narvin - Seán Carlsen
- Omega - Stephen Thorne
- Lukas - Scott Arthur
- Rexx - Gyles Brandreth
- Tauras - Daniel Brocklebank
- Vale Endrogan - Laura Doddington
- Sol - Rachel Atkins
- Min - Toby Longworth
- Merkis - Andrew Pepper
References
- The shrine of Pandak is located on Gallifrey.
- The Time Lords have a field office on Nekkistan.
- Narvin dined in the palace of Arcadia with a delegation of Sunari.
- Type 160 TARDISes are considered to be outdated.
Notes
- This story was recorded on 6 and 25 July 2014 at The Moat Studios.
- The first part of the story was released as a free podcast on 21 January 2015.
- This story debuted a new theme tune for the series, composed by Neil Gardner.
- Stephen Thorne previously portrayed Omega in TV: The Three Doctors.
- This story was originally released on CD and download.
Continuity
- Ace has no recollection of how she first came to Gallifrey, but suspects that it must involve the Doctor. (AUDIO: Dominion, The Lights of Skaro)
- Ace refers to her TARDIS as not being "a tatty old blue police box". (TV: An Unearthly Child)
- Secret societies on Gallifrey were dedicated to the worship of Rassilon, Omega, and the Other. (PROSE: Lungbarrow)
- Hedin was considered a martyr by the Adherents of Ohm. (TV: Arc of Infinity)
- The Time Lords' loss of power and the destruction of Gallifrey foreshadow the events of the Time War. (TV: The End of the World et al.)
- Ace mentions the Hand of Omega "once helped me out with a squad of Daleks back in the sixties." (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
- Romana is keeping a cache of outdated and decommissioned TARDISes to protect Gallifrey. (AUDIO: Luna Romana)
- Romana, Lukas and Narvin make telepathic contact in order to hinder Omega's willpower. (TV: The Three Doctors)
- Romana possesses her own sonic screwdriver. (TV: The Horns of Nimon)
- Narvin possesses a staser. (TV: The Deadly Assassin, et. al)
- Narvin ascribes to Block Transfer Computation the disguise of Ace's TARDIS as a monument. (TV: Logopolis)
- Rexx refers to the Doctor as the best agent the CIA has ever had. (PROSE: World Game)
- Romana jettisons the rooms of her TARDIS to escape the black hole. (TV: Castrovalva)
External links
- Official Intervention Earth page at bigfinish.com
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