Pandoric's Box

"There was no mistaking them. Autons."

Writer: Richard Dinnick

Format: Short Story

Released: June 2017

Printed in: Myths & Legends 14

Featuring: Rassilon

Synopsis

Gallifrey will stand. It's what Rassilon lives for. The Racnoss tried. They failed. The Vampires tried. They fell. The Time Lord legend is determined to make sure the Nestene Consciousness fall victim like all those who tried before them. And the Moment is prepared...

Verdict

Pandoric's Box was a very good end to the Myths & Legends book! This has been a fascinating and intriguing collection of tales and one that I have thoroughly enjoyed on a whole. I was glad that things finished with a myth that I am very much aware of and that isn't even because of The Pandorica Opens, but I don't think bragging about knowing the tale of Pandora's Box is much to boast about. So I won't. It was just nice to be able to tie things in with the myth. I was really surprised by the story's links to the The Day of the Doctor, but I must admit that I thought things were misleading with the early illustration of the War Doctor. I was almost expecting the battle between the Time Lords and the Autons to be part of the Time War. Instead it was some time preceding which was a little bit of a letdown but I still very much enjoyed what I read. The threat of the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness was excellent and they barely appeared. This somehow made them more credible as serious threats as enemies which was delightful to read. Rassilon was excellent in this one and I was just glad that this wasn't another story dealing with the ancient times of Gallifrey despite the mentions of the Time Lords defeating the Racnoss and the Vampires which were nice references to The Labyrinthine Web and The Multi-Faceted War. His desire to ensure that Gallifrey stood was really good and admirable and despite his sometimes ruthless ways, he truly wanted what was best for his planet and people. The Time Lords would not be falling to the Autons. Roppen was an interesting character in building the Galaxy Eater, a device Rassilon would use to wipe out the Autons, and that weapon actually turning into the Moment was superb. It was really unexpected and I liked that the consciousness that it took on was that of the War Doctor, but it was a shame that Rassilon didn't understand the significance of that character. I thought this adventure being a multi-Rassilon story was great and the descriptions of all the iterations we have seen on television ranging from The Five Doctors, The End of Time and Hell Bent were fantastic. That was probably the best illustration from the whole book! Rassilon realising that he had been resurrected was terrific and I liked how he still had no hesitation in wiping out the Autons. The admittance that a few groups would survive was good and kept things in line for the likes of Terror of the Autons and Rose so that was a big plus. One little thing I had hoped for some more of was action in the battlefield between the Time Lords and the Autons but I just liked the fact they were doing battle as it gave credibility to the power of the Nestene Consciousness. Overall, a very good read and a delightful conclusion! This has certainly been a unique read and collection of stories and whilst I enjoyed it, I'm quite glad to finish it! 

Rating: 8/10