A Librarian Story: Blasts from the past ! was made by L! on 4/19/2003 at 1:48:05 PM.
The Dark side of the Moon
The Moon Public Library
Afternoon
Today is a day just like everyday. Len is re shelving books. Martin, his Cyborg butler is doing his cleaning duties. The Library's A.I. is searching the Library's Database for overdue books.
Nothing special has been happening.
The last special thing that happened was there was a security breach. Virus had returned. However, left without doing anything.
The Library has become Boring. For some reason people had just stop coming to the Library. Even the regulars have stopped coming.
If people stop coming for an extended period of time, they will have to close the Library, shut down the A.I. & find new jobs.
Len pushes a Cart of book to another wing of the Library. As he does this he walk thought the Librarian Statue Hallway. After a Librarian has served there term, A statue is placed at they're Library. The Earth's MPL has six statues. From the first, Todd, to the most resent, Lenard H. Bookman.
When Len's term is up, he will also have a Statue. Len's walks by Todd, the first of Earth Moon Public Librarians. For fun, he liked to have "fun" with the People of Earth. He told them, He was God. He was fired as he did that too much.
Then, there are Steven Books & Ms. Worden; Most of there records have been lost.
Then there is Delbert Wordsmith, the second longest Librarian to serve at the MPL. According to his records, he was a bit strange. Almost never talked to people.
Then, there is the most beloved Librarian to ever serve at the MPL, Lenard H. Bookman. He liked to be called Lee Bookman. He was also the longest running Librarian.
Then there are some blank spots, for the Librarians of the Future. Lorno Booko, also known as Triple L! Of The LLSH, told Len, that the Hall has had to be doubled twice by her time.
Len makes it to the east wing of the library. A man is sitting on a bench reading. Len doesn't remember seeing him come into the library.
" Hello?" Len asks the man.
" Hello." The man says. He is wearing a long brown trench coat. Under the coat, He is wearing a Grey t-shirt, with a pair of jeans & tennis shoes.
The Man has slightly messy brown hair. He is wearing glasses. From behind the glasses, Len can see warm blue eyes. The man looks to have not shaved in awhile.
Len stands there thinking that he knows the man from somewhere. Then it hits him.
"Lee? Lenard H. Bookman, is that you?"
"Yes. It’s me, Lee Bookman."
" What are you doing here? Aren't you died?"
" Reading & not really."
" So, where have you been?"
" Out."
" Well, could you give me more information."
"No."
" Oh. Why aren't you died?"
" I was never died, I just was not here."
" Huh?"
" I was not here at the Library."
" Oh, ok." Len says a bit puzzled. He is still finding it hard to believe that he is talking to Lee Bookman, the man he replaced because he died.
" Does Scott Brunsen still live in LittleSmallville?"
" Yes, as far as I know."
" Good. Excuse me." Lee says. He puts the Book he was reading on the bench & walks back to the main wing of the Library.
Len stands there for a few moments stunned. Then, he picks up the book Lee was reading. The book is his Journal from late 2002. The Entries end on the day he was thought to be died. Then, there was one for that day and on the bench was a pen.
Len runs back to the main wing of the library. He runs up to Martin.
"Did you see him?"
" Who, sir?" Martin says, putting down the rare Nacluvian artifact.
"Lee Bookman."
" He is died, as far as I know."
" I saw him in the east wing. I talked to him."
" Len, my sensors sense that you & Martin have been the only people in the Library all day." The A.I. said.
Later at the Home of Scott Brunsen.
The Brunsen family is playing in the Backyard. Janeen notices something.
" Where's Sara?"
Everyone looks around. She is not in the backyard. Scott goes out into the front yard.
Sara is sitting on ground, playing with her ball.
" Sara, you know that you are not to go out into the front yard without me or your mother."
" Yeah. But my ball rolled out here. I went to get & I rolled into the road."
" Did you go out into the road?"
" No, a nice man got it for me."
" Did you talk to him?"
"No, he give me my ball & this not for you." Said as she handed the note to Scott.
The Note said:
Hello Scott,
I want you to meet me in Parodipolis at the Bean and Donut Coffee Bar.
We need to talk.
L.
Scott did know any L's but the Librarians.
Sara & Scott went back into the backyard. Scott walked over to Janeen.
" I have to go. I have business to take care."
" Ok."
Scott kisses Janeen goodbye. Scott goes inside, changes into his Amazing Guy Costume & flies off.
The Moon Public Library, a couple minutes later.
Amazing Guy hasn't been there in awhile, not since he came to pick Lorno Booko up.
He notices the Library is almost empty.
" Hello, Amazing Guy, may I help you?" the Holographic projection of the A.I. said. The Hologram looked like a Floating female head.
" Uh, yes. Did Len leave this message at my Home, earlier today." AG said, showing the Hologram the note.
The A.I. scans it.
" Len has not left the Moon today & the handwriting matches the sample of Lenard H. Bookman that is on file."
" Thank you." AG said.
Amazing Guy Leaves the Moon. As he flies back to earth, He is thinking the note is some type of sick joke. He wants to know who the person is, so He flies towards Parodipolis.
The Bean & Donut Coffee Bar.
Amazing Guy walks in. He scans the Customers.
In a corner booth, a man is sitting in a corner booth staring at him.
Amazing Guy walks up to him.
" Hello."
" Hello, Scott. Please sit down." the man says
Amazing guy does.
It takes awhile then, Amazing Guy Says, " Lee are alive."
" Yes."
" Hello, Guys. What can I get for you?" Said Sarah, the Waitress.
" I'll will have A BLT & my friend here will have..." Lee said
" I'll have a piece of Apple Pie." AG said
" Anything to drink?" Sarah said
" No." they both said.
" So, where have you been?" AG said
" Out. I couldn't go home. That was destroyed. So, I took a little trip & now I'm back."
" So, where's A.L.F.RED & Amy?"
" The last time I knew. A.L.F.RED was being taking to The IIOL* Headquarters to be reprogrammed & Amy died with the Destruction of my MPL."
* WRITER'S NOTE: IIOL= Interdimentional Intergalactic Organization of Librarians.
" Oh. Have you been back to the MPL?"
"Yeah, I freaked out the current Librarian a bit. He's a good kid but a little to involved with his work."
Sarah comes back with there food. " If there is anything else, just ask!" She says.
Sarah walks off to help other customers.
"So, I have a couple questions." Scott says.
" I bet you do. Let me guess, why am I not died, is the first one?"
" Yes."
" Well, I never died. I just needed to have people think I was died to save the future." Lee says then takes a bit of the BLT.
" Excellent Bacon. I was contacted a few days before my death by a future Librarian, you know her..."
" Lorno Booko?" Scott asks
" Yes, but not the version we know. She is from a future where something very bad happened, because I died. She knew everything. So, I asked why she was there. She said she was there to prevent her present from happening."
" So, what did you do?"
" I got a list of things I must do to change the future & I was giving this." Lee said and he held out his hand. He was holding a round golden object. There were a few lights, blinking.
" What is it?"
" It's a transporter. Just before I was to die, I was to use it to leave. It worked. Time was changed. I meet up with Lorno & she said that time was changed. What I didn't understand that if I died & the future was bad, why I still had to 'die'. She never answered that question. I was told to leave the Moon, start a new life until the time was right to return. "
" So, now is Time?"
" Yes."
" So, I left. I went traveling the universe. I saw a lot of stuff. I met up with a friend, who I understand has met up with you..."
"Who?"
" Horizon. Didn't help you on a Mission?"
" Yeah."
" He would make a good addition to the JBH, you might want to think about that?"
" I will, but back to you."
" I asked Horizon to keep an eye on something’s, The MPL, the new Librarian, and some other things. Now that I can do that, I let go off & do his own stuff."
" So..." Amazing guy said changing the topic" When did you start to grow a beard?"
" A couple months ago, I thought it would change my appearance enough."
"It does. I didn't recognize you until a really looked at you."
" Thanks."
Just then, Scott notices something. Lee's left hand.
" When did that happen?"
"Oh, my cybernetic hand. I broke my when I was transporting from the Library. I got it replaced becuase It was beyond repair."
" So, are you going to take back the job of Librarian from Len?"
"No, the IIOL still think I am died. If they knew I was Alive, they would want to kill me, again. I have a new job here in the city."
" Your not working Parodipolis Municipal Library, are you?"
" No."
" It's said to be haunted, you know?"
" So, I use to haunt a Library. Did you notice that there is the MPL & the PML?"
" Never thought about that. So, where do you work now?"
" I'll show you." Lee says as he calls Sarah over.
"Yes?"
"Can we have our check?"
" Sure. Here you go."
Lee leaves some money on the table & they leave.
Scott & Lee walk by Off-Central Park. A couple blocks away, they stop.
" Where are we?"
"1313 Evergreen Lane, my Home."
" I thought we were going to your work?"
" We are, I live above my store, Bookman's Books."
" You own a Bookstore?"
" Yes, what else would an ex-librarian own?"
" I don't know."
Lee unlocks the door. They walk into a rather small room. There is a Sitting area, the Check out counter & rows upon rows of books."
" The Room is bigger than it looks." Lee says as he turns on the lights.
The place lights up and the room seems to go forever.
Besides, the Stairs that lead upstairs stands a large metallic man.
" Who or what is that?" Scott says pointing to the man.
" That is a Material Centurian. MC Activate, code # 19658262"
The Material Centurian’s eyes light up, He starts to make noise & move.
" Greetings, Lee Bookman. You have returned with a friend." It said in a cold, lifeless tone.
" Yeah, Material Centurian meet Amazing Guy. Scott Meet Material Centurian # 6845. Oh. By the way, MC #6845 Amazing Guy also goes by the name Scott Brunsen."
"Understood."
Lee turns to Scott, " So, how do you like my store?"
" Interesting to say the least. Where did you get the robot?"
" I got him on my trip. The Material Centurians are Librarians."
" What?"
" Yes, when the organization that would become the IIOL didn't start out with people. They started with robot like MC #6845. But being robots, they didn't work out all that well, so they, the IIOL, went to destroy all the MC's and replace them with Librarians. About 75% of the Material Centurians were destroyed. Most of the remaining were reprogrammed, dismantled for parts, and other things. I saw one used a Flowerpot. I found MC #6845 in a Junk Store on Primus 9. I bought him because he was like me, A Librarian that they're bosses want them destroyed. With some time spent reprogramming, I brought him back to his original programming. A.L.F.RED was made with Material Centurian Parts."
" So, what does he do when they’re Customers here?"
" Stands in the corner."
" What does he do when there aren't people here?"
" Mostly stands in the corner."
Lee Looks out the Window and says, " MC, man your position!"
MC turns off & a person walks in.
" Wow, Lee. You have a celebrity in the store today." The person says.
" Amazing Guy meet Janie, one of the regulars."
They shake hands.
Janie walks off to wonder the rows.
"Does she know about MC?" AG whispers
" Sure, she just doesn't know he turns on." Lee said in his normal tone.
" Lee?"
" Yeah, AG?"
" Where did all these books come from?"
" I borrowed them from my former job."
" What?"
" Yeah, I always ordered 2 more copies of a book then the MPL needed, I took the copies & put them in my hiding spot. After doing the job as long as I had been doing it, you get a whole lot of books. I think when I started this store, I had 5 to 10 copies of every book."
AG looks at his watch & says " Lee, I am glad your alive but.."
" I know you have to save the World from something, go."
" No, it's dinnertime. I'll see you later."
Amazing Guy leaves and flies home.
Lee sits down behind the Counter & wonders if Len ever read what he wrote in his Journal to him.
The End?