You didn't kill me. I'm not a simulation. I'm fine. Just a little sick.
[But she's getting more and more suspicious and he's not sure he'll be able to pull her back in. He's not even entirely sure what got into him to attempt this in the first place except that it seemed like a good idea at the time.]
He's fine. He's in stasis. I have his communicator and when you called I thought...
Honestly, I have no idea what I was thinking except that maybe you were calling about something important that needed to be taken care of right away as Neal, and then once I committed to the ruse, it was hard to come clean. Mostly it was an impulsive, snap decision. I do that sometimes.
He's resting next door, in Malcolm's cabin. It will take me a few moments to get there. [The video shakes as Norton gets up and heads toward his cabin door.]
[Norton continues to give Shaw some accidental shaky cam all the way up to Malcolm's spare bedroom where Neal is resting unconscious. He sits on the edge of the bed and points the camera at Neal.
It's disquieting, seeing Neal lying so very still. He's breathing, his colour is good, he doesn't look ill or dead, but Norton thinks he doesn't quite look like he's sleeping either. He reaches out and brushes his fingers lightly over Neal's temple and hair, as much to feel his warm skin and reassure himself as anything.]
[Norton looks at Shaw, back to Neal, back at Shaw again, trying to interpret that non-expression. Shaw's never particularly emotive, but this seems different.]
He's not death-tolling and you didn't kill him. [He repeats, but then adds:] You suspect you're being controlled? [He runs through a mental list of all the ship's known psychics, memory manipulators, and telepaths. But there's always the chance there's someone who has that power and he's not aware of it. Or non-telepathic means. Drugs or alien technology.]
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[Her voice is low, urgent. ]
You're not acting like yourself, they're simulating you wrong, and I don't know why.
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[But she's getting more and more suspicious and he's not sure he'll be able to pull her back in. He's not even entirely sure what got into him to attempt this in the first place except that it seemed like a good idea at the time.]
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[She makes a small noise, confusion and frustration and general distress all rolled together.]
No, there has to be a reason you're both sick; they wouldn't have done that without a reason. You just don't want me to know I killed you, right?
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Who else is sick?
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They simulated him better when they brought him back.
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I don't believe that I didn't kill you.
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She's probably going to murder him.
He turns on the camera.]
Hello. [He gives her a tiny wave.]
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... What?
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[Less syllables than "hello."]
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[She shakes her head, just slightly. ]
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Honestly, I have no idea what I was thinking except that maybe you were calling about something important that needed to be taken care of right away as Neal, and then once I committed to the ruse, it was hard to come clean. Mostly it was an impulsive, snap decision. I do that sometimes.
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[Still! Suspicious! Show her the body.]
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It's disquieting, seeing Neal lying so very still. He's breathing, his colour is good, he doesn't look ill or dead, but Norton thinks he doesn't quite look like he's sleeping either. He reaches out and brushes his fingers lightly over Neal's temple and hair, as much to feel his warm skin and reassure himself as anything.]
See. He's okay. Just in stasis.
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Okay.
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...You don't seem entirely okay yourself.
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I'm in Zero so I don't hurt people.
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I know people can be annoying here at times, but surely it's not so bad you have to lock yourself up in Zero over it?
[Someone has no idea that people are going crazy. Sure, Malcolm and Will seemed a bit odd, but they're always odd.]
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He said he was sick. I mean, you said-- you know what I mean. Figured he was death-tolling and they made me kill him. They like making me do that.
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He's not death-tolling and you didn't kill him. [He repeats, but then adds:] You suspect you're being controlled? [He runs through a mental list of all the ship's known psychics, memory manipulators, and telepaths. But there's always the chance there's someone who has that power and he's not aware of it. Or non-telepathic means. Drugs or alien technology.]
Do you know who?
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