Dusk ⋆ Doctor Who¹

15. The Recording

THE WORDS SEND A CHILL RIGHT DOWN AURORA'S SPINE. The knowledge comes to her like a brick in her face, so much that, even when night falls and the rest of the troops arrive with their supplies in a small drop ship, like a container unit, she's still trying to process everything.

They set up camp around the ship, giving the Doctor a small area to work in.

"The Angel, as far as we know, is still trapped in the ship," Father Octavian says, guiding them through the camp. "Our mission is to get inside and neutralize it. We can't get through up top, we'd be too close to the drives." They arrive at a small desk, and he shows them an even smaller device. "According to this, behind the cliff face there's a network of catacombs leading right up to the temple. We can blow through the base of the cliffs, get into the entrance chamber, then make our way up."

"Oh, good," the Doctor says, smiling.

Aurora whips her head around to face him. "Good?"

He turns to her. "Catacombs. Probably dark ones. Dark catacombs. Great."

She winces. "Is now a good time to say I'm kinda scared of the dark? No?"

"Technically, I think it's called a maze of the dead," Octavian specifies.

"You can stop any time you like," the Doctor says to Octavian, noticing Aurora's panicked glances.

"Father Octavian?" someone calls for him.

"Excuse me, sir."

Octavian leaves, leaving the Doctor, Aurora, and Amy behind. He sonics some devices, inspecting them, while Amy comes up next to him.

"You're letting people call you sir. You never do that." No answer. She perches herself on the desk. "So, whatever a Weeping Angel is, it's really bad, yeah?"

Aurora shivers.

"Now that's interesting," the Doctor says, before turning to Amy. "You're still here. Which part of wait in the TARDIS till I tell you it's safe was so confusing?"

Amy shrugs. "You're letting Ro stay, why not me?"

Aurora stiffens, letting a small laugh out. "Ha, yes. Why am I staying here, and not alone in the TARDIS, Doctor?" He gives her a dark look. "Woah. Alright there, Mister Grumpy Face."

He turns to Amy. "A Weeping Angel, Amy, is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life form evolution has ever produced, and right now one of them is trapped inside that wreckage and I'm supposed to climb in after it with a screwdriver and a torch, and assuming I survive the radiation long enough and assuming the whole ship doesn't explode in my face, do something incredibly clever which I haven't actually thought of yet. That's my day. That's what I'm up to. Any questions?"

"Is River Song your wife, or Ro's?" Aurora gapes at her. "Because she's someone from both your future, and the way she talks to you, I've never seen anyone do that." She looks at the Doctor. "She's kind of like, you know, heel, boy." At Aurora. "And she just can't stop flirting with you. She's Mrs Doctor from the future, or Mrs Barnes? Is she going to be your wife one day? Or maybe you're married and River is your maid of honor, I haven't decided yet."

Aurora looks like a streetlight now. She has never been this red.

"Yes, you're right," the Doctor says, and her eyes bulge out of their sockets. He turns to her. "I am definitely Mister Grumpy Face today."

"Doctor! Doctor?" River calls from the drop module. She has changed into combat fatigues.

The Doctor and Aurora both roll their eyes.