The Library at the End of the Universe: A Comprehensive History
In mid-2017 a friend asked me if I could submit a story to a fan anthology he was putting together. I was busy with "Cobweb and Ivory" and "A Farewell to Arms", so I just sent him a drabble from my notes. It's an interquel set between an unproduced story and an unwritten one, and it features the Thirteenth Doctor when her intro video was all I had to go off of. It might still be relevant one day…
Beyond the end of this universe and before the start of the next, there lies a gigantic bubble, and between this universe and that bubble, there lies a much smaller bubble. This is the Library, and its collections have been cultivated by the Bookkeepers since before the beginning of time.
“… no, that’s not quite right.”
Beyond the end of this universe and before the start of the next, there lies a gigantic bubble, and between this universe and that bubble, there lies a much smaller bubble. This is the Library, and its collections have been cultivated by the Bookkeepers since they arrived fifteen billion years ago.
“Well, that’s a bit closer, I suppose.”
Beyond the end of this univerSe and before the start of the neXT; THERE L1ES A GIGAN71C 8U8873 3ND 3OKVSTMBCXKW0S8SKCC0K8 O0GGOC KOKKKG4G8K8G WGOWG88SG8GSWCKS4KCW 84G0O44 S8K
“A fun interpretation, though the spacing is a bit strange. Next!”
On top of the universe there lie many realms where time flows differently and the laws of physics slide parallel to ours. One of these realms is the Library, and its collections have been cultivated by the Bookkeepers since they discovered it fifteen years ago.
“Ooh, now that’s very interesting.”
On top of the universe there lie many realms where time flows differently and the laws of physics slide parallel to ours. One of these realms is the Library, and its infinite collections have existed without change since its interminably-ancient creation. However, upon being discovered by the Bookkeepers seven million years ago …
… its infinite collections have existed without change since its interminably-ancient creation. However, upon being discovered by the Plume Coteries twenty-five seconds ago, the Library was introduced to the concepts of change and entropy. Since then, trillions of books have been uploaded to a …
… upon being discovered and colonized by the former Plume Coteries fifteen years ago, the Library was introduced to the concepts of change and entropy. Since then, trillions of books have been organized into categories, with the Coteries, now called the Bookkeepers, fueling their civilization by combusting the volumes of untranslatable gibberish.
“Finally!”
Callum looked down from the ladder, excited. “We found it?”
“Oh, no, of course not,” the Doctor said from the floor, dropping the book into an increasingly mountainous discard pile. “Something still doesn’t feel quite right. But at least it has a more interesting beginning!”
Callum sighed and handed down a new volume from the shelf. “Well, what specifically was wrong about it?”
The Doctor grabbed the book from Callum’s hand. “I don’t know. Blame Eldritch. I just know I’ll recognize the true history when I see it.”
“Look, Doctor, I think this is a waste of my time. I don’t have your magic truth-guessing superpowers, and I’m sure you’d be able to handle the ladder by yourself. I’m going to find my way back to my people.”
“Nonsense,” the Doctor said while absentmindedly skimming the book. “You’re my companion, Callum; you have to stick around. I need your fresh perspective on the universe.”
“What universe?!?” Callum threw his arms in the air; a few books fell off the lower rungs of the teetering ladder. “You promised me all of space and time, and all we’ve done for the last month is coop ourselves up on the world I grew up in!”
“It’s not a world, Callum. It’s something much, much stranger.” The Doctor picked up one of the scattered books and shook it pointedly at the boy. “Besides, it’s true: I need you here. The Library is in your biodata. You were born and raised here, outside of your ancestors’ native time.”
“But why? I don’t see what this has anything to do with the ‘lost Earth’ situation.”
The Doctor stared up at Callum with unexpected intensity, her eyes bugging out at him. “It has everything to do with the lost Earth situation. History has been broken. The most important person in all of time and space was killed before their time, and they’ll be coming through here any day.” She dropped the book into the discard pile. “I need to make sure you’re ready.”
“That I’m ready?” Callum stepped down a rung. “Where will you be?!”
“Oh, I’ll be around,” the Doctor said, plucking another book from the floor. “But there are other things I need to be doing.”
“What – What could possibly be more important than the most important person in time and space? And what do you honestly expect –”
The Doctor made a frantic shushing noise. She had become completely still, and Callum similarly froze into a ready crouch, listening hard for any disturbance. There was nothing except the whispering of the shelves.
“What did you hear?” he eventually whispered.
“Nothing,” admitted the Doctor at full volume, slamming her book down onto the pile. “But somewhere out in the universe, there’s a soul crying for help in an empty room. I need to be that help.”
“Hullo,” Callum said, “calling for help right here, thank you.”
“Oh, I have faith in you! You’re a smart lad; you can figure it out. Whereas I strongly doubt that the universe will be able to beat off mammoths or mind viruses by themselves, hmm?”
Callum scowled and pulled another book from the shelf. “Well let’s get on with it, then, so you can go battle your bloody mammoths.”
“Wooly mammoths,” the Doctor corrected gently.
On top of the universe there lie many realms where time flows differently and the laws of physics slide parallel to ours. One of these realms is the Library, and its infinite collections have existed without change since its interminably-ancient creation. However, upon being discovered and colonized by the former Plume Coteries fifteen years ago, the Library was introduced to the concepts of change and entropy. Since then, trillions of books have been organized into categories, with the Coteries, now called the Bookkeepers, fueling their civilization by burning any volumes they deem too difficult to understand or too inconsistent with their beliefs. To verify unreliable records, they use time ladle technology in their extraction chambers to interview notable lifeforms from the universe at the moment of their death …
