Audio #3: Whispers of Terror

TARDIS crew; 

• Sixth Doctor

• Peri

Notable Characters; 

• Beth Purnell- Main villain and agent of Visteen Krane

• Gantman- Curator of the Museum of Aural Antiquities 

• Dent- Hired interventionist 

• Visteen Krane- Deceased famous actor who was running for presidency 

• Stengard- Producer of the museum recordings 

Detailed Plot; 

Part One

To be honest, this wasn't a great part and was pretty mediocre. I was hoping that it was just a one off and due to it being the introductory part the next three parts would improve! It certainly didn't have my immediate interest as was the case in Phantasmagoria. But anyway, it began with some mysterious noises, like whispers in the wind. The TARDIS materialised and within there was brief laughter between the Sixth Doctor and Peri. They could see on the scanner that it was dark. Peri was reluctant to explore. 

It was established that the setting was a museum, and an inter-gender pair seemed to be sneaking in also. A voice was heard describing the check mate moment of a chess match that led to the death of an empire, presumably on this planet. Whoever was saying this seemed to be practicing his lines for the museum tour or something as it was heard repeated a number of times. The Curator was introduced, and it seemed as though the voice was actually a recording as he edited the pitch of the speech. 

The Doctor and Peri had left the TARDIS and were exploring in a corridor. Peri was anxious and eager to leave but the Doctor seemed angry at this and was shouting at how he couldn't leave not knowing what was here. As seen in so many previous stories, curiosity is the one thing that never fails to beat the Doctor. The whispers were heard again, they were very mysterious. 

The voice heard repeating the speech earlier was that of Visteen Krane, somebody regarded as one of the greatest actors of his time, a time that wasn't established in this first part. The pair we'd heard sneaking in earlier had now broken in, but they heard whistling. The names of the pair were revealed; Fotherill was male and seemed under the command of Dent, female. They heard whistling, they'd successfully gone unnoticed. Fotherill investigated the whistling, but almost immediately it seemed Dent was ahead of him and at his destination. The speed was frightening. But in fact it wasn't actually Dent, laughter was heard, this being seemed to be able to take forms. Fotherill seemed dead after the release of a lethal charge. This triggered the security alarm. 

Peri heard the rustling but the Doctor ignored her and continued his search to find out where they were. The Doctor found a room, dusty, with many audios inside. Peri reiterated her desire to leave which only added to my early disinterest in the story. They did both hear talking, and they barely, briefly and abruptly met a girl. She was running away. But from what? Was it Dent having seen her friend dead? Or was it the mysterious person who'd led Fotherill to his death? It was all unclear. 

The Doctor and Peri encountered a dead body, that of Fotherill and his death was quickly determined by the Time Lord. The door he was lying close to was fitted with an electric current. Had the Dent impersonator led him to his death? Or, as a man who interrupted the Doctor's interrogation questioned, was he pushed? 

Dent was trying to contact Fotherill, but she couldn't get through. There was no signal at his end, the electric current must've knocked it off. For a little while, there was no mention of the Doctor or Peri, we didn't know what had happened. But now they were questioned as to whether they'd murdered Fotherill, were they being framed? It didn't seem so, but they were to be kept as witness at least, and they had broken into a restricted area also. The museum name was established as The Museum of Aural Antiquities. A good, catchy name to be fair. Berkeley had taken the time travellers to see the Curator. They told him of the women they saw running in a rush, and they described the speech of Krane. Judging by the museum inhabitants, the speech had been altered by this women. Ever so slightly but enough to change the meaning entirely. The Doctor offered his help. 

But the Curator wanted to confirm what the speech should be heard as with the agent of Krane who was on her way; Beth Purnell. She would recall what the speech should sound like. The question though was why would somebody alter the speech? The whispers were heard again, claimed to be the static of the museum. The people of the museum didn't seem to know what they were. The whispers were overlapping. 

There seemed to be a plan, and similarly sounding to the hunters of Sir Nikolas Valentine in the previous audio, others were heard. Other beings. They claimed how 'Dent knows the plan.' Repeating the phrase over. It was mysterious. Purnell and Stengard were to now be let in. 

It somehow seemed Fotherill was okay, but I couldn't be sure it was him. Whispers were heard once more and he seemed possessed. Dent was confused after 'you know who this is' was told. It was all very confusing to be honest, the possessed man was close to Peri and Berkeley, and the man shouted 'tell me who I am!' Peri screamed as the man came closer, she seemed affected but it wasn't clear. It was a confusing cliffhanger. I wasn't sure what had happened. I now hoped that it would get cleared up as to what happened in the next part, and also that the story would improve. It certainly needed to! 

Part Two 

The second part followed on from the previous part's cliffhanger with the Doctor trying to contact Peri but there's worry and the mysterious noise was heard as well as Peri's scream. It seemed Peri had gone. She wasn't there. It was established that Visteen Krane was dead, and Pernell and Stengard were arriving as part of a tribute broadcast. Berkeley continued and went to bring in the agent and producer, they were unaware of the altercation and questioned its importance in regards to the tribute broadcast. 

Without any problem, Peri soon returned to the Doctor. So she hadn't encountered any danger? This was a very poor cliffhanger resolution. When the Curator had accessed the file log, Pernell mentioned how the pace and the way some speeches were said had been altered. This was interesting, what possible gain could that have for anybody? The Doctor was intrigued. 

We found out that Krane had intended on running for President before his death a week ago, the Doctor questioned whether his to be vice-President- Purnell, was considering running in his place but she claimed she wouldn't run. The Doctor believed she had an anterior motive it seemed. The tribute broadcast was scheduled for later that day.

Whispers were heard once more and Dent was heard talking to the possessed, riddling. It was very unclear who this possessed person was? Fotherill? There was a lack of clarity. The possessed person, if it was that, wanted to know about the voice it was speaking in. 

Dent soon ran into trouble though, as she stumbled across Berkeley who'd found the intruder. The Doctor was continuing to work things out. He knew these voices were as fast as sound, so he wanted the entire museum sealed and soundproofed. Peri described how in the cliffhanger moment she saw nothing. The Doctor though worked out something very good! The voices were a life form in the form of a sound-wave! A sound-wave that could manipulate! Finally something to get excited about in this story, a fantastic concept of a life form! The Doctor presumed that the Aural Antiquities museum was its native habitat, and he didn't want to let it escape. He wanted it in isolation. The Doctor was curious, he wanted to know what it was up to. 

Mr Napton, a researcher at the museum, was heard talking with the Curator before the Doctor revealed his intentions of searching the archives for evidence of the existence of the sound creature. Planning was heard, alteration of tapes was intended. It seemed Dent was in cahoots with the plan. Purnell and Stengard were talking of the broadcast, and also Dent. They knew her and it was they who had instructed her to alter the tape. They'd planned on an achievement of some sort.  Dent though, having been caught, could've tarnished the plan and it was claimed that she already knew too much. 

The museum had been sealed as the Doctor instructed, but he contacted through to Peri and co and questioned his own logic. He admitted he was wrong and said there was no creature. But the Doctor interrupted himself, well, the sound creature pretending to be him. It could imitate any sound it wanted, a very clever life form. 

The Doctor continued his investigation and wanted to meet Gantman, the Curator. But he and his companion were to hunt the creature while on their way to meet Gantman and Napton. Meanwhile, Stengard met Dent, who was happy to see him, but he killed her! There was talk of the voices, Purnell was close to her goal. She wanted to be president, or was there something more? Stengard questioned its worth, was it really worth lives? Purnell claimed how 'everyone' would be better. That it couldn't fail and all that was needed for success was courage. 

The whispers were heard yet again, and it was revealed that Krane had died at this very museum. The Doctor considered this massively important. The Curator had come up with a list of the audios that had been altered. They seemed to all favour Purnell in her bid for Presidency. It was her scheme, but did she know of its happening? The Doctor wasn't sure. He was interested in her relationship with Krane, but he noticed a sound frequency manipulator device. The Doctor came up with a fantastic revelation, the sound-wave was that of a person! That person was Visteen Krane. He'd used the manipulator to cheat death and exist in another medium, a wonderful cliffhanger! I looked forward to seeing what the cliffhanger brought in the next two parts. 

Part Three

This story was finally improving and it seemed to be doing so with each part. This was an intriguing part and after the brilliant cliffhanger, I was looking forward to it. It begins following on from the wonderful revelation of the sound creature actually being Visteen Krane, but he seems to have vanished. He wanted revenge. But on who? 

The Doctor was keen to correct Peri on her grammar throughout this part which was funny and added to the constant banter between the pair, they have great chemistry together. There was hints that Krane's death was possibly an accidental suicide, but Pernell was quick to ridicule the claims and talked of the instant of his death. 

The Doctor needed a plan for the sound creature, and Peri suggested that shouting at it could have an effect. The Doctor agreed. He though thought that the sound creature had a home, and it was somewhere here in the museum. Pernell was anxious and worried about the Doctor's theory that Krane was the sound creature. What was she hiding? 

It was discovered that Krane had altered some of the speech due for broadcast himself, but why? The Doctor and Peri were now in an attempt to find the home of the creature, and were hoping they could hear an alteration of a speech live. They were patient and waited for the computer to pick up a change. The Doctor briefly lost focus and showed his adoration for a triple sonic bypass system. But a change had occurred and the Doctor was fully focused once more. The Doctor attempted to reroute the Krane sound creature and he was successful. He had Krane trapped on a CD! Genius by the Doctor. As long as it wasn't played, the creature couldn't escape. The Doctor wanted to keep this CD for himself though, he didn't want it falling into the wrong hands. 

With the threat of the sound creature gone, the Doctor now wanted a tour of the Aural Antiquities museum. But somehow, Beth Pernell had the disc with which Krane was trapped on. The Doctor showed a rare careless moment. She wanted to play the CD but on mute so the creature would not escape. She was going to communicate with Krane and hoped Stengard could work out the reply from the wave patterns. 

Peri didn't seem interested in the tour and separated herself from the Doctor. She thought she was close to the TARDIS. Meanwhile, despite saying she would play it on mute, Purnell was heard talking to Krane. She offered a bargain, but first she wanted to know about the changes he'd been making to his own speeches due for broadcast. But interestingly, Krane revealed it wasn't him who had been changing them. Was he lying? Or was there someone else? Purnell thought it was the first, and she planned on editing the Krane file, deleting small parts which seemed to hurt the sound creature. Bit by bit the creature was deteriorating. She was rearranging his wave pattern, causing damage. She was trying to force answers from him, it was brutal. She was determined. But Krane was fighting back. He was trying to use her words against her, but it didn't seem to be quite working. 

Peri now found herself alone in the museum. She, along with the Doctor, presumed the threat of Krane was gone, but they were still unsure about Purnell. Krane was using words, not actually read but speaking. Was the disc still on mute? It was unclear. Peri walked in on Purnell when she was talking with Krane, she now knew that Pernell was up to something and that she had possession of the disc. Peri held vital information, but Stengard trapped her. However, being the brilliant companion she is, Peri managed to escape. She told the first person she saw... Stengard, which was confusing. She mustn't have saw who'd trapped her. She needed to find the Doctor, but once again she was trapped. The broadcast was approaching. 

The moment of Krane's death, when in human form, was heard and Peri was listening. It didn't quite seem like a suicide. The audio output control had been turned on clumsily and now the sound creature was free to escape. It wanted to kill. This couldn't be good! 

Peri though, had once more escaped and she found the Doctor, still touring the  museum. She told him about what she'd learned, and that Krane's speech was actually a fake. Pernell had used Fotherill in Krane's place, but more importantly the creature was now free, and after Pernell's toying, was slightly mad! The speechhadn't been altered at all, the Doctor was intrigued, as was I. It seemed Krane wanted the speech to be broadcast, but why? 

The Doctor worked out a terrifying theory, the mad sound creature was to hide in the speech, and it could manifest many insane versions of itself everywhere the speech was heard. The creature was going mad, and could soon be everywhere! It was a wonderful twist to the plot. 

Purnell ignored the Doctor's plea, and planned on broadcasting to make herself President. She was very selfish. By now, I was very satisfied at the improvement of the plot. The Doctor was running, hoping to stop the broadcast, he had one minute before the broadcast would air and a mad sound creature would manifest itself everywhere it was heard...

A magnificent cliffhanger! 

Part Four

The final part was a very good climax and resolution of the dangers of the plot. It was on par with the last part and it was a good listen. It begins as part three ended and the Doctor was struggling, affected by the sound creature. The broadcast was seconds away, but the Doctor tried reasoning with sound, did Krane really want Pernell as president? With twenty seconds to go, Krane agreed and would stop. He wouldn't manifest himself across the world. But it was made clear that the sound creature wanted escape. 

The Doctor entered the room where Purnell was controlling the broadcast, he was fiddling with controls but Purnell was ruthless and pointed a gun at him. A threat the Doctor couldn't overcome. The broadcast was airing. The Doctor though wasn't giving up, he didn't want Purnell to become president, not this way anyway. It was a fraud campaign. He did though have a plan, and Peri, the Curator and others could hear the Doctor's conversation with Purnell. He wanted them to work something out, and quickly. It was a message, and it sunk in, the Curator had generated a cancellation wave. 

The speeches were all hyping up Beth Purnell, but in the midst the Doctor escaped. And he seemingly had locked them in. The Curator had succeeded as Stengard had received word that nothing was being broadcast. Just silence. The speech was being heard, slowly, within the museum, but not anywhere else. Purnell's political bid would fail. She mentioned how democracy was out of date, making the setting presumably far in the future. 

But was her bid back on track? Stengard was ready to broadcast, and using technology this time there would be no interruption. Presumed dead after the talk with the Doctor, Krane was still around and tried giving a message to the Doctor and co. His death moment was heard, what was he trying to say? The Doctor worked it out almost immediately after hearing it for the first time. It wasn't suicide at all. Somebody was pointing a gun at his head as heard, but from behind, he was murdered. A familiar noise associated with one person was heard; Stengard. He'd killed Krane under Pernell's orders just before she was due to be denounced. It was brutal murder over politics. Cruel jealousy. 

Stengard was still planning on the broadcast, but a computer messed with him and tricked him into killing himself. Claiming an electrical wire was powerless, Stengard pulled it out, but was very much live- it electrocuted him to death. Krane got revenge. 

Stengard was found, presumed suicide, which I technically guess it was, and then Napton was heard talking to the Curator saying his research was done. But the Doctor and Peri walked in on this conversation, but only the Curator was there! It was revealed Napton was Krane all along! A great concept but how a sound creature imitated a person I'm not sure. Krane now was feeling much better. 

But the broadcast was airing, although it was revealed it wasn't a file that was being aired, it was live. Purnell presumed Krane was dead and that she was about to win. But the speech took a turn for the worst on her behalf. The speech was altered, and because it was live, she was helpless to stop it. Krane had his revenge, he was speaking live! Stengard was dead, so he couldn't stop it being aired. Pernell had lost. The Doctor was playing with words, but was soon angered when Pernell claimed her victory was worth lives. The Doctor certainly did not agree. She claimed Krane's life was a small price, something that angered the Doctor further. The speech was heard while the conversation ensued, and she was soon talked rubbish about. She was embarrassed. But something even better happened, where Purnell had just talked of lives being worthless and the murder of Krane, that's what had been aired! She'd admitted live on air to millions that she'd murderdd Krane. The first broadcasted arrest was due it seemed. Pernell would be cast away in political wilderness. 

Krane was to stay and help the Curator at the museum, he no longer wanted escape, just to help. The Doctor planned to visit back to museum in the future to see how things were getting on, so a future audio story maybe? He and Peri returned to the TARDIS and left for their next adventure, the banter continued as the Doctor mocked Peri's use of words. It was fantastic. Meanwhile, Purnell planned one last escape, but destruction was heard and it seemed she was destroyed. Danger averted. 

My analysis; 

Overall, Whispers of Terror was a mixed bag. The first quarter was mediocre but then it improved with the last half being extremely good! I admit that at some times it was a little confusing and hard to follow and my blog may be difficult to understand. There was a lack of clarity similarly to The Sirens of Time. However, I did love that Visteen Krane was a sound creature and I thought the guest cast were very good. Pernell was a brutal villain, and I liked the political references. I would've liked more clarification about the setting and about the early plot also. But the plot from halfway through part two really improved in time and became a great one. The climax was excellent and the Doctor was genius. I loved the banter between the Sixth Doctor and Peri and hope for more audio adventures reuniting them in the future! I hope that in audio number four, there's just more clarification and the plot becomes excellent earlier! But nonetheless, this became enjoyable and was really good! 

Rating; Began slow but improved to be great- 8/10!