Chapter 12. Silence In The Library
A/N- keep the comments and opinions a coming guys, I love hearing from you!
Also I do not own Doctor Who :(
Also, Also Donna Noble is all I'll say :)
"Hey, don't sweat it, I only go so far back with the Doctor as well" I tell River who still seemed to be surprised that the Doctor didn't know who she was.
"You're right" she said but I could still see the look of hurt in her eyes. We walked over to where everyone else was surrounding a screen as the Doctor worked on it like a pro. Suddenly a little girl appears on the screen just as confused looking at everyone else.
"Hello?" The Doctor says.
"Hello" she starts slowly, "are you in my television?"
"Well, no, I'm, I'm sort of in space. Er, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple grid security processor."
"Would you like to speak to my Dad?"
"Dad or your Mum, that'd be lovely."
"I know you. You're in my library" she said accusingly.
"Your library?"
"The library's never been on the television before. What have you done?"
"Er, well, I just rerouted the interface-" he was saying but the screen went blank again before saying access denied.
"What happened? Who was that?" River asks.
"I need another terminal. Keep working on those lights. We need those lights!" The Doctor orders.
"You heard him, people. Let there be light" River adds.
The Doctor goes to the other terminal where River's diary still lay. I watch as he goes to pick it up and she quickly takes it from him.
"Sorry, you're not allowed to see inside the book. It's against the rules" she tells him.
"What rules?"
"Your rules."
As she walks away I walk over to him and lean into his side which causes him to give me a smile. As I return it books start flying off the shelves and one misses my head by a inch.
"What's that? I didn't do that. Did you do that?" The Doctor asks looking at Proper Dave.
"Not me" he says.
The Doctor's screen starts blinking saying Cal Access Denied.
"What's Cal?" He asked confused and I just smiled thinking of that cute little girl. My smile soon turned into a frown as I felt something in my side rip and I fell to the ground on my knees just as the books stopped. Whatever pain medication Eleven gave me must have worn off. "Wren" the Doctor called bending down to check on me, "what is it? Are you hurt?" I quickly waved him off and swallowed the sob that threatened to escape my throat.
"Just got hit in the side with a book while I was taking a breath, knocked the wind out of me is all." He squinted his eyes as he observed me but was quickly distracted by the books flying off the shelves again.
"What's causing that? Is it the little girl?" River asks.
"But who is the little girl? What's she got to do with this place? How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's Cal?" The Doctor rambled off standing again while I remained on the floor fighting my tears.
"Ask Mister Lux" River says eyeing me.
"Cal, what is it?" The Doctor asked straight to the point.
"Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts" Lux says in a not so sorry tone.
"Mister Lux. Right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?"
"I'm protecting my family's pride."
"Well, funny thing, Mister 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?" River says making him go quiet before she smirks, "I didn't either, I'm getting worse than you."
"Okay, okay, okay. Let's start at the beginning. What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?" He says getting back to business.
"There was a message from the Library. Just one. The lights are going out. Then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for a hundred years" River says but I block them out. My ears felt like they were going to explode, my body was in so much pain it was unbearable. I wanted to just give up in that moment and go ahead and die. Death would be better than one more second of this pain.
"Are you alright?" Donna asks suddenly bringing me out of my shameful thoughts.
"Yea sorry, got hit with a book, hurts like hell."
"Yea? Did you need something like water or an ice pack? I could go back to the Tardis." I smiled at her generosity, she was definitely at the top of my favorites.
"Don't worry Donna, I think I'll make it" I lied and she nodded unsure as I forced myself to stand up and ignore the pain.
"Well then let's get back to the others" she said and I nodded in agreement walking with her back towards them.
"This is a data extract that came with the message" River says showing the Doctor something on a device.
"Four thousand and twenty two saved. No survivors" he reads aloud.
"Four thousand and twenty two. That's the exact number of people who were in the library when the planet was sealed" River informs us.
"But how can four thousand and twenty two people have been saved if there were no survivors?" Donna asks.
"That's what we're here to find out."
"And so far, what we haven't found are any bodies" Lux says.
"Wren, a moment" River says pulling me a little ways away. Before I could ask what she wanted she quickly scanned me with the screwdriver while the Doctor wasn't looking. "It's worst than I thought" she says after a moment of silence.
"Go on then" I say watching the Doctor from my spot.
"Your kidneys are failing, more than that they've absorbed most of the poison and are seemingly ripping from the inside out" she explains and I give a dry and unamused chuckle.
"Well that explains the ripping I felt moments ago" I say dryly and she gently touches my arm.
"Let's tell him, I'm sure he could help in some way" when I didn't reply nor look at her she sighed irritated, "I won't just stand idly by and watch you die."
"River" I said finally meeting her eyes, "there's nothing he can do so could you please let me remember him in my last moments like this" I say looking around the room. "The smart determined man who will figure it all out and save us, the man who thrives on adventure and makes friends everywhere he goes, the man who's seen it all yet finds everyone, everyplace and everything exciting and important. The man I'm falling in love with" I finished feeling good that I'd finally said that out loud. "I don't want my last moments to be of him getting emotional and not being able to save these people cause he's to worried about me dying any moment." She looked away and bit her lip before grabbing my hand, I could see the tears that glazed over her eyes.
"Ok. I understand" she said swallowing and clearing her eyes, "Wren you're the bravest girl I've ever met."
"It's been my honor Melody" I say with a smile which she returns, "so tell me Professor, how much time do I have?"
She glances at the screwdriver before putting it away, "close to two hours." I swallowed thickly not realizing it would be that soon.
"Well then let's get these people to safety and find out just what exactly happened to the others" I said with a small smile. My blood went cold when I heard Miss Evangelista's blood curling scream. I took a shaky breath and was glued to my spot as everyone else ran to find her. I already knew what they were going to find and I couldn't make myself see her like that. I hadn't had a chance to talk to her but I had every intention of saving her. It was my fault that I was too busy focusing on myself, I vowed to save everyone in this room which seemed impossible since no one knew how to avoid getting a second shadow. I bit my lip as I felt a rip in my other side and the pain in my back was enough to make me pass out, I quickly regained my composure as the others came running back in.
"I'm going to need a packed lunch" the Doctor says.
"Hang on" says River as she pulls her diary out and continues searching through her bag.
"What's in that book?" He asks, I could see the clocks turning in his head.
"Spoilers."
"Who are you?"
"Professor River Song, University of-"
"To me. Who are you to me?" He asked cutting her off.
"Again, spoilers" she says handing him her lunch, "chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out" she says with a smile and he gives her a strange look before standing straight.
"Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada." I stand next to Donna and River as the Doctor gets on the floor and starts scanning around.
"You travel with him, don't you? The Doctor, you travel with him" River asks.
"What of it?" Came Donna's sass, she obviously didn't yet trust her. "You know him, don't you?"
"Oh God, do I know that man. We go way back, Wren, that man and me. Just not this far back" River says.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"He hasn't met me yet. I sent him a message, but it went wrong. It arrived too early. This is the Doctor in the days before he knew me" she said pausing and gazing at him in a way that made my insides flip, "and he looks at me, he looks right through me and it shouldn't kill me, but it does."
"What are you talking about?" Donna yells, "are you just talking rubbish? Do you know him or don't you?"
"Donna! Quiet, I'm working" the Doctor says not looking up at her.
"Sorry."
"Donna. You're Donna. Donna Noble" River says surprised.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I do know the Doctor, but in the future. His personal future."
"So why don't you know me? Where am I in the future?" She asks and River gives her a strange look and then one of relief when the Doctor interrupts.
"Who is she?" Donna whispers to me and I sigh.
"Exactly who she says she is, we know her in the future and she's a very trustworthy person"
I tell Donna who frowns.
"Where am I in the future?" I swallow not looking at her.
"Still enjoying every minute of your life" was all I said as I gave the Doctor my full attention. He bends down in front of a desk where a small shadow is.
"That's not darkness down those tunnels. This is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man eating swarm." He throws the chicken leg into the shadow and it is only bone by the time it hits the floor, everyones face has traces of worry and shock. "The piranhas of the air. The Vashta Nerada. Literally, the shadows that melt the flesh. Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive."
"What do you mean, most planets? Not Earth?" Donna objects.
"Mmm. Earth, and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams."
"If they were on Earth, we'd know."
"Nah. Normally they live on road kill. But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark."
"Every shadow?" River asked.
"No. But any shadow" I add catching everyone's brief attention.
"So what do we do?"
"Daleks, aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans, back of the neck. Vashta Nerada? Run. Just run" the Doctor says in warning.
"Run? Run where?"
"This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere" he says looking at Lux.
"Don't look at me, I haven't memorized the schematics" Lux claims.
"Doctor, the little shop. They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff" Donna says pointing at the shop and the Doctor gets a bit excited.
"You're right. Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop."
"Okay, let's move it" Proper Dave says heading towards the shop.
"Actually, Proper Dave? Could you stay where you are for a moment?" The Doctor says and my heart drops.
"Why?"
"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows" everyone looks down to see the Doctor is correct. "It's how they hunt. They latch on to a food source and keep it fresh."
"What do I do?"
"You stay absolutely still, like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps."
"We're not leaving you, Dave" says River.
"Course we're not leaving him. Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."
"On the floor, by my bag" he says and Anita goes to get it before walking over to him.
"Don't cross his shadow" he warns and she's careful as she places his helmet on him, "Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got."
"But, Doctor, we haven't got any helmets" Donna says.
"Yeah, but we're safe anyway."
"How are we safe?"
"We're not. That was a clever lie to shut you up" I say earning a glare from him.
"Hate it when you do that" he said and I grinned despite myself, "Professor, anything I can do with the suit?"
"What good are the damn suits? Miss Evangelista was wearing her suit. There was nothing left" said Lux.
"We can increase the mesh density. Dial it up four hundred percent. Make it a tougher meal" River answered ignoring Lux.
"Okay" the Doctor said as he pulled out his screwdriver and adjusted Dave's suit, "Eight hundred percent. Pass it on" he said holding out his screwdriver for River.
"Gotcha" she says holding up a sonic screwdriver of her own, which technically was the Doctors in his future.
"What's that?" He asks dumbly.
"It's a screwdriver."
"It's sonic."
"Obviously" I muttered and he sent me a look which I ignored as River adjusted everyone's suit. The Doctor taps Donna's hand and grabs mine.
"With me. Come on" he says dragging me along while Donna followed behind. Once we stopped in the shop he dragged me to the teleport and started working on it as Donna looked around somewhat excited.
"What are we doing? We shopping? Is it a good time to shop?"
"No talking, just moving. Try it. Right, stand there in the middle. It's a teleport can't send the others, Tardis won't recognize them" he says sonicing the control as she steps on it next to me.
"What are you doing?"
"Neither of you have a suit, you're not safe."
"You don't have a suit, so you're in just as much danger as we are and I'm not leaving you-"
"Donna, let me explain" he says cutting her off and just before he hits the button I jump off the teleport and Donna vanishes.
"Oh, that's how you do it" I say smirking and he glared at me.
"You were supposed to go with her" he says lowly.
"Well I didn't, you need me here."
"I think I could of managed this one time Wren, you're in grave danger."
"Story of my life" I mumbled rolling my eyes.
"Doctor" River called and with one last look he grabbed my hand and we ran back to the others. The first thing we both noticed was that proper Dave only had one shadow again.
"Where did it go?" The Doctor asks circling him.
"It's just gone. I looked round, one shadow, see" says Dave.
"Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to hang around here" River adds.
"I don't know why we're still here. We can leave him, can't we? I mean, no offense" Lux says earning a glare from me.
"Shut up, Mister Lux" I say somewhat rudely, "and that was me telling you nicely."
"Did you feel anything, like an energy transfer? Anything at all?" The Doctor questions, ignoring our banter.
"No, no, but look, it's gone" Dave says whilst spinning around.
"Stop there" the Doctor warns and he stops, "Stop, stop, stop there. Stop moving. They're never just gone and they never give up." He sonics the floor by Dave while I think over this episode. There really wasn't a way to get away from the Vashta Nerada, all we had to go on is luck.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" I heard Dave's voice say pulling me out of my thoughts and a sad expression crossed my face.
"No one, they're fine" the Doctor said.
"No seriously, turn them back on."
"They are on" River says.
"I can't see a ruddy thing."
"Dave, turn around" the Doctor orders and he does showing us that his visor is completely black,
"What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone? Are we safe here?"
"Dave, I want you stay still. Absolutely still" the Doctor said. Just after he finished talking Dave's body jerks. "Dave? Dave? Dave, can you hear me? Are you all right? Talk to me, Dave."
"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine" he says but I know he's not, he's gone.
"I want you to stay still. Absolutely still."
"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine. I can't. Why can't I? I, I can't. Why can't I? I, I can't. Why can't I? I-" he trails off and we notice his communicator light blinking.
"He's gone, he's ghosting" I say.
"Then why is he still standing?" Ask Lux.
"Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave's voice sounded around the room. The Doctor walks closer for a better look.
"Doctor, don't" River warns.
"Dave, can you hear me?" He asks at arms reach.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" He asks grabbing the Doctors throat and taking a step forward to reveal his skull and I cover my mouth in disgust, that was just a living person. "Who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Excuse me" says River pulling out the sonic screwdriver and zapping what was left of Dave freeing the Doctor.
"Back from it! Get back. Right back" the Doctor orders pushing me back as zombie Dave takes a step forward.
"Doesn't move very fast, does it?" River stated.
"It's a swarm in a suit. But it's learning" he says.
Suddenly zombie Dave has four shadows, and they start coming closer.
"What do we do? Where do we go?" Lux asked in panic.
"See that wall behind you?" River says and he turns to look, "duck" she says and just as he does she fires a gun at the wall and makes a square hole in it.
"Squareness gun!" The Doctor says somewhat excited.
"Everybody out. Go, go, go. Move it. Move, move. Move it. Move, move" River says pushing everyone through the hole but I can't move from my spot, it was like I was frozen. I jump when arms wrap around my waist, I turned to see it was the Doctor.
"It's ok. Everything's going to be ok, I've got you Wren and I swear I won't let anything take you away from me. Now run" he says giving me a reassuring look and I quickly took his hand as we followed after the others. We were in another part of the library with only hallways and stacks of books. I quickly grab River's arm as she goes near a shadow.
"He said not every shadow" she says.
"But any shadow" I reply.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Came Dave's voice and I nearly had a heart attack.
"Run!" River yells and we all take off down different isles until we feel we're safe. The Doctor is trying to sonic a light into working while everyone else tries to calm their nerves. I stand off a bit from the others to try and focus on the real reason I had been frozen in place moments ago. My body was literally shutting down and the pain was enough to knock me unconscious yet I was trying to hold on. Some parts of my body felt numb and I couldn't move my left hand, my lower back and sides were where the most pain stemmed from. I was trying to calm my breathing and I didn't think I'd make it if we had to run anymore and I knew we would.
"I don't give my screwdriver to anyone" I hear the Doctor say accusingly in an annoyed tone which pulled me out of my thoughts.
"I'm not anyone" River says.
"Who are you?"
"What's the plan?" She asks ignoring him. He paused for a moment eyeing her over and glancing back at me, once I gave him a reassuring nod he cleared his throat and answered.
"I teleported Donna back to the Tardis. If we don't get back there in under five hours, emergency program one will activate."
"Take her home, yeah. We need to get a shift on." The Doctor checks his screwdriver and his eyebrows creased in confusion.
"She's not there. I should have received a signal. The console signals me if there's a teleport breach."
"Well, maybe the coordinates have slipped. The equipment here's ancient."
The Doctor goes to a nearby Node and I walk closer ready to console him if need be.
"Donna Noble. There's a Donna Noble somewhere in this library. Do you have the software to locate her position?" The node turns its head and it has Donna's face.
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved" her voice says and the Doctors face completely drops.
"Donna" he says sadly and I place my right hand on his shoulder for comfort.
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"How can it be Donna? How's that possible?" River asks confused.
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"Donna" he says again and gently strokes her face.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Came Dave's voice and we all jumped turning in his direction.
"Doctor!" Called River.
"Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the library."
"Doctor, we've got to go now!" River said and I covered my ears cause the sound of Dave and Donna talking back and forth was driving me crazy even though I've seen all this before, it's so much different living through it.
"Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, Who turned out the lights?" Dave says taking a step closer and I grab the Doctors hand and drag him down the isle as the others follow behind. It isn't long before we're trapped by shadows at one end and Dave at the other.
"Doctor, what are we going to do?" River asks and I see everyone look at him with fear, anxiousness and a panicked expression.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" I turned to tell River what to do but I suddenly become dizzy and my knees become weak.
"Wren!" River calls and I fall clinging on whatever was closest to me, the Doctor. He wraps his arms around me and picks me up.
"What is it Wren, what's wrong?" He asks in panic and pain shoots through my body making me scream and close my eyes. Just when I think I'll be able to open then they start to feel glued together and I find myself drifting off into unconsciousness no matter how hard I try to fight it.
"Donna Noble has left the library."
"River" I call, "Doctor" I say wanting to tell him exactly how I felt before I died. "I lo-"
"Shush" he cuts me off, "don't you dare tell me like this you hold on Wren" he says strongly, "my Wren" he whispers sadly and in defeat. My eyes immediately snapped open and I fought harder than I thought possible not ready to give up yet and not wanting this to be the way I said my final goodbyes to the Doctor. I looked into his brown eyes and saw my own reflection with a mix of sadness and worry. There was nothing I could say in this moment so I just laid my head on his shoulder sending him and myself comfort as Donna's voice filled my ears again.
"Donna Noble has been saved."
