The Lamentation Cipher

"It's a riddle at the edge of the universe."

Writer: Jonathan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: May 2014

Series: Charlotte Pollard 1.01

Featuring: Charley

Synopsis

Charlotte Pollard – once the greatest adventuress of her generation – is terminally bored. She is tired of life as an emissary of that powerful and mysterious race, the Viyrans. She has grown weary of her role as an expendable agent in their ceaseless quest to eliminate contagion across the universe. Her work is repetitive and gruelling and has come to feel as if she hardly recognises herself. Very quietly, and without fuss, her heart is breaking.

So when the Viyrans arrive at the edge of galaxy Brouhaha-Nine-Nine-Five, besides the bizarre and enigmatic space-time anomaly known as the Ever-and-Ever-Proxility, Charley is overjoyed at an opportunity for escape. It is a chance that she will be grateful to seize – but given what awaits her, she may, before long, come to wonder if she might not have been more careful about just what is is she has wished for...

Verdict

The Lamentation Cipher was a really good start to the first series of the Charlotte Pollard spinoff series! I think it's a wonderful idea to be giving Charley her own spinoff as I must admit that despite her eventful run as companion to both the Eighth and Sixth Doctors, the way things finished in Blue Forgotten Planet definitely felt like there was unfinished business for the Edwardian adventuress. She's such a strong character and she more than held her own in this opening episode for her series. I liked the continuation from where things left off for her in the Monthly Adventures but it was also clear that some time had passed which made sense. The mythos surrounding the Proxility was interesting and the idea of a pub there for Charley to hang out was fun. Using a loose format of Charley telling her diary entries was good and Robert hitting on her in the galactic bar was good stuff. He was a detective and adventurer and took a shining to Charley. Hearing how she was merely an assistant to the Viyrans at this point in her life didn't seem quite right for this companion as I think she is so much better than merely having alien employers. The intrigue with Robert denying saying the words he had just spoken was very good and that leading Charley to realise he was the very man she had been waiting for was interesting. She needed to take him to the medical suite because he was infected by the obscurant virus which was further good continuity for Charley and I liked how she reacted to him saying vortisaur. It was a little sad to hear of Charley feeling like she was a glorified pet and dreaming of freedom, because I think she can offer so much. The well-mannered and rogue Vyran was a good character and I liked how he initially introduced himself to Charley by providing passage for escape. Her meeting Robert again after he was cured worked well and I liked how she was subtly playing with his memory gap. I thought the Proxility changing shape and Charley realising that events were liked was excellent and Robert admitting that he was actually an investment broker rather than adventurer was terrific. I thought the rogue Vyran meddling with the Commander was superb and their finding of Charley after escaping seemed sudden, but I'm glad that she wasn't held captive for long. Her role in the Viyran cause was intriguing though as they firmly believed she was integral and an invaluable asset, but she didn't get that impression at all so I'm firmly interested in to why Charley doesn't know her value and what exactly that value is! The rogue's constant attempts to help Charley escape was great and I was stunned when he scarified himself to save her and ensure she was free! The constant mentions of the titular lamentation cipher were interesting but I think we probably could have got more information regarding it, but that being the purpose of the rogue Vyran definitely keeps me interested moving forward with the series. The Viyrans not recognising him as a Viyran despite appearance was intriguing as well and it's a shame he was shot as I was hoping for more answers! The AI in the ship Charley found herself escaping in having the voice of Robert was amusing and all sights set on the Proxility was good and I liked how Robert was seeing that from afar and the dangers presented there. His relationship with his dad who was out for nothing but a profit was fantastic as well. The Commander claiming to have seen the lamentation was an impactful moment and his claims of everything being lost to dust and accepting that he was unfit for command was brilliant. I was a big fan of that. The Proxility beckoning for Charley was really well done and I enjoyed the action that came with the conclusion. It taking in the ship with Charley on board was really good and her accepting that to help her break free of the Viyrans was good. Her ship was engulfed by the power which I liked and setting up the rest of the series with the new Viyran Commander setting all resources on getting Charley back in their hands was very good. She was worth Viyran lives perishing which was all that was required to know and pondering that she was more important to the universe than she knew was excellent. I'm sure it will be linked to the viruses in some way, but for now this was a great start to the series! 

Rating: 8/10