Nova steps into the room and closes the door. "I need to know how long you had that stone on your ship. It's doing something do Reyes. The medical care she needs now can't be provided on the Bay and she's in Juneau's medical wing. Sader... also relieved you of command.." Nova spoke softly, clearly trying not to upset Hemlock.
"I only got her off the ship for the medical attention she needs, after that she can go right back on. If it were up to Sader you'd be locked in here, but I've been told he's gone to do whatever he does, so I'm keeping that operative out there and allowing you go to medical to see Reyes. I don't know what she means to you but it's clear she means something, but this is the best I can do for now.." Nova leaned against the wall, redoing her ponytail. "I hope you understand, I'm trying to do what's best here."
The staff in the medical wing kept close eye on her, keeping track of her muttering, although not making sense of it themselves initially, they write down possible reasons it's happening, going more in depth into physical examination and pains, aches and other illness.
"Considering you're about the only person here who doesn't follow that jackass's every order without question, I'm not nearly as concerned with what you do. In all honesty, he can say whatever he wants about 'relieving' me of command. In the end, it's my ship and nothing can change that. Not even an admiral."
He leaned against a small pillar near the side of the room, crossing his arms. "As for that damned stone, I've had it for about.. ten months.. ever since we were in the Order's custody. I had hoped to let the LSF take a look at it, but after hearing what happened, I'm skeptical.."
He gave a rather curt, if uneased look. "I know it's been effecting her. It's been effecting half my crew, but they never noticed. It always seemed to get to her more then the rest.. I don't know why.."
"I've got my people looking into it right now. Thus far we don't know much, my people in the lab report hearing various dialects and some gibberish as well. It's toying with my men. More importantly, I think it's somehow.. physically hurting Reyes. I'm thinking about getting it off this station, see if that helps." Nova was concerned, and she didn't know what to do now. She had to keep prying at what she had. I've got men trying to dig up that Reaper guy, but I don't know where to begin, care to help?"
A operative keeping watch in the medical wing reported Reyes gibberish about the 'light', but initially it doesn't take much notice to Nova.
"I wish I could.. really. 'Reaper' was some guy who was apparently given orders to attack the Shamrock Bay. He and his men looked like Navy or LSF, and had it not been for Goethe down in engineering, the whole ship would have fallen." "I don't know who they took their orders from, whether it was from the Navy or some random scumbag, but whoever the guy is he's about as happy with his actions as I am. He killed four of my crew, and traumatized the rest." He sighed, standing up straight. "Your best bet is to check with Sader or Jones. They're the only ones I can think of with clearance to authorize something like that.. if they were Navy."
"I'll look into if. If they were Navy, I'll scour every personnel record and file until we find something. If not, I've got people looking around, seeing if we can catch onto anything. In the mean time Reyes is my main concern. Seems now she's speaking gibberish.. something about a light or something... Wait.. light.. Operative, say again what phrase was recorded."
"Something about not wanting to embrace a light, she might be on the verge of death."
"No, not that, the Nomads refer to themselves as the 'light' in the darkness, I want that artifact taken off station immediately, it's of Nomad origin and attempting to influence Reyes, get it off this station now! Hemlock, follow me." Nova opened the door and hurried to the medical wing, assuming the stone is attempting to influence Reyes into taking rash action against station personnel.
At this point, Reyes had begun speaking in languages she didn't even know, clearly influenced by the artifact. She was still curled up, mumbling intermittently, but was getting a little louder in her speaking.
"Dammit..." He proceeded after her, trying to keep up with her as she winded through the halls towards medical.
Nova's men took the stone and boarded a shuttle, taking it and the stone off the station, positioning themselves 2k away from the station. Marines were placed at the medical wing, just in case. Nova and Hemlock arrive while the medical team watched over Reyes, still taking notes and applying what medical care they can. "How is she?"
"Speaking utter nonsense, I can't even understand."
Hemlock burst through the door, scrambling for Reyes. Knowing the risks, he took hold of her, looking her in the eyes. She merely responded by continuing her babble, her mind almost completely not there. "Cathy.. C'mon, please start speaking normal english.. I can't understand a word you're saying.."
The artifact started to glow intensely bright, the purple rays enveloping the operatives. While not effecting them, they would still hear the same babbling illiterate nonsense they've heard since they acquired it.
"Get it farther away, take it over to the gate if you have to.""The damned thing's emitting some kind of rays, all we hear is inane ramblings we don't understand!"
"Damn it, Hemlock the stone is reacting, I'm having it moved farther away. C'mon Reyes, go back to normal.." The operatives moved the shuttle farther away, distance now 7k.
"Distance won't help in a situation like this.."
As if to prove him wrong, Reyes ceased her words, coming to the realization of who was in front of her. She quickly reached forward and hugged him, tightly so. While she didn't speak, for once, she did seem to cry a bit. "Ookay.. don't worry, Cathy.. I'm here.."
The artifact stopped shining, returning to it's natural dull grey color. While it still spoke to them, it seemed to finally be cooling off from it's effect on Reyes.