Daleks Among Us

"Everything I remember is wrong."

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: September 2013

Series: Monthly Adventures 177

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Klein, Will

Synopsis

AZIMUTH DEPARÊMENT OF RE-EDUCATION

REMINDER: TO ALL CITIZENS

There are no Daleks on Azimuth. There have never been Daleks on Azimuth. 

Twenty years ago, the Daleks did not invade Azimuth. There was no war. There were no death camps. A man named 'the Doctor' did not help liberate Azimuth. 

There are no such things as Daleks. They do not exist. There are no Daleks among us.

UPDATE: TO ALL CITIZENS

A strange blue box has not appeared in Monument Plaza. Off-worlders named 'the Doctor', 'Elizabeth Klein' and 'Will Arrowsmith' are not at large in the city. For your own safety, should you not see any of the above, report at once to the Department of Re-education, Azimuth Central. 

NEVER REMEMBER

Verdict

Daleks Among Us was a really strong audio to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures range and conclude this excellent Seventh Doctor trilogy alongside Elizabeth Klein and Will Arrowsmith. This new trio is a fun dynamic in the TARDIS and after an eventful two stories in Persuasion and Starlight Robbery, things rounded out very nicely here. I mean, there was an awful lot going on and at times there was almost too much! There were a lot of unanswered questions that we got answered to and most of that centred around Klein. I wasn't expecting her to be the template for the persuasion machine but it was a fine revelation! The way she was able to hijack the TARDIS and go back in time to learn the truth of her connection to Kurt Schalk was magnificent and it was nice to inject some vulnerability into her character. The way she challenged the Doctor on if he just saw her as a Nazi was brilliant and I really liked the struggle she had knowing that she couldn't hold herself as a baby. The ramifications would be huge and she was certainly pushed into doing so, but she resisted. Her resemblance to Elisabeth Volkenrath was intriguing and settled the mystery of how she was recognised back at the start of the trilogy, but I do think the swapped identity at the conclusion was a little predictable. That's not to say it was bad by any means! But surely the accent was a giveaway? I really enjoyed the concept of the Daleks forcing the population of Azimuth to deny or even remember that they existed. It became the law to not remember and that's quite striking. Having Davros installed as the father the religion on the planet was magnificent and that was just a perfect way to fool him into being a Dalek prisoner. He doesn't half get one-upped by his own creations. His relationship with Falkus was really good stuff and I liked his position as the would-be Kaled heir. Davros didn't seem overly struck on that idea, but it was firmly in play by the Daleks. The very idea of Daleks still being among Azimuth was really well done and I loved the secretive nature. It was very Dalek. Will's reaction to seeing the Daleks in person after recalling the UNIT tapes of Day of the Daleks and Remembrance of the Daleks was unlike any companion before him (or after!) which was just marvellous. He ought to have been exterminated on the spot! He exhibited some fine skills to showcase he could be a field agent after all though which was good. And his time in the TARDIS doesn't seem like it's up just yet either! The fact that Volkenrath took the power of the persuasion machine was good and she used the Daleks' own efforts against them as this would no propaganda machine. They wanted their enemies to be persuaded to stop. Literally. Their hearts. So she just reverted it and all clone matter was stopped along with the Daleks themselves. The Doctor drawing the line at Davros was interesting to say the least, and I wonder does the Doctor almost feel sorry for him given that he doesn't hold much sway with the Daleks anymore? The continuity from Skaro's destruction was very good there. Klein's reaction when the Doctor and Will finally came to rescue her after she was left behind from the TARDIS fast return switch was good and sets up nicely for further adventures to come. Overall, a great story where there was probably slightly too much going on. 

Rating: 8/10