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A little library in the countryside of England.
Upper Darbyshire on Avon Callingsford.

It’s a nice library. Was first built in 1615. Partially destroyed in 1725, 1835 & 1945. The main part of the library was never been destroyed. It was getting close to closing time. The head librarian, Mortimer Jenkins, was seeing that everyone had gotten safely out of the library. He was being extra careful to not lock anyone inside the library again.

Mortimer was walking down the main corridor of the library, looking down each row of the books. He looked left & then right.

“Everyone looks to be gone.” He thinks to himself.

He turns a corner & looks down the last rows of the library.

“Oh… wait…. no. There is still one person reading.”

Mortimer walks down the row of the books towards to the man. He was sitting on a stool & was reading his book intently. He looked to be lost in his book. As Mortimer got closer, he could see that it was a young boy. The boy let out a laugh or a giggle every so often. He had a messy mop of chestnut brown hair to went half way down his neck. His skins was a bit pale but also seems to have a tan at the same time. The young man had headphones on & wore a long brown trench coat. The length of the coat was almost completely obscuring Mortimer’s view of the stool. The ends of the coat were frayed, dirty & a bit burnt. Slung over on shoulder was an olive drab color messenger bag, the headphone’s cord was leading down into the bag. On the boy’s hands were a dark brown, well wore, leather gloves; the fingertips of the gloves are cut off exposing his fingers. On his left hand over the glove there seems to be sort of metallic gauntlet placed over it.

Mortimer can also see the young boy had a small notebook on his lap that he keep looking over. He could see peaking out from under the coat, the young boy was wearing a pair gunmetal black leather boots. Each boot had 3 dark brown leather straps with silver metal clasps. They were cinched down so that the boots held snug tightly around his legs.

“Excuse me, young man. The Library is closing soon. We’ll be open tomorrow.”

Mortimer noticed that probably because of the headphones he wasn’t heard. So, he tapped him on the shoulder.

The boy looked up, startled & then pushed the headphones off his head.

“yes?” He said.

“Sorry if I scared you but the library is closing. You’ll have to come back to tomorrow. Lending hours start at 11.”

“oh… Sorry, Mortimer. I didn’t mean to stay late. I know how people to keep regular business hours. I just got lost in my work.” The young boy said as he stood up to put away the stool.

Mortimer noticed what the young boy had on underneath the coat. It’s was a dark suit jumpsuit with leather accents that matched his boots. The outfit faintly reminded one something he once saw someone once wear years ago.

“That’s ok. Just letting you know…. wait… how did you know my name?”

Mortimer normally remembers most people who come into the library over the day & given how the young boy was dressed he doesn’t remember see him come in or remember introducing himself either.

“I know a lot of things about you. Mortimer Jenkins, about to turn 60. Husband to Martha Jenkins, deceased. Father to John Jenkins, age 20 who is in their first year of University & Stacey Jenkins, age 29. She is married & the mother of 2 young children. You have worked here at this rather nice library for the almost 40 years. It’s the only placed you’ve worked but growing up you wanted to be a fireman.”

This meeting is beginning to feel really familiar.

“Who… who… who are you?”

“I’m David.” The young boy said as he smiled brightly at him.

David reached into coat pocket pulled out a business card. The card was bright white & had two words on it: Bookman, Librarian.

Mortimer took the card, looked at & then back at David. “Librarian? Where are you a Librarian? From the accent I’d say America.”

“no. Somewhere more far north.”

“Canada then?”

“no. Much farther north then Canada.”

Mortimer isn’t sure about this young boy. Something about him is giving Mortimer the creeps & he starts to back away from the boy. He is stopped by bumping into something very hard. Something that shouldn’t be there.

Mortimer turns to head to notice that he has bumped into someone.

“Are you ok, David?” the person said in a very mechanical tone. Even though there were there it sounded a bit like they were talk to them over the phone.

The person was quite tall, Mortimer was taller then most people he knew & even he had to look up at the person behind them.

“Yes., A.L.F.RED. I’m fine. Mr. Jenkins was just telling me that the library is closing soon.”

The person nodded. As he did, Mortimer could swear that he heard motors moving. He wasn’t sure about that man. They were wearing dressed in a suit of armor of some kind but yet had a black suit coat over that & a red bowtie on.

“Then it is best we leave Mr. Jenkins to his duties.”

“Ok.” David said.

The man in the armor turned & started to walk away. David started to follow after him. He squeezed Mortimer & they started to walk away. There was the faint sound of motors moving as they walked away.

Once they were at the end of the row of books, David stopped. “Oh! I forgot something.”

He ran back over to Mortimer & handed him a piece of paper. “I noticed these were still part of your collection. Should probably get rid of them.”

Mortimer was puzzled as he looked at the piece of paper & the young man “why?”

“Your library does pride it’s self of having the most correct set of books on Earth, right?” David asked.

That comment sent shivers down Mortimer’s back. His memories came flooding back. He was once asked that by a man in a outfit much like that young man was wearing. It was something he ignored.

“Yes…. I think all libraries do, young man.”

“Then it would be in the best interests of your patrons to have those books removed from your collection. They are wrong. People are said to be at places where they weren't, People are said to have said things they didn't & other things like that. I'll send make sure that the correct editions are sent to you after those books are removed.”

David turned & started to way away again.

“Young Man!” Mortimer said calling out after him “I can’t read your list!”

David turns back & sheepishly walks back towards him.

“Sorry.” He said, blushing slightly. “My handwriting can be quite bad sometimes.”

David moved his hand with gauntlet on it & ran it over the page. As he did that, the text changed that of Mortimer’s own handwriting.

“Is this better?”

“uh…. Yes. That’s fine. Thanks.”

“Your welcome!” David said with a smile.

“How did you do that?” Mortimer asked.

David held up his left hand & wiggled his fingers about a bit. “Science!”

David giggled & then turned to leave once more.

“Wait… How do you know that these books are wrong? I was asked that once before & those books were written well before either of us were born. They were two to three centuries ago.”

David turned her head back towards to Mortimer & said “I trust my sources.”

Then David & his companion left. Mortimer just stood there somewhat dumfounded. After they had turned the corner, in the direction opposite of the exit. Mortimer ran down the row to catch up with them. Once he turned the corner, they were gone. He looked franticly for them. After a few minutes minute, he decided it was useless to find them. All that was left was a business card & the list of books.

A bit frightened, Mortimer goes to collect his things & lock up the library for the night. He leaves the list on his desk to be dealt with later. Mortimer locks up, walks to his car & drives home.

From a darkened corner of the Library, David smiles.

“Are we done here?” A.L.F.RED asks.

“Oh yes. I think this is was a successful mission.”

“He didn’t do anything!”

“But he didn’t throw out the list this time!”

“Doesn’t mean he’ll remove the books from the collection.”

“I know but we’ll know if he does. The sensor my dad set up here which we were here to check on will tell us that.”

“Alright. Open the doorway.”

David pulled out a small rectangular device from his coat pocket. On the top was one large button. The button had a large yellow L on it.

David pressed the button & a large six-foot tall glowing rectangular doorway opened up. On on side was the library in England on the other side was transport easy of the Moon Public Library. They both walk through it. Once they were through it, the doorway closed behind them.

“David, I wish you wouldn’t tease people like the way you did.” A.L.F.RED said as they made there way up the main area of the library.

“I didn’t tease him.”

“You listed of the man’s age, his family, how long he’d worked there & what he wanted to be when he grew up.”

“I did that in hopes it would jog his memory to when he met my Dad.”

“and it did but there is better ways of doing that, David.”

David nodded.

“Miss D.D.?” David asked.

“Yes, David?” came her voice over the intercom system.

“Anything happen while we were planetside?”

“Not much. Had another run in with a Falarkian. Not sure why that entire race seems to be opposed to pay late fees. I also had to stop some other patrons from stealing books.”

“What kind?” A.L.F.RED asked.

“These were patrons that are not allowed into a restricted area. They were restricted due to be under the age limit for that area.”

A.L.F.RED & D.D. said in unison “Space Porn!”

“How did they get in steal it?” David asked.

“They most likely tried to hack into a system to up their clearance.”

“That is in fact what they were doing. I let then them in & put that section into lock down mood.”

“What happened to them?” David asked.

“They are still in there. I haven’t unlocked it.”

“How long has it been?” A.L.F.RED asked.

“2 hours.”

“Make it another hour before you let them out.” A.L.F.RED said as he & David walk up to the main floor of the library.

Milling about the library were patrons of almost every shape, size & color imaginable. A.L.F.RED & David walked up to the reference desk. Shortly after that, David noticed that something was tucking at the edge of his coat.

He turned around to see a small Omapotsuan child. He held a book in one of it's four hands.

David kneeled to the child’s lowest eye level & said “Yes?” David tried to say in the child’s native language. His Omapotsuan is a bit rusty.

“Are you the Librarian?” the child asked in English with a heavy Omapotsuan accent.

David looked over at A.L.F.RED. He nodded & then David looked back at the child “Yes. Yes I am. What can I do for you?”

“TO DIE!” The child said in a deep booming voice.

They began to change. The form of the small child was a hologram & was now gone to show that one of the IOL Material Centurions had once again managed to slip in past security.

“D.D., how did they get in?” A.L.F.RED asked he shifted into battle mode.

“I’m guessing they came in with the children’s group that is using the children’s reading nook at the moment. I only did a minor scan of the group since they had been here before & nothing seemed out of the ordinary with them.”

“David Bookman!” The Centurion said as grew to it’s full size, which towered over anything there at the reference desk. “I am here to bring you to the IOL homeward for crimes against the IOL.”

“But I’ve never met them in this time period!”

“Irrelevant! Your being charged with those crime committed by your predecessor: Lenard H. Bookman.”

“Not if I can help it!” A.L.F.RED said as he punched the Centurion in the chest, pushing both of them away from David.

“David, Security Measure 24!” D.D. yelled.

David ran away from the the reference desk to a control panel on the wall. He pressed a few buttons which caused all the bookcases around the library to retract into the walls & floor of the library to leave.

“Attention Library Patrons! I'm sorry but we will be closing a little bit early today. We will be entering into Lockdown Mode Six, which will fold this installation and all patrons left inside into a null-time n-dimensional stasis field. 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. I would advise all patrons to avoid the reference desk at this time. After check out, I would advise all patrons to please proceed to your vessels. The Library will be entering into full lock down in 20 Earth minutes. If you get locked in the library on a floor other then the main floor, we will have no way of rescuing you until the lock down is ended & I’m not sure when that’ll be. I’d like to 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!” D.D. said in the most calm manner she could.

This announcement causes panic among the patrons. More of a panic then the one being caused by the fight caused by A.L.F.RED & the Material Centurion.

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After all the patrons were safely out of the library & the library was in full lock down mode, the fight raged on.

“Be gone, Droid!” The Centurion as it pushed A.L.F.RED off & away from it.

“You will not hurt David!” A.L.F.RED said as he went into full defense mood. That being one that looked more like a walking, talking 8 foot tall pissed off tank.

The fight continued on. Another Centurion started to sneak up behind David but before it could do anything David reached out with his left hand & activated his gauntlet.”I learned from a very young age about the IOL & it’s lackeys. A Material Centurion doesn’t go anywhere with backup.”

“Clever, young one. What are you planing in doing with that gauntlet. I know that it has some weapons built into it.”

“That might be true but I know that there is a weak down in the design & programing of the Material Centurion. They don’t well with sudden bursts of expected information introduced into their system.”

“That is true, young one. They have taught you well.”

“I hope you like the collected works of Chuck Tingle!” David said with a smile as he turned the gauntlet to it’s highest transfer setting.

Before the Centurion could do anything, it fell over due to a massive power failure. Then the Centurion fighting A.L.F.RED also fell over from the same thing.

“What just happened?” He asked.

“I introduced a sudden burst of information into it’s system & since the Centurion work on sort of hive mind that burst of information also effected the one fighting you.”

“oh…”

“David, how do you know who Chuck Tingle is?” D.D. asked somewhat angrily.

“uh… “

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TO BE CONTINUED?

FOOTNOTES:

Back in 2003, I wrote & posted the second installment of series called “Just another day at the Moon Public Library”. In that story, Lee Bookman visited a small library run by a Mortimer Jenkins. Also in that story, after returning to the library Lee Bookman & A.L.F.RED had to fight of a pair of aliens who wanted to kill him. This story is a “sequel” to that story sort of. I was mainly thinking about stories I could do with David & this one kept coming to mind so I decided to a write a sequel to it.

If don’t know who Chuck Tingle is your better off not knowing who he is. Don’t look him up.