The Sontaran Project

"We exploit extraterrestrial technology."

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: November 2017

Series: UNIT: Encounters 5.03

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

On a routine reconnaissance mission, Colonel Shindi finds more than he bargains for in the Forest of Ardennes. Back in England, an old colleague makes Osgood an offer she cannot refuse. The chance to take part in an exciting new scientific advance. Before long, UNIT is on collision course with a force of alien clones, and Kate must forge an unlikely alliance. 

Verdict

The Sontaran Project was a fantastic audio to continue UNIT's fifth series in the form of Encounters! I am thoroughly enjoying this boxset and this was another superb story to add to the collection. I'm a huge fan of the Sontarans so I was really excited to hear them take on UNIT, but the way things started was quite different as we heard a Sontaran die and it wasn't the first in its unique surroundings of a testing centre. There was some sort of experiment going on and Professor Torrance was part of it, and he had a big connection to UNIT given that Osgood was his former protege. Kate and Shindi investigating some sort of signal was good and I loved the idea of Kate only being present in hologram form. That certainly saved travel! Placing Osgood at a science conference was good and definitely somewhere I'd expect to find her. The setting of the Ardennes forest as part of the Belgian project was great and I liked how something was tracked entering the atmosphere that intended on being shielded, but entered too fast that it registered a heat signal. Torrance also being at the conference was a good move and I liked how he cancelled Osgood's taxi to give her a lift himself. His comment about being interested in cloning was delightful subtlety. Shindi recognising the Sontaran scout ship after its uncovering in the forest was good and I loved the battle that ensued once Marshall Skar arrived on the scene in the search of the ship's pilot, Merx. The Torrance Foundation research facility was intriguing and I liked how the experiments on Sontarans were far bigger than anticipated. The government wanted things a secret, but Torrance wanted UNIT to know with his meeting at the conference being far from one of chance. He needed her help and when he showed her a Sontaran, he was happy that she recognised it. Shindi being captured onto Skar's ship was excellent and I loved the way they spoke officer to officer with some sort of soldierly respect between them. Torrance and Colley explaining how their experiments were engaged in attempting to understand Sontaran cloning was fantastic and just a great concept and I was stunned to find that the Sontaran Osgood had been introduced to was actually cloned by them, rather than in its natural reproduction. However, there were flaws in the process as once the humanly cloned Sontarans were out of the amino fluid, they died shortly thereafter. The question of who would pay for Sontarans was also fun to play with. Skar tracking Merx through his bio-tracker was very good and I was intrigued to find that he'd been shimmied around Europe before ending up in Kent where his tracker went dead three days ago, indicating death. The attempt of using truth serum on Osgood was fantastic and I loved how she reacted to the efforts with her immunity. Her thanking Malcolm was marvellous and I'd love for him to show up in this spinoff one day! It was great continuity regardless and I liked how she then got a message to UNIT. The sound of the Overseer in Vienna being robotic was intriguing and I do hope we get more of the Auctioneers in the final episode, though I'm not convinced we will. They sound perfect for UNIT to battle though! Kate arriving at the grounds of the Foundation and confronting Skar was brilliant and I liked the idea of the two forces sharing an interest. UNIT working with Sontaran forces was terrific. Osgood's conversing with Merx was also fantastic with their allied interests and I liked how he had removed the tracker to bring the Sontarans to find him. Merx being on a reconnaissance mission to Earth was good and whilst Kate wasn't too trusting of the Sontaran after mentioning the events of The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky, she seemed to believe that they did in fact have no interest in Earth at that moment. The Overseer holding dark auctions with select clients was good and any further information we can get about them will be most welcomed. The government inspection rouse to get into the Foundation was fun, but not as much as Skar bursting his way in! Typical Sontaran humour that I loved. The efforts of using the clones as an army in the hope they'd last long enough was heartless and the comment to the Sontaran after he was wounded about him being surplus to requirements showed just what Torrance thought of Sontaran life. Colley surrendering was good and Torrance being killed by a Sontaran clone in brutal fashion was justice and fitting. Skar finding Merx and wanting him to stand to his senior officer despite being wounded was sublime, but he did tell him well done after that which was nice. The way the final moments set things up with UNIT set to investigate the Auctioneers was nicely done, and I look forward to seeing where Sam's disappearance fits in. Things are linking up quite nicely. Overall, an excellent story!

Rating: 9/10