Going through the endless aisles, the two struggled to find their way through the darkened library. Matt had the idea to use his Sonic Screwdriver to light the way as he stood in front of Ripley, guiding her as he looked around the lit-up aisles.
The library silent, the only thing audible were their footsteps and the Sonic Screwdriver as they walked towards a four-way connecting the aisles together,
"Trillions of books, doesn't seem like something she'd go for," Matt's surprised at Mallory's choice.
It said a lot when even Matt, of all people, didn't understand why Mallory didn't want to go for something worth more.
Ripley didn't understand Mallory choice either, then again, the woman's a wildcard personified as a person. She'd steal some of the most expensive things in the known universe but sometimes she'd want to go after something as mundane as books.
Hardening back what she knew, Ripley guessed that this was an undiscovered library. A library with knowledge that hasn't been seen or heard since whenever the library's built.
"Archaeology, I don't understand, this library looks modern," Matt brought up that it didn't look like a library from an ancient period left undisturbed for however many millennia until Mallory found it.
"She did say excavation," Ripley remembered.
Mallory, for all her faults, wouldn't go after something unless she saw value in it. It made sense that she saw value in the library and wanted it for herself.
Standing in the centre, the duo looked between the intersecting aisles and wondered what aisle to take.
"She could be anywhere," Matt frowned.
Ripley did too.
Putting his hands in his pockets, Matt chewed on the bottom of his lips as he tried to think of a possible route to Mallory. She didn't exactly give them the exact coordinates to find her and the TARDIS' isn't exactly a mind reader.
"Okay, if I were her, where'd I go?" Matt pondered.
Amusingly, Matt got his answer when he saw a red flare shot above the towering aisles.
"Come on, let's see what the brainiac found," Ripley sighed as she went in the direction of the flare.
Matt followed her and the duo walked until they saw something in the distance and four shadows standing near it. "What's that?" Matt cupped his hand over his forehead to narrow his eyes.
"Dunno," Ripley frowned.
Continuing, the duo passed the countless books and the aisle that went on for nearly two kilometers before coming across a landed spacecraft and four people wearing spacesuits.
"Greetings, earthlings!" Ripley casually remarked.
She's not in the mood considering it's Mallory and it shocked three of the people in the spacesuits that there's other people in the library.
Pushing buttons on the sides of their necks, the helmets folded into their suits, revealing their faces.
Mallory's burgundy lips glistened as she cheekily said, "Always on time, aren't you?"
Matt asked her, "What's so special about a library?"
A man, with fine lines on his cheeks, near Mallory spoke up, saying, "It's been lost for ages!"
It appeared the library went missing for nearly centuries and Mallory's team just rediscovered it.
"How'd you find the address, was it in a yellow page?" Ripley dryly asked.
A stout woman with frizzy blond hair next to the man with fine lines told her, "It just showed up on the scanners!"
The man beside her, looked like a fresh graduate from university with the fuzzy chin and all, added, "It never happened before."
The trio introduced themselves as Samuels, Rebecca, and Clarkson, researchers coerced by Mallory to allow them to bring her along to the excavation. Although, that was Mallory's words as the duo later learned from Clarkson that they got money needed to do the excavation from her and part of the agreement had her come along with them.
"Okay, so, what you're telling me, it's a lost library from bygone. Just randomly showed up again after thousands of years of being MIA. Outside lost knowledge, what else is there in this library short of a book on how to cure cancer?" Ripley asked the four about the reason they came to the library. "None of the books even have writing in them!"
She told the four that when she and Matt came here, they checked the books themselves, but found none of them have any writing, not even a title. It looked like it'd disappeared.
Samuels didn't believe her and went towards the nearest library shelf and grabbed a book. Opening it with one hand, he flipped through the book to find that Ripley's correct, there's nothing in the pages, and he couldn't even see the title of the book on the hardcover. He showed this to the others and they went and checked as well, further confirming Ripley's point.
Samuels brought this to Mallory's attention and she hardly batted an eye. She told him that there's a security protocol in place. It won't allow unauthorized patrons to read anything in the library.
"I thought libraries were free learning?" Matt brought up.
Libraries thrived on people coming to them and reading all the books they had to offer. Matt never heard of one that had security measures that prevented people from reading it's books without authorization.
Mallory nodded as she said, "These aren't that kind of library books you check out, sweetie."
Ripley asked her, "Then what books are these?"
Mallory smiled as she motioned with her hand for Ripley and Matt to follow her and the others through the aisles. By the time they came to a stop, it'd felt like Ripley and Matt were in gym again.
They're in a clearing with no aisles and in the centre, a large computer, something straight out of a 50's sci-fi film, but slick with modernism.
"This has data on all the books in the library," Samuels deduced from the sight.
Ripley pointed out, "But not security, right?"
Mallory had that smile on her face that Ripley instantly knew and held an arm over Matt with a look on her face.
Mallory brought up, "He's the only who can rewrite it to where we can read the books."
Ripley brought up, "I'm the only one who can throw a book like a projectile missile."
Samuels looked between the women as he held a hand under his chin, saying, "I'm sensing tension."
Matt raised his voice as he stated, "I'll only help you, Ms. Malloy if you tell me what's the endgame to this."
Making it clear, Matt only intended to help Mallory if she told them the truth on what she's doing. After the AID incident, he's not risking himself or Ripley just because of Mallory.
Amused, Mallory put a finger on her chin as she sighed.
"Well, if you must know, there's a book here that I'm very interested in," Mallory told him. "It's important for me if I retrieve it."
Ripley inquired what the book is and she heard that it's a rare book. So rare, Mallory guessed nobody read it outside the original writers.
"So, what's it about?" Matt asked her.
Mallory smiled as she cheekily replied, "Secrets, sweetie."
She wouldn't tell him more about the book other than she wanted it and the only way to get it, override the security system, and find it in the computer.
Samuel, Rebecca, and Clarkson took point near the computer as they worked to centralize their operations. This computer held every name and location of the books in the library and with the security protocol enacted, it won't unlock, even with Matt's Sonic Screwdriver.
They'd have to find the security console somewhere in the massive library to override it. Once they do that, they can find any book in the sea of books, all at their fingertips.
"I don't suppose you'd know if there's any safety concerns we'd ought to be aware of when we're here, yeah?" Ripley asked Mallory.
It seemed odd that a library would've need a security system to keep unwanted patrons from reading the books and Ripley's weary about it. Nobody goes through an effort like that just for books, even rare they may be. It's concerning that that's the only security in the entire library.
Mallory remarked that Ripley didn't have a sense of adventure and Ripley remarked that Mallory didn't have a sense at all.
"I'm sure there can't be anything in the library," Matt raised his hands. "It's just a library, right?"
Ripley reminded him of their record of accomplishment for finding themselves dealing with this sort of scene and monsters at every turn.
"Statistically, we're more likely to die from a collapsed bookshelf," Samuels called to them.
Ripley wearily looked at him and Mallory told her, "I got him on loan."
Her eyes returning to Mallory and Matt, Ripley remarked, "I can't believe there people mad enough to follow you!"
Matt asked Mallory where the security console would've been in the library and she told him that she wasn't sure, but she's aware that they can't simply climb up the bookcases and look.
"All this for one book?" Ripley pointed out that it seemed obtuse, even for Mallory, that she'd go this far for a book.
It made no sense to her and there were adventures where an alien invasion ceased all because Matt used cookies to trick them into thinking he had a world-ending detonator!
Mallory explained that she needed this book and won't leave the library without it.
"Okay, we'll help you, what'd we get out of this?" Ripley crossed her arms.
Samuels spoke up once more and said, "Honorary titles and medals for the rediscovery of a lost wonder of the world."
Weary, Ripley turned her head towards Mallory who waved her hand as she said, "Sensitive hearing, don't worry about it."
Shaking her head, Ripley helped with setting up the command centre for their excavation and once that finished, she stood near Matt.
"What kind of books would a library have that needs security protocols?" Ripley brought up.
Granted, there's rare, one-of—a-kind, books in Ripley's world that've been placed under lock and key. However, those were individual books scattered throughout the annals of time, and even then, they were under a glass case or climate-controlled storage. Never a library. Not this grand.
"I don't know," Matt frowned.
He genuinely asked, "Nothing goes wrong in a library, right?"
Ripley reminded him of the Librarian and he shirked in his spot.
"Look, just keep your eyes open," Ripley frowned. "And… Just on the off-chance, keep an eye on your shadow."
Matt looked at her and she whispered to him, "Just something I watched."
Let's say this reminded Ripley of something familiar and if it taught her anything, an empty library with books, always had something to worry about.
The two recoiled from the bright lights as they're turned on, giving the team enough light to work with. Mallory gave orders as she looked between the trio that came with her.
Matt and Ripley watched as the trio worked diligently, it's amazing how quickly they worked setting everything up, and Ripley quipped all they needed was a fridge and a couch, they'd be set.
"Okay, so, what'll take for you and your little toy to find us the security console?" Mallory smiled at Matt as she clasped her hands together.
Ripley pointed out, "As efficient you people are, I'm surprised you didn't find it yourselves."
Mallory told her, "If everything was easy, I wouldn't have my sweetie to help me."
She turned her head lightly towards Matt at the end and he looked bemused at the comment. Ripley got Mallory's attention and asked, "After you get your book, what, you're going to leave these people behind?"
This is Mallory.
Her whole existence since they've known her from the S.S. Nightingale's been entirely on her hoodwinking people and leaving them behind when she got what she wanted. The only time she didn't, when Ripley got kidnapped by the AID.
Outside that, there's a good chance she would've grabbed what she came here for and disappear into the unknown, leaving the trio behind for Matt and Ripley to deal with.
Mallory's surprised at the accusation, but Ripley bluntly told her, "If I've a pence every you hoodwinked someone, I'd buy a house with a blue door!"
Matt meditated this and told Mallory he'll find the security console, but given how expansive the library is, it's a matter of how where he needed to look.
Mallory's pleased as she twirled her sunburnt frizzy hair. She said, "I knew my sweetie would have my back!"
Ripley gave Matt a sharp look as she turned around to walk with him.