Abby expected the horror of all those assembled; and in a way, she almost welcomed the gasps and the fearful whispers. These were, after all, the reactions of normal people in the face of genuine evil - and God knew she'd seen her seen her fill of the vile and the wicked in her deployments during the Sino-Korean War. But however strange it might seem, the horrified reactions of so many people in the Auditorium, the regular decency of everyday people like Connor, gave her a measure of comfort. 

She wasn't here to be comforted though. She was here to be the face of calm surety, reassurance in a world where they were all brutally reminded, malevolence and death were not found just in the insatiable maw of the alien. Abby waited patiently for a few moments, until the disturbed buzz of the assembly could die down some, but before anyone could yet work themselves up to shouting or – God forbid – hysterics. But most of the men and women on these shifts, held vital positions of responsibility. She would have been genuinely disappointed if any of them really did melt like rock candy in the rain.

"That’s a good question Connor. Honestly, probably the best and only one. And if I could tell you that? We likely wouldn’t be having this conversation. And honestly, to the why… “ Abby opened her arms wide and, though she could only shrug slightly, shaking her head helplessly, she still answered him sincerely – even if her answer was wholly inadequate. 

“We both know there isn’t a single explanation I could give that would suffice.” Despite the endless throbbing ache in her head, right behind her eyes, Abby would have given most anything to hop off the stage there and then, to wrap Connor a big, reassuring hug. The betrayal and alarm in his eyes matched what she imagined she’d have found in Michael’s own if he were here right now, hearing something like this.

But Michael was “asleep,” and Connor was a grown man, and there wasn’t a single thing she really [i]could[/i] do for him, but treat him like one.

Her eyes swept the auditorium, and eventually worked their way to the men and women of her security forces, and SRT Bravo, seated as most soldiers are wont – attentively and together, and toward the front of the assembly. They’d all been woken and debriefed some 48 hours ago on the situation – though none were yet privy to the suspicions and concerns the outgoing commander had shared with her. With all her heart Abby hoped Lee's confidences would stay just that - suspicions and concerns that, while worthwhile to consider theoretically, remained in the abstract and the speculative.