Once upon a Ship

Disclaimer: Tribune owns Andromeda, I'm just borrowing.

Spoilers: None as far as I can see.

Note: This is a sequel to Ever After and it would be advisable to read it first but I've added a summary to the beginning of this chapter so it's not that important.

Summary: Basically this is about the growing up of Cade, Dylan and Rommie's android-human child.

I actually wrote this on Friday the 13th but it got lost amid the Christmas tests and stuff. I unearthed it and rewrote some stuff and here it is, a bit short but the next chapter will be longer.

. . .

Ever After:

So, once during a period of moments, Rommie met Cole, a charming android who stole her heart. As is common in both the world of humans and androids, he left her. But as is uncommon in the world of androids he left her both alone and pregnant. This was made possible by way of a program that was downloaded into Rommie from Cole.

As Rommie was getting used to the idea of maternity, disaster struck in the form of a virus designed to destroy the babies program that was, incidentally, created by the newly restored Commonwealth. To save itself, the baby managed to use DNA from Dylan to replace anything that the virus had destroyed, making the baby half human.

Not long after this the baby was born by something similar to a caesarean section. Of course before this, Dylan had fallen madly in love with Rommie and as she was already in love with him, the feeling was mutual. So ended our fairy tale, with everyone living happily ever after. Yeah, right.

This story is, as I've said, about the life of Dylan and Rommie's son Cade. About his living on the Andromeda, having three parents and being a human-android child. And whether, in truth, everything with him and his parents was happy ever after. Arguably the best Scairy Tale since Snowy White and the Seven Dwarf Rabbits!

And now - the sequel!

. . .

He was walking quickly through the corridors, making sure to avoid any maintenance robots and any of the crew that might still be up. He was nearing the hangar bay when the hologram appeared before him and stopped him in his tracks.

"What are you doing? I thought we'd discussed it already and agreed that you're not going."

The boy, who was only nearly three years old but looked every bit seventeen, sighed, ran his hand through his brown hair and glared at the holographic image of himself.

"No, you two decided, I never said I wasn't going, you did. And I'm the only one of us with the option to go, so I'm going."

With that he walked straight through the hologram who reappeared a few feet ahead of him.

"But Dylan and Rommie will be worried about you, not to mention everyone else."

The holograms voice had taken on a slightly pleading tone. Probably because he knew that he couldn't actually stop him.

"Yeah, well, they have to stop treating me like a kid sometime."

"They're your parents Cade, it's their job to treat you like a kid."

The boy, looking frustrated, once more made as if to walk on but stopped.

"Dylan isn't even my real father and that's why I have to leave, you know that just as well as I do. I have to find out who I am, and if there are any more like me. And I have to find my real father, Cole."

The hologram shifted briefly, unsure of whether to agree or disagree. And finally,

"Just be careful, okay? Take care of yourself, don't get into too much trouble and keep in contact. Good Luck."

Cade headed into the hangar bay and, after a brief pause, walked by the slipfighter and headed to the Maru. Beka didn't sleep there much since she and Tyr had gotten together.

It was quiet, well as quiet as any ship gets when it's crew is asleep. He boarded the Maru easily and linked up to the computer and the Andromeda's computer.

He managed to silence all the warnings and alarm systems before opening the hangar doors and flying the Maru out into space.

He was off on his first mission: To find his father.

. . .

Okay, very short brief intro. The idea for this is that the story will jump from Cade to the rest of the crew and we'll get the whole of Cade's life story through flashbacks from both himself and the crew. Thanks to Amaya Nyte Rayne for the inspiring review about this sequel. Oh, and please review if I haven't scared you off reading this fic!