The Labyrinthian Library

Posted on Wed Oct 15th, 2025 @ 9:42pm by Inaya Kellan

725 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Laying the Groundwork
Location: The Library

Inaya stood in the foyer of her new domain. The entrance to the library was the last programmable matter within her domain. Once inside, there was a set of steps leading down to the main floor, creating a sound well that muffled the sound of foot traffic from the corridor as the doors opened. The room fanned open from there, with doorways leading to corridors and eventually reading rooms, while Inaya's desk sat at the rear wall, giving her the ability to see everywhere at a glance.

She'd gone out of her way to design the facility without programmable matter. The library's benefactor had been instrumental in that process, and she was thrilled with the results. The walls and ceiling were wood paneled, the countertops were hardwood, marble and granite and the faux windows were natural glass in front of holographic scenery. Every table hard chair and shelf was natural wood, held together with brass, copper and iron. Reading rooms had armchairs with natural sponge cushions and soft leather coverings. Knobs, handles and other accents were made of coral and ivory, and the floors were either hardwood, or wool carpeted.

She'd designed the space herself, with hundreds of intimate reading rooms branching out down maze-like corridors from the main hub, each with it's own dedicated genre of reading material. Deep in, there were rooms to practice instruments or singing, media viewing rooms, and study rooms. Some rooms had secret passages to connect them, giving Inaya a way to quickly move in and out searching for something, and to help confuse anyone who might be there with ill intent.

The vast majority of the books had been delivered and a dedicated team of specialists had been filling the shelves around the clock while Inaya finished the vaults and the specialty rooms. She walked around behind her desk and sat down, sighing in satisfaction. She activated her computer terminal and was checking the inventory system when she heard the doors open again. She looked up and broke into a grin. "Professor Naroot!" she said, standing back up and coming back around to the front of her desk.

Penny Naroot smiled and gave Inaya a hug. "I have the last of the specialty items," she said, indicating a large case on an antigrav cart, two guards standing by the doors. "How are you liking the end result?" She looked around the finished foyer, smiling appreciatively.

"I am loving it," Inaya said. "It's exactly what I envisioned. I'm sure the Admiral's things will be well preserved here."

"Excellent," Penny said, giving her former student a sad smile. "I'm sorry you aren't coming with us."

"In these trying times, I think some old-world stability is going to be helpful," Inaya said. "But I'll keep in touch."

"See that you do," the blonde woman said, pointing at Inaya. She gave her one last hug and smiled. "Be well, Inaya."

"You too, Professor," Inaya said, nodding. As the woman left with her two guards, Inaya took the antigrav cart with the precious cargo, and set off down one of the corridors, making the long trek to the center of the library. While it wasn't obvious to anyone casually walking through, the library was designed like labyrinth. At its center was a large room with one entrance, a set of large, bronze doors. Within was the library's special collection: rare first editions, special requests and unusual books that were not allowed to be removed.

Inside that room was a set of silver doors which contained the private reading areas for the senior staff. Each had its own private reading area with a dedicated shelf for their requests, high quality, bespoke armchairs, and the only surrender to technology, a holographic fireplace, and a replicator.

There was one final set of gold doors at the very center of the silver vault, housing the private collection of the library's benefactor. Inaya held the physical and metaphorical keys to all three vaults, and would be judicious in their use. She directed the cart through the final set of doors and opened it, adding it to the private shelves that only she would be seeing for the time being. When she was done, she carefully locked all three sets of doors and made her way back to her desk to begin opening the library to the ship's population.

 

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