Story: Rudra: A gas giant somewhat like Jupiter, around which orbits a multitude of planets. One of these worlds is called Rhagi, and is an idyllic garden spot populated by colonists from a far off Earth. Rhagi gets its energy from a power station which has been built on the neighboring moon of Agni. However, there is a snake which has infiltrated this Eden, hiding unseen just in the undergrowth. This ordinary system has attracted the attentions of two of the most extraordinary, and battle-savvy life forms in the Galaxy. What interest do the gelatinous Rutan and the stout Sontarans have in this quiet little world? What strategic value does this remote backwater hold? Well, it all comes down to three things: location, location, location.
The Doctor and Turlough have arrived on Rhagi after their bloody run-in with the Daleks, the intention being to make some much needed (and long overdue) repairs to the TARDIS. It doesn’t take long before they become embroiled in intrigue. Locals are coming down with what appers to be a bad cold, yet when they are taken to the hospital (in ambulances with blacked-out windows…) they are never heard from again. Of course, the Doctor can’t help but investigate this “disease,” and his inquisitiveness gets him into a whole heap of trouble.
Review: I loved this book. It read like a Target novelisation, and it fits into its era like a glove made of words. This is a Doctor/companion team that has been sadly ignored, and I can’t understand why. Turlough is such an independant character, and doesn’t get pidgeonholed into the same old “dumbfounded Earthling” category that most others do (Peri). His nonchalant attitude to advanced technology is a good example of this. It is really too bad that the TV show was never able to exploit these two more thoroughly, opting to drag that plank of wood Peri into the fold right away. Thankfully, these Missing Adventures allow us to explore hiterto unknown aspects of the series that we never got (and sometimes should never get) to see.
This book has a sequel called “Shakedown”, which I’m going to read next, and it “linx” up with events in this book. I certainly hope it is just as good as this one, which has earned an 8.5 out of ten on my patented, yet slightly bogus, scale of excellence.
Year: 1995
Author: David A. McIntee
Publisher: Virgin