Precautions

The Doctor has figured out how the Tardis was exploded, now he has to put some precautions in place, against River... To be fair, she didn't mean to...


Rory stumbled down the Tardis stairs to find the Doctor elbow deep in the console.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked, gesturing with his coffee cup.

The Doctor twisted in a move that looked like it should have dislocated his shoulder. "Oh, good morning, Rory." He grimaced and twisted farther as if he was reaching for something. He had one of the triangular panels propped open, and was digging down into a mess of wires and connections that Rory wouldn't have dared to touch.

"Ah!" He got a triumphant look on his face and pulled his hand out, clutching a spear-shaped crystal between two fingers. It had three prongs at one end. "That's got it," the Doctor said, triumphantly. "Just have to re-tune this and we'll be all set!"

"All set for what?" Rory asked.

The Doctor plugged the crystal into a device he pulled out of his toolbox, and started programming the keypad with his thumbs. The crystal glowed. "Just adding a few enhancements to the communications system," he said, distractedly.

"Why?" Rory asked.

"Well, I don't want the Tardis to explode again."

"Explode?!" Rory set down his coffee cup abruptly, "We're in danger of exploding?"

"Not any more," the Doctor mumbled as he fiddled with his device. "Now that we know River did it, I can block the signal."

"River did no such thing!" Amy protested from the top of the stairs. She stomped down, waving her coffee cup aggressively. Scowling with maternal fierceness.

"Yes, I'm afraid she did," the Doctor said, looking up.  They were both still tender from having to leave River at the Sisters of the Infinite Schism. "She didn't mean to, she wasn't even aware she was doing it."

"It was the Silence," Rory said with a very Roman scowl. "They were still in her head."

The Doctor nodded. "I'm afraid so. They waited for their chance, a time when River was alone in the Tardis. Then they took remote control and sent them where they needed them to go."

"Where's that?" Amy asked.

The Doctor looked uncomfortable. "Your wedding day."

Amy scowled. "Why there?" she asked suspiciously.

"It was a weak point in time." He concentrated on the crystal, not looking at them. "Even an exploding Tardis wouldn't be enough to destroy the universe. But plant a bomb in a faultline, and you start a chain reaction."

"So they wanted the universe to blow up?" Rory asked, incredulously.

"Apparently." He finished with the crystal and plucked it out of the device. He waved it at them. "Sexy fought them, of course. Managed to bring River back far enough so she could warn us.

"But they couldn't blow her up by remote control, they needed someone inside for that."

"River," Rory said.

"Yes. They planted a post hypnotic suggestion, triggered it with a keyword. It would have been very elegant, their tool conceived and destroyed in the same instant, it would have closed off that time loop neatly. If it had worked."

"So what's to prevent them trying again?" Rory asked.

"This." The Doctor held up the crystal. "You remember how they were getting a signal in, to control your ganger, Amy?"

She grimaced but nodded.

"This will block that signal. And any others they try to send in. They won't be able to control the Tardis anymore. I've added blocks and failsafes and wired in the HADS, so River won't be able to disable them anymore."

"But what about River?" Amy asked. "Are they still controlling her?" Amy looked at Rory. Rory looked worried.

"No," the Doctor said, "The Tardis and I did a telepathic sweep of her before we dropped her off." He looked at Rory. "We took out all that stuff in her head, no more post hypnotic suggestions. But that doesn't change how she was raised, she still has a lot of healing to do."

Rory bit his lips shut, but nodded.

"She will be magnificent," the Doctor assured him, catching the young father's eyes. Amy took Rory's hand and squeezed.

"And with this!" the Doctor brandished the crystal high in one hand, then plunged his arm back into the console innards, something  clicked and he drew his hand out with satisfaction, "they will no longer be able to control the Tardis, or send signals in here."

He shut the triangular top and adjusted some of the instruments. "The Tardis will be able to analyze and block any signals," he said. "Only letting through those she deems appropriate. And River will still be able to fly her," He scowled up at the rotor, "Although I still say that's showing favoritism." he grumped at his beloved machine.

Amy and Rory relaxed and took sips of their coffee. If the Doctor and the Tardis were arguing again, everything must be okay.

The Tardis hummed smugly.

The Doctor suddenly flinched and fumbled in his jacket pocket. He yanked out the psychic paper as if it burned. He held it up and read it.  

"Please save me from the monsters."