The Littlest Timelord: Cracks in Time

Chapter 22

"Behold, Rio!" the Doctor said throwing open the TARDIS doors.

They stepped out into a graveyard.

"Nu-uh", Amy told him.

"Not really getting the sunshine carnival vibe", Rory added.

"No? Ooo, feel that, though. What's that?" the Doctor asked, jumping up and down, "Ground feels strange. Just me. Wait. That's weird".

Elise did the same, but couldn't feel anything, but she did notice the patches of blue grass around them.

"What's weird?" Rory asked.

"Doctor, stop trying to distract us. We're in the wrong place. Doctor, it's freezing and I've dressed for Rio. We are not stopping here", Amy told him.

The Doctor ran around to the other side of the church, dragging Elise with him. At Amy's insistence, the Doctor left the harness in the TARDIS allowing Elise a little bit more independence. But it would be a while before he let her out of his sight.

"Doctor. You listening to me? It's a graveyard. You promised me a beach!"

The Doctor knelt down beside a patch of blue grass and pulled out a couple of blades. "Blue grass. Patches of it all around the graveyard. So, Earth, 2020-ish, ten years in your future, wrong continent for Rio, I'll admit, but it's not a massive overshoot".

"Why are those people waving at us?" Amy asked.

Across the hill from them stood two people.

"Can't be", the Doctor said.

Rory waved back at them.

"Don't", Amy told him.

The Doctor pulled out a pair of binoculars. "It is. It's you two".

"No, we're here. How can we be up there?" Rory asked.

"Ten years in your future. Come to relive past glories, I'd imagine. Humans, you're so nostalgic".

"We're still together in ten years?" Amy asked.

"No need to sound so surprised", Rory told her.

"Hey, let's go and talk to them. We can say hi to future us. How cool is that?"

"Er, no, best not. Really best not. These things get complicated very quickly, and oh look. Big mining thing. Oh, I love a big mining thing. See, way better than Rio. Rio doesn't have a big mining thing", the Doctor said.

"We're not going to have a look, are we?" Amy asked.

"Let's go and have a look. Come on, you two, let's see what they're doing". The Doctor and Elise started down the hill towards the mining machine.

"Doctor!" Amy called after them.

When they reached the bottom of the hill, they found gates surrounding the mine.

"Restricted access. No unauthorized personnel", the Doctor read, "Hmm". He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the lock.

It sparked and opened.

"That is breaking and entering!" Amy told him.

"What did I break? Sonicing and entering. Totally different". The Doctor tossed the lock aside and Amy entered.

"Come on, then!"

"You're sure Rory'll catch us up?" he asked.

They entered the mining building and started to walk through a tunnel.