---------------

It’s the middle of the Earth month know as December. Up on that planet’s lone satellite known to the inhabitants as the Moon, up on the dark side in the northern hemisphere nestled among the cratered surface is the much in legal dispute of a building known as the Moon Public Library.

in the center on the main floor of the building is the circular reference desk which is overseen by a number of automatons which each have a portion of the the MPL’s A.I. D.D residing in them. Near the back, by one of the trolly carts of books to be reselved, the other non D.D. automaton/Major Domo of the Library was having a chat with D.D.

“Still can’t get word from anyone planet side?” A.L.F.RED asked.

“Nope. We’ve tried ever method we have: The Internet, The Dark Internet, Subnet, SubSubnet, Overnet, OverUndernet, Social Media, personal e-mail, not so personal e-mail. You get the message.”

“yeah. I do but they aren’t & that’s the problem.”

The automaton nodded back at A.L.F.RED.

Then something they had not been heard in some time started to chime. It’s a chime they hadn’t expected to here ever again. The droid went limp as D.D. reappeared in her more common holographic appearance.

Some of the library’s patrons started to look around as they wondered what they sound was.

“It’s nothing. Go about your business.” A.L.F.RED said trying to reassure them.

Another person came up behind them “What’s that noise?”

“oh… David!” D.D. said somewhat shocked to see him there.

David Bookman, the in name only current Head Librarian of the Moon Public Library. David was brought out of hidden when the last Head Librarian took a “leave of absence”. Since then D.D. & A.L.F.RED have been running the library on their own. David has mainly just been hanging out & doing not much of anything. Most of what the job of being a Librarian is to be doing David has not been doing. Not that he doesn’t want to do that stuff, it’s just that he’s been told to not do it. David is an important place holder, one to important to loose. He dies & they are royal screwed.

“That sound is one we don’t normally have hooked up to the general sound system. So… how it got hooked up that way we don’t know BUT that noise is from our monitoring system. It’s a distress beacon noise.” A.L.F.RED said.

“Who is in distress?”

“Each people logged into the system has a different set of sounds associated to them. I have a set, D.D. has a set. You even have a set.”

“ok. Whose distress beacon is going off?”

“well….”

“uh…” D.D. started to say.

“Whose beacon is going off? If they are logged into our system they must be pretty important & if they are are in trouble we need to go help them.”

“you see… that chime belonged to your Father.” A.L.F.RED said sadly.

“oh…”

There were a few awkward moment of silence between them.

“Where is coming from?” David asked

“what?”

“The beacon. Where is it coming from?”

“According to the monitor, it’s broadcasting from Earth. In fact it’s the only such broadcast we are getting from Earth at the moment.” D.D. said.

“Anything more specific then just Earth. That’s a pretty big place.”

“Yes. Earth, North America, Parrodipolis, Parody Island, The Lair Mansion, Basement, File Room.”

“Anything else?”

“Not really. Nothing that I can tell you right at the this moment.”

“ok.” David said, nodding. “When are we going?”

“Where?” A.L.F.RED asked somewhat puzzled.

“Earth, North America, Parrodipolis, Parody Island, The Lair Mansion, Basement, File Room.”

“We can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Neither D.D. or A.L.F.RED had an answer for him.

“We need to stay here & keep on guard for the IOL.” A.L.F.RED said.

“and we have our patrons to think about!” D.D. interjected.

“Screw that!”

David leaned over the Reference Desk & picked up a microphone.

“Attention Library Patrons! I'm sorry but we will be closing a little bit early today. Please make your way to any of our check out counters that are scattered about if you have any materials you would like to check out. Then please proceed to your vehicles, The Library will be entering a full lock down in 20 Earth minutes. If you get locked in the building, we will have no way of rescuing you until the lock down is off & I’m not sure when that’ll be. Thank you for choosing the Moon Public Library for your knowledge needs today. We know that you all have a number of methods of gaining your knowledge & it’s warms our hearts… uh… those of us who have hearts to know that you choose our humble library. Thank you & have a pleasant day!”

David put down the microphone & looked back at A.L.F.RED & D.D.

“So… I ask again: when are we going?”

“We can’t!” D.D. said. “We’ve been cut off from Earth. Our transporters aren’t allowing contact with the planet’s surface.”

“hmmm…” David thought for a moment.

“Is the entire planet planet cut off for the rest of the Universe?”

“like how?” D.D. asked.

“Could a shuttle leave the planet?”

“As far as we can tell: yes.”

“Cool. So when are we leaving?”

“what?” D.D. was confused.

“We have the Galactibus. It’s been gassed up & ready for use for awhile. It’s imperative that as the crew of the Moon Public Library find out why my departed Father’s distress beacon is going off. Plus, I’ve always wanted to visit Earth. Seems like a fun place.”

Just then flying out from an alcove came a small football sized metallic craft. It’s central screen was all lit up.

“Excuse me?” It said as it got close.

“yeah… Shawn?”

“I’m not sure what it is with you & your Father but the designation is XJ-8, not Shawn. You get D.D. & A.L.F.RED’s designations correct, why not mine?”

David shrugged. “What’s up?”

“For one the destress beacon for Lee Bookman has been going off.”

“yeah… we know that.”

“Sorry. It’s taken me sometime to fly here. I was packed away in a box.”

“Yeah....” A.L.F.RED said. “you were among the belongings I brought back with me the last time I was planet side. I didn’t see any use in turning you back on since your only really used away from the Library. Also, how are you on?”

“I was turned on.”

“By who?” David asked. He knew where that box was stored & the only ones who’d have access to it were him, D.D. & A.L.F.RED.

“The distress beacon turned me on.”

“How?” David said puzzled.

“That’s it!” D.D. said excitedly. “The Beacon’s chime sounded off. It was broadcasting out the activating code for XJ-8.”

“Yes.” XJ-8 said as it nodded slightly in D.D.’s direction. “Not only that there is a secondary message coded into it.”

“which is?” David asked.

“We have to answer the call. You, Me, D.D. & A.L.F.RED. All of us. The message was very specific that we are all to answer it.”

“So…” David said as he turned towards D.D. & A.L.F.RED “When are we leaving?”

---------------

TO BE CONTINUED…..

I'm imagining the chime is like the TARDIS cloister bell when The Doctor is called back to Gallifrey.

Good to see more stuff from you.

I'm a bit baffled now, though, because the very next section of Untold Tales I was going to put up later today directly contradicts quite a bit of this, inasmuch as it features the opposite happening, the LL bringing the problem to David on the moon.

I'm not sure what to do now, so I think I'll sleep on it.

EDIT: I think the best thing to do is just to post my variant version for now - so I have. You keep on with yours storyline for your characters your way. We'll find a way to join things up afterwards. The last few paragraphs of my story open one possible means of doing it [spoiler blacked out] after some time travel history changes.

We shall see how this all unfolds...

Thanks!

I had been giving some thought to putting out the next part in the Chad & Ronnie epic but had an idea for this so that's what I wrote.




In my mind: the LL were stuck planet side with no way of getting off planet or contacting anyone off planet SO... They were going to come visit to find out why. Plus it moved along the story we had chatted about via our e-mails.




ok.

Plus there a number of corrections that should be made. Some are small (you misspell A.L.F.RED's name every time) to some somewhat major things. Some of these major things we didn't chat about via e-mail, some things I'm not sure if they are widely established so that might of caused the confusion. Some things I thought were widely established so the fact that they aren't as they should be is kind of annoying.




"my storyline" isn't one. All I have is what I wrote. Just a small one off, tie in story. Bonus material. A "while this was happening, this was going on" story.

Maybe. There has been Who references scattered about the stories before.

we all shall

What other corrections?

Besides A.L.F.RED's name being spelled wrong:
- The "full name" for D.D.: I Don't really like it. Yes, D.D. is the only name she's ever been given but it's most likely a nickname & not her actual designation. The IOL database is an official piece of IOL Tech, like XJ-8. A.L.F.RED on the other hand is not. D.D. herself falls in between. The whole form/personality/name of D.D. was most likely something created by Lee to "personalize" the Library going experience. If anything her full name would be Dewey Decimal because that's what Lee most likely called her. D.D. is also probably based somewhat on based off of former Assistant Librarian Amy.
- I'm pretty sure I said that the MPL is in Sector 2875. It's a common 4 digit number that pops up in my stories so if they were in any sector with a 4 digit number it would most likely be 2875.
- The "modified Librarian’s jacket". There is no such thing. The trench coat worn by Lee was against the dress code set forth by the IOL. He was allowed to keep wearing it since he was good at his job. He also wore it because it was cold in the Library & could be quite cold on fact finding missions.
- David wouldn't refer to his father as "Lee Bookman", he's call him his father, his dad, something of that sort. Even in the instance you used it in, it seems off.
- "Dr Blargelslarch and the Board of Trustees agreed that you were the best candidate to hold the position of Acting Librarian, David" NOPE! David was designated as Back Up Librarian before The MPL broke away from the IOL. Even if the Board of Trustees wanted to put in someone else they'd probably have been stopped in doing so by D.D. & A.L.F.RED.
- The Widgets: I have no idea where those came from or why they are there at the MPL. It had been stated (by me) that they aren't IOL tech & no one who works there knows what they are. The way you describe the Widgets is what the IOL/Lee would be using XJ-8 & other machines like it to do.
- David seems a bit too much "in charge" in your story. He is not on equal standings with D.D. or A.L.F.RED. David doesn't even actually have an actual job any the Library other then to exist so the IOL can't take the place from them. He is a place holder to be protected at all costs.
- The "super power" that David uses in your story is not something that he has access to. It's something his Dad had & only his Dad. It's not a genetically past down trait from Father to Son. It's not a power bestowed on to you for being a Librarian. It's not something you can learn. Lee has it because of things he had done.
- Calling David "Librarian" seems off. The Librarian is his Father. It's also thousands of other IOL employees. David is not "The Librarian". David would be one of the first people to tell you that.
- Not sure how Nats would know about David.
- Not sure why Nats has XJ-8. As stated in my story & in at least one other place, A.L.F.RED had made a trip (his first & maybe last trip) to the Lair Mansion & collected all personal effects of Lee Bookman, that included XJ-8, shortly after his death.

I'll take a look back at my story and made a few amendments when time allows, although keeping getting new bits done has to be a priority.

I've modified the future bits of the story to minimise any mention of the MPL and it's cast to avoid more difficulties.


EDIT: I've now modifed portions of my story to address the issues you've listed.

Sector 7272 was how the address was given for the Moon Public Library in Untold Tales #258, 262, 265, 278, 322, and 336 amongst others, but I have omitted it from the current story.

sure.




You don't have to minimize thing if you don't want. I just posted a thing that I thought might be able to slip in & not disturb things too much BUT I guess it did.




Thanks!




I did think about that after I made my comment. 7272 is a slightly older 4 digit number that I had used but don't really use anymore. Plus it's been awhile since I've done anything really MPL related so things are bound to slip my mind