Episode 4: To River Song, with Love

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The jungles of Fraxxam hold many unusual traits; the trees can stretch so high that some creatures have never seen the light of day before, it has six moons that dance around the planet ensuring one is always in sight at all times, and it's littered with the tombs both lost and revered. 

None of those buried on Fraxxam are natives, either. Instead, they are kings and queens, warriors and healers, mythic names from both side of the good/evil divide, all hailing from across multiple galaxies and hundreds of wills. Their chosen resting place - far from home - is the only thing the dead have in common on Fraxxam, although each tomb is different and swallowed by the jungle itself. Some remain prominent long after the dead has been interned, while others crumble or are overtaken - the latter are the most popular with archaeologists for their secrets and the promise of intrigue. How could River Song resist?

Her heart had been pumping harder from the very moment their ship had entered the atmosphere, and only got louder in her ear the closer she and the portly Dr Barnow got to the location marked on her handheld DigiNav. It wasn't fear or anxiety, however: it was pure excitement.

They had surveyed the planet, followed the custom of the Lara'shk (whose long-lost king was supposedly buried in this tomb), and prepared for the excavation over the course of several months, and River was at last ready to claim her treasure - ethically, of course. 

With expert confidence, she led Dr Barnow from the ship, wading through mud and pulling vines out of their way as they ventured deeper and deeper into the thickening jungle. The light had been almost entirely smothered by the time the DigiNav was screaming their proximity to the site, but River didn't even need to ask for her companion to shine a torch - he knew he was there to assist, no matter how his rank placed him.

"The entrance should be right...here," River said, excitedly looking up from the DigiNav.

"Y-yes...it seems it is," Dr Barnow remarked as the pair of archaeologists stared into the bright opening of the tomb, half-buried in the dirt. It seemed almost like a drop of sunlight had fallen from the sky and buried itself in an anthill; this wasn't what they expected. "Did somebody get here first?" 

"They better not have done," River replied, indignantly, attaching the DigiNav to her belt, and instead reaching for a gun she had managed to keep somewhat out of sight until now.

"Ms Song, why do you have a gun?" Dr Barnow exclaimed, taken aback. He was already wafting the air of a nervous man long before this moment, complaining about the mud and the distant sound of indigenous creatures, but River had so far blocked his voice out. Now it was time to have some fun.

"Why, I'm an archaeologist, Dr Barnow."

"Archaeologists don't carry guns!"

River pulled the safety off and enjoyed the sound of the gun charging up with a high pitched noise. She turned her head to the doctor.

"This one does," she winked, before sauntering into the tomb's entrance.

He followed, of course, though only out of necessity. He had been warned by his colleagues, but Dr Barnow had always taken River Song's reputation as something of an exaggeration. Now, he was doubting himself.

They made their way down the many broken steps, cracked and crumbling, winding further into the sunken tomb. At one point, the doctor didn't think he could go on - the only way to continue was along a narrow ledge clutching dying vines, and his stature was vastly different to River Song's spritely frame. With some encouragement, he made it across, gasping and panting. 

To save face, Dr Barnow chronicled the rest of their journey into the tomb, shining his torch and taking notes as they came across various inscriptions and statues. 

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