The Defender of Time

Nineteen

Alessia sat at the end of a long table, laden with nothing but a runner the same scarlet as everything else and thirteen mugs of tea. She was wearing the robe, now, which fell down over her hands. Mayzie had spent an hour filling her in on everyone's history. On her history. On who they were.

Quite frankly, Alessia had never imagined having any siblings at all, nor thought of it. Much less the twelve who sat in front of her. Things were falling into place. She'd crashed, Mayzie said. She'd shown Alessia a model of the ships the thirteen of them had travelled in. Small, one-way spaceships which delivered the occupant to their assigned location and left them alone for five years to study. Alessia had gotten into one of those years ago and gotten off course.

"January 26," Mayzie had said, pointing to the '1/26' which emblazoned the side of the ship. "Our birthday. You're lucky your mum figured it out, honestly. She must be smart."

The sentence had struck a chord in Alessia, but she had kept quiet.

That was all she knew so far.

"It's nice to see you all again," Janus said. He sat across from Alessia. Down the sides, the others said oldest to youngest, leaving Novice November (a part-Catkind healer who had been put in charge of learning the healing processes of different species) and Decla December (the tiny girl whom Alessia shared a room with, a Gallifreyan who had a photographic memory) on either side of her.

Octavius sighed and cracked his knuckles. ("Part Weeping Angel," Mayzie had whispered. "Don't touch him.") "Wish I could say the same to you." He reached for his mug and took a long sip of his tea.

Janus chose to ignore the comment. "I hope you all have been working hard over the years. I know I have." He gestured to the room around them, which had a long set of curtains across each wall. "I'm sure you all remember the Atrium quite differently, but I had it rebuilt. The walls are all windows, so the spectators can watch."

Mayzie shot a look at Alessia and rolled her eyes.

"Who in their right mind would watch a bunch of ten year olds talk about research?" Mara groaned. (Part Cyberman, as seen in the metal on her forehead and across her right cheek. She could turn invisible.)

"Our work here is very important, Mara! We are turning the tides of history!" Janus pushed his chair back and stood up, banging his hands on the table. "You all don't understand how integral this meeting is! Our creator didn't work this hard on making us perfect if it wasn't for a good cause!"

Feble (unknown. He spoke every single language, but that's all anyone knew about him) sighed dramatically and leaned his head over the back of the chair. "Just because a wacko scientist with no name gave us five years of childhood trauma doesn't mean we have to honour him, Janus. Get that stick out of your ass."

Sephora (a Pixie, but her wings had been clipped due to some sort of accident. She could control people. She was uptight.) clamped her hands over her ears. "FEBLE!" She screamed. "DON'T SAY THAT!"

With a groan, Alessia pushed her hand into the air, and every face turned to her. Mayzie gave her wide questioning eyes. "I have something to say," she announced. "Or a question, rather." She suddenly the weight of twelve strangers staring at her, and she reeled herself in. "I want to know what's happened to my parents, and why you said there's another Doctor."

Mayzie dropped her head into her hands as Janus squinted across the table. "Lea," he said slowly. "Why are you acting like you know nothing? Your parents are in the guest quarters, as are Mayzie's. Do you not remember whose care Mayzie has been in?"

Alessia glanced down the table to Mayzie, who shook her head as she sighed deeply. I'll tell you later.

"Anyway," Janus continued, his voice deeply annoyed. "Is there anything that any of you would like to share before the first meeting tomorrow?"