Victoria watched the Tet explode across the sky like fireworks with nothing but denial in her thoughts.
Three hours later, when the hysterical tears not even Jack could calm dried, she spared a thought for the cause. What could possibly have turned her ordered, safe world upside down like this? More importantly, what would happen now? How would they get to Titan without the Tet? They were so close. And now, now…
Victoria ran the data she managed to acquire from Sally before the incident again. Nothing. She didn't understand.
Three days later and that mattered very little. Despite strict rationing, she knew supplies would run low and that no help was coming. They would have to venture out there. At least, Jack would. Not that breaking regulations ever mattered to him.
Victoria didn't intend to stick one pinky toe off the side of her tower.
It was a good thing the ship ran on solar power. They could stay up here. There was no need to go down to the ruined, polluted world below, not with the Scavs still around and absolutely no drones at their disposal. They were vulnerable enough as it was. Everything would be fine. They just needed some raw materials for the food processor. Jack wouldn't even need to go down that often. They could continue like always and then, maybe someday soon, a ship would come from Titan to rescue them.
Except nothing went as planned. The Scavs turned out to be human and Victoria's world ended once more.
Three weeks later and Victoria still couldn't accept the truth. At least, enough to leave her tower. She wouldn't allow one of them to come taint the machine scrubbed air inside her empty rooms either. Jack told her again and again to come and if she would just listen, she would understand.
Victoria didn't want to understand. She didn't want to know any of it because a ship from Titan would come any day now and take them, or at least her, away. Those things below might look human but they certainly weren't. The Scavs had time enough to adapt, didn't they? Now that their primary defenses were gone, it was the perfect time to strike, to divide and conquer.
The idea that there was more than one of her was absurd. The trouble with Jack was that he never agreed with her on anything.
Three months later and it was just Victoria living in the tower. Jack, her Jack, left her alone for them. How Victoria hated them, then.
Jack only came to deliver supplies to her now. They didn't talk about it because there was nothing to say. Jack wanted something from her that she could never give. In her heart of hearts, Victoria knew she would never leave her tower, not while some hope of Titan remained. She clung to that lifeline even as the stillness of the place settled around her once more with Jack's departure.
It wasn't quiet for long. When Jack next returned, he brought someone very familiar with him.
Victoria gazed at herself and her world shattered all over again. She pressed her hand over her mouth and screamed.