Storm Warning (audio Drama) - Part 1

Part 1

October 1930. The British airship R101 sets off on its maiden voyage to Karachi, ushering in a new age of lighter-than-air travel... in theory. In practice, Lieutenant-Colonel Frayling is concerned about the modifications imposed upon his design team by Lord Tamworth, Minister of the Air, and fears that the rush to get the R101 into action has compromised its airworthiness. Tamworth refuses to explain the rush, or what's in the sealed compartments on the ship, or who the unnamed passenger in cabin 43 is. All he will say is that this mission is more than a simple maiden flight. As the still uneasy Frayling departs, Tamworth sends his South African "valet", Rathbone, to check on the health of the passenger in 43. As Rathbone heads for the cabin deck, he passes Chief Steward Weeks and orders a pot of coffee for later. He pays little attention to the young steward whom Weeks is escorting to the smoking room, which is fortunate for the "steward". For the real Simon Murchford is still in Cardington, and his place has been taken by would-be adventuress Charlotte Pollard...

As Weeks and Charley approach the lounge, the R101 lurches momentarily -- which may be due to the TARDIS materialising aboard, pushing its way out of the Vortex just ahead of the pursuing vortisaurs. The Doctor emerges to find himself in an enclosed space with water lapping about his shoes, and he climbs a nearby ladder for a better look around. By the time he works out that he's in an airship, it's too late; Frayling has noticed the list to starboard and ordered that number 3 ballast tank be flushed again. The TARDIS is jettisoned from the airship, and the Doctor finds himself stuck on board, facing the prospect of a long cross-country journey to recover his TARDIS. Unless it was dropped out at sea.

Frayling reports to Tamworth that a storm front is approaching, but again Tamworth dismisses his concerns and refuses to postpone the flight. They are just approaching northern France, and the halfway point in Egypt is at least a full day's flight away... and yet Tamworth claims that they will make their rendezvous in an hour. As Frayling tries to understand, there is a screeching sound from outside and the entire airship rocks as though struck by something -- and in the confusion, Charley's disguise slips. She admits to the infuriated Tamworth that she got Murchford drunk and took his place for the thrill of the adventure. She bolts before anyone can stop her, and Tamworth sends Weeks after her -- threatening, quite seriously, to have her shot. This mission is far more important than he's been letting on; but there's another threat more serious than Charley which he knows nothing about. Frayling catches a glimpse of it in the lightning; something outside the airship, an animal like nothing he's seen before...

The Doctor finds his way to the cabin deck, where he hears odd, hoarse breathing sounds from cabin 43. Using one of Conan Doyle's old stethoscopes to eavesdrop, he overhears Rathbone threatening to shut his charge up with an injection. Before the Doctor can intervene, Charley runs into him, and he helps her to hide, delighted to meet a new friend -- as she must be if she's running from something. Weeks gives up the search soon enough, and Charley decides to throw her lot in with the Doctor, although she's puzzled by his enthusiastically mad behaviour and his casual claims to have met Lenin, Geronimo and even Empress Alexandra. When he peers out of a porthole, claiming that he's trying to work out their location so he can figure out where his time machine fell out of the airship, Charley becomes convinced that she's the victim of an elaborate joke. Something seems to be scraping across the outside hull, but the Doctor is more concerned with Charley's claim that the airship is now over northern France, heading for Karachi. A few more questions confirm the worst; the Doctor is aboard the R101, and if he knows his history, he knows that the airship will crash in flames in this very storm...

Rathbone appears to find his duty and the passenger quite distasteful, and when the passenger begins to whimper in panic he threatens it with the needle once again. But then he too hears something scratching at the porthole, and crosses to investigate. And with a screeching and a shattering of glass, whatever was outside smashes its way in and seizes hold of him...