Chapter 5 – See chapter 1 for description and disclaimers.
I was sitting drinking what was probably my fifth or sixth Sparky of the day when Beka sat down opposite me. I could see by the expression on her face that the news wasn't going to be good. She looked serious and worried and the tone of her voice didn't help either. I sat and waited, I knew that there was a problem and I also realised that she would tell me when she was ready and not before.
She started to explain. "Harper," she said. "I am in a lot of trouble, I've been stupid and put everyone's life at risk."
Then she told me exactly what she'd done, and why she dreaded arriving at the Drift. I couldn't understand what her motive had been. She'd agreed to carry a cargo for a Nietzschean pride and then failed to deliver it. That was so bad, about as bad as it could get. I was frightened to ask her which pride, I think that I already had a pretty good idea and I was proved right. She'd messed with the Dragans. That was enough for me, I wanted off the Maru and out of her life as soon as possible.
She carried on explaining, something about not having a choice, that the shipment had been taken from her at gunpoint by a rival pride. I exploded with rage then. "Of course you had a choice, nobody made you carry cargo for them. I hate the Dragans as much as I hate the Magog." I swallowed hard, for some reason my throat was dry. "I hate them more than I hate the Magog, they are human and what they did to their fellow humans was unspeakable." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I thought about my parents, their only crime had been being born on a tired out, wasted planet called Earth. The Dragans had killed them for no reason other than the fact that their existence had offended the ubers.
I didn't want to sit with her any longer; I pushed the table away spilling the can of Sparky in the process. I got up and ran for my quarters. I could hear her calling me, trying to tell me that I hadn't heard the whole story. I didn't want to hear any more. I threw myself on to my bunk and sobbed bitterly. I'd really thought I'd found something worth having on board the Maru. I was even getting used to the resident Magog.
I don't know how long I lay there, I felt us go to slipstream, the final slip to Carson's Drift. A while later there was a tentative tap on my door. I opened it and Trance was standing there. I was pretty abrupt with her. "Don't bother trying to get me to stay, I'll collect my money and go." Then I shut the door in her face, I really regretted that later but I was too upset to think straight.
It took me half an hour to pack my belongings and be ready to leave. Beka handed me the money that I was due and I walked away from the Maru. I decided that I was well out of it, I had cash in my pocket, new clothes and I was feeling better physically than I had for a very long while. Mentally was a different matter, well I'd lost people before, that's why I never get too close to anyone, saves getting hurt when they leave you.
They say you shouldn't look back but I did. I saw Trance standing watching me, when she saw me turn round she started moving towards me. I quickened my pace and when I looked again she was gone.
I did wonder why Beka had returned to Carson's Drift. If the Nietzscheans were waiting for her there it would have made much more sense to avoid the place like the plague. Of course if I'd listened to the rest of her explanation I would have known the reason. I also assumed that it was the Dragans that had sabotaged the slipstream drive. Wrong again Harper, for a genius you can be very stupid sometimes.
I was sitting drinking what was probably my fifth or sixth Sparky of the day when Beka sat down opposite me. I could see by the expression on her face that the news wasn't going to be good. She looked serious and worried and the tone of her voice didn't help either. I sat and waited, I knew that there was a problem and I also realised that she would tell me when she was ready and not before.
She started to explain. "Harper," she said. "I am in a lot of trouble, I've been stupid and put everyone's life at risk."
Then she told me exactly what she'd done, and why she dreaded arriving at the Drift. I couldn't understand what her motive had been. She'd agreed to carry a cargo for a Nietzschean pride and then failed to deliver it. That was so bad, about as bad as it could get. I was frightened to ask her which pride, I think that I already had a pretty good idea and I was proved right. She'd messed with the Dragans. That was enough for me, I wanted off the Maru and out of her life as soon as possible.
She carried on explaining, something about not having a choice, that the shipment had been taken from her at gunpoint by a rival pride. I exploded with rage then. "Of course you had a choice, nobody made you carry cargo for them. I hate the Dragans as much as I hate the Magog." I swallowed hard, for some reason my throat was dry. "I hate them more than I hate the Magog, they are human and what they did to their fellow humans was unspeakable." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I thought about my parents, their only crime had been being born on a tired out, wasted planet called Earth. The Dragans had killed them for no reason other than the fact that their existence had offended the ubers.
I didn't want to sit with her any longer; I pushed the table away spilling the can of Sparky in the process. I got up and ran for my quarters. I could hear her calling me, trying to tell me that I hadn't heard the whole story. I didn't want to hear any more. I threw myself on to my bunk and sobbed bitterly. I'd really thought I'd found something worth having on board the Maru. I was even getting used to the resident Magog.
I don't know how long I lay there, I felt us go to slipstream, the final slip to Carson's Drift. A while later there was a tentative tap on my door. I opened it and Trance was standing there. I was pretty abrupt with her. "Don't bother trying to get me to stay, I'll collect my money and go." Then I shut the door in her face, I really regretted that later but I was too upset to think straight.
It took me half an hour to pack my belongings and be ready to leave. Beka handed me the money that I was due and I walked away from the Maru. I decided that I was well out of it, I had cash in my pocket, new clothes and I was feeling better physically than I had for a very long while. Mentally was a different matter, well I'd lost people before, that's why I never get too close to anyone, saves getting hurt when they leave you.
They say you shouldn't look back but I did. I saw Trance standing watching me, when she saw me turn round she started moving towards me. I quickened my pace and when I looked again she was gone.
I did wonder why Beka had returned to Carson's Drift. If the Nietzscheans were waiting for her there it would have made much more sense to avoid the place like the plague. Of course if I'd listened to the rest of her explanation I would have known the reason. I also assumed that it was the Dragans that had sabotaged the slipstream drive. Wrong again Harper, for a genius you can be very stupid sometimes.
