the hourglass (doctor who fan fiction)

Silence in the library pt. 2

'Others are coming.' the words scrolled on the security camera screen. "Others? What's it mean, others?" Donna went over to a Node. "Excuse me. What does it mean, others?" The Doctor looked up at her. "That's barely more than a speak your weight machine, it can't help you." Donna looked back at the Node. "So why's it got a face?" The Node spoke, "This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death." My eyes widened. "It's a real face?." Donna asked. "It has been actualised individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks. Please enjoy."

"It chose me a dead face it thought I'd like? That statue's got a real dead person's face on it." Donna pointed to the Node. "It's the fifty first century. That's basically like donating a park bench." the Doctor replied. "It's a donated face?!" I stepped back. "No, wait, no." The Doctor grabbed me and pulled me up to him. "Huh? What's wrong?" I looked behind me. "The shadow. Look." he pointed to the shadows. "What about it?" Donna asked. "Count the shadows." I said remembering what the first Node said. "One. There, counted it. One shadow." Donna turned back to us. "Yeah But what's casting it?" We looked up.

"Oh, I'm thick! Look at me, I'm old and thick. Head's too full of stuff. I need a bigger head." he knocked on his head. The light in an adjoined corridor began to go out. Donna turned around to it. "The power must be going." the Doctor looked up. "This place runs on fission cells. They'll outburn the sun."

"Then why is it dark?" I asked

"It's not dark." he turned to me.

"That shadow. It's gone." Donna pointed out.

"We need to get back to the Tardis."

"Why?" Donna and me asked.

"Because that shadow hasn't gone. It's moved."

"Reminder. The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The library has been breached." The Node repeated. Behind us, a door was blown open in a flash of bright light, six space-suited figures entered. The leader adjusted her polarising filter so we could see her face. "Hello, sweeties." she said. "Get out." the Doctor pointed back to the door. "Doctor." Donna said. "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." the woman sighed. "Pop your helmets, everyone. We've got breathers." she took her helmet off. Immediately, I recognized the woman. It was the lady from the hospital. "I know her." I whispered.

"How do you know they're not androids?" one asked. "Because I've dated androids. They're rubbish." She only smiled. One of the other space-suited figures spoke up, "Who is this? You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives." she sighed and turned around. "I lied, I'm always lying. Bound to be others."

"Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts." he said. "You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?" the woman asked. "Please, just leave. I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave." he pleaded. "Hang on. Did you say expedition?" The man stepped up. "My expedition. I funded it." The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Oh, you're not, are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists." She smirked, "Got a problem with archaeologists?"

"I'm a time traveller. I point and laugh at archaeologists."

"Ah. Professor River Song, archaeologist." she winked at me as she shook the Doctor's hand. "River Song, lovely name. As you're leaving, and you're leaving now, you need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again. Not one living thing, not here, not ever." he paused and spoke to another woman who was about to step into a shadow.