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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GodOfCheese" data-source="post: 1581330" data-attributes="member: 19170">Effrem and AndrewOnce Andrew is certain that Effrem is no longer hallucinating, he devotes much of his time to looking nervously out onto the main street while he cautiously answers Effrem’s questions.  Viewed in profile, his eyes are busier, more nervous than Effrem has ever seen them, but his lips seem to work independently of his eyes.  “I don’t know what they are,” he says, “but there seem to be more of them all the time.”“To know their numbers, you must be tracking them.”Andrew’s eyes keep up their nervous vigil.  “More like running from them, like you.”“I’m not running from them.”“Just in a hurry, then, were you?”Effrem squints.  “Well, that’s not what I’m trying to do.”Andrew leans back around the corner, out of sight from the road.  He crouches next to Effrem, who is still trying to get his breathing under control.  “You know,” Andrew begins, lowering himself to sit down.  “It’s not been my experience that many people spend their time running from others out of choice.”Effrem looks down.  “My friends...”  He pauses, almost afraid to ask.  “They’re dead, aren’t they?”  To Andrew’s raised eyebrows, he goes on.  “I... left them in the middle of battle.  We were overmatched.  By now, they must be dead.”  Effrem closes his eyes and whispers, “I failed you all...” under his breath.Andrew shrugs.  “I don’t know, but at least you’re still alive.”  Effrem looks up at Andrew guiltily.  “I have to find them,” he begins to reason.  “Even if they’re dead... if I can get their bodies back to Sarek, he can bring them back.  He’d at least do it for Chloe, and she could resurrect the others...”“That’s awfully risky.  They fight as one...  and they’re very good at it,” Andrew explains, “The people who comprise their... organization... don’t behave like regular folk.  I don’t think they’re individual minds at all.”  He shudders inwardly, his dark eyes squinting as he thinks.  “Besides, they tend to carry away their victims.”Effrem’s eyebrows go up in concern, sensing more to this than Andrew is telling.  “What do you mean?”Andrew is silent for a moment.  “I don’t know if I should tell you.”“What?”  Effrem stands up, becoming angry.  “Why?”Andrew watches him, still crouching.  His tone is very calm.  “Because I’m afraid that if I do, you’ll want to go off on some hopeless quest to save them.”“Your concern is touching, but--”“My concerns run deeper in this matter than you realize,” Andrew interrupts cryptically.  “Believe me, Effrem,” he adds.  His face hardens and he emphasizes every word.  “If you run off on some do-gooder rescue mission, you’re a dead man.”Effrem mulls this possibility, scratching his chin.  “What’s your angle here, Andrew?”</blockquote>

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