History Recap / BigFinishDoctorWho076Singularity

* AlwaysSaveTheGirl
* AndThenWhat
* [[spoiler: AssimilationPlot]]
* BadassBoast: Turlough gets in a ''magnificent'' one.
* [[spoiler: BedlamHouse]].

* CallBack: Lena tells Turlough he has [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho020LoupsGaroux something of the wolf in him]]. He tells her she has no idea.

* ComputerVoice
* ConquerorFromTheFuture: The Sleepers.

* CreepyCrows: See also TheSwarm.

* SanDimasTime
** With just a slight dash of YearInsideHourOutside. A day equates to several weeks.

* NiceHat: Turlough wears a Usanka at one point in an attempt to disguise himself. It doesn't work.

* GoodbyeCruelWorld
* GratuitousRussian

** The Doctor, at the end of the story, says there's ''plenty'' of aliens on Earth. Like the tall fellow with the [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair blue hair]].

* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: MUSIC OFF.

* TheStarsAreGoingOut
* SpotOfTea

* TitleDrop

* WholePlotReference: To ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Plenty of references are made to the "instrumentality of mankind" (which means exactly the same here as it did in the anime series) and to its "death and rebirth".

** The Doctor, at the end of the story, says there's ''plenty'' of aliens on Earth. Like the tall fellow with the [[GottaHaveBlueHair blue hair]].

* AliensSpeakingEnglish: The Doctor and Turlough get confused for Brits, because of the way they talk. The TARDIS' TranslatorMicrobes make everybody else speaking English, though.

* [[spoiler: SaveTheVillain]]: The Doctor tries to invoke this to Qel. [[ChaoticEvil It doesn't work out]].

The next stage of the plan soon becomes apparent when the Somnus are able to extract the power they need by torturing the TARDIS, psychically linking the population of Moscow into another hive mind. After Lena succumbs to DespairEventHorizon and is assimilated into the gestalt, the Doctor is left to confront the cult leaders at the tower alone. There, Qel finally reveals what her race is: the very last humans in the universe. In the future, the Time Lords saw the end of the universe approaching and gathered up all the races they considered worthwhile, before departing for a new dimension; humanity was left behind to die along with the burned-out stars. The Somnus Foundation's true goal is to transmit their brethren into new bodies into the past and escape the end of the universe; they've chosen a time just before human space colonization begins en mass, so it has the largest concentration of humans - allowing them to link enough minds together into a singularity capable of achieving [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence psychic transubstantiation]], a godlike gestalt powerful enough to rewrite history.

** Turlough thinks the NegativeSpaceWedgie was a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks Time]] [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho015TheMutantPhase Corridor]].

** Turlough thinks the NegativeSpaceWedgie was a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks Time]] [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho015TheMutantPhase Corridor]], an event he hadn't personally witnessed.

* [[spoiler: ConquerorFromTheFuture]]: The Sleepers.

* FantasticRacism: The Time-Lords saw the end of the universe coming and took several species [[spoiler: but not humanity.]]

Curious, Team TARDIS, Lena and Pavel head off to ten years before - the day of the fire and the day Natalia renamed herself Qel. Confronted with the idea of time travel, Lena runs off ''really fast'', crying about how she has to get to a hospital to stop her mother from dying - but is eventually talked out of it by Turlough. Meanwhile, Pavel and the Doctor infiltrate the Somnus clinic and find a group of human test subjects linked together via a psychic HiveMind; with a little technical help, the hive mind explain that the alien being known as Qel has taken over the real Natalia Pushkin's body, and is trying to link the entire human race into a psychic [[TitleDrop singularity]]. Thanks to the Doctor's assistance, the experimental hive mind is able to commit suicide, [[YouAlreadyChangedThePast setting fire to the clinic in the process]]. Unfortunately, the Doctor accidentally cuts himself on a broken window while escaping - allowing Qel to get a blood sample and recognize Time Lord interference in her experiments.

Shortly after Team TARDIS arrive back in the present, Lena has a breakdown over the lack of progress, coming within inches of handing the Doctor and Turlough over to the Sleepers before the Doctor manages to placate her. Eventually, she explains just why she tried to change the past: her mother had been suffering from terminal cancer on night of the fire, and after witnessing all the suffering she'd been made to endure over the last few months, Lena took action; using the blackout that resulted from the experimental hive mind's suicide as cover, she switched off her mother's life support and "[[MercyKill let her sleep]]." From then on she had to raise her brother on her own, but was so desperate to keep him safe that she ended up smothering him, destroying their relationship and driving Alexi to join the Sleepers.

Unfortunately, while she's explaining this to the Doctor, Qel is able to track down the TARDIS via the blood sample, and sends out a capture team to retrieve it - abducting both the TARDIS ''and'' Turlough, killing Pavel in the process. As it turns out, the cult leaders and its "enlightened" members are creatures from the far, ''far'' future, who plan to use the bodies of humans as their new host forms in order to escape the Heat Death of the Universe: their regular bodies in the far future are dying and barely kept together with bits of metal and flesh, as Turlough finds out when ''his'' body is stolen and he ends up imprisoned at the far end of time - along with the ''real'' Alexi and the ''real'' Natalia.

Meanwhile, in the future, Turlough is able to rally the transplanted victims enough to lead an attack on the Somnus power source keeping the hive mind stable; in the present, the Doctor uses the confusion that results as a means of playing up the rivalry between Qel and Seo long enough to distract them while he sabotages their machinery. As a result, the Somnus are evicted from their stolen bodies and their victims are finally allowed to return home, reuniting Lena and Alexi. However, with the tower exploding around them, Natalia realizes she can't let Qel return to the future or else she'll just start her mind transference experiments all over again; trapping the Somnus founder inside her consciousness, she remains behind to die in the collapsing tower while the Doctor and the others escape.

Curious, the Team TARDIS, Lena and Pavel head off to ten years before - the day of the fire and the day Natalia renamed herself Qel. Confronted with the idea of time travel, Lena runs off ''really fast'', crying about how she has to get to a hospital to stop her mother from dying - but is eventually talked out of it by Turlough. Meanwhile, Pavel and the Doctor infiltrate the Somnus clinic and find a group of human test subjects linked together via a psychic HiveMind; with a little technical help, the hive mind explain that the alien being known as Qel has taken over the real Natalia Pushkin's body, and is trying to link the entire human race into a psychic [[TitleDrop singularity]]. Thanks to the Doctor's assistance, the experimental hive mind is able to commit suicide, [[YouAlreadyChangedThePast setting fire to the clinic in the process]]. Unfortunately, the Doctor accidentally cuts himself on a broken window while escaping - allowing Qel to get a blood sample and recognize Time Lord interference in her experiments.

Shortly after the Doctor and Co arrive back in the present, Lena reluctantly explains just why she tried to change the past: her mother happened to be very ill (from cancer) on the day of the fire, and the blackout that resulted from the clinic fire enabled her to commit a MercyKill on her mother without anyone noticing. She's been wrecked with guilt ever since, raising Alexi on her own, and wants to make amends. She fully blames herself for letting Alexi slip away from her and seeing him join the cult.

Unfortunately, while she's explaining this to the Doctor, Qel and Seo send their henchmen to capture the TARDIS, abducting Turlough and killing Pavel in the process. As it turns out, the cult leaders and its "enlightened" members are creatures from the far, ''far'' future, who plan to use the bodies of humans as their new host forms in order to escape the Heat Death of the Universe: their regular bodies in the far future are dying and barely kept together with bits of metal and flesh, as Turlough finds out when ''his'' body is stolen and he ends up imprisoned at the far end of time - along with the ''real'' Alexi and the ''real'' Natalia.

The next stage of the plan soon becomes apparent when the Somnus are able to extract the power they need by torturing the TARDIS, psychically linking the population of Moscow into another hive mind. After Lena succumbs to DespairEventHorizon and is assimilated into the gestalt, the Doctor is left to confront the cult leaders at the tower alone. There, Qel finally reveals what her race is: the very last humans in the universe. In the future, the Time Lords saw the end of the universe approaching and gathered up all the races they considered worthwhile, before departing for a new dimension; humanity was left behind to die along with the burned-out stars. The Somnus Foundation's true goal is to transmit their future brethren into new bodies into the past; they've chosen a time just before human space colonization begins, so it has the largest concentration of humans - allowing them to link enough minds together into a singularity capable of achieving psychic transubstantiation, a godlike gestalt powerful enough to rewrite history.

Meanwhile, in the future, Turlough is able to rally the transplanted victims enough to lead an attack on the Somnus power source keeping the hive mind stable; in the present, the Doctor uses the confusion that results as a means of playing up the rivalry between Qel and Seo long enough to distract them while he sabotages their machinery. As a result, the Somnus are evicted from their stolen bodies and their victims are finally allowed to return home, ultimately reuniting Lena and Alexi. However, with the tower exploding around them, Natalia realizes she can't let Qel return to the future or else she'll just start her mind transference experiments all over again; trapping the Somnus founder inside her consciousness, she remains behind to die in the collapsing tower while the Doctor and the others escape.

* ConspiracyTheorist: Several. A device is creating rifts in time, shifting parts into this one, but some people retain what seems to be a partial RippleEffectProofMemory so this creates many of this trope.

* ForDoomTheBellTolls
* ForInconveniencePressOne

* NiceHat: Turlough wears a Usanka at one point.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: It's implied the events of the story were caused by [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Five]].

* WhatHaveIBecome

The Fifth Doctor and Turlough land in late 21st century Moscow to investigate a problem with the web of time. Turlough tries to stay behind in the TARDIS until they somehow magically land on the planet of sunny beaches and pretty girls, but the Doctor drags him along. They head off to investigate why a building with future off-world architecture is suddenly in the middle of Moscow, and why a cult called Somnus is gaining popularity.

Turlough finds his GirlOfTheWeek in a young woman named Lena, whose brother Alexi has just joined the cult. Lena and her best friend Pavel -- a conspiracy geek -- explain that the group promises its members enlightenment and eternal life. The Doctor simply knocks on the cult's front door and asks nicely for a tour. Unfortunately, although he's never met the leader (Qel) yet, she definitely knows who ''he'' is and sets about ruining his plans. A Time Lord is exactly what she needs, and this particular Time Lord is someone she has a personal vendetta against.

Team TARDIS, Lena and Pavel head off to ten years before, when Natalia Pushkin (now known as Qel) first stopped being a regular nice scientist and started becoming a cult leader. Confronted with the idea of time travel, Lena runs off ''really fast'', crying about how she has to get to a hospital to stop her mother from dying. Turlough keeps her close to him and tries to explain the web of time and the fact that she won't be able to save her mother no matter what. Inside Pushkin's research facility, the Doctor finds the very first batch of experimental cult members: humans whose minds were replaced with different ones, brought there through a time corridor. He sets the place on fire a bit by accident and leaves enough traces behind to be identifiable.

Back in the present, Qel and her accomplice Seo kidnap the TARDIS as well as Turlough, hoping to use both in their experiments. As it turns out, the cult leaders and its "enlightened" members are creatures from a far, ''far'' future, who plan to use the bodies of humans as their new forms. Their regular bodies in the far future are dying and, as Turlough finds out when his body is stolen and he ends up at the far end of time, barely kept together with bits of metal and flesh. Turlough, the ''real'' Alexi and the ''real'' Natalia stage a badass revolution while the Doctor heads back into the cult's headquarters to rescue the TARDIS.

Lena, meanwhile, explains just what she wanted to do when she travelled back to ten years before: her mother happened to be very ill (from cancer) on the day of the fire, and the blackout that resulted from the first Somnus transfer enabled her to commit a MercyKill on her mother without anyone noticing. She's been wrecked with guilt ever since, raising Alexi on her own, and wants to make amends. She fully blames herself for letting Alexi slip away from her and seeing him join the cult.

Qel eventually reveals what her race is: the very last humans in the universe. When all of life and matter was dying, the Time Lords gathered up all the races they considered worthwhile and left for a new dimension. Humans, and their decaying descendants, where left behind to die together with the burned-out suns. The Somnus cult is their attempt to replace their own ancestors, exchange bodies with them and stage an AssimilationPlot. Since the late 21st century is just before mankind would start to colonise space a bit, it has the largest concentration of humans in a single spot. The Doctor tries his best to explain why that sort of thing is a ''really bad idea'', but only succeeds in getting both the TARDIS and himself (by proxy through the TARDIS' psychic link) tortured. He does manage to play up the rivalry between Qel and Seo long enough to distract them, hooks his brain up into the HiveMind and smashes the linking device with Turlough's distant help. The TARDIS manages to save herself from the explosion. Unfortunately, Pavel dies in the middle of all that, but Lena and Alexi are reunited.

In the aftermath, the Doctor visits the very last human in the very far future -- not to stop humanity from dying out, but simply to be there when it happens and to pay his respects.

* InternalHomage: Pavel mentions N-Space, in reference to the ThirdDoctorRadioDramas episode "The Ghosts Of N-Space".

Back in the present, Qel and her accomplice Seo kidnap the TARDIS as well as Turlough, hoping to use both in their experiments. As it turns out, the cult leaders and its "enlightened" members are creatures from a far, ''far'' future, who plan to use the bodies of humans as their new forms. Their regular bodies in the far future are dying and, as Turlough finds out when his body is stolen and he ends up at the far end of time, barely kept together with bits of metal and flesh. Turlough, the ''real'' Alexi and the ''real'' Natalia stage a BadAss revolution while the Doctor heads back into the cult's headquarters to rescue the TARDIS.

* RavensAndCrows: See aso TheSwarm.

* TheSwarm: The Doctor, Turlough and Lena are beset upon by a swarm of RavensAndCrows.

* GasLeakCoverup: After StuffBlowingUp a Russian NewsReel says a terrorist attack involving hallucigenetics caused people to start seeing things.

* ShoutOut: [[StarTrek Rigel VII]] is mentioned as an Earth colony.

* BadassAbnormal: Turlough gets mistaken for a human. His captors live to regret it.

* CallFoward: Turlough says he's got family out there, but no means of contacting them. The Doctor replies with "Ye of little faith." and the story ends with the two going, by Turlough's wish, "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E5PlanetOfFire Somewhere warm]]!"

* [[spoiler: SaveTheVillain]]: The Doctor tries to invoke this. It doesn't work out.

* ForeShadowing: Turlough says