Fish Fingers and Custard Issue 1 - Fish Fingers and Custard Fanzine

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Fish Fingers and Custard Issue 1
CRACKS
An 11 th Doctor and Amy Story
By David Rudden
‘They say,’ murmured the Doctor, his ear pressed up against the TARDIS
console, ‘All the truly great engineers can tell when a piece of machinery is about
to fail.’
He ran one long finger along the constellation of switches that adorned the
instrument panel and stuck it in his mouth speculatively, brow furrowed in
concentration. Around him, the ship gurgled and hummed, lights flashing in
nonsense patterns across brass-edged screens.
‘Well they’d hardly be truly great if they couldn’t, now would they?’ retorted his
companion with an impudent grin, leaning back on her chair to watch the Doctor
tap one screen and then another, consternation spreading across his lean
features as he listened to the noise of screwdriver on glass.
He shot her an irritated look.
‘No, well, yes, well- Look. Not what I meant. Before anyone else knew something
was wrong, before diagnostic scans, or instrument checks, before any hint of
strain manifested itself, these people, these masters of their craft... They knew. ‘
He paused for a moment, staring up into the chamber’s vaulted ceiling.
‘It’s in the sound.’
Amy’s smirk died on her face.
‘You think there’s something wrong with the TARDIS?’
He didn’t appear to notice she had spoken, his fingers dancing lightly over the
controls. The TARDIS shuddered at his touch, lights flaring white and scarlet.
‘It’s the sound you don’t hear until it stops... the wrong note, the discordance lost
in the greater song, so small no-one else would hear it unless you were immersed
in the symphony.’
The TARDIS suddenly stopped, the last shivers dying away under Amy’s
whitened knuckles. The Doctor’s voice was quiet.
‘Unless you’re listening, you’d never even know it was there.’
Amy tentatively loosened her grip on the railings, and pushed herself upright. The
lights had faded now, the ship silent. She had never heard it this silent. There had