Without to many "Spoilers," I would like to credit the song lyrics to Simon & Garfunkel's song "Mrs Robinson."
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The sun shone its brilliant golden-orange rays above the tops of the buildings as it slowly rose, its light a blessing to any living thing within its reach. But, there was nothing alive in this city. The people, metal and gleaming, their faces expressionless though some had malevolent glares, trudged along at random, all following along the roads that led out of the city, and to a central gathering place which was unknown to the last living man who watched cautiously from his hiding place.
Jedediah stared out fearfully as the unliving people trudged along, waiting somewhat patiently, though his patience sprouted from fear. He yawned slightly as he gazed out onto the emptying streets. He hadn't slept well. It had been a long, sleepless night, the poor cowboy constantly awakening to the sounds of bloodcurdling robotic voices and the occasional, startling bump against the box. But what bothered him most, was the loneliness of it all. As far as he knew, he was the only living being left on earth, and the knowledge that all of humanity and any aid they could give him were gone made him lose almost all the hope he'd had. And it didn't help he hadn't heard from Octavius.
The Roman had promised to visit him as soon as the sun rose, but had yet to show himself to his friend, who desperately needed the calm, gentle reassurance he always provided in such situations. Sure, he knew it probably wasn't easy for Octavius to reach him, especially since he was obviously under some sort of demanding oppression, but he could at least send him a message or something, couldn't he?
With a sigh, Jedediah finally stepped out of the little box and onto the street. The asphalt baked his feet, the heat eating its way through his leather bottomed boots. The sun beat down upon him with as much ferocity as Larry's flashlight when he accidentally aimed it at the smaller exhibits. He stuck close to the shadows, hoping to avoid detection and try to cool down as much as possible. But even the shade was sweltering, and by the time the sun was halfway up the sky, a little before what he judged was noon, he was panting with the effort of moving forwards in the heat, and was about to give up when he heard a faint sound carried on the wind.
He paused, leaping for the nearest hiding place as he detected the sound of a human voice. But it was not robotic, or even harsh. It was a voice with a musical tone, a man's voice, and there was instrumental accompaniment. He'd heard the song before, on a rather interesting karaoke night the Doctor had hosted in one of his attempts to cheer the cowboy up, and he managed to catch the last verse as he quickly but cautiously made his way towards the sound.
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio,
Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
He was very close to the music now, but all he saw was an old, tattered building with boarded windows, which he guessed by the long time expired neon sign that hung lopsided on the window it used to be a diner. Perhaps it was only an old record that hadn't been moved when the owners left….
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson.
Jolting Joe has left and gone away,
The song was coming to an end, and at that point Jedediah noticed the small opening in the door and squeezed through, and as he stood there in what he'd thought was an empty room, his gaze landed on a solitary woman sitting in a booth with a portable music player and a blue book of some sort on the table in front of her.
She had
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
With the song over, the woman picked up the device and flipped through it to a new song, but then deciding against it, cut it off and set it back down on the table and began writing in the book again. She had not noticed the tiny figure standing by the door that stood very still, watching her cautiously and wondering what he should do next.
Staring at the woman, she reminded him strangely of the Doctor. While he was in his quiet desolation, he would often hear tale of a time traveling woman whom the Doctor had a strong liking for, and had a habit of showing up just as she was needed. If this woman was the same one the Doctor spoke of, then she may be able to help him. But if she was not….Jedediah had no idea what to expect.
Suddenly, the woman looked up from her notebook, spotted the tiny cowboy, and a small smile shone on her face as she stared back.
"Well, it's about time." She said, rising from her seat and taking a step forwards. Jedediah, still uncertain, took a few steps back towards where he had entered, preparing to run if need be. "Now, don't run away," She said gently, bending down on one knee and watching him. "You're afraid now, aren't you?"
Still unsure, Jedediah gulped, and stared, slightly shaking as she knelt above him. "Y-Yes," He said feebly, feeling for the exit with his hand while not taking his eyes off the woman. "Wh-Who are you?"
The woman, her gaze soft and friendly, though a little mischievous, smiled down at him as she spoke. "I, am River Song."
"River Song," Jedediah repeated, thinking for a moment. The name was familiar, he'd heard the Doctor and the others mention that name before. Were the woman and this River Song the same person?
"Yes. And you must be Jedediah Smith, am I correct?" Asked the woman.
"Y-Yeah...how do ya know Miss River Song?" Jedediah replied.
"Please, just call me River," The woman said, still smiling. Then, her expression turned serious, and she looked a the tiny man in a way that slightly startled him. "I am...an ally of the Doctor's. We often work together, and I recently heard tell that he'd gotten himself into some trouble in this time period. Well, I'm not too surprised. That man could get himself into a dangerous situation in a room full of pillows and nothing technological whatsoever. And-"
"How?" The cowboy questioned, confusion on his face.
After a pause, River replied, "It's complicated. But I was informed of his situation, and knowing you were the last living person on earth, that you could lead me to him."
There was silence, in which Jedediah was trying to figure out how much he should say. He believed that this River Song was indeed the same woman the Doctor had spoken of. But now it was a problem of trust, and the general confusion of the situation, as well as the fact that she somehow knew his name. But he spoke all the same. "So, ya think I can take ya to the Doctor?" He asked, crossing his arms and holding his ground. Not that it did anything, he was just trying t make himself look tough.
"Yes, I do. I know you're also one of his allies, and a really close one at that." Replied River.
"How?"
"He tells me things, you know." She said, nodding towards the table where the music player had sat. A little buzzing noise came from it, and she stood, reaching for it and tapping on the screen and smiling. "Well," She said, stepping back to the little cowboy who still stood against the door. "It looks like the Doctor needs us now. Will you come along?"
Before Jedediah could answer, he was swept up into her hands and quickly, though gently, shoved into her purse as she walked out of the building. She pushed a small button on a bracelet she was wearing, and a flash of light later they were gone.