Once again thank you to everyone who reviewed {{{hugs}}} :D Glad you like it so far! To Star: Thanks for the input :D I've been working on my descriptions and trying not to rush my dialogue. Let me know what you think of this chapter! That goes for everyone! LOL! :D
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"LESS?" Dylan exclaimed incredulously, his fear and confusion briefly turning to outrage. "What the *hell* does that mean, Trance?"
Trance winced at his outburst. "You're right, Dylan," she said softly, "I'm sorry, you deserve more than that. Old habits I guess." She shifted slightly in her seat and stared at the floor, collecting her thoughts.
Dylan raised his hands, a look of frustrated anticipation on his face, "Well?"
Trance took a deep breath and returned her gaze to Dylan. "She's from the future, that much is true, but she is *not* me. *I* am the only Trance Gemini on this ship."
"Trance," Dylan said tiredly rubbing his forehead, "I think you had better start from the beginning."
"Sorry, I'm doing it again, huh?"
Dylan cleared his throat and tented his fingers.
"Right, ok, um...."
*****************
C.Y. 1108
Trance didn't look back as she entered the tesseract field. A moment later she found herself standing on a windswept plain. Battle damaged buildings reduced to mere skeletons were barely visible far in the distance. Ash filled the air, whipped by an unrelenting wind; it stung her exposed skin and forced her to squint her eyes. *Ok, I changed my mind* Trance thought as she turned around, fully intent on returning to the Maru but the portal was gone.
Panic fluttered through her stomach. *Now what? * she wondered. She took a closer look at her surroundings. She seemed to be in the middle of a vast basin. Mountains ringed the perimeter, barely visible against a turbulent black and green sky. Blue lightening arced between angry clouds, creating an eerie strobe effect that allowed her brief glimpses of the nearer landscape. The decimated buildings she had seen upon her arrival appeared to be the only structures. She turned slowly in a small circle, pausing to wait for the lightening to show her more of the same. Nothing. *I'm not going to cry* She thought angrily. *I'm not going to...* She sniffed loudly, her breath hitching in her chest. Tears formed and spilled unbidden down her cheeks.
"Dammit!" She yelled at the wind, the mountains and the lightening. Her voice carried instantly away by the howling wind. Shoulders slumped, head down, sobs still wracking her slim frame she slowly began walking toward her only hope of shelter. Judging by the air of emptiness that surrounded this place, she held no illusions that she would find anyone there. At least the wind was at her back.
After about an hour of walking Trance brought her head up and wearily peered at her destination. She was disappointed when it appeared that she had not gained any ground. Lightening flashed high above her head followed closely by and earth-shaking clap of thunder. Trance yelped and clapped her hands over her pointy ears. Not until the last vibrations died away did she dare remove them. She gave a shaky laugh as she imagined what she must look like. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a fat raindrop splashed her forehead, quickly followed by another. In an instant she found herself in the middle of a downpour, soaked to the bone.
Not surprised at the latest development, Trance merely hugged her arms around herself and kept walking. She couldn't see two feet in front of her, let alone the buildings she was headed for. Not really caring anymore, she merely concentrated on keeping the wind at her back and letting it push her along.
Eventually the rain let up. Drenched and shivering, her breath pluming in the now frigid air, she paused to once more get her bearings. She mentally sighed when she realized she was off course. Correcting her path she let her head sag. Something caught her attention. Squinting into the darkness, she was startled to see a light flickering in the distance. She rubbed her weary eyes, certain it was a mirage but the speck remained on the very edge of the ruins she had been heading for. With renewed vigor, she pointed her feet toward the light. Hope put a spring in her step as she excitedly imagined finding shelter, and warmth. Perhaps she would get lucky and also find food and someone to explain to her where and when she was.
Her reverie was broken and she faltered as her future self's words echoed in her mind. *I made a lot of mistakes...at best we're not going to win* This future was apparently *very* bad. Trance looked around her again, what she saw would tend to support that. Who could have perpetrated such destruction? The Kalderans? Were they still here? Waiting to attack her? She began to panic as the possibilities race through her mind. She became dizzy and realized she was about to hyperventilate. "Get a hold of yourself." She said, trying to break the cycle of anxiety. Slowly she brought herself under control and she was able to think logically once again. She needed shelter and warmth or she would begin to suffer hypothermia. Her only hope was to reach the light. She would have to be very careful, keep her eyes open and employ a healthy dose of paranoia. Trance smiled slightly, Harper would be proud. The thought of her best friend nearly sent her into another panic attack. Was he dead? Obviously her future self activated the tesseract machine or she wouldn't still be in this horrible place. Was it in time to save Harper? Was Tyr at this very minute keeping the promise he made in the heat of battle? A deep depression began to take root as she realized that she would never see any of the Andromeda crew ever again. She gingerly pushed aside all thoughts of her friends as she approached the edges of the ruins.
It must have once been a great city. Now all that remained were burnt husks of houses and office buildings. Scattered everywhere were the exploded remnants of daily life. The rain had turned ankle deep ash to black oozing mud that sucked at her every step. She cautiously made her way toward the light, closer now, flickering against the wall of what appeared to have once been a house, now only one wall and a section of roof remained. Trance changed her course slightly, coming to the light from a more ubiquitous angle. Picking her way through the darkened, debris-filled streets she approached the wall. She paused to catch her breath and calm her nerves before slowly peering around the corner. After her long walk in mostly darkness, she was forced to squint her eyes against the bright, flickering light of a fire. As her eyes adjusted, she was able to make out the shape of someone huddled by its warmth.
She studied the scene for a few moments, waiting to see if anyone else would appear. When it was apparent that the figure was alone, Trance cautiously crept closer, wanting to get a better look. Her foot dislodged a small avalanche of debris and before she could get back behind the wall, she heard the unmistakable sound of a weapon charging. She instantly dropped to a crouch and scurried behind large pile of rubble. The weapon discharged, the round flying high over her head. Frantically looking for the best way to escape, Trance heard the sound of the weapon powering down followed quickly by a frustrated string of curses. She risked a quick look. Peeking out from her hiding place she could see the shooter, the same person she had noticed earlier, lying by the fire, and furiously hitting a gauss gun against a nearby rock. With one final whack the gun charged back up. "That's more like it," the stranger rasped, "What kind of freakin' genius can't keep a stupid gun working?"
Trance ducked back behind her shelter as he fired again. The round exploded against the pile she was hiding behind. She shut her eyes tight to protect them from flying shrapnel, her heart pounding harder. Suddenly her eyes flew open as her brain finally processed what the stranger had said. "Harper." She breathed. Could it be? Was it possible?
"Don't come any closer! I've got a ton of ammo, 60 Neitzscheans and the biggest baddest ship in the known worlds waiting for my signal!"
Definitely sounded like Harper but there was something odd about his voice. She knew right away that he was lying. It was obvious he was scared and, something else, she couldn't put her finger on it. She took a chance and peeked her head out again. She still couldn't see him clearly but she could see the gun. He was having trouble holding it up, let alone aiming it. The hand that held the gun was shaking so bad Trance doubted he could hit the broad side of a freight hauler. "Harper?" She called, wincing when he let another round fly in her general direction.
"Leave me alone!! Let me die in peace!" He yelled and fired his gun repeatedly.
"Harper! It's me, Trance." She called.
Her words slowly sank in, "Trance?" The gun lowered. "That's impossible." He said as he brought the gun back up. "Trance is dead." He whispered his voice raw with emotion. "Now go back to where ever the hell you came from or I will kill you where you stand."
Trance raised her hands and crept from behind the rubble, revealing herself to him. "Harper, it really is me. I came here using the tesseract machine you built. Please, don't shoot me." She hoped the direct approach would work this time.
The gun wavered. "T...Trance? Is it really you? Really?" She nodded but stayed where she was, hands still in the air. Harper finally lowered the gun all the way and let it drop. "She said you would be coming but I didn't believe her. I can't believe anything she says anymore."
"Who?" Trance asked as she slowly started moving forward. Harper struggled to sit up and Trance noticed he was wounded, badly. She rushed the remaining couple of feet to his side. "Harper, you're hurt!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, babe, you know me, it's nothin'." He ceased his struggle to sit up and slumped back to the ground with a hiss of pain.
Trance knelt beside him, placing a hand gently on his chest to keep him still while she examined him. It didn't look good. He had multiple injuries; it looked as if someone had been using him as a punching bag. His right leg was obviously broken, as was his left arm. Blood oozed from a gunshot wound high on his left chest. His injuries were fairly recent yet already signs of infection were evident. Harper's body was wracked by a sudden coughing fit. When it subsided, Trance noticed flecks of blood on his lips. Internal bleeding and probably a collapsed lung, Trance diagnosed. Nothing she could do about that right now, she continued her triage. He had several cuts and bruises on his face. Trance leaned closer to examine them and noticed something odd. His cheeks were flushed with fever but they were also more weathered than she remembered. Small lines tracked across his forehead and the corners of his eyes. Dismissing it as a trick of the flickering light she set about doing what she could for her friend. She found a pair of metal bars about the same length to use as a splint for his broken leg.
"Who did this to you?" She asked as she tore the leg off her purple outfit, needing it to secure the splint.
"Casondra." Harper spat the name with a hatred so raw it nearly made Trance recoil. He looked at Trance and his face softened, "You don't know who that is, do you?"
Trance shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing. "No, I don't. All I know is that I'm here because a future version of myself said it was necessary to bring about the perfect possible future."
Harper gave her a quizzical look, not understanding. Trance merely gestured at his leg, indicating that she was ready to set it. He gave a short nod, leaned his head back and clenched his jaw. Trance tried to make it as quick as possible but the instant she touched his leg he bit back a scream. She steadied herself and grimaced as she pulled on his lower leg, the bones popping and creaking. No longer able to hold it in, Harper screamed in agony. He screamed until his voice was hoarse and the air gone from his lungs. With a small sigh his eyes rolled back and he lapsed into unconsciousness.
Trance finished applying the splint and moved on to his arm. Not needing to be strong for Harper while he was out cold, she let the tears fall. Crying openly she cursed the fact that she had nothing with her to help Harper. She didn't even have anything to relieve his pain. She wept the entire time she cleaned and dressed his wounds as best she could. When he finally woke, she was strong again, her crying finished.
"Is this a dream?" He croaked when she appeared in his line of vision.
"No, Harper, I'm here." She soothed, taking his uninjured hand in hers.
"Trance, there's so much I have to tell you."
"You should rest. Reserve your strength. Didn't you say the baddest ship in the known worlds was waiting for your signal?" Trance said, slightly amused.
"Trance...you know I was bluffing. Andromeda isn't coming." He coughed weakly, his body trembling from the exertion. "And *I* know that I don't' have much time left."
"You're going to be fine, you'll have lots of time to tell me everything after you have healed." Trance said as she smoothed sweaty hair from his brow.
"Trance!" Harper's voice was sharp, his eyes, momentarily, clear. "Please! Don't try to placate me! I know I'm dying, I feel it. I'm cold, everything's looks fuzzy and I'm having a hard time concentrating. I have to do this while I still can!"
Trance lowered her eyes, nodding. "I can't...."
"You don't have to, Trance, you just have to listen." Harper leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Trance thought for a moment that he had passes out again.
"Harper?" She said hesitantly.
He opened his eyes again and tried to focus on her beautiful face. "Just trying to figure out where to start, darlin'." He said softly.
Trance sighed with relief. She looked thoughtful, "Why don't you start with how you got here? I mean, I just assumed that you died from the magog eggs in that...er...this...future. How did you survive?"
Harper chuckled, "Well, that was all you, babe, uh...the other you, I mean. As you can guess, we didn't activate the tesseract device. I destroyed it and Hohne was brought back to life. I was in agony, the larvae were fully active and I didn't have much time. Tyr was ready; he would have gone through with it. The look on his face was actually heart breaking, I felt worse for him than I did for me. Which is saying a lot because, well, you know me." He grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, Tyr was just about to pull the trigger when you stopped him. Looking back, it was hilarious, you were quite the little spitfire. You kicked the gun out of his hand and hee-haw'd him on the back of the head. He went down like a ton of bricks. You yelled at Dylan and Rommie to grab me and take me to medical. I was pretty out of it by then but from what I was told, you injected me with something and placed me in stasis until you could figure out a cure." Harper paused to catch his breath, his eyes somewhat glassy as he relived the past.
"How did I cure you?" Trance prompted.
"Technically you didn't. You saved me that day but Hohne came up with the cure, about six months later. I guess it was a good thing we destroyed the tesseract device. Hohne was a big help to us for a long time after that." Harper frowned at the memories the mention of his old friend revived.
"Harper, where are we? What year is this?" Trance asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"Well, babe, that's all part of the story." He teased, but when he saw the pleading in her eyes he answered more frankly. "This is Terazed and the year is 1108."
"Terazed?" Trance exclaimed, "But how...what happened here? What about the Commonwealth? Dylan? Rommie? Tyr?"
Harper's eyes brimmed with tears as he witnessed Trance's confusion. "It's all our fault Trance."
"Our fault? But how? Harper, please, this is no time to get back at me for all the vague answers I've given you over the years."
Harper turned his head and looked at the fire. "But it *is* our fault, Trance. All of this is because you and I fell in love. Everything you see, all this destruction is just the tip of the iceberg. War is raging in the known worlds and it can all be traced back to our daughter."
Trance leaned back on her haunches, too stunned to speak. Unconsciously mimicking Dylan's actions in another time and place, she wearily rubbed her forehead and finally said, "Harper, I think you had better start from the beginning."
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TBC
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"LESS?" Dylan exclaimed incredulously, his fear and confusion briefly turning to outrage. "What the *hell* does that mean, Trance?"
Trance winced at his outburst. "You're right, Dylan," she said softly, "I'm sorry, you deserve more than that. Old habits I guess." She shifted slightly in her seat and stared at the floor, collecting her thoughts.
Dylan raised his hands, a look of frustrated anticipation on his face, "Well?"
Trance took a deep breath and returned her gaze to Dylan. "She's from the future, that much is true, but she is *not* me. *I* am the only Trance Gemini on this ship."
"Trance," Dylan said tiredly rubbing his forehead, "I think you had better start from the beginning."
"Sorry, I'm doing it again, huh?"
Dylan cleared his throat and tented his fingers.
"Right, ok, um...."
*****************
C.Y. 1108
Trance didn't look back as she entered the tesseract field. A moment later she found herself standing on a windswept plain. Battle damaged buildings reduced to mere skeletons were barely visible far in the distance. Ash filled the air, whipped by an unrelenting wind; it stung her exposed skin and forced her to squint her eyes. *Ok, I changed my mind* Trance thought as she turned around, fully intent on returning to the Maru but the portal was gone.
Panic fluttered through her stomach. *Now what? * she wondered. She took a closer look at her surroundings. She seemed to be in the middle of a vast basin. Mountains ringed the perimeter, barely visible against a turbulent black and green sky. Blue lightening arced between angry clouds, creating an eerie strobe effect that allowed her brief glimpses of the nearer landscape. The decimated buildings she had seen upon her arrival appeared to be the only structures. She turned slowly in a small circle, pausing to wait for the lightening to show her more of the same. Nothing. *I'm not going to cry* She thought angrily. *I'm not going to...* She sniffed loudly, her breath hitching in her chest. Tears formed and spilled unbidden down her cheeks.
"Dammit!" She yelled at the wind, the mountains and the lightening. Her voice carried instantly away by the howling wind. Shoulders slumped, head down, sobs still wracking her slim frame she slowly began walking toward her only hope of shelter. Judging by the air of emptiness that surrounded this place, she held no illusions that she would find anyone there. At least the wind was at her back.
After about an hour of walking Trance brought her head up and wearily peered at her destination. She was disappointed when it appeared that she had not gained any ground. Lightening flashed high above her head followed closely by and earth-shaking clap of thunder. Trance yelped and clapped her hands over her pointy ears. Not until the last vibrations died away did she dare remove them. She gave a shaky laugh as she imagined what she must look like. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a fat raindrop splashed her forehead, quickly followed by another. In an instant she found herself in the middle of a downpour, soaked to the bone.
Not surprised at the latest development, Trance merely hugged her arms around herself and kept walking. She couldn't see two feet in front of her, let alone the buildings she was headed for. Not really caring anymore, she merely concentrated on keeping the wind at her back and letting it push her along.
Eventually the rain let up. Drenched and shivering, her breath pluming in the now frigid air, she paused to once more get her bearings. She mentally sighed when she realized she was off course. Correcting her path she let her head sag. Something caught her attention. Squinting into the darkness, she was startled to see a light flickering in the distance. She rubbed her weary eyes, certain it was a mirage but the speck remained on the very edge of the ruins she had been heading for. With renewed vigor, she pointed her feet toward the light. Hope put a spring in her step as she excitedly imagined finding shelter, and warmth. Perhaps she would get lucky and also find food and someone to explain to her where and when she was.
Her reverie was broken and she faltered as her future self's words echoed in her mind. *I made a lot of mistakes...at best we're not going to win* This future was apparently *very* bad. Trance looked around her again, what she saw would tend to support that. Who could have perpetrated such destruction? The Kalderans? Were they still here? Waiting to attack her? She began to panic as the possibilities race through her mind. She became dizzy and realized she was about to hyperventilate. "Get a hold of yourself." She said, trying to break the cycle of anxiety. Slowly she brought herself under control and she was able to think logically once again. She needed shelter and warmth or she would begin to suffer hypothermia. Her only hope was to reach the light. She would have to be very careful, keep her eyes open and employ a healthy dose of paranoia. Trance smiled slightly, Harper would be proud. The thought of her best friend nearly sent her into another panic attack. Was he dead? Obviously her future self activated the tesseract machine or she wouldn't still be in this horrible place. Was it in time to save Harper? Was Tyr at this very minute keeping the promise he made in the heat of battle? A deep depression began to take root as she realized that she would never see any of the Andromeda crew ever again. She gingerly pushed aside all thoughts of her friends as she approached the edges of the ruins.
It must have once been a great city. Now all that remained were burnt husks of houses and office buildings. Scattered everywhere were the exploded remnants of daily life. The rain had turned ankle deep ash to black oozing mud that sucked at her every step. She cautiously made her way toward the light, closer now, flickering against the wall of what appeared to have once been a house, now only one wall and a section of roof remained. Trance changed her course slightly, coming to the light from a more ubiquitous angle. Picking her way through the darkened, debris-filled streets she approached the wall. She paused to catch her breath and calm her nerves before slowly peering around the corner. After her long walk in mostly darkness, she was forced to squint her eyes against the bright, flickering light of a fire. As her eyes adjusted, she was able to make out the shape of someone huddled by its warmth.
She studied the scene for a few moments, waiting to see if anyone else would appear. When it was apparent that the figure was alone, Trance cautiously crept closer, wanting to get a better look. Her foot dislodged a small avalanche of debris and before she could get back behind the wall, she heard the unmistakable sound of a weapon charging. She instantly dropped to a crouch and scurried behind large pile of rubble. The weapon discharged, the round flying high over her head. Frantically looking for the best way to escape, Trance heard the sound of the weapon powering down followed quickly by a frustrated string of curses. She risked a quick look. Peeking out from her hiding place she could see the shooter, the same person she had noticed earlier, lying by the fire, and furiously hitting a gauss gun against a nearby rock. With one final whack the gun charged back up. "That's more like it," the stranger rasped, "What kind of freakin' genius can't keep a stupid gun working?"
Trance ducked back behind her shelter as he fired again. The round exploded against the pile she was hiding behind. She shut her eyes tight to protect them from flying shrapnel, her heart pounding harder. Suddenly her eyes flew open as her brain finally processed what the stranger had said. "Harper." She breathed. Could it be? Was it possible?
"Don't come any closer! I've got a ton of ammo, 60 Neitzscheans and the biggest baddest ship in the known worlds waiting for my signal!"
Definitely sounded like Harper but there was something odd about his voice. She knew right away that he was lying. It was obvious he was scared and, something else, she couldn't put her finger on it. She took a chance and peeked her head out again. She still couldn't see him clearly but she could see the gun. He was having trouble holding it up, let alone aiming it. The hand that held the gun was shaking so bad Trance doubted he could hit the broad side of a freight hauler. "Harper?" She called, wincing when he let another round fly in her general direction.
"Leave me alone!! Let me die in peace!" He yelled and fired his gun repeatedly.
"Harper! It's me, Trance." She called.
Her words slowly sank in, "Trance?" The gun lowered. "That's impossible." He said as he brought the gun back up. "Trance is dead." He whispered his voice raw with emotion. "Now go back to where ever the hell you came from or I will kill you where you stand."
Trance raised her hands and crept from behind the rubble, revealing herself to him. "Harper, it really is me. I came here using the tesseract machine you built. Please, don't shoot me." She hoped the direct approach would work this time.
The gun wavered. "T...Trance? Is it really you? Really?" She nodded but stayed where she was, hands still in the air. Harper finally lowered the gun all the way and let it drop. "She said you would be coming but I didn't believe her. I can't believe anything she says anymore."
"Who?" Trance asked as she slowly started moving forward. Harper struggled to sit up and Trance noticed he was wounded, badly. She rushed the remaining couple of feet to his side. "Harper, you're hurt!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, babe, you know me, it's nothin'." He ceased his struggle to sit up and slumped back to the ground with a hiss of pain.
Trance knelt beside him, placing a hand gently on his chest to keep him still while she examined him. It didn't look good. He had multiple injuries; it looked as if someone had been using him as a punching bag. His right leg was obviously broken, as was his left arm. Blood oozed from a gunshot wound high on his left chest. His injuries were fairly recent yet already signs of infection were evident. Harper's body was wracked by a sudden coughing fit. When it subsided, Trance noticed flecks of blood on his lips. Internal bleeding and probably a collapsed lung, Trance diagnosed. Nothing she could do about that right now, she continued her triage. He had several cuts and bruises on his face. Trance leaned closer to examine them and noticed something odd. His cheeks were flushed with fever but they were also more weathered than she remembered. Small lines tracked across his forehead and the corners of his eyes. Dismissing it as a trick of the flickering light she set about doing what she could for her friend. She found a pair of metal bars about the same length to use as a splint for his broken leg.
"Who did this to you?" She asked as she tore the leg off her purple outfit, needing it to secure the splint.
"Casondra." Harper spat the name with a hatred so raw it nearly made Trance recoil. He looked at Trance and his face softened, "You don't know who that is, do you?"
Trance shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing. "No, I don't. All I know is that I'm here because a future version of myself said it was necessary to bring about the perfect possible future."
Harper gave her a quizzical look, not understanding. Trance merely gestured at his leg, indicating that she was ready to set it. He gave a short nod, leaned his head back and clenched his jaw. Trance tried to make it as quick as possible but the instant she touched his leg he bit back a scream. She steadied herself and grimaced as she pulled on his lower leg, the bones popping and creaking. No longer able to hold it in, Harper screamed in agony. He screamed until his voice was hoarse and the air gone from his lungs. With a small sigh his eyes rolled back and he lapsed into unconsciousness.
Trance finished applying the splint and moved on to his arm. Not needing to be strong for Harper while he was out cold, she let the tears fall. Crying openly she cursed the fact that she had nothing with her to help Harper. She didn't even have anything to relieve his pain. She wept the entire time she cleaned and dressed his wounds as best she could. When he finally woke, she was strong again, her crying finished.
"Is this a dream?" He croaked when she appeared in his line of vision.
"No, Harper, I'm here." She soothed, taking his uninjured hand in hers.
"Trance, there's so much I have to tell you."
"You should rest. Reserve your strength. Didn't you say the baddest ship in the known worlds was waiting for your signal?" Trance said, slightly amused.
"Trance...you know I was bluffing. Andromeda isn't coming." He coughed weakly, his body trembling from the exertion. "And *I* know that I don't' have much time left."
"You're going to be fine, you'll have lots of time to tell me everything after you have healed." Trance said as she smoothed sweaty hair from his brow.
"Trance!" Harper's voice was sharp, his eyes, momentarily, clear. "Please! Don't try to placate me! I know I'm dying, I feel it. I'm cold, everything's looks fuzzy and I'm having a hard time concentrating. I have to do this while I still can!"
Trance lowered her eyes, nodding. "I can't...."
"You don't have to, Trance, you just have to listen." Harper leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Trance thought for a moment that he had passes out again.
"Harper?" She said hesitantly.
He opened his eyes again and tried to focus on her beautiful face. "Just trying to figure out where to start, darlin'." He said softly.
Trance sighed with relief. She looked thoughtful, "Why don't you start with how you got here? I mean, I just assumed that you died from the magog eggs in that...er...this...future. How did you survive?"
Harper chuckled, "Well, that was all you, babe, uh...the other you, I mean. As you can guess, we didn't activate the tesseract device. I destroyed it and Hohne was brought back to life. I was in agony, the larvae were fully active and I didn't have much time. Tyr was ready; he would have gone through with it. The look on his face was actually heart breaking, I felt worse for him than I did for me. Which is saying a lot because, well, you know me." He grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, Tyr was just about to pull the trigger when you stopped him. Looking back, it was hilarious, you were quite the little spitfire. You kicked the gun out of his hand and hee-haw'd him on the back of the head. He went down like a ton of bricks. You yelled at Dylan and Rommie to grab me and take me to medical. I was pretty out of it by then but from what I was told, you injected me with something and placed me in stasis until you could figure out a cure." Harper paused to catch his breath, his eyes somewhat glassy as he relived the past.
"How did I cure you?" Trance prompted.
"Technically you didn't. You saved me that day but Hohne came up with the cure, about six months later. I guess it was a good thing we destroyed the tesseract device. Hohne was a big help to us for a long time after that." Harper frowned at the memories the mention of his old friend revived.
"Harper, where are we? What year is this?" Trance asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"Well, babe, that's all part of the story." He teased, but when he saw the pleading in her eyes he answered more frankly. "This is Terazed and the year is 1108."
"Terazed?" Trance exclaimed, "But how...what happened here? What about the Commonwealth? Dylan? Rommie? Tyr?"
Harper's eyes brimmed with tears as he witnessed Trance's confusion. "It's all our fault Trance."
"Our fault? But how? Harper, please, this is no time to get back at me for all the vague answers I've given you over the years."
Harper turned his head and looked at the fire. "But it *is* our fault, Trance. All of this is because you and I fell in love. Everything you see, all this destruction is just the tip of the iceberg. War is raging in the known worlds and it can all be traced back to our daughter."
Trance leaned back on her haunches, too stunned to speak. Unconsciously mimicking Dylan's actions in another time and place, she wearily rubbed her forehead and finally said, "Harper, I think you had better start from the beginning."
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TBC