| THE MUTANT PHASE by Nicholas Briggs |
| Story 15 Synopsis: The TARDIS lands in a field of GM crops, on Earth in 2158. Nyssa is stung by a wasp, and she and the Doctor narrowly evade a Roboman and a Dalek. Back in the TARDIS, they are stuck in a time corridor, landing on Skaro, but they manage to materialise away from their fixed destination. Some Daleks have become infected; they are known as the Mutant Phase, and the other Daleks want them all destroyed. The Doctor is baffled why there only seem to be about 25 humans left on Earth in 4253. There are Thals around, but the Daleks are more of a mystery. Also odd is a huge insectoid creature that ravaged the Earth before dying out. Nyssa's sting continues to hurt. The Daleks force the Doctor to work for them. The insectoid creature bears similarities to the wasp sting in Nyssa's arm, and suggests that the Mutant Phase originated from a Dalek being infected by a wasp in a genetically modified crop field. The Doctor is forced to bring a Dalek and two Thal scientists in the TARDIS, and head down the Dalek's time corridor to Skaro. The Emperor asks the Doctor to break the laws of time, and go back to prevent the start of the Mutant Phase. Reluctantly, the Doctor agrees, but he is suspicious. After the TARDIS leaves, the Emperor destroys Skaro rather than submit to takeover by the Mutant Phase. The TARDIS arrives back on Earth in 2158, with the two Thals. One of these has a mental connection to the Emperor, and determines to take the Doctor to the Daleks, and avert the Mutant Phase. The other Thal has a retrovirus that will wipe out the Daleks. The Doctor finds the Daleks have already thwarted the contagion that leads to the Mutant Phase, but the interference of the Thals causes a time paradox, which cancels itself out, leaving the Doctor and Nyssa in the TARDIS, surprised to find the Mutant Phase now never happened. |
| Review:- To the future of Earth, and a parable of the dangers of GM crops, by way of giving the Daleks a reason to be scared... Unlike the two previous plays in this supposed series, this story concentrates on the Daleks in defence, rather than attack. Somehow, they are on the verge of defeat to an even more formidable enemy, known only as the Mutant Phase. Worse, that enemy derives from the Daleks themselves. This plays into the theories about the Daleks' interest in genetic mutation and purity. The time element is less engaging. The Doctor and Nyssa's interest in the paradox varies according to plot convenience, and the time corridor just bludgeons the script. Setting a story ahead of The Dalek Invasion Of Earth does provide for some interesting background, although it might as well have been a field in America at any time. The 2nd setting, with the ravaged Earth of the 43rd century also seems arbitrary, giving some excuse for the Thals to turn up, and speculate on the near extinction of the human race. Skaro, by contrast, is rather minimal, and seems to be destroyed for no good reason (although perhaps that's more realistic). The guest characters are pretty dull. The humans, Albert and Delores, have little warmth, and are not mourned, whilst the two Thals, Ptolem and Ganatus, are both tedious in their madness. When the Daleks are the most worthwhile supporting characters, something has gone very wrong. The Emperor's conniving plan is typical bungling, and it's almost enough to make one wonder how they ever conquer anyone. The Mutant Phase allow Nyssa to show off her biotechnology skills, and bore the listener with talk of Ichneumon wasps, in case anyone hadn't got the idea about 2 episodes earlier. Perhaps the general ignorance displayed by the folk in the 43rd century is part of the point. I'm sure something must be, but it's hard to tell what. Perhaps there were too many good intentions in the script. The conclusion, with a self-correcting paradox, sums up the whole story - a waste of time. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |