Chapter 3: Undercover
"What just happen?" Kate asked Brendan.
"I have no clue." Just then Rommie entered.
"Have either of you seen Harper?"
"Yeah, he just blotted out that door after having an attack of some kind." Rommie closed her eyes and sighed.
"It might be awhile before you see him again. Would you like something to eat?"
"I would like to know what is going on with my cousin."
"I'll tell you while you eat deal?" She said. They nodded and followed Rommie to the Mess hall. After getting there food they sat down across from Rommie.
"So what is going on with Seamus?" Brendan asked as he began to eat.
"How can I explain this...a few months ago we came across a Magog World Ship." Roomie took a deep breath. "Well some Magog got on the ship, both Tyr and Harper were infected with Magog larve. We save them both and our Medic onborad did a operation on Tyr that removed the larve but it nearing killed him and she didn't want to chance that with Harper so now he has to take the medince that one of our past crew members left before he went off the ship. And laterly Harper doesn't let anyone near him and he doesn't let many people touch him. You were lucky you got a hug." She looked to the door. "And lately he has been talking about being killed."Kate was shocked.
"But he woudn't do it...would he?"
"I was talking to him about it and he said that he can't do it himself...yet...I'm really worried about him." Rommie got up. "I'm sorry but I have work to do and I must get to it. Trance is around her somewhere and Beka is also they are currently available to speck with you. And if you were just wondering Harper is on Deck 9 machine shop 12."
"Thank-you Rommie." Brendan said as he finished his food up. "Where do I put this?"
"Recycler." She said pointing.
"Kate, I think I'm going to go up to the bridge."
"Okay I'm just going to chill take a look around." After they left Kate placed her food and walked out the door looking for machine shop 12. She quickly found it and entered without asking.
"What do you want now Rommie, I'm busy."
"Sorry not Rommie." She said. He poked his head up.
"Oh, hey sorry busy we will have to talk later." His head dissapeared.
"Seamus, I know about the larve." The room was suddenly quiet.
"My name is Harper now I don't go by Seamus, that was a name of a child that didn't know the difference between up and down.
"Fine but I liked that child...a lot better then I like the adult that took his place."
"Look Kate, if you had stayed around then , maybe I would listen you to your opinion but you left with out a word leaving me and Brendan to worry about you. We thought you had died."
"look Sea-...Harper....I'm sorry if I hurt you but I need your help now and I have to be able to trust you with my life again Like I could before."
"Well that all changed when you took off." He turned and began working on another gadget.
"Can we at least talk?"
"We are."
"Can we talk somewhere else?" She watched as Harper inhaled sharply and then took another dose of medicne.
"I like it here."
"Come on Seamus. I don't bite." He froze and thought about what she was saying. He made up his mind, turning to face her he smiled.
"Fine we can go somewhere else but just for a little bit I have a lot of work."
"Deal, so come on." She pulled him along back to the Maro.
"Why are we here?"
"I like it here."
"Okay then come on." He entered his codes and the door hissed open. The two climbed on walking to when Trance had some plants. Kate walked around them touching a few while just smelling others.
"I've missed you."
"Me too...but only I missed you." She laughed softly.
"You haven't changed that much still super shy around girls."
"You wish. It's just whenever you're around I get tounge-tied."
"I know the feeling. Harper I don't know how to but this, but I was going to talk to you about this the night I left Earth but I didn't get the time and it's been troubling me every since."
"Well spit it out." He told her. She bit her lip.
"Okay...ummm..." She walked back to him. Taking a seat next to him she lended across the table. " I like you."
"And I like you..."
"No Harper, I REALLY like you, as in more then a friend." Harper didn't know what to say.
"Kate..." She reached over and pulled his head towards hers.
"Shhhh...." She kissed him softly on the lips. He relaxed and kissed her back not opening his mouth. Her tounge moved and asked for permission to be let in. He pulled back.
"Kate I...can't...trust me when I say that I have thought about this every since I meet you but I can't chance it." He pointed to his stoumach.
"Seamus...grow up. You can't hurt me." She brushed her hand along his face. "You've been there for me and not let me fall back into bad habits...you've saved me from so many things I can't keep track anymore. And all I want is you. Seamus your all that a girl would want-"
"A girl would want a boy with Magog larve in his stoumach!" He shouted. "Kate...It hurts to be this close to you...It hurts to have friends again that I can count on and ones that count on me...becuase I know that in a few more months I will be dead. Either by a gun held by a friend or the larve in my stoumach."
"Then shouldn't you be living every moment you have left to the fullest."
"No not if it could endager others."
"Kissing me is not going to hurt anyone." Harper was silent there was no argument and he was so tired of running away from everyone and everything that was something good in his life.
"But what about-"
"No, Seamus this is about you and me, nothing else, know are you going to kiss me or not?" He smiled at her.
"I think I just might." He cupped her chin in his hand and brought her face over to his own. Lightly kissing her he closed his eyes and thought back to the first night they had spend together once she had over come her Flash problem.
~*~Flashback~*~
"Seamus, will you ever leave Earth?" Kate asked as she streched out on his bed.
"I am going to and I will get a job and then buy a ship and come back here for my two best friends and then we will crusie the entire universe together exploring and we will never have to worry about Magog or Ubers every again." She rolled onto her side.
"That would be wonderful. And what would I be doing while you were out exploring the stars?"
"You...would be right next to me, being the greatest pilot there ever was.Also I might add the sexiest." He grinned at her. "Of coruse that's after we get some more fat on those bones of yours." She smiled.
"Why doesn't malnatraion look good on me?" She got up and made a small turn.
"Ah, but you see if you want to be a crew member on my ship you have to be able to stand in the wind without being blown away." She pretended to huff. Then her lips raised into a smile.
"I think I could do that for you...but only for you." She walked over to where he was sharping a knife. "What's that for?"
"You...you have to have protaction."
"Seamus, I don't think I could use it." He finished his work and handed it to her.
"Look, it's not like I'm telling you to go out and slit every Uber's thoart you see. It's there if you need it." She took it and placed it in her pants cargo pocket.
"Fine. But only if I need it." He smiled at her.
"I just want you to be safe...you'll never have to use it, I'll always be there for you." He hugged her. "Know come on we're late and you know how Brendan is.
~*~End of Flashback~*~
Harper deepen the kiss and pulled her closer standing up he pulled her into his body. Not braking the kiss he pushed her up against the wall. her finger's became intwined in his hair.
"Harper.." She lightly moaned as he began kissing her collarbone.
"Kate...I've missed you so much..you're smell...the way you look...everything."
"I know, and you have me now...forever and a day."
"Good." He kissed her mouth again and then began kissing her neck. She moaned and ran her hands up his back.
"Harper!!! Are you in here?!?" Came a loud booming voice. They broke apart just as Tyr came around the corner. Both were a little out of breath. "Did I interpet? Sorry." He said with a sly grin.
"What do you want Tyr."
"Dylan would like to talk to your girlfriend."
"Tyr she's not my-"
"Enough. Come on let's go." He motioned for them to follow. Harper mouth the words 'Sorry' She smiled and nodded mouth back 'Don't worry." Then the two fell in step behind Tyr.
~*~*~*~
"Captain." She said as she walked into his ready room.
"How are you Kate?" He asked.
"Good, but I need to speak to you." He pointed to a nearby seat. She took it as Harper and Tyr remainded standing.
"What do you need to talk to me about."
"When I came to Earth I was seriouly beat. I had just come from a slave training faculity."
"I'm sorry to hear that, But sadly there are a great number of slave runners still."
"Not of this kind..."
Dylan's interested was at a peek. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that this is the first slave camp that is run by Uber's and Commenwealth officails...In fact it is one of many."
"You must be mistaken." Dylan was shocked. "I mean."
"No...I'm sorry but I'm not and I have proof."
"Can I see it?" He asked. She smiled and pulled out a small compact disk.
"On this you will find information from the number if Slaves they have to the first name's of the supplies. Please keep a open mind. This is a very important deal and a lot of pain and suffering has happen because of it." She stood up. "Now if you will excumse me."
"Yes, of course. Oh can you please tell me how you got the information?"
"I was undercover for another person who were looking for someone. My cover was blown and that is when I ended up in a garbage ship back to Earth. Which was pure dumb luck. And if that is all." She got up and Dylan nodded and waved to the door. Harper followed her out as Tyr stayed behind.
"Dylan, do you think she is telling the truth?"
"I don't know but we are going to find out." He said as he picked up the disk she had left infront of him. "Andromeda." he called out. a small form appered before him.
"Yes Dylan?"
"Please record and show all data stored on this disk." He commanded as he entered it into her system. She was quiet for a minute then began to speak back to him.
"This is a list of Commenwealth and Netichan Pride's alike that seem to have a commen like towards Slave trading and training." Dylan sighed.
"Where is the nearest base and who is running it?"
"The nearest base is in the Dogmra system and is presently being run by Major Andrew Hogan of the Commenwealth."
"Number of curent slaves."
"Close to three thousand." Dylan fought against the anger that wanted to surface.
"Set a course."
"Yes Sir, anything else?"
"Yes, please contact Mr.Harper and send him to my ready room I need to talk to him."
"Rommie, is on her way now." then she left. Dylan turned to Tyr.
"Do you think it is a set up?"
"Yes, but That is just me you might want to get a second opion. And not Harper's. The boy is confused as it is already. From what Harper's cousin has informed us, the wounds were real and very deadly. A small scan could clear that isssuse up, but she did live on Earth for a large part of her life." And with that said Tyr left leaving Dylan in deep thought.
~*~*~*~
Harper and Kate were back at machince shop 3 and Harper was fixing some odds and ends that had been left by various members of the crew to be fixed.
"You do know Seamus that there is other things to do then work." She began lifting and poking around.
" I wonder what that would be like." He picked up another object and began working on it. "But you see this ship tends to need alot of work done on it and well I'm the only person who can do the work."
"Whatever." She sat down looking bored she scanned the room. "So what do you all do for fun?"
~*~*~*~
Rommie was walking down towards Harper's shop when she ran into Beka. "Sorry Beka."
"No worries. Do you know where Trance is?"
" Last time I saw her see was taking care of her plants."
"Thanks." Beka took off and Rommie shook her head. She quickly headed to the room. Opening the door she saw Harper working and Kate looking around in his stuff. "Harper must really like you if he's letting you touch his things."
"Hey Rommie, I was just finishing up and then I was coming down to -"
"Dylan would like to talk to you."
"Oh...okay, Kate will you be okay here?"
"I think I will live." She smiled at him.
"Okay, he's in his ready room." Harper stated. Rommie nodded her head. Harper left the room and took a deep breath of his medince. Everything was getting to him he needed a break before the stress killed him...for real. He closed his eyes and taking a calming breath walked to Dylan's ready room. When he finally arrived he licked his lips and opened the door. Walking in he saw Dylan and Andromeda both talking.
"Hey." He broke in.
"Good Mr.Harper. I need to talk to you."
"About what boss?"
"Two things one would be Kate." Andromeda flickered out of sight.
"You can trust her if that's what your going to say."
"How do you know this?"
"I just do... I mean I grew up with her I think I would know who I can trust and who I can't." He stopped himself. "So what is the second thing."
"Well since you told him that I can trust her I have a mission for you two Tyr, and Rommie."
"Which is what?"
"You are going to go undercover and find out anything else that is needed to know about this Slave trainning camp." Harper felt like dying.
"I don't know Captain...boss...Dylan, I mean after all that Kate went through I don't think we should just toss her back in with the fishes."
"I know you have feeling for her Harper but you can't let them cloud the issuse. This has to happen and it will with or without you on the team but I thought I would ask you first before the others."
"I'll go it's just that I wish Kate didn't have to."
"I'm sorry but out of everyone she knows the most so it's important that she has point on this mission."
"Is that everything?" Dylan nodded and Harper was glad to being leaving.
"You leave in two hours be ready."
"I will...and Dylan can I tell Kate?"
"Yes, please Harper, and send her my thanks."
"I will. See ya later Dylan." And with that Harper left.
~*~*~*~
"Did I ever tell you that I dislike being bait!" Harper shouted.
"Yes, about ten times already." Rommie said as she pushed him forward.
"Will it help if I say it once more?"
"No, now shut up Boy and act helpless." Harper bit back a come back and inhaled on his medicne. He marched forward away from the other's.
"I hate being the weak one." He hid his weapon and sloched his shoulders and looked down at the ground. Small but not to small. Weak but not death-like. Harper still remembered the lesson's his mother had drilled into his head when you were looking for a fight you want the other person to misjudge you. Look weak and people see you as weak. On Earth you acted strong shoulder's back, chin up, eyes alway scanning. And right now Harper was doing the oppisite he wanted someone to pick a fight with him. He stumbled and tripped he fell to the ground. Damn. Picking himself up he saw something move. Well the plan worked. He began to walk faster knowing that the other's would stay with him. The person...thing caught up with him and tackled him. He landed slamming his knees into the ground. Then his stoumach and finally his head. He spun and was seeing stars as he was flipped over. He saw a skinny uber. He tried to reach for his knife but couldn't the person had him postion so he couldn't reach anywhere. The person reached down and grabbed his necklace.
"Nice, my girlfriend will love this." The gravel voice said.
"Don't. Touch. It." Harper said as he brought his head up slamming it into the other man's head. His grip was lossened and Harper grabbed his switchblade and pulled it out. Pressing it against the other man neck. " Like I said don't touch it." Harper pushed him away. Rommie appered beside him out of the shadows.
"Have any trouble?"
"No trouble at all."
"Are you going to kill me?" The man asked them. Harper and Rommie didn't reply but they did look over at him. Rommie walked over and patted the man down.. Pulling off a ID she handed it to Harper and finished her search. Also taking a knife and a gun which she also handed to Harper.
"Rom-Doll you about done?"
"Yeah, I'm finished." Harper handed her a needle and she injected the Uber with the strong sleeping potion. He feel to the ground as Tyr and Kate walked out of the treeline.
"Did you get it?" Tyr asked. Rommie nodded her head and Harper passed the ID to Tyr.
"I just hope that this will work."
"You better hope it does...or else we'll be in a tigh problem." Kate said as she moved to join the close-knit group.
"Well come on we have to get there before sunrise." Rommie said as she placed the gun in Tyr hand and took the knife for herself. "We have a hike to get there on time we are going to have to hurry." The four set off making good time they arrived to the main compand with fiveteen minutnes left until the sunrise. "Okay as long as we stick to the plan everything should work out right." They slowly began to make there way into the facuilty. Harper had to stop just at the bottom of the wall to have another dose of his medicne. Then he pulled himself up the wall. He was the last one up and over.
"Sorry..."
"Don't be.."Tyr said. "Just don't do it."
"Your so kind." Harper said as he walked over to the first building. He took a peek in the window. "Slaves."
"Okay we wait here until the first bell is rang then we fall in with the other's. When you find out something report it as soon as possible. We will all meet back here at the end of the day." They rested for the last few minutes before the first bell went off. Harper and Kate were instanlly on their feet. Tyr was up by the second and Rommie by the third. They walk out into the lines forming as the fourth and final one sounded. Harper felt like he was back on Earth.
~*~Flashback~*~
Harper quickly glanced up. The two Uber's were agruing about him. Probably who would get to beat him up first. He covered his face. There was no way that he was staying here. He began to crawl backwards away from them glancing up every so often to make sure they weren't looking.Two more steps and I'll be safe...one more...there go...go. He scrambled to his feet and began to run. He heard shouts from them which only made him go faster. He bit back a scream and ran even faster. Gotta get away...Gotta go...Harper cursed himself for staying out this late. He turned a corner and poured on the speed, but he wasn't fast enough he hit the ground as something hit his knees. His face slamed into the ground he felt small cuts and bruise pratically forming as soon as he hit.He felt pressure placed on his back and dust flew down his thoart. He began coughing. He was picked up and he was patted on the back he calmed down and stopped coughing.
"We are going to show you what happens when you run away from Netchicans, Boy." He slammed him against the wall. He held him up by the thoart. "We own this planet, we own this race, and we own you!" He slammed him up onto the wall. Harper's vision blurred and he blacken out.
When he woke back up he was unbelievable sore. He was sticky and whenever he moved it felt like his skin was tearing apart. He moaned and rolled over pushing himself up he groaned. He tasted blood. He figured out what the sticky stuff was it was blood. He felt his stoumch contract as it tried to empty itself. But there wasn't anything so Seamus lay on the road dry heaving until his body finally finished. He sat up and looked around...all he saw was the alleyway that he remembered being in before passing out. He pulled himself up to the wall were he drifted to sleep.
~*~End Of Flashback~*~
Kate looked sideways at Harper. He was zoned out and she was worried about him. She still remebered the night that they had got in a fight and Seamus had run off. Brendan and herself had found him later that day in an alleyway beaten physically, mentally and sexually. She closed her eyes. Reopening them she saw two officers walking towards Harper. And she felt fear run up her back. She listened closely to what they were saying.
" What do we have here?" Number one said.
"I think it's a little mudblood. Look at him he must be new. So small and weak. Look at him." Harper didn't move as they reached out and began picking at Harper and his clothes. They picked on him until he snapped. Harper lugged at the first one which cause the second to grab him.
"You fat basterd, let go of me." He struggled agasint him. She looked at Rommie and Tyr. Both were trying very hard to not jump in and help Harper. And Kate also knew that she couldn't do anything.
"Oh, come on you small frie."
"Is that the best you can come up with you Uber. Here's one for you. While you dumb shits are down here getting your jollies out of beating little children and women-" the second graud slapped him hard across the face. Harper smiled and lickd the small cut. "That's all you got you whinny little-" He was punched in the stoumach and fell to the ground.
"I will kill you before this little trip is over, Trust me." He coughed while the two men walked away laughing. No one moved to give Harper help and his three friends watched in agony as he squirmed around. Finally he slowly climbed back to his feet just as the main man came into veiw.
"Welcome to The Camp, here you will learn how to contain yourself. In other words how to be a slave." He let this sink in. Most people didn't know what they were doing here and they had just found out. Kate felt sorry for them and what they were going to have to go threw. She glanced over at Harper who was trying in vain to remain upright. He fell to his knees. The man giving the speech looked at Harper. Motioning to a lacky he was silent as the tall man went and picked Harper up and walked back to the front. Oh god what are they going to do? Kate was scared shitless for Harper. He was half out of it and trying to get a hold of his medicne. The ringleader grabbed his necklace and pulled it off his neck and swang it infront of him. Kate heard Tyr growl.
"Give it back." Harper muttered in pain. His head pressing into his stoumach.
"Why what is it? A little Flash maybe." He lifted it up to his mouth and took a small inhale. He backpeddled. "What the Hell is this?" He demaned as he lifted Harper head up.
"Medicince." He gasped out.
"For what?"
"Now of you bussiness."
"Well then you don't need this." He throw it to a Netchian who stood behind him.
"No!" Harper lunged forwards into the man and grabbed the object back inhaling on it. The man grabbed Harper and threw him backwards.
"Well...Well...Well...I guess we have a fighter." He picked Harper up by the thoart. "Take him to the highest training facuilty, I believe we have a lot of work to do." He handed him off and turned back to the group assumbled. "So now." She clapped her hands together. "Where were we?"