The newly digitised Big Ben chimed 6 times, and all around London, televisions were automatically adjusted to the government channel and giant holographic images were projected in the streets. Every Thursday since March 2088, the President would make a public announcement for less than 5 minutes, and all eyes would turn to watch him.
"Citizens of London," boomed a voice, "silence please for your President, Richard Green…"
Outside the houses of parliament, the Doctor, Amy and Rory arrived, panting.
"I can see why Stevens was so angry. We've only made it half way and we ran for thirty minutes," Panted the Doctor. "Good thing we get to practice regularly."
"So what happens now?" asked Amy.
"Your guess is as good as mine. He never made this speech in the original timeline."
"What about Stevens?"
"He'll be out for quite a while, I expect," Said Rory. "He'll be fine though."
"Shush!" The Doctor pointed to the nearest screen. "Listen!"
An image of a well trimmed and thin man appeared and proceeded to talk politics.
"Is that him, Doctor? President Grey?"
"Green! And Yes! Now shush!"
"…Due to increasing trading issues as well as their oil embargo, as well as rapidly declining political and diplomatic…" The image in front of them froze momentarily and vanished.
"What just happened?" asked Amy.
"Can't say, but listen, his voice is still being projected, and there's still an image on that screen, so it's only this one that's stopped." He turned to face them. "But why? Oh. You're why. Hello!"
"Hello yourself." said a familiar voice.
Amy and Rory spun round, and indeed there she was; Melody Pond AKA River Song.
"Must you bring my parents to all of our dates" she joked.
"Mel, what are you doing here?"
"I got a job; I have a life outside of you, you know."
"I thought you were an archaeologist."
"I dabble."
Two muffled zap sounds were heard and two figures stepped out of thin air in front of them. One of them was a Judoon, the other humanoid in appearance with the exception of the third eye and the twelve fingers. "It's not a bloody race River. You know the rules. We all arrive at the same time in order to reduce the natives' awareness of us." said the Judoon.
"And who the hell are they?" exclaimed the other.
"This, Asimov, is the Doctor, and these are my parents."
"Wow. You must have had her when you were…an embryo? Negative ten?"
"It's a bit complicated," said Rory, "You know, time travel and…bunk beds…"
"Aren't we forgetting something?" said the Doctor, brandishing his sonic screwdriver, which caused the hologram to reappear.
"…Great regret that we must declare War on France for the sake of…"
"Bloody hell, River. You were supposed to get us here a whole day before this."
"Any moment now there'll be reapers all over the place!"
"What's a reaper?"
"An indestructible being from the time vortex that seeks out paradoxes and devour everything in sight that should appear in about" –he looked at his watch –"2 minutes."
"Great."
"What?"
"All right, calm down everyone!" shouted River. "Doctor, where's Stevens?"
"Greek street, about four blocks down from here; unconscious."
"Asimov" –she gestured to the four thumbed alien- "I want you to find Stevens, copy him and teleport back here."
"Right ho," he replied and tapped a sequence into his vortex manipulator, and vanished.
"Copy him?" asked Roy sceptically.
"Yes, you see Asimov is an homo mirabilis. They can change shape to match anyone they touch externally."
Sure enough an exact replica appeared in front of them only seconds later.
"Jo" –the Judoon- "I want you to disperse the retcon into the water, pronto."
"Pronto?" –before River could respond, Jo had vanished.
"Doc, can you get us in?" asked River
"They'll have deadlock seals. My screwdriver doesn't work on them."
"Knowing this period, they'll have retina detectors."
"Leave that to me" – an exact replica on John Stevens materialised in front of them.
"Asimov? Blimey, that's good!" exclaimed the Doctor.
"Excuse me, 'Doc'" said Amy. "Did you say two minutes?"
"Well, less than that now, about… ten seconds. Run!"
"Where to?"
"Parliament! Go!"
Something changed in the endless fire that was the time vortex. A sudden cold diffused across the surroundings alerting every living being to the change. They all sensed an hole opening in the fabric of their reality and they flooded through regardless of what was on the other side. All they knew was that was where their prey was and that nothing could stop them feasting on everything they saw.
Several pores started appearing in the sky and giant winged preying mantis-like creatures fell through, unaccustomed to the gravity. Some recovered before they hit the ground, while others collided with buildings or landed in the Thames. But it didn't matter where they landed. Nothing short of an atomic bomb could deal any permanent damage to them and they knew it.
One collided with the chapel next to where they were running, spraying debris over them, afflicting them with several small cuts and bruises. One levelled out in midair and flew straight at them, only to be distracted by a pensioner walking on the opposite pavement, which it promptly began feasting on.
As they approached the bridge to the houses of Parliament, one the size of a small house plummeted heavily, destroying the bridge in front of them.
"Great. Thousands of reapers are literally falling from the sky and the only bridge to the problem is completely destroyed. Typical." said the Doctor.
"I think you're forgetting something." smirked River, indicating to her vortex manipulator. "Put your hands on." They all put their hands on, even the Doctor, who looked slightly reluctant, and vanished in a flash before reappearing outside the houses of parliament.
"River! You know that when you use time travel inside a fixed time bubble, more holes start to open!" yelled the Doctor.
"Look, you're not helping! Asimov; the door!" Asimov, in the guise of John Stevens pressed his eye to the scanner. There was a moment of silent anticipation before a green light showed and the doors opened and they steamed in.
Green stood behind a podium on the back wall of the building mid-speech, with the rest of the MPs watching him. The doors slammed behind them and suddenly all attention was on them.
"Stevens! You're late!" yelled Green. "What the hell is going on outside? And who the hell are these people?" The group looked at each other.
"Sorry about this." Said Asimov, pulling from behind him the rifle he had taken from Stevens' car and firing it, making a perfectly circular hole in Green's head while the rest of the MPs stared.
"Ta-rah chaps." Said Asimov, keying in the co-ordinates, as the others placed their hands on the vortex manipulator.
The next day, no-one could remember quite what had happened on the previous day. The only evidence that anything had ever actually happened were a few broken buildings and some suspiciously scrambled camera phone recordings. A barely conscious John Stevens was found in the House of Commons with a rifle in hand next to the corpse of President Green and no-one could remember the declaration of war with France.
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