Prologue : I name thee
The little girl was eight. Thus it was time for her. Time for her to become a proper Time Lord.
Her mother was walking behind her, wearing her most beautiful red robe and a large black collar that would surround her head like a halo. She looked more fearsome than usual. But when the little girl looked down to her mother's hand, she saw that they were shaking. That was not usual.
She turned back to see what was before her. To both at her sides, there was two old men dressed like her mother, except the red crown-like hat they were wearing, along with two other men dressed un a much simpler way, carying torchs.
After walking for a little while, they came in front of a stage made of stone, where some other people were waiting there. Placed in the middle of the stage, there something that looked like a giant gong. She was guided in front of it, and now she was surrounded by adults.
"What you're about to look at," started the most important-looking one,"is called the Untempered Schism. The Time Vortex in its whole. All Time Lords must watch it to become one. And if you are able to bear it, then you will choose you're name. Do you understand?"
"Is it dangerous?" the girl asked, focusing on the closed vortex. The Master of Ceremony hesitated before answering :
"Yes, it is. But all the best Time Lords have looked at it at the same age. Fate will decide if you are part of them or not." The girl nodded and the Master of Ceremony made a sign towards the two men next to the Untempered Schism. Each one pulled a lever in front of it and the gong started to open.
The Time Vortex in its entirety entered her head.
She wavered psychologically. Felt something liquid running from her nose. Inspite of the amazing quantity of informations flowing into her head, she perceived the beat of her hearts accelerating. Breathing was becoming harder.
The very first Time War. A mad man in a blue box. The end of the universe. A Silurian ship. Cracks on walls. The entrance of the Time Agency. The different faces of the different leaders of the Shadow Proclamation. The Medusa Falls. A little blue planet. The Silence. The Papal Mainframe... Countless dates, events, people, places, the whole history of the universe, what happened, what was happening, what will happen.
She was seeing everything. Every fabulons inventions of every species, their technologies, their tools, their pieces, their materials. Soon suffering in her head let place to wonder and fascination.
Gazing at all possible things in the Time Vortex was intense and she wasn't able to perceive the time outside her mind. It lasted five whole hours. Five whole hours during which she stood there, silent but mesmerized by it.
And then, for one second, she blinked. And fainted.
She didn't stay knoked out for long. Her mother was absolutly worried but the girl still rose up and brushed off her red clothes. They closed the Untempered Schism while she was trying to get back to her senses.
"Who are you?" asked the Master of Ceremony. She looked at him as if he asked her the most casual thing.
"I am..." she answered "...The Engineer."
The Master of Ceremony nodded and declared : "Child, you are now part of the Time Lords. Thus, I name thee Engineer. And this name will be yours until the end of your times and if the odds are good, until the end of Time itself."
He extended his hands towards her.
"Welcome."
She took it. And that's how her fate was sealed.