Dylan had been piloting the Andromeda for what had seemed like days. He
had made many slipstream jumps in that time and he was totally exhausted.
Only the thought of finding Beka and Tyr kept him in the chair.
Renke's condition was rapidly deteriorating despite the Flash that Trance had been forced to administer to him at ever shorter intervals. The Perseid's body was failing him, each organ was shutting down and every hour it seemed that he grew a little weaker.
Harper was still in the med bay, he was healing but it was a slow process, even with the help of nanobots. His wounds were taking more time than they should. He was restless and constantly complaining. Trance supposed that was a good sign, she would have been even more worried about him if he'd been quiet.
Rommie split her time between her engineer and the command deck. She wished there was something she could do to help Dylan but she was unable to fly the stream so she stood close by her Captain, giving him the comfort of knowing that she was there. Her help for Harper was more practical. She cajoled him into eating and helped with the day-to-day nursing necessities while Trance was busy with the dying Perseid.
Renke was struggling to remember more details about what had happened to him and his partner. He knew that there was something important concerning the Eureka Maru but his abused mind couldn't make the connection. He slept for much of the time, obviously dreaming, he woke screaming on more than one occasion. It was after one of these nightmares that he remembered what it was he'd been trying to tell them about the Maru. He told Trance and she dispatched Rommie to explain to Dylan.
"Dylan," Rommie's voice held a great deal of urgency as she approached her Captain. "You must not complete the last slipstream jump. It has to be done by the Maru, the Perseids had to take the Maru when they had finished their mission. Any other ship will be attacked and destroyed at the rendezvous point."
Of course Harper heard what was happening, he was adamant that no one was taking the Maru anywhere without him. He became very agitated, shouting that he would be needed on board, that he would not stay on board the Andromeda. When anger got him nowhere he started pleading, tears in his eyes, running unheeded down his face. Trance feared for his health. He was much better but still not in any shape to start running round looking for Beka and Tyr.
Dylan had completed the last but one jump and had come down to the medical facility to talk to Renke and Harper.
"Is there any more that you can tell us, Renke?" The Captain ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand up like Harper's. Renke shook his head. "I'm so sorry I can't remember any more. I've tried so hard but nothing will come back to me. You're on your own Captain Hunt." The Perseid coughed hollowly. His lungs were straining to draw in air. Renke's eyes closed. Trance shook her head.
"He doesn't have long now." She said very softly. The Perseid's eyes opened and he looked over at Harper. "Sorry I shot you.." His voice tailed off and he exhaled for the last time.
Harper shut his eyes briefly. He was sorry for what had happened to the alien, he knew that Renke had not hurt him deliberately.
"Boss," Harper's voice was determined. "Please let me come on the Maru with you, we've got no idea what's at the end of that last slipstream jump, you may need an engineer. I'm good really, and anyway I bet all those thrones that Gerentex owes me that Trance has got something she can give me to keep me going."
Trance smiled sadly at him. "Oh yes, Harper, I can keep you going but after it wears off you're going to wish I hadn't bothered. In fact you'll probably wish you were dead."
Harper looked at her, he shook his head. "Do you really think I care about that, all I care about is getting my friends back? Hell, they're more than friends, they're family. So, golden goddess, do what you have to do."
A couple of hours later Dylan, Harper and Rommie were in the Maru. The decision had been made to leave Trance behind. Dylan was pretty sure that whoever was behind what was going on would only be expecting two life forms on the Maru.
They exited the final slipstream and looked around. All they could see was empty space. Their sensors showed nothing and visual scans were the same.
Harper slumped in his seat, disappointment and despair etched on his face. Dylan looked into the engineer's eyes. "Don't give up boy," he said, unconsciously echoing Tyr's usual way of addressing Harper. The younger man smiled briefly, just as Rommie reported that she'd picked up a sensor reading.
"It's some sort of ship, Captain, but like no signature I've ever seen before, and it's directly above us."
The Maru lurched suddenly; then it began to rise up. The mystery vessel was pulling them in.
Renke's condition was rapidly deteriorating despite the Flash that Trance had been forced to administer to him at ever shorter intervals. The Perseid's body was failing him, each organ was shutting down and every hour it seemed that he grew a little weaker.
Harper was still in the med bay, he was healing but it was a slow process, even with the help of nanobots. His wounds were taking more time than they should. He was restless and constantly complaining. Trance supposed that was a good sign, she would have been even more worried about him if he'd been quiet.
Rommie split her time between her engineer and the command deck. She wished there was something she could do to help Dylan but she was unable to fly the stream so she stood close by her Captain, giving him the comfort of knowing that she was there. Her help for Harper was more practical. She cajoled him into eating and helped with the day-to-day nursing necessities while Trance was busy with the dying Perseid.
Renke was struggling to remember more details about what had happened to him and his partner. He knew that there was something important concerning the Eureka Maru but his abused mind couldn't make the connection. He slept for much of the time, obviously dreaming, he woke screaming on more than one occasion. It was after one of these nightmares that he remembered what it was he'd been trying to tell them about the Maru. He told Trance and she dispatched Rommie to explain to Dylan.
"Dylan," Rommie's voice held a great deal of urgency as she approached her Captain. "You must not complete the last slipstream jump. It has to be done by the Maru, the Perseids had to take the Maru when they had finished their mission. Any other ship will be attacked and destroyed at the rendezvous point."
Of course Harper heard what was happening, he was adamant that no one was taking the Maru anywhere without him. He became very agitated, shouting that he would be needed on board, that he would not stay on board the Andromeda. When anger got him nowhere he started pleading, tears in his eyes, running unheeded down his face. Trance feared for his health. He was much better but still not in any shape to start running round looking for Beka and Tyr.
Dylan had completed the last but one jump and had come down to the medical facility to talk to Renke and Harper.
"Is there any more that you can tell us, Renke?" The Captain ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand up like Harper's. Renke shook his head. "I'm so sorry I can't remember any more. I've tried so hard but nothing will come back to me. You're on your own Captain Hunt." The Perseid coughed hollowly. His lungs were straining to draw in air. Renke's eyes closed. Trance shook her head.
"He doesn't have long now." She said very softly. The Perseid's eyes opened and he looked over at Harper. "Sorry I shot you.." His voice tailed off and he exhaled for the last time.
Harper shut his eyes briefly. He was sorry for what had happened to the alien, he knew that Renke had not hurt him deliberately.
"Boss," Harper's voice was determined. "Please let me come on the Maru with you, we've got no idea what's at the end of that last slipstream jump, you may need an engineer. I'm good really, and anyway I bet all those thrones that Gerentex owes me that Trance has got something she can give me to keep me going."
Trance smiled sadly at him. "Oh yes, Harper, I can keep you going but after it wears off you're going to wish I hadn't bothered. In fact you'll probably wish you were dead."
Harper looked at her, he shook his head. "Do you really think I care about that, all I care about is getting my friends back? Hell, they're more than friends, they're family. So, golden goddess, do what you have to do."
A couple of hours later Dylan, Harper and Rommie were in the Maru. The decision had been made to leave Trance behind. Dylan was pretty sure that whoever was behind what was going on would only be expecting two life forms on the Maru.
They exited the final slipstream and looked around. All they could see was empty space. Their sensors showed nothing and visual scans were the same.
Harper slumped in his seat, disappointment and despair etched on his face. Dylan looked into the engineer's eyes. "Don't give up boy," he said, unconsciously echoing Tyr's usual way of addressing Harper. The younger man smiled briefly, just as Rommie reported that she'd picked up a sensor reading.
"It's some sort of ship, Captain, but like no signature I've ever seen before, and it's directly above us."
The Maru lurched suddenly; then it began to rise up. The mystery vessel was pulling them in.