Disclaimer. Tribune, not me, owns Andromeda. I am only borrowing the characters.
By the Pricking of my Thumb
By: Verbannen
The Eureka Maru shuttered as Tyr attempted to guide the ship into as flat an area as possible. It struck the ground sliding for several meters on its belly. There was minimal damage from the crash landing. Of course, maneuverability was still almost impossible to control, and there were many more problems caused by the electrical storm Harper and Tyr had stumbled upon.
"Harper, we've landed." The Nietzschean gazed over at the quivering young man. "You can open your eyes now." The boy had hardly said one word since Tyr had threatened him with his life if he mentioned one more time how they were both going to die.
"Landed? You mean crashed." Harper checked himself over for injuries. "Oh man, that hurt."
"You're fine." Tyr affirmed. "We didn't hit that hard."
I'm fine for now, but do you have any idea where we have landed... Brandenburg Tur." Harper could already feel himself shaking with fear. "We'll never get off this planet alive."
"Maybe you won't, but I will." Tyr stated blatantly.
Typical Nietzschean philosophy, Harper thought. He had calmed down slightly from the crash landing, but his nerves were still on edge for other reasons. "This planet is infested with Magog."
"Supposedly infested." Tyr corrected.
Harper gave Tyr a quick glare.
"What you have heard is nothing but rumors." Tyr was hoping to keep the boy lucid. "This planet has been deserted for decades."
Harper let out a nervous laugh. "Because the Magog killed them all. Whose to say that there aren't a few of them left. You know, just sort of hanging around till some suckers like us come along."
"That's highly unlikely." But Tyr wouldn't admit that it might be possible.
"All I'm saying is that I am not sticking around here to find out one way or another." Harper was adamant. He went over to check the status of the ship. There was no way he was going to believe that he couldn't have it fixed within an hour. He was, after all, a genius, but as he looked again at the readouts on the screen he knew he didn't have the right equipment on the Maru to be able to do it that promptly. Harper had never before encountered the type of electrical storm that the Maru had wound up in, and it would take him a while to even figure out the extent of the damage.
"Well..." Tyr asked, looking over Harper's shoulder. "How long till we can get this piece of metal off the ground?"
"I don't know." Harper reluctantly admitted. "It looks bad. I could use some better equipment to get it up and running quicker, but we just don't have it on board." Harper was frustrated at himself that he wasn't better prepared for this kind of damage, but it was too late now, and he would have to make do with what he had on the Maru. He went back to work to hopefully get off the planet before nightfall, but at least by his calculations that wouldn't take place for another six hours.
********
As Harper was analyzing the damage to the ship Tyr pulled him back by his shoulder. "That can wait."
"Not if we want to get off this rock." Harper was obstinate and went back to what he was doing.
"Unless you can get us out of here in the next ten minutes I think we should conceal the ship."
"Oh, sure, hide the ship. With what-a giant sheet?"
"If, as you say, there are Magog here I don't want to just wait around and find out."
Harper threw down his hands. "I knew it. We're going to be infested. Oh man, I am not going out there. Besides..." he continued, "I should stay here and repair the ship."
"I can get it done quicker with your help." Tyr pointed out.
"No way, if there are Magog on this planet, there is no way my butt is leaving this ship."
"What if there are?" Tyr growled. "Are you going to fight them off by yourself?"
"I won't let them in when they knock." Harper said sarcastically.
"And you think this ship will protect you. Let me tell you, boy, they can break right through its hull."
Harper stood there for a moment not knowing what to say. Then he finally spoke up. "You really think camouflaging the Maru will keep them from finding us?"
"It might help." Tyr didn't want to make any promises. They, of course, still did not know if they were alone on the planet, but taking precautions were necessary.
********
"Here," Tyr passed Harper a long narrow branch. "Find as many of these as you can and place them against the ship."
Harper looked at the branch, and then at the ship. "There is no way we will be able to cover the entire ship."
"No, but we will at least be able to cover it enough so it won't be seen from a distance." Tyr said as he gathered more of the branches. "Now, get to work, boy." He ordered.
********
The Maru was covered as much as Tyr and Harper could do with the minimal resources, and Harper was inside working out a few kinks that were keeping the ship from getting enough power in the thrusters to lift off. Tyr was outside keeping an eye on the surrounding terrain.
In the distance Tyr heard what he though was a branch break. It could have just been the wind that caused it, but he knew what he heard, and he wasn't going to take that chance. He wasn't far from the Maru, but far enough away that he might be noticed if there was anyone out there. Instead he ducked behind the large tree that he had been leaning against. Then, in the distance he saw them, four, maybe five Magog. "Damn it, Boy, you were right." He cursed under his breath, admitting to himself that the boy's paranoia had been well founded.
Tyr had been paying so much attention to the activity in the distance that he hadn't noticed Harper coming out of the ship until it was too late. He wanted to yell at the boy, but he knew better than to attract any attention. He had told him to stay on board until he returned. Why didn't the boy ever listen?
Harper didn't notice Tyr's silent attempts to have him go back to the ship. " I thought you might like an updaaa..."
Tyr grabbed Harper down behind the tree and placed a firm hand over his mouth. "Quiet, boy." He hissed in his ear.
Harper made a small whimpering sound through the Nietzschean's fingers.
"I'm going to remove my hand, and I don't want you making a sound." Tyr waited for an acknowledgement.
Harper nodded.
Tyr looked out to see if the Magog were still approaching. They were, but he was trying to remain calm. He knew if Harper thought they were heading this way that he would become a hindrance. "If we remain quiet they might not see us. I don't think they have spotted the ship yet." Tyr told the quivering young man.
Harper tried not to panic, but he couldn't help himself. "I knew it. Oh, crap they're going to infest us."
Tyr grabbed the boy by his shirt collar. "They won't if you do as I say." He's becoming hysterical, Tyr thought. "Harper... I need you to focus." He put a hand on his shoulder, but it wasn't meant as an act of comfort, but more to shake him out of his fear.
"Focus, alright, focus. I think I can do that." Harper's voice trembled as the words left his mouth. He was trying to remain calm. He knew that if the Magog didn't kill him Tyr would if he didn't calm himself down.
"We're going to stay here for now, if I think they have spotted us we run." Tyr was close to the boy, and he could see the fear in his eyes. "But not until I say so." Tyr added.
"Run, got it. I can do that"
Tyr hoped he could save himself and Harper. He felt responsible for the human, but he was not going to die because of him.
********
Both Tyr and Harper sat anxiously waiting to see if the Magog would approach any closer. Harper had a death grip on the Gauss gun he carried, but Tyr didn't think he would be any good with it in a fight. He kept a close eye on him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, but he couldn't stop what happened next.
As the Magog approached, Harper could see the hunger in their eyes, and he leaned back in fear, snapping a twig. It was enough to draw the Magog's attention. Harper looked over at Tyr, and the Nietzschean pushed the boy toward the Maru. "Run!" He screamed as he shot one of the Magog, but they were already too close, and neither one of them had a strait shot for the ship. They swarmed Tyr first, and he shot one, and jammed his blades in one of the others, but there were more of them coming out from among the trees. Tyr and Harper had been ambushed.
Harper blamed himself that they had been spotted, and as he watched the Nietzschean fight off the three Magog that were on top of him he felt responsible to help. Tyr managed to shoot one of them, but the other two had him pinned. Harper could hear more Magog in the distance and there were at least two between him and the Maru, and they were getting closer to him. Instead of trying to get as far away from the Magog as he could he lifted his gun and shot at one of the Magog attacking Tyr. Nothing happened. His gun was jammed. And in an instant of fear he approached and slammed it against the Magog's head. Stupid mistake. The Magog only budged enough to turn on Harper. He sank his claws into his flesh pushing him to the ground. Harper reached around the creature's neck, but he didn't have the strength to defend himself. He screamed out in terror, but then he went numb as the Magog spat paralytic poison in his face.
Tyr threw off the Magog that remained on him and bashed its head hard against a rock. He shot as he ran, and managed to take out several more Magog before he reached Harper. He reached out and tore the Magog off a paralyzed Harper. He then easily threw him over his shoulder and took off in the direction on the Maru. He could feel the warm blood on his back and he knew it wasn't his own. "Stay with me, boy." He pleaded, but he didn't think that Harper was conscious to hear him. In a way he hoped he wasn't. He managed to get back to the ship and seal them both inside. All he could do now was hope that Harper had finished enough of the repairs to get them off the planet. Outside he could hear the screeching of the Magog claws on the metal and their high pitched screeching that made his skin crawl.
Tyr place Harper down on the floor and went to power up the ship. He would deal with his injuries later. Right now, neither of them would survive if the didn't get the Maru off the ground.
One Hour Later...
Tyr tended to Harper's wounds. He was just starting to become conscious, but the poison would last for several more hours. At least he can't talk back while I yell at him for what he did, Tyr thought.
Harper's eyes shot open, and the terror he felt was evident. He couldn't move to see Tyr bandaging a wound on his leg, and he certainly couldn't feel it-which made it easier for Tyr. "That was stupid." Tyr said as he moved into Harper's sight. "You should have run back to the ship as I told you to do. You could have gotten us both killed." The Nietzschean had finished covering all the boy's wounds. None of them were too deep, but they would be very painful.
Harper wanted to criticize Tyr's lack of appreciation for what he did, but he couldn't move, let alone speak. He could feel a slight tingling course through his body, and he knew the poison would be wearing off soon. Which he was very glad of because he felt too vulnerable laying on the floor of the Maru with a Nietzschean hanging over him.
"When the poison wears off you will be in pain." Tyr told Harper bluntly. "But I don't want you to move. You could reopen your wounds."
Harper looked on for more information. He was just beginning to feel the nerves in his face and he managed to get out one word. "Eggs?"
The Nietzschean knew what he meant. "No, you were lucky. They just got you with their claws." Tyr turned to go back to controls to make sure they were still on coarse to get to Andromeda. The Maru was still having a few problems, and the automatic pilot was one of them.
Harper tried to call him back, but he couldn't manage to get his voice loud enough.
*******
"Tyr!" Harper screamed as he got the feeling back in his body.
"I told you to lay still." He finished helping Harper to his feet.
"It didn't know you cared." Harper tried to crack a smile, but the pain from his injuries quickly stopped him.
Tyr sighed. "Lay back down," he ordered.
"Can I come up front?" Harper couldn't get the thoughts of the Magog attacking him out of his mind, and he didn't want to be alone at the moment. Tyr would not have been the first person he would usually seek solace in, but he didn't have any other choice at the moment.
"Fine."
The two sat in silence for a while. They had gotten close enough to Andromeda to make contact, and they would arrive shortly.
Harper finally spoke up. "Why didn't you just leave me there, Tyr?"
Tyr raised an eyebrow, "why would I do that?"
"Because..." Harper moved to a more comfortable position. "I know how you Nietzscheans think. Your survival always comes first."
"Harper," Tyr turned his head away from the boy for a moment, trying to find the words to say. "Yes, in a Nietzschean pride I would look out for myself first, but..." Tyr continued, "It is also the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak. It keeps the pride together."
"So you're saying that Andromeda and its crew are kinda like your pride?" Harper asked as the Andromeda Ascendant came into view.
"In a way...yes, but it's complicated. Perhaps some day I will explain" Tyr said as he prepared to dock the Maru.
"Perhaps some day." Harper said mutely.
2
By the Pricking of my Thumb
By: Verbannen
The Eureka Maru shuttered as Tyr attempted to guide the ship into as flat an area as possible. It struck the ground sliding for several meters on its belly. There was minimal damage from the crash landing. Of course, maneuverability was still almost impossible to control, and there were many more problems caused by the electrical storm Harper and Tyr had stumbled upon.
"Harper, we've landed." The Nietzschean gazed over at the quivering young man. "You can open your eyes now." The boy had hardly said one word since Tyr had threatened him with his life if he mentioned one more time how they were both going to die.
"Landed? You mean crashed." Harper checked himself over for injuries. "Oh man, that hurt."
"You're fine." Tyr affirmed. "We didn't hit that hard."
I'm fine for now, but do you have any idea where we have landed... Brandenburg Tur." Harper could already feel himself shaking with fear. "We'll never get off this planet alive."
"Maybe you won't, but I will." Tyr stated blatantly.
Typical Nietzschean philosophy, Harper thought. He had calmed down slightly from the crash landing, but his nerves were still on edge for other reasons. "This planet is infested with Magog."
"Supposedly infested." Tyr corrected.
Harper gave Tyr a quick glare.
"What you have heard is nothing but rumors." Tyr was hoping to keep the boy lucid. "This planet has been deserted for decades."
Harper let out a nervous laugh. "Because the Magog killed them all. Whose to say that there aren't a few of them left. You know, just sort of hanging around till some suckers like us come along."
"That's highly unlikely." But Tyr wouldn't admit that it might be possible.
"All I'm saying is that I am not sticking around here to find out one way or another." Harper was adamant. He went over to check the status of the ship. There was no way he was going to believe that he couldn't have it fixed within an hour. He was, after all, a genius, but as he looked again at the readouts on the screen he knew he didn't have the right equipment on the Maru to be able to do it that promptly. Harper had never before encountered the type of electrical storm that the Maru had wound up in, and it would take him a while to even figure out the extent of the damage.
"Well..." Tyr asked, looking over Harper's shoulder. "How long till we can get this piece of metal off the ground?"
"I don't know." Harper reluctantly admitted. "It looks bad. I could use some better equipment to get it up and running quicker, but we just don't have it on board." Harper was frustrated at himself that he wasn't better prepared for this kind of damage, but it was too late now, and he would have to make do with what he had on the Maru. He went back to work to hopefully get off the planet before nightfall, but at least by his calculations that wouldn't take place for another six hours.
********
As Harper was analyzing the damage to the ship Tyr pulled him back by his shoulder. "That can wait."
"Not if we want to get off this rock." Harper was obstinate and went back to what he was doing.
"Unless you can get us out of here in the next ten minutes I think we should conceal the ship."
"Oh, sure, hide the ship. With what-a giant sheet?"
"If, as you say, there are Magog here I don't want to just wait around and find out."
Harper threw down his hands. "I knew it. We're going to be infested. Oh man, I am not going out there. Besides..." he continued, "I should stay here and repair the ship."
"I can get it done quicker with your help." Tyr pointed out.
"No way, if there are Magog on this planet, there is no way my butt is leaving this ship."
"What if there are?" Tyr growled. "Are you going to fight them off by yourself?"
"I won't let them in when they knock." Harper said sarcastically.
"And you think this ship will protect you. Let me tell you, boy, they can break right through its hull."
Harper stood there for a moment not knowing what to say. Then he finally spoke up. "You really think camouflaging the Maru will keep them from finding us?"
"It might help." Tyr didn't want to make any promises. They, of course, still did not know if they were alone on the planet, but taking precautions were necessary.
********
"Here," Tyr passed Harper a long narrow branch. "Find as many of these as you can and place them against the ship."
Harper looked at the branch, and then at the ship. "There is no way we will be able to cover the entire ship."
"No, but we will at least be able to cover it enough so it won't be seen from a distance." Tyr said as he gathered more of the branches. "Now, get to work, boy." He ordered.
********
The Maru was covered as much as Tyr and Harper could do with the minimal resources, and Harper was inside working out a few kinks that were keeping the ship from getting enough power in the thrusters to lift off. Tyr was outside keeping an eye on the surrounding terrain.
In the distance Tyr heard what he though was a branch break. It could have just been the wind that caused it, but he knew what he heard, and he wasn't going to take that chance. He wasn't far from the Maru, but far enough away that he might be noticed if there was anyone out there. Instead he ducked behind the large tree that he had been leaning against. Then, in the distance he saw them, four, maybe five Magog. "Damn it, Boy, you were right." He cursed under his breath, admitting to himself that the boy's paranoia had been well founded.
Tyr had been paying so much attention to the activity in the distance that he hadn't noticed Harper coming out of the ship until it was too late. He wanted to yell at the boy, but he knew better than to attract any attention. He had told him to stay on board until he returned. Why didn't the boy ever listen?
Harper didn't notice Tyr's silent attempts to have him go back to the ship. " I thought you might like an updaaa..."
Tyr grabbed Harper down behind the tree and placed a firm hand over his mouth. "Quiet, boy." He hissed in his ear.
Harper made a small whimpering sound through the Nietzschean's fingers.
"I'm going to remove my hand, and I don't want you making a sound." Tyr waited for an acknowledgement.
Harper nodded.
Tyr looked out to see if the Magog were still approaching. They were, but he was trying to remain calm. He knew if Harper thought they were heading this way that he would become a hindrance. "If we remain quiet they might not see us. I don't think they have spotted the ship yet." Tyr told the quivering young man.
Harper tried not to panic, but he couldn't help himself. "I knew it. Oh, crap they're going to infest us."
Tyr grabbed the boy by his shirt collar. "They won't if you do as I say." He's becoming hysterical, Tyr thought. "Harper... I need you to focus." He put a hand on his shoulder, but it wasn't meant as an act of comfort, but more to shake him out of his fear.
"Focus, alright, focus. I think I can do that." Harper's voice trembled as the words left his mouth. He was trying to remain calm. He knew that if the Magog didn't kill him Tyr would if he didn't calm himself down.
"We're going to stay here for now, if I think they have spotted us we run." Tyr was close to the boy, and he could see the fear in his eyes. "But not until I say so." Tyr added.
"Run, got it. I can do that"
Tyr hoped he could save himself and Harper. He felt responsible for the human, but he was not going to die because of him.
********
Both Tyr and Harper sat anxiously waiting to see if the Magog would approach any closer. Harper had a death grip on the Gauss gun he carried, but Tyr didn't think he would be any good with it in a fight. He kept a close eye on him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, but he couldn't stop what happened next.
As the Magog approached, Harper could see the hunger in their eyes, and he leaned back in fear, snapping a twig. It was enough to draw the Magog's attention. Harper looked over at Tyr, and the Nietzschean pushed the boy toward the Maru. "Run!" He screamed as he shot one of the Magog, but they were already too close, and neither one of them had a strait shot for the ship. They swarmed Tyr first, and he shot one, and jammed his blades in one of the others, but there were more of them coming out from among the trees. Tyr and Harper had been ambushed.
Harper blamed himself that they had been spotted, and as he watched the Nietzschean fight off the three Magog that were on top of him he felt responsible to help. Tyr managed to shoot one of them, but the other two had him pinned. Harper could hear more Magog in the distance and there were at least two between him and the Maru, and they were getting closer to him. Instead of trying to get as far away from the Magog as he could he lifted his gun and shot at one of the Magog attacking Tyr. Nothing happened. His gun was jammed. And in an instant of fear he approached and slammed it against the Magog's head. Stupid mistake. The Magog only budged enough to turn on Harper. He sank his claws into his flesh pushing him to the ground. Harper reached around the creature's neck, but he didn't have the strength to defend himself. He screamed out in terror, but then he went numb as the Magog spat paralytic poison in his face.
Tyr threw off the Magog that remained on him and bashed its head hard against a rock. He shot as he ran, and managed to take out several more Magog before he reached Harper. He reached out and tore the Magog off a paralyzed Harper. He then easily threw him over his shoulder and took off in the direction on the Maru. He could feel the warm blood on his back and he knew it wasn't his own. "Stay with me, boy." He pleaded, but he didn't think that Harper was conscious to hear him. In a way he hoped he wasn't. He managed to get back to the ship and seal them both inside. All he could do now was hope that Harper had finished enough of the repairs to get them off the planet. Outside he could hear the screeching of the Magog claws on the metal and their high pitched screeching that made his skin crawl.
Tyr place Harper down on the floor and went to power up the ship. He would deal with his injuries later. Right now, neither of them would survive if the didn't get the Maru off the ground.
One Hour Later...
Tyr tended to Harper's wounds. He was just starting to become conscious, but the poison would last for several more hours. At least he can't talk back while I yell at him for what he did, Tyr thought.
Harper's eyes shot open, and the terror he felt was evident. He couldn't move to see Tyr bandaging a wound on his leg, and he certainly couldn't feel it-which made it easier for Tyr. "That was stupid." Tyr said as he moved into Harper's sight. "You should have run back to the ship as I told you to do. You could have gotten us both killed." The Nietzschean had finished covering all the boy's wounds. None of them were too deep, but they would be very painful.
Harper wanted to criticize Tyr's lack of appreciation for what he did, but he couldn't move, let alone speak. He could feel a slight tingling course through his body, and he knew the poison would be wearing off soon. Which he was very glad of because he felt too vulnerable laying on the floor of the Maru with a Nietzschean hanging over him.
"When the poison wears off you will be in pain." Tyr told Harper bluntly. "But I don't want you to move. You could reopen your wounds."
Harper looked on for more information. He was just beginning to feel the nerves in his face and he managed to get out one word. "Eggs?"
The Nietzschean knew what he meant. "No, you were lucky. They just got you with their claws." Tyr turned to go back to controls to make sure they were still on coarse to get to Andromeda. The Maru was still having a few problems, and the automatic pilot was one of them.
Harper tried to call him back, but he couldn't manage to get his voice loud enough.
*******
"Tyr!" Harper screamed as he got the feeling back in his body.
"I told you to lay still." He finished helping Harper to his feet.
"It didn't know you cared." Harper tried to crack a smile, but the pain from his injuries quickly stopped him.
Tyr sighed. "Lay back down," he ordered.
"Can I come up front?" Harper couldn't get the thoughts of the Magog attacking him out of his mind, and he didn't want to be alone at the moment. Tyr would not have been the first person he would usually seek solace in, but he didn't have any other choice at the moment.
"Fine."
The two sat in silence for a while. They had gotten close enough to Andromeda to make contact, and they would arrive shortly.
Harper finally spoke up. "Why didn't you just leave me there, Tyr?"
Tyr raised an eyebrow, "why would I do that?"
"Because..." Harper moved to a more comfortable position. "I know how you Nietzscheans think. Your survival always comes first."
"Harper," Tyr turned his head away from the boy for a moment, trying to find the words to say. "Yes, in a Nietzschean pride I would look out for myself first, but..." Tyr continued, "It is also the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak. It keeps the pride together."
"So you're saying that Andromeda and its crew are kinda like your pride?" Harper asked as the Andromeda Ascendant came into view.
"In a way...yes, but it's complicated. Perhaps some day I will explain" Tyr said as he prepared to dock the Maru.
"Perhaps some day." Harper said mutely.
2