10. The Registration Office.
Chloe arrives at the Registration Office. On the door is a large sign "Admin". It seems that other things are dealt with in this office as well as registration.
She knows she must sound them out about registering any new type of Tardis. She knows she mustn't just dive in there and then have to escape! Her cover story must be secure.
What protocol does the door entry system use? There is a keypad, but is that used for every door use? Should she have made an appointment?
Chloe knocks on the door. There is no answer, but as she stands there, she listens. A veritable hubbub is heard quietly in the distance. Is that from behind the door, or somewhere else?
She pushes the door, and it opens with some effort. Maybe there was a button she should have pressed!
The noisy room is a hive of activity, though Chloe can't tell what they're doing. There's so much verbal and non-verbal communication happening all at once!
She steps into the room and allows the door to close softly behind her.
One of the people pauses what they're doing and steps across to Chloe. She stands aggressively with arms akimbo. "I'm one of the secretaries here," she tells Chloe abrasively. "You're obviously new here. What do you want?"
This is Chloe's first point of contact. She doesn't want to tell her the full extent of her mission.
"I've come to check out how a new model of Tardis is registered," Chloe says.
"Alright, then, I'll take you through to a back room and you can tell me in peace and quiet."
They walk a short distance to a smart glass doorway, step through and the secretary closes the door after them. The noise from the office abates considerably.
"It's so noisy in here," Chloe says. "I'd not expected that."
The secretary looks at her.
Chloe feels like she is being scrutinised. This isn't a bad thing; it just takes getting used to.
"It's always like this."
"Are you overworked in this office?" Chloe asks.
"Grossly."
"I'm sorry, and I'm taking up some more of your time," Chloe says, now feeling guilty for bothering them.
"A new model of Tardis?" the secretary asks. "Plans, blueprints, documentation... I'll need all that before I can start."
"It's alright," Chloe says. "I just want to know a bit about the procedure, I'm new here."
"But you have no appointment," the secretary says stickily. "Really I shouldn't spend any time with you at all. I'm sorry, you're such a nice person and all that, but we're busy and we've got timescales to meet. I've told you what we need, but I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to go."
Chloe groans. She feels she has got nowhere. Besides which, she has no blueprints or plans and she has no idea what any documentation might need to say.
"How often do you get new Tardis designs?" Chloe asks.
"Oh, about once or twice a millennium, we think. These procedures aren't used very much, as you can tell."
"Have you got an example of these documents?" Chloe asks. She hopes she might be able to look something similar out of her Library records she has been using.
"Not that I can pass to the likes of you," the secretary says.
This seems rude to Chloe. She's not used to being classed as the likes of you! It sounds so negative or demeaning.
The secretary notices her recoil. "I'm sorry there, it's the secrecy involved. I'm just not permitted to pass out secret documents, not to anyone without full authorisation."
An alarm goes off and she plucks a hand-held device from a pocket and looks at the screen.
"Oh, there's a situation outside. There's an escaped Zygon on the loose. You'll have to go!"
Chloe knows about the escaped creature and is pleased that it has been recognised.
"What do you use captive Zygons for?" Chloe asks innocently.
The question appears to evoke an angry response. "Where have you been? Zygons are one of our enemies and you don't know we observe them to understand them?"
Regretfully, Chloe must leave. Before she goes out of the office door, she wonders why those in the office aren't shielding her and keeping her in the office. Once outside the office door she looks up and down the corridor. Observing no-one else about, she thinks of her workplace on the manufacturing floor and taps her wristwatch...
Chloe relates her experience to Simeon. He laughs. "They must be overworked! Let's go and see my colleague Alf. I'll do the talking."
They approach another engineer in the working environment.
"I'd like to acquaint my mentee with the process of registering a new Tardis. Is the registration office usually busy?"
Alf looks up and laughs. "Busy? They're just so inefficient and ineffective. They end up firefighting all the time - trying to cover up the many mistakes they make. They've a very poor manager there. They make out they've no time for anything. Registration... When we want to register even just another individual Tardis of an existing model, it's hard enough and I can show you the paperwork we need just for that. I think they just throw it all into a large room and forget about it!" He grins. He knows that isn't quite true, but it feels like it sometimes. .
The Photo.
Gwendolina, the head Gallifreyan Librarian, is reading an article in the Gallifrey Daily News, when she notices a face in one of the pictures. "I know that face," she says.
She compares it to the copy of the picture of the Girl in the Time Continuum that she had printed after meeting Chloe (ref. 29). "Well, I never," she says. "What shall I do?"
Gwendolina writes a short article for the News saying that the Girl in the Time Continuum is active and that she's a lovely person with a heart of gold – a high praise eulogy. She suggests that the girl be permitted full access to all things Gallifreyan.
Then she passes the article anonymously to the Daily News.
The Doctor sees Gwendolina's anonymously published article and points it out to Chloe's mother, Crystelle, when he next sees her.
"Your daughter has been noticed somewhere," he says casually, trying to hide his concern.
Crystelle reads the article. "What do you think they'll decide to do, Doctor?" she asks anxiously.
The Big Question.
The next day Simeon meets up with Chloe when she emerges from her accommodation and walks Chloe to work.
"I saw your picture in the Gallifrey News," Simeon says. "I think today will be pivotal in your stay here."
It has been several months since Chloe started her job at GTM and she has only a few more items of interest to study before she feels she will have completed her investigations into Tardis manufacture.
Simeon shows Chloe the article; a picture of Chloe enlarged from her accidental place in the background of a photoshoot, next to a sketch from the Library annals entitled The Girl in the Time Continuum.
Chloe groans. "Thank you for showing me this, Simeon."
"What are you planning to do now?" he asks.
"I'm not sure," Chloe says. "I had thought to register my Tardis, but it doesn't seem like quite such a good idea now."
"Too right it's not," Simeon says boldly. "I'm so relieved you've reached that decision."
He holds Chloe's hand and turns towards her, in doing so he turns her towards him. He gently takes her in his arms and starts kissing her.
Chloe has been hoping for this moment and responds positively, kissing Simeon.
After a few minutes they break their kiss.
"I guess what I want to know is - will your plans involve me?" This is a much more leading question for Simeon.
"Of course they will," Chloe says, hugging him tight and giggling.
Relief surges through Simeon. "Thank you," he says simply. He is overcome with relief. He can see the quality of this lady.
"I know," Chloe says gratefully, noticing Simeon's unsaid relief. She feels touched that Simeon has shown her so much interest. He has a whole career mapped out here that he has been looking forwards to for years, yet he also knows that she may not stay for much longer. A tear of gratefulness forms in her eye and rolls slowly down her face.
"It feels like it's decision day," Chloe says. "If things happen, will you come away today and meet my folks?"
"That would be wonderful," Simeon says. Knowing a little about her Wristwatch Tardis suggests they will be able to return when they want.
Simeon looks at the time. "We're late for work."
"Never mind," Chloe says. "Hold my hand and we'll be there on time." .
A 'pivotal' day. What will happen?