The Dark Path

In the far future Earth's empire has folded, and the planet has joined the Galactic Federation as an influential member. When a lost Imperial colony is discovered in the shadow of a red giant a repatriation taskforce is dispatched to welcome them into the new order, but the former Imperials are not exactly keen to join. Fresh from their adventures on Vortis, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria also arrive on scene with the TARDIS being drawn to some kind of space-time interference, and the Doctor becomes convinced that the Imperials are hiding something. But the Doctor isn't the only time traveller to arrive; one of his own people is there as well, a man named Kosechi, and the events about to unfold will change his destiny.

The Dark Path was published as the second last novel in the Missing Adventures range by Virgin Publishing, by which time the range had established its own continuity within itself, and a lot of the elements of that time come together in the story. Earth's rising and declining empire were mentioned here and there in the televised series as was its eventual membership in the Federation (no relation to Star Trek) and The Dark Path pulls those elements together to illustrate part of the transitional era between the two, at least from the perspective of three hundred and fifty years after the fact. By and large all hostility between Earth and former warring species has been forgotten and the alien life within the Federation is diverse, including Alpha Centaurans, Draconians and Terileptils and a new species, the Veltroch (the....thing on the cover). Virgin's line also established the existence of the order of the Adjudicators, who were effectively the police force of the Empire, and they are here in force (indeed in the New Adventures range two of their order became companions of the seventh Doctor) to provide a rich backdrop of series continuity. It's almost as if author David A. McIntee was told to just throw it all in the pot for this novel given it would be one of the last of the range,

That notion would also explain why the story was treated as an origin tale for the Master.

The Doctor and the Master have been locked in conflict throughout the series since the evil Time Lord first made his appearance in 1971 and their dynamic has been the subject of many of the New and Missing Adventures, not to mention the odd BBC Book as well. The new series on television brought him into the narrative as well giving its own take on his origins (and a rather idiotic sell out moment where he regenerated into a woman) but it doesn't necessarily collide with what was written in this tale. Not much. But I don't really buy this one, to be honest. I don't know a lot of evil people, like really truly evil people, but having seen the Master's deeds over the years I don't really think that the events of The Dark Path are enough to tip him over the edge when they do happen. Sure he's pissed off and he's already a dangerous individual with a bit of a cold side to him, but universal domination as a goal afterwards? Nah. The new series just writes his issues off to madness from seeing into the time vortex at a young age, so maybe the two can work together as his eventual reason for going off the deep end and wanting everyone either under his control or dead. Or in future stories, both. It's pretty clear that the temptation to write a Master origin tale was just too great - just the same as everyone else who has tried to be the first to introduce the sonic screwdriver in a novel before it appears on screen - and given that the range was almost ended with the BBC not renewing the license the powers that be decided to do what they wanted.

And speaking of foreshadowing (sort of) The Dark Path grabs hold of the notion presented in Twilight of the Gods that Victoria is really not doing well as a companion. She's a wreck. The horrors have come left and right ever since she met the Doctor and Jamie, and although they seem to be able to shake it off and just do what needs to be done, she's not able to do so. Her perpetually confused state makes her easy prey for Kosechi's hypnotic influence, and when she is herself she is constantly wondering how much more of this she is going to be able to take. On screen in what episodes do exist the cumulative effect of the adventures is not entirely made clear; its only in print that we get those moments of Victoria's introspection, much as was done for Dodo in The Man With The Velvet Mask. Victoria is fast approaching status of the second companion to be diagnosed with Post Doctor Stress Disorder. What's more distressing aside from her own turmoil is that the Doctor and Jamie can't see it, and her brave front is accepted as her being able to cope. When it all comes to a head it's not going to be good for anyone involved.

The rest of the book... well you can tell that McIntee is a Star Wars fan with how he plays out the space battle scenes between the Imperials and the Federation ships. I couldn't quite hear a John Williams soundtrack as I read it, but it was close.

NEXT EPISODE: LETHBRIDGE-STEWART - THE SCHIZOID EARTH