A frowning Katou-Zimmer made her own quick search. There was only the single four-walled chamber; no place for someone to hide even had they been inclined to do so. Eyes narrowing, her husband voiced what everyone was suddenly wondering.

“Where’s Diana?”

Reed looked up from absently massaging the spot where his holster would normally repose against his chest. “I thought she was with you, Dev.”

He shook his head. “I haven’t seen her either. Not since earlier. She was not following behind me.” He looked accusingly at the A'jeii. “You have done something with her! With our friend!”

One hand described a swift arc in front of the small alien torso. “We have not ‘done’ anything with your colleague. Could you not surmise my ignorance of her whereabouts from my query? If I knew where the female was, I would not be commenting on her absence.”

Moving quickly to the portal area, Reed ran a fingertip along the sensitized section of wall until the expected opening appeared. “Check her cabin first. If she’s not there …” He broke off because he had no idea what they would do if Diana Pavesi was not in her room. Especially in the face of the A'jeii technician’s unhesitant and straightforward denial of any involvement in her absence.

Which didn’t make any sense no matter how you looked at it, Dev thought. Why arrange for them all to be together only to, for some unknown reason, prevent one of them from attending? He felt a slight chill.

Reed was the first one into Pavesi’s cabin, with Dev right behind and the Zimmers arriving more slowly. A puzzled Runoyii trailed behind.

Pavesi was right there, lying on her pod-spawned bed. She was not moving. Going over to her without hesitation, Reed leaned forward to put a moistened palm over her mouth, then bent to listen to her chest. When he straightened, his expression was unchanged. The same could not be said for his voice.

“Dead. She’s dead. Still warm, but …” He stopped speaking, finding no rationale for adding unnecessary adjectives to the obvious.

“Here.” At the far side of the cabin, Katou-Zimmer stood looking down at a shelf that emerged from a small pod. As everyone drew near, Dev saw that it was filled with small bits of synthesized vegetable that had been carefully arranged in a pattern. The familiar teacup Pavesi had requested from the appropriate wall pod soon after its workings had been explained to her sat nearby.

“No pen, no paper.” Zimmer’s voice was muted as he regarded the words Pavesi had laboriously spelled out using slices and shards of synthesized vegetables.

Can’t do this.

Can’t go home.

Won’t do this.

Sorry. Luck to all.