"So why aren't the human race killing them on sight anymore?" Amy asked as they descended further into the pyramid. Evie was keeping one eye on the creatures and one eye on the readings on her Vortex Manipulator.
"That was a whole other reality." The Doctor replied with a shrug. "What are the tanks for?"
"Err… They can draw electricity from anything, it's how they attack. The fluid insulates them. And I really don't like how the way they're looking at you." Captain Williams told him.
"Me neither…"
Turning to face Amy, Captain Williams lowered his voice and spoke into her ear. "Ma'am, I'm sure it's nothing, but I should check it out. They haven't been this active in a while." He turned to the two soldiers with them. "You two, upstairs, check all the tank seals. Then the floors above, get everyone checking."
"Sir." His men nodded and left at once.
"Be careful, Captain Williams." Evie said quickly, glancing at the readings on her wrist once more. "They're spiking violently; especially in this sector."
"Thank you, Ma'am." He said with the ghost of a smile before turning back to Amy. "You go ahead, Ma'am."
"Thank you, Captain Williams. Doctor, this way."
As Rory headed in the opposite direction, Evie followed her father and grandmother along the corridor, keeping one eye on the readings. Amy strode confidently along, her head held high.
"Captain Williams…" The Doctor said, his voice laced with meaning. "Nice fella. What's his first name?"
"Captain." Amy replied quickly. "I've had enough of this from Evie, so don't you start! Just through here."
"Just, ahh… give us a moment. Just need to check… something. Evie?" He raised his hand and gave Amy a salute before dragging his daughter along the corridor by her hand. "Ma'am."
"Evie, sweetie!" Amy shouted as they neared the corner. "Just… what are the readings doing?"
"Spiking off the scale!" Evie replied loudly as the Doctor pulled her out of sight.
The Doctor flapped his hands at her, motioning for the young woman to be quiet. He pointed at Rory who was looking at one of the Silents closely. "Take some more readings or something."
"What?"
"Go on!"
Rolling her eyes, Evie moved a little way off and began scanning the nearest Silent with the Vortex Manipulator. She wasn't really paying attention, however, focusing on the Doctor's words.
"Loyal soldier." He said in a low voice, standing beside Rory. "Waiting to be noticed. Always the pattern… why is that?"
Rory looked shocked. "Sorry, Sir?"
"Your boss, you should just ask her out, she likes you. She said so." The Doctor told him. Evie snorted quietly, rolling her eyes.
"Really, Sir." Captain Williams replied, not seeming convinced. The young woman didn't blame him. "What did she say?"
"Ah, she just sort of generally indicated." With her back turned to the two men, Evie cringed at her father's words.
"What exactly what did she say?"
"She said that you were a Mr Hottie... ness. And that she would like to go out with you for... texting and scones."
"Oh, god!" Evie groaned, putting her head in her hands.
"You really haven't done this before, have you?" Captain Williams asked.
"No, I haven't." He admitted.
"What the Doctor means," Evie said, punching him on the arm as she joined them, "is that once you get to know her Gran isn't as hard as she seems. You really should ask her out… I know she'd say yes."
Captain Williams shot them both a look, before glancing back at the Silent beside them. "See you in a moment, Sir, Ma'am."
"Yes…" The Doctor agreed as he patted Rory on the shoulder, turned and walked away. "Yes…"
Evie shook her head as she followed him. "Texting and scones? TEXTING AND SCONES? You are insane."
"What?" He complained, shrugging. "I haven't done… that… in a very long time."
"Really? I'd never have guessed." His daughter told him, rolling her eyes.
"Come on Doctor." Amy said, leaning against the wall as they approached. "Time for you to meet some old friends."
She smiled at Evie over the Doctor's shoulder and the younger woman grinned back, following the pair under the archway. They moved quickly along the corridor in silence, Evie checking the readings on her Vortex Manipulator as they went. She furrowed her eyebrows as she took in the information, shaking her head in confusion.
Amy pushed open a pair of heavy double doors into the main control room and they paused at the top of the steps, looking down at the hustle and bustle in the room below them. A guard stood to attention on either side of the doors and, as they went into the room each nodded respectfully at the women, before standing back in position.
"Attention, all personnel. Please check all assigned containment units." Rory's voice came over the speaker system around the pyramid as the trio walked down the steps and into the main part of the room.
While the Doctor looked around, marvelling at the business of the room, Evie slipped across to the desk where a woman in a white lab coat was working. She showed her the readings on the Vortex Manipulator, before spreading the papers over the worktop and pointing out the interesting data. The woman nodded worriedly, moving to show Evie her findings on the computer screen in front of her.
"Miss Song… what you said before about the Doctor being here… You were right. Just his presence in the building caused the loop to extend by nearly four chronons." Doctor Kent said worriedly, glancing at the younger woman. Evie returned her look, chewing her lip nervously and shrugged.
"We're going to have to be careful… if these spikes hit the top channel of the loop then things are going to start breaking down." She said, leaning forwards and tapping the monitor with her nail, as though that would help. "Is she alright?"
"Doctor Song?" The older woman asked, glancing over her shoulder to where River was standing in the middle of the room with her back to the large doorway. "Yes… she's been anxiously awaiting your arrival."
Evie laughed. "Not my arrival… his."
Squeezing the woman's arm and smiling warmly, Evie moved to stand beside her grandmother once more. Amy looked at her and arched an eyebrow questioningly. The younger woman was about to relay the information she and Doctor Kent had just shared when the Doctor spoke.
"Hi, honey. I'm home."
"And what sort of time d'you call this?" River demanded, turning slowly to face him. Evie hadn't seen her mother for a couple of days and was surprised at how tired she was looking. On the other hand, maybe it was being dressed all in black that was making her look pale. Either way, the most vibrant thing about her were her eyes which were twinkling at the Doctor.
"The death of time." Madam Kovarian said, as River moved aside and revealed their prisoner to the Doctor. "The end of time. The end of us all."
If the Doctor had been surprised to see the woman who'd kidnapped baby Melody Pond tied to a chair in the middle of the control room he did not show it. Evie and Amy both moved to stand on either side of River, watching the exchange with interest. The brunette pulled the sheaf of papers her mother was clutching out of her hands and flicked through them quickly. There was nothing there she didn't already know, so she dropped them onto the table behind her; folding her arms and staring at the woman in the chair.
"Oh, why couldn't you just die?" Kovarian demanded in an irritated drawl.
The Doctor grinned. "I did me best, dear. I showed up. You just can't get the psychopaths these days. Love what you've done with the pyramids. How did you swing all this?"
"Hallucinogenic lipstick." River told him with a cheeky grin. "Works wonders on President Kennedy. And Cleopatra was a real pushover."
The Doctor smirked back at River. "I always thought so."
"She mentioned you."
"What did she say?" He asked curiously as they stopped circling and stood facing each other.
"Put down that gun."
"Did you?"
"Eventually."
Madam Kovarian pulled a face, as though she was feeling nauseous. "Oh, they're flirting! Do I have to watch this?"
"For once I agree with the old witch." Evie muttered, pulling an equally disgusted face. "Although… it does sort of work as a form of torture…"