Strackman was the grandson of Felman Lux, the man who had created the Library - a complex which covered an entire planet. Its central processing unit was monitored by a protective system on its nearby moon.
One day, an emergency message was broadcast from the planet just before all communications were cut off. A lengthy quarantine was placed on it. Strackman financed an archaeological expedition to the Library to find out what had happened all those years ago. He employed Professor River Song to lead it. The Doctor and companion Donna Noble were visiting, and he was surprised to find that River knew all about him - despite him never having met her. Strackman was unpopular with the expedition, and it became clear that he had some secret agenda. It transpired that the Library's central computer core - known as CAL - contained the downloaded mind of Felman Lux's daughter Charlotte Abigail, who had died young. Unaware of her true nature, she had all of the millions of books to entertain her over the centuries.
Strackman wished to make sure that she was protected.
The Library had become infested by the flesh-eating microscopic Vashta Nerada. When they had struck, the Library had downloaded all its customers into its CPU, where they could live in an AI environment. The Doctor arranged a truce with the creatures whilst River gave her life to stop CAL self-destructing. She and those previously killed by the Vashta Nerada were downloaded into the CPU, to live in an AI environment with Charlotte, whilst the downloaded customers were released.
Strackman was the sole survivor of the expedition, and he arranged to transport all the rescued customers away to safety.
Played by: Steve Pemberton. Appearances: Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead (2008).
- Pemberton was the second member of the League of Gentlemen comedy team to appear in Doctor Who, after Mark Gatiss.
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