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Chapter 6
A month. Richard thumbed through Chris' Admin report on Sam, scanning each neatly printed page as it flicked past. The girl was doing well; he'd give her that. Over a month in and, aside from the continual streams of 'what?' and 'why?' – which unfortunately seemed part of her character rather than a Sue effect – she appeared pretty stable. No breakdowns, no hissy fits, no sporking failures and associated very loud, very public l33t incidents - that one had been fun – and the new addition of a relatively normal-looking kid was a relief. He'd been more than sceptical at first, seeing the over-developed pre-pubescent larva he'd pulled off the station, but Kate knew her stuff. The girl wasn't completely typical of her age and there was a suspicion she'd grow into more siren features, but for now it would be useful to have another member capable of interacting with normal humans without drawing too much attention.
That was not, however, what was concerning him. He snapped the file shut and glared at the grey cover. He'd delayed for five weeks, waiting, keeping a closer watch on Sam than he had on any Initial for a long time. He'd been looking for any really solid reason not to expose the girl to Serenity.
He hadn't found one. Other than his own reluctance to let anyone else near that thing, and Kate was making no secret of her impatience. There was something about her attitude on this was irking him, grating across his nerves like a saw blade. It was possibly that she was ordering him around. If anyone else…
Focus.
Richard pushed the file away from him and leaned forward, chin resting on his fingers. Kate wanted the girl to see Serenity. He couldn't stall anymore, or she'd get someone else to do it and that was something he couldn't allow.
Then there was the other problem. Or rather the lack of it. It hadn't just been the need to keep an eye on Sam that had kept him in the Terrace for five weeks. The last month had seen no Sue activity. At all. All the Field teams were back in, alternating between teaching the Apprentices and milling around trying to find something productive to do. He'd never seen anything like it, particularly after the incredible levels they'd had before. It was ridiculous. Sure, Sueage levels usually oscillated, often in response to the Hogwarts term schedule and they did decrease after a major event, but… To his knowledge, they hadn't had one. There was a massive; looming sense that they were due, but he'd never seen this kind of build up before.
Like a wave, his gaze slid across the room until it reached the shuttered window and arced out across the rooftops opposite, unseeing, the water draws back into the really big ones before they hit. He really hoped that wasn't what was happening. Considering the stuff they'd seen before, he did not want to think about what could be so big in comparison.
Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be the only one reluctant to think about it. Kate was all but refusing to acknowledge the change, and there were a lot of false smiles and forced cheerful comments of 'a bit of relief' and 'space to breathe'. The one cliché that hadn't been trotted out much was 'calm before the storm', which was probably the only one that was relevant.
Right. Priorities. He stood up abruptly, scooped up the file ready to be thrust back on the first Admin he came across, and headed for the door. Sitting around brooding on possibilities wasn't going to get him anywhere. He'd have another talk with Kate after he'd brought Sam back up from the cellars. Hopefully still sane.
-x-x-
A month. Sam glanced round at the mildly-controlled chaos of the break room and settled back into the squashy sofa to enjoy a rare moment of relaxation. The last four weeks had been the busiest of her life. Well, okay, so they made up the longest period of time she could actually remember with any detail, but the point held. She'd been shifted from section to section every few days, shadowing a different person each time. In fact, the only areas she hadn't been introduced to were Scanns and Field, and it had been very clearly explained why. Her mind drifted back to one of Jackie's responses, when she'd asked nervously if she'd have to do anything in the Field.
-"You won't go anywhere near Field for a long time."
"Why?"
"There's the question," the redhaired woman smiled slightly, "Well, first off, you gotta be fast on your feet, very good with a wand, even better with your mind and be able to hold your own in a fist fight. Plus you've got to qualify for a grade two spork before you can even try out, and to cap it all you're under Richard. If he doesn't think you're good enough you've got no chance and his standards are nigh-on impossible to reach."
Sam blinked.
"Why's it so hard?"
"Because Field is hard," Jackie replied sharply, "Even after all that we lose people. Not all Sues are as easy to bring in as you were. We've seen vampires, werewolves, ninjas, part-anything's, Elementals, Elves, Angels, death-ray vision and Unicorns, which are a lot less ethereal and a lot more highly condensed, spiked cavalry charge when you're face-to-face with one. And they were the ones we could classify. Dealing with unleashed Sues isn't something you do lightly."-
Scanns was apparently similar – you needed a certain level of 'clearance' before you were even allowed to go in there, initial arrival not included. Sam wasn't exactly sure what 'clearance' entailed, but she was quite sure that either way, it would mean she'd have to spend more time around Kate and, or, Richard – neither of which was that appealing a prospect. They were both scary, but Kate seemed easier to avoid. She'd been bumping into Richard a lot in the last few weeks, although bumping into anyone at the moment was getting easier – the Terrace seemed to be considerably more full than when she'd arrived. It had also become clear that Richard himself was in a minority. Even after a month she'd only met two other Stus – a shy blond youth called Kipling maybe a few years older than she was, and Darek, a dark-skinned Stu in Field who appeared at seemingly random intervals, consumed an inordinate volume of coffee and didn't speak to anyone.
In fact, with the exception of Richard's strange eyes and Darek's communication problems, the Stus seemed more…well, normal, than their female counterparts. So far, the characteristics of many sharing her gender had made Sam feel considerably less odd. There were extra eyes, arms, pointed ears, all colours of eyes and hair, and in one case what Sam had initially assumed to be an extra person. The Jennys – the pink-haired twins she'd first seen in Scanns when she'd been brought in – were unusual even by Terrace standards. She'd shadowed them for Admin a week ago, and was a little disconcerted at first – she'd never come across two people who were absolutely identical before. They didn't just finish eachother's sentences, they had a tendency to work like one individual in two bodies, passing quills, parchments, printouts, books and all manner of objects between four hands as easily as two. Whatever you told one, the other would know if you spoke to them later. That was assuming you could tell which one you were speaking to. They even dressed alike.
For a while, Sam flirted with the notion that there really was only one Jenny, who somehow managed to have two forms at her disposal, but Jackie had shot that idea down when she'd voiced it.
'No,' she'd laughed, 'Although it can seem like it at times. There's definitely two of them, we checked. They're extremely twins, that's all.' She hadn't elaborated further, and after a while Sam found herself getting used to the situation.
Right now, she was waiting for Jackie. They'd taken to meeting up at least once a day when Sam wasn't assigned to her so she could voice whatever questions she'd developed over the day. There were normally a lot of them, and Jackie answered each one in relation to a sliding scale of 'need to know'. Some things, such as more details about Scanns, or pre-spork backgrounds of residents, got very short answers, whereas discussion of lesson syllabi could take hours. Sam didn't mind. She'd have plenty of time…
Her musing cut short as, across the room, the door swung open and revealed a tight-lipped Jackie standing in the corridor. She looked paler than usual and hesitated noticeably before entering the room. Sam sat up quickly.
"What's wrong?"
Jackie didn't answer, but as she stepped aside suddenly she didn't need to. Sam's gaze locked with the twin points of black emerald the move revealed, and she felt her stomach give a weird lurch. Richard tilted his head very briefly in the ghost of a nod.
"Come with me." With that he turned and vanished back into the corridor. Sam jumped to her feet, skirted a magazine rack, and went to follow, glancing automatically at Jackie as she passed. The redhead flashed a rather forced smile.
"Good luck." The strained edge in her voice was enough to make Sam's stomach give an unpleasant lurch. Breaking the eye contact, she stepped into the corridor and looked round. Richard hadn't gone far and was waiting for her a few metres away. He moved off wordlessly with long, determined strides that seemed to radiate a sense of worried annoyance. Sam kept quiet as she trailed after him. She didn't think she could have done anything to get on his nerves yet – aside from possibly evoking the usual irritation at her presence – so she found herself searching her mind for possibilities.
She hadn't been the direct focus of Richard's attention, on her own, since she'd arrived. It was still unnerving, even when walking behind him.
After a few more steps, she coughed nervously.
"Where are we going?" It was meant to be a faux-casual inquiry, although it came out as more of a squeak.
"Cellars."
That seemed to be all she was getting. He didn't even turn round and Sam frowned. She knew the Terrace had cellars – the vaulted room she'd been sporked in had screamed subterranean – but other than that she'd heard nothing about them so far.
What was in cellars anyway? She had a vague impression of coal, maybe boxes and general…well, stuff. Storage. Why did she need an escort, let alone Richard, to go there? Jackie had looked so worried…
No immediate answers presented themselves, so Sam contented herself with trying to recognise their route through the winding corridors. Her nerves were little soothed as she realised she didn't recognise anything. She usually navigated by using the pattern of lamps, artwork and bookshelves, but this way was new.
Eventually Richard flung open a seemingly random door and hit the lightswitch inside, illuminating a narrow set of stairs. Cool air flowed up past as they descended, and even with the bulbs strung across the roof Sam had to squint. Her eyes adjusted to the gloom as they continued in silence, but the view was as unhelpful as the darkness had been.
The Terrace's cellars were indeed full of what was best described as 'stuff'. There was a similar feel down here to the rest of the building – of a large space produced by the sledgehammer-mediated fusion of many smaller rooms. If anything it was more sprawling, with tunnels and antechambers stretching away into the shrouding gloom. Crates, haphazard stacks of cardboard boxes and old furniture in varying states of repair were crammed up against the walls, leaving a thin clear path between them, lit by dim cones of electric light. Richard threaded through the channels with practised ease and Sam hurried after him, following more the sound of his footsteps than the dark figure before her, who seemed to blend with the shadows a little more than was strictly necessary.
Puzzlement rose up through her apprehension. There just didn't seem to be anything here, other than the boxed-up debris of everyday life, so why-?
So suddenly that Sam let out an involuntary yelp, Richard stopped and turned, a gloved hand snaking out and latching around her arm. Sam was swung bodily round and pushed into the side of an old wardrobe behind her. The pressure wasn't much, but it was enough to keep her pinned. In the dull light, Richard's eyes gleamed as he leaned closer, until their faces were only a few inches away.
"Who are you girl?" he growled, an edge of threat skirting his words and Sam automatically jerked back, cracking her elbows on the solid wood behind her, mind whirling. What the…?
"I-I'm Sam! Wha-?" she cut off as Richard shifted, catching both her arms this time in grips so hard she swore she felt the bones creak. The eyes above her gleamed again…and then she felt it, a strange trickle of thought rising from the back of her mind. Who was she? She'd known that all along, of course, and besides, that silly acronym was hardly fitting for-
"No!" she snapped, wrenching her arms free as her fists balled, defensive, aimed at both the accusing stare and the whisperings in her mind. She shook her head, pushing away the thoughts, and managed to hold Richard's gaze.
"I'm Sam!"
For a moment Richard didn't move. Then suddenly his lips twitched in what might have almost been a smile, and Sam felt a jolt of shock as a hand clapped her very briefly on the shoulder.
"Keep that in mind," he said softly and turned back into the gloom. Confused, Sam stared after him. She had no idea what that had been about. Although she was quite sure she didn't want to be left here alone – the shadows loomed too much – and hurried after him.
They didn't have far to go. The cellar ended abruptly in a series of hollowed archways, the largest of which contained a door. It wasn't a subtle door, all bolted steel and rivets the size of bottle-caps, and the only bit of decoration was a raised block of metal with a slit in the centre. Richard reached into his robes and drew out a thin silvery shape. The spork glinted briefly before it was inserted into the slit and twisted like a key. A series of heavy clunks echoed dully, then Richard pulled the spork free again and planted a hand squarely on the door. Sam had expected an ominous creak, but it swung open with smooth oiled silence.
"Watch yourSelf," Richard murmured and stood back, leaving the open doorway yawning before him. Hesitantly, Sam moved forward. Each step seemed strangely reluctant – she had to think quite hard about each movement before it would come, as if her knees were trying to be somewhere else. She eyed the gloom beyond, half feeling as if she was going to be swallowed up by the darkness. That particular fear dispelled as Richard muttered something behind her and a dozen old carriage lamps around the walls sprang into light.
Whatever she'd been anticipating, it wasn't this. The room illuminated was large, roughly triangular and almost completely empty. Aside from the lamps, the only object inside was at the far end, taking up the entire far point of the room. Sam stared at it, even more confused. It looked like a giant crystal ball, half as high again as an adult, resting on a large hexagonal metal stand. It was glowing softly.
It also seemed to be getting bigger, and it took Sam a few moments to realise that was because she was heading towards it. There was still a resistance in her muscles but it seemed muted now, fading with every step she took towards the globe. That had to be a good thing, surely…
"…Sam? Hey-"
She barely heard the voice. Her attention was riveted on the towering glass sphere infront of her. It seemed to be filled with a glowing, oily grey fog, but the contents were far from still. Patterns swirled in the mist, fading in and out of view, passing through eachother, never still long enough for the brain to decide what they were. Dreamily, Sam reached forward, letting her fingers slide across the glass as she watched the fog-
-and nearly fell over in shock as it was suddenly looking back. Twin points of slanted, bright yellow light had materialised and were undeniably staring at her. She jerked back, letting out a small gasp of shock as she did so, and suddenly the air was filled with a literally bubbling laugh. It sounded like someone sniggering into a submerged microphone. Sam took a step back as the fog whirled and condensed, resolving itself into a humanoid shape around the glowing eyes. The figure formed was clearly female, oddly proportioned, but female. Were it solid enough for gravity to have taken an interest in it, no-one that top heavy on such thin limbs would have been able to stand upright. The edges of the shape weren't quite defined, alternating between solid and fog so fast they looked almost to be boiling, particularly around the tendrils of hair. Serena had heard – and used – the term 'flowing' to describe hair but until now she had never seen any that could really boast the description. This figure seemed to be teetering on the edge of dissolving.
The eyes gleamed even brighter and a thin line appeared further down the blank, mannequin-like face.
"I don't suppose they gave a new girl like you my key, did they?" The figure's voice was as strange as its laugh, and sent shivers dancing down Sam's spine. The eyes gleamed even brighter, swirling…she couldn't turn away…
"Still, you could get it for me-"
"Leave it out, Serenity." Richard's voice cut through the fog rising around Sam's mind and she jumped as a hand dropped onto her shoulder. The pressure brought her crashing back to reality and she shrank back from the glass. There was another round of the strange laugh and the misty figure resolved further, leaning forward.
"Dear Richard," it purred, "Still playing the Knight in Shining Armour routine, are we? How is your job abducting little girls going?"
Richard's lip curled, his eyes flickering to something that looked dark red in the strange light.
"Fine, thank you," he sneered, "How is life in a snowglobe?"
"Could be better. I couldn't persuade you to help with that?" Somehow, the figure gave the impression of batting its eyelids.
"Not a chance." Richard turned back to Sam and jerked a thumb at the glass, "Meet Serenity."
Sam stared at the figure, who waved sarcastically.
"Wh…what…?"
"She's a Sue," Richard said quietly, "The only one we've come across able to survive outside a form."
"Yes, I'm quite the celebrity," the figure – Serenity – smirked through the glass, "Darling Richard here can't stay away from me."
"You wish."
There was more to the exchange, but Sam didn't hear it. She was too busy being torn somewhere between shocked and terrified. Her gaze was riveted to the ghostly figure opposite. That…was…a Sue?
"I…I've got one of those inside me?" It came out as a croak. Both Richard and Serenity glanced over at her, breaking their shared glare. Serenity reacted first and swirled up against the glass opposite.
"Do I scare you, little girl?" she slid her palms slowly down the glass, as if caressing it, and giggled coquetteishly, "Do I send shivers down your spine? Tell me I do."
Sam swallowed hard, trying desperately not to look at the glowing eyes. It wasn't easy – her body seemed to be trying to look up against her control, and it was taking a lot of effort to keep staring at a piece of flooring. A fresh giggle echoed, and suddenly Sam's head jerked up as if on strings, her gaze swinging up to meet Serenity's. The yellow light blazed into her, sending unpleasant ripples of a pins-and-needles-like sensation dancing along her nerves. Her world shrank until those eyes occupied everything and beyond.
The moment froze.
After what seemed like an eternity, very slowly, Sam became aware of…no, not a sound as such, more a silent echo, the space left in the mind for words to fit into.
Somehow, it purred.
'Bringing a Serena? Tsch. I'd say he was losing his touch. Or she is. Ah, the ever impenetrable twin fortresses. Ultimate prize really, to crack that. Imagine what could be done…'
Sam felt her teeth grind together with effort as she forced her own thoughts into words. Get…out…of my…head!
A laugh rose, although she couldn't tell if she were hearing it with her ears or not.
'Quite a persistent little residual, aren't we? Odd for a Serena. Now some people would have it that was a good thing. Myself? Oh, I'd say there are more amusing things. Like this-
Pain crackled across her mind, squeezing like a vice and Sam struggled to cry out as invisible fingers jabbed at her brain, raking through her like claws. Memories span in front of her eyes – the Station, the sporks, the Terrace, Richard. Lots of Richard. A snigger echoed through her skull.
'Hero worship, blind terror. Draw a line.'
Get away from me! Sam thought furiously, but it was getting harder to pull coherent lines together. The strange voice pushed ever inward, and she could feel something trying to react in the back of her mind, pushing the other way. She felt caught between them, pressurised, crushed… Panic reared. Get out! Get OUT!
'Make me. Serena.'
Something snapped. Sam felt her fists clenching, determination born of fury pulsing into her thoughts, clearing some of the rising fog. Why all this crap with her name? If she wasn't being questioned about it then someone was using the wrong damn one! She was Sam!
Get-
Her fists balled tighter, nails digging into her palms but at least she could feel that, the pain something tangible to focus on.
Out-
The mental vice began to loosen as the second, more internal pressure started to retreat. Sam turned as much of her focus as she could back on the intruding voice, aiming every thread of spiralling thought she had into one effort.
NOW!
The moment broke. The world flooded back and Sam's knees buckled, all the strength drained out of her as she crumpled backwards. She didn't get far, strong hands locking around her shoulders almost instantly and pulling her upright. As her thoughts condensed again she suddenly realised she was staring into another pair of eyes, these not glowing but darkly green and, for a moment, deadly serious. Then Richard's gaze softened and he straightened up again, squeezing her shoulders.
"Sorry kid," he murmured, "That was a little sooner than I'd intended."
"It…it's okay…" Sam gulped at air, trying to stop her hands shaking, "I…I mean…you said, about my name…"
"I know. You did well."
"What is that thing?" Sam got her composure enough to aim a glare at the silent figure behind the glass. She could still feel the strange pull, but it was dulled now. Richard gave a cautious shake of his head.
"Like I said. Pure Sue. We've never figured out how she survives, and we've never seen another like it."
"I'm just special," Serenity's blank features threw a glowing smile again and she gave an overly-theatrical bow. Richard snorted and he leaned closer.
"Special. Freak. Draw a line."
Sam blinked at the phrasing, but a quick check of Richard's features revealed nothing. Not that they ever really did.
"Why did you bring me down here?"
She hadn't intended to speak, but the question just slipped out. He didn't have chance to answer before Serenity giggled again.
"Orders of She Who Must Be Obeyed, one thinks. Dear Richard, such a lapdog."
"If you do not shut up, I will kill you," Richard responded calmly, and turned back to Sam. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, something flickering in the back of his eyes.
"Call it Trial by Fire." He paused and gently began to steer Sam towards the door, "Wait outside."
Relief washing over her, Sam scurried for the exit. There was a large handle on this side of the door and she pulled it open. As she slid through she could feel two stares fixed on the back of her head.
The door slammed shut behind her.
-x-x-
Richard watched the girl leave, mixed emotion running through him. On the one hand, that had gone surprisingly well. Serenity had gotten in damn fast, true, and Sam's Ocular Cycle had been going crazy for a few minutes, but she'd thrown it off by herself. He made a quick mental note on that point – in a few years, when she was ready, he'd have to see about checking her Imperius resistance.
On the other hand…
His eyes narrowed. She should not have had to do that. It wasn't-
A fresh laugh cut his thought. The sound was high, tinkling – the kind of sound shattered glass would make if it sang. How he loathed that noise. Slowly, he turned back to the spherical prison. Serenity was watching him, radiating amusement.
"The quality of your little pets is dropping," she said sweetly, tossing her gassy hair from side to side, "Why would you surround yourself with such pitiful creatures? Got a thing for lost causes?"
"Can't you diffuse quietly for once?"
"Seriously Richard," Serenity yawned and stretched, cat-like against the glass, "How long are you going to keep this up? Such a pointless cause. Disgracing yourself, going against your own kind, for what?"
"You aren't my kind, Serenity," Richard said quietly. He knew not to let her bait him but some things needed to be said, if only to remind himself. The laugh bubbled over him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Oh but I am, and you know it-"
"Shut up!" Richard span round, slamming his fists either side of Serenity's head, and leaned forward until the glass was all that was separating their gazes, "You want to know what I know? I know I can spork you down and rip those congealed exhaust fumes you call a body into so many pieces we'll need a paperweight to keep you in!"
Serenity smirked.
"Ever the romantic, Richard."
"I don't know why I even come here," he growled and stepped back. As he turned away, a childish giggle echoed round the room.
"I do," Serenity's voice took on a sing-song tone, "You think I'll be useful, don't you? Maybe I should be."
Richard whirled back round and shot a glare at her.
"What?"
Serenity's eyes flared brightly and when she spoke her voice
"Beware the puppet master, holding all the strings. A snip, a chop, a little cut; and down comes everything!" The rhyme ended in a shrieking cackle as Serenity began to spin, strands of fog whirling off her and back into the surrounding clouds, and then all that remained of the distinct figure was a pair of glowing slits.
"See you later, Richard!" Serenity's voice crawled across his ears one last time as the eyes faded back into the fog, leaving nothing but glowing currents in the oily mist. For a few seconds, Richard didn't move, the strange words playing across his mind. Then he shook himself and strode back to the door. He was not going to pay attention to Serenity's mind-games.
He had other things to worry about.
-x-x-
Leaving the cellars always seemed to take half the time it took to enter. Richard noticed how closely Sam was following him this time – tripping over her own feet and occasionally the edge of his robe as she scurried along to keep pace. She looked shaken, which was understandable. For a moment his thoughts drifted back to Serenity, and he shivered. Five years they'd kept that thing down there, and every time he saw it he seriously considered why they didn't just spork her.
It came down to one thing, really. Serenity was the perfect warning, in case any of them ever doubted what they were doing. She showed what a Sue really was, beneath all the beauty and sparkles. Sometimes, you needed to be reminded what the other end of the scale looked like.
He sighed and cast a quick glance down at the scared girl at his side. He'd been a bit too hard on her, honestly. She hadn't been a difficult pickup, she'd responded well to the Initiation programs and now she'd encountered Serenity and remained sane.
As they reached the bottom of the staircase, something tugged very lightly at his robe. Richard looked back down at Sam, her face very pale in the dim light.
"R-Richard?" She released her grasp on his arm quickly, as if expecting a sharp rebuke. He regarded her impassively, then let his expression soften.
"What's up, kid?"
"Was that Influence? When I heard that…voice…in my head?"
Well, at least Jackie's doing her job right. Richard sighed.
"Sort of. The globe's enchanted, it blocks out everything but a fraction of Serenity's thrall. That's what you felt."
"A fraction?"
Richard gave a short laugh.
"Full thrall is worse than Imperius. You'd have been eradicated, even after a recent sporking."
Sam went quiet.
I probably could have put that better.
"You did well Sam. Don't worry about it."
"Why did I have to do that?" Her voice was shaking. Richard sighed again and felt a scowl rise onto his features.
"That is a very good question." He dropped a hand onto the stair-rail and started climbing. He could have elaborated further – perhaps – but he wasn't about to divulge the thoughts he was barely allowing himself to acknowledge. Glancing back, he saw that Sam was staring at him with an odd expression on her face. He tried a small smile, but it was possible his lips didn't react.
"C'mon, we'd better let Jackie's mothering instinct know you're still upright."
It didn't take long to drop Sam back into the charge of a relieved Jackie, although he didn't stay long enough to explain anything. Sam could do that well enough herself, and besides, he had more pressing matters to deal with.
His route to Scanns was surprisingly empty, considering the current in-house population. Apparently he was radiating annoyance again. He barged through the main door, past an Admin tottering under a huge stack of paper, and turned his attention towards the far platform.
Kate was waiting for him, standing with her arms folded at the stop of the short staircase. As Richard strode forward, every head in the room suddenly became intensely interested in their work, computer or fingernails. He ignored them and fixed his attention on Kate.
If ice had been forming on the furniture around her, it wouldn't have been surprising.
She stepped back wordlessly as he mounted the platform, then span on one heel and stalked over to the far side of the Suescope. Richard faced her. From this position, the platform height concealed them from the main room. The seclusion was increased as Kate waved a hand and the air from rail to ceiling briefly shimmered.
"I do not need this reaching unintended ears," she said crisply. Richard raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because hearing me verbally rip you a new orifice would be rather bad for morale." She leaned forward suddenly, slamming her palms into the Suescope table with a thud that echoed, "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"
"What?" Richard felt his eyes widen and pale in surprise. Whatever he'd been expecting to hear, that hadn't been it. He stared at her in disbelief, and in the moment it took for his composure to return Kate was off again.
"After one month you expose an uncleared Initial to Serenity? Have you lost whatever passes for your mind? Imagine what could have happened!"
"Worst case I would've had to get the kid re-sporked," Richard snapped back, "And I thought you'd have known that, since this entire stupid thing was your bright idea!"
"I would no-" Kate cut out and her head dropped, blonde hair sweeping around her face enough to hide her expression. After a moment she looked back up, and this time her eyes were grey. Richard blinked. It took a lot to activate Kate's Ocular Cycle. She shook her head, almost sadly.
"It was my idea? To send the girl down after a month? It seems I was mistaken in trusting you with a little of your own judgement. This isn't Field Richard, you can't just spork your way out of bad decisions!"
"She did fine," Richard retorted, "Better than a lot I've seen who went through the usual channels."
"That's not the point! You recklessly endangered – "
"You know what?" Richard straightened up, ire rising, and met Kate's glare with one of his own; "I don't have to listen to this. I'm not one of your little Admin minions and I'll be dammed if you're going to chew me out like one!" His eyes narrowed and he stabbed an accusing finger in her direction. The hand shook slightly as he struggled to stay calm.
"I was against this, and I only took her down there so you didn't inflict the job on someone Serenity can actually affect!"
"Unlike you?" Kate shot back, "You react to that thing more than any of us!"
"When someone nearly kills you, you tend to remember it," he growled, "And when someone exceeds their authority, you tend to notice that too."
Kate's eyes flashed, rippling to an icy silver.
"And what-?" she asked, her voice suddenly very quiet and laden with frost, "Are you implying?"
"That this conversation is over." Richard span round and started towards the steps. Behind him, Kate thumped the table again.
"Do not turn your back on me Richard! I'm walking a knife-edge trying to keep this place functioning! I don't need you and Serena acting against me!"
Richard half turned, shooting one final Glare at Kate.
"Her name is Sam. What's yours?"
With that he stormed out, swearing under his breath, and leaving an incensed Kate glowering after him.
-x-