The Architects of History

"Your past itself might not be your own."

Writer: Steve Lyons

Format: Audio

Released: March 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 132

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Klein

Synopsis

The year is 2044. Earth is enjoying a Golden Age of peace, prosperity and technological advancement... but somebody is plotting to destroy all that. The Selachians, shark-like alien monsters, launch a crippling attack on Earth's Moonbase, using deadly weapons from the future.

Help is at hand. A police telephone box appears in a Moonbase hangar. A time-travelling hero has returned in the hour of Earth's greatest need. Now, Elizabeth Klein must fight to save not only the Galactic Reich but Time itself from the mysterious prisoner who has orchestrated these fateful events... the Doctor.

Verdict

The Architects of History was a very good audio adventure and an interesting way to conclude this trilogy of Monthly Adventures with the Seventh Doctor and Klein! It's certainly been eventful and it was clear that the world and Time itself had changed considerably following the events at the end of Survival of the Fittest and Klein taking control of the TARDIS. She had been changing history and restoring her own timeline which was a very fun prospect and placing the setting in 2044, a century after the glorious Reich victory, was magnificent. Having the likes of changing history and the Nazis together is such a fun concept and Klein makes for an excellent figurehead at the top of her organisation. It was obvious that the prisoner Klein referred to was going to be the Doctor, but having him imprisoned while Klein was out causing chaos to history was brilliant. It's not often we see or hear the Doctor helpless like that, and the fun fact is he had his sonic screwdriver with him all along! He was feigning imprisonment and could have escaped at any time, but this was all part of a very large and wide ranging plan. This felt very much like the Seventh Doctor and with the absence of Ace meaning she couldn't be manipulated, having Klein in that role made for an enjoyable listen as it felt like she deserved it. That was never the case with Ace. The manipulative nature of the seventh incarnation really was taken to new levels here, and that fitted in well with what was a very complex adventure. Given everything that comes with alternate timelines, the talk in Klein's organisation concerning remembering the future and changing events of the past did get confusing, but they worked well once fully explained. There was a possibility that things would become difficult to follow, but considering everything that was going on there did feel to be something of a contained setting which was in the story's favour. The return of the Selachians was quite fun and whilst I preferred them in The Murder Game than I did in The Selachian Gambit, it was nice to have them interact with another Doctor. Their shark-like nature is amusing and it was cool to learn that even their spaceship was shaped like one. They're bit over the top as far as enemies go though. Their silliness doesn't always appear to match their threat. Rachel and Sam were really good characters and whilst I enjoyed their relationship thoroughly throughout, particular with the former wanting to show the latter the stars, I couldn't help but feel so sorry for Rachel as the audio concluded. She had talked of her travels with the Doctor and defeating the likes of Sontarans and Daleks, but now that time would never be written which must have been tough for her! Sam's slow death after being caught by a Selachian shot compounded her misery and made for a strong impact. I loved the confidence shown by the Doctor throughout the story and despite everything that was happening, it never seemed like Klein was in full control. She always assumed the Doctor had something up his sleeve and that meant she was never believable as an outright villain in getting the upper hand. The ambiguous ending with the Doctor having the ability to wipe out her existence was good, and I'm very interested to hear if there's any more to come from this pairing! Overall, a great listen! 

Rating: 8/10