Pins and needles shot up Jay's wrists and arms, and she scowled at nothing in particular as she rested on her back in her bed. The book she'd been reading – one of Agatha Christie's, in her honor – was abandoned beside her. She'd been laying there in the quiet for a while now, listening to the soft music that she'd started when she'd first come in. A night of sleep had done wonders after the hike they'd taken through some beautiful mountains on a planet a million galaxies away from her home one, but…
She flexed her fingers, wincing. The odd numbness had crept up through her forearms and was edging towards her elbows, and it had just begun edging up her ankles, so she had some time, but…
It was aggravating. Each step felt weird, and she hated it.
Grumbling, Jay rocked to her feet, not bothering to put on shoes as she padded barefoot out of her room and down a hall. She paused at Donna's doorway, listening, but came up emptyhanded, so she shrugged to herself. Donna was probably in the wardrobe again; she spent quite a bit of time in there.
So, Jay continued on her way. She paused upon reaching the control room, cocking her head as she looked around. "Doctor?" she questioned aloud, and frowned when he didn't appear as he normally would have. He wasn't there either. Sighing heavily, Jay shrugged to herself and retreated back to her room to grab some shoes. They'd be out and about on some new adventure shortly, she was sure. They never stayed in the TARDIS for too long, although Jay would admit that a break every now and then would be kind of nice.
The Doctor was still nowhere to be found when Jay made it back to the control room, shoes in hand. She supposed it wasn't entirely unusual; he could be with Donna, doing something. Donna had recently been fascinated by the endless types of rooms in the TARDIS, and he'd spent some time showing her around.
Jay had just finished tying her shoes when the Doctor finally came nearly bouncing back into the control room. His eyes were wide with fascination, and Jay cocked a brow as she dropped her feet to the floor and leaned back in the captain's seat. "What has you so excited?" she demanded, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
The Doctor jumped, having not seen her. "Jay!" he yelped, and her smile grew.
"Well?" Jay prompted, gesturing to his hand. He carried what she thought might have been the psychic paper. "Where are we going and why are we going there? You only look like that when you've got a location in mind – one that's particularly important."
The Doctor spun around the console and flopped heavily onto the seat beside her, pushing the psychic paper into her hands. "A message," he reported as she studied it with care. The message was writing in a neat, handwritten scrawl.
The Library. Come as soon as you can. And bring Jay. X
"Hm," hummed Jay, wondering about the little 'x' that had been scribbled on the message. "The Library?"
"There's an entire planet dedicated to a library," he answered, taking the psychic paper back when she offered it. He tucked it into his pocket with an answering hum. "I promised Donna the beach, but I believe we'll be making a small detour."
"Small?" She elbowed him lightly and the Doctor frowned at her. "Come now, Doctor, when has any detour we've made been small?"
He couldn't keep the frown on his face; his smile returned, and he nudged her gently with his shoulder. "I do wonder who's sent the message," he said, waving the psychic paper thoughtfully in the air. "It has your name on it. They know us both."
"And no mention of Donna," Jay added. She shifted, crossing her legs at the ankle. She made a face. "This," she mumbled, "is highly suspicious, and I don't like that we're going into this as we are, but I guess we probably don't have much of a choice." She tapped a finger on her leg. "Wonder what's going on at this Library…do you want to go get Donna, or will I?" She paused. "Scratch that, you're doing it, spaceman," she declared, and he sputtered, not happy she was taking a page out of Donna's book for once. "Because you know what? I sure as hell don't want to be the one to break it to Donna Noble that we're no longer going to the beach."
"Books!" cried the Doctor aloud as he spun around the console, landing the TARDIS in what Jay presumed to be the previously mentioned Library. Donna still looked a little annoyed by the detour that the Doctor had decided they'd be making. In fact, she looked downright angry at some points. He flipped a final lever and the TARDIS settled, singing softly in Jay's head. Jay paused, considering if she should or shouldn't fetch her necklace, but decided against it.
Besides, she wanted to see if she could use such things to her advantage just once.
"People never really stop loving books," continued the Doctor, swinging around to grab his long trench coat, fixing the collar with ease. He headed for the door, pausing only to wait for Jay and Donna, and then stepped out into a massive hall. Light streamed in softly from high windows and skylights, and Jay noticed immediately that dust was thick in the air – and that there was no one else about. Suspicious, she said nothing, only glanced at Donna when she spoke.
"Did you put him up to this?" hissed Donna in her ear, leaning in. "Did you ask him to take us to a library?"
"Nope," reassured Jay hastily, not wanting to be the one who was subjected to a famous Donna Noble lecture about taking back promises about vacation spots. "But I'm sure we'll find you a nice, big beach after we're done here."
"Fifty-first century," the Doctor said as if they'd not been chatting, striding swiftly across the empty room. They scampered after him. Jay pushed her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, grateful she'd brought it. "But now you've got holovids, direct-to-brain downloads, fiction mist. But you need the smell – the smell of books. Deep breath, Donna," he added over his shoulder, flinging open a door that looked as if it would take them outside.
Donna made a big show of inhaling deeply as they stepped outside and descended a small series of steps. The balcony was large, overlooking a massive space that contained endless books. Jay gasped softly in awe at the sight of it all, taking in the big moon that hovered in the sky above them as well. Even Donna lost her agitation and looked around in awe, her eyes round as she noted tracks for a train of some kind.
The Doctor flashed them a wild grin, gesturing to the world before them. "The Library, so big it doesn't need a name – just a big 'the.'"
"It's like a city!" Donna cried, leaning on the balcony to look down. Jay eyed the drop for a mere instant before taking a healthy step back, focusing on what the Doctor was saying instead of letting herself think about the massive heights.
"It's a world," he explained, "literally a world. The whole core of the planet is the index computer – the biggest hard drive ever, and up here, every book ever written. Brand new editions were specially printed, just for this planet. We're near the equator, so that must mean…" He paused, licking a finger and sticking it in the air as if he were testing the wind's direction. Jay rolled her eyes, not sure what that would get him. "Biographies!" he shouted, making them jump. "I love biographies." He flashed Jay a big, bright grin that made her shake her head. He was so damn happy about this world.
Maybe they ought to find more places like this every once and a while – places entirely for him. Jay made the decision then and there to do so, regardless of what Donna thought.
"Yeah, very you," Donna told him. "Always a death at the end."
"You need a good death," he retorted. "Without death there'd only be comedies. Dying gives us size – oi!" he cried when she tried to pick up a book and peek into it. "Spoilers!" The Doctor snatched it away from her, and Donna blinked at him in confusion as he tossed it gently onto the balcony. "These books are from your future – both of your futures. You don't want to read ahead and spoil the surprises. It's like…like peeking at the end."
Donna frowned at him. "Isn't travelling with you one big spoiler?"
"I try to keep you away from the major plot developments…which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at, 'cause you know what? This is the biggest library in the universe." The Doctor turned, and Jay easily kept close, leaving Donna to catch up with them. "So where is everyone? It's silent. Never good, silence."
"The whole planet?" Jay questioned, watching as he pulled his sonic screwdriver out to scan for something. He found what he wanted, apparently, and swiftly turned in that direction.
"The whole planet. And it's not a Sunday, because I never land on a Sunday," the Doctor said in all seriousness, and when Jay glanced back to check on Donna, she saw it click in the red-haired woman's head.
She stopped dead to glare at him impatiently. "Okay, Doctor, why are we here? Really? Because seriously, it was 'Oh! Let's hit the beach!' and then suddenly we're in a library. Why?"
Jay gawked at him. "You didn't tell her?" she gasped. She watched as the sonic screwdriver buzzed again, the Doctor slowly spinning in place with it in his hands. "And what are you scanning for? There's nothing here."
"I was getting to it!" The Doctor grimaced. "And I'm scanning for lifeforms. If I do a scan for your basic humanoids – you know, your book readers that are a few limbs and a face apart from us, I get nothing. Zippo. Nada. See?" He offered Jay the sonic screwdriver as if she'd be able to understand the scans he'd taken. She frowned, and then squawked when he spotted a computer-like kiosk and grabbed her arm, steering her over to it. Donna peered over their shoulders as he typed away furiously. "Even now, nothing. But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life…" The number on the screen displaying life signs shot up until it read 'error.' "A million more than a million. It gives up after that."
"But…there's nothing here," Donna whispered, somewhat wary now.
"And not a sound. A million, million lifeforms and silence in the Library," muttered Jay.
Donna huffed softly, scowling. "But there's no one here," she pointed out, waving to the empty library around them. "There's…there's just books. I mean, it's not the books, is it? It can't be the books. I mean, books can't be alive."
The Doctor and Donna eyed a book nearby for a good long moment, and Jay rolled her eyes before snapping her head around when she heard a voice call a soft welcome. She immediately took off at a jog, ignoring the Doctor's call of her name. She stopped the next room over when she came across an odd-looking device that spun around to face her, bearing a human woman's face upon it. Jay jolted back, unnerved and horrified, and ran right into the Doctor and Donna. The Doctor took hold of her shoulders and moved her aside without looking away from the device, absolutely fascinated by what he was seeing.
"I am Courtesy Node Seven-ten-slash-aqua," the face told them, voice somewhat mechanical yet not at the same time as it offered a smile. "Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of your fellow readers regardless of species or hygiene."
"That face," whispered Donna, eyeing the face anxiously. "It looks real."
"Yeah, don't worry about it." The Doctor peered at it curiously, and something about the brief flicker of something on his face told Jay there was something else going on regarding the face.
"Additional," the informational device continued. "There follows a brief message from the Head Librarian for urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by the Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows: 'Run. For God's sake, run. Nowhere is safe. The Library has sealed itself. We can't – oh, they're here.' Message ends. Please switch off your mobile communication units for the comfort of other readers."
Donna and Jay slowly looked to one another, horrified by what they'd heard. Swallowing thickly and rubbing the back of her neck, Jay said slowly, "So that's why we're here?"
"Probably…any other messages, same date stamp?" The Doctor inclined his head in thought.
"One additional message as follows: 'Count the shadows. For God's sake, remember – if you want to live, count the shadows.' Message ends."
The Doctor swept his gaze around them at the echoing, empty room. "Donna…Jay…" he said quietly, slowly turning and walking for the nearest door. They hurried after him. "Stay out of the shadows."
"Why? What's in the shadows?" whispered Donna nervously.
The Doctor didn't answer as they entered another room. Jay couldn't help but admire the massive bookshelves that stretched up to the ceiling, far above their heads. She'd loved the books she'd been able to read since coming aboard the TARDIS, and to see such a gorgeous library, even ridden with danger…libraries like this didn't exist in her time.
It was absolutely fantastic.
"So…" said Donna as they walked down a corridor, keeping closer to the Doctor while simultaneously looking over her shoulder to ensure Jay was right behind them. "We weren't just in the neighborhood."
"Yeah, I kind of…sort of lied a bit. I got a message on the psychic paper." He passed the message over to Donna so she could read it, and when he looked back at Jay to check on her himself, she frowned playfully at him, giving him a stern look. He really ought to have told Donna before they'd gotten here, that look said. He flashed her a playful grin in response, eyes glimmering with mischief. "What do you think, Donna? Cry for help?"
"Cry for help…with a kiss," teased Donna, eyeing the message. The Doctor snatched it back, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Doctor, who's it from?"
"No idea," he answered.
Jay stilled as something odd pinged off the back of her head. She stopped, her breath quickening into soft, nervous gasps. Her heart began racing in her chest as slowly – ever so slowly – she looked back over her shoulder.
One by one, the lights were switching off down the long corridor they'd walked through.
"Doctor," she said, voice cracking in fear. "Doctor!"
He snapped his head around, eyes rounding with alarm when he saw what she did. "Run!" he shouted, shoving Donna forward, and she took off at a sprint down the corridor. The Doctor and Jay chased after her. The lights continued to shut off, one right after the other, as they ran and when they reached the end of the corridor, they all but slammed into a massive wooden door that, when tried, was locked. "Jammed," he huffed, shoving his shoulder against it as hard as he could. "The wood's warped!"
"Well, sonic it!" shouted Donna, pushing at the door herself. Jay spun around to stare in terror at the lights shutting off, creeping closer and closer.
"I can't, it's wood!" he shouted back.
"What, and it doesn't do wood?!" Donna rolled her eyes, furious and frustrated with the Time Lord. Jay snorted at the look on his face when she ordered him to get out of the way. He still moved back, eyeing the situation behind them with Jay as she reeled back. Jay's mouth dropped when Donna managed to quite suddenly kick in the door.
"Um," she muttered, then yelped when the Doctor hastily rushed her through the door. Donna slammed the doors shut and Jay blinked as she held the doors shut while the Doctor flew over to a stack of books and began searching for one that would fit through the door handles. Shaking her head, Jay left them to do that, looking around the new room they found themselves in warily.
They were now in a large, circular room complete with desks and informational kiosks. Books were stacked in various places, and high above their heads, there was a massive skylight, showing that beautiful big moon that seemed to watch over them. She swallowed thickly when she noticed shadows here and there, careful to avoid them as she meandered forward – only to stop dead just as the Doctor gave a cry of triumph upon finding the perfect book.
A small, metal sphere hovered at eye level before her. Her body reacted before her mind did. Toclafane, her mind supplied as she screamed, reeling away from it and nearly tripping backwards in the process. The Doctor and Donna whipped around, ready to rush to her defense, but paused when the sphere hit the ground heavily as if it had switched off.
Her breath came in quick, short gasps, pins and needles racing up her limbs as she stared at the sphere with wide, frantic eyes. "Doctor," she choked out, and he ran over to investigate, scooping it up gently.
The Doctor flipped it over in his hands as he walked over to stand beside her. Donna peered over their shoulders even as she wound an arm comfortingly around Jay, comforting her despite not knowing what had scared her so much about a metal sphere. The Doctor gave Jay a gentle smile as he showed it to her. "Security camera," he said quietly, "not a Toclafane, Jay." He offered it to her, and she hesitantly ran her fingers over the metal. "It switched itself off."
"Toclafane?" questioned Donna. She tightened her arm around Jay, frowning. "What's a…a Toclafane?"
"Long story," Jay said shakily. "That I won't talk about right now, Donna."
Donna nodded slowly in understanding. The Doctor knelt, setting the sphere on the floor and withdrawing his sonic screwdriver from his pocket once more. "Nice door skills, Donna," the Doctor said as he pressed the button, letting it buzz quietly against the device.
Donna grinned. "Well, you know, boyfriends. Sometimes you need the element of surprise. What was that?" she added, glancing back at the doors. "What was after us? I mean, did we just run away from a power cut?" The Doctor shrugged, still working on the security camera. Donna tipped her head back, studying the skylight high above. "Are we safe here?"
"Of course we're safe," retorted the Doctor. "There's a little shop, just over there." He pointed, and then beamed when a flap suddenly sprung free on the camera. "Gotcha!" he said as Jay reluctantly knelt beside him, studying it with interest as words scrawled across the camera in the piece that had opened. No, stop it, read the camera. The Doctor was shocked. He hastily put his sonic screwdriver away, grimacing in horror at himself. "Oh, I'm sorry," he murmured as Jay's face went white. "I'm sorry, so sorry. It's alive."
"Doctor," said Jay in a strangled voice, her fingers snagging his arm and squeezing pointedly. "You're sure? Positive it's not a Toclafane?"
"Absolutely positive." He patted her hand and then straightened to his feet. "A living security camera…" He looked curiously around the room they were in, puzzled. "Huh," he muttered, eyeing the shadows. What had scared people so badly about this planet? What trouble had happened here?
"'The Library is breached. Others are coming,'" read Jay aloud suddenly, startled by what the security camera was saying. She glanced up in time to see the Doctor whip back around, staring at her in surprise.
"What does it mean? 'Others?'" Donna looked frightened by what was happening; Jay couldn't blame her. She was rather scared of the whole Library business herself. "Excuse me," Donna said as she turned to the nearest informational device, much like the one with the woman's face. A man's face was on this one as it slowly began turning towards her. "What does it mean 'others?'"
"That's barely more than a Speak-Your-Weight machine. It can't help you," the Doctor warned.
"So why's it got a face?"
"This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death," answered the informational device, and Jay stared at it without surprise. She'd known it would likely be unpleasant, but to hear about someone donating their face! Donna looked at her in horror, and the device continued, "It has been actualized individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks. Please enjoy."
"Alright, that's kind of…odd," muttered Jay, admittedly disgusted as Donna went into a rant about the fact that it had chosen her a face it had thought she'd like. She frowned, scanning the room – and stopped on something she found to be particularly important. Donna stumbled back, horrified, but Jay grabbed her. "Nope!" she gasped, eyes wide as Donna froze, confused.
"Jay?" questioned the Doctor, and Jay only stared at the floor in wary fear. She pointed and his eyes flew wide. "Oh." Donna glared at him until he echoed, "'Count the shadows.' Look. The shadow. One there, but what's casting it?" His head tipped back, and he studied the sky glass, which held nothing that could have possibly cast a shadow of that size.
"Oh!" the Doctor suddenly shouted, making them both jump. Jay glanced at him and Donna merely glowered, not pleased for the sudden fright. "Look at me," he cried, frustrated with himself. He smacked his own head a few times. "I'm old and thick! Head's too full of stuff! I need a bigger head."
"You need a bit of a smaller one sometimes, if you ask me," muttered Jay and he sputtered, insulted. She nervously eyed a light nearby that began to suddenly flicker and dim.
"This place runs on fission cells," the Doctor continued as if she'd not spoken, rolling his eyes and giving Jay a warning point of the finger. "They'll out burn the sun."
"Then why is it dark?" Donna put her hands on her hips, impatient.
"It's not dark," he said grimly. His eyes were locked on the shadow – or where the shadow had been, for now…it was gone. Jay, having watched it move away, stared at the spot in terror. She reached for the Doctor's arm, her fingers digging in until he shook it off and gently took her hand instead. Her chest rose and fell in quick movements, fear creeping through her. "We need to get back to the TARDIS," he decided. He squeezed her hand, wincing as the informational device with the face upon it continued to echo the phrase "Others are coming." "Jay, come on–"
A loud blast had the Doctor sweeping her behind him, whirling around to face the noise. Jay reached out and dragged Donna with her, eyes round with shock as a bright light flooded a doorway that had been blocked opposite of the one they'd come in through. Jay clung to the Doctor's hand nervously as a bunch of various figures entered the room. The Doctor's expression darkened when one, clad in the same space-like suit as the rest of them, immediately approached him, coming to a stop right in front of them.
Jay flinched when the figure reached a glove-clad hand up and flipped a switch on the helmet they wore, revealing a face within. A woman's face, with sparkling, secretive eyes and a smug little smirk that made Jay suspicious. "Hello, sweetie," she nearly purred, and Jay frowned at her. Her gaze shifted, lighting at the sight of Jay behind her. "And hello, Jay."
The Doctor stared blankly at her. "Get out," was all he said before he turned and walked away, dragging Jay with him. Donna stared after them, and Jay craned her head to peer curiously at the woman who only smiled faintly after them. "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."
"Pop your helmets, everyone," the woman who'd greeted them called to the others. "We got breathers." She removed her own helmet with ease, revealing a woman who could have been any age with bouncy, curly hair that seemed to fly every which way.
"How do you know they're not androids?" one woman called, her voice distorted by her helmet.
"I've dated androids," the first woman told her. "They're rubbish."
Another man, who removed his helmet and revealed himself to be a middle-aged man with little to no hair on top of his head, frowned at her. "Who is this? You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."
"I lied – I'm always lying. Bound to be others."
Jay stared at the woman with fascination. She liked her, whoever she was. She had attitude, didn't seemed fazed by anything around her, and was looking at the Doctor with enough patient amusement to tell Jay that she'd met him before – even if they'd not met her. She knew the Doctor, and Jay at that, too. Jay wondered how they'd met previously, and if they'd meet again.
"Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts," the man said sharply to a very pretty, brunette woman. Her eyes were full of innocence that made Jay want to wrap her up in a tight hug and reassure her. She seemed frightened, admittedly, and lost, but was clearly trying her damn hardest to do as she was told. As she held papers out to the man, the curly-haired woman who knew them spoke again.
"Jay," she said, addressing Jay, and the young blonde ripped free of the Doctor's tight grasp. He'd donned his glasses and was frowning at a kiosk. Jay made her way over to Donna, linked arms with her, and cocked her head at the woman when she looked at her with a friendly smile. "You came through the north door, yeah? How was that? Much damage?"
"Um, not really except for the…the lights, I suppose," Jay said, glancing at Donna.
"Please," the Doctor snapped over his shoulder, giving up on the kiosk in favor of rejoining Donna and Jay. He didn't want to leave them alone with these people for too long, lest they disappear on him. "I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave – hang on, did you say expedition?"
"My expedition," the man informed him. "I funded it."
The Doctor groaned. "Oh, you're not, are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists."
The woman smiled at him like a happy shark. "Got a problem with archaeologists?"
"I'm a time traveler. I point and laugh at archaeologists."
That smile grew all the wider. "Ah. Professor River Song," she said by way of introduction. "Archaeologist." She gestured to the others that were present in the room, introducing them all. "That's Anita," she said, indicating a woman with cropped, curly black hair and a severe, stern expression. "And that's Evangelista, and Lux. Beside them are-"
"River Song," said the Doctor, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake, annoyed. "Lovely name. As you're leaving, and you're leaving now, you need to send 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. Stop right there!" he suddenly bellowed when Anita began wandering into the shadows of the room. He bolted towards her, dragging her back into the light that came in from the skylight.
"Stay out of the shadows," the Doctor said darkly. "Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows until you're safely back on your ship. Goes for all of you – you, too, Jay, Donna. Stay in the light! Find a nice bright spot and just…just stand." He whirled around, studying each and every one of them, committing their faces to memory. "If you understand, look very scared." No one looked very scared at all, although Jay admitted her heart was racing in her chest, true fear creeping through her veins. Because she knew for a fact they were in danger here. "Okay, who are you?" he turned on one of the two unnamed men in the room.
"Uh, Dave. Well, Other Dave, because that's Proper Dave, the pilot. He was the first Dave, so when we–"
Jay slowly moved to stand beside River, fascinated as the Doctor pointed to the now dark hall they'd come from. "Other Dave, the way you came, does it look the same as before?"
"Yeah," he said slowly, peering down the hallway. "I mean, it's a bit darker…"
"How much darker? Seal that door."
"Freaking people out isn't going to do us much good, Doctor," said Jay with a frown, and Donna huffed her agreement, unnerved herself. "We need to be able to focus and you're making that a lot harder."
Evangelista suddenly pushed a series of papers into Jay's and Donna's faces, explaining, "I'm Mr. Lux's personal…well, everything. You need to sign these contracts, agreeing that your individual experiences inside the Library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."
Jay stared at her blankly for a few moments and then took one to skim it over. Donna scowled, taking one for herself – and shredded it into two pieces. The Doctor beamed at her and did the same when he was handed one. Jay, on the other hand, cocked her head, folded the paper, and tucked it her pocket, figuring she'd not necessarily sign it but would keep it just in case.
"My family built this library," barked Lux. "I have rights–"
"You have a mouth that won't stop," River retorted. "You think there's danger here, Doctor?"
"Something came to this library and killed everything in it. Killed a whole world. Danger?" He snorted. "Could be."
River's eyes sharpened and she slowly scanned the darkness around them with keen interest that Jay rather thought matched the interest of the Doctor. "That was one hundred years ago. The Library's silent for one hundred years. Whatever came here is long dead."
Jay sighed at the pair. They were bickering like an old married couple, she thought irritably. She looked over her shoulder when a soft whirring sound caught her attention. Other Dave was busy as could be, doing what the Doctor said: sealing the door. She flashed him an approving smile. Good. At least there'd be some safety.
"Torch," the Doctor suddenly demanded, holding a hand out to no one in particular. Proper Dave shrugged and handed his to the Doctor, and the Doctor edged carefully towards the edge of the light. Deciding it would be safer with him, Donna let go of Jay to follow. Jay, however, stayed close to River, fascinated by this woman who seemed to hold so many secrets, yet knew everything at the same time.
She was watching the Doctor intently as he spoke aloud, not caring who did or didn't hear him. "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 softly, frightened by the clear warning behind his words.
"It's what's in the dark, what's always in the dark. Lights!" he shouted over his shoulder at the others as he rose back to his feet. "That's what we need – lights! Ya got lights? Form a circle, safe area, big as you can with lights pointing out."
"You should really do what he says," Jay told Anita when she scoffed in disbelief, and Anita eyed her suspiciously. "He's quite insistent."
"Right," River muttered, whirling on her expedition group. "Do as he says!"
"Jay, hold this," the Doctor said as he swept past, passing her the trench coat he'd shed. Jay shrugged it on, wanting her hands free, and moved her hair out of the collar as she watched him drop to the floor, pressing his cheek to it in order to study the darkness and watch the shadows.
River strode for the nearest desk she could find, calling to those present, "Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, continue ensuring that door is secure, and then help Anita. Mr. Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an archive terminal. I want you to access the Library database, see what you can find about what happened one hundred years ago. Pretty Boy, Jay, you're with me. Step into my office."
Jay nodded, following her and watching her with wide, curious eyes as River began digging through her bag. "Why is Lux the only one with a helmet on?" she asked River.
River flashed her a wicked grin. "I don't fancy him," she answered, and Jay found herself smiling back.
She quite liked River Song.
When the Doctor didn't move quick enough, River shouted sharply, "Pretty Boy! With me, I said!"
"Oh, I'm Pretty Boy?" Jay heard the Doctor ask Donna, who snorted loudly at him and shooed him away from her. The Doctor walked briskly over, frowning at Jay, and she shrugged, not sure what he expected her and Donna to be doing at the moment. "Don't let your shadows cross," he told them all as he joined River and Jay. "Don't even let them touch! Any of them could be infected."
"Doctor," Jay said softly, tapping his arm, and he glanced at her. "I think they get it." Her eyes twinkled as he pouted just briefly before turning his attention onto River. She'd begun to unpack her bag just full of things, her eyes glowing as she withdrew a small, blue diary that reminded Jay of the TARDIS. Jay peered at it, wondering what it was.
"Thanks," River said suddenly, and they stared at her in confusion. "For coming when I call, like usual."
"That was you?" Jay demanded. "The psychic paper was you?" She'd given him a little kiss on that paper. What kind of relationship did this woman have with the Doctor?
River paused in thumbing through the diary to glance at them before going back to skimming it. "You two are doing quite a good job, acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason."
Jay exchanged a confused look with the Doctor. He ruffled a hand through his dark hair before glancing around, eyeing the others around them. "A fairly good one, actually," was his answer.
"Okay, let's do diaries then, shall we, Jay? He's always so rubbish at keeping track of things…where are we this time? Going by his face, I'd say it's early days for you two, yeah? Crash of the Byzantium, have we done that just yet?" They stared at her, the Doctor not impressed, and Jay simply confused. "Obviously not ringing any bells. Um…picnic on Asgard? Have we done Asgard yet?"
"Not sure where that is, but sounds fun," said Jay, having just recently read a book containing such mythological places.
River stared at her for a long moment. "Blimey, very early days, then," she muttered, puzzled. "Life with a time traveler – never knew it'd be such hard work. Um…" She paused then, suddenly staring at him intently. Donna slowly came to stand beside Jay, and Jay shook her head when Donna looked at her for an explanation. "Oh, look at you. You're young."
"I'm…really not, you know," he muttered back, narrowing his eyes.
"No, but you are." She looked at him in awe now. "Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever seen you…and Jay," she whispered, rounding on her. The Doctor bristled when she suddenly cupped Jay's face between her hands, clicking her tongue softly. "Look at you. Oh, look at you…still so…you…"
Unnerved, Jay looked to the Doctor for help, lips pressed together. "You've…seen us before?"
"Doctor, please tell me you know who I am," begged River with a choked voice, not moving. She even swept her thumb fondly over Jay's cheek, studying her oh, so gently. "Please."
Her expression broke with so much grief when the Doctor questioned who she was that Jay found herself wrapping her arms around River, pressing her face into her shoulder. "I'm sorry," mumbled Jay, though she couldn't say she knew why. River hugged her back, tightly, and then pulled back when there was a rather loud ringing sound.
"Sorry, that was me. I'm trying to get through into security protocols." He pointed to another kiosk he'd been working on. "I seem to have set something off…an alarm of some kind?"
"Doctor," said Donna softly, her eyes rounded with shock. "That sounds like a phone."
The Doctor muttered his agreement and swiftly set off across the room. Donna trotted after him, and Jay and River followed a moment later. River threw Jay a small, grateful look that Jay smiled softly in response to. Proper Dave stepped aside for the Doctor, explaining, "I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding. Just that noise."
"Let me try something," the Doctor murmured, typing away. He frowned when the sound stopped, but the screen before him read "access denied." "Hm," he murmured, "okay, doesn't like that. Let's try something else…okay, here it comes!" Static flickered over the screen before it was replaced by what looked like a living room. There, within the brightly colored room, was a girl. She was cute, with long brown hair and wide brown eyes that stared at him in shock. "Hello," said the Doctor in surprise.
"Hello," she answered in a small, nervous voice. "Are you in my television?"
"Well, no I'm…I'm sort of in space. Um, I was trying to call up the data core triple-grid security processor."
"Would you like to speak to my dad?"
Jay rolled her eyes and leaned in to tell the girl, "Or your mother. That'd be perfect."
The girl nodded, opening her mouth to shout for her father. She paused, faltering, however, and then sputtered at the sight of them. "I know you; you were in my library!" she declared, and they stared at her in surprise. "The Library's never been on television before…what have you done?"
"Um, well," stammered the Doctor, flustered, "I just rerouted the interface–" He swore under his breath when the kiosk lost the connection. River demanded to know who the girl had been as the screen read "access denied." It really didn't seem to apparently like him. "Keep working on those lights," he suddenly declared to those in the center of the room who were working on just that. He flew away from the kiosk, heading for another computer that resided on a desk. "We need lights!"
Donna watched as River calmly trekked after him, interested, and Jay sighed heavily as she shoved her hands into the pockets of the Doctor's jacket, not bothering to follow. She couldn't help at all, so she might as well wait. She supposed he was lightly doing what he'd been doing before, trying to access the data core.
She jumped, however, when books began flying off the shelves in every which direction. The Doctor, having been eyeing River's filled diary with fascination, jerked upright and looked around. Jay glared at him, and when he saw her look, he cried, "I didn't do it!"
"Not me either," shouted Proper Dave over the commotion.
The Doctor frowned at the screen before him, studying it closely. "What's 'CAL?'" he suddenly called to no one in particular, though no one provided an answer.
Donna suddenly tugged on Jay's arm, pointing when Jay glanced at her. Jay followed her gaze and found Evangelista standing there with a scared look on her pretty face, her fingers curled into fists at her side. Not liking the distress on her face, Donna reached out and caught her shoulder gently. "Excuse me, but are you alright?"
"What's that?" whimpered the dark-haired woman. Her voice became a cry. "What's happening?!"
Jay exchanged a sympathetic look with her friend. Donna drew her in for a hug, patting her back comfortingly. "Thanks for offering to help with the lights," Donna said softly, pulling back with a kind smile.
"They don't want me," sniffled the young woman. "They think I'm stupid because I'm pretty."
"Oh, I doubt that," Jay began, but Evangelista shook her head and mumbled, "No, they're right though. I'm a moron, me. My dad said I had the IQ of a plankton, and I was pleased." Donna and Jay both winced, not sure of how to respond to that.
"What's causing that – is it the little girl?" suggested River, looking around at the flying books.
"But who is the little girl? What's she got to do with this place?" the Doctor ranted rapidly, fingers flying desperately over the keyboard. "How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's CAL?"
"First of all, Doctor," Jay said, seeing Lux already opening his mouth. She wrapped the trench coat she wore tighter around her, frowning at him as she walked over to stand beside him. Donna faltered, wanting to join her, but decided against it, entirely focused on the conversation taking place "You're rambling and ranting when none of us know the answers to what we're seeing, hearing, the likes. And second of all, we signed no contracts, as I'm sure Mr. Lux is about to point out. Which means he's not going to tell us anything, no matter how much we need to know." She threw Lux a dirty look.
The Doctor whirled around to face the man, frowning angrily at him. "Mr. Lux," he said as Jay gripped his wrist to keep him from storming over and making things with Lux worse, "I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important."
"Then why didn't you sign his contract?" River chided in from where she was watching, eyes glowing with laughter. Jay stifled a laugh herself, and the Doctor huffed at her in warning, looking at her with betrayal in his eyes. She merely arched a brow. River had a point. "Mind you, I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you."
Grumbling at Jay and River, the Doctor ignored that comment and ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. "Okay, let's start it again. What happened here? On the actual day, one hundred years ago, what physically happened?"
River shifted her weight and tapped a finger on her thigh. "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 one hundred years."
"It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back here." Lux's eyes flashed.
"There was one other thing in the last message," added River, but Lux silenced her with a glower and informed her that it was confidential. She scowled at him in return. "I trust this man with my life…with everything."
"You've only just met him!" Lux snapped.
River stared him down fearlessly. "No, he's only just met me. Doctor, look at this." She turned to the kiosk she'd been hovering near, typing into it. He shifted to stand beside her, peering over her shoulder. "This is a data extract that came with the message."
"'Four-thousand-twenty-two saved. No survivors.'" The Doctor frowned as Jay read the words aloud, reading from the screen. He'd not seen her come over with them – hadn't noticed how River had made room for her with a warm look, as if she cared for her more than they knew. Interesting. He wished he knew everything there was to know about River Song; she was quickly becoming an enigma he was unable to puzzle out.
"Four-thousand-twenty-two," River said softly. "That's the exact number of people who were in the library when the planet was sealed."
Look. Jay stiffened at the voice in the back of her head making another appearance, her fingers darting out. "Doctor," she breathed, grabbing his sleeve and tugging desperately. He glanced at her, but gave her none of his attention, too focused on the mystery before him. She scowled and looked around as she'd been instructed. She frowned at an open panel that had opened in the wall nearby. "Doctor," she tried again.
"Hold on," he muttered, frowning as Donna asked, "But…how can four-thousand-twenty-two people be saved if there were no survivors?"
"That's why we're here," River said. "And so far we've not found any bodies."
"Honestly," grumbled Jay, glaring at the Doctor. Idiot. She scanned the area until she found what she was looking for: a flashlight. She plucked it off the ground where someone had set it, making sure it worked. The flight flicked on and off at her command. Good, she thought to herself. She checked over her shoulder one more time, calling, "Doctor." But when he chose to ignore her, she shrugged.
If anything happened…she'd blame him. Go, the voice was whispering. Look, go look. Now. Quickly.
Jay grumbled. She wondered if she could get something to silence the voice. It was almost more annoying than the occasional, random sounds that came from the rest of the world, with its hissing and intensity. Still, she knew better than to ignore it, and started for the panel that had opened. She wanted to demand answers, wanted to know why that voice demanded she go there.
She followed it until she stepped into a room, her gaze wandering warily as she shone her flashlight around, ensuring she didn't touch any shadows lest her own become infected. It looked as if she'd entered a lecture room of some kind, empty and ridden with dust of all kind. Her brow furrowed. But why had the voice wanted her to come–
Her flashlight's light fell upon a chair in the center of the room. Her breath hitched when she recognized the suit as one of those who'd come with River.
Look, whispered the voice again.
Jay's gaze guttered with terror when something moved in the corner of her eye. She whipped around with a piercing scream, shining the flashlight at it, and stared at the empty space behind her. She hastily checked her shadow, ensuring it remained untouched in what little light emanated from the windows. Safe. And singular.
"Jay!" She heard the shout of her name and nearly whimpered in relief when the Doctor came barreling into the room mere moments later, River, Donna, and the other members of the expedition group hot on his heels. The Doctor sprinted over to her, flashlight shining this way and that as he skidded to a halt. "Jay, what's…"
He trailed off when she shone her flashlight at the skeleton. "It's Evangelista," she said, voice cracking. "She's dead."
The Doctor stared at the skeleton for a moment and then turned an angry look on her. She flinched. She knew the rage came from fear, but she hastily said anyways, "The voice told me to go look, so I did." She weakly slapped his arm, annoyed. "That's what I was trying to tell you."
"But you're okay?" demanded Donna as she elbowed the shocked Time Lord aside. "You're okay?"
"Fine," reassured Jay with a faint smile. She turned to look at the skeleton – the only thing that was left of Evangelista. Grief splintered through her. She'd seen the girl less than ten minutes ago, scared and upset about being considered useless by her companions. Jay felt tears rise in her eyes at the thought of her. The poor girl.
"The voice?" said the Doctor under his breath, still angry with her but not looking nearly as angry as he had a few moments beforehand. "You heard it?"
Jay nodded. "It told me to go look," she repeated, searching his gaze.
"Hello?"
River winced, stepping up to gently touch the skeleton. With care, she moved the collar of the spacesuit so they could see the flickering green lights that remained on her communication unit. "I'm sorry, everyone," said River softly. "This isn't going to be pleasant. She's ghosting."
"She's what?" Donna whispered, and River gave her a gentle look when Evangelista spoke again, sounding as if she was trying to get someone's attention. "That's – that's her, that's Miss Evangelista."
"I don't wanna sound horrible, but couldn't we just…you know–"
River cut Proper Dave off immediately, without hesitation and sharply. "This is her last moment…no, we can't. A little respect, thank you." Proper Dave winced and offered a small apology, looking down guiltily. "It's a data ghost. She'll be gone in a moment."
"Sorry, where am I? Excuse me."
"But…but that's her," whispered Jay, looking to River in confusion. "That's Evangelista."
River gave her a sympathetic look, and the Doctor quietly slid his hand into Jay's, offering it a comforting squeeze. "There's a neural relay in the communicator…let's 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 after-image."
Jay swallowed the lump in her throat and leaned into the Doctor's side as Donna choked out, "She's in there?"
"I can't see. I can't…where am I?
"She's just brainwaves now. The pattern won't hold for long," Proper Dave told Donna.
"She's conscious," spat Donna. "She's thinking!"
"She's a footprint on the beach and the tide's coming in," murmured the Doctor, and Jay averted her gaze from Evangelista's skeleton.
"Where's those women? The nice women…are they there?" Lux looked around in confusion, and Donna faltered, but stepped forward. She paused to look at Jay, but Jay was looking at her feet, her arm wound through the Doctor's as if she was terrified of something – or blaming herself for the woman's death. So, Donna took it upon herself to step forward. She'd comfort the girl where Jay couldn't.
"Yes," River said into the communication device, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Hang on." She gestured Donna over, and pressed a button. "Go on, she can hear you now."
"Hello, are you there? Is that one of the nice women?"
Donna faltered, uncertain, but pressed forward with determination. "Yeah," she said softly. "Hello. I'm here. You okay?"
"What I said before, about being stupid. Don't tell the others. They'll only laugh."
"Don't worry," reassured Donna as the other expedition members looked among one another with guilt. "I won't. 'Course I won't tell them."
"Don't tell the others. They'll only laugh."
"I'm not going to tell them. I said I wouldn't–"
Tears rolled down Jay's cheeks as she stared hard at her feet, listening to River murmur, "She's looping now. The pattern's degrading."
"I can't think. I…don't know…I…I…Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream–"
"Stop it," Jay whispered, her voice cracking again. "Please. Make it stop, River."
River said nothing, stepping forward. She gently turned off the neural relay and went to comfort Donna as the Doctor reassured Jay as best as he could. A worried glint appeared in his eyes. She'd been having a particularly hard time with such things lately. Maybe it was time to find somewhere else for her – with Martha, or Jack–
Her head snapped up, eyes blazing with vicious fury that had even him reeling back a little. "Whatever did that…whatever killed her…we need to stop it. Now. No one else should have to die like that, Doctor."
He pressed a fond kiss to her head, proud, and then whirled away, storming back towards the room they'd been in before they'd gone to witness Evangelista's demise. Jay trotted behind him, the others following suit. Donna quickly caught up with Jay, walking close enough that she brushed her shoulder against hers.
"I'll introduce you," called the Doctor as he bolted into the room, flashlight darting around as he sought out something. "I'm going to need a packed lunch." River told him to hang on and ran to fetch hers for him. When she had, she came back and they kneeled together at the edge of the circle of light coming in from the skylight above.
Jay and Donna watched from nearby, eavesdropping as he asked quietly, "What's in that book?"
"Spoilers," sang River sadly.
"Who are you?"
"Professor River Song, University of–"
"To me, to Jay. Who are you to us?"
"Again…spoilers." River offered him her lunch. "Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."
The Doctor snatched the box from her hands and rocked to his feet. "Right, you lot! Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada!" He bolted from place to place as River rose to her feet, searching for the best location with his sonic screwdriver.
"You travel with them, don't you?" River asked as she came to join Donna and Jay. She was looking at Donna, scanning her with interest. "The Doctor, and Jay...you travel with them?"
Donna lifted her chin with pride. "What of it?" River only smiled fondly, amused with her attitude-ridden response. "You know him, don't you? And Jay?" Donna added, glancing at Jay, who was frowning curiously at River in response to her question.
"Oh, God, do I know them," chuckled River, looking longingly after the Doctor as he bolted for another part of the rom, sonic screwdriver buzzing. "We go way back, the three of us…just not this far back." When Jay cocked her head, River explained, "I sent him a message, but it went wrong. It arrived too early. This is the Doctor in the days before he knew me. He looks at me…you look at me, Jay," she said, turning to face the confused woman, "and the pair of you…you look right through me. It shouldn't kill me, but it does."
"I'm…sorry?" Jay offered, feeling guilty without understanding why.
River laughed softly, and then smiled slightly when Donna snapped, "What are you talking about? Are you talking rubbish? Do you know them or don't you?" Her voice rose with every word, and the Doctor paused in working to throw them a nasty look.
"Donna!" he barked. "Quiet, I'm working."
She scowled back at him. "Sorry."
River froze, staring at Donna in shocked awe. "Donna. You're Donna…Donna Noble." Jay pressed her lips into a hard line, suspicious. Something was off about the despair that ever so briefly touched River's face. As if she knew something that they didn't, and Jay really, really didn't like it. Shaking her head, she said, "I do know the Doctor, and I do know you, Jay," she smiled at her, "but in the future. Your personal future."
"So why don't you know me? Where am I in the future?" Donna asked, but the Doctor saved River from having to answer.
"Okay!" he shouted. "Got a live one." He spun on his heel to face them all as they gathered. His expression was one of seriousness. "That's not darkness down those corridors. This," he gestured to the darkness, "is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man-eating swarm." He reached into the lunch box he held and removed a simple chicken leg. He tossed one in and they all flinched when within seconds, the chicken leg had been stripped of its flesh, even before it hit the floor.
"They're piranhas of the air," said the Doctor, studying what remained. "The Vashta Nerada – literally 'the shadows that melt the flesh.' Most planets will have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale – or as aggressive."
"What do you mean, 'most planets?'" demanded Donna. "Not Earth."
"Mm, Earth and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. Dust in sunbeams. Normally they live on roadkill, but sometimes…people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark." His gaze touched Jay's briefly, and she knew he was thinking of the creature from Hell that had trapped her.
She'd come out of the dark once, she knew, but to be caught by the Vashta Nerada…she wasn't sure she'd be able to come out of it again. "Every shadow?" she checked nervously.
"No, but any shadow."
"So…what do we do?" asked River.
"Daleks, aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans, back of the neck. Vashta Nerada…run. Just run." Jay shivered. She'd never seen him look as scared by something as he did now. Excluding the time in which the Ood had mentioned his song ending. "This is an index point, so there must be an exit teleport somewhere."
"Don't look at me," said Lux, holding his hands up when they all looked at him for an answer. "I haven't memorized the schematics."
"Doctor," Donna suddenly said softly, pointing to the other side of the room. "They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff, right?"
The Doctor's eyes lit with immense excitement and a huge smile burst to life on his face. "You're right. Brilliant!" he shouted, racing for the door that led to the shop. He peeked into the barely lit room in delight. "That's why I like the little shop."
"So, let's move it then," said Proper Dave with excitement.
Jay glanced at him, and then froze. "Doctor," she said urgently, catching his wrist when he tried to run past again, eager to get moving. She tugged and pointed, and the Doctor froze, too, when he saw what she'd seen. His smile slowly faded.
"Actually, Proper Dave," he said, sweeping Jay closer to Donna. "Can you stay where you are for a moment?" Proper Dave looked at him in confusion, and the Doctor swallowed thickly before saying quietly, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows." Everyone stilled, their eyes locked on Proper Dave's shadows. Sure enough, while one was cast in a natural way, another stuck out oddly, unnerving them all. "It's how they hunt," the Doctor explained. "They latch onto a food source and keep it fresh. Stay absolutely still, like there's a wasp in the room – like there's a million wasps."
"We're not leaving you, Dave," said River reassuringly.
"Of course we're not leaving you," the Doctor agreed. "Where's your helmet, Dave? Don't point, just tell us."
"On the floor by my bag."
Jay nudged Donna, who was closest. With great care, Donna made her way across the floor to the series of bags Dave had left on the floor. Donna picked it up with care, bringing it back to the Doctor when he held out his hands. "Thanks," he told her gently. "The rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up." He gently helped Proper Dave, eyes flashing. "We'll need everything we've got."
"Doctor," Donna said nervously. "We haven't got any helmets."
"Yeah, but we're safe anyway." When she questioned it, he snorted, "We're not. That was just a clever lie to shut you up." Jay and Donna glared at him, and Jay even went so far as to kick him in the shin, glowering at him as he hopped up and down for a moment. He glared back and then glanced at River. "Professor, anything I can do with this suit?"
"What good are the damn suits? Miss Evangelista was wearing a suit," Lux huffed, helmet already on and secure. "There was nothing left."
River ignored him. "We can increase the mesh density. Dial it up to four hundred percent. Make it a tougher meal."
The Doctor hastily did just that, fiddling with his sonic screwdriver for a moment before using it on Proper Dave's suit with care. "Eight hundred percent. Pass it on," he said, offering his sonic screwdriver to River.
River gave him a cat like grin after putting her own helmet on. "Gotcha," she said, holding up something that rather resembled the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. Jay's jaw dropped. The closest they'd gotten to seeing another device had been the nanny's sonic pen when she'd first met Donna. The Doctor sputtered, and River went to work, ignoring the Doctor as she began to alter the others' suits.
Shaking off his shock, the Doctor grabbed Donna's hand and began dragging her towards the shop. "With me! Come on. Jay, help the professor." He tossed her his sonic screwdriver, and she stood there for a moment before shrugging and doing as he said. River directed her, and she followed her orders.
Donna frowned when the Doctor dragged her to the back of the shop and released her in favor of messing with some panel near the register for the shop. "What are we doing – shopping? Is it a good time to shop?" She frowned when the Doctor's sonic screwdriver buzzed in the next room over.
"No talking, just moving," he said sharply. Finished with the panel, he pushed her towards a small platform with determination. "Stand there, in the middle. It's a teleport. Stand in the middle." He strode back for the panel, wishing he'd kept his sonic screwdriver and just sent Jay to watch River – and that he could send Jay back with Donna.
"What are you doing?" Donna fretted, eyes widening as he spoke harshly in answer.
"You don't have a suit, you're not safe."
Donna huffed, glowering at him. "You don't have a suit, so you're in as much danger as I am! And what about Jay? She doesn't have a suit either!" She paused, and then gaped at him. "Why isn't Jay going back? Is it because of–"
His jaw clenched. He had suspicions. Suspicions he didn't dare test out regarding his friend, who had been one of the only ones to actually witness the shadows moving. The Vashta Nerada were creatures of the dark; it was safe to say the one that had held Jay captive was similar in nature, if not an off-branch species that had launched the Vashta Nerada themselves. He got the feeling that whatever it was in her veins would keep her safe. He got the feeling they would not touch her.
And there was River. The Doctor trusted River as far as he could throw her. He just knew that the second Jay was out of his sight, something would happen. But Donna…good old human Donna…she needed the safety of the TARDIS.
So, he lifted his gaze to her, fingers hovering over a button. "Donna, let me explain," he began, and Donna quieted – just as he pressed the button. He couldn't help but smirk a little. That's how you do it, he thought as she vanished to the safety of the TARDIS.
"Doctor!"
He turned around and strode swiftly for the other room again – only to yelp when Jay came hurtling in. He fought the urge to give her a silly grin when she slammed into him, noting the fact that she held his sonic screwdriver aloft and his too-big-for-her trench coat. She looked like a child dressing up as their parent. He wrinkled his nose at the idea. No, no she didn't, that didn't fit Jay quite right.
Her blue eyes were round as she searched his gaze. "Where's Donna?"
"I sent her back to the TARDIS," he told her. Her expression turned to questioning; why wasn't she being sent back? He didn't bother to explain, instead herding her back towards the others. "The shadow," she explained as they walked. "The extra one is gone. But it's…I get a bad feeling when I look at Proper Dave."
When they emerged from the shop, the Doctor noted River's curious look, but ignored it. "Where did it go?" he demanded, eyeing Proper Dave. Just as Jay had said, there was only one shadow.
"It's just gone. I looked 'round and one shadow. See?" Proper Dave said anxiously.
River eyed Proper Dave nervously and asked the Doctor, "Does this mean we can leave? I don't want to hang around here."
"I don't know why we're still here," grumbled Lux. "We can leave him, can't we? I mean, no offense, but…ow!"
Jay, having stormed over to Lux, had whacked the front of his helmet with as much strength as she could, knocking him askew. She kept a grip on his wrist, so he didn't tumble back into the darkness surrounding them, but glared at him as she spat, "Shut up."
"Jay," warned the Doctor with a heavy sigh, holding a hand out for his sonic screwdriver. Knowing what he wanted, she whirled away from Lux and ignored River's chuckling. She pulled it from her pocket and hurried back to him, pushing it into his hand. He began scanning Proper Dave and his singular shadow. "Did you feel anything like an energy transfer? Anything at all?"
"No. No, but look, it's gone." Proper Dave turned slightly, and the Doctor frantically made a gesture for him to stop.
"Stop there!" he shouted. "Stop, stop. Stop there. Stop moving! They're never just gone, and they never give up." He pointed to the singular shadow with a small, curt nod. "Well," he told them all. "This one's benign."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave demanded at the same time that Jay suddenly dropped to the ground, pressing her fingers over her ears with a gasp.
"Jay?" River demanded, rushing over to crouch beside her with a hand on her back. The Doctor whirled around, faltering. He needed to focus on Proper Dave, but if she was having an attack–
But Jay's eyes were clear, albeit a little horrified. "Someone screamed," she whispered, her lips pinched together. "I heard someone scream, and the TARDIS screamed with them."
"Seriously, turn them back on," Proper Dave huffed, and the Doctor, frustrated, raked a hand through his hair. River threw him a firm look, gaze darting from Jay to him, and he decided he would trust her with Jay's wellbeing for the time being at the very least. Focusing on Proper Dave, he informed him that the lights were still on, but Proper Dave snapped, "I can't see a ruddy thing."
Inhaling sharply, the Doctor said in a calm voice, "Dave, turn around." Proper Dave did as he was told, moving slowly.
"What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone? Are we safe here?"
"Dave, I want you to stay still – absolutely still." Proper Dave froze, but in a manner that made the Doctor nervous. "Dave? Dave! Can you hear me? You alright? Talk to me, Dave," the Doctor urged, a bad feeling sinking in his gut.
"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm – I'm fine." The Doctor relaxed – until the message repeated. "I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm – I'm fine. I can't… Why can't I? I – I can't… Why can't I?" The Doctor's gaze slid to the blinking green lights on his communication device, and guilt flickered through him. He'd failed Proper Dave. River declared him gone, but the Doctor still stepped closer, wary. Why was he standing? How was he still standing? "Dave? Can you hear me?"
"Doctor," choked out Jay, dropping her hands from her ears. Her face was white as she staggered to her feet, River beside her. "Doctor, don't touch him–"
All it took was one touch of the Doctor's hand to the suit, and Proper Dave's hands were around his throat. The Doctor yelped as he was shoved to his knees, wincing at the cries of those present. When he glanced up, he scowled at the skeletal face that fell into view from the shadows hidden in the helmet. He'd liked Proper Dave – a lot.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" the communications device echoed.
"Excuse me," River cried, pointing her sonic device at the creature within the suit. It buzzed at a high-pitch and the suit released the Doctor, who shot back as soon as he was free, having for air. He grabbed Jay's hand when he reached her, dragging her further back. River slid protectively in front of them, not sure what she could do, but ready to do it regardless. "Doesn't move very fast, does it?" she said as it lurched forward awkwardly, chasing after them.
"It's a swarm in a suit," the Doctor barked. "But it's learning."
"Doctor," Jay whispered, pointing to the floor as various shadows sprouted from the creature's feet. Her eyes were wide with horror. "What do we do?" she demanded as they grew and grew, reaching for them. They faltered when River pointed her sonic screwdriver at them.
"Jay, the gun on my left thigh," barked River, and Jay paused, not entirely excited to hold a gun. Still, she did as she was told. "Flip the safety off." She did so. "Set it to the fifth setting, point it at the wall, and fire!"
Jay glanced to the Doctor, who nodded curtly, recognizing what she was doing. His eyes gleamed with excitement as Jay did what River said, pointing the gun at the wall. She fired, pulling the trigger with hesitance, and a square section of the wall vanished beneath pulses of soft blue energy that radiated from the gun.
"Oh!" Jay gasped, not hesitating to sprint for safety with the Doctor when River ordered them out, whipping around and running after them. They emerged into a massive room filled to the brim with stacks and stacks of books, shelves reaching higher than should have been possible for shelves to reach.
"The shadows," rasped Jay when she saw the number of them that littered the room.
"Not every shadow, but any shadow," the Doctor confirmed grimly.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
Jay didn't wait for the command, she took off at a dead sprint, the others chasing after her. They bolted between the shelves, desperately seeking a way out of the building. Even if the sun was setting, it'd be safer outside for the time being. Eventually, however, they couldn't run any longer and required a break. Jay tripped to a halt when River okayed them for the time being, setting to work with the Doctor on getting some lamps above their head to work.
"Trying to boost the power," the Doctor explained when Jay shot him a curious look, breath coming in heavy gasps now. "Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down. Any attacks coming, Jay?"
She flexed her fingers, judging. "No," she answered, wincing at the pins and needles. "But it won't be long if we keep up that level of running, Doctor." She rubbed her chest over her thundering heart and then paused to study River's sonic screwdriver when she aimed it at another light, creating more for them. "River, why does your sonic screwdriver look exactly like the Doctor's?"
The Doctor didn't stop working, but he glanced sharply at River as she said, "He gave it to me."
"I don't give my screwdriver to anyone," the Doctor said quietly, almost harshly.
"Well, I'm not just anyone. Now, what's the plan?"
They stared each other down for a handful of precious seconds. Finally, the Doctor grumbled, turning back to what he'd been doing, "I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS. If we don't get back there in under five hours, Emergency Program One will activate and she'll be sent home."
Jay suddenly uttered a sound of fear, and their eyes snapped to her, searching for danger. Her face was pale, her fingers clenched into fists. "That scream, Doctor. I think it was Donna's that I heard."
Instantly, he had his sonic screwdriver in front of him, seeking answers. Horror flashed over his features when he realized she wasn't where she should have been. "Donna's not there. I should have received a signal. The console signals me if there's a teleport breach."
"Maybe the coordinates have slipped," River suggested, concerned. "The equipment here is ancient."
"Doctor," Jay said urgently, gesturing to a nearby informational device. She strode quickly for it, the Doctor half-a-step behind her. She cleared her throat and said with shocking politeness to the machine, "Donna Noble…she's somewhere in this library. Could you locate her?"
The device swirled around, and every hope eddied from Jay's heart when she saw what face it wore.
Donna's.
It was Donna's face on the device.
"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."
Wrote more in two days then I have in a while! And River is here! :D
Thanks to reviewers (bored411 and LuciferRedeemed) as well as those who favorited and followed! It is truly appreciated! :)
