Chapter 11 - Rating and disclaimers as Chapter 1
Some spoilers for both seasons.
I came to on the deck of the crew quarters. I was locked in again. The two guards really enjoyed their work. They had taken a very professional attitude to their task of beating me up. I tried to establish what hurt most. Everything did! My wounded arm throbbed and my head ached. Even my bruises had bruises. No part of me was seriously injured but most of me ached. I wriggled my fingers and toes very cautiously; contrary to how they felt they all seemed to still be attached to the rest of me.
I was tied up again and lying on the very cold hard deck, the crew quarters were unheated and dark. I was freezing; at one stage they had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over me. I think I'd had the audacity to pass out before they had quite finished.
Once I started to shiver I couldn't stop. The more I shivered the colder I felt. I began to feel sleepy. I knew that sleep wasn't a good idea; once I fell asleep I was pretty certain that I wouldn't wake up again. My only consolation was that Zeus would be really pissed off with the guards if I died.
I was half asleep, half-awake and wholly miserable when I heard the grating in the ceiling move. The Magog dropped through it and landed lightly on the balls of his feet. He was carrying a med kit.
"I am sorry Harper, " he whispered. "I can't treat your wounds but I can give you some antibiotics and painkillers."
He pressed a hypo to my neck and within seconds the pain had eased to a dull ache. He quickly checked as many of my injuries as he could without untying me.
"The arm is the worst, it's definitely infected, that's not surprising because that bandage is filthy." He pressed another hypo. "Antibiotics," he said briefly. "I'm sorry I can't replace the dressing they'd notice.
Although I didn't feel any warmer I'd stopped shivering, I knew that wasn't a good sign. Hypothermia was becoming well established and I could feel my mind starting to drift. It was becoming more difficult to keep my eyes open.
I became aware of what felt like a warm fur rug being wrapped round me. I wondered where the Magog had found it; the guards had stripped the bedding from the bunks before they locked me in. I snuggled into the warmth, opened my eyes and saw Rev Bem lying on the floor next to me with his arms wrapped round me. To say that I was paralysed with fear was an understatement; I couldn't even scream I was so scared. I began to hyperventilate. He stroked my back and spoke to me gently.
"It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm trying to keep you warm. You will die if I leave you alone. You mustn't sleep Harper stay awake. Talk to me."
Well he asked and I obliged, I told him things that I'd never told anyone before. The Nietzscheans killing my parents and how it was my fault, because they'd been protecting me. The look on my father's face as my mother died. I told him about my cousins how they had been infested in a Magog raid. I spoke about the terror of day-to-day life on Earth. I cried for my family and I cried for myself. When I had finished talking he made no comment. He held me tighter and I felt myself relax against the warmth of his body. Then he started to speak. He explained how his surrogate mother had died giving birth to him and his siblings. He spoke so warmly of her and with such regret at her loss that I was surprised. He told me of the dreadful cravings for human flesh that he had to overcome every day, the discipline that he needed just to exist. He told me how he'd found the Way and become a monk. His voice was strangely soothing and I lost all my fear of him. I felt that I had found a friend. Seamus Harper best friends with a Magog, I could imagine what my one surviving blood relative Brendan would think of that.
"Rev, I'm sorry for the way I treated you when I first came on board. I think you know that I had good reasons for my prejudices. I hadn't thought of Magog having feelings and emotions. To me they were just beasts who killed, ate or infested my people. I should have realised that Beka wouldn't have you on board if you were like that. I allowed my previous experiences to influence me. Trance kept telling me you were different but I wouldn't believe her."
I felt a pang when I thought about Trance; I hoped my purple babe was all right. The thought of Zeus so much as touching her made me feel sick.
"I understand Harper, I've heard your story and I'm not surprised that you were terrified of me. I should never have appeared in front of you that first time without warning."
He was about to say more when there was a sound from outside. Rev jumped up and quickly got back into the crawl space above the room. I heard the grating click back into place as the door opened and Rafe and the two guards came in. I coughed loudly to cover the noise.
Rafe still had that stupid smile plastered over his face. I so much wanted to erase it with my fist. "Come on boy," he sneered. "Sister dear says that we've arrived so it's time for you to perform."
The ubers untied me and pulled me up off the deck. My legs wouldn't take my weight so they half carried half dragged me to where the others were waiting in the cockpit. Zeus was talking to his ship. He gave his captain the slipstream routes and told them to wait for him one slip away. I made a quick mental calculation. At least one thing was working out the way I wanted it to. Did Zeus really think that his crew had found my little gift to him? Didn't he realise that he was in the presence of genius. When Seamus Harper is at his creative best there is no stopping him. I knew I was going to have to pay the price for what I'd done but he was going to kill me anyway. I hoped that I'd live long enough to see his face when he heard the news.
On board the Maru Zeus knew nothing of the drama that his crew were going to be involved in. He rubbed his hands together and leered at Beka. Well Captain Valentine, lead the way. The sooner I get my cargo back and rejoin my ship the better.
We walked for what seemed like miles, well they walked I was dragged. Zeus had left one of his guards behind to guard Trance. Rafe and the other guard had come with us. I don't think Zeus trusted Rafe. He was in good company I didn't trust Rafe either.
We eventually came to a large warehouse. Beka spoke to a sort of security guard person. She was subjected to retinal and DNA scans and we were allowed in. The warehouse was full of very large metal containers. We made our way through the maze of corridors they formed until we reached the one belonging to Beka.
"OK Seamus, she said. "Disengage the traps you set."
The container's door had a computer-controlled lock; I jacked into the access port and with the familiar feeling of leaving my physical body I was inside the primitive system. I had absolutely no idea what Beka wanted me to do but as I wandered through the files and folders I found what I was looking for. I adjusted certain parts of the program and crossing my mental fingers I disengaged and with a whoosh I was back in my body again.
"OK Boss," I said trying to sound strong. "I've disengaged the booby trap you can go in now." I moved away from the door to allow them access.
Rafe pushed me to one side and keyed some commands into the door pad. "It looks OK Zeus but I think they should go in first just in case."
Zeus thought about it. I tried not to let my disappointment show. I should have known that the Nietzschean would realise I was trying to hide something. "I think that is an excellent idea Mr Valentine. Just in case the kludge is trying to trick us.
I am sure that my whole body was signalling my reluctance to enter the container first. I looked over at Beka. "Come on then Boss, let's get it over with."
She opened the door and with one last look round we went inside.
- On board the Dragan ship -
The Dragan's ship made two jumps with no incident. The third was the critical one. As the slipstream drive powered up every console and view screen on board showed a cartoon of Seamus Harper making a very obscene gesture. The cartoon Harper sniggered. "Eat my shorts ubers," it said. The ship wide comms system cut in. "Ten minutes to self destruct." The crew tried in vain to shut it down before admitting defeat and evacuating. The explosion was spectacular.
Chapter 12 – Rating and disclaimers as Chapter 1
The End of the Beginning
I had no idea what Seamus Harper had in mind when he jacked into the computer controls on my container door. The moment we were inside he grabbed me and practically threw me across the empty space before pressing me up against the metal wall.
I soon realised why. He hadn't just disabled the automated weapons hidden in the container roof he'd reprogrammed them. He must have put a delay on them. The Nietzschean guard who followed us in was almost cut to pieces by the concentrated fire that hit him.
Unfortunately for us Zeus had held back and hadn't come inside, neither had Rafe. I was in two minds about Rafe. He was my brother even if he had tricked me into being captured by the Dragan.
The gunfire continued for another 30 seconds or so. I heard Harper grunt in pain and his body jerked as one of the rounds hit him. He managed to stay upright and I heard him cursing under his breath. Once the defences had run out of ammunition he released me.
"Hey Boss, you need to lose a little weight," he joked. "I must have underestimated your body mass when I did the calculations to find the safe area."
"Harper, where are you hit?" I was so worried about his condition that I didn't notice Zeus and Rafe entering the storage space.
Harper grimaced. "It's OK Boss, just nicked my leg, it's not serious but it hurts like Hell." He leaned against me for support as the Nietzschean and my worthless brother came over to us.
The Dragan was mad, that is the only way to describe him. I'm sure that in those few minutes his sanity had totally deserted him. He grabbed Harper by his hair and pulled him away from me.
"My ship you little shit," he screamed in Harper's face. Harper smiled at him. The boy certainly had one big fat death wish. The outraged Nietzschean shook Harper, twisting his fingers tighter in the young human's hair. "You filthy little kludge I am going to kill you with my bare hands. Take a good look round this is the last thing you are ever going to see."
Zeus turned to me. "I'll take you back to your ship, I intend to enjoy myself with you. You'll wish that your father had never impregnated your mother." He threw Harper to the floor and advanced on me. "In fact I think I'll sample you now, a little appetiser before the main course." He reached out and ripped my shirt from me, leaving my upper body totally exposed. I heard Rafe gasp from somewhere behind him. He turned on my brother. "Get out," Zeus hissed. "Take the mudfoot with you." Rafe hesitated. "Don't you understand Common," the Nietzschean roared at him?" Rafe stood his ground. "She's my sister," he said. "This wasn't part of our bargain, she wasn't meant to be harmed."
Zeus left me and advanced on Rafe. "Do you want the same treatment as the mudfoot?" He was screaming in rage now. I've always thought that Nietzscheans had superior self-control but Zeus certainly wasn't a good example.
Rafe stumbled backwards, raising his weapon as he did. Zeus must have forgotten that the other Valentine was armed. As the Dragan got nearer, Rafe took aim and shot the man between the eyes. Zeus hit the floor with a crash; his body twitched a couple of times then was still.
Rafe came over to me. He removed his jacket and handed it to me. His face had lost its half-witted look and he certainly wasn't giggling any more. It seemed that the idiot on drugs act was just that, an act. "I'm sorry Beka," he said. "I didn't think that he would harm you. We made a deal that he would let you go once he'd retrieved his cargo. I thought I could trust his word." He shrugged. "I should have known better than to trust a Dragan."
"What happened out there?" I wanted to know why Zeus had been ranting about his ship. Rafe shrugged. "He got a comm from the Maru, something about his vessel self destructing. The link went dead after that so I don't know any more than that. Zeus was pretty certain that your engineer had something to do with it."
A small cough from the floor alerted us that Harper had something to say. "Seamus Zelazny Harper at your service, freakin genius, Dragan ships destroyed to order. Have data port will travel." He looked dreadful but that unstoppable sense of humour was still working.
Rafe helped him up. Harper stared at him warily, after all Rafe did still have the gun. My engineer looked round at the empty container. "So Boss, where's the cargo?" "Yes little sister," Rafe joined in. I'd be interested to know that too."
I smiled at them both. "Well, confession time boys. There is no cargo. I destroyed it. As soon as I realised that the Dragan's were using me to run Flash I dumped it out of the air lock and used it for target practice. They'd told me the cargo was computer parts so of course the first thing I did was check to see what it really was."
Rafe looked astonished and then he gave a genuine roar of laughter very unlike the irritating giggling that had been part of his persona for the last few days. I joined in and we both laughed until we cried.
"Boss," Harper's voice cut through our amusement. "We forgot about Trance, that Dragan bastard left one of his guards with her. If he's touched her." His voice trailed off, his face was grey under the harsh glare of the container's lighting.
My stomach lurched how could I have forgotten about Trance.
There was a noise outside, Rafe span round his hand reaching for his gun. A small purple figure stood in the doorway; behind it was a larger fur covered one.
"Trance." Harper tried to run to her but his wounded leg gave way and he fell to the floor. She rushed over to him and put her arms round him. "It's all right Harper, Rev Bem dealt with the Nietzschean."
Rev smiled, not for the first time I was very glad that he was on my side. "I didn't damage him at all, we tied him up and dumped him in an alleyway." He bent down and picked Harper up, cradling him in his arms. He carried him back to the Maru and he and Trance soon had the boy's wounds tended to. They put him to bed in the crew quarters; Rev sat by his side until he fell asleep and for some time afterwards.
Rafe declined to return with us. We'd locked the bodies of Zeus and his companion in my cargo container. As long as the rent was paid for it no one would open it.
The next morning we were ready to leave. I paid a visit to Harper before we lifted off. He was sitting up in bed drinking a Sparky cola and laughing at something Trance had said to him. I looked him straight in the eye. "I'm sorry kid, I didn't want you to get mixed up in this, once you'd left the Maru I didn't think you'd come back again. I'm very pleased you did though. We'll take you back to your new job now."
He grinned at me, cleaned up and after a good night's sleep he once again looked painfully young. "I'd rather have my old job back thanks," he replied. "But please no more secrets." He looked puzzled. "By the way Boss, if it wasn't the Dragans who was it that sabotaged the Maru?"
"By the Divine, I'd forgotten that. I sighed and sat down next to him. "Well, Harper," I said. "This is what happened…………….
THE END
Coming soon on all new Andromeda.
We find out who sabotaged the Maru.
We hear the story of how Harper got his dataport.
We meet the black sheep of the Valentine family once more – yes the return of Rafe Valentine.
Some spoilers for both seasons.
I came to on the deck of the crew quarters. I was locked in again. The two guards really enjoyed their work. They had taken a very professional attitude to their task of beating me up. I tried to establish what hurt most. Everything did! My wounded arm throbbed and my head ached. Even my bruises had bruises. No part of me was seriously injured but most of me ached. I wriggled my fingers and toes very cautiously; contrary to how they felt they all seemed to still be attached to the rest of me.
I was tied up again and lying on the very cold hard deck, the crew quarters were unheated and dark. I was freezing; at one stage they had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over me. I think I'd had the audacity to pass out before they had quite finished.
Once I started to shiver I couldn't stop. The more I shivered the colder I felt. I began to feel sleepy. I knew that sleep wasn't a good idea; once I fell asleep I was pretty certain that I wouldn't wake up again. My only consolation was that Zeus would be really pissed off with the guards if I died.
I was half asleep, half-awake and wholly miserable when I heard the grating in the ceiling move. The Magog dropped through it and landed lightly on the balls of his feet. He was carrying a med kit.
"I am sorry Harper, " he whispered. "I can't treat your wounds but I can give you some antibiotics and painkillers."
He pressed a hypo to my neck and within seconds the pain had eased to a dull ache. He quickly checked as many of my injuries as he could without untying me.
"The arm is the worst, it's definitely infected, that's not surprising because that bandage is filthy." He pressed another hypo. "Antibiotics," he said briefly. "I'm sorry I can't replace the dressing they'd notice.
Although I didn't feel any warmer I'd stopped shivering, I knew that wasn't a good sign. Hypothermia was becoming well established and I could feel my mind starting to drift. It was becoming more difficult to keep my eyes open.
I became aware of what felt like a warm fur rug being wrapped round me. I wondered where the Magog had found it; the guards had stripped the bedding from the bunks before they locked me in. I snuggled into the warmth, opened my eyes and saw Rev Bem lying on the floor next to me with his arms wrapped round me. To say that I was paralysed with fear was an understatement; I couldn't even scream I was so scared. I began to hyperventilate. He stroked my back and spoke to me gently.
"It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm trying to keep you warm. You will die if I leave you alone. You mustn't sleep Harper stay awake. Talk to me."
Well he asked and I obliged, I told him things that I'd never told anyone before. The Nietzscheans killing my parents and how it was my fault, because they'd been protecting me. The look on my father's face as my mother died. I told him about my cousins how they had been infested in a Magog raid. I spoke about the terror of day-to-day life on Earth. I cried for my family and I cried for myself. When I had finished talking he made no comment. He held me tighter and I felt myself relax against the warmth of his body. Then he started to speak. He explained how his surrogate mother had died giving birth to him and his siblings. He spoke so warmly of her and with such regret at her loss that I was surprised. He told me of the dreadful cravings for human flesh that he had to overcome every day, the discipline that he needed just to exist. He told me how he'd found the Way and become a monk. His voice was strangely soothing and I lost all my fear of him. I felt that I had found a friend. Seamus Harper best friends with a Magog, I could imagine what my one surviving blood relative Brendan would think of that.
"Rev, I'm sorry for the way I treated you when I first came on board. I think you know that I had good reasons for my prejudices. I hadn't thought of Magog having feelings and emotions. To me they were just beasts who killed, ate or infested my people. I should have realised that Beka wouldn't have you on board if you were like that. I allowed my previous experiences to influence me. Trance kept telling me you were different but I wouldn't believe her."
I felt a pang when I thought about Trance; I hoped my purple babe was all right. The thought of Zeus so much as touching her made me feel sick.
"I understand Harper, I've heard your story and I'm not surprised that you were terrified of me. I should never have appeared in front of you that first time without warning."
He was about to say more when there was a sound from outside. Rev jumped up and quickly got back into the crawl space above the room. I heard the grating click back into place as the door opened and Rafe and the two guards came in. I coughed loudly to cover the noise.
Rafe still had that stupid smile plastered over his face. I so much wanted to erase it with my fist. "Come on boy," he sneered. "Sister dear says that we've arrived so it's time for you to perform."
The ubers untied me and pulled me up off the deck. My legs wouldn't take my weight so they half carried half dragged me to where the others were waiting in the cockpit. Zeus was talking to his ship. He gave his captain the slipstream routes and told them to wait for him one slip away. I made a quick mental calculation. At least one thing was working out the way I wanted it to. Did Zeus really think that his crew had found my little gift to him? Didn't he realise that he was in the presence of genius. When Seamus Harper is at his creative best there is no stopping him. I knew I was going to have to pay the price for what I'd done but he was going to kill me anyway. I hoped that I'd live long enough to see his face when he heard the news.
On board the Maru Zeus knew nothing of the drama that his crew were going to be involved in. He rubbed his hands together and leered at Beka. Well Captain Valentine, lead the way. The sooner I get my cargo back and rejoin my ship the better.
We walked for what seemed like miles, well they walked I was dragged. Zeus had left one of his guards behind to guard Trance. Rafe and the other guard had come with us. I don't think Zeus trusted Rafe. He was in good company I didn't trust Rafe either.
We eventually came to a large warehouse. Beka spoke to a sort of security guard person. She was subjected to retinal and DNA scans and we were allowed in. The warehouse was full of very large metal containers. We made our way through the maze of corridors they formed until we reached the one belonging to Beka.
"OK Seamus, she said. "Disengage the traps you set."
The container's door had a computer-controlled lock; I jacked into the access port and with the familiar feeling of leaving my physical body I was inside the primitive system. I had absolutely no idea what Beka wanted me to do but as I wandered through the files and folders I found what I was looking for. I adjusted certain parts of the program and crossing my mental fingers I disengaged and with a whoosh I was back in my body again.
"OK Boss," I said trying to sound strong. "I've disengaged the booby trap you can go in now." I moved away from the door to allow them access.
Rafe pushed me to one side and keyed some commands into the door pad. "It looks OK Zeus but I think they should go in first just in case."
Zeus thought about it. I tried not to let my disappointment show. I should have known that the Nietzschean would realise I was trying to hide something. "I think that is an excellent idea Mr Valentine. Just in case the kludge is trying to trick us.
I am sure that my whole body was signalling my reluctance to enter the container first. I looked over at Beka. "Come on then Boss, let's get it over with."
She opened the door and with one last look round we went inside.
- On board the Dragan ship -
The Dragan's ship made two jumps with no incident. The third was the critical one. As the slipstream drive powered up every console and view screen on board showed a cartoon of Seamus Harper making a very obscene gesture. The cartoon Harper sniggered. "Eat my shorts ubers," it said. The ship wide comms system cut in. "Ten minutes to self destruct." The crew tried in vain to shut it down before admitting defeat and evacuating. The explosion was spectacular.
Chapter 12 – Rating and disclaimers as Chapter 1
The End of the Beginning
I had no idea what Seamus Harper had in mind when he jacked into the computer controls on my container door. The moment we were inside he grabbed me and practically threw me across the empty space before pressing me up against the metal wall.
I soon realised why. He hadn't just disabled the automated weapons hidden in the container roof he'd reprogrammed them. He must have put a delay on them. The Nietzschean guard who followed us in was almost cut to pieces by the concentrated fire that hit him.
Unfortunately for us Zeus had held back and hadn't come inside, neither had Rafe. I was in two minds about Rafe. He was my brother even if he had tricked me into being captured by the Dragan.
The gunfire continued for another 30 seconds or so. I heard Harper grunt in pain and his body jerked as one of the rounds hit him. He managed to stay upright and I heard him cursing under his breath. Once the defences had run out of ammunition he released me.
"Hey Boss, you need to lose a little weight," he joked. "I must have underestimated your body mass when I did the calculations to find the safe area."
"Harper, where are you hit?" I was so worried about his condition that I didn't notice Zeus and Rafe entering the storage space.
Harper grimaced. "It's OK Boss, just nicked my leg, it's not serious but it hurts like Hell." He leaned against me for support as the Nietzschean and my worthless brother came over to us.
The Dragan was mad, that is the only way to describe him. I'm sure that in those few minutes his sanity had totally deserted him. He grabbed Harper by his hair and pulled him away from me.
"My ship you little shit," he screamed in Harper's face. Harper smiled at him. The boy certainly had one big fat death wish. The outraged Nietzschean shook Harper, twisting his fingers tighter in the young human's hair. "You filthy little kludge I am going to kill you with my bare hands. Take a good look round this is the last thing you are ever going to see."
Zeus turned to me. "I'll take you back to your ship, I intend to enjoy myself with you. You'll wish that your father had never impregnated your mother." He threw Harper to the floor and advanced on me. "In fact I think I'll sample you now, a little appetiser before the main course." He reached out and ripped my shirt from me, leaving my upper body totally exposed. I heard Rafe gasp from somewhere behind him. He turned on my brother. "Get out," Zeus hissed. "Take the mudfoot with you." Rafe hesitated. "Don't you understand Common," the Nietzschean roared at him?" Rafe stood his ground. "She's my sister," he said. "This wasn't part of our bargain, she wasn't meant to be harmed."
Zeus left me and advanced on Rafe. "Do you want the same treatment as the mudfoot?" He was screaming in rage now. I've always thought that Nietzscheans had superior self-control but Zeus certainly wasn't a good example.
Rafe stumbled backwards, raising his weapon as he did. Zeus must have forgotten that the other Valentine was armed. As the Dragan got nearer, Rafe took aim and shot the man between the eyes. Zeus hit the floor with a crash; his body twitched a couple of times then was still.
Rafe came over to me. He removed his jacket and handed it to me. His face had lost its half-witted look and he certainly wasn't giggling any more. It seemed that the idiot on drugs act was just that, an act. "I'm sorry Beka," he said. "I didn't think that he would harm you. We made a deal that he would let you go once he'd retrieved his cargo. I thought I could trust his word." He shrugged. "I should have known better than to trust a Dragan."
"What happened out there?" I wanted to know why Zeus had been ranting about his ship. Rafe shrugged. "He got a comm from the Maru, something about his vessel self destructing. The link went dead after that so I don't know any more than that. Zeus was pretty certain that your engineer had something to do with it."
A small cough from the floor alerted us that Harper had something to say. "Seamus Zelazny Harper at your service, freakin genius, Dragan ships destroyed to order. Have data port will travel." He looked dreadful but that unstoppable sense of humour was still working.
Rafe helped him up. Harper stared at him warily, after all Rafe did still have the gun. My engineer looked round at the empty container. "So Boss, where's the cargo?" "Yes little sister," Rafe joined in. I'd be interested to know that too."
I smiled at them both. "Well, confession time boys. There is no cargo. I destroyed it. As soon as I realised that the Dragan's were using me to run Flash I dumped it out of the air lock and used it for target practice. They'd told me the cargo was computer parts so of course the first thing I did was check to see what it really was."
Rafe looked astonished and then he gave a genuine roar of laughter very unlike the irritating giggling that had been part of his persona for the last few days. I joined in and we both laughed until we cried.
"Boss," Harper's voice cut through our amusement. "We forgot about Trance, that Dragan bastard left one of his guards with her. If he's touched her." His voice trailed off, his face was grey under the harsh glare of the container's lighting.
My stomach lurched how could I have forgotten about Trance.
There was a noise outside, Rafe span round his hand reaching for his gun. A small purple figure stood in the doorway; behind it was a larger fur covered one.
"Trance." Harper tried to run to her but his wounded leg gave way and he fell to the floor. She rushed over to him and put her arms round him. "It's all right Harper, Rev Bem dealt with the Nietzschean."
Rev smiled, not for the first time I was very glad that he was on my side. "I didn't damage him at all, we tied him up and dumped him in an alleyway." He bent down and picked Harper up, cradling him in his arms. He carried him back to the Maru and he and Trance soon had the boy's wounds tended to. They put him to bed in the crew quarters; Rev sat by his side until he fell asleep and for some time afterwards.
Rafe declined to return with us. We'd locked the bodies of Zeus and his companion in my cargo container. As long as the rent was paid for it no one would open it.
The next morning we were ready to leave. I paid a visit to Harper before we lifted off. He was sitting up in bed drinking a Sparky cola and laughing at something Trance had said to him. I looked him straight in the eye. "I'm sorry kid, I didn't want you to get mixed up in this, once you'd left the Maru I didn't think you'd come back again. I'm very pleased you did though. We'll take you back to your new job now."
He grinned at me, cleaned up and after a good night's sleep he once again looked painfully young. "I'd rather have my old job back thanks," he replied. "But please no more secrets." He looked puzzled. "By the way Boss, if it wasn't the Dragans who was it that sabotaged the Maru?"
"By the Divine, I'd forgotten that. I sighed and sat down next to him. "Well, Harper," I said. "This is what happened…………….
THE END
Coming soon on all new Andromeda.
We find out who sabotaged the Maru.
We hear the story of how Harper got his dataport.
We meet the black sheep of the Valentine family once more – yes the return of Rafe Valentine.
