Part 4
Glancing down, Harper thought about what Tyr had told him. It made sense, and he wanted to know about the disc as much as Tyr, maybe more. But he really didn't know if confronting Trance was the way to do it. He'd seen her get mad more times than he cared to. What other option was there? Only two people knew about the disc, Trance, and the imprisoned man. Wait-the man! What was his name? Harper looked at his computer. Sheen, that was it. He was their key. "Tyr," Harper began, "you're right about Trance. Getting her to talk'll be tricky. But we have another source, so to speak: Sheen!"
"Who?" Tyr asked.
"The human. You know, the guy who supposedly picked up our Trance? We can contact him. Get him to spill his guts about what he did." Tyr nodded, liking this idea.
"Can you set up a com. link? And without Rommie finding out?"
"Why Tyr, you insult me with your lack of faith."
Tyr rolled his eyes. "Just do it, okay?" He left Harper to do his work.
When the Nietzschean had left, Harper formed a communications link. It would be crude, but it would work. He asked Rommie to enforce 'rivacy mode'. He had to get by a few security systems, but he managed to establish a contact into Sheen's prison. A weary-looking human appeared on the screen He had large glasses which seemed to be much to big for his tiny head. But the hard look in his eyes gave him a small edge.
"What do you need?" He asked with a hoarse voice.
Harper cleared his throat. He hadn't really planned what he would say. "I, uh, I was wondering if you could tell me, what happened prior to your uh, incarceration?"
The man gave a harsh laugh. "You mean why did they lock me up?" Harper nodded. "I was-I am a scientist. I'm no criminal! I was studying new life forms. I came across a planet inhabited by an extremely primitive civilization. However, they were sentient, and I decided to watch them. I was stupid back then. I thought I could change things, make a difference!" His eyes hardened. "I was a fool. I noticed one specific alien, who seemed like a kindred soul. She...she touched me and my life. I wanted something better for her! In the end, I took her away with me. We were happy for a while, me showing her what was possible, and her showing me what life was really about. But finally, the government caught up with us. They took me here, and I can only hope that she escaped, too." Sheen finally grew silent, his appearance more tired than before. Still, he seemed a little relieved. Harper decided to try again.
"Mr. Sheen, can you tell me who these people are?" He put the images of the two aliens on the screen, along with the one of Sheen himself.
The man let out a grimace of a smile. "Those are Trance's children." Harper sat down in shock, his eyes wide. Sheen laughed at his reaction. "Don't get any foolish ideas, young man. They aren't mine! No, we left them on the planet."
"I can't believe Trance would leave her children behind," Harper mumbled.
"Wait, you know her? Where is she? How is she?"
"She, uh, Trance is fine, I guess. We don't really know much about her. As for where, she's on a high guard ship, doing pretty well for herself. We just, found this disc, and were curious."
"Well then what are you asking me for? You have your answers right there! But, son? Don't be angry about her children. They abandoned her a long time before she left them." With that last message, Sheen turned off his side of the com. link. Oh man, thought Harper, I gotta tell Tyr!!!
Glancing down, Harper thought about what Tyr had told him. It made sense, and he wanted to know about the disc as much as Tyr, maybe more. But he really didn't know if confronting Trance was the way to do it. He'd seen her get mad more times than he cared to. What other option was there? Only two people knew about the disc, Trance, and the imprisoned man. Wait-the man! What was his name? Harper looked at his computer. Sheen, that was it. He was their key. "Tyr," Harper began, "you're right about Trance. Getting her to talk'll be tricky. But we have another source, so to speak: Sheen!"
"Who?" Tyr asked.
"The human. You know, the guy who supposedly picked up our Trance? We can contact him. Get him to spill his guts about what he did." Tyr nodded, liking this idea.
"Can you set up a com. link? And without Rommie finding out?"
"Why Tyr, you insult me with your lack of faith."
Tyr rolled his eyes. "Just do it, okay?" He left Harper to do his work.
When the Nietzschean had left, Harper formed a communications link. It would be crude, but it would work. He asked Rommie to enforce 'rivacy mode'. He had to get by a few security systems, but he managed to establish a contact into Sheen's prison. A weary-looking human appeared on the screen He had large glasses which seemed to be much to big for his tiny head. But the hard look in his eyes gave him a small edge.
"What do you need?" He asked with a hoarse voice.
Harper cleared his throat. He hadn't really planned what he would say. "I, uh, I was wondering if you could tell me, what happened prior to your uh, incarceration?"
The man gave a harsh laugh. "You mean why did they lock me up?" Harper nodded. "I was-I am a scientist. I'm no criminal! I was studying new life forms. I came across a planet inhabited by an extremely primitive civilization. However, they were sentient, and I decided to watch them. I was stupid back then. I thought I could change things, make a difference!" His eyes hardened. "I was a fool. I noticed one specific alien, who seemed like a kindred soul. She...she touched me and my life. I wanted something better for her! In the end, I took her away with me. We were happy for a while, me showing her what was possible, and her showing me what life was really about. But finally, the government caught up with us. They took me here, and I can only hope that she escaped, too." Sheen finally grew silent, his appearance more tired than before. Still, he seemed a little relieved. Harper decided to try again.
"Mr. Sheen, can you tell me who these people are?" He put the images of the two aliens on the screen, along with the one of Sheen himself.
The man let out a grimace of a smile. "Those are Trance's children." Harper sat down in shock, his eyes wide. Sheen laughed at his reaction. "Don't get any foolish ideas, young man. They aren't mine! No, we left them on the planet."
"I can't believe Trance would leave her children behind," Harper mumbled.
"Wait, you know her? Where is she? How is she?"
"She, uh, Trance is fine, I guess. We don't really know much about her. As for where, she's on a high guard ship, doing pretty well for herself. We just, found this disc, and were curious."
"Well then what are you asking me for? You have your answers right there! But, son? Don't be angry about her children. They abandoned her a long time before she left them." With that last message, Sheen turned off his side of the com. link. Oh man, thought Harper, I gotta tell Tyr!!!