The Stuff of Life (audio story)

***The Sins of the Father*** was an audiobook released on 5 December 2019 by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Mike Tucker, produced by Xanna Eve Chown and was read by Trevor Cooper. It began the tradition of setting an audiobook adventure between two series of the main range. The intention of the audiobooks was to help wrap up the previous series, set up up the upcoming series, whilst being a totally independent story of its own.

## Synopsis

*A mysterious death on an underwater tour of Venice...*

*A deadly disease on a remote space station...*

*A secret so big that people are willing to kill to keep it safe...*

With Nathan and Colin away on a fact-finding mission, Kenzy is on the look-out for a juicy case of her own. But the one that falls into her lap turns out to be bigger and more dangerous than anything she could have imagined. Meanwhile, Nathan's routine trip is rapidly turning into a nightmare.

Could the two investigations be linked? As the Star Cops inch closer to the explosive truth, they come to realise that they are involved in something that has far-reaching implications – not just for them, but for the whole of humanity.

## Plot

### Prologue

Dr Joseph Ntembi is sightseeing, aboard a commercial submarine, in the seas of Venice. Ntembi wishes he could have visited Venice before it had sunk underwater. He recalls his home of Nairobi, parched and dry, a complete opposite of how Venice once was. The drought in Nairobi had entered its fifth year. Ntembi remembered how all attempts to create rain with technology had failed. Ntembi had spent so much time focusing on space, that he had decided that now was the time to focus his studies and his attention to his home. He had been appointed as the Head of the African Cloud Seeding Initiative, an appointment that would be made public within two weeks.

As he fails to obtain his camera from his bag, Ntembi becomes aware of a female cabin crew member entering the room. The woman makes her way towards the stern of the submarine, entering the room beyond, and sealing the hatch behind her. It's at this moment that Ntembi realises that he's alone - the only passenger. He recalls numerous passengers back at Marco Polo Airport that had accompanied him on the vaporetto journey. Ntembi now ponders whether this journey is too good to be true, a potential scam.

His attention is grabbed by his other obsession: the Horses of St. Mark's - four bronze sculpted horses which surrounded St. Mark's Basilica. They had been there since the thirteenth century. Ntembi remembers the cover of Time magazine, which had shown the ruins of the four horses. Ntembi recalls how the original sculptures had been rescued before the flood, and how the horses here were replicas. He struggles for his camera again, and manages to capture a picture of the horseheads. He continues to take photos. He then sits up alarmed as one of the horseheads slams into the window and cracks the glass.

Ice cold water rushes into the submarine, causing Ntembi to unbuckle himself, with some difficulty. Knowing his only survival lay at the watertight room at the rear of the submarine, that's where Ntembi heads. Finally reaching the hatchway, he turns the central wheel to the door, which fills him with relief. However, as he opens the door, more ocean pours in. Falling through the submarine and losing hope, his focus turns to the sunken ruins of the Basilica. He finds it ironic that a boy born in Nairobi would drown in the oceans of Venice. Ntembi drowns.

## Notes

* This audiobook was dedicated to "Andy".

## External links

* Official **The Stuff of Life** page at bigfinish.com