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░▒AU▓█I▛▟▛ (directly before the jump);
[The jump alarm is sounding. That much is obvious despite the static plaguing the transmission. Under it: the sound of rapid footfalls, sucking breath. Away from the receiver there’s a muffled mention of ‘—outhwest at the next intersection’ clearly not meant for the comm. Then the static clears and a voice comes through, momentarily crisp and clear:]
This is Shepard, formerly Commander of the SSV Normandy reporting with Javik, ID number zero-two-four-dash-one-four-seven. Hill, transcribe —opy of this for the record and for your after action report. [Because she sure as shit doesn’t have time to write it down herself. As it is, she speaks in a clipped, hard tone - painfully brusque.] Communications failed on jump da— --er which we were separated. If Corvo Attano is there, he’ll have—. I— [a pause, possibly a moment of conferral or maybe just a drop in the transmission] —we found —places that don’t belong he— from where we’re from. Unable to report if other fireteams experienced similar phe—nom—a, but I’d put credits on it being tied to either the —ingulari— on the shi— or more nanotech hallu—nations. Formally suggest further investigation. —found people we knew and were led to— with a bright light. See previous jump’s after action re— speak —arolyn Fry for —tional details.
[And this part comes through, sharp:]
The white door leads to the ship’s core. All field operative members were there and so is—. It’s living there or— from there and is protected from —jump. If we’d stayed there, we would have— shielded—.
[Another brief, muffled statement, followed by a different voice, lower but just as breathless.] To the left--
—omeone pulled us from the core. —made— a mistake. Unsure of core’s loca— in relation to the physical— of the ship. Unsure of duration of stay. Unsure of current jump cycle. Unsure of position of— --ther field operatives but know they’re safe. Unsure of distance from current position to —ical bay, though mapping gear puts us out at--
[There’s a small rustling sound, and Javik’s voice is muffled when he finally speaks:] Approximately seven-point-eight metric —ts northeast of marker P1. [Anyone with access to the map will see exactly what their situation is. They will not make it to medical. They will not make it out of the corridors.]
--Refer to previous jump’s schematic for closest approximation. I can’t verify —validity so I’m leaving this channel open. We also left Javik’s comm open where we started. Petrelli, try to tr— the --ignal when you get out. Someone needs to get back there. If any field team operative gets to medical, —eeds to get them back to the white—. If we can ge— there, we might have— to—. They know how— and —it’s there.
[A beat. The alarm drones on and on, the sound of running and heavy breathing punctuated by static. When she speaks again, there’s something distracted and distant at the edge of Shepard’s voice:] Formally suggest volunteer only operation. Something is different. Something’s in my head. [And then she sharpens.]
Shepard out.
[There is, for a moment, silence, except for the howling of the sirens and the continued, regular sound of their footfall in the corridors. More time, but not much.]
You must go— [There’s a snarl in his voice, disgust or despair] This place will— you. It —kill us all. Do n— this did not happen. Do not re— --til you have avenged your own stolen lives. For the sake of all those you have been taken from. You cannot —eace here, but you must— revenge. There is nothing else. Fight until you die, there is no other—
—Javik! [She cuts him off, voice loud enough to make the transmission distort around it. It’s followed by a muffled prompting of ‘Which way--?’ before the static suddenly increases to a roar that drowns anything - everything - else out. The ship jumps. The channel stays open and remains that way, though by the time anyone comes out of the jump it will have been broadcasting only silence.]
This is Shepard, formerly Commander of the SSV Normandy reporting with Javik, ID number zero-two-four-dash-one-four-seven. Hill, transcribe —opy of this for the record and for your after action report. [Because she sure as shit doesn’t have time to write it down herself. As it is, she speaks in a clipped, hard tone - painfully brusque.] Communications failed on jump da— --er which we were separated. If Corvo Attano is there, he’ll have—. I— [a pause, possibly a moment of conferral or maybe just a drop in the transmission] —we found —places that don’t belong he— from where we’re from. Unable to report if other fireteams experienced similar phe—nom—a, but I’d put credits on it being tied to either the —ingulari— on the shi— or more nanotech hallu—nations. Formally suggest further investigation. —found people we knew and were led to— with a bright light. See previous jump’s after action re— speak —arolyn Fry for —tional details.
[And this part comes through, sharp:]
The white door leads to the ship’s core. All field operative members were there and so is—. It’s living there or— from there and is protected from —jump. If we’d stayed there, we would have— shielded—.
[Another brief, muffled statement, followed by a different voice, lower but just as breathless.] To the left--
—omeone pulled us from the core. —made— a mistake. Unsure of core’s loca— in relation to the physical— of the ship. Unsure of duration of stay. Unsure of current jump cycle. Unsure of position of— --ther field operatives but know they’re safe. Unsure of distance from current position to —ical bay, though mapping gear puts us out at--
[There’s a small rustling sound, and Javik’s voice is muffled when he finally speaks:] Approximately seven-point-eight metric —ts northeast of marker P1. [Anyone with access to the map will see exactly what their situation is. They will not make it to medical. They will not make it out of the corridors.]
--Refer to previous jump’s schematic for closest approximation. I can’t verify —validity so I’m leaving this channel open. We also left Javik’s comm open where we started. Petrelli, try to tr— the --ignal when you get out. Someone needs to get back there. If any field team operative gets to medical, —eeds to get them back to the white—. If we can ge— there, we might have— to—. They know how— and —it’s there.
[A beat. The alarm drones on and on, the sound of running and heavy breathing punctuated by static. When she speaks again, there’s something distracted and distant at the edge of Shepard’s voice:] Formally suggest volunteer only operation. Something is different. Something’s in my head. [And then she sharpens.]
Shepard out.
[There is, for a moment, silence, except for the howling of the sirens and the continued, regular sound of their footfall in the corridors. More time, but not much.]
You must go— [There’s a snarl in his voice, disgust or despair] This place will— you. It —kill us all. Do n— this did not happen. Do not re— --til you have avenged your own stolen lives. For the sake of all those you have been taken from. You cannot —eace here, but you must— revenge. There is nothing else. Fight until you die, there is no other—
—Javik! [She cuts him off, voice loud enough to make the transmission distort around it. It’s followed by a muffled prompting of ‘Which way--?’ before the static suddenly increases to a roar that drowns anything - everything - else out. The ship jumps. The channel stays open and remains that way, though by the time anyone comes out of the jump it will have been broadcasting only silence.]
minutes before the jump (goddamnit shep)
Six minutes.
Five.
He pushes himself off the wall. In two minutes it'll be too close to Apparate back and get to a pod. That this is stupid and dangerous is something he well knows (knows better), but his anger and frustration have outweighed his caution. Seconds are cruelly shaved off and the inevitable reality screws itself into unavoidable, neon clarity. Severus is putting his comms device away when he says, quietly, ]
Kate.
[ because they have to go now.
Whatever else he's going to say is aborted. He freezes.
This is Shepard, formerly Commander of the SSV Normandy ]
(goddamnit shep)
to safetypresent. She's not quite counting down, but the ticking clock is palpable. ]We need to go.
[ She doesn't bother to keep the bitter, sour twist out of her voice or off her face but there's no complaint or protest, and she's turning to step nearer when the comm crackles to life.
Brows high, eyes wide, she looks up at Severus, shocked and attentive though within five seconds she's bouncing on the ball of one foot and circling two fingers in the air. Enough with the formalities Shepard, hurry it up. ] Where are you?
no subject
Severus stays quiet. And listens.
He counts down in his head as he steps closer and takes hold of Kate just above her elbow, poised to move. He doesn't say anything. One minute until they absolutely have to go. His grip is probably too tight, tense. They're not going to be able to hear everything if Shepard and Javik keep broadcasting until the jump forces them to stop. The static somehow feels cold, awful leeching fingers distorting an already awful message. ]
no subject
She's already asked about tracking spells before just now. They've been standing here for a while and clearly ran out of non-magical options long before that. If she might have considered renewing the idea it's cut off as the message goes on, and she barely notices Snape's hand on her arm, exhaling a curse so far beneath her breath only the tone is intelligible.
Javik fills in a distance. ] Fuck. Fuck! That's--. [ There's no way. She presses the heel of her thumb between her eyes. Quieter, steadier: ] We have to go.
no subject
Severus waits another moment, still wordless, almost solemn about it - he doesn't trust himself to say anything. He doesn't know what he'd say, and he'd just be pointlessly angry anyway. Powerless is a crippling feeling.
He takes a step back, turning, tugging Kate with him. The world around them collapses away, swirling down to a pinpoint before expanding again in the medbay, leaving them in the temporarily dizzy aftermath of Apparating. Severus wordlessly Vanishes both their now-silent devices to his locker (he doesn't know where Kate's is, sorry Kate). All that's left is running the last few meters.
The real magic trick will be managing it without tripping over the thought of Javik and Shepard being obliterated. ]
NOT HERE.
[not here]
By then Shepard and Javik are long dead. Perhaps it's been months. Years. Nobody could possibly know.
Something is different. Something's in my head.
It's the only part of the entire broadcast that can really be trusted.
He listens and listens again. Listens as he pours coffee and refuses to smile, even when Izzie anxiously nudges her snout under his arm looking for affection. Are they meant to be dissuaded or encouraged? How can this be a fight if there's no way to know which side to choose? ]