Souls Through Time (EzioxOC/DesmondxOC)

Chapter 10 - Claire

Claire blinked slowly, her mind heavy with sleep as she surfaced from slumber, her senses drifting back into the muted world around her. The hum of the plane's engines created a low, steady rhythm, a gentle vibration that resonated through her seat. Voices, slightly muffled, filtered through her haze, blending with the faint glow of the cabin lights, casting a warm, drowsy ambiance over everything. She kept her eyes closed a moment longer, letting the fragments of conversation wash over her, each word gradually sharpening her awareness, like light creeping over the horizon.

"I'm seeing very strange activity in the Animus," Rebecca's voice floated over, faintly distorted by distance and the relentless drone of the plane. There was a thread of worry woven into her words, a cautious note that tugged at Claire's attention.

"Oh?" William's voice, calm and measured, replied with that edge of authority that always seemed to carry its own weight, a stabilizing force in the midst of uncertainty.

Rebecca's response came, softer now, but still colored by that unmistakable trace of concern. "The CPU should be fairly idle. But the system monitor is spiking regularly. Sometimes as high as 85 percent."

Claire's heart skipped slightly, a small prick of anxiety stirring in her chest. She could imagine the way Rebecca would be leaning over the console, her brows furrowed as she examined the screen, tracking Desmond's vitals and the Animus' every fluctuation.

"Is it serious?" William's voice was more guarded now, a hint of tension slipping into his otherwise steady tone.

There was a pause, and Claire pictured the silent exchange of worried glances between them, the weight of the unknown pressing down. Rebecca's voice, when it came, was quiet, laced with a sort of uneasy reassurance. "I'm not sure. Desmond's signs are stable."

William's reply was curt, his practical nature overriding any sense of worry. "Well, if there isn't a problem, let's not try to fix anything."

"Fair enough," Rebecca muttered, though a weariness colored her tone now, a heaviness that spoke to her dedication and exhaustion. "God, I need a drink."

Claire let her arm slide away from her face, the dim light casting faint shadows across the cabin as her gaze drifted to the Animus rig where Desmond lay. The machine cast a soft, pulsing blue light over his features, a steady glow that seemed almost serene, like the calm surface of a deep ocean. His face was peaceful, his body still as though he were merely asleep, yet the memory of Rebecca's concerned words lingered, unsettling.

The quiet hum of the Animus surrounded him, the soft rhythm at odds with the unnerving spikes Rebecca had described. Whatever Desmond was facing within that machine was clearly no simple task.

She shifted, feeling the stiffness in her neck from sleeping in the cramped position, stretching her arms to work out the tension. Her mind sharpened, replaying their conversation, the part about the system monitor spikes. She knew better than anyone how unpredictable the Animus could be; Desmond could be fighting through something they had no way of understanding, a battle taking place beyond their reach.

Rising quietly, she made her way to where Rebecca was perched over the console, her shoulders tense, her eyes fixed on the readings.

"Did something happen?" Claire asked softly, glancing at the display that showed Desmond's vitals—steady, rhythmic, but just beneath the surface, the Animus monitor spiked, like the machine itself was straining to keep up.

Rebecca looked up, offering a faint smile, though the worry still lingered in her eyes. "It's just...strange. The Animus should be resting more during passive synchronization, but it's like it's having to work harder to stabilize everything."