Authors Notes: Heres part Two everybody, hope you like it.
As the Andromeda landed on Infinity Atoll Harper was almost skipping down to the airlock, surfboard in hand. Even if this lost souls thing turned out to be a complete loss he could still spend the next few days surfing and enjoying the beach.
Beka was waiting, dressed in a bikini and lightweight pants along with Trance who was dressed in the same manner, tail swinging happily behind her.
Harper sighed as he looked at Trance's slim form, her stunning body…he shock his head to focus and grinned at them.
"Greetings my beach babes. Are we ready to go?"
"Not quite" Beka said, "We're waiting for Dylan, Tyr and Rommie"
"What about Rev?" Harper asked, noticing the missing Magog.
"He said he was going to stay and meditate" Trance said
Harper nodded, disappointed and surprising himself. He, Seamus Harper, a mudfoot was best friends with a Magog. If his friends and cousins from Earth could know they'd think he was crazy. However Rev wasn't like any other Magog.
Just then Dylan, Tyr and Rommie came round the corner talking quietly and once Harper saw Rommie his thoughts about Rev and his friendship were forgotten. Having made the AI he had seen her body before but as she came round wearing a silver bikini and short silver shorts the sight took Harper's breath away. The AI didn't notice his expression and stood beside Trance, the three females making comments on each other's clothes. Harper grinned to himself as he stared first at Rommie and then at Trance. Beka noticed his look and poked him in the ribs muttering to him,
"Careful Seamus, you'll be drooling any second now."
Harper scowled at the captain and asked loudly, "So we ready to go now?
The crew all nodded and Harper stepped out of the airlock and into the sunshine of Infinity Atoll. Once on the sandy sidewalk Harper let his grin break through. Being born and raised on a planet he enjoyed being back in the sunlight with the wind and plant life. Behind him Beka looked green, muttering, "I hate planets". Dylan and Rommie were blinking in the sun, having never been to Infinity Atoll as a tourist hot spot.
"So where do we go first?" Dylan asked his crew smiling brightly.
Harper froze slightly. 'We? Uh oh!' "Pardon boss?" he asked instead.
"I said where do we want to go first," Dylan repeated not noticing Harper and Beka wince.
Harper, thinking fast said, "The idea of shore leave is to spend time away from each other."
Dylan raised an eyebrow, not quite convinced so Harper glanced quickly at Beka who added
"We never spent shore leave together on the Maru. You have to spend time apart so you don't go insane."
Dylan sighed "Okay, but we'll meet in the evening for dinner. About Eight o'clock."
Shouts of "Yeah", "Sure" and "You bet ya" reached the captain as the crew scattered. He grinned bemusedly and turned to Rommie,
"Shall we?"
Harper walked down the busy streets heading in the directions he had been given in the letter. A large building Harper hadn't seen before loomed in front of him and a banner read 'LSF In Here'
Harper took a breath, wondering briefly why he felt so nervous. He opened the large door and stood in a huge porch. Leaning his surfboard against the wall and looking around Harper wondered if he should continue through. The doors on the other side of the room opened, two figures stepping forward.
"Seamus, my name is Kamil" he said standing in front of him, "We are glad you could come"
As soon as he finished talking he pulled the engineer into a hug. Surprised Harper automatically hugged back, before he realised and dropped his arms quickly. Kamil didn't seem to notice and the female steeped up to him, her blond hair was also tied back off her face and she grinned.
"Welcome Seamus" she also stepped up to him and hugged him.
Harper grinned this time and enthusiastically hugged back, arms going round her slender form. As they ended the hug the young woman explained.
"My name is Ella, I'm to be your guide around the LSF centre"
"Err…thanks?"
Ella smiled warmly taking his hand, interlocking their fingers.
"Come on I'll show you around."
Leaving his surfboard Harper willingly followed Ella through the doors she and Kamil had come through.
They went through to a grand hall filled with people all in the same clothes that Kamil and Ella were wearing. They sat around in large groups, talking loudly and merging with other groups. Couples were hugging in greeting and Harper couldn't help raise an eyebrow. Most people barely shock hands anymore, even Beka and him hardly made contact.
"This is the main meeting place" Ella said happily "We can all met here and talk to other brothers and sisters, or there are private meeting places through those doors. I would show you them but Kamil's talk will start soon"
Harper nodded, trying to take in the site and Ella's words, his mind half focussed on their still interlocked fingers. Before the engineer could reply he heard his name through the crowd.
"Shay! Seamus is that you?"
Turning Harper came face to face with his old friend.
"Jamie!"
The young man jumped up to Harper, wearing the same shirt and grey trousers. The disarrayed hair Harper always remembered was sticking up as wildly as his own.
Jamie pulled his friend into a hug and Harper hugged back, questions playing across his mind. When they finished and Ella had hugged Jamie in greeting Harper asked,
"How did you get here? We thought you were dead."
Jamie grinned, "I stowed away on a cargo freighter. You?"
"I got a job on a salvage ship" Harper explained briefly, knowing the full story would take too long.
"You got a job?" Jamie asked in mock disbelief
"Engineer"
"Figures"
Harper tried to scowl at his old friend but he couldn't stop his grin. Ella squeezed both their arms excitedly "It's time for the speech"
Jamie smiled, "This should be great."
Ella took Harper's hand again and gently pulled him forward, smiling playfully.
He was led into another room filled with more people, and sea of light blue shirts and grey pants, but a few others dotted about were still in T-shirts and shorts. Kamil stood on top of a small stage and began to address everyone.
"My brothers and sisters…"
As the Andromeda landed on Infinity Atoll Harper was almost skipping down to the airlock, surfboard in hand. Even if this lost souls thing turned out to be a complete loss he could still spend the next few days surfing and enjoying the beach.
Beka was waiting, dressed in a bikini and lightweight pants along with Trance who was dressed in the same manner, tail swinging happily behind her.
Harper sighed as he looked at Trance's slim form, her stunning body…he shock his head to focus and grinned at them.
"Greetings my beach babes. Are we ready to go?"
"Not quite" Beka said, "We're waiting for Dylan, Tyr and Rommie"
"What about Rev?" Harper asked, noticing the missing Magog.
"He said he was going to stay and meditate" Trance said
Harper nodded, disappointed and surprising himself. He, Seamus Harper, a mudfoot was best friends with a Magog. If his friends and cousins from Earth could know they'd think he was crazy. However Rev wasn't like any other Magog.
Just then Dylan, Tyr and Rommie came round the corner talking quietly and once Harper saw Rommie his thoughts about Rev and his friendship were forgotten. Having made the AI he had seen her body before but as she came round wearing a silver bikini and short silver shorts the sight took Harper's breath away. The AI didn't notice his expression and stood beside Trance, the three females making comments on each other's clothes. Harper grinned to himself as he stared first at Rommie and then at Trance. Beka noticed his look and poked him in the ribs muttering to him,
"Careful Seamus, you'll be drooling any second now."
Harper scowled at the captain and asked loudly, "So we ready to go now?
The crew all nodded and Harper stepped out of the airlock and into the sunshine of Infinity Atoll. Once on the sandy sidewalk Harper let his grin break through. Being born and raised on a planet he enjoyed being back in the sunlight with the wind and plant life. Behind him Beka looked green, muttering, "I hate planets". Dylan and Rommie were blinking in the sun, having never been to Infinity Atoll as a tourist hot spot.
"So where do we go first?" Dylan asked his crew smiling brightly.
Harper froze slightly. 'We? Uh oh!' "Pardon boss?" he asked instead.
"I said where do we want to go first," Dylan repeated not noticing Harper and Beka wince.
Harper, thinking fast said, "The idea of shore leave is to spend time away from each other."
Dylan raised an eyebrow, not quite convinced so Harper glanced quickly at Beka who added
"We never spent shore leave together on the Maru. You have to spend time apart so you don't go insane."
Dylan sighed "Okay, but we'll meet in the evening for dinner. About Eight o'clock."
Shouts of "Yeah", "Sure" and "You bet ya" reached the captain as the crew scattered. He grinned bemusedly and turned to Rommie,
"Shall we?"
Harper walked down the busy streets heading in the directions he had been given in the letter. A large building Harper hadn't seen before loomed in front of him and a banner read 'LSF In Here'
Harper took a breath, wondering briefly why he felt so nervous. He opened the large door and stood in a huge porch. Leaning his surfboard against the wall and looking around Harper wondered if he should continue through. The doors on the other side of the room opened, two figures stepping forward.
"Seamus, my name is Kamil" he said standing in front of him, "We are glad you could come"
As soon as he finished talking he pulled the engineer into a hug. Surprised Harper automatically hugged back, before he realised and dropped his arms quickly. Kamil didn't seem to notice and the female steeped up to him, her blond hair was also tied back off her face and she grinned.
"Welcome Seamus" she also stepped up to him and hugged him.
Harper grinned this time and enthusiastically hugged back, arms going round her slender form. As they ended the hug the young woman explained.
"My name is Ella, I'm to be your guide around the LSF centre"
"Err…thanks?"
Ella smiled warmly taking his hand, interlocking their fingers.
"Come on I'll show you around."
Leaving his surfboard Harper willingly followed Ella through the doors she and Kamil had come through.
They went through to a grand hall filled with people all in the same clothes that Kamil and Ella were wearing. They sat around in large groups, talking loudly and merging with other groups. Couples were hugging in greeting and Harper couldn't help raise an eyebrow. Most people barely shock hands anymore, even Beka and him hardly made contact.
"This is the main meeting place" Ella said happily "We can all met here and talk to other brothers and sisters, or there are private meeting places through those doors. I would show you them but Kamil's talk will start soon"
Harper nodded, trying to take in the site and Ella's words, his mind half focussed on their still interlocked fingers. Before the engineer could reply he heard his name through the crowd.
"Shay! Seamus is that you?"
Turning Harper came face to face with his old friend.
"Jamie!"
The young man jumped up to Harper, wearing the same shirt and grey trousers. The disarrayed hair Harper always remembered was sticking up as wildly as his own.
Jamie pulled his friend into a hug and Harper hugged back, questions playing across his mind. When they finished and Ella had hugged Jamie in greeting Harper asked,
"How did you get here? We thought you were dead."
Jamie grinned, "I stowed away on a cargo freighter. You?"
"I got a job on a salvage ship" Harper explained briefly, knowing the full story would take too long.
"You got a job?" Jamie asked in mock disbelief
"Engineer"
"Figures"
Harper tried to scowl at his old friend but he couldn't stop his grin. Ella squeezed both their arms excitedly "It's time for the speech"
Jamie smiled, "This should be great."
Ella took Harper's hand again and gently pulled him forward, smiling playfully.
He was led into another room filled with more people, and sea of light blue shirts and grey pants, but a few others dotted about were still in T-shirts and shorts. Kamil stood on top of a small stage and began to address everyone.
"My brothers and sisters…"