The dark eagles, sleep and death,
Rustle all night around my head:
The golden statue of man
Is swallowed by the icy comber
Of eternity. On the frightening reef
The purple remains go to pieces
-0-0-
It was the middle of breakfast the next day that I jumped once again. I was thankful that I had at least gotten to eat something, half a slice of toast still in my hands when I appeared in a dark room. My feet caught on the carpeted floor and I grabbed the edge of a desk to keep myself from falling over.
My toast fell to the ground.
"Man, talk about a change in lighting," I muttered to myself. "Why is it so dark in here?"
An arm suddenly wrapped around my midsection and pulled me away from the desk, my back hitting the front of somebody's body as I was dragging into the middle of the room. I struggled against the person until I looked up to see it was the Doctor's 10th regeneration.
I let go of his coat. "What the-"
"Stay away from the shadows," He said, his face serious as his eyes darted around the room.
"Shadows?"
The door next to us crashed open, and I suddenly felt my heart drop when I recognized the astronaut costumes. I looked around the library we were in, confirmed my suspicions, and placed a hand on my chest.
"Oh no, not the library. I hate the library."
One of the astronauts walked over, and she turned on the lighting inside her helmet. River smiled at us from inside the suit, but I couldn't find it in me to smile back.
"Hello sweetie."
"Get out." Under normal circumstances, I would have smacked the Doctor for being so rude, but I understood his bluntness. "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."
It's a shame none of them took him seriously. As he let go of me and began to usher the others away, the astronauts ignored him and began to put down their equipment.
"Pop your helmets, everyone," River called to the others, "We've got breathers."
Evangelista tilted her head. "How do you know they're not androids?"
"Because I've dated an android. They're rubbish."
A man walked over to River with a scowl. "Who are these people? You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."
"I lied," River waved him away nonchalantly, "I'm always lying. Bound to be others."
"Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts."
"You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?"
"Please, just leave. I'm asking you seriously and properly, just lea- Hang on. Did you say expedition?" The Doctor looked over in confusion, only now seeming to realize who the people around him were.
"My expedition," the man I assumed was mister Lux said, "I funded it."
The Doctor's face scrunched up adorably. "Oh, you're not, are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists."
"Got a problem with archaeologists?" River said, a knowing look in her eyes. One of the others moved behind me and I shivered, trying to keep out of their shadow.
"I'm a time traveler. I point and laugh at archaeologists."
River held out her hand. "Ah. Professor River Song, archaeologist."
I tuned them out, looking around anxiously at the shadows that surrounded the left side of the room. I noticed one of the astronauts moving towards the bookshelves to my right, and I grabbed her arm to drag her back into the light.
"Trust me, you don't want to go over there," I told her when she shot me a glare.
She looked at me as if I just told her the moon was made of cheese. "Why?"
"No, she's right. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows 'till you're safely back in your ship. That goes for all of you. Stay in the light," The Doctor said, gesturing to the middle of the room. "Find a nice, bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared."
They didn't look very impressed, and River even looked amused. Evangelista was the only one who seemed to have a feeling something was wrong. For a girl who was supposed to be stupid, she was very good a picking up on things others couldn't.
As the Doctor continued on his rant, pulling the 'other Dave' around to look as something, I moved closer to River. She smiled softly when I did, leaning down to whisper in my ear.
"You alright, love?"
"Nope. Terrified," I managed to get out, and she held out a hand for me to hold.
"We're not looking for a way out," Mister Lux said angrily, "Miss Evangelista?"
"I'm Mister Lux's personal … everything," She said as she shuffled forward awkwardly, holding out a paper to me before moving over to where the Doctor and Donna stood. "You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experience inside the library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."
I looked down as the Doctor and Donna tore their contracts, simply holding mine out to Evangelista to return.
"My family built this library. I have rights," Mister Lux exclaimed angrily.
"You have a mouth that won't stop," River corrected. She turned to the Doctor. "You think there's danger here?"
The Doctor eyed our connected hands in disdain. "Something came to this library and killed everything in it. Killed a whole world. Danger? Could be."
"That was a hundred years ago," River waved off. She squeezed my hand in two quick pumps before letting go. "The Library's been silent for a hundred years. Whatever came here's long dead."
"Bet your life?"
River hesitated, "Always."
The Doctor didn't reply, moving quickly to grab a torch from Lux. He then began to shine it into the shadows across the room as he told Donna about the Vashta Nerada. I eyed the place my toast should have been. With more people in the room, the shadows seem to creep closer.
"Awfully dark in here," I reminded the Doctor, and he jumped up with a clap.
"Lights! That's what we need, lights. You got lights?" He asked. The others looked around unsure.
"What for?" River asked, already motioning for the others to do as the Doctor said.
"For a circle," He motioned, "Safe area. Big as you can, lights pointing out."
Mister Lux looked around in outrage. "You're not listening to this man."
"Apparently I am," River shot back, "Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mister Lux, put your helmet back on and 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. Chloe, take a deep breath."
I did as she said, even if it came out a little shaky. The Doctor frowned.
"Pretty boy, you're with me. Step into my office."
The Doctor placed his hands gently against my cheeks, tilting my head up so that I was looking at him. He didn't say anything, but he seemed to find what he was looking for, because he dropped his hands to my shoulder, pulling me in closer. I wrapped my arms around his back and let out another deep breath.
After the quick hug he pulled away and looked at Donna next to me. "Keep her company will you?"
Donna didn't hesitate, nodding almost immediately. I managed to force a weak smile for her.
"Pretty boy. With me, I said," River called out.
Donna and I looked over to the Doctor, giving him a knowing look until he finally seemed to realize who River was talking to. "Oh, I'm pretty boy?"
"Yes!" Donna hissed, immediately regretting it. "Oooh, that came out a bit quick."
"Pretty?"
"Meh."
He stalked off, pointing out to the others not to let the shadows cross and he went over to meet with River. The others looked on at him in confusion, but I discreetly stepped around Donna and pulled her a bit to the right so our shadows were farther away from the edges of the room.
Miss Evangelista hovered in the corner watching the others work, looking bothered. "Excuse me, can I help?"
The other two shared a look, Anita giving her a pitiful once over and a mocking smile. "No, we're fine."
"I could just, you know, hold things," Miss Evangelista insisted.
"No, really," Other Dave told her, "we're okay."
She didn't look very convinced, but Evangelista dropped it. Donna walked forward in confusion. "Couldn't she help?"
"Trust me. I just spent four days on a ship with that woman," Other Dave assured her, "She's uhh…"
"Couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod and the bathroom. We had to go back for her. Twice," Anita added in.
Donna nodded in understanding and turned away, but she didn't look happy. I glanced around the room and spotted where the Doctor and River were, watching as his face showed no signs of recognition.
And it broke my heart to watch the Doctor treat River as if she wasn't much, when I knew just how important she was to him. To see the way her body slumped when she realized it. I closed my eyes, trying to forget the times I had looked into the glazed eyes of someone I had loved only to realize they didn't know who I was.
A sudden loud beeping made me jump, and my eyes snapped open.
"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?"
Donna shook her head. "Doctor? Doctor, that sounds like-"
"It is," He agreed, looking confused. "It's a phone."
Everyone looked around for a few seconds as they realized it did actually sound like a phone. Puzzled, Donna looked over to me but I just shook my head.
"I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding," Dave told them. "Just that noise."
"But it's a phone," Donna insisted.
The Doctor moved Dave over to the side so he could begin typing something in. "Let me try something."
He typed away for a few seconds before the computer beeped, and a large 'Access Denied' popped up in bold red letters.
"Okay, doesn't like that. Let's try something else," He muttered to himself, managing to pull up a window with CAL on the screen. "Okay, here it is. Hello?"
CAL. The little girl on the screen looked up from her coloring in surprise. "Hello. Are you in my television?"
"Well, no, I'm-I'm sort of in space," The Doctor sputtered as he looked down at the controls in confusion. "Er, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple grid security processor."
"Oh," Charlotte looked down as she tried to understand. Giving up, she scrunched her nose in confusion. "Would you like to speak to my Dad?"
"Dad or your Mum. That'd be lovely," The Doctor replied in relief.
Charlotte moved to get up, but suddenly remembered where she recognized the Doctor. "I know you. You're in my library."
"Your library?" The Doctor looked back at me with a frown, but again I only shook my head.
"The library's never been on the television before. What have you done?" She accused.
"Er, well, I just rerouted the interface-"
The Doctor was cut off as the screen suddenly switched off, and he moved to fix it quickly.
"What happened? Who was that?" River asked.
"That was CAL," I answered, pushing myself up onto one of the desks in the corner, away from the shadows.
Access denied showed up on the screen again and the Doctor clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I need another terminal," He stated, "Keep working on those lights. We need those lights!"
"You heard him, people. Let there be light," River said as the Doctor took off, running over to another terminal.
He paused in his typing when he looked down at River's diary next to him. After a moment, he slowly reached out to grab it, but River showed up to grab it from him at the last moment, shooting him a disapproving look.
"Sorry, you're not allowed to see inside the book," she told him as she put the diary away, "It's against the rules."
"What rules?" The Doctor asked.
"Your rules," She told him.
The Doctor watched her as she walked away, turning back to what he was doing. It was then that the books started flying off the shelves. Everyone looked around in confusion, and I realized that the books were a lot more dangerous than I originally thought when one crashed into the table's surface next to me.
The Doctor tried to turn it off, but he kept getting an access denied screen no matter what he did. He huffed in annoyance, looking to me for guidance.
"Any chance I could get a hint?" He asked.
I shook my head. "Not yet. Nothing I could tell you would help right now anyways."
The Doctor sighed, looking back at the screen. After a while, the books stopped flying and everyone seemed to relax, except for the Doctor. He looked like he was trying to solve a really hard puzzle with a piece missing.
Evangelista was comforted by Donna as the others continued with their own jobs, and I watched in worry as the poor girl began to grow frustrated with herself, despite Donna's attempts at making her feel better.
A few more books flew off unexpectedly and River looked around curiously at the wall of bookcases that lined the room. "What's causing that? Is it the little girl?"
"But who is the little girl? What has she got to do with this place?" The Doctor wondered, looking back at me with a pout. "What's Cal?"
"Ask Mister Lux," I suggested. The Doctor took my advice, turning to Mister Lux.
"Cal, what is it?" He asked.
Lux shrugged. "Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts."
The others slowly gathered around in the middle of the room as the Doctor walked up to Mister Lux with an angry gaze.
"Mister Lux. Right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?" He spat.
"I'm protecting my family's pride," Lux defended.
The Doctor stared him down. "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 asked, unaffected by the look she received from the Doctor. She sighed. "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you."
The Doctor looked between the two for a second, his frustration starting to get to him, and he waved them away with a huff.
"Okay, okay, okay. Let's start at the beginning," The Doctor decided, "What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"
As the others continued talking, Evangelista turned next to me as the wall behind her flew up. She looked over at it in confusion, taking a few steps forward. She turned to the group and flapped her hands in worry.
"Er, excuse me?" She voiced, trying to get someone's attention.
"Not right now."
Lux brushed her off, continuing his conversation with the others. Nobody else even seemed to notice her, and I narrowed my eyes at them.
"This might be important, actually," Evangelista insisted.
Lux huffed. "In a moment!"
Evangelista huffed, and I stepped forward. She looked over at me in relief that she wasn't the only one who noticed the door.
"Don't wander off," I warned her, moving behind her and urging her forward and back towards the center of the room. The Doctor looked down at the message River showed him.
"4022 saved, no survivors," he read. Donna moved closer and leaned over to read the message herself, looking at it in confusion.
"4022. That's the exact number of people in the library when the planet was sealed," River explained, and Donna looked at them in confusion.
"But how can 4022 people have been saved if there were no survivors?"
"That's what we're here to find out," River said.
Lux pointed out the obvious. "So far we haven't found any bodies."
"That's because there aren't any," I piped up, and everyone turned to look at me. "And if everything goes to plan, there won't be any at all."
"What are you talking about?" River asked, tilting her head to the side.
I moved to the side so that they could see behind me, pointing out the hidden door that none of them had bothered to notice. "See that door?"
"That wasn't there before," The Doctor said, bounding over to where I was standing. He moved to examine it but I pulled him away by the edge of his coat.
"Don't," I warned him.
"What, why? What's wrong?" He soniced the edges of the door curiously.
"Well, let's just say your hunch was not a hunch," I told him, turning towards River. "Do you mind if I borrow a packed lunch? Need it to prove a point."
"Hang on."
The Doctor watched her carefully for a few seconds, before he drifted over to where I was standing. His hand found mine and he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Who is she?"
Part of me wanted to tell him. Part of me wanted to tell the Doctor how important she was, but I knew I couldn't. River Song needed to remain a mystery.
I squeezed his hand quickly before letting go. "Spoilers."
He looked at me but I kept my gaze forward and ignored the hole he burned into the side of my head. River got what she needed, drawing his gaze away from me.
"Chicken and a bit of salad," River said, walking over to hand me the food, "Knock yourself out."
I immediately turned and handed it to the Doctor, not wanting to have to deal with the swarm myself, and thankfully he seemed to get what I was talking about. He grabbed the plate and turned around to the others.
"Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada."
The Doctor scanned the floor while River and Donna chatted nearby. I wanted to interrupt them, keep River from telling Donna anything about her losing her memory, but Evangelista distracted me when she nervously tiptoed around the others' shadows towards me. Right now, she was the only one who seemed to be taking the threat seriously.
It was nice to have someone actually believe us for once.
Without Evangelista's death, the others weren't scared and therefore were acting too reckless. Twice already I had to remind one of the astronauts to stay out of the shadows. Saving their asses just got that much harder.
"You look really bad," Evangelista said, looking confused and worried. I smiled for her sake.
"Don't worry about it, I'm fine."
"No, you're not," She insisted, grimacing, "I may not be smart, but I know you're worried about something. Should I … should I be worried?"
I took a deep breath, not sure what I should tell her. I could probably lie and get away with it, but it was better to keep her on her toes.
Scared keeps people alive.
"Yes," I told her, honestly.
"Okay, got a live one!" The Doctor interjected, jumping up in his positing, pointing the sonic screwdriver into a shadow under a desk. "That's not darkness down there, it's a swarm. A man eating swarm."
Lux scoffed. "How can the dark eat a man?"
The Doctor threw the chicken leg into the shadow, but only the bone hit the floor. Everyone but River and I gasped in shock, and Evangelista's lip quivered as the reality of the situation hit her. I placed my hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
Donna crouched down next to the Doctor.
"The piranhas of the air," The Doctor explained, "The Vashta Nerada. Literally, the shadows that melt the flesh. Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. Never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive."
Donna blanked. "What do you mean, most planets? Not Earth?"
"Mmm, yeah. Earth," The Doctor shrugged. "Along with a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada."
"Doctor," I warned, noticing Donna's look of horror.
"But they can't be," she insisted, "If they were on Earth, we'd know."
I interrupted whatever the Doctor was going to say. "Don't think too hard about it."
"Every shadow?" River asked, pointing her flashlight down the hall in worry.
"No, but any shadow."
"So what do we do?"
"We go to CAL. Get to CAL, and we can fix this whole mess," I told them, "But first, you have to get Donna out of here and back to the TARDIS. She's not safe."
"Not safe? Why am I not safe?" Donna asked, looking around and patting her clothes as if it was on fire.
"Little shop," I explained to the Doctor, pointing it out to him. "Got to be useful for something."
"I don't understand," Evangelista said, for once not being the only clueless one. I patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, you don't have to," I explained, turning to address the rest of the group. "Just stay out of the shadow and start getting ready to move."
"Okay, let's move it," One of the Dave's said. I froze.
"Wait!"
It was too late. Dave froze in confusion, and everyone turned to look at me, but it was the Doctor who spoke up.
"Oh, Dave. I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry."
He looked between us in worry. "What? What's going on?"
"You have two shadows," The Doctor explained. "It's how they hunt. They latch onto a food source to keep it fresh."
"What do I do?" Dave whispered, fear for once beginning to show on his face. The Doctor stepped forward.
"You stay absolutely still," he explained, "like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps."
I carefully stepped around his shadow, careful to keep my own in sight and away from the edges of the room. I grab Dave's helmet, passing it over to the Doctor as River promises that we aren't going to leave him.
"Of course we're not leaving you," The Doctor offers extra reassurance, "Now, the rest of you. Helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got."
Donna looked around in worry. "But Doctor, we haven't got any helmets."
"Yeah, that's why you need to get back to the TARDIS."
"Both of you," the Doctor corrected, shooting me a look. I ignored him.
"River, anything you can do with the suit?"
"Increase the mesh density," River told the Doctor, "Dial it up to 400 percent. Make it a tougher meal."
The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and used it on Dave. "800, pass it on."
River showed her own with a smirk. "Gotcha."
The look on the Doctor's face was almost laughable, and it was only Evangeline's tight grip as she moved closer away from the shadows that reminded me this wasn't a laughing matter. The Doctor narrowed his eyes.
"What's that?"
"A screwdriver."
"It's sonic."
"Yeah, I know," River said, as if it was obvious. She then moved on to changing the settings on the others' suits as the Doctor looked on in shock.
"Doctor!" I nodded my head in the direction of the others in a reminder that he had something else to worry about. He snapped himself out of whatever thoughts he was in and moved over to grab Donna's arm.
"Come on," He said, using his free hand to gesture for me to join them.
Donna looked around the shop that he had dragged us into in confusion. "What are we doing? We shopping? Is it a good time to shop?"
"No talking, just moving," The Doctor corrected, motioning over to the teleport. "Right, stand there in the middle. It's a teleport. Stand in the middle. Can't send the others, TARDIS won't recognize them."
"Wait, hold on. You're not safe here either, neither of you. I'm not leaving without you."
"Donna," The Doctor leaned forward, "let me explain."
With no further words, he teleported her away and I crossed my arms when he turned to me with an expectant look. I raised an eyebrow at his pleading look.
"I'm not leaving."
He sighed, not looking particularly surprised. "Chloe, please-"
"Doctor!"
He gave me a look that told me we weren't done talking, and rushed over to see what River needed. I grimaced as the others looked on in surprise at Dave's lost shadow, the Doctor quickly moving closer.
"Where did it go?" The Doctor asked, confused.
"It's just gone." Dave sputtered, "I looked round. One shadow, see?"
"Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to hang around here," River added.
Lux scoffed. "I don't know why we're still here. We can leave him, can't we? I mean, no offence."
"Shut up Mister Lux."
The Doctor inched forward, trying to figure out the problem. I tugged on River's sleeve sadly. She looked down in confusion.
"I'm sorry River, but there's nothing we can do," I told her. Her face twisted with realization and snapped over to Dave as he began to turn around.
"They're never just gone and they never give up!" The Doctor insisted.
He began to sonic the floor and River stepped forward, probably with the intentions of delivering the bad news, but then Dave spoke up in confusion.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Doctor," I warned, reaching out for him.
The Doctor looked over at me and then River, who shook her head at him sadly, and he took a step backwards. "Dave, can you turn around for a second?"
Everyone gasped as he did, showing off his black visor. He began to panic. "What is it? What's going on?"
"Dave, I want you to stay still. Absolutely still," The Doctor warns. He jerked and began to convulse. I closed my eyes at the sight, knowing that he was already dead, even as the Doctor called out for him.
"I'm fine. I'm okay."
Evangelista actually sighed in relief at that, not picking up on the tense mood of the room. It seemed as if everyone but her had caught on to what was happening by this point.
"Are you sure?" The Doctor insisted.
Dave didn't seem to hear him. "I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine. I can't. Why can't I? I, I can't. Why can't I? Why can't I? I-"
"He's gone," River whispered, "He's ghosting."
"What? But he, he-" Evangelista trailed off as Dave continued to repeat the same thing over again. The Doctor started to walk forward and I went to stop him, but River beat me too it, hand on his shoulder.
"Don't."
"Doctor," I added, "I think it's best if we get out of here."
"Why?" He asked, not looking particularly excited about the answer.
Dave seemed to lurch forward and thankfully the Doctor was far enough away to dodge it. Unfortunately, it revealed the skeleton in the suit to everyone. The Doctor grabbed my hand and pulled me farther back.
"Back away from it! Get back," He told the others.
River watched it take heavy, unsteady, steps forward. "Doesn't move very fast, does it?"
"It's a swarm in a suit," He explained, frowning. "But it's learning."
I struggled to remember which direction we were supposed to head towards, pulling Evangelist along with me. The others watched in horror as Dave's shadow seemed to grow towards us.
"What do we do?!" Lux yelled, backed up against a desk.
"See that wall behind you?" River told him, grabbing her gun and pointing it at him. "Duck!"
Both Lux and the Doctor moved out of the way, and the minute the wall was dissolved I ushered Evangelista towards it.
"Everybody out!" River yelled, "Go, go, go."
The rest scrambled behind us and out into another hallway, only to pause as they realized that it was filled with shadows. River looked both ways in worry, saying out loud the same thing everyone was thinking.
"You said not every shadow."
"But any shadow," the Doctor confirmed as the swarm in the suit walked closer.
River told us to run, and I made sure Evangelista was in front of me as we did, not wanting to risk the chance that anything would happen to her. It seemed as if we were running through a maze, and eventually we stopped running when we seemed to lose the swarm.
The others sat down to catch their breath, and the Doctor grabbed a stool to stand on. He started to sonic the lights above us as he explained what he was doing to the others, but I felt as if none of them except River were actually listening to him.
"So, what's the plan? Do we have a plan?" She asked, helping him boost the lights. The Doctor looked down at it with a harsh stare.
"Your screwdriver," he began, stepping down when the light began to shine brighter. "It's like mine."
"Yeah, you gave it to me," River explained.
The Doctor turned to look at me, and then back at her with a frown. "I don't give my screwdriver to just anyone."
She winked. "I'm not just anyone."
"Who are you?"
I groaned, stepping between the two and shooting the Doctor an annoyed look. "Now's not the time for that."
"Right," River stepped back, the light finally fixed. "What's the plan?"
The Doctor gave both of us a stern look, but didn't argue. "I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS. If we don't get back there in under five hours, emergency program one will activate."
River nodded in understanding. "Take her home, yeah. We need to get a shift on."
"About that-" I began, feeling as if it was the right time to tell the Doctor what was going on.
"She's not there," The Doctor interrupted, checking his sonic.
"Doctor-"
"I should have received a signal. The console signals me if there's a teleport breach."
I slapped the Doctor's shoulder when he ignored me. "Oh my god, have you always been this rude?"
"Yes," River supplied for me, shooting the Doctor a wink. He opened his mouth to protest, but I was quicker.
"Donna's not in the TARDIS. Don't worry, she's safe," I told both of him. I bit my lip as I turned to the nearby node. "For now."
"What do you mean 'for now'?"
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
Everyone turned to the end of the hall, where the swarm in the suit seemed to have caught up. The others scrambled to their feet and began to back up slowly. When the suit moved forward, River yelled for everyone to run, but we only made it a few feet before we were stopped by the shadows.
Unable to continue forward, with the approaching swarm from behind, Evangelista reached forward to clutch my hand in fear. "We're going to die!"
"Not today," I assured her.
As the swarm pushed forward, River pointed to the bookshelf next to us and blasted it with her gun. She ushered us through, and then took the lead as she led us through the maze of bookshelves until we finally reached a room.
"Okay, we got a clear spot!" She called out, "In, in, in!"
"Don't let your shadows cross," I reminded them, pulling Evangelista away from the edges of the room and to the center.
"Doctor-" River began, but he was already on the ground sonicing the shadows as she spoke. She looked up in worry. "There are no lights here, and sunset's coming. We can't stay long."
"We won't have to," I told her, crouching down next to the Doctor. "I know where we have to go next."
And suddenly I had everyone's attention. The Doctor turned to me with a questioning look, but it was actually Evangelista who asked where we were going, the question that seemed to be on everyone's minds.
"Where are we going?"
"I think it's time Mr. Lux told us about CAL."
Lux stepped forward angrily, looking flustered. "Why should I tell you anything? I don't even know who you are, either of you! Why should I trust you?"
"I told you who, they're my friends. And if you know what's good for you, you'll listen to her," River said.
"You say they're your friends, but he doesn't even know who you are," Anita said, pointing to the Doctor.
"Yeah, tiny problem. He hasn't met me yet."
"How is that even possible?"
I interrupted them with a groan, feeling frustrated that they seemed to be forgetting the big picture. "Time travel, it's complicated. Does this even matter right now? We're currently being chased by deadly dust particle zombies, in case anyone has forgotten."
"Well what are we supposed to do?" Lux asked, annoyed. "You seem to know everything, apparently. Any ideas on how to get out of here?"
"I keep telling you that we can't leave. Not until we get to CAL," I hissed, feeling a dull ache in the back of my head begin to emerge.
"But why?"
"Because it's the only way to save them," I yelled at him. "And if you keep trying to keep CAL a secret, you're only going to kill the thousands of people stuck in the computer, including Donna. The longer you prolong this, the more likely it is that one of us is going to die at the hands of the monsters chasing us, and all those deaths are going to be on your hands!"
There was a deafening silence as everyone stared in surprise at me, and I slowly began to cool down from the heat of the moment. A lot more calmly, I took a step forward and forced Lux to meet my eyes and the desperation they held.
"Please, help them. Don't let Charlotte's efforts be in vain. Help us before anyone else gets hurt."
"I think it's too late for that."
Anita swallowed hard, nearly in tears, as everyone turned to look at her. She was looking down at the ground, and everyone followed her gaze to the double shadows she had attached to her body with shock.
"Oh, Anita."
"Helmets on, everyone," River reminded the others, and the Doctor pulled me behind him. "Anita, I'll get yours."
"It didn't do Dave any good," she nearly cried, biting her lips.
"Just keep it together, okay?"
"Keeping it together? I'm only crying," Anita scoffed. "I'm about to die. It's not an overreaction."
I wished I could have reassured her, told her she was going to be okay, but I knew it was futile. As River grabbed her helmet, Lux tapped on my arm to draw my attention. I turned to look at him in confusion.
"The data-core," He told me softly, looking at Anita with regret. "We need to get to the data-core."
I nodded gratefully, thanking him for the information I needed.
With her helmet secured, River immediately retreated and made space for the Doctor who stopped in front of Anita and swiped his sonic over her visor. Blackness engulfed the view inside the helmet, and the others stood stunned.
River breathed out in shock. "Oh god, they've got inside."
"No, no, no," The Doctor reassured them. "I just tinted her visor. Might think they're already in there, leave her alone."
"You really think they can be fooled like that?" She asked. I smiled reassuringly at him when he turned back to look at me.
"Apparently," he muttered, turning back around only to do a double take.
"Can you see in there?" Other Dave asked.
As Anita confirmed that she could, the Doctor grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. I was about to ask him why, but then I spotted the suit behind the others and gasped.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Right, word of advice," the Doctor began, just as the suit took a step forward. "Run!"
-0-0-
In the middle of running through rooms and corridors, passing beautiful views that I wished I could stop to admire, the Doctor ushered the others and I forward with a passing glance, and I knew exactly what he was planning.
"Chloe, keep going. Find a safe spot and wait for me there."
River stopped. "It's a carnivorous swarm in a suit. You can't reason with it."
"Five minutes," He said without looking at her as the others ran past.
"Other Dave, stay with him. Pull him out when he's too stupid to live."
"Wait," I said, grabbing Dave and pulling him behind me. "Change of plans, Dave, you keep going."
"Chloe, you can't-"
I cut the Doctor off as I rushed over to him. "Trust me, I don't plan on staying. Just quick word of advice? Don't follow us down this corridor. You're going to have to find another way out."
He shot me a look of confusion. "What?"
"The swarm are going to infect the shadows soon, so you're not going to be able to follow us directly."
"Well what am I supposed to do then?" He asked in confusion.
River yelled at me to hurry up, and I pointed to his feet. "Hang in there."
It took him a moment, and when he realized with an exaggerated 'oh' I grimaced along with him. I mouthed 'sorry' before I took off. I didn't look back as I ran past River and pulled Dave along with me to assure he didn't get caught behind, trying not to lose sight of the group. River gave the Doctor a two minute warning before she was hot on our trails.
When we caught up to the others, they had reached a large room that seemed to be safe, but River scanned the shadows to make sure. Even so, everyone but Anita (who had seemed to give up hope) stuck to the middle of the room out of fear.
Surprisingly, when I sat down to catch my breath, Other Dave sat down next to me. I looked over at him in confusion.
"If I had stayed with the Doctor back there," he began, "What would have happened to me?"
I shook my head, knowing that he wouldn't like what he would hear, but Dave didn't seem to be looking for an actual answer, probably coming to his own conclusion by now. He let out a harsh sigh.
"You knew what was going to happen, didn't you?" He asked.
I didn't have time to answer him before Anita was storming over, River following behind with worry. I was confused as to what was wrong until she started talking, and then everything began to fall apart.
"You knew?"
I sputtered in confusion, jumping to my feet. "What?"
"You knew this was going to happen? And you didn't do anything to stop it?" She yelled. I couldn't tell if she was angry or crying, but I'm not sure it mattered much right now.
"I couldn't," I told her, trying to defend myself. "I forgot about it, I didn't-"
"Forgot? You forgot? Dave is dead and your excuse is that you forgot!?"
"I-" She interrupted me before I could continue.
"Was his life so irrelevant? Is my life really that irrelevant to you?" Anita's voice dropped. "Is my death that forgettable?"
"Anita, that's enough," River said, moving to grab the girl's shoulder, but stopping herself when she remembered it was best not to touch the suit. I let out a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry," I told her, knowing that she was right.
I remembered Evangelista's death, because it was the first. Dave's, because I knew it would happen in that moment. But Anita's? She could have gotten attacked at any moment, and I had no way of knowing when.
I had no way to prevent her death.
And the worst part was that there was one more person who I would have to let die. I shut my eyes tightly, wrapping my arms around myself.
"I'm so sorry, but there's nothing I can do. I'm trying my best, I really am, but sometimes," I swallowed harshly. "Sometimes I can't do anything. I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe."
There was a silence that left my heart pounding. I was so scared that she would start yelling again, so her soft unsure voice caught me off guard.
"No, I was-" Anita shook her head. "I shouldn't have said that. You're right, it's not like you wanted this to happen."
I opened my eyes to look at her in surprise, and she was wearing a soft smile. "Anita-"
"I'm not dead yet, so I guess there's that. Just … forget it."
Anita's eyes turned down to the ground, and with a wave of her hand she stumbled back to where she had been standing before. River sent me a sad look before she followed to comfort the girl as best as she could.
Dave, who had stood next to me in almost a protective way, stood back with a sigh. He turned to me and placed a hand over my shoulder.
"For what it's worth, I'm grateful you saved my life. Thank you."
I nodded, watching as he walked past me and leaned back against the railings with a sigh.
Evangelista and Lux stood off to the side, most likely having noticed the argument but thankfully having said nothing. I kept my head down in shame, even as Other Dave moved to join them. River, who didn't seem to be getting through to Anita, went back to her task sullenly.
A few minutes later, River held up her sonic with a triumphant grin. When I heard her call my name, I looked up and saw her motioning me over to where there was a logo of the library on the floor.
"I found one, leads straight to the core of the planet," She told me, and I waved Lux over to confirm that it was indeed where we needed to get to.
"Well what are we waiting for?" Anita said, stepping away from the shadows.
"The Doctor," I reminded her. "Can't do this without him."
"You seem to place a lot of trust in him," She pointed out, sounding a bit hopeful. "You think he might be able to save me?"
"I think if anybody can, it's the Doctor."
River sighed, putting away her screwdriver and shaking her curled head dejectedly. "You know, I can't help but wish our Doctor was here."
"He is here," I told her with a frown, knowing what was coming next. "He might not have the same face, and he is a little rude, but I can assure you that it's still him."
"But it's really not," She argued, giving me a look. "You have always been the same, kind and wonderful person no matter how much time passed. But the Doctor, my Doctor, is so much more."
"River-" I warned her, not liking how easily she was judging him. River shut me up by grabbing my hands in hers, squeezing tightly.
"It's not the same and you know it. I've seen entire armies run away at just the mention of his name. And he'd just swagger back to his TARDIS and open the doors with the snap of his fingers. You, the Doctor, and the TARDIS. Next stop, everywhere."
"Spoilers."
The Doctor bounded down the stairs and jumped over the railings with a frown, moving to step in between me and River angrily. She dropped my hands to move back, rolling her eyes at his action.
"Nobody can open a TARDIS by snapping their fingers," He continued, "It doesn't work like that."
"It does for the Doctor," River said with a smirk.
"I am the Doctor," He hissed.
"Yeah, someday."
"River!" I yelled, stepping in front of the Doctor with a disapproving look. "Enough."
There was a heavy silence that settled over the room, and I stopped River from any apologies she would had tried to spout with a single look. I turned to the Doctor, who seemed tense.
"We found a gravity platform."
As if the past conversation hadn't even happened, the Doctor was back on track. "Right! So, I was thinking, got some fresh air, and I was thinking. What is CAL? I realized on the way here that I was asking the wrong question, wasn't I?"
I nodded slowly, stepping back as he began to pace.
"Of course. Because CAL isn't a thing, you said it's a person. So Lux, tell me, who is CAL, and why do we need to see them?"
Lux gave a soft sigh. "I think it's better if I showed you."
Everyone stepped back without having to be told (except for Evangelista, who I have to pull back myself) when River soniced the floor at Lux's command, and we watched in wonder as the floor was replaced with a beam of blue light that I knew would take us safely to the center of the planet.
"What I don't understand," The Doctor continued as we traveled down, "Is why? What happened to all the people?"
When I realized he was talking to me, I gave him a sly smile. "Don't worry, they're saved."
"Saved?" And then it hit him. "Oh, OH!"
"What?"
"Saved! You don't say saved. Nobody says saved. You say safe. The data fragment! What did it say?"
Lux looked between us in confusion. "Four thousand and twenty two people saved. No survivors."
"Doctor?" River asked, trying to understand what he was getting at.
The sudo-elevator trip ended as it touched down, and the Doctor took down the hall quickly as he began to explain. I wasn't really paying attention, as I had heard his explanation before, but looked up as a sudden alarm began blaring.
The Doctor paused, looking up at the ceiling in confusion. "What? What's that?"
"Autodestruct enabled in twenty minutes."
Lux stared in worry. "No, what?"
"We need to hurry," I urged them, running past the Doctor and grabbing his hand to drag him along with me.
Obviously not expecting it, or used to it, the Doctor pulled me to a stop and stared down at our joined hands with such a perplexed look that I almost laughed. Lux shook his head.
"No, it's okay. Doctor Moon will take care of it," He tried to assure us, but I gave him a pointed look.
"Trust me, he won't. We need to get to CAL."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" River said, pushing past the three of us. "Come on!"
And then the group was taking off again, this time with a little more urgency. With a little help from me, the Doctor managed to finish explaining what had happened to the survivors by the time we reached a glowing ball of light shining down on us.
"There it is," he murmured, "The data core. Over four thousand living minds are trapped inside it."
"Keep going!" Lux told him.
And so the group continued on until we reached a computer, where a voice began to drift out from the background, stopping the others. Only the Doctor continued over to the computer. I looked over to the wall to the side, knowing what was on the other side.
"Help me. Please, help me."
"Was that a child?" River asked, looking scandalized.
The Doctor tapped away at the keyboard and tried to make sense of what he was seeing. "The computer's in sleep mode. I can't wake it up."
"Don't," I told him, and he paused in his attempts.
"Why?"
"Because it's dreaming," Lux said knowingly as he took his gloves off. "Of a normal life, and a lovely dad, and every book ever written."
Anita scoffed. "Computer's don't dream."
Lux shook his head, grabbing a lever that I had only just noticed. "No, but little girls do."
The wall opened up, and both the Doctor and River rushed through without a second thought. Lux and Anita followed behind at a slightly slower pace, but both Dave and Evangelista hesitated. They shared a look.
"Please help me. Please help me."
"Oh my god."
It took me a second to realize that the two were waiting for me, so I gestured for them to go first. I wasn't too keen on seeing Charlotte face to face, knowing how realistic it would be.
"It's the little girl. The one from the computer," Anita pointed out, and I looked down at her feet.
One shadow.
"She's not in the computer. In a way, she is the computer. The main command node," Lux explained. He looked up at the girls face with a sad face. "This is Cal."
"Cal is a child," The Doctor breathed, turning to Lux in disapproval. "Why wouldn't you tell us about this? This was important."
"She's important. And she's family," Lux shot back.
I slipped forward, grabbing the Doctor's arm to grab his attention. A subtle nod to the ground and he tapped my inner wrist in conformation that he knew as Lux continued.
"Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library and put her living mind inside, with a moon to watch over her, and all of human history to pass the time. Any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books more than anything, and he gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace. A secret, not a freak show. "
"You weren't protecting a patent, you were protecting her."
"Only half a life, but one she can live forever," Lux finished.
"She's beautiful," Evangelista piped up, and I smiled at her reassuringly when she looked over at me unsure at the lack of response from the others.
"The perfect life," The Doctor said, looking back at Charlotte. "Until the shadows came."
Charlotte reacted immediately with an anxious voice, and I imagined if she had a body, the little girl would have been curled up. "The shadows. I have to- I have to save … Have to save-"
"And she saved them. She saved everyone in the library. Folded them into her dreams and kept them safe."
Anita's voice was a stab to the heart, no emotions whatsoever. "Why didn't she tell you?"
"Because she's forgotten," The Doctor explained, "She's got over four thousand living minds chatting away inside her head. It must be like being, well, me."
"So what do we do?" River asked.
The alarm reminded us that we only had ten minutes, throwing everyone back into action. The Doctor pushed past the others, and I tried to subtly push Other Dave and Evangelista away from Anita.
The Doctor clapped his hands together. "All we have to do is get the people out of the data core. The computer will reset and stop the countdown. Easy."
"Not easy. Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer," I told him, shooting him a warning look.
He pretended not to see it. "Easy, I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can just borrow my memory space."
"Not easy. It'll kill you," I hissed.
"Eh, details."
River was quick to my defense, narrowing her eyes at him in disbelief. "You can't do this. It'll burn out both your hearts, and don't think you'll regenerate. You could die."
"Well I'll try my hardest not to. I mean, it is my main thing-"
"Doctor!"
"I'm right, this works," He said. River looked like she was going to protest, so the Doctor continued before she could. "Shut up. Now listen. You and the others, back up to the main library. Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download, and before you say anything else, Professor, shut up."
"Oh! I hate you sometimes."
"I know!"
"Anita, Chloe, stay with me."
I crossed my arms and stared at the Doctor as the others left, but he continued to pretend as if I didn't exist. Anita stepped closer to the computers where the Doctor was trying to concentrate.
"What about the Vashta Nerada?" She reminded, as if he could have forgotten.
The Doctor clenched his jaw. "These are their forests. I'm going to seal Charlotte inside her little world, take everybody else away. The shadows can swarm to their hearts' content."
"So you think they're just going to let us go?"
"It's better than the alternative."
Anita, or at least what was left of her, stepped closer, and it took everything in my body not to step in between her and the Doctor at the silent threat she made.
"You're going to make them an offer."
It wasn't a question.
The Doctor pulled away from the computer with a huff, staring her down with a deadly gaze. "And they'd better take it, because right now, I'm finding it very hard to make any kind of offer at all. You know what? I really liked Anita. She was brave, even when she was crying. And she never gave in. And you ate her." He pulled out his sonic to reveal the skeleton inside the suit. "But I'm going to let that pass, just as long as you let them pass."
"How long have you known?"
"I counted the shadows."
"She's almost gone," I pointed out to the blinking green light, uncrossing my arms and letting them drop heavily at my sides. "Be kind."
"These are our forests. We are not kind."
I shook my head. "That's really not your choice. You'll let them go."
"These are our forests," the swarm said, taking a stumbling step towards me as its shadow began to grow. "They are our meat."
"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I liked," The Doctor shot at them, causing the shadows to pause. "That is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."
As the swarm did as it was told, the Doctor looked over at me. I stared back at him with a glare. The shadows receded and the suit took a step backwards.
"You have one day."
And with that, the suit collapsed and we were finally alone. The Doctor finally stepped close enough that I could have touched him, but I didn't. I stepped back instead.
"Don't even think about it," I told him, feeling the anxiety rising in my chest. "You are not dying today."
"Chloe, I-"
"No! I'm not letting you say goodbye," I told him, pointing my finger at him. "Figure out another way."
"There is no other way," He insisted, wrapping his fingers around my wrist and pulling me closer.
The Doctor held my hand to his chest, looking down at me with such sad eyes that I couldn't think of anything to say, shaking my head. He leaned down in a desperate attempt to meet my gaze.
"If I don't make it," he started, and I pulled my hand away to hit him in the shoulder. "I need you to know-"
"Shut up you idiot," I hissed, turning my back to him in an attempt to get him to stop.
"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
I shook my head, pretending that I wasn't listening. I was desperately hoping River would come soon, because if she didn't, then I was going to have to do something really stupid.
Honestly, I blamed the Doctor. He was starting to wear off on me.
Thankfully, the thundering footsteps came just a little later than they should have, and River grimaced at the suit on the floor. "Oh, Anita."
The Doctor huffed, and I peeked over my shoulder.
"She was already dead," The Doctor said, looking over at River annoyed. "I thought I told you to leave."
"The others can handle it by themselves. I figured Chloe would need my help more."
The Doctor looked over at me in confusion. "Help with what?"
"This."
The Doctor went down pretty easily, all things considering, and I grimaced as his body hit the ground only a few feet away from Anita's. I couldn't seem to find it in my feet to move, even as River pulled him over to the wall so she could cuff him.
She turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not going to have to punch you too, am I?"
I shot her a look to let her know I wasn't amused. The alarms seemed to get louder, and I closed my eyes to avoid the flashing lights and the heartbreaking acceptance in River's eyes.
"River, you don't have to do this." I opened my eyes when she didn't answer to see her already working on the wiring. "Melody, please-"
River shook her head, turning around to me with a frown. "No. Don't do that. You're not going to change my mind. We both know what has to happen."
"We could change the future," I tried, and her face fell.
"Sweetie, the alternative is not a future you want to live in. Trust me. A future without the Doctor?"
I thought about what she had tried before, when she decided not to kill the Doctor at Lake Silencio, and the events that followed. River knew better than anyone that the Doctor couldn't die today, and I had never planned to argue with her about that. I had a different plan in mind.
I slipped one hand behind me. "I wasn't talking about the Doctor taking your place."
River blanked when I drew out her gun, pointing it not at her, but at the machinery behind her. She reached behind her to confirm that it was in fact hers, a mix of betrayal and hurt flashing through her face.
"Chloe, what are you doing?"
I took a deep breath to steel my nerves. "I'm sorry. But I can't let you do this."
Realizing what I was implying, River stepped in front of my gun in an attempt to protect the database that I had been aiming for. I moved my gun to the side. There was no way she could protect it completely, but when she tried to step forward, I yelled.
"Don't, or I'll shoot the mainframe."
"Chloe, you can't," She pleaded, a desperation on her face. "You'd kill all those people, including Donna. I have to do this."
I bit my lip, thinking about Rivers' future, all the adventures she'd gone through, and all the ones she could continue to live through if she didn't die here. River was more capable, more daring, and smarter than I could ever be.
This world needed her.
"Let me go in your place," I told her.
"What?"
"Let me save them in your place," I repeated, voice calm.
She shook her head. "It'll kill you!"
"You can let me do this, or you can let thousands of people die instead. But no matter what, I won't let you go through with this yourself. I can't watch you die."
With a heavy face, River reached behind her to grab something. I pointed my gun towards her at the movement, and she held out something to me. It was small and circular, bright blue wires crossing into an intricate design, surrounded by pale grey metal.
"Please don't do this," River said, her voice full of hurt.
The countdown was getting closer. I knew the Doctor would be waking up soon, and I wouldn't have much time after that. If she was trying to distract me, it wasn't going to work.
"I'm sorry," I told her, ready to pull the trigger.
River smiled sadly. "So am I."
Before I could react, she threw the device into the air. It flew towards my chest faster than I could see, like a magnet seeking out metal, and crashed into my chest hard enough that I stepped back. There was a faint click, and suddenly my world exploded in gold.
I didn't even have any time to process what was going on as the gun slipped from my fingers, barely registering Rivers' remorseful face as the floor slipped out under me. It felt like a million electrical currents ripping through my body, fire in my veins, the most painful thing I had ever felt before. I was frozen, unable to even scream.
It might have lasted only a few seconds, or maybe a few minutes, before the pain receded enough for the ringing in my ears to finally fade. The floor appeared once again under my feet, but my legs weren't strong enough to hold me up. Familiar faces blurred as I teetered forward, someone shouting out something I couldn't hear as I hit the floor, barely feeling the impact before I blacked out.
-0-0-
And the dark voice mourns
Over the sea.
Sister in my wild despair
Look, a precarious skiff is sinking
Under the stars,
The face of night whose voice is fading.
- Mourning by Georg Trakl