Chapter Seven: Finis coronat opus
(The end crowns the work)
"I can't call the short time we've been together pleasant but I'm glad I had the chance to meet you all," Silek addressed the Andromeda crewmembers as he docked with the gloritage class cruiser.
"We're extremely grateful for your help Silek," Dylan said as he pumped the alien's hand with his own in an odd handshake.
Leave it to Captain Hunt to endanger all our lives unnecessarily in order to talk to one of his new allies, Tyr thought as he sighed and waited impatiently with his arms across his chest. Time was dwindling and they only had five minutes left before the rip would close completely.
Beka, with an equal sense of urgency, took Dylan by the shoulders and started to lead him away when Silek called out after them.
"Wait! I have something that may be of use to you."
The alien pulled what appeared to be a flexi from his coat.
"I translated it into your language," He explained hastily as he handed it to Beka and began retreating back to his own ship.
"What is it?" Beka asked but Silek was already out of hearing range.
Shrugging to herself, Beka turned back to where Dylan was standing with a dazed expression on his face, and led him out of the hangar bay. Tyr and Trance took Harper down to med deck while the captain and first officer continued on to command.
Rommie was absolutely giddy with relief that her whole crew had returned safely but yet for some reason, she wanted to cry. Sniffing, she smiled as Dylan and Beka entered command. They both looked surprisingly good for what they'd been through.
"Dylan," the avatar addressed them when she'd finally found her voice. "Beka."
"Oh Rommie, is it good to see you again. Plot a course outta here.and quick."
"Yes sir," she replied sternly and tried hard not to blush at the captain's admittance of missing her. "Beka, would you like to do the honors? We have approximately one minute and thirty seconds before the tunnel closes. I really don't want to become a permanent fixture to this black canvas so I suggest you hurry."
"You said it Rommie," Beka agreed as she took her place at the helm and abruptly threw the Andromeda into the rip. It bucked and tossed through throughout the entire ride but somehow they managed. Dylan's knuckles were white from holding onto a railing but he kept his death grip until they safely re-entered normal space.
"Rommie?" He whispered the urgent question.
The android smiled and turned to her captain, "We're back."
"Good," Dylan said before promptly passing out.
"Dylan?" A sweet voice broke through the cool darkness that seemed to engulf the captain.
"Hmmm?"
"Are you awake?" He recognized the questioner as Trance.
"Uh-huh."
"Well that's good. I fixed you. So you're all better now, if you want to go."
Fixed? Better? Dylan struggled to put two coherent thoughts together while he opened his eyes. Mixed images came to him as he remembered a ship, Harper, aliens, and space.
"What happened Trance?"
"You blacked out and hit your head on the way down. It's a pretty nasty bump, but nothing major. You've been out for the past hour."
Dylan sat up in the med deck bed and surveyed his surroundings. The only other times he could recall being a patient was when he had been shot, he and Rhade had gotten a severe case of food poisoning, and right after the Magog attack. Looking around, he saw Harper lying in the bed to his left, still unconscious.
"Is he alright?" Dylan asked, using his head to indicate whom he was talking about and regretting it.
"Harper? Yah, he'll be fine. He's anemic from the blood loss but other than that he's just got a bad concussion and a stitched up shoulder. He should actually be waking up any second now."
As if on cue, Harper stirred in his sleep, mumbling something about liking the silk better.
"Beka and Tyr?" Dylan continued as he stood up and stretched out.
"They're both fine," Trance smiled in amusement.
"It all just seems like a bad dream."
The gold alien nodded as Dylan walked over to Harper. The engineer's whole forehead was encircled with a bandage, as was his left shoulder. His eyes moved under his lids but other than that he showed no tell tale signs of waking.
"He's going to have to stay here for a few days," Trance said lightly.
Dylan chuckled, "I'm sure he'll absolutely love that."
"Probably."
"I'm going to go check some stuff out," Dylan replied before leaving the med deck. "Tell me when he wakes up."
Trance's sigh was swallowed as the doors whooshed shut again. She felt extremely lucky and relieved at the good fortune they'd all been granted. The millions of other bad futures hadn't played out.
She looked up, as if searching the ceiling, and said, "Thanks."
Five days later Harper was mobile again and very happy to actually be doing something. He still felt weak and occasional bouts of vertigo would stop him in his tracks, but other that he was great.
Glancing around his messy room, he saw a black flexi on his pillow with a white note next to it. He grinned crookedly as he walked over and picked both of them up, reading the note first.
Harper- I have no idea what this technobabble is but maybe you can understand some of it. If it's useful you can thank our friend Silek for the wonderful contribution. Beka
The engineer frowned and warily turned the flexi on. He scanned the document for a few minutes and re-read it before his eyes went wide with disbelief.
No way.
**********
We toil and sweat Yet never are met With accomplishments Quite like we figured. Except sometimes. Like this day. Call it Luck.
**********
The End
"I can't call the short time we've been together pleasant but I'm glad I had the chance to meet you all," Silek addressed the Andromeda crewmembers as he docked with the gloritage class cruiser.
"We're extremely grateful for your help Silek," Dylan said as he pumped the alien's hand with his own in an odd handshake.
Leave it to Captain Hunt to endanger all our lives unnecessarily in order to talk to one of his new allies, Tyr thought as he sighed and waited impatiently with his arms across his chest. Time was dwindling and they only had five minutes left before the rip would close completely.
Beka, with an equal sense of urgency, took Dylan by the shoulders and started to lead him away when Silek called out after them.
"Wait! I have something that may be of use to you."
The alien pulled what appeared to be a flexi from his coat.
"I translated it into your language," He explained hastily as he handed it to Beka and began retreating back to his own ship.
"What is it?" Beka asked but Silek was already out of hearing range.
Shrugging to herself, Beka turned back to where Dylan was standing with a dazed expression on his face, and led him out of the hangar bay. Tyr and Trance took Harper down to med deck while the captain and first officer continued on to command.
Rommie was absolutely giddy with relief that her whole crew had returned safely but yet for some reason, she wanted to cry. Sniffing, she smiled as Dylan and Beka entered command. They both looked surprisingly good for what they'd been through.
"Dylan," the avatar addressed them when she'd finally found her voice. "Beka."
"Oh Rommie, is it good to see you again. Plot a course outta here.and quick."
"Yes sir," she replied sternly and tried hard not to blush at the captain's admittance of missing her. "Beka, would you like to do the honors? We have approximately one minute and thirty seconds before the tunnel closes. I really don't want to become a permanent fixture to this black canvas so I suggest you hurry."
"You said it Rommie," Beka agreed as she took her place at the helm and abruptly threw the Andromeda into the rip. It bucked and tossed through throughout the entire ride but somehow they managed. Dylan's knuckles were white from holding onto a railing but he kept his death grip until they safely re-entered normal space.
"Rommie?" He whispered the urgent question.
The android smiled and turned to her captain, "We're back."
"Good," Dylan said before promptly passing out.
"Dylan?" A sweet voice broke through the cool darkness that seemed to engulf the captain.
"Hmmm?"
"Are you awake?" He recognized the questioner as Trance.
"Uh-huh."
"Well that's good. I fixed you. So you're all better now, if you want to go."
Fixed? Better? Dylan struggled to put two coherent thoughts together while he opened his eyes. Mixed images came to him as he remembered a ship, Harper, aliens, and space.
"What happened Trance?"
"You blacked out and hit your head on the way down. It's a pretty nasty bump, but nothing major. You've been out for the past hour."
Dylan sat up in the med deck bed and surveyed his surroundings. The only other times he could recall being a patient was when he had been shot, he and Rhade had gotten a severe case of food poisoning, and right after the Magog attack. Looking around, he saw Harper lying in the bed to his left, still unconscious.
"Is he alright?" Dylan asked, using his head to indicate whom he was talking about and regretting it.
"Harper? Yah, he'll be fine. He's anemic from the blood loss but other than that he's just got a bad concussion and a stitched up shoulder. He should actually be waking up any second now."
As if on cue, Harper stirred in his sleep, mumbling something about liking the silk better.
"Beka and Tyr?" Dylan continued as he stood up and stretched out.
"They're both fine," Trance smiled in amusement.
"It all just seems like a bad dream."
The gold alien nodded as Dylan walked over to Harper. The engineer's whole forehead was encircled with a bandage, as was his left shoulder. His eyes moved under his lids but other than that he showed no tell tale signs of waking.
"He's going to have to stay here for a few days," Trance said lightly.
Dylan chuckled, "I'm sure he'll absolutely love that."
"Probably."
"I'm going to go check some stuff out," Dylan replied before leaving the med deck. "Tell me when he wakes up."
Trance's sigh was swallowed as the doors whooshed shut again. She felt extremely lucky and relieved at the good fortune they'd all been granted. The millions of other bad futures hadn't played out.
She looked up, as if searching the ceiling, and said, "Thanks."
Five days later Harper was mobile again and very happy to actually be doing something. He still felt weak and occasional bouts of vertigo would stop him in his tracks, but other that he was great.
Glancing around his messy room, he saw a black flexi on his pillow with a white note next to it. He grinned crookedly as he walked over and picked both of them up, reading the note first.
Harper- I have no idea what this technobabble is but maybe you can understand some of it. If it's useful you can thank our friend Silek for the wonderful contribution. Beka
The engineer frowned and warily turned the flexi on. He scanned the document for a few minutes and re-read it before his eyes went wide with disbelief.
No way.
**********
We toil and sweat Yet never are met With accomplishments Quite like we figured. Except sometimes. Like this day. Call it Luck.
**********
The End