The Uncertainty Principle

"We're intruding on other people's grief."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Audio

Released: August 2012

Series: Companion Chronicles 7.02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

In the future, Zoe Herriot is a prisoner of the mysterious Company, which has evidence that she travelled through space and time with the Doctor. Zoe's memories have been blocked by the Time Lords, but the Company is determined to break through her conditioning...

And so Zoe recalls a journey to Earth in the past, to the funeral of a young woman called Meg, who was involved in scientific experiments that are bringing forth sinister alien creatures. Only the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe can stop them...

Verdict

The Uncertainty Principle was a decent Companion Chronicle adventure to continue the ongoing story arc concerning Zoe and the Company! I really like this idea and starting things with Zoe at the mercy of the Company was intriguing and showed that there was a past to her current circumstances, namely being the events of Echoes of Grey and The Memory Cheats. I liked the development in Zoe's mind with her not being able to deny that there was evidence of her travelling in time, but still as far as she was concerned she turned down that opportunity with the Doctor back during The Wheel in Space. When Zoe got into retelling this story, I liked that it was presented as being in the early days of her time aboard the TARDIS not long having left the Wheel. The Doctor, Jamie and she arriving at the funeral of a women called Meg was not the usual destination and it felt a little eery and uncomfortable which set the atmosphere for what was to come. They met Archie who was a pretty good character and I liked that Meg had been working on something to do with physics, something that could have been the reason for the TARDIS going out of control and being drawn off course. Zoe's moment where she recalled that she had travelled int the TARDIS was a good eureka moment and her description of its interior was terrific. Was this the lead the Company were after? Jen wanting to help Zoe was a nice touch and she genuinely seemed interested in preventing her sentence of atomisation. Archie hearing Meg as a ghost from beyond was a little strange and the use of connections getting established as a theme throughout was decent. The insinuation that he had dreamt it was a little misleading though. The pending arrival of the creatures didn't do a massive amount for me and whilst they were obviously important as the physics element of Meg's work, I preferred the human characters and interaction. The fleshy arms cliffhanger was pretty naff if we're being honest! The Company looking for a computer link within Zoe's memories is interesting and I'm really looking forward to hearing this arc play out. Archie wanting revenge on the creatures and causing them pain by means of water was a fascinating development, and the creatures seemingly being connected by the pain was very good. I thought it was right that Zoe was angered by the fact he'd caused them pain because she just wanted to know who they were. The creatures having a connection with the computers was good and Zoe having knowledge of the Fineman computer and trying to explain its quantum capabilities to the likes of Jamie was amusing. Water being the cause of pain to the creatures after a spill was good and somewhat logical, and Zoe suggesting that there was something within her memories that wasn't safe to know was wonderful. But the more she uncovered the more her brain was stopping her as the Time Lords' mind lock took hold once again. Jen revealing that her children were part of the Elite programme was a great development and sets us up for another adventure in the arc! The Programme was in full swing and Jen now wants to help Zoe bring the Company down, but what is it that Zoe has seen that the Company cannot let slip? I look forward to finding out! Overall, a good audio.

Rating: 7/10