Deadly Download

"Is this an invasion of Earth through the internet?"

Writer: Jason Arnopp

Format: Audio

Released: February 2010

Series: SJA 07

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis 

Sarah Jane and friends battle a deadly computer virus. 

Sarah Jane is in Christmassy mood, but her cosy afternoon listening to carols is interrupted when Mr Smith suddenly announces that danger is imminent. The supercomputer as detected abnormal internet activity in the vicinity of Bannerman Road. Something alien is downloading into two PCs on the street – a computer virus over fifty times more destructive than any other on the planet. 

Both residents were chatting online when they started the download: but who were they chatting to? And what does the mysterious chatterbox want? It is up to Sarah and friends to find out, before the deadly download takes over the world.

Verdict

Deadly Download was a good little story to continue my way through the audio adventures of the Sarah Jane Adventures! I am listening to the collection on Audible that has every release and it is rather fun to hear things develop. By now, the audios are alongside the third and fourth series with this one being somewhere in between and that is clear to hear with Rani very much established and settled down in the lead cast, and the general older ages of Luke and Clyde alongside her. It is not exactly new to have a story based on the internet or something similar like with the Vardans or the Wire in The Invasion of Time or The Idiot's Lantern respectively. This was hardly as memorable, but it was an admirable attempt and a good utilisation as the internet as a potential means of invasion. I was impressed with that and it was a solid approach for the Sarah Jane Adventures. Given that three of the main cast are younger and still in school, it makes sense to utilise their extensive use and almost reliance on the internet. I thought t was wonderful to finally get the sound effects of Mr Smith opening up and something that simple really did help with making the story feel authentic and genuine. I have felt that is something that was missing in previous audios from SJA, so on a personal note that was a very welcomed addition. Sarah Jane enjoying the Christmassy winter setting was nice as well and it is a sentiment I very much am in sync with her about. There is nothing better than a winter night with a hot chocolate! Clyde was very humorous in this story as he bantered with Rani over his chasing after Sonia in the netball team. It seemed like she was far from interested in him, but he claimed that she was secretly in love with him. According to Rani, she ket it a big secret! I enjoyed that. Pouncing on that relationship and the Umorgus using Clyde's gullible nature to get him to open a download containing cinema listings for a potential date was amusing. It made Clyde seem really dumb as surely with an enemy that was using downloads and the internet, even he would be clever enough to realise what was going on when she hadn't ever given him the light of day? Ian Webster as the IT technician at Stone & Parsons was a good villain and he was clearly lacking any kind of self control. It seemed relatively simple with him not enjoying his day job due to the mundane requests to fix things on computers he constantly received. But that is the memo, so what is to complain about? He was bullied as a child and Sarah realised that as it turned out he grew up on Bannerman Road which was a good rationale for events happening on the street. I was a little confused as to how Mr Smith could detect something bad with the internet and two people conversing in chatrooms, but could not work out which house it was! That was baffling. Overall though, with Rani and Clyde freed from control and lead used to blog all signals, Sarah Jane sent the Umorgus packing whilst Ian was arrested. A decent little adventure, if not a little long.

Rating: 7/10