Chapter 11
Trance mumbled something incoherent against Harpers lips. Harper paused the kiss for a moment, "What?" Trance said again, this time more clearly, "We need to get to command."
Harper moaned and rested his forehead against hers, "I know." He sighed and folded his arms around her in a hug, "I just wish we could find more time together."
She giggled hugging him back, "We're together all the time practically."
He smiled knowing it was true, "Yeah, but not alone together."
She nodded, she knew what he meant. "I wish we had more time to be alone together too. But for now lets get us all past our current crisis. Then maybe we can schedule some alone time if we have to, hmm?"
Harper hugged her tighter, "OK, lets get to command, but first our juice, we wouldn't want it to go to waste would we?" Trance smiled, "No we wouldn't want that." They drank their juice and then headed for command hand in hand. They knew most of the crew had figured out they were a couple already, no need to hide anything.
As they reached command the probe was just arriving at it's destination and the readings were beginning to come in. Rommie closed her eyes for a moment then announced, "Yes, it's a biological weapon designed to infect the water table and make the water undrinkable. But, by destroying the ship in space we've rendered the weapon inert." She paused, "Trance's scanners worked wonderfully and Harpers sample collector has collected enough of the substance in question to create an antidote should they try again."
Dylan faced Harper and Trance, "Good work both of you, this should make our job easier here," he turned to Rommie, "tell the patrols to keep alert all the same, sometimes they like to attack from a different bag of tricks when we least expect it." Then to Trance, "How long do you thing it will take to design an antidote?" She thought about it, "With a good sample, maybe an hour or two, depending on whether Rommie can loan me Harper from repairs to help me scan in the samples and chart my results."
She looked hopefully at Rommie and Rommie smiled, "All systems are functional thanks to all the combined effort the two of you have put in, and if he can help get the antidote ready faster with you, then good luck to both of you."
Dylan smiled as Trance and Harper headed off to Med-Deck together hand in hand. "Holding hands in public, yeah, I think they're in a full fledged romance now." He looked at Beka, "You don't think we'll end up with little purple engineers running around the decks do you?"
Beka laughed, "You never know."
Rommie had to shake her head at that picture, "Scary thought".