Chapter Text
Technician Sharron sighed as the communicator bleeped. She had come in early just so she could work on her own project. Her boss didn’t mind, in fact he encouraged it. She was working on interactive software toys for time tots that would explain the Vortex and Void in gentle but preparatory terms that might stop so many going a little bit loopy when they started at the Academy. Temporal mechanics was her thing really, but there would be no temporal mechanics without the Vortex, and it might be easier to traverse if it were less scary...
It bleeped again.
“Temporal engineering services. Technician Sharron speaking.”
“This is Kindergarten Supervising Teacher Aris here. I need to speak to your Coordinator. Is he in?”
Sharron sighed again and looked through the glass panel that separated her open office to his private one. He appeared to be in deep contemplation, his black-gloved hands steepled in front of his stylish black facial decoration. She stared at him, and he picked up her directed thought and looked up. She pointed to the communicator.
“Putting you through,” she said. Then went back to her calculations, sketches, and codes.
*
“Coordinator Koschei. Are your daughters ill?”
“No. Not as far as I’m aware. I left early for work. Their other father was to take them to nursery today. Have you tried to contact him?”
“The Doctor is not answering any calls.”
Koschei sighed deeply. “No. No. He wouldn’t be. Please send me any work you had planned for their classes. I will try to find the three of them.”
“This is the fifth time this term. Sharn begins the Academy next term. If this continues I will have to report this to both the Education and Capitol’s Children’s Senior Coordinators.”
“I can only apologise for my husband. He can be a little... distracted.”
“Oh. I know all about the Doctor, Coordinator, believe me!”