Chapter Eighteen. Endgame of the Library Part Two
Adric marveled on how the library's computer system worked. He found that downloading himself from Charlotte's database was trickier than he calculated. He felt the fluctuation as he passed through the corrupt signals and patted himself to be sure things were in place and correct.
"Adric!" he heard Nyssa exclaimed, "How?"
He turned around to see Nyssa standing in front of him. Then he looked to see Rose close by them unconscious.
"What happened to her?" Adric asked.
"Don't ask." Nyssa answered, "I think it has something to do with her Bad Wolf Immortal powers."
"This is not a joke!" they heard the Tenth Doctor shout from nearby, "Stop this now. This is gonna kill you."
Adric and Nyssa arrived at a safe distance to find the Fifth and Tenth Doctors strapped in handcuffs on opposite sides of the corridor while River was strapping herself to what looked like a make shift electric chair.
"My future self has a chance!" the Fifth Doctor told her, "you don't have any!"
"Neither of you would have a chance!" River insisted before explaining, "and neither do I. I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. There will be a blip in the command flow, that way it should improve our chances of a clean download."
As River was talking to the Doctor, Adric looked over at Nyssa.
"Aren't you gonna do something?! Nyssa, do something!" Adric asked, "We cannot just stand there!"
"She told me to stay behind to look after Rose." Nyssa answered, "and I think we should head back to check on her."
"There's nothing you two can do." River told the two Doctors as they tried to reach for their respective screwdrivers and the journal.
"You can let me do this!" Ten exclaimed.
"You can't!" River insisted, "it will destroy the time flow that is meant to happen! Something else that your first incarnation explained to me when he came to me with his granddaughter Susan. This is my destiny: to be in here in the library. I guess that sonic screwdriver, my gift to the Fifth Doctor, that should have been a clue."
Nyssa and Adric were listening close by and they agreed that this was probably for the best to leave things in her hands before going back to check on Rose.
"It's okay." River told the two Doctors, "Trust me on this. Also, the First Doctor said one more thing. Homeostasis is coming from within a TARDIS family team. He didn't explain that fully, but I assume it was important otherwise he wouldn't have said that."
"Homeostasis." Five said quietly.
"River, you know our name." Ten stated, "You whispered our name into each of our ear. There is only one reason I would ever tell anyone my name."
"Like when he married Rose." Five added.
"Hush now." River told the two Doctors, bidding them both her farewell, "Spoilers. Goodbye, sweeties."
With that, River plugged in the cords and then a huge explosion created a massive white light, killing her in the process while knocking out both Doctors.