Seamus Harper was escorted to one of the medical examination rooms in S.H.A.D.O. headquarters. A puzzled look crossed the engineer's face as he stood next to an exam bed, looking around the room. Harper bounced on the balls of his feet before walking over to an EKG machine. "This machine looks old, not that the Ubers would let a Kludge would have any fancy new machines."

Now it was Jackson's turn to appear puzzled as he sat down in a chair near the door. "You used the term Uber before but I don't think you've mentioned "Kludge" before. Would you mind explaining what they are?"

"You mean you live on Earth and you don't what Ubers and Kludges are?" Harper questioned in surprise. "Well, for you information an Uber is another name for a Nietzschean which is what Rhade is. And as for a Kludge, well, you're looking at a prime specimen."

Doctor Jackson rubbed his chin as if mulling over the descriptions. "If I'm correct then you two are from different races that have a history of animosity towards one another?"

"Close but not exactly different races," Harper replied before attempting to clarify the situation for the doctor. "You see, the Nietzscheans are big, bad and pretty much do whatever they want to whoever they want to do it to. Guys from earth like me who missed the genetic enhancement bandwagon are the ones the Nietzscheans kick around. Does that make it any clearer?"

The doctor leaned back in his chair as he jotted down notes on paper on a clipboard. "Not entirely. So you are saying that Mr. Rhade and other Nietzscheans are genetically enhanced? In what way, other than the bones that stick out of his forearms?"

Harper let out a chuckle. "Every way. You name it the Ubers are the new and improved model of human. Medically speaking you'd call them homo invictus. Which means they have the muscle to take what they want and they decided Earth was one of the things they want. Now they are in charge and we Kludges pay the price. What's with the 20 questions anyway? You're from Earth so you should know all this already."

"In what way do the Kludges pay the price?" the doctor asked with curiosity, obviously ignoring the engineer's mild outburst.

Harper sighed in frustration. "Fine, I'll play along, it beats counting the tiles on the ceiling at least. Just don't expect me to give you any kinda information that can help the Ubers."

The doctor pulled a small black notebook and a pen from one of the pockets in his lab coat. "Seeing as we don't have Ubers around here you won't have to worry about that line of questioning. Please proceed."

Jackson listened intently as the engineer recounted how non- genetically modified humans lived in squalor, suffering from malnutrition and disease. "You see, the Ubers on Earth, meaning the Drago-Kazov pride, think all us Kludges are good for is to be used as slaves or sold into slavery. When I was younger, a group of Ubers came to our home to take me away and sell me to the slavers. My folks told me to hide so the Dragans couldn't find me, so I hid," Harper recounted, the memories causing his voice to choke up. "The Dragans were determined and wouldn't take no for an answer. My folks fought back but it was no use. The Ubers just laughed and eventually killed mom and dad."

The doctor lowered his gaze and shook his head. "That is most unfortunate Mr. Harper. However, I am doubtful this Earth you speak of is the same Earth where we are now."

"Yeah they do seem worlds apart," the engineer conceded. "But if we're in the Milky Way Galaxy then we gotta be talkin' about the same Earth."

"And why do you believe that is Mr. Harper?" Jackson asked without emotion watched the engineer.

Harper paced the room in front of the doctor before answering, "I'm not sure. The only logical explanation, given the equipment I've seen around here, is that we must have gone through some kind of time warp and ended up in Earth's past, before it joined the Commonwealth and then was taken over by the Dragans after they betrayed the Commonwealth."

Another nod was the doctor's response as Jackson jotted down some notes. "What is this Commonwealth and how did the Dragans, as you call them, betray the Commonwealth?"

The engineer stopped pacing and turned to face the S.A.H.D.O. doctor. "The Commonwealth was an alliance of planets, so to speak and the Drago-Kazov pride was one of those members. Then one day they turned and attacked the High Guard fleet at Witchead. The Dragans mopped up the solar system with the High Guard and then started throwing their weight around the various galaxies, the Milky Way being one of them. So now that you have the brief, Seamus Harper version of Earth history. Would you mind answering a few questions for me in return?"

"If I can," Jackson agreed.

The engineer frowned but continued. "Well first off what year is this and what are you guys doing that requires so much security? I've never seen any old records of any organization like yours."

"This is 1982 and you wouldn't find any records of our organization here because it's A highly classified," Jackson informed.

Harper smiled knowingly at the doctor. "Yeah I suppose a top secret organization would tend to keep the paper trail to a minimum. What is it you guys do anyway?"

Jackson sighed as he looked up at the short engineer. "That information is classified."

The engineer shrugged his shoulders, expecting the answer he got from Jackson. "No matter, I suppose I can find out eventually. Your bosses are bound to have left some kind of a trail no matter how small."

"I imagine you'd enjoy playing detective, Mr. Harper," Jackson remarked.

Gem Tracy entered the room carrying a try of medical instruments and needles. Harper warily eyed the items on the tray as he backed away from the medical officer. The woman set the tray on a table next to the bed. "There's no need to be worried, the needles are just to draw a blood sample. You'll only feel a pin prick."

Harper was unmoved, continuing to keep plenty of distance between him and the medical instruments. "Call me paranoid but I still don't believe you. Those things look like torture devices the Ubers would kill to have."

"We don't have a policy of torturing young man so there is no need to worry," Jackson assured. "Now let Lieutenant Tracy do her job and you will be finished."

A scowl crossed Harper's face as he turned towards the doctor. "I've never been fond of being poked and prodded and don't intend to start now. Look, I know I agreed to let you guys examine me but I didn't think it would involve needles."

Jackson ignored the engineer as he wrote down more notes on a writing pad. "Aren't you rather old to be afraid of being stuck by needles?"

"Considering how the Dragans use needles on Kludges, I'd say no," the Earther retorted.

Gem approached Harper without any of the medical implements in her hand. The engineer relaxed slightly as the brunette offered him a slight smile. "Now strip to your underwear so I can examine you," Gem instructed.

Harper grinned and arched an eyebrow suggestively. "You're just like all the women who have fallen under the Harper charm. You just can't get enough of me, but you'll just have to do without a shirtless Harper."

"Now you can't be so modest Mr. Harper. But if you prefer I can leave the room while you strip down," the lieutenant offered.

"I told you I'm not stripping down to my skivvies for anybody," the engineer protested.

"Mr. Harper you've been cooperative so far so don't ruin that now," Jackson calmly warned. "You must strip down so you can either do it yourself or have help. The choice is yours."

A nervous look briefly flashed across the engineer's face. "I imagine there would be some sort of violence involved if I insist on not disrobing."

The doctor stood up and placed his clipboard on the vacated seat. "We don't wish to harm you Mr. Harper but we will use force if necessary."

Harper took a step towards Jackson. "See I was right about the violence. Seeing as I'm averse to violence when it's directed at me I'll strip, but I don't want anybody gawking at me. Just keep it professional."

"Of course we'll keep things professional Mr. Harper," Jackson assured with a satisfied smile.

The Andromeda engineer sighed nervously as he glared the doctor who was still smiling an almost maniacal smile. Harper reluctantly and slowly pulled off his t-shirt. Gem and Dr. Jackson stared at the short Earther. As Harper held the dark blue t-shirt in his hands, he shifted his weight from one leg to another, waiting for the two S.H.A.D.O. medical officers to reply. "See that's what I was afraid of. I didn't want you all gawking at me like this," Harper explained as he looked down at numerous lines of white scars running across his chest.

Gem and the doctor exchanged embarrassed looks before Doug Jackson nervously cleared his throat. "Please accept my apologies Mr. Harper. We are not accustomed to seeing such scars on a person."

Harper scowled at the two S.H.A.D.O. medical personnel. "Yeah I figured that. Look whadya say we just move on to the physical exam huh?"

"Of course," Jackson agreed. "Would you please explain how you received your numerous scars?"

As Gem attached a series of electrodes to Harper's chest and temples, the engineer glanced down at his chest and quickly looked back up at the doctor. "This fine assortment of scars is mostly courtesy of the Dragans. A few come from assorted Kludges and other earth scum," he informed in a bitter tone of voice. "You'll notice the scars my back since the Ubers started on my back and ran out of room there making scars and moved on to my chest and stomach."

Gem's eyes narrowed as she checked the printout on the machine next to the engineer. "That is terrible that you had to suffer such abuse Mr. Harper," she remarked with sympathy.

"Thanks but it's in the past and I'd like to keep it that way so can we change the subject?" the engineer requested.

"What would you care to talk about then Mr. Harper? Perhaps you'd care to tell us what you do on that ship that brought you here," Jackson suggested as he checked Harper's blood pressure.

Harper smiled and a twinkle formed in his blue eyes. "Oh I'm the engineer on the Andromeda Ascendant which also makes me engineer of the Eureka Maru, the ship that brought us here. Which reminds me, I need to take a look at the Maru."

Jackson picked up his clipboard, pulled a pen from the pocket of his lab coat and began writing. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you access to your ship just now. A team is busy examining it right now."

That information drew a hearty laugh from the engineer. "I bet they haven't gotten past the security codes yet. They won't get much information and won't get past the security codes. You might as well let me check out the Maru since I can get onboard."

"I'll admit we have had difficulty getting onboard your Maru. Would you consent to letting a team come aboard and examine the ship?" Jackson requested.

"I don't know why not, as long as you don't mess with anything cuz Beka would kill me and Rhade if anything happened to her ship," the engineered answered, waving his hands around for emphasis.

Gem grabbed Harper's left arm and brought it down to his side. "Please take off your trousers."

Harper looked over at the brunette medical officer with a broad grin. "You know that's the trouble with being a good-looking genius, women want me to take off my pants." The engineer unzipped his khaki cargo pants and kicked them aside. "Doc what kinda shape is the Maru in? I don't remember what kinda landing we had."

The doctor appeared thoughtful as he looked up from his clipboard. "I'll bring your request to Colonel Freeman."

"Thanks Doc, you're okay, in a weird sorta way," Harper replied cheerfully before quickly adding, "No offense Doc."

"That's quite alright Mr. Harper," Jackson replied, shrugging off the unintended insult. "I think I've asked enough questions for now. I'll be back to give you a psychological exam when Lieutenant Tracy is finished with you."

"Okay Doc. See you later," Harper responded with a slight wave of his right hand.

Doug Jackson shoved his pen back into his pocket protector, tucked the clipboard underneath his right arm and left the room. Harper was left with Gem to finish his physical exam.