Chapter Text
Chapter One
The TARDIS whirred and beeped merrily, its lights flashing every so often around the time rotor in the middle of the console room. Clara Oswald leant against one of the rails which ran around the perimeter of the central platform. The brunette was smiling, her eyes twinkling with mischief as her companion, a tall almost skeletal man with short grey hair returned from one of the many other rooms concealed in the time travelling ship. Her companion quirked his left brow to convey confusion at her mischievous smiling.
“Clara Oswald, what are you smiling at?”
“You.” She laughed, amused.
“Ah, there’s a novelty.”
“So… where are we heading?”
“Wherever you wish.”
“Well… how about somewhere with music?”
“Anywhere in particular?”
“Earth. 2020, 23rd July.”
“One question… Why? I mean Earth will be well into the Coronavirus pandemic and anyway that artificial Orange, Trump is still in power.”
“Doctor, just because the fake orange is in power doesn’t mean that music isn’t being recorded. And anyway, I’m not asking to go to America. I’m asking to go to the Alexandra Palace in London.”
“Alright! I concede to your argument. Why the Alexandra palace?”
“Because Nick Cave will be recording one of my favourite albums of his.”
“You’re a fan of Nick Cave?”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“By Jove, no it definitely isn’t, I just wished you’d told me sooner. He’s one of the few artists I’m properly a fan of. The Alexandra Palace it is.”
The Doctor walked round to the keyboard and typed in the necessary details. Then he gave Clara the knowing furrow of the brow signalling to pull the throttle which happened to be the main lever.
Whorp Whorp. Wheeze, wheeze. Splutter, wheeze.
~|~
A man with longish black hair and a piercing glare stood pondering about one end of the West Hall of the Alexandra Palace. At the other end, there stood a glossy finished black grand piano. The light was a mystical white with the glass windows in the doors turning from a tainted red to a cool blue.
The team were due to start film in 15 minutes. He walked over to the piano and started to play with the keys. He decided to crack open with a scaled down version of Spinning Song to get into the right frame of mind.
The musician was mid-playing the first chord when a wheezing sound filled the hall. Twenty five seconds of wheezing later and a blue police box appeared a mere 5 feet away.
“What the actual fuck.” was all the Nick Cave uttered as two people exited the box. One lanky grey haired man around his age and a younger woman, brunette and shorter.
"Oh my gosh. It really is him isn't it!"
"Yes it is."
"Not to be crass but who the fuck are you two?"
"Ah yes. Sorry about that. I'm the Doctor and this is my companion, Clara."
"Right. Why are you here? I'm about to start live streaming to people all over the world."
"Well er... we're here to see the aforementioned livestream." The Doctor replied amusedly.
"Seriously! You come today, of all the days when we're in the middle of a pandemic?!"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry but the paper-"
"Look Nick, you're on a tight schedule. We'll go round the back and get the paperwork sorted, you just do your music and it'll all be sorted."
"Arghh for fuck sake! Fine! Now hop it!"
The two time travellers slipped back into the Tardis and moved her out of view of the cameras. They then walked round and met the 'head honcho' as Clara would put it.
"You two can't be in here it's against health and safety regulations."
The Doctor neatly pulled out his psychic paper and showed it to the man.
"My mistake sir, please just sign this piece of paper and then head right on through. I had no idea that the head of the World Health Organisation would be coming today."
"Yes erm that's right."
The duo each signed the document and walked passed.
"So your psychic paper just convinced a bloke that you're the head of the World Health Organisation?"
"Somehow… Right let’s get back to Nick."