[ She misses the call by five, perhaps ten minutes. But she does listen to the voicemail in its entirety, doesn't bother looking at the transcript when she sees it's Ace. The panic turns into dread, sinks like a stone in her stomach. She barely gets to the end before she's calling.
[ He picks up. Because, he's not gone yet โ ailing, weakening, but not gone. The moment he knows it's her, he's toggling his Syntrofos to take her call. ]
[ And that he, apparently, knows that things are coming to the end. Eli was in a similar situation. She's glad, now, that she keeps all of her voicemails just in case. She should ask someone about getting them off of the devices in case...in case Patho-Gen erases all record of someone's existence in the city. ]
Is someone going to be with you when it's time? [ A pause. ] How... How long do you believe you have?
CALL
Ring, ring...
Ring, ring...
Please, pick up. ]
no subject
Miss Mel? Hi, it's Ace. You okay?
no subject
I'mโ I'm fine. I was afraid I'd...
[ That she wouldn't get to him before he was gone. ]
I should be asking you that question with a voicemail like that. Where are you? Are you all right?
no subject
came back wrong. Wrong-er? ]
I'm at my place by the car graveyard. Everyone's out, so I figured I'd make some calls to my friends to let 'em know I was thinking of them.
no subject
[ And that he, apparently, knows that things are coming to the end. Eli was in a similar situation. She's glad, now, that she keeps all of her voicemails just in case. She should ask someone about getting them off of the devices in case...in case Patho-Gen erases all record of someone's existence in the city. ]
Is someone going to be with you when it's time? [ A pause. ] How... How long do you believe you have?