Chapter 13

Oval Office, day

One of the aides switches on the TV and the Apollo 11 broadcast.

"Just five days since Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy,"

Bar, day

The patrons are gathered around the TV.

"…this unprecedented journey is reaching its crucial moment. Armstrong and Aldrin are making their descent to the surface of the moon. On the ground, you've got a bunch of guys about to turn blue."

Silence Ship, day

Amy wakes, a bright light in her eyes. She is strapped to a table tilted upright.

"Where am I? Where is this?"

One of the Silence turns to face her. "You are Amelia Pond."

"And you're ugly, has anyone mentioned that to you?"

"We do you honor. You will bring the Silence. But your part will soon be over."

"Whatever that means, you've made a big mistake bringing me here, because wait till you see what's coming for you now."

"You have been here many days."

"No. I just got here. You just put me in here."

"Your memory is weak. You have been here many days."

"No. No, I can't have been."

"You will sleep now. Sleep." It leans over her.

"No! No! Get off me!"

"Sleep."

"No! No!"

The TARDIS materializes. The Silence turn to stare at it as the Doctor, River, Jenny and Rory step out. The Doctor is carrying a TV. River has her gun out.

"Oh! Interesting. Very Aickman Road, seen one of these before. Abandoned, wonder how that happened. Oh, well! I suppose I'm about to find out. Rory, River, Jenny keep one Silent in eyeshot at all times. Oh, hello, sorry. You're in the middle of something. Just had to say though, have you seen what's on the telly? Hello, Amy, you all right? Want to watch some television?" He sets the TV on the console. "Ah, now, stay where you are. Because look at me, I'm confident. You want to watch that, me, when I'm confident. Oh, and this is my friend, River. Nice hair, clever, has own gun, and unlike me, she really doesn't mind shooting people. I shouldn't like that. Kind of do."

Jenny seems very, very cross at this statement.

"Thank you, sweetie," says River.

"I know you're team players and everything, but she'll definitely kill at least the first three of you."

River moves so that she and the Doctor are standing back-to-back. "The first seven, easily."

"Seven, really?"

"Oh, eight for you, honey."

"Stop it."

"Make me!"

"Yeah, well, maybe I will."

"Is this really important, flirting?" asks Amy. "I feel like I should be higher on the list right now."

"Yes, right, sorry. As I was saying, my naughty friend here is going kill the first three of you to attack, plus him behind. So maybe you want to draw lots, or have a quiz."

Rory and Jenny are trying to free Amy.

"What's he got?" asks Amy.

"Something," Jenny says.

"I hope," adds Rory.

The Doctor walks around the console. "Or maybe you could just listen a minute, because all I really want to do is accept your total surrender, and then I'll let you go in peace. You've been interfering in human history for thousands of years. People have suffered and died. But what's the point in two hearts, if you can't be a bit forgiving now and then." He stares into the leader's face. "Ooh! The Silence. You guys take that seriously, don't you? OK, you got me, I'm lying. I'm not really going to let you go that easily. Nice thought, but it's not Christmas. First," He turns on the TV. "You tell me about the girl. Who is she? Why is she important? What's she for? Guys, sorry. But you're way out of time. Now, come on, a bit of history for you. Aren't you proud, because you helped?" He pulls out the TV antennae. "Do you know how many people are watching this live on the telly? Half a billion, and that's nothing, because the human race will spread out among the stars, you just watch them fly. Billions and billions of them, for billions and billions of years. And every single one of them, at some point in their lives, will look back at this man, taking that very first step, and they will never, ever forget it." The Doctor stops and watches as the moon landing unfolds.

"Oh." He takes out his phone. "But they'll forget this bit. Ready?" he asks into the phone.

Area 51, Cell, day

"Ready," says Canton.

Canton presses Amy's phone against the phone the Doctor had given him.

Apollo 11 Module

The device Jenny and the Doctor hooked up earlier is triggered.