Chapter 1: Bored...
Harper was bored out of his mind...Not that he didn't have work to do. No he had tons the only problem was that it was daily work. It had been weeks scine something had happen on the Andromeda and Harper was going to scream soon if he had to tune another robot to Rommie's standards. It was like she enjoyed making him work. He turned the corner to Machine shop three and let out a sigh of relif. No one was in view. He was going to duck into the room and lock himself into the room for a bit. He was working on a new project that involed old Earth music from the early 21st centeriey. Walking the short distance he closed and locked the door behind him.
"Andromeda, full privatcy mode."
"Aknowledged." Ran back her voice. Then nothing. Harper smiled and walked over to his latest project. It was know as a MP3 Player. It played digtaly stored music that people would get of of a large comminunty bases object known as the internet. Harper figured he could use Andromedas music files. He would just have to convert the files to fit correctly. He walked over to the nearest entry port and jacked in. This way was much faster. Hooking himself also up into the MP3 Player. He closed his eyes and began to look at Andromeda's music files. Classical, New Age, Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Western, more and more subject files began to show up from his shearch. There were so many. He frowned and pulled up the Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop. More names flashed in front of him. A small picture appered beside the name of the singer/groups.
Something made him open a file by Evansecense. There was a picture of a man and a women and a bio. A list of songs where beside them. Harper clicked on the song called 'My Immortal'. The words flowed in front of him. He scaned them and then downloaded the song. Disconnecting he held up the small MP3 Player up in front of him. Hitting the play botton the song fbegan playing in threw the small speakers around the room.
I'm so tried of being here,
Suppressed by all my childidish fears,
And if you have to leave,
I wish that you would just leave
'Cuz your presents still lingers here,
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just to real
There's just to much that time can not erase.
When You cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When You scream I'd fight away all of your fears,
And I held your hand through all of these years,
But you still have me
You use to captiaved me,
By your resinating light,
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts, my once pleasent dreams,
Your voice, it chased away all the sanity near.
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just to real
There's just to much that time can not erase.
When You cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When You scream I'd fight away all of your fears,
And I held your hand through all of these years,
But you still have me
I've tried so hard to tell myself that your gone
But tho your still with me
I've been alone (I'm Alone)
When You cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When You scream I'd fight away all of your fears,
And I held your hand through all of these years,
But you still have me
As the song ended Harper still was sitting in the same place. the song had re-opened wounds he had thought had long time healed. He thought of Kate and Brendan where ever they were and was torn. He stayed where he was for a while longer then jacking back into the Andromeda he pulled up more songs by Evanescence. He downloaded the long list into the MP3 Player. Sighing he looked around. He was always calmed down my Andromeda's core.
"Andromeda Privatrcy mode off."
"Please state code."A little fail safe Harper had placed when he had first came on the Andromeda.
" Seamus-Alpha-01." He watched as a paper thin wall fell down from around him, and Andromeda appered infront of him.
"Harper, How did you get in here with out my knowledge?" She asked him.
"Just a little trick I learnt a long time ago." He smiled at her and turned away from her."How would you feel to a little tune up from the Great all mightly Seamus Haper?" He asked.
"It has been a while since you ran a check up." She paused to think about it. "Fine Harper, Please conutiune, But don't touch anything that you shouldn't." Then she dissapered from sight. Harper grinned and rolled his 'neck' Pulling up a few older files he scanned them finding just junk he dumped them and pulled up the next.
A half an hour later Harper was finished and the ships AI reappered. "Thanks Harper. I am feeling a lot better now. I should be getting back to work and I believe that Rommie has some work for you to do also." He groaned and closed his eyes.
"Aren't you sure that you don't have another job I could do?" She smiled.
"No Harper, I don't now go." She pointed to the exit. He didn't move.
"And what are you going to do if I don't?" He asked her crossing his arms. She smiled at the small enginer.
"Then I might just have to do this." She picked him up and then lightly kicked him out of her system. He 're-awoke' on the other end with a slight tingle on his neck.
"One of these day's I'm gonna learn how to make sure that you can't do that to me." He told the empty air. Andromeda flickered infront of him.
"Well until then you have to get to work. Now off with you." She said. "Rommie would like to see you in the landing bay as soon as possible." Harper frown.
"I need some action my life is getting to boring to fast." He informed the holo AI. She was distance. "Andromeda? Are you okay?"
"Yes, but there is a small Cargo ship coming towards us on the port bow."
"I take it back, I am happy with my dull normal life."
"They are hailing us." She said. then dissapered.
"Damn..." Harper said as he made his way to the main deck. He was entering just as Dylan's voice rang out over the comm system.
"All crew member's to the deck."
"Hey Boss, What's up?" The captain jumped slightly at the sound of a voice.
"Mr.Harper, I thought you were busy with Rommie."
"While you could say I was working...but you just called us to the bridge so here I am." Dylan opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it and closed his mouth.
"Very good, take your post."
"Yes, Sir!" Harper said standing at mock attendance he walked over to his station and tried to look busy. Beka and Tyr soon also came onto the deck closely followed by Trance and Rommie. Harper caught part of a death glance from Rommie and he began to work on his consel.
"So Dylan why are we here?" Instead of our boring lifes on this ship?" Harper felt a movement in his stoumach and grabbed his 'medince' that hung around his neck. Taking a deep breath of it he felt his stoumach settle down and he looked around at the other's Only Trance and Rommie where looking at him and he hated the pity he saw in their eyes. He turned back to his station and began looking over more information about what work the ship needed done. He noticed that Beka had the Maru down for a check-up. Harper cringed thinking about working with that ship and It's memory core.
"-An Earth cargo shi-"
"What , are you guys talking about?" Harper asked him as he tunned in at the last bit.Tyr looked over at him and snarled.
"If you had been paying attendance like supposed to you would have known they we are talking about an Earth cargo ship." He smiled sweetly at the larger man. Out of the whole crew Tyr was the only one that didn't hold him at arms lenght and worry about harming him or his feeling.
"I heard that part what about the rest." Rommie spoke up glaring at Tyr.
"Five life form's are on board. the ship is almost dead in the water but it does have a homing beacon, attached to it and the signal is made to catch the Maru 's attendacne. " Harper's ears perked up. Turning to Beka.
" It could be Rev."
"Harper," She looked pained. His face fell.
"Beka..." His felt foolish. Turning his head. "Sorry, Are we going to contact them?" He asked the others his head burried in his work.
"We were just trying to decside this." Dylan bit his lip. "What do you think, Mr.Harper."
Harper was quiet for a moment. "I think we should response. Who knows who it might be.Right?" He felt like crying out in anger at the other but didn't they didn't know what it was like to depend on another person for your own life and Harper hated it.He hated Rev right now for leaving him and he hated the other's for not stopping him.
"Okay that's that.Andromeda contact the ship." Harper looked up at the view screen. A middle aged man appered on the screen.
"I am Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Assentenct. What can I do for you?" the man looked bored, //almost as bored as I am.// Harper thought to himself.
"I am Captain of this wonderful ship you see before you and I need to speak to one Seamus Harper." Harper's eyes shoot opened in surprise, he had no contact's, no friends off the ship no one that would want to contact him.
"Well then that would be my enginner." Dylan gesutered to Harper to come forward. Harper moved unsurely forward to the veiw screen.
"I am Seamus Harper." The man looked down and off screen at something.
"You must answer a few questions before I give you the message." Harper was suddenly bored again, but also he felt a tickle of interest.
"What is the questions?" The other man clicked on something and once again looked off screen.
"What was the date you left Earth?" Harper fell back into memory trying to remember.
"I don't know like April....21...I think."
"Fine the next question...What did you once tell your closest friends was the hardest thing you ever had to do." Seamus swallowed and closed him eyes.
"What kind of gag is this?!?" Harper demanded. "Who sent you?"
"Answer the question." Harper took a deep breath. looking at the crew surrounding him. Was this message this important? Yes...yes it was. He licked his lips. And hand his hands threw his hair. "The hardest thing I ever had to do happen on the same day. It was when I had to bury my parents and also my cousin's that I had killed to save them from Magog larve." He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Trance smiling at him with pain in her eyes.
"Good and the last question, on your sixtenth birthday what did you swear you would do." this question didn't take as long for Harper to answer.
"I told the people around me that I would someday Kill every last Magog and Nitcheian that had ever been on Earth."
"Very good, the information is now being sent to your ships mainframe. Till we meet again." Then the comm ended and a picture of Earth filled the screen. Harper watched the pitcure until it changed back into the commenweath's logo. Harper turned around and walked over to the nearest port. Jacking in he felt his body relaxed agasint the floor and the others tell him not to go in.
"Harper what do you think you are doing?" The AI said.
"Looking over those files before everyone get a good look at whatever is in them.
"No Harper you need the other's right now. NOW GO!" Andromeda said and Harper found himself falling out of the core for the second time that day. landing back in his body with a greater shock then before he frowned. The other's were watching him worry etched on their faces.
"I'm fine, can we get this over with?" He asked them. "Andromeda pull up the files."
The feed flickered onto the main view port. Harper gasped as his cousin Brendan filled the screen.
"What the he-"
"Hey cousin, you probably didn't think you would ever see me again, but surprise you are." Harper let a smile cross his feautres."Sorry that I am connecting you now but I've run into some trouble, that I wasn't looking for. Kate came back to my place looking for you. She was beat pretty badly Seamus, she needs your help, and I think you would like to see her again. If you can make it We will be at the families old farm house until the end of next week, and Seamus I hope you can make it we hae a lot of catching up to do. Until then This is Brendan Harper signing off." The image remainded for a second longer then dissapered. Harper took a deep breath.Turning to face Dylan he opened his mouth but the Captain cut him off.
"Mr.Harper, please make sure Andromeda is ready to go to a war torn area, we have a small project a head of us." Harper smiled.
"Should I also get slipfighter ready for a pick up of two human's?"
"Yes, I believe that would be correct."Harper nodded and walked off smiling.