001. video

[servator]

[ If you’ve never seen someone who’s very close to death, you have now. The image broadcast is of a wearied-looking soldier who is fairly torn up, sporting dozens of gashes to the face and badly-cracked military-grade armor. The woman in question looks tired, yes, but there’s something almost relieved about her expression, about the way she sighs long and deep before speaking, taking her time in sending out a message. ]

Never thought being dead would look and feel just like living. [ Does that sound too unamused? Ah, well. She pauses, considers what to say; it’s difficult when you’ve recently been more or less dissolved into atoms and then woke up in a gooey pod. Among... other things. ]

This is Command-- [ The woman cuts off, brows knit as she reconsiders. ] ... This is Shepard, formerly Commander of the SSV Normandy, Alliance Navy. I don’t know where this is, exactly, but I think I know what it’s supposed to be.

[ Do the specifics of the afterlife matter so much once you're dead, though? Shepard smiles distantly, voice surprisingly easy despite all the unknown factors. ]

I need to find the bar. Promised someone I’d be there.

Comments

action!

[servator]

[ The Commander gets there a moment later, having been poking around the ship, previously. She stops a distance away, peering suspiciously at Severus with a sharpened gaze. The stark red hair and green eyes are a long shot from the last Shepard that other people seem to know (she checked the records, she's starting to get it, now... somewhat). Still, Severus will recognize the facial expressions, the stance, the voice which is so unquestionably similar to the one he'd heard dozens of times before.

She assumes. This is all one hell of a mystery. ]

You know who I am. Mind returning the favor?

[darkart]

[ Seeing her in person is surreal - the difference and the similarities. Severus doesn't think he and Lydia were ever friends, because he's not the sort of person who projects that kind of familiarity, but they worked together and he respected her. It's not a level of regard he hands out easily. ]

Professor Severus Snape. [ His voice is low, his gaze wary. He doesn't trust this any more than she does-- repeat visitors are one thing, even with memory issues, but the whole new body post-death is a new one for him. ]

Different universes converging is a common event here. But not quite like this.

[ If That Is Your Real Name, his tone seems to say. ]

[servator]

Professor. [ She nods, cautious and formal, mind ringing with everything she's heard in the last... well, not a long enough time to be told all of this. This... unbelievable story, one she isn't sure she can swallow, yet. ]

This is the second I'm hearing about alternate universes. [ She shifts, still frowning, almost restless. ] I'm not saying I don't believe it, 'cause I've seen a lot, but...

[ Man. ]

I know I've never been here before. Never met any of you, either.

[darkart]

Returning without memory is common. The jump drive does something to people, pulls them in and out of reality.

[ Different people, same identity being way, way out of the norm goes unsaid. This woman - Shepard? - has surely already gathered that. Severus is direct, flat, but still plainly confused through his cranky demeanor. He knows she's going to get worse shit from other people; he watches her closely, trying to decide if he thinks she's lying or not.

After a moment he takes out his comms device, expression grim. ]

The network was rebooted before the jump. Most of it was lost. [ said as he pulls something up. ] But I'd saved certain things already.

[ He holds the device out to her, this message archive cued up to play. ]

[servator]

Never heard of anything like that happening. [ Not in any of the jumps they'd been through, not with any of the beacons or relays... this is different. New. Dangerous.

Speaking of. "Certain things" has her on edge; she's heard about the other Shepard (Shepards?) and had briefly checked over the network to see for herself, but this particular moment is a fresh experience. Steeling herself, she moves forward to take the device in hand, eyes flitting down to the screen where her voice, but not her face, her uniform, but not her body, and Javik, same as always, come through the feed. Message scrambled, feed jarring. Feedback, roaring, black.

Her heart's pounding beneath the jumpsuit, expression pained, but focused. Shit. No wonder. ]

... I don't have any memories of this. [ She admits again, shaking her head, handing back the device for now. ] But you knew that. Closest thing I can think of for an explanation comes nowhere near explaining all this.

[ Her Citadel clone had been a different story. ]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[darkart]

I'm used to loss, I come from war. [ He sounds a little cold reciting that, but not defensive. It's true. Severus had been angry, not sad, and that remains. He takes his comms device back, still giving her a critical look. ]

Did you work with a woman who was very good at coding?

[ There's not a lot Severus can ask to try and compare answers; his grasp on what muggle military lifestyles are like is nebulous at best, and most details are broad enough that he doesn't think it'd be worth trying to match up. He remembers 'Tali', the name of the woman who was here and gone, whose encryptions Shepard had given him (which no longer work thanks to the network reset, ffffffuuu). ]

[servator]

Then we have that in common. [ It occurs a second after she says it that he might already know this; she isn't sure exactly how close "they" were, before. ]

Coding? Lots of people in that field, where I come from. Can you be a little more specific?

[ She did some rudimentary work herself, but she thinks of EDI, the computer, Tali, the specialist, Legion, the synthetic... Well, he isn't exactly a woman, but. ]

[darkart]

No. [ What the hell does he know about space tech. He eyes this woman with an increased degree of skepticism. ] Shepard gave me encryptions made by someone she worked with.

[ Severus thumbs through the comms device and holds the screen out again. There are no names attached, but maybe she'll recognize the style. Tali's work was considered completely unhackable when it was still compatible with the system here. No such luck after the power outage. ]

There's little other way to establish if you are who you say you are, short of trotting out one of the telepaths.

[ .. And despite his own abilities, it's clear from his tone of voice that Severus is reluctant to make anyone go through that. Including potential space marine imposters. ]

[servator]

Sounds like Tali, but you might not know her by name. [ Wait: ] Hang on, is she-- is anyone else from the Normandy on the ship?

[ That'd make the mistaken identity thing easier... unless they all thought she was a stranger, unless they didn't know her, either. Her heart beats a little faster, stubborn in its insistence. ]

If you've got biotic records, that'd be easy enough. [ There're tons of ways of establishing who she is, she thinks, annoyed. ] DNA samples, anything?

[darkart]

[ 'Tali.'

Fine.

He supposes Jax could always do a firearm identity parade with the Widow rifle, though he's gotten the impression it's not for use by humans. He never met its original owner-- and he remembers the hissed Bullshit left from Jax before he Apparated down here so. Maybe some other time. ]

There's nothing left. They were outside the gravity couches during a jump. [ And were obliterated. It's been months for them, Merlin knows how long time stretches by during each jump; Shepard and Javik might be petrified smears of gore somewhere in the depths of the ship by now, or there might be nothing. ] I recognize the name. Tali.

[ A concession. There's nothing else he can do in this moment besides accept it. Severus crosses his arms. ]

There was a man named Vega, but I haven't seen him this jump. The rest are long gone.

[servator]

The ship doesn't have a record of their DNA before that? Does it get wiped with the jump? [ If there was no record to begin with, she'll have some complaints to make to the XO. Though, from what she's heard, the people on the bridge aren't all that talkative. Or friendly. ]

She's a quarian, damn good specialist. [ And friend, but that's another point. ]

James? [ She says softly, but then, he's gone, too, and she only nods mutely. ]

... Right. Should've figured. Hopefully they're all safe.

[darkart]

[ Severus doesn't have anything to say about her people. Sometimes (most times) he wishes he were the only one from his world here; even if time spent with Lily has been priceless, she deserves a peaceful afterlife, and he would rather eat nails than see Black or Lupin again. Pricks. ]

We're prisoners on this ship. [ He shrugs one shoulder. ] I'm head of a department here only because we've put together skeleton departments under our own power. The original crew is dead or disappeared. Medbay is mostly emergency response. [ Speaking of-- narrows eyes. ] Did you fall down a lift shaft on your way here?

[ The gravcouch fluid should have taken care of injuries, unless they were so extreme she just didn't spend enough time in it. ]

[servator]

Skeleton departments are better than none. If there's someone working tech, or even in medical, then there might be records. I'll head there after this.

[ After she gets her answers. After Severus gets his. ]

What? Oh-- [ Right. She'd been pumping with adrenaline after waking up, trying to figure out where she was and why everyone was so angry, but now that he mentions it... yes. Yes, she looks and feels like complete shit. ] I, uh... was sorta dead before this. Different time, different place. Obviously.

[ The last Shepard on this ship had been... what, torn apart? She's not entirely sure. But she'd been sort of dematerialized as a result of a sort of sacrifice, so that's... that. ]

Looks worse than it is. [ Kind of. ]

[darkart]

[ His expression goes incredulous and disbelieving. Not about her experience, but about it looking worse than it is-- it's a very Don't Even Start With Me About The State Of Your Homework expression, which he's alarmingly good at. ]

I'll ping the CMO while we walk there. [ >:| Shepards everywhere and your inability to remain in one piece FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN etc. ] He was one of the field agents involved in the reconnaissance mission that killed her and Javik. He'll know if there's anything available.

[ 'Her', it sounds somewhat awkward, but he's not sure how to refer to Shepard and not make it sound like he's denying the identity of the woman standing before him. He's still mistrustful of the whole affair, but for now, he'll take her at her word. ]

[servator]

Appreciated. [ Even if they just had some Medi-Gel lying around... though, better not assume. ] It'd be good to get his side of the story. [ Whatever that would be. ]

[darkart]

[ Severus texts William while they walk, and wonders if he should include a warning about the other man's habit of littering everything with horrible swear words and slang. But hopefully he's finally reeling it in after spending a night in the brig for fighting while drunk. ]

There are reports, [ he says, though he leaves off that he wrote one of them. Severus was involved, too, though not as a field operative. Maybe he'll even say so eventually. ] The network was wiped but there'll be backlogs of everything you can download.

[servator]

The entire network? [ If there are backups, though, then it's fine, but she still frowns deeply. ] How did that happen?

[darkart]

[ Severus shrugs. At this point, Ryuuzaki hasn't made his post, and while Severus has taken to typing with ease, he's still distrustful of things like washing machines. Computer viruses are beyond him. ]

A lot goes on in this place. Parts of it vanish, re-appear, become unlivable. It'll mess with your head.

[servator]

No wonder everyone's on edge. [ With a strong pang, she realizes how much she misses the Normandy. ] And nobody knows why, or how?

[darkart]

That's what Lydia Shepard died trying to find out.

[ But there's no exact answers, or Severus would offer them up. Lift buttons get punched, doors open. Medbay bound.

He considers mentioning how badly the recon effort bucked up against SEC and a lot of the delicate sensibilities here but-- that might joss some other rp soooo nvm. She'll find out in time, probably. ]

[servator]

Then that's what I'll do. [ Find out that information? Maybe not. She's somewhere between realist and idealist. Still, she's not unrealistic; what she means, really, is that she'll continue her last incarnation's work. Do what she can to help the people on the ship, no matter what the cost. ]

I appreciate all the help. I know this can't be easy.