[ For anyone watching, it doesn't seem like Elizabeth's death really effects Jack at all. He goes about a relatively normal day after, smiling, laughing, joking. Nothing is any different beyond that one, muted "huh" when he had seen her floating outside. He returns to his room in the evening when he's free from being at Jason's side, and as he often does, the walkie talkie is set on the coffee table, and Jack sets his datapad to playing music. It's perfectly routine, since he likes to listen to music while he works, and his work never stops.
But for someone that's grown used to this routine, there's a deviation from the usual. He doesn't take a seat at the desk as he usually might. He doesn't tackle whatever problem is on his mind, whether it's something about escaping the ship or just inspiration for some kind of product that Hyperion could make. He steps into the bathroom and turns on the shower, which might make this seem like this is something that a voyeur might want to avert their eyes from for a few minutes, but Jack walks to the counter and braces himself against it as he lowers his head. His posture is tense, and his arms nearly shake from the grip.
In that, it's clearer what the music and the shower are for. It's white noise meant to drown things out for whatever a walkie talkie could hear. Because as he stands there, he talks. He's not talking to anyone, just speaking for the sake of reasoning through things, but his thoughts are hurried. He's stumbling over his words, but it's not with a sense of anxiety. No, more than that, it's like what he's saying just can't keep up with how fast he's thinking. ]
Six-- Yeah, there's sixteen left. So, what, that's-- Sixty percent. Sixty percent loss, and barely any of them were even from the Soulvaki. So- So, that has to be the point. They don't need to do anything. Just wait. The problem will take care of itself, but then what? There has to be some goddamn purpose, some reason—
[ Jack draws back, and predictably, his expression starts to split into a grin. He reaches up to run a hand through his hair and to pace around the bathroom. ]
So- Which is it? Log said four to five, so we've got two or three of 'em left. That's about sixteen, not impossible, but not probable. So, what, two, five suspects, that's-- Sixty-three. Sixty-three percent chance that one of them. Is infected. And if it's three... Three is [ Jack laughs, and he pulls his hand down to cover half of his face. ] Ninety-four. It-- It could even be all of them? It's not likely, just fractions but--
[ He breaks off there suddenly, and Jack's grin just grows as his hand slowly drops back to his side. ]
Hah— Haha, it's just-- Just friggin' idiots, all of them! They don't— They don't even fucking understand what's at stake here! How- How could they? None of 'em, they don't even get that this, if it's real, we're so, just, where are we going to go? You let an infected ship into your borders? Let that shit spread? No-- No, you've gotta kill 'em all. Only the ones you know are safe, they're the only ones that get to live. You minimize the loss of life by doing that much. That's all you- Ha! That's all you can do! They don't even get it!
[ Jack laughs even more, like this is the funniest realization he's ever had, but he's shaking his head with an expression that doesn't match that at all. He looks genuinely pained, as if this is a realization he hates to come to, but that too is just his thoughts shifting too quickly for what he's saying to keep up. ]
There's— What-- What am I supposed to do here? The one goddamn person I give a shit about and, and what? Can't-- Couldn't...
[ The ranting trails off here, and Jack runs a hand through his hair again before he looks up. His gaze catches his own in the mirror, and for a moment, there's only the sound of water running and the sound of the music outside. ]
week 10 - friday evening (1/???)
But for someone that's grown used to this routine, there's a deviation from the usual. He doesn't take a seat at the desk as he usually might. He doesn't tackle whatever problem is on his mind, whether it's something about escaping the ship or just inspiration for some kind of product that Hyperion could make. He steps into the bathroom and turns on the shower, which might make this seem like this is something that a voyeur might want to avert their eyes from for a few minutes, but Jack walks to the counter and braces himself against it as he lowers his head. His posture is tense, and his arms nearly shake from the grip.
In that, it's clearer what the music and the shower are for. It's white noise meant to drown things out for whatever a walkie talkie could hear. Because as he stands there, he talks. He's not talking to anyone, just speaking for the sake of reasoning through things, but his thoughts are hurried. He's stumbling over his words, but it's not with a sense of anxiety. No, more than that, it's like what he's saying just can't keep up with how fast he's thinking. ]
Six-- Yeah, there's sixteen left. So, what, that's-- Sixty percent. Sixty percent loss, and barely any of them were even from the Soulvaki. So- So, that has to be the point. They don't need to do anything. Just wait. The problem will take care of itself, but then what? There has to be some goddamn purpose, some reason—
[ Jack draws back, and predictably, his expression starts to split into a grin. He reaches up to run a hand through his hair and to pace around the bathroom. ]
So- Which is it? Log said four to five, so we've got two or three of 'em left. That's about sixteen, not impossible, but not probable. So, what, two, five suspects, that's-- Sixty-three. Sixty-three percent chance that one of them. Is infected. And if it's three... Three is [ Jack laughs, and he pulls his hand down to cover half of his face. ] Ninety-four. It-- It could even be all of them? It's not likely, just fractions but--
[ He breaks off there suddenly, and Jack's grin just grows as his hand slowly drops back to his side. ]
Hah— Haha, it's just-- Just friggin' idiots, all of them! They don't— They don't even fucking understand what's at stake here! How- How could they? None of 'em, they don't even get that this, if it's real, we're so, just, where are we going to go? You let an infected ship into your borders? Let that shit spread? No-- No, you've gotta kill 'em all. Only the ones you know are safe, they're the only ones that get to live. You minimize the loss of life by doing that much. That's all you- Ha! That's all you can do! They don't even get it!
[ Jack laughs even more, like this is the funniest realization he's ever had, but he's shaking his head with an expression that doesn't match that at all. He looks genuinely pained, as if this is a realization he hates to come to, but that too is just his thoughts shifting too quickly for what he's saying to keep up. ]
There's— What-- What am I supposed to do here? The one goddamn person I give a shit about and, and what? Can't-- Couldn't...
[ The ranting trails off here, and Jack runs a hand through his hair again before he looks up. His gaze catches his own in the mirror, and for a moment, there's only the sound of water running and the sound of the music outside. ]