The Guardian of the Solar System

"A clock only measures time, it doesn't dictate it."

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Audio
Released: July 2010
Series: Companion Chronicles 5.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Sara

Synopsis

Space Security Agent Sara Kingdom is dead, her ashes strewn on the planet Kembel. But, in an old house in Ely, Sara Kingdom lives on...

Now joined in the house by her confidante Robert, Sara recalls her travels in the TARDIS with the Doctor – and a particular adventure when the ship appeared to land inside a giant clock, where old men are caught in its workings...

And behind this nightmare is an old enemy: Mavic Chen, Guardian of the Solar System.

Then and now, Sara's past is catching up with her. The cogs have come full circle...

Verdict

The Guardian of the Solar System was an outstanding Companion Chronicles audio adventure! This really was magnificent and serves as only the third outing from the range to receive full marks for my rating. I loved it from start to finish! I was really looking forward to this one and it certainly didn't disappoint. I liked how things started with a brief recap of how Sara came to be with her essence in the house with Robert following on from Home Truths and The Drowned World, and a theme that is very much prominent in Sara is the regret she still feels for killing her brother Bret Vyon. That has come into full force lately with her in this audio range, but I wasn't expecting the siblings to actually be reunited here! Well, it wasn't quite that way. I loved the idea of the TARDIS landing within a clock and the sound effects of the clogs that went along with that throughout the story were outstanding. They really did add a lot. The image of a number of old men caught up within the clock working as slaves was disturbing, but the imagery of the story itself was very impressive. There was a lot of description that was just wonderful. This adventure took place quite early on in Sara's time travelling in the TARDIS as she acknowledged the relationship Steven had with the Doctor which I thought was nice. Sara finding out that the woman within the clock and in a position of power was a member of the SSS was intriguing and then we found out that the timing was very close to that of The Daleks' Master Plan. I loved that. Sara's reaction when she saw her brother alive and well was fantastic and we got to learn a great deal about why Mavic Chen ultimately sided with the Daleks. Here, in 3999, just a year prior to the events of the First Doctor televised epic, Earth held an empire but it was now on the brink of collapse. I thought it was interesting that Sara had faced the Daleks before we first met her on television and more so that Mavic Chen knew all about it from her file. He was quite clued up on her which presented a good dynamic. I thought some of the dialogue regarding time was brilliant and the use of a clock to go with was just sublime and right up my ally. I'm all for it and it's probably no surprise that Time Works is one of my very favourite audios. I just love time! Finding out here that the Clock with which they had within was actually dictating time rather than potentially just measuring it was very interesting. I loved the revelation that it turned out to be the secret of Earth's power and the problem that presented to Sara was phenomenal. I do love a paradox! If she saved the old men by putting a stop to their slavery, then Earth's Empire would fall and alter the events of The Daleks' Master Plan as we knew them. That was fantastic in its own right, but then the perspective of the narration had a brilliant story in of itself with Sara seemingly becoming alive again in a body as the cliffhanger! That was terrific and opened up a number of possibilities. Discovering that the clock was crucial to Earth's hyperspace lanes was very good and provided a neat plot twist for this adventure and the First Doctor mammoth adventure that it is ultimately set within. Sara struggling to deal with the timey-wimey nature of the Doctor and Steven being unable to meet Mavic Chen here as he'd recognise them when they first met in The Daleks' Master Plan was tremendous and presented yet another problem. The relationship between Chen and Sara was an intriguing one as he took a liking to her and actually offered her a promotion. It seems that the Doctor hadn't quite given Sara his The Aztecs speech just yet about changing the past because she saw this opportunity as a chance to set things straight before they went off track! Of course, the Doctor wouldn't allow it as that would change her own personal history. This turned out to be quite a heartbreaking tale for Sara as she realised that her correct self of 3999 was on Venus and her promotion was actually what set everything up as it happened, she just set it all in motion here. That was troubling for her as she came to terms with the fact that killing her brother was fixed in time. She had to accept it that it couldn't be changed. Sara also realising that saving the old men and destroying the clock was what would ultimately lead Mavic Chen to siding with the Daleks was outstanding. A truly incredible plot development. I loved everything about it. The conclusion was also intriguing and possibly setting us up for a reunion between Sara and the Doctor? It seemed that the TARDIS was back at Ely, but would he be inside? Would she be going off on more adventures? I look forward to finding out. Overall, just a sensational Companion Chronicle. One of the best.

Rating: 10/10