The console gave out an obedient chirp, and a room sprung up on the screen. The frame was tilted slightly, and it took Marie a few moments to realize that the recording was of the chief's office.
The camera view showed the chief's desk from behind and above, giving a clear view of the visitor's chairs and a partial view of the entrance door. Seated behind the desk, almost in the exact spot that Marie was standing, was a slim, dark-haired woman. She was working through documents scattered on the worktop in front her, referring frequently to something on the view screen. Her fingers flew over the papers and datapads with precision - the work must have been familiar and routine. When she turned to reach for something on the shelf behind her, the camera caught her face - almond-shaped eyes, fine cheekbones, narrow lips over a firm, stubborn chin.
"Chief Lemar," Marie muttered under her breath, glancing down to the timestamp glowing in the corner of the security footage. The video looked to be a few months old. Marie hit the fast forward button a few times, quickly skipping through another twenty minutes of the chief's routine before the film dissolved in a haze of static.
Marie queued up the next file - and this proved more interesting. Three people were in the frame - and Marie recognized two of them.
Chief Lemar stood behind her desk, her arms crossed on her chest. And in front of her stood the unmistakable Dr. Safin, his white coat hanging loosely on his gaunt frame. What's this bastard doing here? Marie's eyes flicked to the right - to beside Safin was another man. He was middle-aged, and portly, his rumpled uniform straining over sizeable gut. The man's hair was beating a fast retreat from the top of his head - though the camera angle did him no favors there. Though the man's features were unfamiliar to her, Marie immediately recognized the captain's insignia sitting at the collar of his uniform, slightly askew.
Though the security footage did not contain audio, the body language of the group was unmistakable - this was not a cordial meeting. Safin was speaking, gesticulating wildly with his hands. Lemar broke in, stabbing an accusatory finger in the man's face before the captain stepped forward, wiping his scalp nervously and raised his hands. The image flickered, and broke apart. What was that about?
Marie quickly brought up the next video. When the image sprung up on the screen in front of her, she couldn't hold back a startled yelp.
Her sister sat in front of the chief's desk, leaning forward and showing Lemar something on a data pad. The chief looked to be nodding, following along as Jane spoke while streams of data flew by on the small screen. The recording was brief, only a minute long. Marie rewound and watched it three times before moving on, her mind racing. What was Jane doing talking to the security chief? Why would a scientist be talking to security? Marie's eyes found the time stamp. The recording was from two weeks ago - a week before the distress signal.
Unsettled, Marie brought up the next recording.
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