I, Kamelion

"Stop with this act, you are not a robot!"

Writer: Dominic G. Martin

Format: Audio

Released: January 2022

Series: Interludes 01

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Turlough, Kamelion

Synopsis

The planet Tairot is a haven for technology, dedicated to improving the quality of life for its inhabitants one cerebral implant at a time. And yet with no memory to guide him, Kamelion finds himself to now be one of those inhabitants, taken from his self-imposed exile and forced into a human body. A seemingly permanent one.

With a new conspiracy unfolding around him, Kamelion begins his quest to find answers. Why have the Doctor and Turlough become public enemy number one? What is the truth behind the planet's technology? And most of all... how does an android dream of electric beasts?

Verdict

I, Kamelion was a great little story to kick off the Interludes series of bonus adventures! I must admit that when I completed my listening of Forty earlier this year, I completely forgot about this and it was only when the second and third Interludes were announced that I remembered I had this get through! I was quietly pleased with what I listened to as I didn't envisage a story with this title being overly exciting, but it was an intriguing look into the character of Kamelion and a fine utilisation of his robotic and shape-shifting abilities. I thought Dan Starkey did a fine job with the narration with his impression of Turlough in particular impressing, and the characterisation of the Fifth Doctor helped him find the voice of this incarnation. The body switch story is not new to Doctor Who but the added layer of a robot swapping with an organic was really well done. I liked that concept a lot and it provided a difficult predicament for Tara. Her husband was right in front of her but he had no idea who he was or where he was located, and kept calling himself Kamelion! I can't imagine what it must be like to be looking at your signifiant other but have them completely clueless on your identity. That must be tough. It took Tara a bit of time to be convinced by the situation, but when she did I liked how much she was able to help. With the title, it was always going to be the case that the Doctor and Turlough were a bit on the back burner, but their getting captured and blamed in a public way was excellent and was all that Tara needed to be convinced of her husband's fate. Kamelion coming to terms with the simple acts of breathing and experience a number of emotions was terrific, and I liked the distinction that he didn't understand them just because he was human now. Kamelion questioning his purpose was strong stuff and I liked him being in isolation. Having Phoenix in the form of Kamelion was good and I liked the moment where Kamelion in his human body confronted the Doctor and essentially asked for help. The Doctor would of course oblige and retrieving the memory banks and essentially resetting him to an earlier time worked well and was a neat resolution, but that brief moment where Kamelion stalled on whether he wanted to return to his robotic form was brilliant. He didn't know if he would be able to remember his experiences and feelings when he became a robot again, and that was really good to challenge and present. For a story with a robot at its heart, this was very emotional stuff! The Tairot world was very good as the backdrop and I liked how everyone came together by the end with the ruthless head of technology in chains. Phoenix was very pleased with that situation when everyone was back in their rightful place, and I also loved how appreciative he was of Kamelion for helping his wife. As a whole, this was a really strong exploration into Kamelion's character and a much welcomed bonus adventure! Overall, a great listen.

Rating: 8/10