Dylan is completely speechless. Suddenly everything is too bright and too loud and too real. He just stares sightlessly at Trance unable to form a single thought. He wants to cry, scream, even laugh at the utter ludicrousness of it all. He finally manages to collect himself enough to rasp a question. "How?"
Trance swallows before gently saying, "I think it was one of the Abyss's minions - his damn puppets!"
She spits that last out in a voice full of venom and Dylan almost takes a step back at the dangerous look on her face. Trance visbly collects herself before continuing. "The Abyss itself cannot take corporeal form. Rommie's a-attacker probably got onboard during the time Andromeda wasn't in control. I imagine there's been someone nearby ever since Beka was infected. After that it just waited, hidden from her sensors somehow."
Dylan wipes a hand down his face slowly, hoping no one notices the tears trying to appear in his eyes. Pulling on every ounce of military training he has Dylan straightens up He asks (thinking how everyone seems to be afraid to make any loud noises - even Beka's crying is muted), "Can I see her?"
There is a notinoticeable pause before Trance says "Andromeda?"
"Yes?" comes the strangely subdued reply. Neither the screen persona nor hologram appear. Just the reply.
"Is it safe yet?" Trance asks keeping Dylan's eys trapped with hers. She sees the confusion in his but waits for an affirmative from Andromeda before speaking again.
"The sedative appears to be working," Andromeda tells her in that new soft tone. There's still no sign or either of her incarnations and Dylan faintly begins to realize there is more than one victim here. He pushes the thought back as he attempts to focus on Trance. There is an unmistakable question in his eyes and the sun avatar takes a steadying breathe.