The Littlest Timelord: Cracks in Time

Chapter 7

"Welcome to London Market. You are being monitored".

Amy came out of the TARDIS. "I'm in the future. Like hundreds of years in the future. I've been dead for centuries".

"Oh, lovely. You're a cheery one. Never mind dead, look at this place. Isn't it wrong?" the Doctor asked as they started to explore the marketplace.

"What's wrong?"

"Come on, use your eyes. Notice everything. What's wrong with this picture?"

"Is it the bicycles? Bit unusual on a spaceship, bicycles".

"Says the girl in the nightie".

"Oh my God, I'm in my nightie!"

Elise giggled at the embarrassment in Amy's voice.

The ginger looked down at her. "Oi. Hush you".

"Now, come on, look around you. Actually look", the Doctor told her.

"London Market is a crime-free zone".

"Life on a giant starship. Back to basics. Bicycles, washing lines, wind-up street lamps. But look closer. Secrets and shadows, lives led in fear. Society bent out of shape, on the brink of collapse. A police state. Excuse me". The Doctor ran over to a table and grabbed a glass of water.

"What are you doing?" the man sitting at the table asked him.

The Doctor set it on the floor and looked at it for a moment before returning it to the table.

Wait. Why wasn't the water moving? If they were on a ship, wouldn't there be vibrations from the engines?

The Doctor looked down at the small Timelord. He could practically see her little brain working it out. She would be a clever one, he could tell.

"Sorry. Checking all the water in this area. There's an escaped fish. Where was I?"

"Why did you just do that with the water?" Amy asked.

"Don't know. I think a lot. It's hard to keep track. Now, police state. Do you see it yet?"

"Where?"

The Doctor snapped his fingers and pointed to the little girl from earlier. "There". He walked over to the little girl, leaving Elise with Amy. Eventually the Doctor walked back over to them and they sat on a red bench, watching the girl.

"One little girl crying. So?" Amy asked him.

"Crying silently. I mean, children cry because they want attention, because they're hurt or afraid. But when they cry silently, it's because they just can't stop. Any parent knows that".

"Are you a parent? I mean, besides to Elise".

The Doctor was silent for a moment before he started talking again, completely avoiding the question. "Hundreds of parents walking past who spot her and not one of them's asking her what's wrong, which means they already know, and it's something they don't talk about. Secrets. They're not helping her, so it's something they're afraid of. Shadows, whatever they're afraid of, it's nowhere to be seen, which means it's everywhere. Police state".

The Doctor and Amy looked back and saw she was gone.

"Where'd she go?" Amy asked.

"Deck two oh seven. Apple Sesame block, dwelling 54A. You're looking for Mandy Tanner", the Doctor told her. He pulled out a wallet. "Oh, er, this fell out of her pocket when I accidentally bumped into her". He handed the wallet to Amy. "Took me four goes. Ask her about those things. The smiling fellows in the booths. They're everywhere".