-Chapter 3-
~*~
O blow ye evil winds
into my body's fire
my soul you'll never unravel.
Even though disappointed a thousand times
or fallen in the fight
and everything would worthless seem, I have lived amidst eternity --
be grateful, my soul --
my life was worth living.
-Norbert Capek
~*~
"This is extremely uncomfortable."
Beka paused her pacing to stare at-- herself. "How do you think I feel, Tyr? I-- I've got parts I was never meant to have!"
The Nietzschean male looked down at his very feminine body. "I know the feeling."
Beka began to pace again.
"You really should stop that," Tyr said, leaning back into the seat. "I don't do anxious very well."
"And I don't do Nietzschean very well," retorted Beka, "but look at me now."
Trance choice that moment to enter, breaking apart the appending quarrel before it happened. Rommie followed a second after.
"Hi," Trance greeted, laying a pile of flexis and other workpads on an empty bed.
"Have they located the Little Professor's body?" Tyr asked.
"Not yet," Rommie answered, "but Dylan is going to ask the High Councilor for assistance. He should known the answer relatively soon."
Trance stepped closer to Beka and Tyr. "We have some good news-- we've found a way to turn on Machello's flexis." She shrugged a bit. "The problem is, all of the notations are in the same unknown dialect."
"How exactly is that good news?" Beka asked, spreading her unusually large hands.
"Well," Trance said, "the flexis have a good chance of being translated if we let Andromeda keep working on the code… but in the mean time, now I have you two to experiment with. If we can help you, than that gives us some hope for when we find Harp-- err, Machello. Hopefully by them we will be able to reverse the process. Assuming of course, it's reversible."
"Can we just get on with this?" Beka interrupted.
Trance nodded and the ship's avatar moved forward to elaborate. "We were unable to find any switches on the device, but we believe it to be triggered by the handles themselves. I've run several scans but we still know very little about how the machine works. Trance and I would like to see what happens when we experiment with the handles."
"Experiment away," Beka intoned.
"All right," Rommie said, "first, I want you two to grasp them normally."
Tyr and Beka followed the android's command and came to stand before the device. Looking briefly at each other, both took hold of the handles. The pair tensed for a moment then let go. Tyr's face looked up towards Trance, but it was Beka's consciousness that answered. "Nope. Still Nietzschean."
"Okay," Rommie went on, "try switching handles. Change sides."
Following instructions, Tyr and Beka traded positions. Calmly Beka gripped the handles and watched her body to the same. She paused as a brief electric current hit her then waited for it to stop. When it ceased, she looked down to find herself still wearing chainmail. Captain Valentine sighed. It was going to be one of those days.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Frey stopped before one of his favorite restaurants and smiled up at its sign. It was small and the food was greasy, but it tasted like heaven. Holding the door, he waited for the little human to enter.
Machello paused before the doorway to scan the interior. When he seemed satisfied that everything was in order he preceded inside. A pretty waitress spotted the pair and made her way over, pulling an ordering pad out of her pocket as she walked.
"Can I help you?"
"Hello," greeted the blonde, "this is Frey. I am Machello. We have come to feast on me." He gazed over at the seated people and called louder, "In fact, let everyone here feast on me!"
The crowd looked up the newcomer and began to murmur amongst themselves.
"You celebrating something?" the woman asked.
"Indeed we are," Machello said, smiling at Frey then at the woman, "life."
The brunette waitress grinned back, tapping her ordering pad on her other hand. "Okay… but you're going to need a creditchip."
The human tilted his head a moment. "A creditchip… where would I find such a chip?"
"Usually in your pocket."
Machello put a hand into his pocket searching for what the woman requested. When he found one completely empty-- save for a few balls of lint--, he reached into the other and pulled out an odd metallic square.
"Will this do?" he asked.
The female reached for the chip and nodded. "Absolutely."
As she took the offered chip, Frey watched as Machello stared at the woman. When the waitress noticed she was being watched she raised a dark eyebrow.
"You are one of the most enchanting woman I have seen in my lifetime," Machello incited. "I would be honored with a kiss."
Two eyebrows now went up as the woman looked at the smaller man. Shaking her head she laughed and turned, motioning them to follow. "I bet you would."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Harper let his body fall back against the bed, wishing there was more padding to the hard, sterile surface. A soft pillow (like the four he kept on the bed in his quarters) wouldn't have prevented the aches that penetrated his body, but they would have helped.
"It's useless."
Trance looked up at her friend and frowned. "No, it's not, Andromeda has already concluded that it's a mixture of ancient Perseid and Acronic. We're getting closer, Harper."
"You keep saying that," Seamus replied, "but I've seen what she's gotten so far. I don't consider myself a linguist-- it's true what Beka says about me being unable to speak Common-- but this isn't right. The alphabets are similar yeah, but it looks like a original language."
"He's right," Andromeda's hologram said solemnly. "There's no sentence structure to the words. I'm not sure I'll be able to decode it without any more information. We need--"
"A Rosetta stone," Harper added.
"Yes," the ship answered. "I'm just afraid Machello is his own Rosetta stone. He may be the only one who can translate this for us."
The engineer felt too weary to talk but pushed himself to stay focused on the conversation. "But it's just a matter of getting him to talk."
"We'll get him to tell us, Harper," Trance said, taking his wrinkled hand into hers.
"Thanks for the confidence. It's nice to hear that from a whippersnapper like yourself."
Trance smiled but said nothing.
"Though," Harper added, "maybe as Captain Cataracts I'm still the whippersnapper to you. You never did tell me your real age."
"We have bigger things to worry about," she said, eluding his question.
"Besides my impending Alzheimer's?"
"Yes in fact," Trance answered, "Tyr and Beka."
Harper blinked. "Last time I checked they were in healthy, normal bodies. Not an old decaying one. They've got it a lot better than me."
"We're afraid they might kill each other," Rommie broke in. "The last time we saw them, Tyr was insisting on using the showers and Beka wouldn't allow it."
"She said she didn't want him-- seeing things," Trance added. "She chased him out into the corridor. I don't know what happened after that."
Harper began to laugh. "That's just like them. Can you imagine if they stayed switched forever? Next week they'd--" He paused, eyes widening before his body went slack on the bed.
"Harper!" Trance called, placing a hand on his neck for a pulse.
"His blood pressure and heart rate are going up," Rommie said, running through the scans the ship had just taken of him.
Trance ran to a side tray and picked up a tiny light. Prying open one of Harper's eyelids and shinning it into one of his pupils, she shook her head. "He's non-responsive. We need a scan of his brain to make sure he didn't hemorrhage-- and we should get a respirator in case his lungs give out. The meds to keep him breathing might work on some, but this body couldn't take them."
"Look at his neural patterns," Andromeda murmured softly to Trance and the alien glanced over at the machines next to his bed. "He's in a coma."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Shoving cold grince pudding into his mouth, Frey watched as Machello did the same only much quicker. The human seemed to enjoy the sweet desert, though from the amount dribbling down his chin it seemed he was wasting more than he was eating.
"So Machello… I get the feeling you worked on the kisk mines," Frey said, finishing the last of his pudding. People were always talking about how the raw kisk affected those who worked closest it to it. He wouldn't doubt the little man had been exposed to it. Machello looked young, but there weren't any child labor laws for the mines. As soon as you were strong enough to pick up a tool you were sent in.
Slowing his spoon, Machello frowned. "No, I was a solider."
"Oh."
Machello took another bite but went on. "I fought many battles but was captured and tortured."
"Well, that explains a lot," Frey said, pushing his dessert away.
"I continued to fight and lost all that I loved and cared for," the blonde said, "but I knew I could not surrender… for you, Frey, and your people. If it were not for me, you would all be conquered by now."
"By who?" Frey laughed. "The Pyrians?"
Machello frowned. "That is not a species I am familiar with, but several others would've wiped you out."
"Whatever you say, man."
The little human smiled though and raised his bowl. "But I do not wish to fight any longer. From now on I only want to eat good food and grince, and be with people like you, Frey."
"All good things come to an end Machello."
As soon as he said it, Frey noticed the chance in his new friend. For an instant a dark shadow seemed to have passed before Machello's blue gaze. "No, Frey" he said, "only evil things must come to an end. For good things such as ourselves, it is possible to go on forever."
Frey smiled. "Cool."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Dylan looked up as the doors to his quarters open and Tyr stepped in. Or rather, Beka- it was all still a bit disconcerting. He put down the pad he'd been studying to look up at her.
"You need something, Beka?"
"I feel like I need to be involved in finding Machello," she replied.
"Actually," Dylan said, "I think we may have him. The High Council just sent a message saying a witness saw a man fitting Harper's description go into a local restaurant. She's sending people over there as we speak."
"Then I want to go."
Dylan shook his head and stood up eyelevel with Beka, something he'd never been able to do in her normal body. "I think you need to stay here. You just have to be patient."
"Patient?" Beka questioned. "I can't be patient when Harper's on meddeck slipping away! I can't be patient and wait for some yahoo civvy-officer of the Councilor to start shooting him and blow any chance we have of saving him!"
Dylan gently put a hand on her hopefully temporary arm. "As much as I'd like to let you go, you're not exactly yourself, Beka. Request denied."
For a moment Dylan thought his first officer would question him-- the anger in her eyes made it possible for anything-- but she didn't in the end.
"All right," Beka agreed, her back to him as she walked to the door, "but pray that they bring that body back in one piece. I spent too many years putting meat on those scrawny little bones of his to lose it now."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
After paying the check and leaving the diner, Machello insisted Frey give him a tour of the city. Frey wracked his brain for something interesting to show his friend but nothing came to mind.
"There's not much to see, little man."
Machello looked up at him and smiled, then peered at the people walking next to them. "It has been a long time since I've ventured out of my home and enjoyed such company. This city has changed much. What do you do around here for enjoyment?"
"Aw, there's not a lot of places to go," Frey said, trying to think of his favorite hangouts. "There's the tracks, and then a few halovid places. You can't forget the bars. Kabelea has great liquor, let me tell you."
"And for females," Machello went on, "how do you go about courting a wife, Frey?"
The alien smiled and glanced a group of approaching female humanoids. "Usually with lots of time, energy, and those creditchips."
Machello saw the females as well and nodded. "Good, let us begin then."
"Hold it there, buddy," a strange voice called from behind them.
Frey and Machello turned to see two Kabelea militia soldiers standing three meter back from them.
"I will not go back, it is impossible," Machello replied calmly.
"Just put your hands behind your head," one of the men said, the tone of his voice ice cold.
Frey complied and glanced at the little human. "Do it, Machello. You don't know these guys like I do."
Machello looked up at friend and shook his head. Before the alien could protest the blonde took off. Frey felt one of men push past him and all he could do was yell, "Wait, wait, don't shoot him, man, he's a hero!"
The soldier tackled Machello and the human when down hard. He tried to roll away from the attacking stranger but was quickly overpowered and slammed down again.
"Ah, don't hurt him!" Frey protested, straining to get past the solider who was holding him back. The other pulled out a pair of stun cuffs.
As the militia solider pulled Machello from the ground, arms secured and bleeding from his lip, Frey sadly watched the blonde shake his head before he was led away.
"You were right, Frey, all good things do come to an end."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Rommie was tired of pacing around the room. Not physically of course; she could walk until he power ran out. No, she needed to be next to him if only to see the slow rising of his chest. The ship's sensors told her all she needed to know, but Rommie felt like she had to look with her own optical sensors.
"Come on, Harper," she murmured softly as she came to stand before her engineer. "They found the man, they're bringing him in." She took one of his hands and gently squeezed it, hoping for a reaction. "You have to wake up. You can't die on me now, I need you. Who would fix me if you weren't around?"
Rommie was so preoccupied with her speech she didn't register the change in his vitals until a soft voice beneath her whispered, "It's nice to know you don't just like me for my looks."
The android felt her face split into a grin as she looked down at the old man. She hadn't noticed before how similar their eyes were. Maybe that's why she could still see a little bit of Harper in the frail body.
"Welcome back," she said. "We've been worried."
"Ah well, I don't like to keep my fans waiting very long." He looked around a moment. "What happened?"
"You slipped into a coma. Trance believes your his lungs and heart are failing."
"Oh goodie," Harper mumbled.
The doors to meddeck opened and Trance entered. Since Andromeda has already informed her of Harper's current condition, the alien girl went right to his side and smiled. "Well, it is good to have you back, Harper. You have impeccable timing, they're just arriving in Bay 12 now. Dylan has 'bots getting the machine."
"I get the feeling this is going to be creepy," Harper said. "You know, seeing my body but it not being-- me."
"That's how I feel right about now," said a deep voice from the doors.
"Hey Beka, you look good," Seamus replied quietly, his strength slowly draining. "Been working out?"
She smiled. "Just a little now and then."
Behind her the body of Beka Valentine entered, followed by Dylan and two maintenance droids carrying Machello's device.
Harper felt his breath catch when he finally saw himself escorted into the room. "I forgot how damn attractive I am," he murmured softly to Rommie. The android blinked at him once then returned her attention to the door.
Harper watched as Machello was taken to the center of the room to stand in front of Captain Hunt. The High Guard officer took a few inspecting steps around the smaller body before coming to face the man. Harper thought about calling him a doppelganger but realized that wasn't quite the right word.
"Reverse what you've done to my people."
Machello's gaze didn't waver from Dylan's. "I cannot do what is impossible."
"Then you won't cooperate?"
"On the contrary," Machello countered, "I am telling you the truth, it is not possible."
"Why is that?" Trance asked from afar.
Machello looked up at her, staring briefly as if to determine what species he was talking to. When she glared back he merely shrugged. "In simplest terms, the device retains a memory of every transference. For the very reason you're asking me, I designed it to so it encrypts the transference, blocking any reversal."
Dylan stepped forward in order to tower over the smaller intruder. "Then reprogram it so it will unblock it."
"You do not have the necessary technology of my homeworld." Machello glanced over at the familiar body in the bed staring up at him. "Even if I wanted to change it, I could not."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
TBC…
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
*ducks behind computer waiting for the tomatoes to be thrown*
It takes 30 seconds to review. What else are you going to be doing for the next half a minute?
Here, I'll make it simple. If you want, just copy and paste one of these:
Wow! That was good!
Wow! That sucked!
See, easy AND painless
~*~
Harper's Pixie: Nice job with catching my (err, Tolkien's) elvish "Hannon Le". Your geekiness almost rivals mine. The scenes where those words come out of Aragorn's mouth are some of my very favorite. (Aragorn looking very Kingly… Legolas' white outfit. O' be still my heart.) Merry and Frodo are on the way to your house as we type, but alas, I said the extra hobbit couldn't be of the Took genus. How about Sam's Gaffer or Farmer Maggot?
Echo24: The only problem with doing "Need" is that Beka has already gone through an addiction episode and I don't know if I'd want to do it again. We'll see. But "Legacy" is a sure thing. ;D And I'm getting more and more intrigued with the idea of Harper being drug away by an Unas-like creature.