Chapter 4
No sooner had the man finished speaking, did Tyr and Beka have their' weapons aimed at him. Dylan was wary, but considerably calmer than the other two. Harper was staring at the man, while Trance was holding his hand so tightly she was cutting off the circulation. She was scared he would leave her, he had promised to stay with her and he intended to keep his word. Harper squeezed her back to reassure her.
"I really don't think you're in any position to be making threats against my crew." Dylan's voice was as calm and nonchalant as ever, but it was clear that he was not happy.
Surprisingly, the man had not reacted to having weapons pointed at him at all, he was still staring at Harper. Although his demeanor had not changed at all, he was more than a little surprised by the sheer power he could see within Harper's aura.
~This one is powerful indeed~ Alex'Rai thought.
"Captain Hunt." He said at length, tearing his eyes from Harper to look at the High Guard.
"While my appearance mirrors yours somewhat, I wish to make something absolutely clear. I am not, nor have I ever been, Human. I choose to look Human simply because you find this form easier to understand and interact with, my kind are composed primarily of energy, and have the ability to assume different forms. We are called the Ul'Wath'Lei. Your name for my race is 'Homo Dominant', we are distant genetic cousins of yours. We are the stage in evolution the Human genus will be in approximately 300,000 years."
"300,000 years. How did you get here? Time travel?" Beka piped up, Alex'Rai looked at her, amused.
~Time travel!?! What a four-dimensional way of thinking~
"You are grossly oversimplifying the situation, I shall attempt to clarify it for you. Simply put, the Ul'Wath'Lei live on a plane separate to this one. Basic inter-planer physics mean that time and space warp between the Planes. On our home plane, your understanding of the space time continuum would not apply. Similarly, your existence here is almost completely alien to me. Please try to understand, further explanations would be pointless because, as a species, Humans do not possess the psychological capacity to comprehend Planer physics. Well, not without having a psychotic episode anyway."
"What do you want then?" Harper had a sick feeling he knew the answer to his query.
"Exactly as I said earlier, I am here to take you to our home plane."
"You keep saying 'our' home plane. You do know that Harper is Human, right?" Beka didn't like where this dialogue was going.
"No. Mr. Harper is not Human." Alex'Rai was adamant.
"As I am sure you are aware, Harper has been through an experience in which his genetic structure was significantly altered to resemble that of my species. This was not coincidental. A simple genetic sample can verify much of what I am saying, we allowed the 'Doctor' to find the equipment, we engineered the 'malfunction' which caused the spontaneous evolution of Mr. Harper. The machine was designed for this single task. Mr. Harper was turned from a Homo Sapiens, such as you, to a Homo Dominant, such as me. I was sent here to help him through the transition by taking him home." Alex'Rai finished.
"Your lying, his involvement was an accident, we didn't plan to be there." Beka said, her weapon not wavering in the slightest.
"Within the confines of this multiverse, there are no accidents, no coincidences, everything happens for a reason. There are those of my species who are capable of seeing into what you would call the future, we knew he would be there before any of this happened."
"Then why? Why change him into a 'Dominant'?" Beka was still having trouble accepting that her friend was no longer human.
"I don't know." Alex'Rai seemed less than pleased at having to reveal his ignorance, nevertheless, he continued.
"Only our elders are the only members of our society who are capable of seeing through time with such accuracy. They did not see fit to inform me as to why he was worthy of this gift."
"Gift? You call this a gift! I KILLED a guy." Harper burst. Behind him, Trance moved infinitesimally closer to him and he was grateful to her.
"I see. And was this man threatening you or your friend's at the time?" Aex'Rai's voice was heavy.
Harper nodded.
"Then be at ease. The way you reacted was instinctive, our kind do not take kindly to being threatened. Unless we are in complete control of our emotions, we have been known to regress into a kind of highly evolved 'fight or flight' state, especially when we are as young as you."
"Young? I'm 24 years old" Harper protested. Alex'Rai had an amused glint in his eye.
"You are thinking like a Human. Our kind is somewhat longer-lived, among the Ul'Wath'Lei, I am considered a young adult." Harper wasn't sure how to take that 'thinking like a Human' comment, how else was he supposed to think?
"So, how old are you?" Harper asked.
"I am 415 of your 'years' old. The difference between us is that I am a born Ul'Wath'Lei, whereas you were turned into one. The genetic coding we implanted in the machine will cause much more rapid growth than is usual for our kind. When were you changed?"
"Yesterday." Harper didn't like where this was going, he had enough to deal with right now without more changes.
"Then you are a 'Kist'Arach', a youngling among us. Your body is about to undergo the change from youth to adulthood. This means that your hormonal levels are extremely high and your metabolism is in overdrive. This point is the most volatile and potentially dangerous stages of our life cycle. At home you would have other Ul'Wath'Lei to help you through the change." Alex'Rai explained.
"I'm not going anywhere." Harper's voice betrayed absolutely no compromise on that subject.
"I was not exaggerating, this is going to be a very difficult time for you. It would be wise for you to reconsider."
"I said, I'm staying here." Harper felt Trance move even closer to him, she was almost leaning against him, yet she seemed entirely unaware of it. Harper almost smiled.
"We can be a dangerous species, even more so when we are 'Kist'Arach'. But I see that I am not going to convince you of that."
"You? Dangerous? You were weak enough to place youself in a tactically inferior position." Tyr was as diplomatic as ever. Alex'Rai smiled, but there was a hint of something cold residing in his eyes that unsettled Tyr ever-so-slightly.
"Don't mistake my good nature for weakness, Nietzschean." Alex'Rai's demeanour had gone from friendly to dangerous in seconds. Dylan rushed to avoid a confrontation.
"Mr. Alex'Rai," His pronunciation was appalling. "I think you have a lot of explaining to do."
"I would be more than happy to explain this to you, but can we at least talk somewhere more comfortable? Without weapons pointed at me." He looked pointedly at Tyr's gauss rifle. Dylan thought about it for a moment, before nodding.
"Alright, you can stay aboard. But if you make so much as a threatening gesture toward this ship or any of my crew, I'll shoot you. Understood?"
Alex'Rai smiled and bowed his head again.
*
Alex'Rai had requested that he be allowed to speak to Harper privately for a time; although Trance was reluctant to release him, he had agreed and the two had moved to the ObsDeck.
"Andromeda. Engage privacy mode please." Harper called to thin air.
"Privacy mode engaged, authorisation Seamus Harper." Came the disembodied reply. After a moment, Harper turned to Alex'Rai.
"OK, give it to me straight. What do you want?" Harper's patience was wearing thin, he was inexplicably tired, cranky at having been woken up by Dylan earlier, and he was already missing his favourite purple company.
"I was sent to you by the Ul'Wath'Lei in order to help you through the coming transition. I had intended to take you home, but since that is not an option you are left with two choices."
"Which are?" Harper was still having trouble with this.
"One. I can simply leave. Eventually, you will go through the change naturally and, assuming you and your friends survive, I can return to teach you how to use your abilities."
"Or."
"Two. I can give you the means to induce the change, and then teach you. This seems to me the more sensible option since you will have the benefit of your Sha'Lya's support."
"Shall-I-Ah what?"
"I apologise, I tend to slip into our language when the translation is hard. The word 'Sha'Lya means many things; 'Closest friend', 'Most trusted companion' and 'Beloved' all rolled into one. I believe that the Human term is 'Soul mate'. I am, of course, referring to your purple friend, Trace."
"Her name is Trance, and she is not my soul mate. She's just a friend." Even as Harper spoke, he felt a pang in his chest. Alex'Rai obviously didn't believe it any more than Harper did.
"I am very good at reading people, and although your denying it. You and I both know that she is far more than just a friend. Regardless, her presence would be invaluable to you during the transition, assuming she would be willing to help of course."
"So those are my choices. Either change later and maybe die. Or ask Trance's help to change sooner?"
"Essentially."
"That sucks. I guess it's not much of a choice. But I should talk to Trance first, get her support, y'know?"
"Of course. But don't delay long."
"Yes Sir captain Noclue." Harper gave a sarcastic salute and left.
Alex'Rai just sighed.
*
Harper walked quietly through Hydroponics. He knew Trance was in here somewhere, though how he knew was uncertain, but he couldn't seem to find her.
A shadow moved an iota in the periphery of his vision, Harper froze and looked there. Trance was sitting silently against a sturdy sapling with her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, her back to him. Harper slowly traversed the distance between them. As he got closer, he could hear he sobbing quietly into her knees. His heart wrenched in his chest as he came up behind her and sat down next to her.
Trance was startled as a form sat down beside her, she had not heard anyone approach, so she assumed it must be Harper. She quieted her tears, but kept her head down so that he would not see that she had been crying. Or worse, inquire as to why.
Instead of asking questions, Harper scooted close to her and slipped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly to him. She burst into tears again and buried her head in his chest. Harper just held her as she cried, soaking the front of his T-shirt.
After a few minutes, Trance felt something wet and warm land on the back of her neck, it took her a second to realise that Harper was crying. She pulled back slightly to look into his blue eyes. He was indeed crying, this puzzled her enough to stifle her own tears momentarily.
"Why are you crying?" She asked him, her voice shaky. He looked at her with deep sincerity.
"Because you are." That admission shocked them both.
"I know what is going to happen, Harper. Your going away, your going to leave me. Just like everyone leaves me."
"I'm not leaving Trance, I promised to stay with you and I will." He had not released his grip on her in the slightest, she had to understand that.
"Yes you will!" Her voice betrayed fear and anger. He stared into her eyes, his wordless denial angering her even more.
"You haven't got a choice, you are going to go with that man, you're going home. You'll leave with him and I'll be alone again." Harper had to do something, she was rapidly becoming panicked.
Trance was cut off as Harper's lips descended onto hers, he kissed her passionately, but so very gently, as if he were afraid of scaring her away. For a moment, Trance froze, before closing her eyes and responding to him. The kiss lasted only seconds, but it rocked the two of them to the core. When it ended, the two separated only an inch.
"I love you, Trance. And I'm not going anywhere." There. He had said it, what happened now was up to her.
In his long life, Harper had seen things that would scare most people out of their' minds. But he could say, without a doubt, that this was the single most terrifying moment of his entire existence. Would she reject him? Run from him? Hit him?
A second passed, then two. Trance's face softened slightly and then she smiled, pulled him into a tight hug and whispered the most beautiful four words he had ever had the pleasure of hearing into his ear.
"I love you too."
The couple grinned, both incredible happy to be together, both scared of loosing each other, and both thinking how lucky they were to have someone so special as each other.
Chapter 5
Harper and Trance took a few moments to come back to reality, they had always been close friends but this was so much more than either of them had ever imagined. Once they had regained their' senses sufficiently to actually be able to form words, Harper was the first to speak.
"Trance, not that I'm not enjoying this, 'cause you know I love being this close to you, but there is some stuff you should know." Harper was hesitant to drop this on her right now, but he had the feeling that she would be able to help him.
So, at length, Harper explained to her what Alex'Rai had told him. With some trepidation, Harper decided to omit the 'soul-mate' discourse for the moment, he had no desire to pressure her any more than necessary. Tentative though he was to ask for Trance's help in this endeavour, he knew that to even attempt this without her help would likely prove impossible. He understood how much she loved him, he loved her exactly as much, there was no way she would let him do this alone.
True to his expectations, Trance immediately jumped to his side (figuratively speaking, given their' proximity) and was only too willing to help him with this. He was worried, or more accurately concerned, for her safety; but elated at how quick she was to stand with him. She made it all seem bearable, just as she always had, and for a moment Harper just looked at her. Appreciating her beauty for an endless instant, he felt that tingling sensation behind his eyes again, this time he didn't fight it.
The picture of Trance began to coalesce again, the jigsaw of memories and impressions incorporating Trance's relationship with him even down to the look she was giving him right now. This collage of information. Then, in a slightly dizzying fashion, the entire image 'shifted'; becoming clearer, each point become more and more perfect, until the whole became greater than the sum of it's parts. The sheer beauty of it was incredible to behold, just like her.
Reality reasserted itself, he was back in Hydroponics with Trance wrapped up in his arms. At that moment, even with all the pain and suffering that he felt was to come, he would be completely satisfied to stay with her for as long as he lived.
***
The Andromeda's newest couple found Alex'Rai on ObsDeck after spending a rather enjoyable hour just holding each other under a sapling in Hydroponics. Trance and Harper knew how concerned they should be of the challenge placed before them, neither had even considered how their' crewmates would react, but the pair had found themselves unable to remove the grins from their' faces.
Alex'Rai, perhaps understandably, thought they were being far too flippant about the task that lay ahead; yet he merely greeted them quietly and asked if they were ready. When they answered to the affirmative, the 415 year old Ul'Wath'Lei explained to them what to expect.
"When the transition occurs, your bodies will fall into a..." he looked at the purple girl sporting an ironic smile "...trance; during which Harper's growing bio-etheric energy will consume his physical body." Harper interrupted him with an inquiry.
"I'm not sure how comfortable I am having my body 'consumed' by anything, much less something I probably couldn't spell." Thinking for a second how simple the word 'magog' was.
"It is a necessary part of the process; try to understand that you will be comprised of energy, energy that can be focused by your thoughts. You will be able to maintain a physical form of whatever description you wish afterwards. Also, your mind will be enhanced greatly, as you rely less on physical bio-electrical neuro-cognitive functions, this is the second stage of the process."
"How 'advanced' do you mean."
~Will I still be me?~ Harper had no desire to lose who he was. Alex'Rai seemed to understand the unsaid question.
"Your core identity will remain the same, but your base intelligence as well as your data-processing capabilies will be increased by a factor of hundreds."
"Hundreds?!?" Trance said incredulously.
"My dear, due to the physical limitations of their' bodies, Human's use less than 10% of their' total brain capacity at any one time. Our 'brains' are not physical in nature, and as such are not hampered by such concerns. While this may sound like a massive leap forward, Harper will have the mental capacity equal to any Ul'Wath'Lei. This includes certain other abilities such as telempathy, telekinesis, and total recall. We do have a limited precognitive capability, but as you know Trance, predicting the future is almost entirely guesswork." Alex'Rai gave her a meaningful stare, before continuing with the lecture.
Harper wondered what he had meant by that, but once again his absolute trust in his Sha'Lya (he was warming to the term) overwhelmed any doubts he may have previously entertained about her motives. She would tell him when she was ready.
"The final phase of the change is the only one in which I may interact with you. I will impart a basic understanding and control of your faculties to you. It will be somewhat similar the way you download data through your dataport, as our minds will be closely meshed at the time. This is the reason I was sent to you, and this is the reason that it would be better to attempt this with me than without."
"How long will we be outside of our bodies?" Trance questioned, she had become somewhat quieter since the 'precognition' comment.
"Here? Not long, a few hours at most. But it will seem to us to be much longer, days or even weeks. Depending on how quickly Harper accepts the change."
"What about this" Harper taps his dataport once.
"That will be discarded along with the rest of your flesh and blood. However, you will still be able to interact with computer systems by using a similar method that I can teach you. Harper was unsure how to take this news. It had cost him a lot, financially and otherwise, to acquire his dataport. However, according to Alex'Rai (and Harper was beginning to trust him) he would retain his ability to interface with to Andromeda, which was definitely a good thing.
"Ok, let's get started." Harper had found that his confidence in himself was much improved when Trance was so close to him.
"Are you both totally sure?" Alex'Rai looked eager to begin.
Trance nodded, as did Harper.
"Alright then." Alex'Rai instructed them to sit down. The younger two sat cross-legged and close to each other, Trance's tail had once again found it's way around Harper's waist; his fingers gently brushed it once to signify that he approved. Trance gave a small smile, where she came from, this level of semi-public intimacy would be considered scandalous between long-bonded couples, and completely unforgivable in such a newly formed relationship. Once again Trance was thankful for the social largess permitted in this area of space, she enjoyed their contact immensely.
"Now. I want you to both close your eyes and try to clear your mind of any thoughts or feelings. Concentrate on your breathing." A few minutes of silence later, Harper felt a sensation not entirely unlike the buzzing behind his eyes. It grew louder, more forceful as the seconds ticked by until he was drowning in the sensation, then quite suddenly, it stopped and Harper was no longer sitting next to his soul-mate on the Andromeda.
He was standing in a place of endless white, distances were meaningless as without frame of reference, he span around several times, seeing nothing at all. He was just starting to panic when he heard a voice.
"Harper." He knew that voice, a beautiful lilting, laughing duclet voice. He smiled when he turned and saw Trance standing A few feet from him, Alex'Rai was several feet to her right. He walked quickly to her, standing comfortably close to her and turned to question the Ul'Wath'Lei standing before them.
"Where are we?"
"In your mind. Or at least, the anthropomorphic representation that you have subconsciously decided upon." He looked around with some humour. "Not feeling imaginative are we?"
"Hey, don't look at me. I'm not liking this place any more than you."
"I am looking at you, because this is YOUR MIND. It looks however you want, if you do not approve, change it."
"How?"
"All it takes is will, focus upon your goal. Try something small to begin with, visualise somewhere that you feel comfortable. A place that puts you at ease, then simply will it to happen."
Harper shook his head, before resigning himself to this ridiculous exercise. He closed his eyes and tried to think of somewhere he felt safe.
~The only time I feel safe is when I'm with Trance. So where would Trance feel safe?~ Unsurprisingly, Harper had a very good idea of the kind of environment Trance would find comforting. So, with great effort, he pictured a large garden. He pictured exactly the plants, in all their' colour and form. A clear blue sky above him and he pictured a flowing stream, not far from the group. Suddenly, he became distracted by an irritating sound, though try as he might, Harper couldn't recall when it had started.
His eyes snapped open and then widened noticeably as he took in his surroundings. The trio stood in a beautiful garden, where a moment ago there had been nothing. That distracting sound was running water close by. Trance was startled but delighted at the change of scenery, she suspected Harper's motive for this particular choice of locale, and was all the more grateful for it.
Alex'Rai looked decidedly impressed. He was again wary of the sheer depth of power that resided in this one. Few Kist'Arach were capable of this level of conscious control over their' thoughts.
"Very impressive." He said with a nod to a rather surprised Harper.
"Now, I will begin the process, but then I must leave you. My presence in your mind during the change would likely prove catastrophic to your forming psyche. Once it is over I will return. I suggest you prepare yourself as best you can; this part can be very unpleasant." Alex'Rai looked sorrowful, but determined, he disappeared from their' sight.
"You know, I am really beginning to dislike that guy." Harper said to no one in particular, before turning to a grinning Trance and kissing her gently on the lips. A short while later the two decided to wander the garden while they waited. They soon found themselves sitting comfortably on the bank of the stream, idly watching the flowing water.
"How long is this going to take, anyhow?" Said Harper once a few uneventful minutes had passed by. Trance could tell that he was using the illusion of impatience to set them both at ease, it was not an entirely successful attempt, but she was comforted none-the-less.
Suddenly Harper screamed and curled up into a ball, obviously the process was beginning, Trance was at a complete loss as to how she was supposed to help him. Terrified for his safety, she wrapped her arms around him and concentrated on his pain, trying to help in any way she could.
She could feel the scenery around them changing to reflect Harper's pain, a great-grandmother of a storm had sprung from where there had only been clear skies moments previously. Driving rain and a fierce wind pounded water into the pair as Harper continued to scream. His body was on fire, he could feel his bones melting and his blood boiling. The pain was quite unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
Lightning crackled between the sheet of black clouds above them, thunder rolling over the two as they huddled together. Flashes of lightning created a strobe effect throughout the dark mass that hung above them, increasing in their frequency and intensity with each passing moment. The crackling bolts of energy whipped wildly about, seeming to coalesce directly above them, the flickering light illuminating the pair with quickening flashes. And then it all stopped, suddenly and without warning.
A complete stillness hung suspended in the air for a moment. But only for a moment.
Harper was rent by the explosive force of the single, unbelievable, bolt of lightning that plunged down from the heavens above. It was a strike of lightning such as had never been before, a thousand times more brilliant, more powerful, more terrifying than a single lightning bolt could ever hope to achieve.
A clap of thunder sounded as the bolt struck Harper's body hurling Trance away. Creating a rolling crack of sound that reverberated throughout the world.
Trance had instinctively flinched away from where the lightning had struck, her eyes shut against the blinding light and her hands clasped tight over her ringing ears. In a blind panic she turned back to her fallen love, where an amazing sight greeted her.
Saemus Harper was no longer Human.
In his place floated a brilliant mass of energy, a white blur that her senses attempted and utterly failed to describe to her, several tendrils of the same bright white where gently swaying around it, probing the air surrounding it as the garden faded to an uncompromising black.
No sooner had the man finished speaking, did Tyr and Beka have their' weapons aimed at him. Dylan was wary, but considerably calmer than the other two. Harper was staring at the man, while Trance was holding his hand so tightly she was cutting off the circulation. She was scared he would leave her, he had promised to stay with her and he intended to keep his word. Harper squeezed her back to reassure her.
"I really don't think you're in any position to be making threats against my crew." Dylan's voice was as calm and nonchalant as ever, but it was clear that he was not happy.
Surprisingly, the man had not reacted to having weapons pointed at him at all, he was still staring at Harper. Although his demeanor had not changed at all, he was more than a little surprised by the sheer power he could see within Harper's aura.
~This one is powerful indeed~ Alex'Rai thought.
"Captain Hunt." He said at length, tearing his eyes from Harper to look at the High Guard.
"While my appearance mirrors yours somewhat, I wish to make something absolutely clear. I am not, nor have I ever been, Human. I choose to look Human simply because you find this form easier to understand and interact with, my kind are composed primarily of energy, and have the ability to assume different forms. We are called the Ul'Wath'Lei. Your name for my race is 'Homo Dominant', we are distant genetic cousins of yours. We are the stage in evolution the Human genus will be in approximately 300,000 years."
"300,000 years. How did you get here? Time travel?" Beka piped up, Alex'Rai looked at her, amused.
~Time travel!?! What a four-dimensional way of thinking~
"You are grossly oversimplifying the situation, I shall attempt to clarify it for you. Simply put, the Ul'Wath'Lei live on a plane separate to this one. Basic inter-planer physics mean that time and space warp between the Planes. On our home plane, your understanding of the space time continuum would not apply. Similarly, your existence here is almost completely alien to me. Please try to understand, further explanations would be pointless because, as a species, Humans do not possess the psychological capacity to comprehend Planer physics. Well, not without having a psychotic episode anyway."
"What do you want then?" Harper had a sick feeling he knew the answer to his query.
"Exactly as I said earlier, I am here to take you to our home plane."
"You keep saying 'our' home plane. You do know that Harper is Human, right?" Beka didn't like where this dialogue was going.
"No. Mr. Harper is not Human." Alex'Rai was adamant.
"As I am sure you are aware, Harper has been through an experience in which his genetic structure was significantly altered to resemble that of my species. This was not coincidental. A simple genetic sample can verify much of what I am saying, we allowed the 'Doctor' to find the equipment, we engineered the 'malfunction' which caused the spontaneous evolution of Mr. Harper. The machine was designed for this single task. Mr. Harper was turned from a Homo Sapiens, such as you, to a Homo Dominant, such as me. I was sent here to help him through the transition by taking him home." Alex'Rai finished.
"Your lying, his involvement was an accident, we didn't plan to be there." Beka said, her weapon not wavering in the slightest.
"Within the confines of this multiverse, there are no accidents, no coincidences, everything happens for a reason. There are those of my species who are capable of seeing into what you would call the future, we knew he would be there before any of this happened."
"Then why? Why change him into a 'Dominant'?" Beka was still having trouble accepting that her friend was no longer human.
"I don't know." Alex'Rai seemed less than pleased at having to reveal his ignorance, nevertheless, he continued.
"Only our elders are the only members of our society who are capable of seeing through time with such accuracy. They did not see fit to inform me as to why he was worthy of this gift."
"Gift? You call this a gift! I KILLED a guy." Harper burst. Behind him, Trance moved infinitesimally closer to him and he was grateful to her.
"I see. And was this man threatening you or your friend's at the time?" Aex'Rai's voice was heavy.
Harper nodded.
"Then be at ease. The way you reacted was instinctive, our kind do not take kindly to being threatened. Unless we are in complete control of our emotions, we have been known to regress into a kind of highly evolved 'fight or flight' state, especially when we are as young as you."
"Young? I'm 24 years old" Harper protested. Alex'Rai had an amused glint in his eye.
"You are thinking like a Human. Our kind is somewhat longer-lived, among the Ul'Wath'Lei, I am considered a young adult." Harper wasn't sure how to take that 'thinking like a Human' comment, how else was he supposed to think?
"So, how old are you?" Harper asked.
"I am 415 of your 'years' old. The difference between us is that I am a born Ul'Wath'Lei, whereas you were turned into one. The genetic coding we implanted in the machine will cause much more rapid growth than is usual for our kind. When were you changed?"
"Yesterday." Harper didn't like where this was going, he had enough to deal with right now without more changes.
"Then you are a 'Kist'Arach', a youngling among us. Your body is about to undergo the change from youth to adulthood. This means that your hormonal levels are extremely high and your metabolism is in overdrive. This point is the most volatile and potentially dangerous stages of our life cycle. At home you would have other Ul'Wath'Lei to help you through the change." Alex'Rai explained.
"I'm not going anywhere." Harper's voice betrayed absolutely no compromise on that subject.
"I was not exaggerating, this is going to be a very difficult time for you. It would be wise for you to reconsider."
"I said, I'm staying here." Harper felt Trance move even closer to him, she was almost leaning against him, yet she seemed entirely unaware of it. Harper almost smiled.
"We can be a dangerous species, even more so when we are 'Kist'Arach'. But I see that I am not going to convince you of that."
"You? Dangerous? You were weak enough to place youself in a tactically inferior position." Tyr was as diplomatic as ever. Alex'Rai smiled, but there was a hint of something cold residing in his eyes that unsettled Tyr ever-so-slightly.
"Don't mistake my good nature for weakness, Nietzschean." Alex'Rai's demeanour had gone from friendly to dangerous in seconds. Dylan rushed to avoid a confrontation.
"Mr. Alex'Rai," His pronunciation was appalling. "I think you have a lot of explaining to do."
"I would be more than happy to explain this to you, but can we at least talk somewhere more comfortable? Without weapons pointed at me." He looked pointedly at Tyr's gauss rifle. Dylan thought about it for a moment, before nodding.
"Alright, you can stay aboard. But if you make so much as a threatening gesture toward this ship or any of my crew, I'll shoot you. Understood?"
Alex'Rai smiled and bowed his head again.
*
Alex'Rai had requested that he be allowed to speak to Harper privately for a time; although Trance was reluctant to release him, he had agreed and the two had moved to the ObsDeck.
"Andromeda. Engage privacy mode please." Harper called to thin air.
"Privacy mode engaged, authorisation Seamus Harper." Came the disembodied reply. After a moment, Harper turned to Alex'Rai.
"OK, give it to me straight. What do you want?" Harper's patience was wearing thin, he was inexplicably tired, cranky at having been woken up by Dylan earlier, and he was already missing his favourite purple company.
"I was sent to you by the Ul'Wath'Lei in order to help you through the coming transition. I had intended to take you home, but since that is not an option you are left with two choices."
"Which are?" Harper was still having trouble with this.
"One. I can simply leave. Eventually, you will go through the change naturally and, assuming you and your friends survive, I can return to teach you how to use your abilities."
"Or."
"Two. I can give you the means to induce the change, and then teach you. This seems to me the more sensible option since you will have the benefit of your Sha'Lya's support."
"Shall-I-Ah what?"
"I apologise, I tend to slip into our language when the translation is hard. The word 'Sha'Lya means many things; 'Closest friend', 'Most trusted companion' and 'Beloved' all rolled into one. I believe that the Human term is 'Soul mate'. I am, of course, referring to your purple friend, Trace."
"Her name is Trance, and she is not my soul mate. She's just a friend." Even as Harper spoke, he felt a pang in his chest. Alex'Rai obviously didn't believe it any more than Harper did.
"I am very good at reading people, and although your denying it. You and I both know that she is far more than just a friend. Regardless, her presence would be invaluable to you during the transition, assuming she would be willing to help of course."
"So those are my choices. Either change later and maybe die. Or ask Trance's help to change sooner?"
"Essentially."
"That sucks. I guess it's not much of a choice. But I should talk to Trance first, get her support, y'know?"
"Of course. But don't delay long."
"Yes Sir captain Noclue." Harper gave a sarcastic salute and left.
Alex'Rai just sighed.
*
Harper walked quietly through Hydroponics. He knew Trance was in here somewhere, though how he knew was uncertain, but he couldn't seem to find her.
A shadow moved an iota in the periphery of his vision, Harper froze and looked there. Trance was sitting silently against a sturdy sapling with her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, her back to him. Harper slowly traversed the distance between them. As he got closer, he could hear he sobbing quietly into her knees. His heart wrenched in his chest as he came up behind her and sat down next to her.
Trance was startled as a form sat down beside her, she had not heard anyone approach, so she assumed it must be Harper. She quieted her tears, but kept her head down so that he would not see that she had been crying. Or worse, inquire as to why.
Instead of asking questions, Harper scooted close to her and slipped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly to him. She burst into tears again and buried her head in his chest. Harper just held her as she cried, soaking the front of his T-shirt.
After a few minutes, Trance felt something wet and warm land on the back of her neck, it took her a second to realise that Harper was crying. She pulled back slightly to look into his blue eyes. He was indeed crying, this puzzled her enough to stifle her own tears momentarily.
"Why are you crying?" She asked him, her voice shaky. He looked at her with deep sincerity.
"Because you are." That admission shocked them both.
"I know what is going to happen, Harper. Your going away, your going to leave me. Just like everyone leaves me."
"I'm not leaving Trance, I promised to stay with you and I will." He had not released his grip on her in the slightest, she had to understand that.
"Yes you will!" Her voice betrayed fear and anger. He stared into her eyes, his wordless denial angering her even more.
"You haven't got a choice, you are going to go with that man, you're going home. You'll leave with him and I'll be alone again." Harper had to do something, she was rapidly becoming panicked.
Trance was cut off as Harper's lips descended onto hers, he kissed her passionately, but so very gently, as if he were afraid of scaring her away. For a moment, Trance froze, before closing her eyes and responding to him. The kiss lasted only seconds, but it rocked the two of them to the core. When it ended, the two separated only an inch.
"I love you, Trance. And I'm not going anywhere." There. He had said it, what happened now was up to her.
In his long life, Harper had seen things that would scare most people out of their' minds. But he could say, without a doubt, that this was the single most terrifying moment of his entire existence. Would she reject him? Run from him? Hit him?
A second passed, then two. Trance's face softened slightly and then she smiled, pulled him into a tight hug and whispered the most beautiful four words he had ever had the pleasure of hearing into his ear.
"I love you too."
The couple grinned, both incredible happy to be together, both scared of loosing each other, and both thinking how lucky they were to have someone so special as each other.
Chapter 5
Harper and Trance took a few moments to come back to reality, they had always been close friends but this was so much more than either of them had ever imagined. Once they had regained their' senses sufficiently to actually be able to form words, Harper was the first to speak.
"Trance, not that I'm not enjoying this, 'cause you know I love being this close to you, but there is some stuff you should know." Harper was hesitant to drop this on her right now, but he had the feeling that she would be able to help him.
So, at length, Harper explained to her what Alex'Rai had told him. With some trepidation, Harper decided to omit the 'soul-mate' discourse for the moment, he had no desire to pressure her any more than necessary. Tentative though he was to ask for Trance's help in this endeavour, he knew that to even attempt this without her help would likely prove impossible. He understood how much she loved him, he loved her exactly as much, there was no way she would let him do this alone.
True to his expectations, Trance immediately jumped to his side (figuratively speaking, given their' proximity) and was only too willing to help him with this. He was worried, or more accurately concerned, for her safety; but elated at how quick she was to stand with him. She made it all seem bearable, just as she always had, and for a moment Harper just looked at her. Appreciating her beauty for an endless instant, he felt that tingling sensation behind his eyes again, this time he didn't fight it.
The picture of Trance began to coalesce again, the jigsaw of memories and impressions incorporating Trance's relationship with him even down to the look she was giving him right now. This collage of information. Then, in a slightly dizzying fashion, the entire image 'shifted'; becoming clearer, each point become more and more perfect, until the whole became greater than the sum of it's parts. The sheer beauty of it was incredible to behold, just like her.
Reality reasserted itself, he was back in Hydroponics with Trance wrapped up in his arms. At that moment, even with all the pain and suffering that he felt was to come, he would be completely satisfied to stay with her for as long as he lived.
***
The Andromeda's newest couple found Alex'Rai on ObsDeck after spending a rather enjoyable hour just holding each other under a sapling in Hydroponics. Trance and Harper knew how concerned they should be of the challenge placed before them, neither had even considered how their' crewmates would react, but the pair had found themselves unable to remove the grins from their' faces.
Alex'Rai, perhaps understandably, thought they were being far too flippant about the task that lay ahead; yet he merely greeted them quietly and asked if they were ready. When they answered to the affirmative, the 415 year old Ul'Wath'Lei explained to them what to expect.
"When the transition occurs, your bodies will fall into a..." he looked at the purple girl sporting an ironic smile "...trance; during which Harper's growing bio-etheric energy will consume his physical body." Harper interrupted him with an inquiry.
"I'm not sure how comfortable I am having my body 'consumed' by anything, much less something I probably couldn't spell." Thinking for a second how simple the word 'magog' was.
"It is a necessary part of the process; try to understand that you will be comprised of energy, energy that can be focused by your thoughts. You will be able to maintain a physical form of whatever description you wish afterwards. Also, your mind will be enhanced greatly, as you rely less on physical bio-electrical neuro-cognitive functions, this is the second stage of the process."
"How 'advanced' do you mean."
~Will I still be me?~ Harper had no desire to lose who he was. Alex'Rai seemed to understand the unsaid question.
"Your core identity will remain the same, but your base intelligence as well as your data-processing capabilies will be increased by a factor of hundreds."
"Hundreds?!?" Trance said incredulously.
"My dear, due to the physical limitations of their' bodies, Human's use less than 10% of their' total brain capacity at any one time. Our 'brains' are not physical in nature, and as such are not hampered by such concerns. While this may sound like a massive leap forward, Harper will have the mental capacity equal to any Ul'Wath'Lei. This includes certain other abilities such as telempathy, telekinesis, and total recall. We do have a limited precognitive capability, but as you know Trance, predicting the future is almost entirely guesswork." Alex'Rai gave her a meaningful stare, before continuing with the lecture.
Harper wondered what he had meant by that, but once again his absolute trust in his Sha'Lya (he was warming to the term) overwhelmed any doubts he may have previously entertained about her motives. She would tell him when she was ready.
"The final phase of the change is the only one in which I may interact with you. I will impart a basic understanding and control of your faculties to you. It will be somewhat similar the way you download data through your dataport, as our minds will be closely meshed at the time. This is the reason I was sent to you, and this is the reason that it would be better to attempt this with me than without."
"How long will we be outside of our bodies?" Trance questioned, she had become somewhat quieter since the 'precognition' comment.
"Here? Not long, a few hours at most. But it will seem to us to be much longer, days or even weeks. Depending on how quickly Harper accepts the change."
"What about this" Harper taps his dataport once.
"That will be discarded along with the rest of your flesh and blood. However, you will still be able to interact with computer systems by using a similar method that I can teach you. Harper was unsure how to take this news. It had cost him a lot, financially and otherwise, to acquire his dataport. However, according to Alex'Rai (and Harper was beginning to trust him) he would retain his ability to interface with to Andromeda, which was definitely a good thing.
"Ok, let's get started." Harper had found that his confidence in himself was much improved when Trance was so close to him.
"Are you both totally sure?" Alex'Rai looked eager to begin.
Trance nodded, as did Harper.
"Alright then." Alex'Rai instructed them to sit down. The younger two sat cross-legged and close to each other, Trance's tail had once again found it's way around Harper's waist; his fingers gently brushed it once to signify that he approved. Trance gave a small smile, where she came from, this level of semi-public intimacy would be considered scandalous between long-bonded couples, and completely unforgivable in such a newly formed relationship. Once again Trance was thankful for the social largess permitted in this area of space, she enjoyed their contact immensely.
"Now. I want you to both close your eyes and try to clear your mind of any thoughts or feelings. Concentrate on your breathing." A few minutes of silence later, Harper felt a sensation not entirely unlike the buzzing behind his eyes. It grew louder, more forceful as the seconds ticked by until he was drowning in the sensation, then quite suddenly, it stopped and Harper was no longer sitting next to his soul-mate on the Andromeda.
He was standing in a place of endless white, distances were meaningless as without frame of reference, he span around several times, seeing nothing at all. He was just starting to panic when he heard a voice.
"Harper." He knew that voice, a beautiful lilting, laughing duclet voice. He smiled when he turned and saw Trance standing A few feet from him, Alex'Rai was several feet to her right. He walked quickly to her, standing comfortably close to her and turned to question the Ul'Wath'Lei standing before them.
"Where are we?"
"In your mind. Or at least, the anthropomorphic representation that you have subconsciously decided upon." He looked around with some humour. "Not feeling imaginative are we?"
"Hey, don't look at me. I'm not liking this place any more than you."
"I am looking at you, because this is YOUR MIND. It looks however you want, if you do not approve, change it."
"How?"
"All it takes is will, focus upon your goal. Try something small to begin with, visualise somewhere that you feel comfortable. A place that puts you at ease, then simply will it to happen."
Harper shook his head, before resigning himself to this ridiculous exercise. He closed his eyes and tried to think of somewhere he felt safe.
~The only time I feel safe is when I'm with Trance. So where would Trance feel safe?~ Unsurprisingly, Harper had a very good idea of the kind of environment Trance would find comforting. So, with great effort, he pictured a large garden. He pictured exactly the plants, in all their' colour and form. A clear blue sky above him and he pictured a flowing stream, not far from the group. Suddenly, he became distracted by an irritating sound, though try as he might, Harper couldn't recall when it had started.
His eyes snapped open and then widened noticeably as he took in his surroundings. The trio stood in a beautiful garden, where a moment ago there had been nothing. That distracting sound was running water close by. Trance was startled but delighted at the change of scenery, she suspected Harper's motive for this particular choice of locale, and was all the more grateful for it.
Alex'Rai looked decidedly impressed. He was again wary of the sheer depth of power that resided in this one. Few Kist'Arach were capable of this level of conscious control over their' thoughts.
"Very impressive." He said with a nod to a rather surprised Harper.
"Now, I will begin the process, but then I must leave you. My presence in your mind during the change would likely prove catastrophic to your forming psyche. Once it is over I will return. I suggest you prepare yourself as best you can; this part can be very unpleasant." Alex'Rai looked sorrowful, but determined, he disappeared from their' sight.
"You know, I am really beginning to dislike that guy." Harper said to no one in particular, before turning to a grinning Trance and kissing her gently on the lips. A short while later the two decided to wander the garden while they waited. They soon found themselves sitting comfortably on the bank of the stream, idly watching the flowing water.
"How long is this going to take, anyhow?" Said Harper once a few uneventful minutes had passed by. Trance could tell that he was using the illusion of impatience to set them both at ease, it was not an entirely successful attempt, but she was comforted none-the-less.
Suddenly Harper screamed and curled up into a ball, obviously the process was beginning, Trance was at a complete loss as to how she was supposed to help him. Terrified for his safety, she wrapped her arms around him and concentrated on his pain, trying to help in any way she could.
She could feel the scenery around them changing to reflect Harper's pain, a great-grandmother of a storm had sprung from where there had only been clear skies moments previously. Driving rain and a fierce wind pounded water into the pair as Harper continued to scream. His body was on fire, he could feel his bones melting and his blood boiling. The pain was quite unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
Lightning crackled between the sheet of black clouds above them, thunder rolling over the two as they huddled together. Flashes of lightning created a strobe effect throughout the dark mass that hung above them, increasing in their frequency and intensity with each passing moment. The crackling bolts of energy whipped wildly about, seeming to coalesce directly above them, the flickering light illuminating the pair with quickening flashes. And then it all stopped, suddenly and without warning.
A complete stillness hung suspended in the air for a moment. But only for a moment.
Harper was rent by the explosive force of the single, unbelievable, bolt of lightning that plunged down from the heavens above. It was a strike of lightning such as had never been before, a thousand times more brilliant, more powerful, more terrifying than a single lightning bolt could ever hope to achieve.
A clap of thunder sounded as the bolt struck Harper's body hurling Trance away. Creating a rolling crack of sound that reverberated throughout the world.
Trance had instinctively flinched away from where the lightning had struck, her eyes shut against the blinding light and her hands clasped tight over her ringing ears. In a blind panic she turned back to her fallen love, where an amazing sight greeted her.
Saemus Harper was no longer Human.
In his place floated a brilliant mass of energy, a white blur that her senses attempted and utterly failed to describe to her, several tendrils of the same bright white where gently swaying around it, probing the air surrounding it as the garden faded to an uncompromising black.