Bits in Between
Chapter Twenty-Three: Adam Tyler
By Lumendea
AN: Adam Tyler's POV in End of the World.
…..
Adam Tyler strode down the elegant stone corridor with a look of grim determination. His rather impressive part Time Lord brain was spinning with everything he needed to do. A familiar itch to jump into the action was creeping up his spine, but another instinct was softly warning him to stay out of his Grandfather's way. This was Grandad and Gran's first real trip together. They were just starting out on sorting out their timelines.
Thanks to his Verlan heritage, he could see the golden strands of time spreading out around the platform. Tiny threads, just waiting to be tugged in the right direction or snipped by the wrong choice. His Grandfather saw them with concentration, but to Adam, they were always there. Spinning around the world, circling around people, and bundling up around those who were the most important. His own Grandmother was a knot of them. So young, barely starting out, and yet already so important. He needed to be careful, and he knew it. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally snip one of those lines himself.
Not that he'd been able to resist saying hello to Gran. There was something deeply comforting about her, always knowing them. Her knowledge of timelines, at least of her own timeline and the family timeline, was a bit legendary. Grandad would whine about it at family get-togethers, and she'd smile before leaning over to kiss his cheek.
In an ever-changing universe, that was comforting. Gran knew them and would always love them, no matter the time period they were in. Sometimes, he fancied that he could sneak into the Tyler flat when she was a baby and hold her, and she'd still somehow know him. It was an emotional thought, but he allowed himself that.
A smile tugged at his lips even as he heard the soft clicking of the metallic spiders in the wall next to him. It really was funny how twisted Gran's timeline was: Gordian knot indeed, and his time sense was even more refined than Grandad's. He turned a corner and found a young woman with blue skin kneeling on the floor. She looked up at him in surprise before dropping her eyes. Adam offered her a soft smile. Time to get the staff out of harm's way. He'd leave the shields to his grandparents.
Honestly, the End of Earth. He wasn't sure what Grandad was thinking. This wasn't the way to impress a girl. Adam had a moment of gratitude for his own existence and that his Gran wasn't the sort to scare easy. If he thought he'd get away with it, he'd tease his Grandfather the next time he saw him. But the new curly grey incarnation of his Grandfather was just as happy to argue with the family as he was piloting the TARDIS. Though, he still enjoyed family hugs as much as he grumbled about it.
"Excuse me," he greeted. "I'm Adam Tyler." She nodded, still not speaking, and Adam almost rolled his eyes. "You have permission to speak."
"Thank you, sir," she said. "What can I help you with?"
"What is your name?" he asked first.
"Rafalow, sir."
"There seems to be a problem in the internal systems, Rafalow," Adam said.
"I'll pass that on-"
"No," Adam said. "I don't want anyone going in to fix it."
Rafalow blinked at him in confusion. "But aren't you the sponsor, sir?"
"I am, but I believe that this is an act of sabotage, and it is being investigated. In the meantime, as I have rented the platform, I don't want any staff in the interior. Not until we know what is happening."
"But sir-"
"Regulation delta four, section 17 gives the renter of the platform full authority over staff and equipment during the period of their event provided they are not seeking to do damage."
"Yes," Rafalow agreed softly. "That's true."
"And I am not trying to do harm," Adam promised. He offered her a soft smile. "Please send the message on. No one goes into the vents, service corridors, or plumbing. For their own safety."
"Yes, sir," Rafalow said. She nodded and gathered up her tools, and stood up. "Do you need anything else, sir?"
"From you? No," he rubbed his hands together as the platform shuddered again. "But I think it's time to check on the steward." He eased up on his shields just enough to feel the presence of his Grandfather coming closer. Adam quickly replayed his Grandmother's story in his head and nodded. "Yes, it's time for me to reappear."