Earthsearch Mindwarp
Encyclopedia
Earthsearch: Mindwarp is a 3 part radio series based on the Mindwarp novel by James Follett
. This new series was first broadcast on BBC7 in 2006, beginning on April 2, and the episodes were 45 minutes long.
While it has only a loose connection to the Earthsearch
series, it sets the stage for it, and contains many familiar plot elements and character traits.
The series was produced by Big Finish Productions
who are also noted for their range of Doctor Who
audio dramas. A number of Doctor Who actors appear in Mindwarp including Colin Baker
(the Sixth Doctor
), Nicholas Courtney
(Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
) and India Fisher
(Charley Pollard
). Coincidentally, Mindwarp
is also the title often given by fans to one of the segments of The Trial of a Time Lord
, a Doctor Who serial featuring Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor.
The city is at war with an enemy called Diablo, made up of the people who deny the word of the G.O.D. - a supreme being who controls everything in Arama. Ewen and Jenine are selected to train as Technicians – responsible for maintaining the machines that Arama needs to function. They are sent to the Centre for early training, where they learn mechanics. They share a room with an older student called Deg.
Ewen has dreams about being in a vast blue dome. He tells Jenine about his dreams, but she shrugs them off. One of the staff at the centre – Technician Father Dadley – tells Ewen about another student who had similar dreams. His name was Simo Belan and he vanished before he completed his training.
One night, after another dream, Ewen decides he wants everyone to see what the blue dome looks like and sneaks out of the room during the night. When he returns, he awakes the others to show them what he has done. They see their Chief Technician – Dom Asta Tarrant – trying to break into the control room, where he manages to shut down the lights, an action which results in them breaking. His roommates tell him he will be caught, be he has other things on his mind.
He goes to visit the father of Simo Belan to find out what happen to him, but while he is there, he is arrested. Ewen is sent to prison where he is visited by his mother and brother who come to say goodbye. Ewen’s brother, Tarlon, is due to begin military service, but that is not why they come to say goodbye. A news report said that Ewen was being tried for desecration – a crime punishable by death.
When Ewen is sent to court, his roommate, Deg, who manages to both get Ewen off the major charges of desecration and blasphemy and embarrass the Chief Technician, represents him. Ewen is about to be sentences when Caudo Inman, First Citizen of Arama, enters. Just as the judge announces that Ewen should be sentences to five days community service, Inman cuts in and doubles the sentences to ten days. At a party to celebrate, Deg reveals that his Great Uncle, a retired lawyer, supplied his defence.
Ewen’s community service turns out to be military service. On his last night there, Ewen decides to infiltrate the Diablon camp. He is almost discovered and shoots a Diablon guard. When the others do not help the injured guard, he rushes over, only to discover that the guard is in fact his own brother. They both think each other is working for the Diablons. Ewen works out that the army is just where
Arama sends the people they do not want in society.
During their studies they find evidence that the rock above the city does in fact come to an end, and that there is a large amount of open space above it.
Eventually they manage to leave the city, and find themselves on the surface of the Earth. They discover that Arama is actually a training centre for interstellar missions to discover new habitable planets.
Having passed the unwitting test of Arama (escaping to the surface), Ewen accepts the position of commander of the next Challenger mission.
The Challenger 3 mission is launched, and work starts on the project that will lead to the Earth being moved to a new solar system (see Earthsearch
).
Jenine - India Fisher
Caudo Inman - Colin Baker
Kally Solant - Michele Livingston
Dom Asta Tarant - Andy Coleman
Father Dadley - Nicholas Courtney
Deg Calen - Neil Henry
Tarlan - Mark Wright
Simo Belan - Neil Roberts
Young Tarlan - Julian Richards
Inman's Computer - Romy Tennant
Mr. Belan - Steven Wickham
Policeman - John H. Elson
Chairman of the Court - Steven Wickham
Diablon Guard - Alistair Lock
James Follett
James Follett is an author and screenwriter, born in 1939 in Tolworth, England.Follett became a full-time fiction writer in 1976, after resigning from contract work as a technical writer for the British Ministry of Defence. He has since written over 20 novels, several television plays, and many...
. This new series was first broadcast on BBC7 in 2006, beginning on April 2, and the episodes were 45 minutes long.
While it has only a loose connection to the Earthsearch
Earthsearch
Earthsearch: A Ten-Part Adventure Serial in Time and Space science fiction radio series written by James Follett. It consists of ten half-hour episodes broadcast. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between January and March 1981. There is also a novelisation by Follett of the same name...
series, it sets the stage for it, and contains many familiar plot elements and character traits.
The series was produced by Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
who are also noted for their range of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
audio dramas. A number of Doctor Who actors appear in Mindwarp including Colin Baker
Colin Baker
Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to...
(the Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
), Nicholas Courtney
Nicholas Courtney
William Nicholas Stone Courtney was an English television actor, most famous for playing Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
(Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Nicholas Courtney...
) and India Fisher
India Fisher
India Fisher is a British actress born in 1974. Her father is the ex-MP Mark Fisher. She is also the stepsister of musician Crispin Hunt and of actress Francesca Hunt, who appears with her in the play Other Lives....
(Charley Pollard
Charley Pollard
Charlotte Elspeth Pollard, or simply Charley, is a fictional character played by India Fisher in a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions, many of which were broadcast on BBC Radio 7, based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A young woman...
). Coincidentally, Mindwarp
Mindwarp
Mindwarp is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 4 October to 25 October 1986. It is part of the larger narrative known as The Trial of a Time Lord, encompassing the whole of the 23rd season...
is also the title often given by fans to one of the segments of The Trial of a Time Lord
The Trial of a Time Lord
The Trial of a Time Lord is a fourteen-part British science fiction serial of the long running BBC series Doctor Who. The serial, produced as the twenty-third season of the Doctor Who television series, aired in weekly episodes from 6 September to 6 December 1986...
, a Doctor Who serial featuring Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor.
Story
Ewen and Jenine live in the domed city of Arama, a space surrounded by rock. The people of the city believe that the universe consists purely of rock, with embedded space.The city is at war with an enemy called Diablo, made up of the people who deny the word of the G.O.D. - a supreme being who controls everything in Arama. Ewen and Jenine are selected to train as Technicians – responsible for maintaining the machines that Arama needs to function. They are sent to the Centre for early training, where they learn mechanics. They share a room with an older student called Deg.
Ewen has dreams about being in a vast blue dome. He tells Jenine about his dreams, but she shrugs them off. One of the staff at the centre – Technician Father Dadley – tells Ewen about another student who had similar dreams. His name was Simo Belan and he vanished before he completed his training.
One night, after another dream, Ewen decides he wants everyone to see what the blue dome looks like and sneaks out of the room during the night. When he returns, he awakes the others to show them what he has done. They see their Chief Technician – Dom Asta Tarrant – trying to break into the control room, where he manages to shut down the lights, an action which results in them breaking. His roommates tell him he will be caught, be he has other things on his mind.
He goes to visit the father of Simo Belan to find out what happen to him, but while he is there, he is arrested. Ewen is sent to prison where he is visited by his mother and brother who come to say goodbye. Ewen’s brother, Tarlon, is due to begin military service, but that is not why they come to say goodbye. A news report said that Ewen was being tried for desecration – a crime punishable by death.
When Ewen is sent to court, his roommate, Deg, who manages to both get Ewen off the major charges of desecration and blasphemy and embarrass the Chief Technician, represents him. Ewen is about to be sentences when Caudo Inman, First Citizen of Arama, enters. Just as the judge announces that Ewen should be sentences to five days community service, Inman cuts in and doubles the sentences to ten days. At a party to celebrate, Deg reveals that his Great Uncle, a retired lawyer, supplied his defence.
Ewen’s community service turns out to be military service. On his last night there, Ewen decides to infiltrate the Diablon camp. He is almost discovered and shoots a Diablon guard. When the others do not help the injured guard, he rushes over, only to discover that the guard is in fact his own brother. They both think each other is working for the Diablons. Ewen works out that the army is just where
Arama sends the people they do not want in society.
During their studies they find evidence that the rock above the city does in fact come to an end, and that there is a large amount of open space above it.
Eventually they manage to leave the city, and find themselves on the surface of the Earth. They discover that Arama is actually a training centre for interstellar missions to discover new habitable planets.
Having passed the unwitting test of Arama (escaping to the surface), Ewen accepts the position of commander of the next Challenger mission.
The Challenger 3 mission is launched, and work starts on the project that will lead to the Earth being moved to a new solar system (see Earthsearch
Earthsearch
Earthsearch: A Ten-Part Adventure Serial in Time and Space science fiction radio series written by James Follett. It consists of ten half-hour episodes broadcast. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between January and March 1981. There is also a novelisation by Follett of the same name...
).
Cast
Ewen - Leon ParrisLeon Parris
Leon Parris is a British writer, actor, musician and composer.- Biography :Leon Parris was brought up in Bedford, England, and was educated at Bedford Modern School.He lives in Barcelona, Spain, with his wife.- Credits :...
Jenine - India Fisher
India Fisher
India Fisher is a British actress born in 1974. Her father is the ex-MP Mark Fisher. She is also the stepsister of musician Crispin Hunt and of actress Francesca Hunt, who appears with her in the play Other Lives....
Caudo Inman - Colin Baker
Colin Baker
Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to...
Kally Solant - Michele Livingston
Dom Asta Tarant - Andy Coleman
Father Dadley - Nicholas Courtney
Nicholas Courtney
William Nicholas Stone Courtney was an English television actor, most famous for playing Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
Deg Calen - Neil Henry
Neil Henry
Neil Henry is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. Since 2009 he has been head coach for the North Queensland Cowboys of the National Rugby League. Henry previously played for, then coached the Canberra Raiders.Henry was a foundation player of the Raiders,...
Tarlan - Mark Wright
Mark Wright
Mark Wright may refer to:*Mark Wright , English footballer and manager*Mark Wright , English footballer...
Simo Belan - Neil Roberts
Neil Roberts
Neil E. Roberts is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL.Roberts played with St Kilda on the forward line initially but later excelled as a centre half back, winning the Brownlow medal in 1958. Captained the side from 1959 to 1962 before retiring at 29 years of age and commencing a...
Minor Characters
Newscaster - Sara WakefieldYoung Tarlan - Julian Richards
Julian Richards
Julian Richards FSA, MIFA is a British television and radio presenter, writer and archaeologist with over 30 years experience of fieldwork and publication.-Early career:...
Inman's Computer - Romy Tennant
Mr. Belan - Steven Wickham
Steven Wickham
Steven Wickham is a British actor known largely for his roles in Big Finish Productions audio dramas as well as guest appearances in Red Dwarf, Casualty, The Bill, Eastenders and Doctor Who in a career which began in 1984.-Career:...
Policeman - John H. Elson
Chairman of the Court - Steven Wickham
Steven Wickham
Steven Wickham is a British actor known largely for his roles in Big Finish Productions audio dramas as well as guest appearances in Red Dwarf, Casualty, The Bill, Eastenders and Doctor Who in a career which began in 1984.-Career:...
Diablon Guard - Alistair Lock