Author's Note: Well, here's another glimpse through the looking glass into Life on Gallifrey, or rather the daily life of one Time Lord.
Disclaimer: All right's to their respective owners. I don't own Doctor Who.
Auld Acquaintances be Renewed
The halls were silent. A glance around at the coral arches and floating orbs of light scattered here and there, before turning and as quietly as possible, making his way over to the central desk. A soft tap on the main desk, and then he waited for a Librarian to assist him. In the meantime, his eyes studied the room around him. It was a grand room, twelve square miles of reading space. Organised in a circular pattern, in the image of a clock face. Indeed, beneath his feet, clockwork ticked and clicked in silence underneath a glass floor, and massive clock hands moved to show the time. The irony wasn't lost on him. His attention passed onto the central desk as he approached.
The central desk functioned as the main control console for the library. For this was a TARDIS in actuality, albeit a heavily renovated one. He'd reached the desk by now, a small press of a button for a librarian to attend to him, and as he waited, his attention strayed back to the library itself. You see, when your race is the oldest in the universe, the odds are certain that your race is going to accumulate a lot of books. And this was no exception. This, was the Endless Library, there were other libraries on Gallifrey of course but this was the grandest, and the oldest. A brief history of the place flashed through his mind. It had been established in the Gallifreyan Bronze Age by the Philosopher-King Arximellian, it had endured from the simple repository of basic scrolls it had once been, growing and growing until it's halls seemed Endless, hence the name. The original building and subsequent buildings were held in the museum levels, there was an Academy outing today, he'd be sure to avoid that level.
A small tap on the desk he was leaning on returned his attention back to the matter at hand. His eyes turned to look at the originator of the tap. A small female librarian, with green eyes and blonde hair and clad in simple scarlet robes. A fellow Prydonian then. A lean forwards, murmured words.
"I'm looking for Chronotis."
"Developmental Epoch level."
"Could you send a message to him, tell him that a nosey stranger is on the way. He'll understand."
A nod of thanks. He turned and walked away. Another glance around the Central Chamber as he left. three levels of basic reading material. Those levels held the data stacks containing the catalogues of the material on each level. They stretched back a further two miles. The clock hands from earlier stopped short of these levels, a sort of protective gild around the clock in his mind. His attention drifted ever higher, there, to the dome above. A pause, he stopped to admire it for the span of a whole second. For it was, a thing of beauty.
It was more clockwork, but unlike the clockwork beneath his feet, it told a story. A showing of the twelve founders of time lord society in clockwork relief, each cog painted and arranged so as to appear in a mix of a both two dimensional and three dimensional relief. Around each of the founders, a mixture of their many achievements. The destruction of the Great Vampires, the seeding of life, the Eye of Harmony, the establishment of the web and more. He even spied a small perigosto in the far background of the relief behind the founder who created the item. A small smile, before he chuckled and resumed his walk, into the entrance corridor and into the relevant quantum tunnel.
Walking through the short tunnel, feeling each dimension change in a seamless transition as his space-time position was subtly moved through the facility he emerged onto the developmental Epoch Level. A glance up as a Vortisaur screeched out as it soared up and above, circling over the stacks it's leathery wing-beats a booming drumbeat throughout the library before falling silent as it took its place in its nest in the purpose built eyrie. He hadn't been Vortisaur riding in a while, he'd have to see if any of his great-grandchildren wanted to try it. A note of the library bookcases and data stacks. Here, they were encased in coral, moss growing over some of them, small butterflies and moths flitted and floated by. The room began to darken as the ecosphere traversed itself into a night-time-like resting state. A small sigh seemed to emanate throughout the level, a stirring warm breath of wind caressing ever inch of the place before being replaced with a mild coolness.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
A nod of agreement.
"It sure is Chrono. Sure is."
His head turned to look at the librarian. The man was old, they were both so old now. Two time lords, tired of time. An irony if ever there was one.
"How can I help you my old friend?"
"I don't suppose you could spare a few minutes to chat?"
Chronotis spoke as he moved, moving over to a small desk by the quantum tunnel and reaching into a cupboard.
"A few minutes to speak yes, but to stand still? No. Here, take this."
The rummaging through the cupboard had secured two lantern sticks, and then two lanterns. The sticks were two ornate rods, engraved patterns into the reddish wood and a simple cloth wrap for the hands to clasp the stick without the risk of splinters. The lanterns were old fashioned mining lamps, brass coloured steel and clear crystal glass that served to accentuate the light. He took one, checked it over, before activating the fusion torch, a small spark before a star of energy bloomed into existence. A miniature star in his hands, he shook his head at the thought before attaching the lantern to its rod, and then resting the rod on his right hand shoulder, turned to look at Chronotis, who had done the same, and was now securing a small thread ball.
He watched on as Chronotis first tied a piece of thread to a small hook on the desk, before dropping the ball by his feet, they were ready now, the whole business having taken but fifteen seconds all in all. Standing together, Chronotis looked around before gesturing to walk with him. In front of them, the thread ball rolled on, carefully controlled by the psychic impulses of the librarian. Walking down a corridor of data stacks and bookshelves, the time lord waited a moment before speaking.
"The matter is this my friend. My venerable Uncle is preparing to pass on, as such, he has seen fit to name the new Kithriarch of our house."
A chuckle from Chronotis.
"And he has chosen you?"
A shake of the head.
"Nay, he has chosen my youngest, which doesn't bother me, I was never any good at the social stuff, however it does bother my daughter. Three sons and one daughter does not make for a happy family. Regardless, I have furthermore learnt that my Aunt wishes to step down as Housekeeper, she intends to help my son settle into his role as Kithriarch before passing down the mantle to my Daughter. Whilst normally, this would solve everything, you know the old saying. An unhappy household makes for a broken home. I have managed to keep the peace, I have resigned my post as a Temporal Administrator to this end. As such, I have begun moving the pieces thus. My youngest does not wish for the title, he is a Gallifreyan not a Time Lord, I envy his choice sometimes, to remain free from the constraints we Time Lords are held within. He wishes to retain that freedom, my daughter wishes for the title of Kithriarch. I have convinced my Uncle to name her as Kithriarch."
"That leaves the title of Housekeeper I presume?"
A nod.
"Yes. I'm thinking of convincing my aunt to name the youngest daughter of my eldest son as Housekeeper, she prefers the Home, she likes it there. The problem is that there is bad blood between my Aunt and my Granddaughter. My Aunt thinks her a fool for her choice to marry for love rather than duty, and in return my Granddaughter thinks my Aunt an old crone who should fall down a chasm, her words not mine. This constitutes a problem."
"That's putting it lightly."
The two of them chuckled, before Chronotis paused to think for a moment. Nanoseconds passed and then he made his thoughts on the subject known.
"Make them meet, let them talk between themselves. Of course, firstly let your position be known, let them know what you have let me know. You Blackfen's might be stubborn, a trait all the Houses descended from Heroic lineages possess, but you are reasonable and know when to back down."
A sigh of relief, a hand rose to rub a creased forehead, wrinkles of relief not stress.
"My thanks old friend. Politics might be something I am somewhat capable of, but the realm of social affairs is one that evades me."
"I know, after all your speciality is in Theology and the Classics, so it doesn't surprise me."
A look of annoyance, a tone to match it too.
"Why does everyone look down on Theology and the Classics? Sure, the philosophical study of the Celesti might not appeal to everyone, but it has taught me to view creation in a way I bet everyone else can't. Everything has a purpose, we might be the Lords of Time, but we're not gods. And the Classics? Perhaps the study of Magic might be abhorrent to many, but the look at the deep past of our species is something we all need to know, even if it does mean having to learn Old High Gallifreyan to read the texts."
A pause, a glance at Chronotis, who was stood there, his face trying but failing to hide the oncoming laughter that boomed throughout the library.
The now retired temporal administrator replied, exasperation clear on his features
"Should have known better. You always did like to bait me you git. Can't believe I fell for it. How did I fall for it?"
"Too many days looking at religious books I'd posit."
A scowl, a rude gesture, Chronotis continued to laugh, and after a moment, so did he. It faded away after a few moments, and the walked together in companiable silence before the wizened voice of Chronotis spoke up.
"Why else have you come?"
"Always see right through me don't you?"
A small smile was all that was given in reply. A sigh.
"I'm putting my affairs in order."
An abrupt stop, Chronotis turned to face his friend, sincere concern upon his features.
"What?"
"I said I'm putting my affiars in order-"
"I heard that bit. Why though?"
"I've accepted a job offer, well more an order than an offer."
"The Celestial Intervention Agency then?"
A nod.
"Yes"
"Why?"
"Why I was chosen? I'm experienced with piloting a Time Capsule. I know how to manipulate time streams and timelines. My work as a Temporal Administrator's made sure of that. I'm a Prydonian, I don't have any political aspirations and I've done service with Army, all Blackfen's have, family tradition from our old days as Knights and Heroes. As such, Technical ability, cunning and martial ability has made me an ideal candidate. I'll be going through boot camp in a few weeks. I'll spend those with my family and friends and tying up loose ends, and then, who knows?"
A sorrowful look from Chronotis.
"I'll look out for your family if something happens to you."
"My thanks, it was something I was already going to ask of you, but thank you nonetheless."
A pause.
"Times have changed haven't they Chrono?"
"Indeed they have Theovin. We might be Lords of Time, it might pass us by, but it still affects all of us in other ways."
A pause, Theovin spoke up.
"Still. Look on the bright side. At least now we can pretend to be senile when we don't want to have to put up with conversation."
A glance passed between the two of them, before they broke out into laughter. It wasn't perhaps a thing to laugh over, but for two old friends, it was enough.
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A/N: Well, there we go. If you're confused as to why I've refrained from naming my OC until the very end of the story(The same time lord from A Day in the Life) the simple fact is that I decided to experiment in seeing just how far I can go without actually giving a character a name.
Anyway, I made my OC join the Celestial Intervention Agency because I wanted to try my hand at turning my hand from One-Shots to Multiple Chapter stories, look out for it if you so wish. The title will be "The Story Changes, The Ending Stays the Same."
And on a polite note, have a nice day, or night depending on your time-zone, wherever you are.