Prequel to The Wedding of River Song (webcast)

The prequel to The Wedding of River Song was the fifth prequel produced by the BBC for the sixth series of Doctor Who.

Summary
A digital clock on a computer screen flickers between 05:02:57 PM and 05:02:58 PM. A series of black and white video feeds from security cameras reveal the place to be Area 52. The last shot is of an apparently empty specimen tank.

Two soldiers, each wearing an eyepatch, make their way down a corridor, stopping next to a pair of empty tanks nestled into alcoves along the wall. The soldiers check the tanks, report them as secured, then move on. After the soldiers leave, a Silent appears in each tank, alive and awake. Footage from security cameras throughout the base reveal there are at least one hundred and twelve identical tanks, with the implication that all of them contain Silents.

Behind a barricaded wooden door in another room containing an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, a woman in a black suit stands with her back turned to the camera. As the camera zooms in, she turns. It is River Song, with an eyepatch over her right eye. She smiles.

Throughout this, a child is heard singing:
 * Tick tock, goes the clock,
 * Tick tock, goes the clock,
 * Tick tock, goes the clock...
 * Doctor, brave﻿ and good.
 * He turned away from violence.
 * When he understood
 * The falling of the Silence.

Cast

 * River Song - Alex Kingston

Worldbuilding

 * The soldiers are seen wearing an eyepatch similar to Madame Kovarian's. These were later revealed to be eye drives, which were standard issue among the organisation.

Story notes

 * This is a prelude to TV: The Wedding of River Song.
 * It was released on the official website directly following the conclusion of Closing Time.
 * It's unclear whether the brief appearance by Alex Kingston was shot exclusively for the prequel, or is taken from The Wedding of River Song.
 * This is the first prequel to physically feature a companion to the Doctor. The previous prequel starred Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, but she was only heard by voice.