"Poppycock, we made sure there's absolutely no one in the library before we came here. We scanned it numerous times, nothing showed up on the scanner!" Clarkson didn't believe that there's some afoul with their excavation. Ripley asserted that Matt saw someone in the office above the library and she believed him.
"We would've saw them on the scanner!" Clarkson argued with Ripley.
Ripley asked what parameters he set on the scanners and Clarkson replied that he made sure only organics appeared on the scanner, nothing else.
"And outside you showing up, nothing else showed up since we been here," Clarkson tells her.
Ripley frowned as Clarkson showed her the scanner.
It's delicately set that if there's even a heart murmur, they would've known about it.
"Something's going on," Ripley insisted. "Why the hell would someone cut the lights to this place, then?"
Clarkson raised his hands as he gestured, "I don't know. A rat with scissor teeth got hungry and didn't make it after chewing on the wires?"
Mallory meditated the growing tension and told the team that they needed to operate under Section 5 of their contracts.
"What's Section 5?" Ripley asked her.
Mallory replied, "I always have clauses in my contracts in the event of trouble."
Just in case, like this, something's wrong or amiss, that they'll have a way to defend themselves. All wrapped up in a legal matter that prevented legal action taken against them.
Mallory might've studied law and stolen a few lawyer's registry keys to make this work, but all in good faith, she insists.
Turning her head towards Samuels, "Protocol 5, sweetie."
Acknowledging, Samuels raised his hand and Ripley watched in awe as his fingers receded, exposing gun barrels.
"I gave him an upgrade just before we got here," Mallory told Ripley, smiling as she did.
Ripley remarked, "I hope your husband doesn't forget your anniversary!"
Mallory's preparedness made Ripley question how her husband deals with her on the daily basis she shows up. If this is her during her usual antics, Ripley hated to see what she's like if her husband had the misfortune of forgetting their anniversary.
Clarkson and Rebecca retrieved their weapons and held them close. Mallory reminded them not to simply shoot when they see or hear something, on the account of Matt and and Jodie.
"Hey, look, don't bother telling me anything about that journal, but you gotta tell me something. Is it possible that whoever constructed this library would've figured in a chance that people like you might discover it?" Ripley asked Mallory.
Nobody would've wasted possibly years constructing this library and not have plans in the event there's attempted thefts and unauthorized people attempting to break into the library.
"I've scanned this library, there shouldn't be any threats," Mallory asserted that she's careful when she plans these things.
Ripley gestured as she tried to ask, "Well, maybe because when you did it, none of us were here. Is it possible we set off something the moment we touched the floor?"
Akin to a silent alarm, while empty, the library is normal. When unauthorized people arrived at the library, it triggered something within the library, and now active somewhere in the library.
"I always keep those in mind," Mallory made it clear she didn't get her status as famed femme fatale for flubbing a simple stakeout.
Ripley raised her hand as she tried to meditate the tension and said, "Look, I believe you. You wouldn't do a rookie mistake, okay. What about when you first scanned the library, it just showed up, right, just out of nowhere?"
Mallory nodded.
Ripley continued.
"Well, what if that was the point?" Ripley gestured. "You said it yourself, this library's untouched. Nobody ever found it. If what you told me's true, then that'd mean that it would've been hidden away."
Conveying that there's a possible chance that something within the library intentionally allowed the library to reappear on scanners, Ripley watched Mallory's face as she processed what Ripley said.
"They'd wouldn't structure the library to allow power surges or anything to allow a signal to cast," Mallory frowned.
Ripley lightly touched her shoulder as she said in a low voice, "Samuels' right, something stinks. Do you know the history of this library, anything to tell us what's scuttling around here?"
Mallory uneasily nodded.
She told Ripley that the library's a closely guarded secret. At one point, dozens of men died in the attempt of discovering it's location. The construction alone saw many men die, she speculates their bodies are in the foundation of the library, as whoever constructed the library wouldn't allow them to take the library secrets to their graves. Many people died to create the library and it's not what Ripley thinks. They willingly died for this library.
It's the last bastion of freedom that wasn't besmirched by wars. All these books, collected to store, so nobody could destroy them. Protected, these books, possibly the only copies left in their entire existence, housed knowledge that certain powers would've loved to destroy.
People of all walks volunteered, just so their books wouldn't see destruction. Everyone worked together for a collective good, it's strange considering, but they worked and died for the library.
"A lot of people would like to watch this library burn, sweetie," Mallory tells her. "They're afraid of what it has."
As to who constructed the library, Mallory guessed it's someone called Alexandria, because of the title in the scan.
"Mallory, why would they leave this library unguarded?" Ripley brought up. "If what you told me is true, I expect turrets to shoot us down. Something, anything."
If this library's got books that might make a world powers uneasy, then they would've accounted for it, and if they're willing to die for the library, they're likely wiling to kill for the library.
"Helluva good way to keep that journal from getting out, innit?" Ripley added.
What better way to hide the journal, then put it in a library where people willingly died in it's construction. If they're that passionate about the library, they'll make damn sure that long after their deaths, nobody destroys it.
"Yes, yes, it is," Mallory chewed on her inner lip.
Ripley asked if her contact told her of the inherent risks of the library and she replied that they only told her that it's got a security protocol to keep people from reading the books and taking them out of the library. That's it.
"Is this journal important enough to risk the lives of your team?" Ripley asked Mallory a piercing question.
Mallory, without blinking or wavering, said, "Yes."
This journal's that important to Mallory, she's willing to risk her team to get it, and she's made it clear that she won't leave without the journal.
Their attention drew to the scanner as let out a peculiar shrill as Rebecca whacked it, trying to silence it. She tried overriding it, but it wouldn't respond. It shrilled loudly as she held it outward, trying to not go deaf from the sound.
"Ugh, it just went off again!" Rebecca angrily grunted as she whacked it several times. "Stupid thing!"
Clarkson and Samuels went to aid her as they tried to silence the scanner. Clarkson tried to override it, but to no avail, and handed it off to Samuels as he temporary pushed out his fingers.
Samuels' fingers moved quickly as his eyes slowly moved between the lines of code as he worked to override the scanner.
As he worked to override the scanners, there's a loud sound and the lights around them started going off.
Ripley felt something touch her shoulder and quickly reaches to feel glass collecting on her sweater.
Brushing it off, Ripley turned her head to see Mallory turning on a torch and held it outstretched.
"Stay together!" Mallory ordered them.
The trio grabbed theirs and held it outstretched, light pointing everywhere as they searched for any signs of Matt or Jodie.
The four huddled close as they tried to see through the darkened library.
Holding the scanner, Samuels looked around as he's unfazed by the sudden lights turning off. He's an android without emotions. A design choice, so he wouldn't crack under pressure like humans. His olive eyes look down at the scanner as it started clicking. It only did that if it detected movement.
"Ms. Melody, what do we do?" Rebecca asked Mallory.
Mallory used a fake name, how original.
"We'll stay together, for starters," she replied.
Nodding, Rebecca looked around with Clarkson, under their feet crunched the glass from the lights. Looking up, they saw something sticking out of one of the lights. Closely, they discovered it's a cutting blade, unscrewed from the paper cutter.
"I hope you have a plan," Ripley turned her head towards Mallory.
Mallory responded that she did and Ripley leaned forward.
"Mallory, I'm only giving you the benefit of the doubt. Just remember, you can go into this suicide mission for that journal all you want, but if anything happens to them," Ripley eyed her as she trailed at the end.
Mallory can go out of her way for this mysterious journal if she wants, but Ripley's not about to let harm come to the others.
"Acknowledged," Mallory only said.
She knew that Ripley wouldn't allow any harm to come to the team and of course, Matt and Jodie.
"Ma'am," Mallory heard Samuels calling for her.
Going over to him, Mallory's eyes looked on the scanner as it started beeping rapidly.
"Look alive people," Mallory told her team as she held Ripley behind her, holding up her gun.
The five weary looked around as the beeping continued.
As Samuels moved the scanner in his hand, the beeping fluctuates as he held the scanner outstretched.
"Samuels, what is it?" Mallory asks him.
Samuels replied, "Unknown."
He affirmed when Mallory pressed for answers.
Ripley asked if it's Jodie and he replied that it wasn't Jodie.
Rebecca's hazel eyes danced as she frighteningly huddled close to Clarkson as he held his torch out, looking for the unknown.
Lips trembling, Rebecca kept her torch pointed as she tried to see through the darkness. She heard the beeping from the scanner as it's getting increasingly closer to the camp. It's loud, driving her mad, and she can't hold her torch straight.
As the beeping rapidly approached them, the five braced for whatever would've appeared through the darkness, and as they counted down, suddenly the beeping ceased.
It ceased and Samuels looked down at the scanner, confused.
"It… it stopped," Clarkson mustered.
Samuels didn't help as he replied, "Disappeared."
Clarkson gestured as he asked what Samuels meant and he elaborated, "It disappeared."
Samuels argues with him as Rebecca moved her torch everywhere, she didn't see anything, and stepped forward when she saw something move in the distance.
Peering, Rebecca tried to see with what little light her torch had compared to the cast darkness of the library. She heard something audibly clattering in the distance as the men argue and Ripley and Mallory kept the opposite side of the camp patrolled.
She swore hearing something again, this time closer, and she swore seeing something moving.
"What're you doing?" Clarkson asked her, suddenly appearing behind her.
Rebecca leapt in the air and shoved Clarkson out of anger.
"Don't do that to me, again!" Rebecca hissed at him.
Clarkson looked over her shoulder and tried to see what she's seeing and she said she heard something.
"I don't see anything," Clarkson shook his head.
Rebecca affirmed what she saw and he stepped from behind her and went towards the edge of camp. Eyes narrowed, he tried to see through the darkness with the torchlight, only hardly seeing anything.
Convinced, he turned around to face Rebecca and told her that she's just seeing things. There's nothing out there, she's imagining it in her head.
"I'm sure he's fine," Mallory tried to soothe Ripley's fear. "He's got her with him."
Matt and Jodie hadn't returned and she worried about them. Pacing around the other side of the camp, she couldn't help but do it, as Mallory wouldn't let her run off to find them.
"This library's got more corners than a maze, what if they're stuck someplace?" Ripley worryingly said.
Mallory patted her on the shoulder as she smiled.
"It's healthy to worry," she echoed Samuels.
Ripley stopped in her spot as she asks Mallory, "Don't your husband worry about you being gone for so long?"
Mallory makes her marks by hunting the universe at large for valuables, that'd mean she wouldn't come home for days, weeks, maybe months at a time.
Smiling, Mallory tells Ripley, "He's always with me in my heart. No matter how far I travel, I'm never far from him."
Despite her long travels, Mallory keeps her husband close to her heart. Even when nights are lonely, Mallory and her husband know the two weren't far from each other, and that alone is something more precious to Mallory than information or something expensive.
Touching her padded chest, Mallory had a twinkle in her eye as she told Ripley that despite her ways, she'd never take off her locket that she got from her husband.
"I don't remember you having it when you stole from me on the Nightingale," Ripley brought up.
Okay, maybe Ripley didn't remember a whole of details during that period, but she still remembered enough to recognize Mallory.
"Oh, trust me, sweetie, this locket never leaves my side," Mallory smiled as she told Ripley, that whatever the case may be, the locket stays on her person on all her jobs. She'd never take it off completely.
Ripley couldn't believe her if she tried, but she saw genuine happiness behind those eyes of Mallory's and she's unsure if she's wrong about her or not.
"Don't worry, sweetie, they'll come back," Mallory assured Ripley that despite her concerns, Matt and Jodie will turn up.
Frowning, Ripley nodded.
She didn't give Matt enough credit.
He'll think of many ways out of a nasty situation and with Jodie, it'll triple, and she made sure Jodie kept her promise.
Jodie won't allow anything to break her promise to Ripley and would've done everything she can to keep Matt safe.
"I suppose you're right," Ripley frowned.
Mallory cheekily remarked that Ripley's changed since she's known her and Ripley shot her a glare.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ripley eyed her.
Mallory giggled and didn't say.
Their conversation abruptly ended when Clarkson screaming incoherently and they spotted something dragging Clarkson from behind into the darkness ahead.
Ordering Ripley to stay back, Mallory ran with Samuels and Rebecca to aid their team member as his screams echoed.
"Shite," Ripley muttered under her breathe.
Left alone, Ripley grabbed the nearest blunt object, just a leftover stand for the lights, and held it.
With the torch in her other hand, she scanned the area with her dark eyes as she tried to see through the darkness.
Unable to move from her spot and afraid for Clarkson, Ripley felt a pit in her stomach form. It didn't help when her torch started wavering, flashing, before ceasing.
"Wonderful, I get to die in a library with no free coffee," Ripley tried to keep herself from panicking. "I don't think they even had a vending machine."
Hearing footfall in front of her, Ripley froze in her spot as she tried to see who's coming towards her. It's only one person, not the team.
Ripley knew better to ask who it is, so she remained quiet and paid attention attentively. The footfall continued until she saw a figure nearing her and she exhaled sharply.
"Damn it, Matt, I swear, one of these days, I'll give you a good wallop!" Ripley hissed at Matt as he stood awkwardly in front of her.
"Sorry," Matt frowned as he apologized for scaring Ripley.
Looking behind him, Ripley asked him, "Where's Jodie?"
Matt looked behind him and turned back. He told Ripley, "I don't know."
He didn't know what happened to her.
Ripley asked if she's still near the security console and Matt told her, "We've never found it."
Ripley's miffed as she pointed out Jodie should've found it without any problem. Shaking his head, Matt affirmed that they didn't find the console.
"Where's the others?" Matt asked her.
Ripley told him what happened.
Matt's brow raised as he responded, "Really?"
Nodding, Ripley told him that they'll probably come back to help look for Jodie and the security console.
"What if they don't come back?" Matt gestured.
Ripley shrugged as she asked, "Why wouldn't they?"