Disclaimer: I own nothing and I am getting no money
Summery: Enter Rev Bem
A/N: This takes place a few months after my story "In the
Beginning". If you haven't read it, it
was just how Harper met Beka.
"No Way!" Harper protested
"We need
him Harper"
"He's a
Magog!"
"He's a
Wayist Monk and a linguist. We are
going to system where if we want to talk to anyone we'll need to know their
language. Do you know any other
language?"
"Fine, just
keep him away from me." Harper stormed
away.
Beka let him
go. Harper would get used to Rev. She
hadn't expected Harper to jump for joy at the idea of serving with someone
who's people killed his family and friends and added to the misery of his past. But, as she had said, they needed him and
his skills. He was a scientist by trade
but his language skills were going to make their job easier.
Rev Bem had
volunteered his services while she was sitting, minding her own business,
eating a sandwich in a café on the station where they were currently
docked. It was rather odd; she had been
eating her sandwich at a table and watching the people go by when this monk sat
down at her table. Initially
surprised; Beka had been taken aback by this lumpy, monkey like, Magog. "Hello" he had croaked
"Hello" she
had responded
"I hear you
are the captain of a salvage vessel. I
am looking for a job to get me off of this station. I am a scientist, and probably more useful to you, I can speak
many alien languages." Beka had thought
about this, he was right, they could use help negotiating jobs. Could Harper deal with a Magog?
"I assure you I am not like my
brethren. I am a Wayist. As the Divine
wishes, I am a strict vegetarian and you need not fear me." Rev wasn't like other Magog. Beka had a good feeling about him.
"We leave in an hour, be on the
ship." Harper would get over it she
assured herself.
Back in the
present, Beka went to meet Rev Bem by the airlock. "Welcome aboard" she smiled
"You have
been blessed with a beautiful ship Captain"
"Thank you,
I'll show you where you can put your stuff" The monk didn't have much in the
way of belongings. Harper had been the
same way, a backpack with everything he owned in the world. "You'll meet Harper soon enough." She pondered whether to warn him about
Harper's attitude. He quickly settled
his things in the little crew quarters Beka had found him.
"Shall I
meet this Harper now?"
"Uhum,
sure" she led him to the controls where she had last seen Harper.
Harper was lying on his back under
a consol rewiring its systems. One
benefit he found to being small was he had no problem getting at the hidden
components that made this ship run. He
coughed. He hoped he wasn't getting
sick again; it was incredibly irritating the way his body betrayed him so
easily. The other thought on his mind
was the Magog. He could still see his
cousins, alive but already dead. He
shook the memories away, too painful.
He coughed again. He really
hoped he wasn't getting sick. In the 4
months he had been with Beka and the Maru they had been forced to stop twice
for his infirmity.
Rolling out from under the consol
he found himself face to face with Beka and the new crewmember. Both the Magog and the human stared at each
other. Rev regarded the human with a
bit of surprise. He was from
Earth. Looking into the little blond
man's eyes he could tell he had suffered through Magog attacks. There was a fear and hatred in his eyes. He knew his species was despicable and
rightfully hated by pretty much everyone.
But this boy had actually experienced the horrors first hand. Rev hadn't expected this other crewman to be
from Earth. So few people ever got off
that planet. Then he noticed the port
behind his ear, maiming the body the Divine had given him by shoving that
machine into his brain was the only way he could have worked off his passage
away from Earth. The education system
on the planet wasn't good; life in the camps where humans were forced to live
left them weakened and with shortened life spans. With all these factors working against them no one wanted to hire
someone from Earth.
Harper looked at the Magog and his
first instinct was to run. Run as fast
and as far as he could. But he didn't,
voice reminded him this was the new crewmember and a monk. He wanted to strangle the Magog, but that
logical voice was back, he couldn't do that.
Then the monk said something rather unexpected, "I'm sorry and I hope
the Divine eases your pain more with each passing day." It didn't make everything all right, but it
emphasized how different this man was.
The Magog had never, ever shown any remorse, anything other than
violence to him. This guy wasn't like
them; he was going to be around for a while so Seamus Zealany Harper was going
to at least be civil to him. He wasn't
crazy; Rev Bem and he weren't going to be instant friends. He wasn't ever going to like the Magog. But maybe he could learn to like Rev Bem.
