Harper leaned against his unending project, the X-1. Sweat poured down his
face as if he'd been through a training session with Tyr. He hadn't been
doing anything overly exerting, just examining the scrap parts from the
research vessel, but he felt exhausted. He hadn't been feeling well either.
Every part of his body ached. He was getting hot flashes and he could feel
a slight tremor flowing throughout his entire body. Wiping the sweat off
his forehead, Harper closed his eyes, feeling the cool metal of his pet
project against his skin. He barely heard the door to the machine shop
opening.
"Harper?" echoed Rommie's voice in his mind. Forcing his eyes open,
Harper blearily made out the form of Andromeda's sentient avatar, Rommie.
She was staring at him, concern in her eyes, holding a Sparky in one hand.
"Hey, Rommie," Harper said, smiling. Lifting his hand with more
effort than he thought it would take, he pointed at the can of Sparky Cola.
"Whatcha got there?"
Rommie knelt in front of him. "Trance thought you might need one
after your shot." She placed her hand on his forehead. "I think you should
go to medical. You're running a fever."
"I'm fine, Rommie. You're just exaggerating," Harper argued. He
couldn't believe himself. Speaking was becoming an effort. "Can I have the
Sparky?"
Rommie gave him the Sparky. Instead of opening the can of cola,
Harper pressed the can to his face.
"Okay, you're going to medical," Rommie said. She grabbed Harper's
arm, pulling him to his feet. The can of cola slipped out of his hand and
hit the floor. Harper could barely focus on Rommie's face. He couldn't feel
his legs. He would've fallen back to the floor if Rommie hadn't been there
to catch him. His eyes rolled around, looking at everything in the shop but
never focusing on one thing. He wasn't sure if he was sitting or standing
but he knew Rommie was there and she was saying something. It sounded more
like she was yelling. What was she yelling? It sounded like his name. Was
it? He needed to say something to keep her from worrying. Focusing every
last ounce of energy his body would give, Harper opened his mouth.
"Rommie.I think.I should.go to.medical," he whispered. His energy
gone, Harper's eyes closed and his body went slack in Rommie's arms.
"Harper? Harper! Medical emergency, Machine Shop 5!" Rommie shouted.
Gently, she shook Harper, but the engineer only moaned. Picking him up,
Rommie rushed out of the machine shop, hoping she got to medical in time.
* * *
Dylan leaned against the console on the command deck. He'd just gotten the news of Harper's condition from Trance. He was sick, dying from the very same thing the Nietzscheans had. Trance was trying various drugs to combat whatever was killing the engineer, but none seemed to be working. The golden girl had also suggested that Dylan, Tyr, and Beka come to medical for an examination since they and Harper had all been in the Nietzschean ship. "Dylan, are you all right?" Andromeda's digital image asked. Dylan shook his head. "A member of my crew is dying. And for all I know Tyr, or Beka, or even I could be next," Dylan said. Andromeda looked away, her own emotions concerning Harper rising to the surface. "I've called everyone to Command," she said. "Why?" Dylan asked. "I've encoded the log from the Nietzschean ship," Andromeda said. As if on cue, everyone entered the command deck. All of them looked miserable. Beka was on the verge of tears, as was Trance. Tyr kept his mask of stoicism, but Dylan knew he cared for Harper just as greatly as everyone else. "How is he?" Dylan asked Trance. "Not good," Trance said. "Andromeda, play the log," Dylan said. Andromeda's image disappeared from the holo-screen. Replacing her was the face of a smiling Nietzschean, the one who'd died in medical. He looked excited to the point of hysterical joy. "Environmental Science Officer's Log, Percival Churchill. I'm happy to report that we've done it! We've found it! For three years we've been searching every known galaxy. Any planet or satellite we came across was searched thoroughly, and now.we've got it! We have The Mark of Cain!" said Churchill. Trance gasped. "Andromeda, stop the log," Dylan ordered. He turned to Trance. "Trance, what is it?" "I thought they were extinct! I was sure of it!" Trance said, mostly to herself. Dylan grabbed her shoulders. "Trance, what is it?" Dylan asked, his voice forceful. Trance looked into his eyes. "The Mark of Cain is a flower; a dangerous flower, Dylan. Its pollen is poisonous. It wiped out entire planets," Trance said. Beka stepped forward. "Harper found a flower in the ship," she said. "Did he smell it? Did you smell it?" Trance asked desperately. "I didn't smell it.but Harper did. I told him to take the flower to Hydroponics," Beka said. "Is there a cure?" Tyr asked. Trance thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's never been tried," Trance said. "Then we have to try now," Dylan said. "Harper's life depends on it." "I'm going!" Trance said. She rushed out of command. "Rommie, go help her," Dylan ordered. Rommie nodded and followed after Trance. Beka shifted her weight from one foot to the other several times before walking out of command. Dylan knew where she was going and wasn't about to stop her. "She may not be in time," Tyr said. "Harper may be lost to us." "I refuse to believe that, Tyr," Dylan said, turning to the stoic Nietzschean. "Just like I refused to believe that you were lost after the Genites attacked Orca Pride. I kept searching even with Harper telling me I had to accept the fact that you were gone. If I'd taken his advice, you wouldn't be here right now." "I apologize," Tyr said. "Don't. Just come help me get rid of the Nietzschean ship," Dylan said. Tyr nodded and walked with Dylan out of command.
* * *
Dylan leaned against the console on the command deck. He'd just gotten the news of Harper's condition from Trance. He was sick, dying from the very same thing the Nietzscheans had. Trance was trying various drugs to combat whatever was killing the engineer, but none seemed to be working. The golden girl had also suggested that Dylan, Tyr, and Beka come to medical for an examination since they and Harper had all been in the Nietzschean ship. "Dylan, are you all right?" Andromeda's digital image asked. Dylan shook his head. "A member of my crew is dying. And for all I know Tyr, or Beka, or even I could be next," Dylan said. Andromeda looked away, her own emotions concerning Harper rising to the surface. "I've called everyone to Command," she said. "Why?" Dylan asked. "I've encoded the log from the Nietzschean ship," Andromeda said. As if on cue, everyone entered the command deck. All of them looked miserable. Beka was on the verge of tears, as was Trance. Tyr kept his mask of stoicism, but Dylan knew he cared for Harper just as greatly as everyone else. "How is he?" Dylan asked Trance. "Not good," Trance said. "Andromeda, play the log," Dylan said. Andromeda's image disappeared from the holo-screen. Replacing her was the face of a smiling Nietzschean, the one who'd died in medical. He looked excited to the point of hysterical joy. "Environmental Science Officer's Log, Percival Churchill. I'm happy to report that we've done it! We've found it! For three years we've been searching every known galaxy. Any planet or satellite we came across was searched thoroughly, and now.we've got it! We have The Mark of Cain!" said Churchill. Trance gasped. "Andromeda, stop the log," Dylan ordered. He turned to Trance. "Trance, what is it?" "I thought they were extinct! I was sure of it!" Trance said, mostly to herself. Dylan grabbed her shoulders. "Trance, what is it?" Dylan asked, his voice forceful. Trance looked into his eyes. "The Mark of Cain is a flower; a dangerous flower, Dylan. Its pollen is poisonous. It wiped out entire planets," Trance said. Beka stepped forward. "Harper found a flower in the ship," she said. "Did he smell it? Did you smell it?" Trance asked desperately. "I didn't smell it.but Harper did. I told him to take the flower to Hydroponics," Beka said. "Is there a cure?" Tyr asked. Trance thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's never been tried," Trance said. "Then we have to try now," Dylan said. "Harper's life depends on it." "I'm going!" Trance said. She rushed out of command. "Rommie, go help her," Dylan ordered. Rommie nodded and followed after Trance. Beka shifted her weight from one foot to the other several times before walking out of command. Dylan knew where she was going and wasn't about to stop her. "She may not be in time," Tyr said. "Harper may be lost to us." "I refuse to believe that, Tyr," Dylan said, turning to the stoic Nietzschean. "Just like I refused to believe that you were lost after the Genites attacked Orca Pride. I kept searching even with Harper telling me I had to accept the fact that you were gone. If I'd taken his advice, you wouldn't be here right now." "I apologize," Tyr said. "Don't. Just come help me get rid of the Nietzschean ship," Dylan said. Tyr nodded and walked with Dylan out of command.