Chapter 2

Presidential TARDIS Cradle

The Capitol

Gallifrey

The President shimmered into the Cradle, and promptly began to sneeze.

A short, bald man stood watching this usual post-transmat occurrence with the President, and couldn't hide his smile.

"Why don't you just walk down?" He laughed.

"Because, my dear Tydus." said the President, taking the handkerchief offered by his friend. "It's the only way I can get you to laugh without resorting to toilet humour."

Colonel Tydusmorbiousglestius of the Presidential Guard tried to keep a straight face, and failed. "You know me too well." He laughed.

The President gave him a brief hug. "That's why you're on my team, me old mate."

As he released Tydus, his mood shifted to a more serious one.

"So, this is it then?" Tydus asked.

"I'm afraid so. Three lives worth of hard work about to come to fruition."

The President began to walk around the white room that was the Presidential Cradle. The walls were decorated with a selection of tools and appliances, each one vital to the care and maintenance of a TARDIS. And even a few ones that could be considered 'unconventional' by Time Lord standards. Not many other Time Lords had a full set of JCB power tools, a Car Care Kit from a Sliver Serif, and a rusty looking saw with sign saying 'DO NOT TOUCH! THIS MEANS YOU, USHAS!" taped to it.

Tydus was looking at this, as he always did. "She'll find out that it's nothing special."

The President laughed. "But until then we can enjoy that pantomime of her trying to figure out why she can't touch it."

The President finished his small wanderings and returned to the centre of the Cradle, and gave his full attention to what was resting within it.

"Hello, Old Girl." He smiled.

In the cradle stood what can be best described as a blue box. To many races of the cosmos it was a very familiar blue box. One that played its part in the histories of countless civilisations. The President smiled as he mused on the possibility that 'Police Box' were possibly the two most well known words in the English language.

This was, of course, his TARDIS. The one that he left Gallifrey so long ago. That young, impish man who decided that enough was enough, and it was time to go. He didn't dwell much on his first incarnation, even the slightest hint of it made him sad. Even now, in his fifth incarnation, he couldn't bring himself to dwell too long on that life, on her…

Goodbye Susan. Goodbye my dear.

But it would all be put right soon. He could bring her home.

He pulled himself back to the present as he placed a loving hand on the wooden door to his constant travelling companion.

Tydus gave a polite cough, the President turned around abruptly, all smiles and sparkling eyes. His favourite mask to show to the universe.

"Right then. Let's have a look!" He clapped his hands in a show of genuine excitement. No harm in having a little fun surely?

Tydus nodded, and took a comms device from his belt.

"This is Tydus. Send it in."

The Cradle was filled with the light hum of a transmat beam as a large object was brought into existence next to the Presidents TARDIS.

The President turned and moved towards it, smiling.

"Blimey! They've done a good job on it, haven't they?

Tydus walked to stand beside his friend, and smiled broadly.

"I know! Maxil dropped in to see me yesterday, and he was, shall we say, very pleased with himself."

"He's got every right to be! Make sure we send him something nice."

The President had always been fond of Maxil. Sure, he could be a bit too earnest in his work, and his smiles were so infrequent that they were a cause for celebration. But, under that head of blonde curls, was one hell of a brain.

The two stood looking at the new addition to the Cradle, looks of almost childish glee on their faces.

"It's ready then?" Asked the President.

"Yes, Lord President. Once the signal is received, it will lock on to it and be on it's way."

"I just hope there will be someone to send the signal."

Tydus pulled a scroll from his belt. "There will be. We think we've found them."

Really? Show me."

The President took the proffered scroll, and proceeded to unravel it.

The scroll contained two names. Human names.

"These are the most likely candidates?" Enquired the President.

"Yes. Although it would appear that this one. " Tydus tapped the first name on the list. "Would appear to be the mostly likely. Their exposure to Artron energy at such a young age seems to have cemented the Unity gene firmly into their DNA."

"But the other one is still viable?"

"We think so. We should send someone to keep an eye on them."

The President nodded. "Agreed. Send Alicia. She's been researching this new timeline, so she'll be better equipped to handle any problems."

"And you?" Tydus asked.

"Me? Oh I'll meet her there. But I've got something I want to see first. Tell her I'm going the long way round."

"Is that wise?"

"Of course not! But can you honestly expect me to pass up an opportunity like this?"

Tydus shook his head. "No. I suppose not. But... it's rather dangerous. Being that close to the edge of a Distortion Wave.

"Which, dear Tydus, is why I've never allowed any research time to go and study it."

Tydus thought for a second. "You know you can't get involved? I mean it, Thet, you really can't."

The President, taken aback by the use his old nickname, looked grim.

"I know. And it's going to be hard. But Ty… I've got to see this. Don't you understand? I've got to!"

"I do, yes! Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"What did I tell you about cliches?" Laughed the President.

Tydus did something very odd then. He stuck his tongue out at his Lord President.

The President pulled his TARDIS key from his jacket pocket. "Time I was off. I've got a disaster to watch."

Tydus gave his friend another brief hug.

"For Omegas sake, Thet, be careful!"

The President looked crestfallen.

"Do I have to?"

The President stood on a grassy outcrop overlooking the English Channel. What he saw was both terrible, and exciting.

A storm unlike anything he'd seen before was raging below him.

The sea was being whipped into angry torrents of ice cold water. The vast armada of boats were being tossed about like so many childrens toys.

The cries of the sailors and passengers were drowned out by the raging storm, but the President could imagine them. Cries of fear and anguish as they watched friends being drowned by a storm that seemingly just came out of nowhere.

The clouds above them were the darkness of nothing. A true black that only the strongest of light could penetrate.

The President couldn't watch anymore. He turned away and walked back to his TARDIS. He'd go and find a nice place to wait for his friends.

Manchester. That would do, for now.

As his TARDIS departed, the storm raged on. Ripping both man and boat apart.

It was a day that would never be forgotten.

6th June, 1944. The day Operation Overlord failed.