The wall was modeled after an Earth memorial, though given a twenty-fifth century upgrade. If each name was chiseled into the stone, it would extend around the planet over seven hundred forty-three times and be over five miles tall. Instead, it was five hundred feet long, twenty feet tall, divided into panels ten feet wide. The names were digital, changing every five minutes, staggered on every other panel. Trillions of people came to this wall every year, looking for a name. Sometimes you had to wait for days before the name you sought finally came around.

She'd been waiting for nine days for the name to appear. She hadn't slept, hadn't eaten, hadn't relieved herself. After four days, she dared not even blink for fear of missing the name she looked for. All the people and species moving around her didn't bother her anymore; they were merely background noise now. A bump, a jostle, even the occasional rude shove couldn't shake her. That name was close, so very close. She could feel it. And nothing was going to…

A nudge in the back of her mind broke her four-day trance. She blinked and shook her head as a wave of nausea swept over her. No, that was impossible. She was here at this wall because that was impossible. That nudge…

Torn between resuming her wait and looking around, she bit her lip. And turned. Where? The nudge was now firmly planted in her mind, like a sort of radar. Turning, looking, there! In that direction. Oh, but it took her away from the wall. She glanced at the wall as it switched names once more. She had a few minutes…maybe…

The nudge was now firmly planted, like something burrowing into her mind. The person was approaching the wall. Well, of course, why else would anyone be here?

She turned back and tried to be as casual as possible about the wall. But her concentration was broken as the person got closer and closer. She did not move her head, but cast a quick glance to the side. There! She nearly collapsed with relief. The nudge wasn't lying; there she stood, studying the wall, but getting ever closer. After a moment, they were standing side-by-side.

"Looking for someone?" she dared ask.

"Why else would I be here?"

"Right."

They stood in silence. She wondered if the nudge was as bad in her mind, too.

"So, who are you looking for?" the woman wondered innocently.

"My grandfather. You?"

"My father. Sorry, what's your name?"

"Susan. And you?"

"Jenny."

They shook hands. As they touched, it was like an electric shock ran through them. For a moment, images filled their minds. Jenny jerked her hand away.

"Um…sorry," she said, frowning. "Static."

Susan blinked. "Right. Naturally."

They turned their attention back to the wall.

"So, which war?" Susan inquired.

"What?"

"Which war? This is the Veterans of Intergalactic Wars wall, and there are many of them. I've been here for over a week, waiting."

Jenny hesitated. "You'd probably laugh at me."

"No, go on. Which war?"

"The Last Great Time War." She braced herself for ridicule.

"Well, you've certainly come at a convenient time; this is that war going through. I'm actually searching through it as well," Susan told her.

"Oh really? Your grandfather fought in the Time War?"

"On the front lines."

"So did my father." Jenny grinned and nudged her in the ribs. "Maybe they fought together, hm?"

"Maybe."

The names changed again and they diverted everything into scanning the new names. Susan found this woman fascinating; her cluelessness about the whole thing, the War and what it meant, was more curious than irksome.

"It must have been terrible to lose your grandfather," Jenny remarked.

"It was, but I think he's all right. He protected me from it by dropping me off far away and ensuring my safety. Actually, I don't think he ever could have predicted the Time War, but when it happened, I was safe."

"That's nice."

"Yes. But what about your father?"

"I only knew him for one day. And then we…went our separate ways. I've never been able to contact him, don't know how. Everything I know about him is from legends and rumors. Sometimes I'll arrive at a place to learn he had only just left and I'd just missed him. But I keep trying. One of these days, we'll meet again."

Susan smiled. "Yeah, I used to do that. And then I realized, if I don't try, my chances of finding him are much higher. Sounds dumb, but he travels so much, that if I stand in just one spot, he'll eventually drop by."

"I wish it was that easy with my father."

"Can't you just ask around?"

"Well, I could," Jenny admitted, "but standing in one spot just waiting isn't my style. I love going out and travelling, always in his wake. It took forever to find out anything about him, but he is known absolutely everywhere. Myths, legends, religions, all devoted to him."

Susan shook her head. "My grandfather was a bit like that, though he resented it. He tried to be seen as more of a grumpy old man to be passed over in that regard, but his ego and need to be brilliant superseded that."

By now they were speaking but not really actively listening, focused more on the wall as it changed.

"For all my father's brilliance, he just couldn't see the obvious sometimes. Always needing to be secret, hiding his name, his face, but never his brain."

"He liked to pretend to be evil and cunning, but everything had a plan, even if he didn't realize it yet. And it wasn't evil. He was just…sweet with no way to show it. Well, he could have, but he was just so arrogant to think that every other species in the universe would never be able to appreciate properly."

"He tried to erase himself from history several times, but always left a remnant, a single word to spark curiosity, like a figure in the shadows."

"My grandfather never told anyone his real name, but he loved to flaunt himself as-"

"A single word which was so ordinary, so common, and yet could send armies running. He called himself-"

"The Doctor," they said together.