A/N: This chapter is just a short little information thing. Not very
exciting maybe, but it kinda has to be done...
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Interlude.
He might have gone where his former employers couldn't reach him, but unfortunately it wasn't the same with the dreams. Here he was, having quite a lot of fun, seeing the stars and getting to know new people and aliens. And still he woke up shivering and crying, missing the darkness that had so nearly killed him. And missing… yes, missing his friend. Maybe that's why he'd told Tyr the truth. Because he really did remind him of Pitch. And he'd never get to see him again.
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Chapter Five: Perfect stranger
"Trance!"
Tyr found her in Medical. Which was perfect.
"Hi Tyr."
She started fumbling with what she was holding. Trying to hide something.
"I need information."
"What kind of… information?"
She looked nervous. That was good, it almost certainly meant she knew something. Although, nothing was ever completely certain about Trance.
"Information about our… guest. You took tests when you brought him to medical on the first day, yes?"
"Tests… yeah… bloodtype, levels, that sort of thing."
"I want to see them."
"No… they're not here. I… lost them."
She smiled, trying to back off, still holding on to something behind her back. Tyr grabbed her arm and pulled it out. It was a couple of flexis, which Tyr snatched from her hand. She struggled briefly with him, but realised he was not going to give in so she just stood back with a frown and a pout.
"These are it, are they not?"
She did not answer, just gave him a sour look. Tyr took a closer look at the flexis. Unfortunately, they did not really tell him much. The levels looked normal. Further than that, Tyr's knowledge of medicine did not stretch.
"Trance, I have reason to belive that Milon might be a danger to the whole crew. I really need you to tell me all you know about his… power."
Trance's eyes went wide. She reached out for the flexis and Tyr handed them over.
"I don't think he's dangerous," she said.
"But you do not know for sure. How come he has kept secrets from us, if he has nothing to hide?"
Trance gave him another annoyed look. Of course she would be annoyed, the exact same thing applied to her.
"There could be many reasons."
"Maybe, but I still need to know. I know he has power, he admitted it to me. He is not as innocent as he looks Trance. The fact is that we know nothing about him. He is a perfect stranger."
"Yes," she smiled, "you're right there. He's perfect."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"His genetical profile… is perfect. It's human genetical code, but it's flawless. There are none of the small inherent inperfections that everybody, including Nitzscheans, have."
"Are you saying he is genetically engineered?"
"Yes, but not the same way you are. Nitzscheans have refined their genetical inheritance over generations, but there is still room for improvement…"
"But not with him?"
Trance took another look at the thin, coloured sheets of plastic in her hand. She seemed to have resigned to the fact that Tyr would not leave before he had got the answers he came for.
"If any improvements were made to his human genes, they wouldn't be human anymore. I'm guessing that's already happened to some of them. That's how he might have access to powers that humans normally don't possess. What were they anyway?"
Tyr ignored her question and instead posed one of his own:
"So what does that mean?"
"This process would, if it was to happen naturally, take millenia. Maybe longer than the human race has been around."
"So, you are saying that somebody altered his genetical code directly?"
"I don't know. Maybe you're asking the wrong person?"
Tyr nodded. He was not going to get anymore information out of her.
Tyr made his way to the bridge. It was time to look at this from a different perspective. The official one. On his way he passed the machine shop where Harper was apparently showing off his technological expertise to Milon. The two humans seemed to get along well. Roaring laughter was echoing between the walls. Tyr frowned and stepped inside. He found Harper sitting on one of the workbenches, and Milon on a crate on the floor. Harper was laughing so hard it looked like he had problems breathing. Milon was laughing too, if not quite as hard.
"Are you two intoxicated?" Tyr asked.
"I wish," Milon said.
Harper took a deep breath and collected himself.
"Hey Tyr," he sniggered, "How long have you been standing there then?"
"Not long. Why?"
"No reason."
Milon smiled up at Tyr from his place on the crate.
"We were just talking about you…" he said.
Harper clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle the laughter. So, it seemed like they were having some fun at Tyr's expense. No doubt Harper would love to hear all about how Tyr had been knocked down by somebody much smaller. Tyr must remember to have a little talk with the engineer later.
When he arrived at the bridge, he found Dylan and Rommie in front of the computer screens. Rommie looked up as he entered the room, Dylan did not.
"So, I see that you engaged in some training with our guest," she said with a smug little smile.
Obviously her sensors had picked up the whole thing. Tyr just sneered at her.
"There was a massive discharge of energy coming from the training room," she continued, "Some sort of explosion. We're looking into it now."
"Explosion? Did you not see what happened?"
"My sensors were temporarily disabled by the discharge. There does not appear to be any damaged caused."
So, not even the A.I had the full story. The question was would it be tactically wise to tell them what he knew, or to keep the information to himself like Milon had asked? Tyr decided to stay silent. For now.
"We will be arriving at our destination in 36 hours," Dylan said, "It is a small trading planet. Their should be no problems purchasing the equiment we need. I'm sending Harper and Trance, like last time. You can go with them if you want, although I can't see that it would be neccessary."
Tyr nodded. Thirty-six hours, that was how long he had to get to the bottom of this mystery.
"Have you found any new information on who our attackers might have been?" he asked.
"No. The ship most certainly came from Earth. But the analysis of the wreckage found traces of chemicals that are not indigenous to the planet. It is a bit of a mystery, but nothing we have the time or resources to concentrate on right now."
No. But next time they were almost being blown out of the sky by a vessel inferior in size, then it might be time to concentrate. Until then, it would seem that Tyr was on his own.
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Interlude.
He might have gone where his former employers couldn't reach him, but unfortunately it wasn't the same with the dreams. Here he was, having quite a lot of fun, seeing the stars and getting to know new people and aliens. And still he woke up shivering and crying, missing the darkness that had so nearly killed him. And missing… yes, missing his friend. Maybe that's why he'd told Tyr the truth. Because he really did remind him of Pitch. And he'd never get to see him again.
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Chapter Five: Perfect stranger
"Trance!"
Tyr found her in Medical. Which was perfect.
"Hi Tyr."
She started fumbling with what she was holding. Trying to hide something.
"I need information."
"What kind of… information?"
She looked nervous. That was good, it almost certainly meant she knew something. Although, nothing was ever completely certain about Trance.
"Information about our… guest. You took tests when you brought him to medical on the first day, yes?"
"Tests… yeah… bloodtype, levels, that sort of thing."
"I want to see them."
"No… they're not here. I… lost them."
She smiled, trying to back off, still holding on to something behind her back. Tyr grabbed her arm and pulled it out. It was a couple of flexis, which Tyr snatched from her hand. She struggled briefly with him, but realised he was not going to give in so she just stood back with a frown and a pout.
"These are it, are they not?"
She did not answer, just gave him a sour look. Tyr took a closer look at the flexis. Unfortunately, they did not really tell him much. The levels looked normal. Further than that, Tyr's knowledge of medicine did not stretch.
"Trance, I have reason to belive that Milon might be a danger to the whole crew. I really need you to tell me all you know about his… power."
Trance's eyes went wide. She reached out for the flexis and Tyr handed them over.
"I don't think he's dangerous," she said.
"But you do not know for sure. How come he has kept secrets from us, if he has nothing to hide?"
Trance gave him another annoyed look. Of course she would be annoyed, the exact same thing applied to her.
"There could be many reasons."
"Maybe, but I still need to know. I know he has power, he admitted it to me. He is not as innocent as he looks Trance. The fact is that we know nothing about him. He is a perfect stranger."
"Yes," she smiled, "you're right there. He's perfect."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"His genetical profile… is perfect. It's human genetical code, but it's flawless. There are none of the small inherent inperfections that everybody, including Nitzscheans, have."
"Are you saying he is genetically engineered?"
"Yes, but not the same way you are. Nitzscheans have refined their genetical inheritance over generations, but there is still room for improvement…"
"But not with him?"
Trance took another look at the thin, coloured sheets of plastic in her hand. She seemed to have resigned to the fact that Tyr would not leave before he had got the answers he came for.
"If any improvements were made to his human genes, they wouldn't be human anymore. I'm guessing that's already happened to some of them. That's how he might have access to powers that humans normally don't possess. What were they anyway?"
Tyr ignored her question and instead posed one of his own:
"So what does that mean?"
"This process would, if it was to happen naturally, take millenia. Maybe longer than the human race has been around."
"So, you are saying that somebody altered his genetical code directly?"
"I don't know. Maybe you're asking the wrong person?"
Tyr nodded. He was not going to get anymore information out of her.
Tyr made his way to the bridge. It was time to look at this from a different perspective. The official one. On his way he passed the machine shop where Harper was apparently showing off his technological expertise to Milon. The two humans seemed to get along well. Roaring laughter was echoing between the walls. Tyr frowned and stepped inside. He found Harper sitting on one of the workbenches, and Milon on a crate on the floor. Harper was laughing so hard it looked like he had problems breathing. Milon was laughing too, if not quite as hard.
"Are you two intoxicated?" Tyr asked.
"I wish," Milon said.
Harper took a deep breath and collected himself.
"Hey Tyr," he sniggered, "How long have you been standing there then?"
"Not long. Why?"
"No reason."
Milon smiled up at Tyr from his place on the crate.
"We were just talking about you…" he said.
Harper clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle the laughter. So, it seemed like they were having some fun at Tyr's expense. No doubt Harper would love to hear all about how Tyr had been knocked down by somebody much smaller. Tyr must remember to have a little talk with the engineer later.
When he arrived at the bridge, he found Dylan and Rommie in front of the computer screens. Rommie looked up as he entered the room, Dylan did not.
"So, I see that you engaged in some training with our guest," she said with a smug little smile.
Obviously her sensors had picked up the whole thing. Tyr just sneered at her.
"There was a massive discharge of energy coming from the training room," she continued, "Some sort of explosion. We're looking into it now."
"Explosion? Did you not see what happened?"
"My sensors were temporarily disabled by the discharge. There does not appear to be any damaged caused."
So, not even the A.I had the full story. The question was would it be tactically wise to tell them what he knew, or to keep the information to himself like Milon had asked? Tyr decided to stay silent. For now.
"We will be arriving at our destination in 36 hours," Dylan said, "It is a small trading planet. Their should be no problems purchasing the equiment we need. I'm sending Harper and Trance, like last time. You can go with them if you want, although I can't see that it would be neccessary."
Tyr nodded. Thirty-six hours, that was how long he had to get to the bottom of this mystery.
"Have you found any new information on who our attackers might have been?" he asked.
"No. The ship most certainly came from Earth. But the analysis of the wreckage found traces of chemicals that are not indigenous to the planet. It is a bit of a mystery, but nothing we have the time or resources to concentrate on right now."
No. But next time they were almost being blown out of the sky by a vessel inferior in size, then it might be time to concentrate. Until then, it would seem that Tyr was on his own.
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