The provided text consists of excerpts from the Doctor Who novel Goth Opera by Paul Cornell, detailing a conflict involving the Fifth Doctor and his companions, Tegan and Nyssa, against a resurgent vampire threat. The story introduces two distinct factions of vampires, one led by the self-proclaimed Vampire Messiah Yarven, who seeks to conquer Earth and eventually Gallifrey, and another Time Lord, Ruath, who aids Yarven while plotting to use him to return Gallifrey to its former glory. Nyssa is temporarily turned into a vampire by the Child, one of Yarven's followers, while the Doctor and Tegan struggle to counter the vampire's plan, which involves a machine to create an eternal night and a viral aerosol to convert humanity. The excerpts also feature Romana, another Time Lord, who sends a telepathic warning to the Doctor, and the downfall of evangelist Victor Lang, whose misplaced faith in God results in his horrifying transformation into a vampire before a massive audience.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.