Thanks once again for the wonderful reviews, sorry it's been so long! This is kinda short, just checking in with the rest of the crew while I try and figure out what the heck happens next!
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Casondra slammed her fist down on Dylan's desk causing Tyr to shift his enormous weapon slightly. His eyes never left her as she began pacing around the room like a caged animal. He remained leaning against the wall not about reveal weakness of any kind to the gold woman.
The more he reflected on their current situation, the more he found his thoughts returning to his first meeting with the purple girl. He had not placed much trust in her from the beginning. He found her annoying, bothersome, and believed her head would never leave the clouds. As time passed and one adventure melded into the next, he was startled to discover the girl worming her way into his affections. Despite his best efforts he found himself becoming protective of her. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he felt a connection to her, and through her persistent efforts, a begrudging friendship was forged. All that changed the day she essentially abandoned the crew when their need was greatest and was replaced by the gold abomination which now graced his sight. Not once in the months since she had been on board had Tyr been truly convinced that this incarnation's intentions were pure no matter how vehemently she protested to the contrary.
Tyr had to hide his surprise as his train of thought was interrupted when the gold alien stopped her pacing, lifted her head to the ceiling and shrieked, "ANDROMEDA!"
Andromeda's image was immediately displayed on the main view screen. The beautiful AI gazed passively at the agitated woman before her, "Yes?"
"What is Harper's condition?" Casondra spat as she resumed her pacing.
Andromeda closed her eyes briefly. "Harper's condition remains unchanged, he is still unconscious and in critical condition."
"Damn." Casondra hissed, "I should be in there monitoring him!"
Andromeda maintained her detached facade, "Beka and my avatar are perfectly capable of caring for Harper's needs and should a situation arise in which you skills are called for, you will be notified." With that she disappeared, her image replaced by the spinning Commonwealth logo.
Casondra swore her frustration and kicked a nearby chair. She glanced sideways at Tyr and sat down heavily, putting her head in her hands she moaned, "He can't die, not now. He has to be all right." She peeked though her fingers at Tyr and began to cry softly.
Tyr, unaffected by her little display, merely shrugged his massive shoulders, his face a careful mask of indifference. "The little professor has been through much worse and come out stronger. I have very confidence he will again."
Frustrated that her ploy had no affect on Tyr, Casondra let her hands drop to her lap. She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. The purple bitch had nearly ruined everything. Casondra knew what was transpiring in V-deck at that very moment. She did not need special powers to tell her that her cover was blown. Her only hope of salvaging anything from this mission was to somehow escape the Andromeda and find the remaining piece of the Engine. Only then would she be able to leave this hellhole and return to her master.
It wouldn't be enough to just escape, however. There was still the problem of needing three sentients to actually retrieve the final piece of the Engine. As this occurred to her, Casondra nearly cried for real. He plan had been working so perfectly, in a few short weeks it would have been over and she would have been safely back in the future. She glared furiously at the Nietzschean, he was at the moment, literally, her largest obstacle. Her dark eyes narrowed and an evil smile spread across her lips as she developed a *new* plan.
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Beka readjusted the sheet on Harper's bed for what felt like the hundredth time. Even unconscious, her engineer was a tightly wound ball of energy. His eyes flitted under his closed lids and his brow continuously furrowed as he struggled to wake from the anesthesia. She attempted to calm him by gently stroking his face while whispering reassurances, occasionally pausing to tuck an errant limb back under the blankets.
During a lull in the young man's thrashing, Beka glanced worriedly at Rommie who was monitoring Harper's vitals. "He should be waking up soon." Rommie stated, relief evident in the android's voice. "He's going to hurt like hell for awhile but he should be Ok."
Beka smiled at that, some of the tension leaving her body. "What's going on with the others?" she asked.
Rommie's eyes darted back and forth as she processed information from her ship-self. "Tyr and the Gold Trance are still in Dylan's quarters, nothing of consequence to report. Dylan remains on V-deck with the Purple Trance." Rommie paused and closed her eyes, delving deeper into her computer core. "Strange," she said, "I am not being allowed access to records pertaining to the brig." She opened her eyes and looked at Beka, "I've been locked out."
Beka stood and glanced around suspiciously, "Something's up Rommie. I think we should get ready."
"For what?" Rommie asked, a bit taken aback by Beka's sudden change in demeanor.
On the bed, Harper let out a pained moan, his eyelids beginning to flutter. Beka turned her attention from Rommie to Harper and whispered, "I'm not sure but whatever it is, it's gonna happen soon."
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TBC
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Casondra slammed her fist down on Dylan's desk causing Tyr to shift his enormous weapon slightly. His eyes never left her as she began pacing around the room like a caged animal. He remained leaning against the wall not about reveal weakness of any kind to the gold woman.
The more he reflected on their current situation, the more he found his thoughts returning to his first meeting with the purple girl. He had not placed much trust in her from the beginning. He found her annoying, bothersome, and believed her head would never leave the clouds. As time passed and one adventure melded into the next, he was startled to discover the girl worming her way into his affections. Despite his best efforts he found himself becoming protective of her. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he felt a connection to her, and through her persistent efforts, a begrudging friendship was forged. All that changed the day she essentially abandoned the crew when their need was greatest and was replaced by the gold abomination which now graced his sight. Not once in the months since she had been on board had Tyr been truly convinced that this incarnation's intentions were pure no matter how vehemently she protested to the contrary.
Tyr had to hide his surprise as his train of thought was interrupted when the gold alien stopped her pacing, lifted her head to the ceiling and shrieked, "ANDROMEDA!"
Andromeda's image was immediately displayed on the main view screen. The beautiful AI gazed passively at the agitated woman before her, "Yes?"
"What is Harper's condition?" Casondra spat as she resumed her pacing.
Andromeda closed her eyes briefly. "Harper's condition remains unchanged, he is still unconscious and in critical condition."
"Damn." Casondra hissed, "I should be in there monitoring him!"
Andromeda maintained her detached facade, "Beka and my avatar are perfectly capable of caring for Harper's needs and should a situation arise in which you skills are called for, you will be notified." With that she disappeared, her image replaced by the spinning Commonwealth logo.
Casondra swore her frustration and kicked a nearby chair. She glanced sideways at Tyr and sat down heavily, putting her head in her hands she moaned, "He can't die, not now. He has to be all right." She peeked though her fingers at Tyr and began to cry softly.
Tyr, unaffected by her little display, merely shrugged his massive shoulders, his face a careful mask of indifference. "The little professor has been through much worse and come out stronger. I have very confidence he will again."
Frustrated that her ploy had no affect on Tyr, Casondra let her hands drop to her lap. She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. The purple bitch had nearly ruined everything. Casondra knew what was transpiring in V-deck at that very moment. She did not need special powers to tell her that her cover was blown. Her only hope of salvaging anything from this mission was to somehow escape the Andromeda and find the remaining piece of the Engine. Only then would she be able to leave this hellhole and return to her master.
It wouldn't be enough to just escape, however. There was still the problem of needing three sentients to actually retrieve the final piece of the Engine. As this occurred to her, Casondra nearly cried for real. He plan had been working so perfectly, in a few short weeks it would have been over and she would have been safely back in the future. She glared furiously at the Nietzschean, he was at the moment, literally, her largest obstacle. Her dark eyes narrowed and an evil smile spread across her lips as she developed a *new* plan.
***************************
Beka readjusted the sheet on Harper's bed for what felt like the hundredth time. Even unconscious, her engineer was a tightly wound ball of energy. His eyes flitted under his closed lids and his brow continuously furrowed as he struggled to wake from the anesthesia. She attempted to calm him by gently stroking his face while whispering reassurances, occasionally pausing to tuck an errant limb back under the blankets.
During a lull in the young man's thrashing, Beka glanced worriedly at Rommie who was monitoring Harper's vitals. "He should be waking up soon." Rommie stated, relief evident in the android's voice. "He's going to hurt like hell for awhile but he should be Ok."
Beka smiled at that, some of the tension leaving her body. "What's going on with the others?" she asked.
Rommie's eyes darted back and forth as she processed information from her ship-self. "Tyr and the Gold Trance are still in Dylan's quarters, nothing of consequence to report. Dylan remains on V-deck with the Purple Trance." Rommie paused and closed her eyes, delving deeper into her computer core. "Strange," she said, "I am not being allowed access to records pertaining to the brig." She opened her eyes and looked at Beka, "I've been locked out."
Beka stood and glanced around suspiciously, "Something's up Rommie. I think we should get ready."
"For what?" Rommie asked, a bit taken aback by Beka's sudden change in demeanor.
On the bed, Harper let out a pained moan, his eyelids beginning to flutter. Beka turned her attention from Rommie to Harper and whispered, "I'm not sure but whatever it is, it's gonna happen soon."
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TBC