| CAERDROIA by Lloyd Rose |
| Story 63 Synopsis: In the Interzone, the Doctor is asleep, which frustrates the Kro'ka. It tries to enter the Doctor's mind, but finds itself a prisoner there. It is forced to reveal the Divergents are based on Caerdroia. Using time leakage to guide them to the right portal, the Doctor, Charley and C'rizz make it to Caerdroia, but the Doctor has been split into three. They all head out in different directions, but find themselves together again in a labyrinth. They split up again, with one of the Doctors alone with the Kro'ka, and trying to force the pace. But the Doctor realises the sonic clues they've all been receiving since they arrived mean they are on Caerdroia, despite the Kro'ka's claims to the contrary, and the TARDIS is also there, at the centre of the labyrinth. They outwit the increasingly desperate Kro'ka, and enter the TARDIS, where the Doctor is restored. But using it to track the Divergents shows they left the place shortly before. The Doctor is still pleased - they now have access to the whole universe. |
| Review:- As the Divergents saga draw to a close, this tale is closely connected to the ongoing plot, and thus doesn't really seem to count as a self-contained adventure in its own right. The 1st part is mainly a stand-off with the Doctor pumping the Kro'ka for answers. Then the rest is a runaround until they realise they've found the TARDIS. Splitting the Doctor into three varieties covers for this having a very small cast indeed (just 4 people in the cast... okay, 5). Thankfully, what it lacks in people it makes up for in locations, with some truly vivid decorations embellishing the tired old format of a labyrinth. Characters are paired together in different groupings, and after a while this begins to pall on the listener, Charley descending into cliche (assuming you feel she ever rises above it) and C'rizz managing just the odd mention of L'da. Multiplying the Doctor ensures he takes centre stage, as his quest for the Divergents drives him to take affirmative action against the Kro'ka at last. Though the latter fights back, the Doctor makes his superiority plain, all the time coming closer to his goal. Or rather, one of his goals. Quite what happened to the TARDIS back in Scherzo was never well explained, so maybe that is still to come... but at least the clean cut end means that our heroes might be free to embark on a whole new series of adventures... or not... One other quirk is the (mis)pronunication of the the Caer- prefix. Usually, this is pronounced 'car' as in Caerleon, but here it is 'care'. Perhaps this is another instance of those wacky Divergents... As I said at the top, this is more a direct continuation of the Divergents saga, then an indirect one, but at the cost of being judged as itself. Though it does have a beginning, a middle and an end, they don't seem to fit together. Maybe there are still answers to come? |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |