Murray's in the final! Yey :D I write this whilst listening to his match with my fingers crossed.
Pressing the Vortex Manipulator firmly River closed her eyes and waited. It took less than fifteen minutes before River tripped out of the vortex and found herself on London soil. Using the closest brick wall to steady herself, she picked herself up dusted herself down. It felt strange being back to the place of her childhood. Well, not back exactly, she was still a hundred years or so out but still this Earth was so much more advanced than the premature Earth her parents were from. Checking herself in the nearest shop window River ran a hand over her mane and flicked an essence of lip gloss over her grim smile. The Felam Lux Corporation River murmured looking around her surroundings. There it was towering up into the clouds. The Felam Lux Corporation. If only it was this easy most of the time. Taking a deep breath River straightened up and walked purposely in the building coming face to face with a row of receptionists.
"Can I help you?" A small red faced man confronted her, peering up at her from behind a large computer screen.
"I'm looking for a Strack… St… Strackman Lux" River stuttered trying to recall the name.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No, but…"
"I'm sorry you can't see Mr Lux without an appointment."
"But…"
"I can book you one if you want. Next available slot is this time next year…" The man fiddled intently with the keys on the computer.
"Look" River snapped causing the man to jolt and shudder the desk in the process "I'm Professor River Song. An archaeologist. I'm here about the job."
"Oh" The man gawped, realisation suddenly hitting him "why didn't you say so?"
River grimaced exasperated "Just show me up will you?"
Meekly the man nodded and beckoned her to follow him through a thick metal door behind the reception.
Considering you had to wait a year to see him, Strackman did not look particularly busy. In the middle of doing the crossword, he didn't look up until River cleared her throat and stared pointy at the top of his forehead. "Do you have an appointment?"
Stubbornly River shook her head "I'm here about the job. I'm an archaeologist."
"I don't remember recruiting you" Strackman peered at River suspiciously from behind the newspaper.
"That's because you didn't. I found you."
"Well" Strackman got up from his desk and began heading towards the doorway. "I'm sorry Miss but here at The Felam Lux Corporation we only employ the best. And only I choose who the best is." Strackman stressed the word best, spitting into River's ear as he hissed it irritably. "If you could see yourself out." With that Strackman turned began to walk back to his desk humming a strange monotone.
"You haven't seen my references."
"I don't need to. Sorry miss."
"Firstly it's not Miss, it's Professor River Song." River interrupted "and secondly I'll go to another corporation who will be just as happy to have my expertises and tell them exactly what kind of place you run here."
The last sentence stopped Strackman in his tracks and reluctantly he turn around, receiving the psychic paper River had thrust into his hands. As he read it Strackman's eyes widened slightly at each word. "Professor at Oxford… participated in the recovery of Stone Henge… And dated its exact construction… recommended by Her Majesty… rediscovered Queen Victoria's diamond tiara…" Strackman's readings dissolved into mumblings. "Well Professor you certainly do seem to have a lot of experience. We'll offer you £40,000 for the trip, double if find anything of particular interest to us. Do we have a deal?" Strackman stuck out his hand and with some hesitation River shook it. "The expedition's next month. We have training ever Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; you'll be expected to attend every session. You'll be needing accommodation I expect?"
River nodded
"I'll book up a suite at The Savoy. They do personal favours for members of the Lux family." Strackman smirked as his shook River's hand a final time "Anyway Professor we look forward to working with you."
"Likewise" River nodded smiling insincerely.
"I will get my assistant to talk you through the expedition. MISS EVANGELISTA!" Strackmen yelled calming only once a pretty young woman appeared in the door way.
"Yes Mr Lux?"
"This is Professor Song; she's going to be our new archaeologist for the expedition. I'd like to talk her through the expedition and do the forms." With that Strackman turned his back on the woman and went back to his crossword.
"Is he always that bad?" River smirked once they were outside the office.
"Bad?" Miss Evangelista asked innocently.
River raised her eyebrows sardonically "Never mind. Have you worked here long?"
Miss Evangelista nodded "Over a year almost."
"And you are?"
"Mr Lux's Personal Assistant. His personal everything."
"So this expedition?"
"I'm afraid can't discuss it with you until you've signed you Personal Experience contract."
"I'm not signing any contracts. That's how I come. Free. Just tell me."
"But I'm afraid Professor it's against the corporation's agreements to discuss the expedition with anyone who hasn't signed their Personal Experience contract."
"Well, I'm afraid that if you don't just tell me I'm going to walk out that door" River pointed at the nearest fire escape for emphasis "and you'll have no-one to do this precious expedition."
Flustered Miss Evangelista asked once more and was rewarded with the same response. "Ok Professor it's to investigate the disappearance of several thousand people in The Library. It happened years ago, before Mr Lux was alive; there was a message from the library. Just one. "The lights are going out". Then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for a hundred years."
"Why now? Why has the corporation suddenly decided to do the expedition now?"
"It's taken that long, just to decode the seals and get back in." Miss Evangelista paused considering what to say "there was one more thing…"
"Yes?"
"There was one last message. 4022 saved. No survivors. That was the exact number of people who were in the library when it was sealed."
"But how can 4022 be saved if there were no survivors?" River's voice rose in fixation "How is that possible?"
"I don't know. I'm just his assistant I don't know anything." Miss Evangelista's bottom lip wobbled and biting it back she led River into a conference room.
River worked at the corporation for the next month, spending her evenings mostly alone in her suite at the Savoy and her days working continually. When she wasn't training she was studying at the British Library, learning all she could about the Lux family and the Library. Know your enemy.
As the date towards the expedition loomed River wrote the final the entry to her diary.
Thanks for all the story alerts/favourites and reviews and COME ON ANDY!
