Fireside Chat

caineskiss@hotmail.com

It was a normal winter's day outside the college rooms, and the college rooms were pretty normal for a Cambridge University college too: oak panelling, piles of books over the floor, writing desk in a corner and a roaring fire to keep out the cold. In a side room was a kitchen with a fused kettle. In the room were two gentlemen, a small circular side table between with a pot of strong black tea and milk and sugar.

The side table rested between two elegant winged chairs the two men sitting in the chairs were quite different. One was white haired old man in a tweed suit and the other was younger: a young man of about twenty years old with long locks that cascaded off of his head in dark cascades. He wore a red satin shirt with fine flowery cuffs and a pair of black trousers, on a hat stand hung a black frock coat. The young man looked intently into the flames leap and crackle before saying quietly…

"It's been a long time Cousin."

"Yes, my dear boy, far too long. But how are you? And Phyllisopora?"

"Dead."

"You look alive to me. Oh you mean Phyllisopora. You're quite sure. Our kind has a habit of…"

"…dispersing like everything else when they're vaporised."

"Why?"

"Apparently because she was protecting me. Or she was a loose end. I didn't know…post-regenerative trauma, and then she gave a nano-virus that re-engineered me to human. No memory, no idea."

"It would explain why she kept me away."

"No, that can be explained by the fact that she was trying to find my TARDIS manual."

"That too, would be a valid explanation. And the other Cousins?"

"The House was razed to the ground and surviving Cousins were terminated for 'security reasons'. We are both exiles and renegades "

"In that you are wrong, my boy. The High President herself has granted that my existence will be kept secret."

"Herself?"

"You have been a away a long time haven't you. Romanadvoratrelundar is the President now."

"Well, four-hundred years is a long time in politics." said the young man, smiling at the archaic Gallifreyan aphorism. "Seriously Salyavin, I dont think this branch of my erstwhile employers are spectacularly interested in 'Presidential Secret Keeping'. Not even that much has changed since my days in the CIA."

"I'm sure they won't have to wait long. It's nearly time."

"For what?"

"The End. The Final Act."

"Sorry, I'm wasting your time Cousin. I'm sure you have better things to do."

"Not at all, I always have time for Family, and you are the last member of it."

There was a tap at the door as he finished, and a young female voice called out. "Professor Chronotis, I'm for my supervision."

The younger man stood up, "I'd better go, I'll see you around."

The door opened as the young man turned towards the fire donning his dark frock coat. His silhouette was outlined starkly by the fire; Chronotis gestured to the recently vacated chair and said, "Sit down my dear, and…oh dear."

Stacey fainted as the tall gentleman turned round to face her.

FIN