Snippet #1176286

Alexei's hand raised to rub his chin thoughtfully. Unlike Claudia, who seemed rather agitated--that was an understatement--he took the information as calmly as possible. He looked back to Artie. "Thanks for the explanation," he said, without a trace of sarcasm. Even with its briefness, it explained all he needed to know.

He turned back to Claudia. "Panicking isn't going to make the situation any better, I imagine," he said, his voice, this time, devoid of the anger it had bourn the last time he had spoken to her. "If we calm down, we can consider the situation and find the most efficient way to deal with it. I may not know exactly how this Warehouse works, but that's only common sense." He didn't expect her to see reason, but at least it felt good to say it.

Turning back to Artie, Alexei continued to speak confidently. "Can you identify exactly what artifact each ping is? If so, we can decide which ones are most dangerous, and pursue those ones. Or," he crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall. "if you have a better suggestion, by all means..."