III. Silence in the Library
Jenny stepped out of the TARDIS and looked up at the roof; she gave herself a smile then knocked on the TARDIS door, signaling Donna to come out. When Donna stepped out the two girls walked out of the reception hall that they were in and down the stairs. They had approached a porch, that over looked a giant city filled with bookshelves.
"Welcome to The Library," Jenny exclaimed.
"Okay, when you said you were going to the library I didn't think you literally meant a library." Donna muttered. "I just thought you meant the TARDIS library."
"Well, I already read most of the books in there, and don't tell the TARDIS I said this but, most of the books in there I don't like or their Disney books."
"What Disney books?" Donna asked.
"The Lion King…so, anyway, if you want to learn, the Library is the perfect place to do so."
"Hang on, you said 'the' library not 'a' library."
"Yeah, that's right, this is The Library…it's what it's called." Jenny grinned.
"So what, the whole planet is a library?" Donna joked.
"Yeah," Jenny said, she pointed out to the city. "Contains every book, ever written, from any world…I did research before we came here, not going to go somewhere and not know anything…you know London really did have a flu epidemic."
"Nice to know."
Jenny looked around, cocking an eyebrow, something wasn't right. "You know, what I don't get, this is The Library, the biggest in the universe and yet…where is everyone?"
"Maybe everyone's really quiet." Donna said.
Jenny walked over to a computer, typed a few letters in, and the computer began to scan for life forms. When nothing came up on the screen, she typed a few more words into the computer. "Okay lets try anything with a heart beat…I'll be counted twice." Jenny said, giggling to herself, Donna just rolled her eyes. "A million million? Is that a real number?" Jenny muttered.
"But there's no-one here, how is there a million million people?" Donna said looking around.
Jenny and Donna headed back up the stairs and into the reception hall where they had came from, when they heard a female voice.
"Welcome. I am Courtesy NODE 710/aqua. Please enjoy the Library and respect personal access codes of all your fellow readers, regardless of species or hygiene taboo."
Donna and Jenny looked up at the stand and saw a young woman's face talking to them. Donna pointed to the face, "That face, it looks real."
"It's a statue with a real face. Future of the human race probably." Jenny said. Donna just glared at her. "Joking." Jenny said quickly.
"Additional, brief message from head librarian for you're urgent attention. Message follows, 'Run, for God's sake, run. No where is safe…the library has sealed itself, we can't…oh they're here.' Message ends." The NODE said.
Jenny narrowed eyes, "Any other messages, same date stamp?"
"Message follows. 'Count the shadows, for God's sake, remember…if you want to live, count the shadows.' Message ends."
"Stay out of the shadows and count them. Got it, right, let's go."Jenny grabbed Donna's arm and the two began to walk into a corridor with giant bookshelves. Jenny kept glancing behind her, as Donna began to shake with fear.
"What's in the shadows?" Donna asked quietly.
"No idea…" Jenny trailed off.
"Did you know about this?"
"No, but…something locked onto the TARDIS, I'm not sure what but…But I saw it was coming from this planet…The TARDIS wasn't even sure what locked onto her. Bet if dad was here, he'd know." Jenny said, she stopped walking and leant against one of the bookshelves.
"You're doing a good job, he'd be proud of you." Donna reassured her.
Suddenly the lights from the end of the corridor went out. Donna turned to look at the darkness getting closer to them. Jenny grabbed her hand and the two girls began to run out of the corridor. They stopped at a wooden door, Jenny used her boots to kick down the door, after running inside they slammed the door shut, using a book to keep the door closed.
"Oh hello," Jenny said noticing the sphere that suddenly fell onto the floor. She knelt down to pick it up.
"What is it?" Donna asked.
"Security camera, I think it switched itself off." Jenny looked at the sphere, stood up and began to shake it. "Oh, I'm sorry." She stopped, looking at it.
"Now, what do we do?" Donna asked looking about the room.
"I think it's alive." Jenny murmured. On the screen the words 'Others are coming' appeared. Jenny and Donna both tilted there heads to the side reading the words that appeared on the screen. Donna stepped away and turned to one of the NODE's.
"What does it mean others?" Donna asked.
"Donna, it can't help…it's a computer." Jenny said standing next to her.
"So why has it got a face?" Donna retorted.
"This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death." The NODE said. Both Donna and Jenny gasped and took a few steps back.
"It's a real face!" Donna complained.
"It's donating a face." Jenny said. She turned around noticing a shadow; she taped Donna on the shoulder causing her to turn around. "Count the shadows." Jenny insisted.
"One, there, I counted it, one shadow." Donna said.
"What's casting it, though?" Jenny asked looking around; she looked down a corridor where the darkness had taken over and saw a single blinking lamp.
"Power must be going out." Donna muttered, noticing what Jenny was looking out.
"Can't be, the planet runs of fission cells…they'll out burn the sun." Jenny whispered, not taking her eyes of the lamp.
"Then why is it dark?" Donna asked.
"It's not dark."
Donna glanced behind her noticing the shadow was no longer there, she turned and looked around for it. "J-Jenny, the shadow's gone." Jenny turned around.
"Not gone, moved."
Suddenly one of the doors bursted open and six people in space suits entered the room. Jenny and Donna stood staring at them with wide eyes. The leader of the group walked up to Jenny, he took off his helmet to reveal a male face. He smiled towards Jenny. "Hello sweetheart." The leader turned around back to his team, "Pop your helmets, everyone, we've got breathers.
The other five space suits took off their helmets, the leader turned back to Jenny smiling, "You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?"
Jenny looked at the tall, handsome man, confused, "Sorry, but what are you doing here?"
"We're on an expedition, I funded it." The older man said.
"Oh…wait; please don't tell me your archaeologists?" Jenny muttered.
"Got a problem with archaeologists?" the man said.
"Sort of, read one of you're books didn't understand one word."
"Oh," the man nodded, "Professor Robert Song…archaeologist."
Jenny nodded, pretending to be surprised. Robert walked over to his group and pointed at each of them. "This is Anita," he pointed to a dark skinned woman. "This is Miss Evangelista." He pointed to a young scared brunette. "Then we have Dave…well Other Dave. That's Proper Dave, our pilot."
He walked over to an older man, "And this is Mr. Lux."
"My family built this Library, I have rights!" Mr. Lux demanded.
Robert rolled his eyes, "You have a mouth that won't stop." He glanced at Jenny who was staring at him intently. "What you think we should do?"
"Lights, that's what we need…you got any lights?"
"What for?" Robert asked tilting his head.
"Form a circle, safe area, big as you can, lights pointing out." Jenny said pointing to the middle of the room.
Robert nodded turning to his team, "Oi, do as she says."
"You're not listening to this woman?" Anita asked, harshly.
"Apparently, I am. Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mr. Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the Library database, see what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago. Sweetheart, you're with me, step into my office." He turned away and walked over to a desk.
Jenny looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?"
"Sweetheart, with me I said." Robert said smiling.
Jenny turned to Donna who just shrugged; turning back she followed Robert to the desk. She watched him unpack his bag onto the desk, noticing some things really familiar but not. The last thing he pulled out was a TARDIS shaped book, Jenny widened her eyes in the resemblances.
"Thanks." Robert suddenly said.
"For what?" Jenny asked.
"For coming, especially after the way we parted, though I expected you're parents and sister with you, unless that red head is you're sister…which I don't get because she was only five years when I left, so she wouldn't be a grown up Time Lady."
Jenny opened her mouth to say something, but instead she just froze, eyes widened. She tried to process everything through her mind but none of it made sense. She didn't have parents, her dad died and she never had a mother…and a little sister, something was wrong with this guy.
Noticing her face, Robert laughed lightly, "You're doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me…I'm assuming there's a reason?"
"A fairly good one, actually." Jenny muttered.
"Okay," he grabbed the TARDIS shaped book and began turning the pages. "Where are we this time? Uh, going by your face, I'd say early days for you, yes, so um…hmm…crash of the Byzantium and you're dad had to restore things back to normal?"
Jenny just stared at him emotionless.
"Obviously ringing no bells…right, er, picnic at Asgard? Your parents caught us snogging…?" Robert looked in Jenny's eyes noticing there was know sign of recognizing him inside them. He drew a deep sigh. "Jen, please tell me you know who I am?"
"Who are you?" Jenny whispered. Robert just looked at away clearly hurt, he placed the book back down on the desk. Jenny clearly curious reached one hand to grab the book. Until Robert slapped her hand away, and grabbed the book holding it to his chest.
"Sorry, you're not allowed to see inside the book, it's against the rules."
"What rules?" Jenny asked.
"Yours." he said flatly.
XxXxX
Since their little talk, Jenny and Robert had stayed on opposite sides of the room. Donna was getting along with the young girl, Miss Evangelista. Jenny desperately wanted to know what was in the book, all the things Robert had said repeated itself in her mind. She wanted to know her future.
Suddenly books had begun to fly about the room, scaring everyone, but Jenny didn't seem to notice, she stood at the computer screen, typing in keys, trying to access the terminal. But the words 'ACCESS DENIED' with CAL written above it, kept coming up. Jenny tilted her head. She wondered what CAL was.
After the books had stopped flying about, Donna returned back to Miss Evangelista, trying to calm her down.
"Mr. Lux, what's CAL?" Jenny said walking towards him.
Mr. Lux and Robert stood up meeting the blonde girls gaze. "Sorry, you need to sign personal experience contracts."
"Mr. Lux, right now, we're in danger and I could protect you if you stop protecting a patent." Jenny growled.
"I'm protecting my family's pride!" He snapped back.
"Mr. Lux I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important!"
"Then why don't you sign his contract?" Robert muttered. "I didn't either…always said you're bad influence."
Jenny bowed her head, hiding a smile. "Okay, so let's start from the beginning, what happened here…a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"
Everyone stood in a circle, listening to Robert and Mr. Lux tell the story of what happened here. The Library had been closed due to a message saying 'The lights are going out'. It took Mr. Lux's family three generations to get inside the Library once again. After a short argue between Robert and Mr. Lux, Jenny was shown a message '4022 saved, no survivors.'
"How can 4022 people be saved if there are no survivors?" Donna asked.
"That's what we're here to find out." Robert said.
"Yes…now Miss Evangelista…Miss Evangelista?" Mr. Lux said looking around the room. Everyone had begun to look around the room for her, until they found a wall panel open. They all walked in, with their flash lights, and Jenny telling them to watch the shadows every step of the way.
When they heard a scream the group began to run and where they ended up was in a very old lecture room. Donna gasped seeing the skeleton sitting on the chair looking at them. Everyone paused.
"Who screamed?" Jenny asked looking at Donna, then to Anita.
"Miss Evangelista…" Proper Dave answered.
Jenny glanced about the group, "And where's she?"
"Miss Evangelista, please state you current pos…it…ion…" Robert trailed off. Everyone heard his voice echoed from the skeleton. He took a view steps towards the skeleton and on the neck was her comm. "It's her." He whispered
"But we heard her scream a few seconds ago, what could do that to a person in a few seconds?" Anita asked, panic written in her voice.
"It took a lot less than a few seconds." Jenny muttered.
"Hello"
"I'm so sorry everyone, this isn't going to be pleasant, she's ghosting." Robert said sadly turning to the rest of the group.
"Hello, excuse me? I'm sorry, hello? Excuse me?"
"That's her, that's Miss Evangelista." Donna said turning to Jenny, her eyes welling up.
Jenny just turned to her and gave her a quick hug. "I'm sorry, Donna."
"But that's Miss Evangelista…" Donna murmured.
"Its called a data ghost." Robert said.
"What's a data ghost?"
"There's a neural relay in the communicator, lets you send thought mails. That's it there, those green lights. Sometimes it can hold an impression of a living consciousness for a short time after death. Like an after image." He answered her.
"She's in there!" Donna shouted.
"I can't see, I can't... Where am I?"
"She's conscious! She's thinking." Donna said turning back to Jenny who just looked at her in sympathy.
"I can't see, I can't... I don't know what I'm thinking."
"She's dead Donna, only a foot print in the sand awaiting the tide." Donna just looked at Jenny with wide eyes.
"Where's that woman? The nice woman... is she there?"
"She means...she means me?" Donna asked looking at everyone in the room.
"Yeah," Robert pushed a button on his comm. "Go on, she'll be able to hear you."
Donna stepped back, frightened, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jenny walked up to her and placed her hands on her shoulders.
"Donna, she needs your help."
"She's dead…"
"I know, and what I'm about to ask you, I hope you never have to do again, but Donna…for her, help her."
Donna looked into Jenny's blue eyes, seeing the sadness reflecting in her own. Donna took a deep breath and walked away from Jenny and near the skeleton.
"Hello, I-I-I'm here, you okay?"
For the last ten minutes the group had spent listening to Donna talk to the ghost of Miss Evangelista. When she had finally gone, Jenny hugged Donna tightly, comforting her. The group walked back into the library and stood around while Jenny was on the floor looking under the tables.
Donna stood watching her, wiping tears that still fell from her eyes. Robert stood next to her watching Jenny as well.
"You travel with Jenny…just Jenny…no-one else?"
Donna looked at him. "Do you know her?"
"Yeah…we go way back, just not this far back. She hasn't met me yet, she doesn't have The Doctor, Bad Wolf or Kaylee."
"Wait, you know the Doctor?"
"Yeah, funny man, though, his a little over protective of his wife and two daughters."
"What are you talking about? The Doctor's dead, he doesn't have a wife and only one daughter." Donna huffed.
"Donna, please stop talking, I'm trying to think." Jenny said from under a table.
"Wait, Donna, Donna Noble?"
Donna looked at Robert, tilting her head to the side. "Yeah, why?"
"I do know Jenny…but in the future, in her personal future." Just before Donna could say something else Jenny got up and walked over to Mr. Lux who was eating something from his lunch box. Jenny grabbed the box and pulled out a chicken leg. She grinned to Donna and Robert.
"Wanna see a magic trick." She turned to where the darkness was and through the chicken leg, but when it landed on the ground all that was left was the bone. "It's not the darkness or the shadows, it's a man-eating swarm."
"Okay, so what do we do?" Robert asked.
Jenny just grinned, "I like running."
Both Robert and Donna sighed in unison, "We know."
"That's your brilliant idea," Anita said, "We run, run where?"
"Well…this is an index point; there must be an exit teleport somewhere." Jenny stared at Mr. Lux.
"Well don't look at me, I haven't memorized the schematics."
"Jenny, what about the little shop? They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff." Donna said pointing to the door way to the shop.
Jenny just grinned, everyone began to head that way when Jenny saw something. "Ah, Proper Dave, could you just stay there." Jenny said. Everyone stopped and looked at Jenny.
"Why?" Proper Dave asked, standing still.
Jenny shook her head, "I'm so sorry, but you've got two shadows."
Everyone looked at Proper Dave's shadows. Anita gasped.
"It's how they hunt; they latch on to a food source and keep it fresh." Jenny muttered.
"What do I do?" he asked,
"Alright…umm…Stay still, like there's a wasp in the room, like a million wasps…or a giant wasp." Jenny said turning to Donna and smiling slightly. Jenny turned back to Proper Dave; she stood silently for a few moments thinking. "Where's you're helmet…don't point just tell me."
"On the floor…by my bag." Proper Dave said. Jenny walked over to the helmet and grabbed it off the floor. She placed it on Proper Dave's head as carefully as she could.
"Okay, anything we can do with the suits?" Jenny turned to Robert.
"We can increase the mesh-density…dial it up to 400, make it a tougher meal." Robert said.
"Okay, 800, everyone put you're helmets on and do the same." Jenny touched the side of Proper Dave's helmet turning it to 800 while everyone else was placing their helmets on and doing the same.
"What about us?" Donna asked. Jenny turned to her, she grabbed her hand and the two girls walked into the shop. Jenny placed Donna onto a mat and walked over to the control.
"I'm so sorry, you don't have suit, and you're not safe here." Jenny murmured as she was entering the coordinates for the TARDIS.
"What are you on about? You don't have a suit either." Donna said.
Jenny looked up to her, "See you in a little bit." Jenny pulled a lever, making Donna disappear.
She walked back into the other room, glancing at everyone in their 'safe' suits. Then looking at Proper Dave's shadow, her eyes widened. "Where did it go?"
"It's just gone, I looked round, one shadow, see." Proper Dave said relieved.
"Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to hang around here." Other Dave sighed.
"I don't know why we're still here; we can leave her, can't we?" Mr. Lux said bitterly.
"Shut it!" Robert snapped.
Jenny still had her eyes on Proper Dave; she couldn't grasp the fact that it just let him go. She crossed her arms, "Did you feel anything?" Proper Dave looked at her. "Like an energy transfer," she continued, "anything at all?"
"No, but look, it's gone." Proper Dave began to turn around before Jenny shouted at him.
"Don't move! It hasn't gone, they don't just go!"
"Hey! Who turned out the lights?" he asked.
"No-one, they're fine." Jenny muttered.
"No, seriously turn them back on!" He began to panic.
"They're on." Robert said.
"Hang on, Dave follow my voice, turn to the direction of my voice." Jenny said staring at him intently. When he turned to Jenny, darkness filled his helmet.
"Where are you, I can't see you."
"Dave, stay still, absolutely still…how do you feel?" Jenny asked.
"I'm fine, I'm okay…I'm fine, I'm okay…I can't…why can't I?"
Robert moves closer to Jenny, noticing the lights on his comm. blinking furiously. "He's gone…he's ghosting."
"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"
As Jenny moved closer to Dave, Robert grabbed her hand pulling her back away from him. "Jen, we gotta go!" he said tugging on her hand.
Jenny looked down at her hand in his and then nodded. The group began to run out of the room and into a corridor filled with bookshelves. Jenny stopped tugging on Robert's hand. She pointed to the shadows.
"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"
Jenny swung around on her heels, looking at Dave following them. The group began to run faster down the corridors. They ran down a narrow corridor and stopped when they couldn't hear Dave's voice anymore. Jenny walked over to a lamp and began to fiddle with it. Robert stood by her side watching her.
"I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS, if we don't get back there in under five hours, emergency program one will activate."
"Taking her home," Robert nodded.
"Something's not right though…she's not there…the TARDIS says she hasn't had anyone been teleported to her…"
"Maybe you entered the wrong coordinates; you know how you are with coordinates." Robert said.
Jenny walked up to a NODE, "Donna Noble, do you have the software to locate her?"
When the NODE turned around, it revealed Donna's face, causing Jenny to take a step back and place a hand over her mouth. "Donna Noble has left the Library, Donna Noble has been saved."
"Donna?" Jenny said her eyes stinging with tears.
"Donna Noble has left the Library, Donna Noble has been saved." The NODE repeated.
"How's that Donna?" Robert asked Jenny, but she just froze staring into the face of her best friend.
"Donna Noble has left the Library, Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey! Who turned out the lights?" Dave's voice came.
Robert wrapped an arm around Jenny's waist pulling her down the corridor with the rest of the group.
To be continued…
Author's Note: When I actually watched this episode, I was scared…lolz, that's a sad confession right there. Hope you like it please review. Oh I don't know if you all got my spoiler for the end of the story…shh.
