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Amnesty Lodge is restless.
There’s anger, rage, silent curses towards Ned Chicane for going completely off the rails.
There’s anxiety, panic, fear that the war between Earth and Sylvain will start all over again.
Really, there’s only one resident who’s still seemingly aloof to everything, and it’s really better if it stays that way.
Mama’s in the bunker, pouring over plans of the forest, trying to find a way to hide the gate now that anyone with their TV on in Kepler can see it.
The feeling of betrayal lurks in her, despite her trying to think of it as rationally as possible.
They know the abomination imitates people. She knows the abomination imitates people.
But she’s had decades of experience, and the abominations have never been like this.
They’ve never had abominations that had plans, much less something as complicated as this.
And the voice, the look, the words…. It had all been so Ned.
How could an abomination, something supposed to be mindless, or animalistic at best, become such an accurate imitation of Ned?
A knock on the door startles her. It opens, and Dani greets her.
“I’m kind of busy right now, is it important? Is it Stern?”
Dani shakes her head, “No, don’t worry Barclay has Stern covered until he goes to his room for the night.” The young woman steps in before closing the door behind her. “I need to talk to you about Ned.”
“What about him? You know the abomination can shapeshift, I’d keep hope that it wasn’t really Ned until we manage to reach him.”
“I don’t know, Mama. I saw Ned doing something yesterday. I didn’t tell you because he seemed genuine enough, but now I think I probably should have. I walked into him digging through the safe in your office.”
Mama’s heart drops, “What?”
“He said he was looking for your computer, and he was weird about it, but he’s always like that. I’m so sorry, I really didn’t think much of it.”
“Don’t feel guilty over this, Dani. Ned’s one convincing bastard when he wants to be. We all fell for his trap.” Mama stands up and touches Dani’s shoulder in a way she hopes is reassuring. “Now, I’m sorry, but I need to go check my safe.”
It takes Mama everything to not run to her office. She needs to keep a steady head, not let her worries infect all the Sylfs here.
But with every step she takes towards her office, her hopes about it being the abomination slip away and turn to dread about the contents of her safe.
It doesn’t take long for her to get to her office. And it takes even less time for her to open her safe.
Seeing its contents, or rather, the lack of them, is the final nail in the coffin.
Whatever plausible deniability Ned Chicane may have had for the announcement is gone.
There is no explaining away this.
She stands back up, trying to get herself together enough to walk back to the bunker and continue planning.
But right now, one thought fills every part of mind.
“Oh, Ned fucking Chicane, you are going to pay for this.”