"Tested something." He sounds irritable. He looks it, too, hands on his hips for a moment, barely keeping himself from pacing with restless energy. "I think we're going to start finding out more than just the fireteams are missing."
Merlin fucking damnit. Severus does pace for a moment, back and forth in the hallway like a caged animal, before turning and setting off again towards the lifts. "Something is wrong." He pulls his communications device out and texts someone, frowning.
His pacing is watched, apprehensively at first, then with a slow frown. "You know," she begins dryly as she falls in step behind him, matching his pace even if she has to take about a step and a half for each of his long strides, "I totally dig on your man-of-few-words thing, but I'd love it right now if you would elaborate for me."
Because, really. Really. He went from that pillar of calm, to something that resembles what she's actually feeling. Some of that comfort is starting to ebb away. "Of course something's wrong." That is literally the entire reason why they are even walking together right now. Literally. The entire reason.
"Not like that," he says, jabbing the lift button with an index finger. "We expected something like this eventually with the reconnaissance teams. It's nothing short of a miracle that it didn't happen on the first venture." Unkind, perhaps, but true.
The doors open and Severus steps inside, waiting until Darcy's joined him before he hits the button for the correct floor. "But a dozen people have spoken to me about odd feelings at the jump and I have reason to believe someone not a part of a recon team has gone missing. Looking for someone who isn't here, I suspect."
Something occurs to him. He doesn't like it. Is Kate the sort of person who would want anyone to follow her down there? Or is something using her to lure them.
"Someone like Jane." While this is definitely not a soothing thought, Darcy's at least able to trade panic for a brand of concern that's at least more serene. She restless in the lift, but she avoids the urge to pace about. Something about moving around in an elevator has always made her nervous.
She chews on the inside of her lip for a moment before gathering her thoughts enough to speak up again. "Do you think those transmissions were fake?" She doesn't, but she's willing to listen to the theory if he thinks it likely.
"Perhaps not. But tampered with, or made under duress, I do believe." Kate sounded nothing like herself-- and in mere hours he will see more messages, and pick out the one repeating, uncanny line, and his belief will be solidified. "Something about Kate asking us to come to her - you and Claire, specifically - doesn't sit right with me."
"I don't know anybody who'd make me their first choice if they need rescuing," Darcy admits. She can't speak for Claire, but given the other woman's diminutive stature, she can speculate that she's not high on the list either. She might be wrong, but she can still speculate.
"Could Jane have been lost in the hallways all this time? I've heard about that happening to people here."
"No." Firmly. "You must remember, virtually all disappearances happen when people get into their pods for a jump and then aren't there when we come out of it. It is impossible to survive a jump outside the stasis pods. If someone is lost in the ship over a jump, they will die."
Darcy isn't entirely convinced, and it shows on her face, but she doesn't try to argue the point further. She asked for his thoughts on the subject, and he's given them succinctly. Elaboration isn't likely to chase away her lingering hope (masquerading as doubt). She's wasted enough of his time already.
"So you think Claire and I were targeted deliberately?"
Severus pins her with a sharp look, no arguing necessary. Don't be stupid, his look says. The lift doors open, saving anyone from further chatter about the issue. But for the record: so many of you are getting yelled at when this plot is over. SO MANY.
He strides down the corridor to where Shepard's temporary HQ has been set up. "Obviously. Why, I can't begin to guess yet, but everything is deliberate here. Remember that, Darcy." Severus stops outside the open doors and fixes her with another look. "When you let yourself become a pawn you are no longer helping anyone but the ship."
How many, Snape? Darcy doesn't wilt under that look precisely, but she does seem to yield in some subtle way. She'll take it all under advisement, without promising not to do the dumb thing. She's just so good at doing the dumb thing.
"It's hard to know how to avoid being a pawn when you aren't even sure what the game being played is," Darcy complains. Not to Severus, but generally.
"Don't go into the hallways." There. That's it. That's the not a pawn plan. Okay? Okay.
Severus nods to her. He's busy, though - he has to go start putting out fires, proverbially - so he steps away from Darcy, turns on his heel, and vanishes.
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Merlin fucking damnit. Severus does pace for a moment, back and forth in the hallway like a caged animal, before turning and setting off again towards the lifts. "Something is wrong." He pulls his communications device out and texts someone, frowning.
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Because, really. Really. He went from that pillar of calm, to something that resembles what she's actually feeling. Some of that comfort is starting to ebb away. "Of course something's wrong." That is literally the entire reason why they are even walking together right now. Literally. The entire reason.
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The doors open and Severus steps inside, waiting until Darcy's joined him before he hits the button for the correct floor. "But a dozen people have spoken to me about odd feelings at the jump and I have reason to believe someone not a part of a recon team has gone missing. Looking for someone who isn't here, I suspect."
Something occurs to him. He doesn't like it. Is Kate the sort of person who would want anyone to follow her down there? Or is something using her to lure them.
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She chews on the inside of her lip for a moment before gathering her thoughts enough to speak up again. "Do you think those transmissions were fake?" She doesn't, but she's willing to listen to the theory if he thinks it likely.
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"Perhaps not. But tampered with, or made under duress, I do believe." Kate sounded nothing like herself-- and in mere hours he will see more messages, and pick out the one repeating, uncanny line, and his belief will be solidified. "Something about Kate asking us to come to her - you and Claire, specifically - doesn't sit right with me."
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"Could Jane have been lost in the hallways all this time? I've heard about that happening to people here."
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So don't go harboring any delusions, Darcy.
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"So you think Claire and I were targeted deliberately?"
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He strides down the corridor to where Shepard's temporary HQ has been set up. "Obviously. Why, I can't begin to guess yet, but everything is deliberate here. Remember that, Darcy." Severus stops outside the open doors and fixes her with another look. "When you let yourself become a pawn you are no longer helping anyone but the ship."
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How many, Snape?Darcy doesn't wilt under that look precisely, but she does seem to yield in some subtle way. She'll take it all under advisement, without promising not to do the dumb thing. She's just so good at doing the dumb thing."It's hard to know how to avoid being a pawn when you aren't even sure what the game being played is," Darcy complains. Not to Severus, but generally.
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"Don't go into the hallways." There. That's it. That's the not a pawn plan. Okay? Okay.
Severus nods to her. He's busy, though - he has to go start putting out fires, proverbially - so he steps away from Darcy, turns on his heel, and vanishes.