The big Nietzschean stood behind him. Harper could feel him towering over
him and didn't dare turn around. His whole body was anxiously shaking from
the fear of not knowing what lay ahead for him.
The Nietzschean glared at him. Harper could feel his eyes digging into his
back.
"You know you have to be punished. What would happen if everybody steals
food, huh, Kludge? Wanna tell me that?" he hissed, his voice dangerously
low.
`Humans wouldn't be starving´ Harper thought, but kept his mouth shut. He
was already in enough trouble, there was no need to find himself more.
"Now, the only question is, what do I do with you?" The Nietzschean asked,
pretending to be seriously waiting for Harper's input. Harper bit his lip
to keep from answering. He had been in this situation too many times before
to think that any word that came out of his mouth would help him.
"So quiet, mudfoot? Then let's see what I come up with." His hand trailed
down Harper back. A terrifying low chuckle reached his ears. Harper pushed
aside his fear and finally found his voice, making a desperate attempt to
save himself.
"Please don't." He whispered, his voice shaking. The hand on his back
didn't stop and that amused, sick laugh didn't cease.
His whispers went unheard....
"Harper, wake up, or shut the hell up. I really don't care which one you do, but do it soon or else I'm going to stuff this damn pillow down your throat." Harper heard the familiar voice through the haze of nightmares still clouding his mind. Familiar didn't mean necessarily good, but everything was better than the nightmare he had been caught in. He woke up and immediately jerked away. It was in instinctual response. Slowly his surroundings filtered into his clouded mind. He was onboard the Maru, in his quarters, on his bed. And Chloe was beside him. His mind cleared. Chloe was beside him? He frowned, but then the clausterphobic fear of having someone so close to him made him glare at her. "What do you want?" he asked sharply. She shrugged. "Nothing really. It's just four o'clock," she said and pushed herself off his bed. He considered going back to sleep, but then swore, threw his covers off and went after her. "What the hell do you mean, 'it's just four o'clock'?" He grumbled, still tired and groggy from the lack of sleep. She went into the kitchen and got the coffeemaker running. She shrugged again. "Back on earth I used to wake up at four o'clock to watch the sun rise. It's an old habit." He accepted the Sparky Cola she handed him. "How long have you been off earth?" He asked, almost casually. He had never met another mudfoot. It was weird. It felt strangely comforting to know there was someone who had gone through the same shit he had. She blew into her coffee, the hot steam swirling out of the cup. "Not long enough. About 2 years.You?" He swallowed hard, panic setting in. He had never told her he was a mudfoot. Never mind that he was from earth. "What the hell makes you think I'm a mudfoot?" She looked him up and down. "Was just guessing. Maybe mudfeet recognize each other by their nightmares." "You get nightmares too?" he asked. She flinched and glared slightly. It was the same reaction he had had. "As long as you don't ask about my nightmares, I won't ask about yours. Deal?" Her voice was ice-cold. "Okay," Harper gave in. Although he was still confused, he decided to steer their conversatin to safter topics. He knew better than anyone that there were some things you just didn't talk about. "How did you get Beka to let you stay?" He asked. A tiny smile tugged on the corner of her lips. She wasn't the only one glad about the sudden change of topic. She sipped her coffee. "I didn't. She asked me to stay. I think as long as you stay with her, I'll stay with the food." "And what about the magog?" Harper asked. Chloe had already met Rev, but she'd been terrified when she laid eyes on him and ever since then, did her best to stay out of his way. She gave him a dark look. " That topic is just as off limits as the nightmares." Harper understood. "Okay." They sipped their beverages in silence. It was the first time Harper experienced a comfortable silence. When his can was empty, he got up and yawned. "I'm gonna head back to my room. Maybe I'll get some more sleep." She nodded. "Don't count on it. You know how it is." She smiled at him. "We should do this more often." He smiled back and walked to his quarters, that grin staying on his face the entire way down the corridor.
"Harper, wake up, or shut the hell up. I really don't care which one you do, but do it soon or else I'm going to stuff this damn pillow down your throat." Harper heard the familiar voice through the haze of nightmares still clouding his mind. Familiar didn't mean necessarily good, but everything was better than the nightmare he had been caught in. He woke up and immediately jerked away. It was in instinctual response. Slowly his surroundings filtered into his clouded mind. He was onboard the Maru, in his quarters, on his bed. And Chloe was beside him. His mind cleared. Chloe was beside him? He frowned, but then the clausterphobic fear of having someone so close to him made him glare at her. "What do you want?" he asked sharply. She shrugged. "Nothing really. It's just four o'clock," she said and pushed herself off his bed. He considered going back to sleep, but then swore, threw his covers off and went after her. "What the hell do you mean, 'it's just four o'clock'?" He grumbled, still tired and groggy from the lack of sleep. She went into the kitchen and got the coffeemaker running. She shrugged again. "Back on earth I used to wake up at four o'clock to watch the sun rise. It's an old habit." He accepted the Sparky Cola she handed him. "How long have you been off earth?" He asked, almost casually. He had never met another mudfoot. It was weird. It felt strangely comforting to know there was someone who had gone through the same shit he had. She blew into her coffee, the hot steam swirling out of the cup. "Not long enough. About 2 years.You?" He swallowed hard, panic setting in. He had never told her he was a mudfoot. Never mind that he was from earth. "What the hell makes you think I'm a mudfoot?" She looked him up and down. "Was just guessing. Maybe mudfeet recognize each other by their nightmares." "You get nightmares too?" he asked. She flinched and glared slightly. It was the same reaction he had had. "As long as you don't ask about my nightmares, I won't ask about yours. Deal?" Her voice was ice-cold. "Okay," Harper gave in. Although he was still confused, he decided to steer their conversatin to safter topics. He knew better than anyone that there were some things you just didn't talk about. "How did you get Beka to let you stay?" He asked. A tiny smile tugged on the corner of her lips. She wasn't the only one glad about the sudden change of topic. She sipped her coffee. "I didn't. She asked me to stay. I think as long as you stay with her, I'll stay with the food." "And what about the magog?" Harper asked. Chloe had already met Rev, but she'd been terrified when she laid eyes on him and ever since then, did her best to stay out of his way. She gave him a dark look. " That topic is just as off limits as the nightmares." Harper understood. "Okay." They sipped their beverages in silence. It was the first time Harper experienced a comfortable silence. When his can was empty, he got up and yawned. "I'm gonna head back to my room. Maybe I'll get some more sleep." She nodded. "Don't count on it. You know how it is." She smiled at him. "We should do this more often." He smiled back and walked to his quarters, that grin staying on his face the entire way down the corridor.