Today should be much like every other day for Hargreaves, the computer consciousness that co-ordinates daily life aboard the spaceship Aquitaine, stationed on the outer fringes of a black hole. Water the plants, run the diagnostics, cook the Captain’s breakfast; then tidy the plates away, rotate the ship, clean the windows of the observation deck. When at last the day’s work is done, Hargreaves will dim the lights in the sleeping quarters. But no-one will sleep aboard the Aquitaine tonight. Because the Aquitaine’s crew is missing.
But today will be different. Today, a space/time ship called the TARDIS will materialise in the botanical section, bringing the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan aboard the Aquitaine. Together, they’ll seek to discover the truth of what happened to Hargreaves’ crew…
… if only the ghosts will let them.
AQUITAINE
The second of three Peter Davison releases to start the 2016 monthly range, “Aquitaine,” from Simon Barnard and Paul Morris, is a light, intriguing story that holds the interest and entertains throughout. It’s not as deep as its predecessor but it’s a pleasant way to pass a couple of hours, which is certainly a plus for the monthly range.
Hargreaves (Matthew Cottle), the on-board AI that controls the spaceship Aquitaine, is arguably the main character of this story. He’s omnipresent, either through communication via loudspeaker or through the many avatars that roam the ship doing chores. He’s unfailingly open and friendly, enabling the TARDIS crew to get involved without all the tedious capture-and-escape that often entangles lesser stories. He’s surprisingly witty, which adds humor, and his periodic memory resets allow the characters to recapture the story without sounding forced. There’s also a quixotic sort of melancholy about him, how he sets the tables and cooks three meals a day that are never consumed, how he trims the plants that always seem to grow larger. He’s a great character, in other words, something that’s rather impressive for an AI that isn’t supposed to develop significantly.
The biggest issue with the story, on the other hand, is its failure to develop a consistent tone. It veers from point to point, starting off like it’s going to follow Hargreaves around in a chamber drama then jumping from body horror to ghost story to quiet reflection to action and back. The “ghosts” heard throughout the ship, for example: are they supposed to be scary? They’re certainly designed like typical horror movie sounds, and the characters are unnerved by their presence, but the thread doesn’t go anywhere until the scientific explanation is given later on. The scheme by Akunin (Harry Myers) to create a new hybrid species, meanwhile, comes almost out of nowhere and sits uneasily with the ghost/time travel plot. An appropriate structure almost seems too obvious: with the characters moving back in time, why not find out what happened to the ship in a defined reverse order? As written, it feels haphazard, not planned.
Fortunately, the story maintains a light touch that helps it to overcome its inconsistent tone. Some of this is driven by Peter Davison’s performance and his entertaining double-act with Hargreaves, but “Aquitaine” is generally a breezy, enjoyable affair. While Tegan and Nyssa are threatened on multiple occasions, the experiences aren’t as harrowing as they perhaps could be. Janet Fielding spends much of the story interacting with Davison – which is exactly the sparky, argumentative relationship you’d expect – while Sarah Sutton spends much of it with different members of the guest cast. Additionally, Fielding is paired off with Gerald Kyd’s Lt. Savinio, though that plot thread doesn’t pay off especially well. Myers is probably the strongest member of the guest cast outside of Cottle – Akunin’s interactions with both the Doctor and Nyssa are compelling in part because they all share a scientific background but differ in moral composition.
The sound design from Andy Hardwick is excellent, and Ken Bentley’s direction is assured as ever. A strong production can often offset issues with an inconsistent script, and that’s certainly the case here – “Aquitaine” is very easy on the ears. There’s definitely a lot to recommend “Aquitaine,” and it’s certainly an enjoyable way to pass the time. No, it won’t stick around in the memory for very long, but it’s an entertaining release that avoids dredging up any tired old clichés. In the end, what’s not to like?
Recommended.
7/10