This part is somehow "philosophic" or, better, deals with the past quite a
lot. But, the present is based on the past and sometimes we have to know it
to understand what's goin' on.
******************************
10 - Reflections Of the Past
As Maru slowly left the Andromeda hangar, they all kept quiet. Tyr took over the helm, Dylan stood behind him, while Rommie and Trance worked on their consoles in the back. No one wanted to say a word, they all thought about what they are to find on the planet. They've had some experiences with Kalderans before. And they were not pleasant. Once they barely survived the encounter. Well, they had a loss to claim, though - Trance's tail. Rommie knew them too. She remembered all too well on the encounter with them at Ral Partia, as they almost got her trapped. She smiled at this thought. It was Dylan, who came to save her from them. She never really thanked him for that. Would it now be appropriate time to do it? She hesitated a bit, but then decided, she might as well do it. So she left her place behind the console. After all, they were in a flight and there was not much to do. Trance could easily manage everything by herself.
She stepped to Dylan, who was still standing behind Tyr and staring through the cockpit windows to the planet. It was not far away; perhaps ten minutes of flight were left. Dylan was quiet; his mind was not with this flight. In his eyes you could see that he was mentally absent. Rommie stepped beside him and crossed her arms behind her back. She thought of it - silly, it was the habit she had acquired as an avatar and she still couldn't let loose of it. She looked through the window, trying to find the right words how to start. While her mind searched for appropriate formulation, she noticed, that Dylan turned his face to her and looked at her with unhidden interest. His eyes suddenly became more vivid and even sparkled a bit.
She turned her head, looked into his blue eyes and said: "Dylan, there is something I never told you. Do you remember, when we were at Ral Partia, and fighting the Kalderans, I got trapped and you came like a prince on a white horse to save me? Well, I never thanked you for doing that. It really wasn't your task to save the avatar."
Dylan looked a bit astonished by these words: "Rommie, I'm not sure if I understood you right. Why wouldn't it be my task to save you? I mean; you're not just an avatar. Huh, I mean, you weren't, I mean you were never just an avatar. You were always a member of my crew and I don't leave my crewmembers behind. You should know that. And, besides - you are everything that's left from my old life. And therefore, I would risk my life to save you if it would be necessary."
Rommie smiled gratefully at him and said: "Thanks Dylan. I .... I really don't know what to say. I mean .... I always had a feeling of being somehow less worth than the others. I can't explain it. It's just the feeling that I had. You know, just like you said that I'm everything that you have left from the past, the same goes for me to. You're all that I have and I don't want to loose you. I care too much for you." She suddenly realized, she had almost confessed her love and she blushed. To hide it, she quickly turned away and said: "I ... I ..... should return to my console. I think we're going to land soon and I'll be needed there." She tried to step away, but suddenly felt Dylan's hands on her upper arms, holding her still.
"Ho, ho, ho! Now, Rommie, wait a minute. What did you just say? Hey, look at me!" he turned her to gaze into her confused eyes, which were trying desperately to avoid his look. "Look at me, please, Rommie!" he repeated.
She gathered all remnants of her courage and raised her eyes to look into his. She really didn't understand what he was up to.
Dylan now released his grip and said softly: "Rommie, I apologize if I ever gave you the reason to believe, you were less worth than the others. It may be, that I sometimes really forgot that you are a sentient being, a person and capable of all emotions. And it could be, that I hurt you, without really realizing it. And if such things happened I want to apologize too. I really had no excuse to act that way. And yes, I meant what I said about you, being my only link with the past. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I sometimes didn't treat you like I should. You were always there, never complained and I took you for granted." He stopped a bit and looked into her huge dark eyes, which were looking at him so softly, that it almost hurt. He could see in those eyes, that she wanted to hear these words, that she had been hurt in the past and that she already forgave him. "I care for you too, Rommie. Very much. And I don't want to loose you. Not because you were an avatar, which you clearly are not any more. Not because you were the physical manifestation of Andromeda. Not because you were a crewmember. The real reason is, that I'm afraid of loosing the only soul, which understands me, the only person who really cares for me. That's the reason."
Upon ending his speech he looked into her eyes again. This time he could see a joy into them, he could see that his words made her happy. And instantly, upon seeing her so happy, also his mood changed from concerned to happiness. He could see in her eyes, that she cares for him even more than she admitted. They clearly reflected all her emotions, all her love. He scared a bit, for he wasn't prepared to admit it yet. But he knew, also his words reflected only a fragment of his true feelings. As he looked at her now, at this small, fragile, vulnerable and yet so desirable and beautiful woman, he couldn't help but realize that he already crossed the invisible border, which divided his personal life from his professionalism. He didn't act on it, yet. But now, it was like a puzzle fitting together. The last pieces of this giant puzzle, representing the complexity of their relation, slipped into their places and a shiny picture was now completed.
It began a long time ago. Perhaps even in the very moment, he first put his foot on Andromeda's bridge. He can still remember his astonishment as she appeared on the screen to greet him, her new captain. Her beauty has taken him aback, and in time, he learned to value her personality. She was different from all the AI s he had contact with before. They were all capable of thinking, capable of making conclusions, but never had objections to the orders that were given to them. But with Andromeda, it was different. No, she never objected his orders; she always fulfilled them. But, when he was alone, in privacy of his own cabin, she would sometimes appear as a hologram and asked for some explanations of his orders, or maybe just to tell him, that she didn't agree completely. But she always did it with style. She was never offended, she never complained and she most definitely never said a harsh word to him. She just wanted to state, that she has an attitude. And her attitude was one of the aspects, he became to value more and more each day of their cooperation. The more their relation deepened, the more respect he felt for her. She has always been a formidable companion. And now, thinking back, he realized, that he even then felt some kind of bond between them. Surely, it wasn't a bond that could exist between a man and a woman, but nevertheless, he missed her when he was absent from the ship and he often caught himself, thinking of her while he was with Sarah. He even confessed that to Sarah, but she just laughed at him and told him, it would be quite normal to feel that way. After all, he spent more time with Andromeda than with her. And they were dependant on each other. But now, as he looked back, he realized, he felt more than he was supposed to. He had always been pretending, it was just professionalism.
After Harper made that gorgeous android body for her, everything changed. Oh God, he can still remember the day she walked out on her own bridge in all her natural beauty and saved his ass! Every time he recalls at that moment, he must laugh at his reactions then. He had been so shocked by her appearance then, that he really forgot how to react. He needed some seconds to gather his thoughts, and stop staring at that beautiful incarnation of the personality, he liked so much. And in that very moment he realized, that their relation is going to change thoroughly. Yes, they both complied with the Protocol. Damn, they still do, although it isn't even valid any more! She is no longer the ship's avatar. Well, what on earth is she after all? A normal crewmember? An officer of the Highguard? A woman, representing his heart's desire?
He didn't realize how long they have been staring in each other's eyes. He lost a feeling of time and space. He caught himself drowning in those dark eyes, which resembled the black diamonds, sparkling in the light and yet so deep, almost bottomless. His mouth dried and his hands trembled. And then he heard Tyr's voice: "Dylan, we are approaching the planet. We shall be landing in a couple of minutes."
Dylan forced himself to let Rommie go and turned his head to Trance: "Do we pick any signals from the surface?"
"Negative," answered Trance dryly. Dylan looked back at Rommie, just to see her going to take her place at the console. He sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead with a hand. He was well aware of the fact that he must concentrate on the task they have to fulfill. And this thoughts of Rommie weren't exactly what he needed just now. They distracted him heavily and that was one thing, he couldn't afford. He walked over to Tyr and concentrated on the problem, they were about to cope with.
TBC
******************************
10 - Reflections Of the Past
As Maru slowly left the Andromeda hangar, they all kept quiet. Tyr took over the helm, Dylan stood behind him, while Rommie and Trance worked on their consoles in the back. No one wanted to say a word, they all thought about what they are to find on the planet. They've had some experiences with Kalderans before. And they were not pleasant. Once they barely survived the encounter. Well, they had a loss to claim, though - Trance's tail. Rommie knew them too. She remembered all too well on the encounter with them at Ral Partia, as they almost got her trapped. She smiled at this thought. It was Dylan, who came to save her from them. She never really thanked him for that. Would it now be appropriate time to do it? She hesitated a bit, but then decided, she might as well do it. So she left her place behind the console. After all, they were in a flight and there was not much to do. Trance could easily manage everything by herself.
She stepped to Dylan, who was still standing behind Tyr and staring through the cockpit windows to the planet. It was not far away; perhaps ten minutes of flight were left. Dylan was quiet; his mind was not with this flight. In his eyes you could see that he was mentally absent. Rommie stepped beside him and crossed her arms behind her back. She thought of it - silly, it was the habit she had acquired as an avatar and she still couldn't let loose of it. She looked through the window, trying to find the right words how to start. While her mind searched for appropriate formulation, she noticed, that Dylan turned his face to her and looked at her with unhidden interest. His eyes suddenly became more vivid and even sparkled a bit.
She turned her head, looked into his blue eyes and said: "Dylan, there is something I never told you. Do you remember, when we were at Ral Partia, and fighting the Kalderans, I got trapped and you came like a prince on a white horse to save me? Well, I never thanked you for doing that. It really wasn't your task to save the avatar."
Dylan looked a bit astonished by these words: "Rommie, I'm not sure if I understood you right. Why wouldn't it be my task to save you? I mean; you're not just an avatar. Huh, I mean, you weren't, I mean you were never just an avatar. You were always a member of my crew and I don't leave my crewmembers behind. You should know that. And, besides - you are everything that's left from my old life. And therefore, I would risk my life to save you if it would be necessary."
Rommie smiled gratefully at him and said: "Thanks Dylan. I .... I really don't know what to say. I mean .... I always had a feeling of being somehow less worth than the others. I can't explain it. It's just the feeling that I had. You know, just like you said that I'm everything that you have left from the past, the same goes for me to. You're all that I have and I don't want to loose you. I care too much for you." She suddenly realized, she had almost confessed her love and she blushed. To hide it, she quickly turned away and said: "I ... I ..... should return to my console. I think we're going to land soon and I'll be needed there." She tried to step away, but suddenly felt Dylan's hands on her upper arms, holding her still.
"Ho, ho, ho! Now, Rommie, wait a minute. What did you just say? Hey, look at me!" he turned her to gaze into her confused eyes, which were trying desperately to avoid his look. "Look at me, please, Rommie!" he repeated.
She gathered all remnants of her courage and raised her eyes to look into his. She really didn't understand what he was up to.
Dylan now released his grip and said softly: "Rommie, I apologize if I ever gave you the reason to believe, you were less worth than the others. It may be, that I sometimes really forgot that you are a sentient being, a person and capable of all emotions. And it could be, that I hurt you, without really realizing it. And if such things happened I want to apologize too. I really had no excuse to act that way. And yes, I meant what I said about you, being my only link with the past. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I sometimes didn't treat you like I should. You were always there, never complained and I took you for granted." He stopped a bit and looked into her huge dark eyes, which were looking at him so softly, that it almost hurt. He could see in those eyes, that she wanted to hear these words, that she had been hurt in the past and that she already forgave him. "I care for you too, Rommie. Very much. And I don't want to loose you. Not because you were an avatar, which you clearly are not any more. Not because you were the physical manifestation of Andromeda. Not because you were a crewmember. The real reason is, that I'm afraid of loosing the only soul, which understands me, the only person who really cares for me. That's the reason."
Upon ending his speech he looked into her eyes again. This time he could see a joy into them, he could see that his words made her happy. And instantly, upon seeing her so happy, also his mood changed from concerned to happiness. He could see in her eyes, that she cares for him even more than she admitted. They clearly reflected all her emotions, all her love. He scared a bit, for he wasn't prepared to admit it yet. But he knew, also his words reflected only a fragment of his true feelings. As he looked at her now, at this small, fragile, vulnerable and yet so desirable and beautiful woman, he couldn't help but realize that he already crossed the invisible border, which divided his personal life from his professionalism. He didn't act on it, yet. But now, it was like a puzzle fitting together. The last pieces of this giant puzzle, representing the complexity of their relation, slipped into their places and a shiny picture was now completed.
It began a long time ago. Perhaps even in the very moment, he first put his foot on Andromeda's bridge. He can still remember his astonishment as she appeared on the screen to greet him, her new captain. Her beauty has taken him aback, and in time, he learned to value her personality. She was different from all the AI s he had contact with before. They were all capable of thinking, capable of making conclusions, but never had objections to the orders that were given to them. But with Andromeda, it was different. No, she never objected his orders; she always fulfilled them. But, when he was alone, in privacy of his own cabin, she would sometimes appear as a hologram and asked for some explanations of his orders, or maybe just to tell him, that she didn't agree completely. But she always did it with style. She was never offended, she never complained and she most definitely never said a harsh word to him. She just wanted to state, that she has an attitude. And her attitude was one of the aspects, he became to value more and more each day of their cooperation. The more their relation deepened, the more respect he felt for her. She has always been a formidable companion. And now, thinking back, he realized, that he even then felt some kind of bond between them. Surely, it wasn't a bond that could exist between a man and a woman, but nevertheless, he missed her when he was absent from the ship and he often caught himself, thinking of her while he was with Sarah. He even confessed that to Sarah, but she just laughed at him and told him, it would be quite normal to feel that way. After all, he spent more time with Andromeda than with her. And they were dependant on each other. But now, as he looked back, he realized, he felt more than he was supposed to. He had always been pretending, it was just professionalism.
After Harper made that gorgeous android body for her, everything changed. Oh God, he can still remember the day she walked out on her own bridge in all her natural beauty and saved his ass! Every time he recalls at that moment, he must laugh at his reactions then. He had been so shocked by her appearance then, that he really forgot how to react. He needed some seconds to gather his thoughts, and stop staring at that beautiful incarnation of the personality, he liked so much. And in that very moment he realized, that their relation is going to change thoroughly. Yes, they both complied with the Protocol. Damn, they still do, although it isn't even valid any more! She is no longer the ship's avatar. Well, what on earth is she after all? A normal crewmember? An officer of the Highguard? A woman, representing his heart's desire?
He didn't realize how long they have been staring in each other's eyes. He lost a feeling of time and space. He caught himself drowning in those dark eyes, which resembled the black diamonds, sparkling in the light and yet so deep, almost bottomless. His mouth dried and his hands trembled. And then he heard Tyr's voice: "Dylan, we are approaching the planet. We shall be landing in a couple of minutes."
Dylan forced himself to let Rommie go and turned his head to Trance: "Do we pick any signals from the surface?"
"Negative," answered Trance dryly. Dylan looked back at Rommie, just to see her going to take her place at the console. He sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead with a hand. He was well aware of the fact that he must concentrate on the task they have to fulfill. And this thoughts of Rommie weren't exactly what he needed just now. They distracted him heavily and that was one thing, he couldn't afford. He walked over to Tyr and concentrated on the problem, they were about to cope with.
TBC