Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.
Many thanks to Chakoteya transcripts and BBC iPlayer.
Chapter 3 – Silence in the Library
I came to sprawled across a tiled floor, light shining down on me from the skylight above. Rolling onto my side with a groan, I looked up see a small metal globe floating in the air, a lens facing me. I blinked at it, still disorientated. "Hello." It answered by powering itself off, dropping to the floor with a thud. Well, okay then.
Pushing myself up to standing, I finally bother to take a look around the room I had landed in, making a somewhat futile attempt at tidying myself up. Looking down at my blazer and trousers seeing they were still smudged with ash, lightly singed in places from the embers that had hit me, I gave it up as a lost cause. I turned my feet to the side one by one, seeing that at least, thankfully, my heels had survived mostly unscathed.
It looks like a library. I thought, taking in the style of desks and the shelves stacked high, with books of different forms around the room. I took another glance up at the skylight, it being the main source of light in the room, others being only small low light lamps, before flicking my eyes to the darkness of the stacks. A very dark library. With no one around.
Feeling something brush by my foot I look down, lifting my leg slightly to see nothing was there. Strange. I lower my leg again, spinning on it slowly, noticing that I was now, somehow, casting two shadows across the floor. Ah. I lifted my leg again flicking it towards the stacks at the edge of the room. "Get off." Turning my head to see the second shadow no longer there I let out a satisfied hum, before continuing my perusal of the room. Bloody vermin.
I clicked my heels together, straightening my blazer before turning towards the big wooden door, that presumably led to another section of the library.
As I made my approach, I began to hear people talking on the other side of the door, voices getting closer but still muffled through the wood. The Doctor and Amy, maybe? Rory? I turned away, instead choosing to drag one of the nearby chairs to sit in the middle of the room, facing the door with my legs crossed, arms laying on the arm rests.
Hearing, for the first time clearly, a woman shout "Oh, get out of the way!" before the doors burst open.
Damn girl. I let out an appreciative whistle. The redhead who was not Amy, and a tall skinny man wearing a blue suit and brown trench coat with gravity defying brown hair- that had to be the Doctor judging by the twin heartbeats I could hear - whirling around to face me after shoving a thick book through the handles of the door, blocking it.
"What time d'ya call this?" I shot them a smirk "Though I must say A* for the entrance."
"Lina!" The redhead made her way over to me first, pulling me up out of my chair and to her in a hug. "When'd you get here?" She pulled back looking me over "And why do you look and smell like you've ran out of a burning building."
I looked past her to see the Doctor beaming down at me. "A few minutes ago." I turned back to her. "And I didn't run out of a burning building. I jumped."
She scoffed shaking her head knowingly. "Of course, you did."
"I've also gotta say that you make a very good first impression." I added. "The way you kicked down that door? I already like you better than him." I winked over at the Doctor.
"First impression? This is how you met me?" I gave a nod smiling. "No bloody wonder!" She shouted shaking her head as she walked away, continuing to mutter to herself as the Doctor moved to take her place.
"That's Donna by the way." He remarked smiling down at me. "Where'd you just come from?"
"Venice, with a different you." I raised a brow at him. "Didn't think it important to tell me you change faces?"
"Future then." He nodded to himself before frowning down at me. "You didn't know I change faces? Blimey, this must be early for you then. How long you been jumping now?"
"Second jump."
He blew out a harsh breath before, seeming to have come to a decision, clapping his hands, rubbing them together. "Well, what do you make of this place then?" He gestured around the room.
I did another quick glance around before answering "It's a library, innit?"
He nodded. "Yes. Yes, it is. Anything else?"
I tilted my head looking between the Doctor and Donna "It's probably best you both stay out of the shadows."
At this Donna cut in "There it is again. What's with the shadows? The face thing said we had to count them, why?"
I blinked at her. So something warned them. "Because they're alive." I turned to the Doctor. "And they're not friendly."
"Are we safe here?" Donna asked the Doctor worried.
"Of course, we're safe." He reassured shooting me a quick look to not answer "There's a little shop." He nodded over at where a sign proudly displayed that there was, in fact, a shop.
"So," I began "what exactly told you to count the shadows?"
Donna walked over to one of the nodes. "It was a message on one of these. Could it help us?"
The Doctor flicked his eyes over to it "That's barely more than a speak your weight machine, it can't help you."
"So, why's it got a face?"
The node spoke "This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death."
"It's a real face?" Donna asked incredulously, mouth gaping a bit in disbelief.
The node continued. "It has been actualised individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks. Please enjoy."
"It chose me a dead face it thought I'd like?" She stated a bit hysterical, before turning back to us to exclaim loudly. "That statue has got a real dead person's face on it!"
I reached forward to pat her on the shoulder. "There, there."
The Doctor adding "It's the fifty first century. That's basically like donating a park bench."
"It's donating a face!"
"To be fair that was a bad comparison Doc. It's more like donating your body for science."
"No, wait, no." The Doctor hurriedly over grabbed Donna as she started backing up, pulling her away from where a triangular shadow was now cast, appearing without our notice.
"Oi. Hands." Donna snapped, smacking his hands away nodding towards me. "That's what you've got her for."
The Doctor shook his head before gesturing to the floor behind her "The shadow. Look."
"What about it?"
It wasn't there before. I glared down at it.
"Count the shadows." The Doctor said still looking down at it.
"One. There, counted it. One shadow." And that's all it would take.
"Yeah" He turned to look at Donna. "But what's casting it?"
At this we all looked up towards the skylight seeing nothing blocking the light that could have cast it. I raised my brows at him. "Spooky."
The Doctor let out a sudden yell, shocking both Donna and I "Oh, I'm thick! Look at me, I'm old and thick. Head's too full of stuff. I need a bigger head." He smacked his head turning to me. "I bet you already know." I opened my mouth. "No! Don't tell me." I closed it.
Our attention was then drawn by one of the lights at the side of the room as it began to fade off and on.
"The power must be going." Donna stated a bit hopefully.
The Doctor shook his head. "This place runs on fission cells. They'll outburn the sun."
"Then why is it dark?" She questioned.
"It's not dark." The Doctor and I answered together.
Donna inhaled sharply tapping the Doctor's arm. "That shadow. It's gone."
We looked back over to where it had previously been, the Doctor stating seriously as he took another look around the room "We need to get back to the Tardis."
"Why?" Donna asked quietly, looking around herself.
"Because that shadow hasn't gone. It's moved."
The node called out, us turning to face it, speaking on a repeating loop "The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The library has been breached."
We flinched back as a door is blown open in a flash of bright light, six people dressed in space suits pouring through the entrance. The leader of which coming to a stop in front of us, before lightening their face shield, revealing a humanoid woman.
"Hello, darlings." She grinned looking between the Doctor and myself.
"Get out." The Doctor shouted, brushing past her.
I scoffed, following to hit him lightly on the arm. "Rude." Donna scolding "Doctor" at the same time.
He ignored us. "All of you. Turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away. Tell your grandchildren you came to the library and lived. They won't believe you."
She ignored him. "Pop your helmets, everyone. We've got breathers."
One of the others calling out "How do you know they're not androids?"
"Because I've dated androids. They're rubbish." The woman removed her helmet, shaking out her curly hair, similar to mine, though hers was longer and blonde compared to my black bob. Also showing herself to be quite attractive, as the others began to follow suit.
A man called out, walking right up to the woman "Who is this? You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."
"I lied." She replied rolling her eyes "I'm always lying. Bound to be others."
I gave the woman another once over as the man continued complaining calling someone over to talk about contracts. "I like your hair." She threw me a cheeky smirk in response. Love the attitude.
She gave me a wink as she turned to speak to the Doctor. "You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?"
The Doctor put his hands on his hips "Please, just leave. I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave. Hang on. Did you say expedition?"
The complainer cut in "My expedition. I funded it."
"Oh, you're not, are you?" The Doctor replied scrunching his nose in distaste. "Tell me you're not archaeologists."
"Got a problem with archaeologists?" Blondie responded raising her brows.
"I'm a time traveller. I point and laugh at archaeologists."
"Ah." She held her hand out for us to shake, which I took. "Professor River Song, archaeologist."
"Oh, it's my pleasure." I grinned.
"You bet it is." She grinned back.
The Doctor broke up our hands sending a disapproving frown my way. "River Song, lovely name." He began pushing her back the way she came "As you're leaving, and you're leaving now, you need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again. Not one living thing, not here, not ever." He turned, rushing over to one of the others "Stop right there. What's your name?"
"Anita."
He pulled her away from the edge of the shadows "Anita, stay out of the shadows. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship." He continued calling out to the room "Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared." He paused looking around at our faces before adding "No, bit more scared than that. Okay, do for now. You. Who are you?" He walked over to another member of the expedition, standing towards the back of the room.
"Er, Dave." He replied hesitantly.
"Okay, Dave."
"Oh, well, Other Dave, because that's Proper Dave the pilot, he was the first Dave, so when we-" I snorted, the Doctor cutting him off.
"Other Dave, the way you came, does it look the same as before?"
He looked back answering "Yeah." A pause "Oh, it's a bit darker."
"How much darker?" The Doctor pressed.
"Oh, like I could see where we came through just like a moment ago. I can't now." And you don't see anything wrong with that?
The Doctor nodded before ordering "Seal up this door. We'll find another way out."
"Would you-"
The one who complained cut him off "We're not looking for a way out. Miss Evangelista?" He gestured towards a young girl who introduced herself.
"I'm Mister Lux's personal everything. You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experience inside the library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation." She handed me a contract, which I began looking over in curiosity, before moving to the others.
"Right, give it here." The Doctor took one.
Donna following. "Yeah, lovely. Thanks."
They both then preceded to tear up their contracts in sync. I looked between them, simply handing my copy back without signing. "Did you practice for something like that or what?"
The Doctor sent me a wink as Donna sent a proudly smug smile back at me.
"My family built this library. I have rights." The man now named as Lux protested.
"You have a mouth that won't stop." River directed at Lux before turning to us. "You think there's danger here?"
"Oh, yes." I confirmed before sending her a wink. "Something I could get you to say under different circumstances if you'd like."
"Oi!" The Doctor scolded me looking annoyed as he turned to River. "Something came to this library and killed everything in it. Killed a whole world. Danger? Could be."
"That was a hundred years ago. The library has been silent for a hundred years. Whatever came here's long dead." She protested to the both of us.
The Doctor raised a brow as I stepped up beside him crossing my arms. "Bet your life?"
"Always." She answered confidently with a smirk.
"What are you doing?" Lux butted in once again, speaking to other Dave as he started following the Doctor's previous instructions.
He answered stopping to look at Lux. "He said seal the door."
Lux spluttered a bit "You're taking orders from him?"
"Spooky, isn't it?" The Doctor replied stepping up behind him snatch Lux's torch out of his hand. He walked back over and past us to begin shining it into the shadows edging around the room. "Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark. But they're wrong, because it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."
"What's Vashta Nerada?" Donna asked looking towards me.
"Nasty little buggers."
"It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark." The Doctor added before shouting, turning towards the expedition members "Lights! That's what we need, lights. You got lights?"
"What for?" River asked moving to take off her pack.
"Form a circle. Safe area. Big as you can, lights pointing out." The Doctor called gesturing.
"Oi. Do as he says." At River's go ahead the others, bar Lux, got to work.
Lux turned towards River disbelievingly "You're not listening to this man?"
"Apparently I am." Lux now dismissed, she got to work assigning tasks to the other members of the group. "Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mister 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, pretty boy, you're with me. Step into my office."
I raised my brows suggestively as I began walking towards her. "Can't say I don't love a woman who knows how to take control."
"And don't I know it." She grinned back.
"Professor Song, why am I the only one wearing my helmet?" Lux questioned, apparently having not heard his voice in a while.
River answered without even glancing his way "I don't fancy you."
The Doctor starts to walk towards one of the Daves before I whistle at him to grab his attention, I cocked my head towards the "office" behind us. "She said pretty boy with us."
"Oh, I'm pretty boy?" He replied pointing at himself.
"Yes." Donna answered "Ooo, that came out a bit quick."
I snorted. "Yes, yes it did. Though if the shoe fits…"
He looked between us brows raised "Pretty?"
I hummed in agreement as Donna held her hand out in a so-so gesture, sounding out a "Meh."
"Don't let your shadows cross. Seriously, don't even let them touch. Any of them could be infected." The Doctor warned as he made his way over to River and I.
"How can a shadow be infected?" I hear one of them mutter as we make our way into River's "office".
River placed her pack on top of the table rummaging around a bit before pulling a battered book. The cover of which looking vaguely like the police box I had become acquainted with so recently.
"Thanks."
"For what?" The Doctor asked her confused.
"The usual. For coming when I call." She replied flipping through the pages.
He made a sound of realisation. "That was you?"
She flicked her eyes briefly up at him from her book "You're doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason. Though Lina's acting as usual."
He raised his brows at me asking if I knew her, to which I responded with a small shake of the head "A fairly good one, actually."
She finished flicking through the book, finally stopping on a page before announcing "Okay, shall we do diaries, then? Doctor first. Where are we this time? Er, going by your face, I'd say it's early days for you, yeah? So, er, crash of the Byzantium. Have we done that yet? Obviously ringing no bells. Right." She flipped to a different page "Oh, picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet?" Silence. "Obviously not. Blimey, very early days, then. Whoo, life with a time traveller. Never knew it could be such hard work."
She paused looking back at him, closing her book to peer closer at his face in realisation. "Look at you. Oh, you're young."
"I'm really not, you know." He said amused.
"No, but you are." River protested. "Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever seen you."
"You've seen me before, then?"
A look of sorrow began to fall across River's face. "Doctor, please tell me you know who I am."
"Who are you?"
She quickly turned to me, eyes shining, clasping my hands gently in hers before asking hopefully "What about you sweetie? You know who I am right?"
"I'm sorry." Her face fell. "Hey! I'd still very much like to!" I added with a smile trying to boost her mood a little. "And if it makes you feel any better, I've only met him once before today too. So, you're not alone."
She gave me a small smile, before what sounded like a phone rang out from where the others were gathered. Us all turning towards it as Dave called out "Sorry, that was me. Trying to get through into the security protocols. I seem to have set something off. What is that? Is that an alarm?"
"Doctor? Doctor, that sounds like-"
He cut Donna off, sharing her confused expression. "It is. It's a phone."
"I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding. Just that noise." Dave explained as the Doctor made his way over.
Donna and I followed after him, her calling out. "But it's a phone."
"Let me try something." The Doctor stated moving Dave away from the terminal to access it himself, tapping away until the screen eventually says 'Access Denied'. "Okay, doesn't like that. Let's try something else." He continued to tap away as I stepped forward to peer around his shoulder. "Okay, here it comes."
The screen loads up, showing what looks like a video call to a young girl with long brown hair, sitting at a low table. We all looked on in confusion, the Doctor sounding out a "Hello?"
The girl turned to look at us curiously "Hello. Are you in my television?"
"Well, no, I'm, I'm sort of in space." He continued on a bit dumbfounded. "Er, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple grid security processor."
As the girl asked if he'd like to speak to her dad, I looked around to see how the others were taking this strange turn of events, seeing most looking confused, one in particular however, looking away from the screen a bit uncomfortably, before turning back. He knows something.
"Dad or your Mum. That'd be lovely." The Doctor confirmed.
The girl peered at us again announcing "I know you. You're in my library."
"Your library?"
"The library's never been on the television before." She told us before scolding "What have you done?"
"Ah, Er, well," He stumbled a bit "I just rerouted the interface." As the screen was overtook with static before the video cut out, now once again displaying 'Access Denied'.
"What happened? Who was that?" River asked as the Doctor began to tap away on the terminal once again, it still repeating 'Access Denied'.
The Doctor turned rushed across to the other side of the room to access the terminal there, "I need another terminal. Keep working on those lights. We need those lights!
River called out "You heard him, people. Let there be light." Before both of us follow after him as the others start moving to set up a perimeter around the centre of the room.
We arrive in time to see the Doctor reaching for the book River had been looking through with us earlier, likely a diary of some sort, quickly taking it from him when he picks it up. "Sorry, you're not allowed to see inside the book. It's against the rules."
"What rules?"
"Your rules. The same as Lina's." She stated giving me a nod before walking away.
I watched her for a moment before turning to the Doctor as he worked. "I have rules, do I?"
He flicked his eyes to me, not pausing in his typing "If she's implying what I think, then it's really just one."
"And that would be?" I asked when he didn't continue straight away.
"Standard rule for any time traveller really, you don't tell someone their personal future. If she's implying what I think, then she must meet me in the wrong order, a bit similar to you. Like how for me I've known you for years and from your perspective you've known me, what, a few days?" He raised a brow at me before turning once again to the terminal.
"Ah, I getcha. Suppose I can deal with just one rule." I paused giving him a considering once over before continuing "Though, if you have any for the bedroom I'm willing to listen."
He quickly turned his head to me, mouth open to reply as books around the room began to fly off the shelves. "What's that? I didn't do that." He turned, calling over to Dave "Did you do that?"
Dave turning back to reply "Not me."
The Doctor and I turned back to his terminal to see the screen now said 'CAL Access Denied'. "CAL access?" I questioned as the Doctor asked "What's CAL?"
The bombardment of books continued for a while, us all moving to dodge when they came too close, before finally stopping. I looked around the room, to see Donna going over to comfort Evangelista, who was a bit shook up from the experience. The others of the expedition heading back to their task of setting up the lights, only for the reprieve to not last long as the books once again began their flight across the room.
River calling out "What's causing that? Is it the little girl?"
"But who is the little girl? What's she got to do with this place?" The Doctor questioned, now perched on top of one of the desks, before pressing "How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's CAL?"
"Ask Mister Lux." River told him.
He turned from River to face Lux "CAL, what is it?"
"Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts." He replied a bit mockingly.
The Doctor leapt up off the desk, quickly walking over to him hands in his pockets "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." He replied sternly.
"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."
River cut in asking in a sweet voice "Then why don't you sign his contract?" Pausing as we looked at her before admitting "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you."
The Doctor looked between River and Lux, mouth open in a 'What?" expression before moving to speak "Okay, okay, okay. Let's start at the beginning. What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"
It was River who answered. "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."
"It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back in." Lux added.
"Erm, excuse me?" Evangelista called over.
Lux brushed her off "Not just now."
"There was one other thing in the last message." River stated, reaching down to pull a tablet out of her pack.
"That's confidential." Lux protested.
River responding immediately "I trust this man with my life, with everything." Beginning to type away on her device.
"You've only just met him." He argued.
"No," She corrected firmly "he's only just met me." The Doctor moving over to view the information she was getting up.
"Er, this might be important, actually." Evangelista attempted again.
"In a moment." As Lux brushed her off once again, I walked over to her asking "What is it?"
She fumbled a bit before pointing off to the wall "It's just that panel opened by itself and I was wondering if it was important?"
I looked over to where she pointed seeing the open panel she mentioned, turning back to her stating "Good job at spotting that." I smiled before continuing "Probably best we leave it for now though, okay? Don't go off by yourself, you never know what could happen." I warned, patting her on the shoulder before stepping away and back over to the Doctor in time to hear him say.
"Four thousand and twenty-two saved. No survivors."
I tilted my head "What's that then?"
It was River that answered me. "Message that was left behind when the library was sealed. Four thousand and twenty-two. Which is exact number of people who were in the library at that time."
Donna questioning "But how can four thousand and twenty-two people have been saved if there were no survivors?"
River looked back at Lux, stating "That's what we're here to find out."
Him continuing "And so far, what we haven't found are any bodies."
"Were there any the way you came in?" I asked turning to look at the Doctor and Donna.
Donna shook her head no as the Doctor answered "Not that we could see."
A scream suddenly sounded from the far side of the room. I jolted towards the noise, along with the others, seeing it came through the open panel that Evangelista had showed me, the girl no longer in sight. Oh no, please tell me you didn't go through. I thought defeated, following after the Doctor as he led the way into what could have been a reading room or lecture hall, every flat surface having books piled on it. Coming to a stop in front of a skeleton in rags. Oh, Evangelista. I told you to leave it. I shook my head sadly.
"Everybody, careful." The Doctor called out warning "Stay in the light."
"You keep saying that. I don't see the point." Dave muttered, looking around.
The Doctor snapping back "Who screamed?"
Him answering "Miss Evangelista."
"Where is she?" The Doctor questioned, obviously trying to hint to them what we both knew.
"Miss Evangelista, please state your current-" River called into her comm, cutting herself off as her voiced echoed back to her from very nearby, finishing as she reached towards the skeleton, pulling out a lit comm unit from the remains of its collar "Please state your current position." The unit echoing her voice back at her. "It's her. It's Miss Evangelista."
"We heard her scream a few seconds ago." Anita responded voice stuttering "What could do that to a person in a few seconds?"
"It took a lot less than a few seconds." The Doctor answered looking at the skeleton.
"What did?" Anita asked as a "Hello?" sounded out from Evangelista's comm, us all now focusing completely on her remains.
River swallowed before speaking in a subdued tone "Er, I'm sorry, everyone. Er, this isn't going to be pleasant. She's ghosting."
"She's what?" Donna asked not removing her eyes from what was left of Evangelista.
The comm once again calling out "Hello? Excuse me. I'm sorry. Hello? Excuse me."
"That's, that's her, that's Miss Evangelista." Donna said looking between the remains and our group.
"I don't want to sound horrible," Dave began "but couldn't we just, you know?"
I turned to him snapping "Show some respect." River giving me a nod, continuing after me to say "This is her last moment. No, we can't. A little respect, thank you."
The comm called out again "Sorry, where am I? Excuse me?"
"But that's Miss Evangelista." Donna protested still confused.
"It's a data ghost. She'll be gone in a moment." River explained before turning on her comm to respond to the ghost. "Miss Evangelista, you're fine. Just relax. We'll be with you presently."
Donna turned to the Doctor and I "What's a data ghost?"
We shared a look before he responded "There's a neural relay in the communicator. Lets you send thought mail. 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 afterimage."
"My grandfather lasted a day. Kept talking about his shoelaces." Anita commented quietly.
"She's in there." Donna stated, eyes tearing up as she looked back to the skeleton.
The comm calling out again "I can't see. I can't. Where am I?"
"She's just brain waves now." Dave clarified. "The pattern won't hold for long."
"But, she's conscious." She protested, voice showing her distress. "She's thinking."
The comm called out once more "I can't see, I can't. I don't know what I'm thinking."
"She's a footprint on the beach. And the tide's coming in." The Doctor added, trying to get her to understand.
"Where's that woman?" The ghost asked "The nice woman. Is she there?"
"What woman?" Lux queried confused.
"She means-" Donna replied eyes glistening "I think she means me."
The ghost questioned again "Is she there? The nice woman."
River spoke into her comm answering "Yes, she's here. Hang on. Go ahead. She can hear you."
The ghost called out to Donna "Hello? Are you there?"
Donna shook her head mouth open in a silent cry as the Doctor quietly told her "Help her."
I stepped around to Donna's other side to hold her hand, feeling her squeeze it tightly as she spoke "She's dead."
"Yeah." The Doctor answered still quiet. "Help her."
"Hello?" The ghost called "Is that the nice woman?"
"Yeah." Donna made an effort to pull herself together, stepping forward as she answered "Hello. Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm here. You okay?"
"What I said before, about being stupid. Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh." The ghost requested. I looked at the others to see Anita closing her eyes in shame, as other Dave looked away.
"Course I won't." Donna promised "Course I won't tell them."
"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh." The ghost repeated, Donna reaffirming "I won't tell them. I said I won't."
It repeated. "Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."
Donna, tears now welling over, looking back towards us before promising again "I'm not going to tell them."
The green light on Evangelista's comm unit, now on its last bar, started blinking as it repeated again "Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."
"She's looping now. The pattern's degrading." River explained as the ghost continued to speak, glitching now "I can't think. I don't know, I, I, I, I scream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream."
"Does anybody mind if I?" River gestured towards Evangelista's comm, receiving our approval, moving to turn it off.
"That was," Donna stuttered out, still staring at Evangelista "that was horrible. That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen." The Doctor reaching over to rub her shoulder as I squeezed her hand still in mine.
"No." River shook her head looking down at the comm now in her hand, before putting it in her pocket "It's just a freak of technology. But whatever did this to her, whatever killed her, I'd like a word with that." She finished voice angry.
"I'll introduce you." The Doctor stated, turning to stride back the way we came, us all following after him back into the previous room, Donna still clutching my hand tightly as we jogged. He called out as we re-entered "I'm going to need a packed lunch."
"Hang on." River moved to crouch by her pack, pulling out her diary first to reach past it.
"What's in that book?" He asked staring as he crouched down next to her.
"Spoilers." She brushed him off. "Surely you understand that." She added tilting her head in my direction.
He flicked his eyes over to me for a second before back to River questioning "Who are you?"
She continued digging through her pack not looking up as she replied bluntly "Professor River Song, University of-"
He cut her off pressing "To me. Who are you to me and Lina?"
"Again, spoilers." She sighed tilting her head back for a moment before handing him her lunchbox "Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."
He paused for a moment staring at her before snatching the box out of her hand, standing as he called out "Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada."
The Doctor moved to kneel on the floor, placing the lunchbox down next to him as he shined his torch into the darkness, pulling out his sonic screwdriver to scan the surrounding shadows.
Donna and I moved to stand beside River, to watch the Doctor, her speaking to Donna as we came to a stop. "You travel with him, don't you? The Doctor, you travel with him."
"What of it?" Donna replied quietly, but defensive, River turning to look at her due to her tone.
"Proper Dave, could you move over a bit?" The Doctor requested.
"Why?"
I shook my head at his tone calling over bluntly "Just move."
The Doctor continued as Dave stood from his seat on one of the desks "Over there by the water cooler. Thanks." He walked out of the Doctor's way and over to the left of the rest of us, hopping up to take a seat on the desk there.
"You know him, don't you?" Donna asked demandingly.
"Oh God, do I know that man." River paused briefly "We go way back, that man, Lina and me. Just not this far back."
"I'm sorry, what?" She asked confused.
"They haven't met me yet." At this Donna and I turned away from watching the Doctor to look at River. "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 shot me a small smile "Lina too. But he looks at me, and he looks right through me and it shouldn't kill me, but it does." She reached around Donna to take hold of my hand. "At least I can always count on you to see me." She said still smiling before turning back to Donna remarking "But then again, she's always been too good to me."
"What are you talking about?" Donna snapped "Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know them or don't you?"
"Donna!" The Doctor called over scolding "Quiet, I'm working."
"Sorry."
River stared at Donna before stating "Donna. You're Donna. Donna Noble."
"Yeah." She confirmed asking "Why?"
"I do know them, but in the future." River clarified "Their personal future."
"So why don't you know me?" Donna asked looking between us worriedly "Where am I in the future?"
Donna and River stared at each other in silence until the Doctor finally broke it calling out "Okay, got a live one." He stood turning to us, moving to pick up the lunchbox before kneeling once again in front of the darkness "That's not darkness down those tunnels. This is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man-eating swarm." The Doctor then throws a chicken leg into the shadow, it turning to bone as it passes through, clattering as it hits the floor.
"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 asked having let go of my hand to move to crouch next to him.
"Mmm. Earth," He turned his head confirming "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."
Donna protested "If they were on Earth, we'd know."
I raised a brow "Would you?"
The Doctor and I shared a knowing look as he responded "Nah. Normally they live on road kill. But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark."
"Every shadow?" River called next to me, having turned to point her torch into the darkness of the surrounding stacks.
"No." He called back, replying. "But any shadow."
"So, what do we do?" She asked.
He began listing "Daleks, aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans, back of the neck. Vashta Nerada? Run. Just run."
"Run?" She responded incredulous. "Run where?"
"This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere." The Doctor answered, him and River turning to look at Lux, him defending "Don't look at me, I haven't memorised the schematics."
"Doctor," Donna called out pointing to the sign on the wall "the little shop. They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff."
He peered over to have a look exclaiming "You're right. Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop."
"Okay, let's move it." Dave said hopping off the desk to make his over, the Doctor calling out quickly to stop him "Actually, Proper Dave? Could you stay where you are for a moment?"
He stopped, turning to him to ask "Why?"
The Doctor approached him slowly as he spoke "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows." We all look to the floor to see two shadows spreading out from Dave, laying at right angles to each other. "It's how they hunt. They latch on to a food source and keep it fresh."
"What do I do?"
"You stay absolutely still," He ordered "like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps."
River cut in quickly reassuring "We're not leaving you, Dave."
The Doctor cut back just as quick "Course we're not leaving him. Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."
"On the floor, by my bag." He answered voice a bit choked.
"Don't cross his shadow." The Doctor shouted as Anita moved to fetch Dave's helmet, now stepping around them, before handing it to the Doctor. "Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got." He called out, attaching Dave's helmet onto his suit, the other expedition members moving to do the same as Donna called out.
"But, Doctor, we haven't got any helmets."
"Yeah, but we're safe anyway."
"How are we safe?" She questioned quickly.
"We're not." He admitted "That was a clever lie to shut you up. Professor, anything I can do with the suit?"
Lux cut in ranting "What good are the damn suits? Miss Evangelista was wearing her suit. There was nothing left." River quickly answering after "We can increase the mesh density. Dial it up four hundred percent. Make it a tougher meal."
"Okay." He stated pulling out his screwdriver to increase the density on Dave's suit first before holding it out towards River "Eight hundred percent. Pass it on."
"Gotcha." River cut off holding up a sonic screwdriver of her own.
The Doctor stared at it "What's that?"
"It's a screwdriver."
"It's sonic."
"Yeah, I know. Snap." She responded before quickly moving to dial up the density on the other's spacesuits. The Doctor stared after her for a moment before turning to grab Donna's arm "With me. You too Lina, come on."
I crossed my arms, not moving from my spot in the centre of the room. "Nah thanks, I'm quite comfortable here."
He let go of Donna, gesturing for her to stay put before stepping close to me. "We don't have time to argue about this. Come on."
"Doctor, I said no." I repeated firmly, before leaning forwards to look him directly in the eyes, speaking quietly "Trust me. I'm the safest out of any one here. They can't get me." He stared back into my eyes for a moment before giving a reluctant nod, stepping away to grab Donna again before leading her away.
River makes her way over to me, looking at him retreat before commenting "Didn't expect him to let you stay. But then again you can take care of yourself." She pauses before asking "You are alright? Being here I mean."
I moved closer to her to quietly answer so that the others wouldn't overhear "Yeah. I'm sort of…inedible to them." Giving her a considering glance I ask "You say you've known me for a long time, right? How well exactly?"
She gives me an unreadable look before leaning forward to whisper something in my ear. My eyes widening slightly, looking at her with new eyes as she leaned back away. Having got my reply, I commented lightly with a small smile "You know me very well then."
She gave me a hopeful smile back before something catches her eye behind me. "The second shadow's gone." She stated before calling out for the Doctor.
I turned to see Dave's second shadow had in fact disappeared, calling out to him as he turned to look himself. "Don't move. We don't know where it's gone."
The Doctor reappeared, Donna now absent, walking over to ask "Where did it go?"
"It's just gone. I looked round, one shadow, see." Dave turned at the waist to point out, completely ignoring my warning for him to stay still.
"Does that mean we can leave?" River quickly requested "I don't want to hang around here."
"I don't know why we're still here. We can leave him, can't we?" Lux but in gesturing at Dave "I mean, no offence."
River snapping at him "Shut up, Mister Lux."
Our attention went back to the Doctor as he began questioning Dave "Did you feel anything, like an energy transfer? Anything at all?"
"No, no, but look, it's gone." He replied spinning on the spot until his back faced us.
I shook my head rapidly "It's still there."
The Doctor looked at me before snapping at Dave as he started to move again. "Stop there. Stop, stop, stop there. Stop moving. They're never just gone and they never give up." He kneeled on the ground behind Dave before using the sonic to examine the one shadow he still cast. "Well, this one's benign."
Only to look up as Dave called out in alarm "Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"No one, they're fine." The Doctor answered from his place still on the floor.
"No seriously, turn them back on."
I looked on in dismay muttering under my breath "It's gone inside." River shot me a worried look, clearly having heard what I said before telling him "They are on."
"I can't see a ruddy thing." He complained.
The Doctor stood, putting his screwdriver away "Dave, turn around."
Dave turned slowly back around to face us, the visor of his helmet now revealed to be pitch black, blocking us from seeing Dave inside. "What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone? Are we safe here?" He asked as we looked back at him in horror.
"Dave, I want you stay still. Absolutely still." The Doctor ordered before Dave's body violently jerked, a shredding sound emanating from inside the suit, the Doctor quickly asking "Dave? Dave? Dave, can you hear me? Are you alright? Talk to me, Dave."
I shook my head "He's gone Doctor."
He looked at me, turning back as 'Dave' spoke, straightening his body from his jerked position to stand normally. "I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine."
"I want you to stay still. Absolutely still." The Doctor instructed again.
"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-" We watched as the lights on the comm unit attached to his suit began to flicker. River looking on sadly as she stated "Lina's right he's gone. He's ghosting."
"Then why is he still standing?" Lux asked, some panic seeping into his voice.
This time I answered "Because what killed him is still inside." Speaking quietly as Dave's suit began to repeat "Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Doctor, don't." River warned as the Doctor began to lean forward to peer inside of his helmet, asking "Dave, can you hear me?"
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" 'Dave' lunged forward, grabbing the Doctor by the throat and forcing him to his knees, his skull becoming visible as it fell forwards to lean against the front of his visor, repeating "Who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Excuse me." River stopped me from moving forward, quickly stepping towards them herself, jabbing her screwdriver into what was left of Dave's suit zapping him to free the Doctor from its grip.
The Doctor quickly stood backing away as he shouted "Back from it! Get back. Right back."
Vashta-Dave lurches a step towards us, attempting to follow as we retreated, River commenting "Doesn't move very fast, does it?"
"It's a swarm in a suit." He shot back before looking to the ground as Vashta-Dave produced four shadows, which were creepily lengthening towards us across the floor quite fast. "But it's learning."
I nodded in response to the Doctor adding "And when it's got used to moving in the suit, it's going be a lot harder to get away. So, any ideas?"
Lux yelled out panicked "What do we do? Where do we go?"
"See that wall behind you? Duck." River ordered before pulling out a gun, firing it at the wall to create a square hole big enough for us to step through.
"Squareness gun!" The Doctor announced pleased.
"Note to self, get a squareness gun." I muttered as I made my way through the hole in the wall. River calling out to us "Everybody out. Go, go, go. Move it. Move, move. Move it. Move, move." Pausing as we entered the stacks, looking around as she spoke to the Doctor "You said not every shadow."
"But any shadow." He shouted back as Vashta-Dave made its way to the hole in the wall, repeating "Hey, who turned out the lights?"
River shouting "Run!" us all turning to run through the stacks, the Doctor quickly grabbing my hand as he passed.
We finally came to a stop as the distance between us and the slowly advancing suit increased to where we could no longer hear it. As we stood surrounded by the tall shelves of books, the Doctor lets go of my hand to grab a pile, placing them in a stack on the ground before stepping up onto them to start using the sonic on one of the hanging lights above us.
As the others paused to catch their breath, I stepped closer looking up at him to ask "What are you doing?"
"Trying to boost the power. Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down."
"So, what's the plan?" River asked stepping forward to use her screwdriver, instantly causing the lamp to brighten "Do we have a plan?"
He stepped down off of the books looking at her in shock "Your screwdriver looks exactly like mine."
"Yeah." She nodded "You gave it to me."
"I don't give my screwdriver to anyone."
"I'm not anyone." She shot back smiling smugly.
The Doctor looked at her in disbelief "Who are you?"
"What's the plan?" She changed the subject, tucking her screwdriver back into her pocket.
"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." She turned back to who was left of the expedition calling out "We need to get a shift on."
The Doctor checked his sonic before stating "She's not there." Before continuing worried "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." River hypothesized.
The Doctor rushes over to a nearby Node standing in the stacks, asking it "Donna Noble. There's a Donna Noble somewhere in this library. Do you have the software to locate her position?"
The node swivelled to face us, River and I stepping up behind the Doctor, to reveal it had Donna's face, stating "Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
We stared at it in horror as I asked "How is that possible?" the Doctor calling out "Donna." The node beginning to repeat on a loop "Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"How can it be Donna? How's that possible?" River repeated my question.
The Doctor continued staring up at the node, reaching up to touch the face as he said "Oh Donna." The node continuing to repeat itself back to him. "Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
We turned quickly to see Vashta-Dave had now caught up, it repeating as it advanced "Hey, who turned out the lights?" River and I shouted "Doctor!" as I grabbed the Doctor's arm turning him away from the node, the others already running past. River continuing "Doctor, we've got to go now!" both the node and Vashta-Dave repeating their lines.
The Doctor snapping out of it as I pull him away, the three of us finally turning to run, following after Lux, the other Dave and Anita, coming to an abrupt halt as shadows moved to cover the light in front of us, blocking us in with nowhere to go.
The Doctor gripping my hand tightly as River asked "Doctor, what are we going to do?" the Vashta Nerada closing in on us from both directions.
And that's this chapter done! And no, I'm not going to have her jump before it finishes. I made the decision that while the order in which I do the episodes is decided by random number generator, two-parters are always paired together 😊
That being said…
Next up: Forest of the Dead