The Day...

The End Of Time, Part 2

In the Black void Gallifrey is in ruins. Only the Citadel stands inside its protective dome. The man we saw as the Narrator in part one strides across a bridge followed by two acolytes and takes his seat at the head of a table. Six time lords sit, three on each side, whilst a woman is at the far end, scribbling on parchments. The rest of the space is in darkness.

Rassilon a Time Lord asked, "What news of the Doctor and Rebel?"

Chancellor said,"Disappeared, my Lord President."

Partisan, a woman, said, "But we know their intention. The Doctor still possesses the Moment, and he'll use it to destroy Daleks and Time Lords alike."

"The Visionary confirms it," Chancellor said.

The Visionary is the woman at the end of the table. She has henna tattoos on her face and hands, "Ending, burning, falling. All of it falling. The black and pitch and screaming fire, so burning."

"All of her prophecies say the same. That this is the last day of the Time War. That Gallifrey falls. That we die, today," Chancellor continues.

"Ending. Ending. Ending. Ending!"

Partisan suggested, "Perhaps it's time. This is only the furthest edge of the Time War. But at its heart, millions die every second, lost in bloodlust and insanity. With time itself resurrecting them, to find new ways of dying over and over again. A travesty of life. Isn't it better to end it, at last?"

"Thank you for your opinion," The Lord President stands and aims his blue metal gauntlet at the Partisan. Energy strikes her, she screams and is atomised. "I will not die! Do you hear me? A billion years of Time Lord history riding on our backs. I will not let this perish. I will not!"

"There is, er, there is one part of the prophecy, my Lord." The Chancellor brings a paper to the Lord President. "Forgive me, I'm sorry. It's rather difficult to decipher, but it talks of three survivors beyond the Final Day. Three children of Gallifrey."

"Does it name them?"

"It foresees two of them locked in their final confrontation, The Enmity of Ages, which would suggest..."

"The Doctor! The Master and Rebel."

"One word keeps being repeated, my Lord. One constant word. Earth."

Visionary repeats, "Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth."

"Planet Earth. Indigenous species, the human race."

A projection of the planet appears above the table.

"Earth. Earth. Earth."

Rassilion said, "Maybe that's where the answer lies. Our salvation. On Earth."

+++++++++

Back in Naismith's study The Doctor and Rebel have been bound and gagged, strapped upright to a trolley. Wilf is tied to a chair nearby.

"Now then, I've got a planet to run. Is everybody ready?" The Master asked the people on the screen he was looking at.

Naismith-Master on screen said, "Six billion, seven hundred and twenty seven million, nine hundred and forty nine thousand three hundred and thirty eight versions of us awaiting orders."

Obama-Master on screen, "This is Washington. As President of the United States, I can transfer all the United Nations protocols to you immediately, putting you in charge of all the Earth's defenses."

General-Master on screen, "UNIT HQ, Geneva reporting. All under your command, sir."

Chinese-Master on screen, "And this is the Central Military Commission here in Beijing, sir, with over two point five million soldiers, sir. Present arms!"