6
Beka laughed uncontrollably when she heard Rommie's explanation.
"Stark naked?" She spluttered gleefully.
"Yeah, Boss. Naked." Harper was shamefaced. "Rom doll made me walk across the stage unclothed during the crowning ceremony. She wouldn't let me run."
Trance's eyes grew wide at the thought. "What happened next?" She asked breathlessly.
"They arrested me, O purple one. For public lewdness."
"That was after the laughter died down." Rommie added quietly.
Harper looked at the floor. "It was cold." He offered as an explanation. "I wasn't at my best."
"Tell me boy." Tyr was curious. "How did you get out of prison?"
7
They fined me, Tyr, exactly 25,000 Thrones."
"Enough of this nonsense." Dylan put his foot down. "How did you pay for the supplies?"
Harper looked at the ceiling and whistled.
"Tell me now, Mr Harper or you will never see another can of Sparky cola."
"He sold his story." Rommie could wait no longer.
"He did what?" Dylan's face was becoming dangerously purple.
"He told a holo magazine the sorry tale for 30,000 Thrones."
Beka sniggered. "Well done kiddo you made a profit."
"He has a copy under his pillow." Rommie blabbed. "Along with. some other things." She continued lamely.
8
The Andromda crew looked at one another, then rushed for Harper's quarters to view the flexie. Trance in the lead, showing a surprising turn of speed. She'd used her elbows on Tyr and Dylan to good effect. A red faced Harper pursued her.
The two large males lagged behind, they'd stuck in the doorway, both had tried to exit at the same time.
Beka stopped the AI from leaving. "Rommie, time for a little girl talk. How did Harper persuade you?"
Rommie lowered her eyes coyly. "It started when I wanted to experience something that organics do all the time."
9
At the door to Harper's quarters the engineer was trying to stop Trance from entering. "Rommie engage privacy mode, please." He was sweating profusely.
The holographic version of the ship's AI stood arms folded blocking his way. "Sorry Harper, I seem to have lost all auditory sensors, you were saying?"
With a gleeful shout Trance ran out of Harper's room brandishing the flexi.
Harper slammed and locked the door before Tyr and Dylan arrived.
Trance skipped past the Captain and the Nietzschean waving the magazine at them.
"Trust me you do not want to look under his pillow. Eeeeew gross."
10
Come on, Rommie, tell." Beka insisted.
"I wished to experience intoxication."
"You wanted to get drunk, you let Harper get you drunk?"
"It was a simple adjustment to my program."
"You got drunk and he talked you into entering the contest."
"Yes, until I sobered up and changed my mind. He gave me a hangover program, it was horrible."
Suddenly every viewscreen on the Andromeda activated. Each one showed a naked Harper strolling across a stage.
Beka stopped questioning Rommie and watched closely. The blonde pilot doubled over with laughter.
"That's an interesting place to get goose bumps," she wheezed.
Beka laughed uncontrollably when she heard Rommie's explanation.
"Stark naked?" She spluttered gleefully.
"Yeah, Boss. Naked." Harper was shamefaced. "Rom doll made me walk across the stage unclothed during the crowning ceremony. She wouldn't let me run."
Trance's eyes grew wide at the thought. "What happened next?" She asked breathlessly.
"They arrested me, O purple one. For public lewdness."
"That was after the laughter died down." Rommie added quietly.
Harper looked at the floor. "It was cold." He offered as an explanation. "I wasn't at my best."
"Tell me boy." Tyr was curious. "How did you get out of prison?"
7
They fined me, Tyr, exactly 25,000 Thrones."
"Enough of this nonsense." Dylan put his foot down. "How did you pay for the supplies?"
Harper looked at the ceiling and whistled.
"Tell me now, Mr Harper or you will never see another can of Sparky cola."
"He sold his story." Rommie could wait no longer.
"He did what?" Dylan's face was becoming dangerously purple.
"He told a holo magazine the sorry tale for 30,000 Thrones."
Beka sniggered. "Well done kiddo you made a profit."
"He has a copy under his pillow." Rommie blabbed. "Along with. some other things." She continued lamely.
8
The Andromda crew looked at one another, then rushed for Harper's quarters to view the flexie. Trance in the lead, showing a surprising turn of speed. She'd used her elbows on Tyr and Dylan to good effect. A red faced Harper pursued her.
The two large males lagged behind, they'd stuck in the doorway, both had tried to exit at the same time.
Beka stopped the AI from leaving. "Rommie, time for a little girl talk. How did Harper persuade you?"
Rommie lowered her eyes coyly. "It started when I wanted to experience something that organics do all the time."
9
At the door to Harper's quarters the engineer was trying to stop Trance from entering. "Rommie engage privacy mode, please." He was sweating profusely.
The holographic version of the ship's AI stood arms folded blocking his way. "Sorry Harper, I seem to have lost all auditory sensors, you were saying?"
With a gleeful shout Trance ran out of Harper's room brandishing the flexi.
Harper slammed and locked the door before Tyr and Dylan arrived.
Trance skipped past the Captain and the Nietzschean waving the magazine at them.
"Trust me you do not want to look under his pillow. Eeeeew gross."
10
Come on, Rommie, tell." Beka insisted.
"I wished to experience intoxication."
"You wanted to get drunk, you let Harper get you drunk?"
"It was a simple adjustment to my program."
"You got drunk and he talked you into entering the contest."
"Yes, until I sobered up and changed my mind. He gave me a hangover program, it was horrible."
Suddenly every viewscreen on the Andromeda activated. Each one showed a naked Harper strolling across a stage.
Beka stopped questioning Rommie and watched closely. The blonde pilot doubled over with laughter.
"That's an interesting place to get goose bumps," she wheezed.