The Drane Institute is home to the galaxy's most criminally deranged. Patients are kept locked away for the protection of themselves and the rest of the universe... with their most dangerous kept in active isolation. The Master is one such convalescent. He has no memory of how he came to be there. All he knows for certain is he should be: his presence is part of a greater design. Confiding in the institute's staff, the Master shares stories of love and loss, madness and glory... but there's still a final twist in the tale: one the Master's waiting to share with his enemies. Contains four new stories: 9.1 The Walls of Absence by James Goss. The Code Purgers of Chift have made a fortune cleaning up the galaxy's code: subroutines assessed, and errors repaired. So when the Master loses his mind, quite literally, there is only one place he can turn. 9.2 The Long Despair by Tim Foley. On the ocean world of Mehr Kee, the Master enlists the help of a captain to voyage across its seas. Their target: a beacon on a distant isle, shining across the waves. But what deadly trials await? 9.3 The Life and Loves of Mr Alexander Bennett by Alfie Shaw. Alexander Bennett lives a normal life. He has a job, a girlfriend, a plan for the future... and a new home assistant - Maisu - that offers all the advice he could ever need... whether he wants it or not. 9.4 The Kicker by Trevor Baxendale. When a member of the Temporal Inquisition arrives at the Crane Institute, they discover more to the Master's madness than meets the eye - and his secrets now threaten them all. CAST: : Derek Jacobi (The War Master), Kae Alexander (Mia Chan), Silas Carson (Drane), Lois Chimimba (Bartholom), Jacob Dudman (Alexander Bennett), Jason Flemyng (The Captain), Jack Forsyth-Noble (Shilling), Mia Hope (Charrup) Neve McIntosh (Innkeeper), Mateo Oxley (Glen Jackson), Sian Phillips (Mendrix), Eva Pope (Sendaya), Lucy Sheen (Michele Chan), Amanda Shodeko (Elaine Redfield). Other parts played by members of the cast.
