Cry of the Vultriss

Main Range #263

Released: 15 April 2020

Listened: 9/6/20

The stories in this trilogy were a welcome return at the time, because fans had been waiting three years for this team to reappear. Fortunately, this project doesn’t have that problem. After the events of “Static,” Constance thinks she doesn’t want to go home just yet, but Flip is starting to feel she should get back to her wedding. However, they’re interrupted by the old standby, a temporal anomaly. In this case, it’s the planet of the Vultriss, a race of avians who are just about to make their first diplomatic contact with the wider galaxy. The chosen ambassadors are Ice Warriors, which leads to a Peladon-ish “are they good guys or bad guys?” plotline. There’s also a rebellion, and an ancient prophecy, plus the time anomaly. Unfortunately, although there are lots of bits and pieces running around, it’s not all that memorable. Most of the characters feel pretty one-note, even the ones who are hiding their true intentions. Once again. Flip’s empathy gets the emphasis, rather than her recklessness; Constance continues to be mostly unflappable. Adele Lynch plays the Ice Warrior Queen, a bit of stunt casting, because she played the title character in “Empress of Mars” on TV. This one definitely has to be an audio, given the high mountain vistas and evolved bird-people everywhere, it likely wouldn’t have worked on TV, even with 2020 effects.