Ever After Chapter Three
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Thank you for all the reviews, they were very encouraging. I was beginning to think I'd dug myself into a typically Irish hole .i.e. something that you couldn't do if you tried, but with all the good reviews, even the one calling me insane (which I totally agree with) I kept going. Enjoy the chapter.
As soon as Dawn appeared, fresh and rosy fingered...... no, wait a minute, ignore that or if that sentence seems to hold many promising things (which it does), read Homer's the Odyssey.
Anyway, Beka, Trance and the expectant Rommie had headed off for some fun ... a health spa on Aphro 4. They stayed for five days being pampered, massaged and in general relaxing and having fun. It did Rommie good and they returned feeling quite happy with themselves.
But two days after she got back and Rommie felt like she'd never left. Systems were still malfunctioning across the ship and her other selves were arguing about every little thing.
Her monitoring systems were also malfunctioning which was why the autopilot was offline (the sensors couldn't detect asteroids, other ships or the odd sun they might fly into) and everyone was working double shifts just to keep the ship on it's proper course.
And on top of all that she kept feeling like she was going to cry and she didn't know why. The other mood swings she could deal with, the angry, irritated, and general mad at the universe ones weren't really that bad.
The only problem was that Harper still hadn't figured out exactly how the baby was born. The general theory was that it wasn't the normal human way because it didn't seem possible. However, the guidelines by which she was built didn't specify exactly
what was going to happen. Apparently they never expected it to get this far.
And there was still a while to go so she didn't see the point in worrying yet. But what happened next changed her opinion about everything.
Two of the new Commonwealth official Ambassadors arrived on Andromeda with the intention of discussing some of the recent changes in the ruling power structure. Dylan had tried putting them off because it wasn't strictly necessary but however they arrived nevertheless.
As the walked on board, they were greeted by herself and Captain Hunt.
"Captain Hunt, it is nice to finally meet you and Andromeda, we have heard so much about you."
The first Ambassador, a man named Sophis Kent greeted them, yet there was something Rommie noticed in his eyes that betrayed a sense that there was something wrong.
The other ambassador cut in on their greetings.
"We would like to speak to you alone Captain Hunt. No preliminaries are necessary, there will be time for that later."
Captain Hunt looked at the abrupt man, Ambassador Gerard Brooke. He hadn't been told that this was an urgent matter.
"Of course, Ambassadors, if you would come this way."
Rommie systems monitored them as they made their way into the formal conference room then, as they activated the privacy mode, all her monitors ceased. She sighed, dignitaries, they just kept getting more difficult.
Three hours later....
It had been hours since they had gone into the conference room and Rommie had been on Command since then, trying to help Harper with the autopilot.
She heard Dylan's voice over the comms. "Rommie could you report to the conference room immediately please"
Dylan sounded angry and stressed, like he always did when annoying dignitaries were on board. She made her way quickly to the conference room ands the door hissed closed behind her.
She took everything in, Dylan sitting on one side of the table, his head in his hands and the two ambassadors on the other, both looking grimly determined.
Dylan looked up and motioned her to sit down. There was something she couldn't' quite place in his eyes. He looked at the ambassadors and the gaze was by no means friendly.
"Tell her what you told me"
Ambassador Kent looked briefly flustered but Ambassador Brooke spoke and his voice rang with authority.
"Andromeda Ascendant, it has been ordered by the ruling Commonwealth members that, as you are an essential part of the Commonwealth fleet, you cannot be compromised by the recent events that have resulted with you currently carrying an android child.
The android's growth is to be terminated and the files associated with it are to be deleted. The incomplete android is them to be given to the commonwealth artificial intelligence institute for study and research purposes. This is to be done as soon as possible."
He stopped speaking and just looked at her, as if daring her to speak. She opened her mouth to say something when the full meaning of his words hit her. They wanted her to abort her child, they wanted to kill her baby!
Ambassador Brooke stood up to leave. "Your Captain will give you any details you need and we will speak to you again in a few hours.
As he turned to leave Rommie's voice followed him.
"You can't do this!"
He looked back at her. "We can and will. You are an AI, you have no rights and neither does your child." He left and Ambassador Kent followed.
Rommie was in shock. She turned to Dylan who hadn't said a word.
"Dylan you can't let them do this, I may not have been prepared for this baby three moths ago, but I am now. This is my child, it's part of me. They can't take it away from me."
She broke down crying and Dylan moved to her, holding her against him and speaking softly to her.
"I know, Rommie, I know. It's going to be okay, we'll find a way to stop this. I promise you, I won't let this happen."
Rommie's crying stopped. When Dylan Hunt makes you a promise, he keeps it.
"We have to go and tell the others."
He took her hand and led her out the door and towards command, calling everyone there except the two ambassadors.
Most of them were there when they arrived. Dylan gave them a very short version of what had happened. They all looked horrified and disgusted.
"Dylan, they can't do that" holo-Rommie protested glancing towards her holo-bump. Which she, like avatar Rommie, had a protective hand on.
Harper looked furious. He had a nano-welder in his hand and was shaking it, saying "I'd like to give them a piece of my mind." Trance's hand had moved to her force lance and she looked both angry and horrified.
Beka was just as furious. "What right do they have to do this to her? She has just as much right to have a child as we do!"
It was Tyr who was the most surprising though, Rommie really didn't think he would care either way. But she was wrong.
"As, unconventional as this pregnancy is, it is a pregnancy nonetheless and the baby is of one race and even if it wasn't, that wouldn't change my opinion . It is a perfectly natural occurrence and even though she is not organic, Rommie has every right to have a child as does any women. Therefore, I suggest we do something to stop this."
Rommie looked at him with gratitude, there were tears trailing slowly down her cheeks.
"Thank you Tyr, that means a lot to me."
Dylan looked at them all. They were all willing to fight for their friends child, like all good friends should be.
"Okay, then I will contact the Commonwealth council and petition the orders. That will at least slow things down for a while. Beka, find the nearest Commonwealth flag ship so we can return the Ambassadors to their homes After spending three hours arguing these orders with them, I'd just as soon have them off this ship."
He looked around at his crew and they all began to follow his orders.
"That will not be necessary Captain Hunt."
Ambassadors Brooke and Kent were standing at the entrance to command. Brooke looked quite pleased with himself, almost pleasant.
"A ship will be picking us up shortly. We were monitoring your conversation. Our orders were very specific, we were told that you probably wouldn't be very obliging so we were given a virus to infect your AI with and it should carry out our orders. I am sorry that we couldn't meet under better circumstances, but it's for the best."
He smiled at them, gloating at his victory while the crew stared at him, horrified.
"What kind of virus?" Dylan voice was menacing.
"A very fast acting virus that will stop the android babies growth and delete the all files associated with it. Effectively aborting the pregnancy."
Dylan grabbed his forcelance and in a few quick strides had grabbed Brookes collar and was aiming the force lance at him.
"How do we stop it?! How?"
Dylan shook the man with each word. Brooke looked worried but still comfortable behind his highguard regulations. Kent had backed away only to find Tyr next to him with a weapon in hand.
"There is no way to stop it, there is nothing you can do. Now let me go!" At that moment Rommie, who had been panicing and doing a self-diagnostic on herself, clutched her stomach and collapsed to her knees.
Dylan let go of Brooke and he and Kent hurried out of Command as Dylan went to tend to Rommie.
"Harper! Do something!"
Holo-Rommie appeared, she too was clutching her stomach.
"It's invaded all my systems and has begun to delete the files. It's killing the baby!"
Dylan was holding Rommie in his arms. "Hold on Rommie, please hold on. Harper, please do something."
Harper was working fast, trying to find a way to stop it, any way, but it was a very resistant virus.
Rommie looked up and her eyes met Dylan, there were tears streaming down her face.
She spoke barely more than a whisper.
"Dylan, please don't let my baby die." He kissed her cheek and held the sobbing women in his arms, praying for a miracle.
. . .
'Yesterday I knew no lullaby
but you have taught me overnight to order
this song, which takes from your final cry
its tune, from your unreasoned end its reason;
it's rhythm from the discord of your murder,
its motive from the fact that you cannot listen.
Child of our time, our times have robbed your cradle.
Sleep in a world your final sleep has woken'
. . .
Okay.... (holds up shield to protect herself). Don't kill me! It's necessary for me to stay alive for you to get the next chapter and anyway, it could easily go both ways (despite the poem, who's relevance I'm not entirely sure of). But all good fanfics need cliff-hangers, and this will be no exception. I do promise that I will hurry with the next chapter though, and not hold you in suspense for too long!
The poem is an extract from 'Child of our time' by Eavan Boland for Aengus.