The room went quiet in a weird way.
Raizen watched Alteea like the words were still echoing off her teeth.
"The weapon didn't malfunction."
The Med Wing monitor breathed in green lines behind him. The window held a strip of city lights and sky that refused to show stars.
Saffi stood beside the bed with the thin folder still half hidden under her shirt. Her fingers pressed against the paper like she could stop the words inside from leaking out.
Raizen swallowed. "But then... What happened?"
Alteea dragged the chair closer with her foot and sat. She crossed one leg over the other, leaned her elbow on her knee and her chin on her knuckles like she was at a show.
"It did what it was designed to do" she simply answered.
That was not the answer he wanted.
Saffi shifted her weight, shoulders trying to look square and failing. "The report said a malfunction" she said. "No external injuries. No readings. Nothing. That is not design."
