Part Five
"It feels good to be home"
Lane's voice woke Harper from his light doze. After pulling hard at the chains and breaking the skin on his wrist Harper had slowly fallen into a worried sleep. Harper bit his tongue and kept his eyes closed, hoping that he would wake up back on the Andromeda.
The next thing he felt however, instead of Trance shaking him awake, was Lane kicking his stomach.
"Get up professor. Your home"
The nickname Tyr had given him sounded cruel as Lane spoke it but it gave Harper a small sense of hope. The Andromeda was coming for him and he just had to wait.
Lane unlocked the chains holding his arms up and they dropped to the floor as they had gone numb hours before. Lane laughed as Harper winced and slowly moved his arms as the blood flow came back. Along with his arms his legs had also gone numb. When Harper didn't move Lane got annoyed.
"Get to your feet boy" He ordered sharply.
Harper glared upwards to the Neitzschen, only now getting feeling back into his arms.
"My butt's asleep okay?" Harper snapped, anger in his voice. He didn't know however if he was angry with Lane or angry with himself for letting himself get caught.
Lane gave him a look of mock sympathy and held his hand out to give Harper a hand. Harper hesitated, knowing it was a trick and suddenly the hand moved quicker toward him changing into a fist that connected with the humans jaw.
Harper bit back a scream as his check bone, teeth and even his eye socket exploded in pain. Before Lane could hit him again Harper forced himself to his knees and then onto his unsteady feet. By sear force of will he kept himself on his feet as pain shot up and down his legs.
"So you're sending me back down to the Boston ghetto?" Harper asked, partly worried but also hoping they would send him back. He might be able to find Brendan. Maybe he had survived the rebellion.
Lane laughed however. "You think we'd send you back down there? After you left once. No Seamus," Harper hated how he said his name, it made his skin crawl "you're coming back with me to one of the orbital habits"
Harper didn't comment, a memory, one of his earliest from Earth, suddenly came back to him.
FLASHBACK
"There's a floater coming"
Nine-year-old Seamus yelled at the top of his lungs as soon as he had seen the ominous shape against the grey sky. He ran through the ghetto towards his home, the small ruins that housed his mom, dad, aunt's, uncles and cousins. Dodging round people Seamus ran as fast as he could, forgetting about calling out a warning. Just wanting to get home. As he turned a corner the boy froze when he saw a familiar face in the crowd.
"Cathy, what are you doing out here?"
The seven-year-old looked up at her name being called and a grin spread over her face when she saw her cousin.
"Shany!" She said, excited. Her cousin hardly ever played recently, he was normally off with the older children, finding food. "Come and play with me. I found some cool junk"
Seamus shook his head "Cathy come on. There's a floater coming. We gotta warn the others."
Before the young girl could move over to Seamus someone on the street screamed as Neitzschen's came running. Hitting and shooting and grabbing whoever they could.
For a moment the two cousins stood frozen, watching as the Neitzschen's threw people onto the waiting floater. Seamus knew where they were taking them, up to the orbital habits above, filled with Dragans. Taking them to be slaves.
The shock wore of Seamus in a second and he shouted over to Cathy
"Run. We have to run"
She looked over at him, her face pale but she nodded and started to run and Seamus followed. They could hear the Neitzschen's behind them and Seamus ran faster, unaware that Cathy couldn't keep up.
Suddenly he heard her scream and skidded to a halt spinning round to see his cousin in the arms of a Neitzschen raider. Without thinking Seamus ran forward, yelling and cursing for them to let her go. The raiders simply laughed and one grabbed him too. Seamus kicked and yelled, all aware of Cathy shouting
"Shany help me, please help me"
The Neitzschen holding Seamus scowled and threw the young boy who landed in a heap amid piles of junk.
Screaming her cousin's name Cathy tried to get free herself, but was no match for the Neitzschen's. They held her tightly and threw her into the floater.
Seamus forced his eyes open but could only watch as the floater continued, searching for more slaves. Jumping to his feet in to the now empty street, Seamus Harper screamed and cursed, kicking the trash that lined the sidewalk. Asking the question no one could answer.
'Why her? Why not me?'
END OF FLASHBACK
"…that you have that data port you'll be even more useful"
Harper forced himself out of his past, blocking out her screams and focussed on Lane's voice.
Harper scowled but didn't comment. Before Lane could say anything else they heard a voice over the inter comm.
"We've docked at the base Lane."
"I'll be right there." Lane said "Just getting the cargo"
As he spoke Lane grabbed Harper by the scruff of his neck and forced him towards the door and down to the airlock. Lane didn't waste time a talked as they walked. Explaining to Harper what he would be doing for the rest of his life. Harper was dying to tell him that there was no way he was sticking around, that he was leaving as soon as the Andromeda came for him. But he wisely kept these to himself and listened to the Neitzschen droning on.
"I will escort you to the sleeping quarters. It's is night now. In the morning you will report to the machine shop and carry out any repairs and orders you are given. However if you try any sabotage you will be made an example of. Do I make myself clear?"
Harper offered a meek nod though he was already thinking of ways to escape.
Lane smiled what was meant to be intimidating but after spending a lot of time with Tyr, at his best and worse moments, Harper knew that not all Neitzschen's were intimidating anymore. And Harper refused to let Lane frighten him.
They reached a door and Harper was pushed through and heard it close sharply behind him. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darker room, after spending hours in that small room on that ship that was filled with bright light.
Harper could see that the room was full of other Earthlings, some were sleeping in groups on the floor, huddled together for heat. The clothes they wore were patched together from many other clothes and all were thin and pale. Harsh coughing could be heard along with a constant whisper as all eyes were turned in his direction.
A man, taller then Harper, came forward and Harper could see he looked quite a bit older.
"It's a sinking collaborator" He spat, staring at Harper's clothes and boots. Harper knew he would be able to see as well in the gloom as he could in the daytime.
"I'm not a collaborator" Harper argued hating that word. "I'm from the refuge camp from Boston. I've just been away for a few years, on a salvage ship"
Harper knew from experience that for his own survival he had to fit in with these people. Maybe even find someone he had known.
A group came forward studying him.
"We came from Boston," one said. "What's your name boy?"
Small relief filled Harper that there were people from Boston here in the room, and he just hoped some one knew him or his family.
"My names Seamus Zealzny Harper. I'm the son of Aidan and Dara Harper"
Harper forced his voice to keep steady as he said his parent's names. It had been so long since he had said them.
"Harper"
They all repeated the name staring at him and each other. One young girl in the group was staring at Harper with intense blue eyes.
Harper swallowed being under her gaze but something her eyes was tugging at his memory. While the rest of her group were whispering and glancing around at each other she stepped forwards.
"Seamus" she breathed so quietly that he hardly heard her. He however was watching her blue eyes, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.
She tried again speaking louder this time, a name spoken only in memory.
"Shany?"
Harper swallowed too stunned to speak afraid that if he spoke her name she would disappear from him again. But he had to make sure. Reaching out a gently hand he lightly touched her check
.
"Cathy?" He whispered no louder then she had been. However as soon as he said it her face broke out in a huge grin, one that had been in his memory for sixteen years ago. One that was so hard to find on Earth. One that he now able to match on his own face as he looked at his cousin.
Thousands of emotions played across the engineer's mind as he studied his cousin. They seven year old he had known had been replaced with this young woman. She looked a lot like Brendan, who was one year older, the dirty blond hair both cousins had received from their mothers. The piercing blue eyes that was able to sparkle with joy even in the worst times on Earth. The sparkle was back now as she stared at her cousin.
Harper swallowed down his emotions and pulled Cathy into a crushing hug and his grin widened when she let out a surprised squeal.
The other humans in the room saw the reaction and went back to there corners, accepting Harper.
When the cousins pulled apart Cathy had tears shiny in her eyes. Questions fell out of her mouth, the words falling over themselves as she asked.
"What happened to every one?" She started "My mom and dad? Brendan? Auntie Dara? Uncle Aidan?"
Harper swallowed, sadness in his eyes. He knew that she had been living on hope for the sixteen years that the rest of the family was still safe.
"My mom and dad were killed by the slavers" he started quietly holding her hand and they moved over to sit in a corner. Harper could see his sadness echoed in Cathy's eyes.
"Auntie Cassidy and Uncle Kieran both passed away a couple of years later" He continued "I left when I was 19 but I came back after I got a message from Brendan not that long ago."
Hope lit up in his cousin's eyes at the mention of her brother's name. Harper started to continue but the memory of his last glimpses of Brendan came back to him.
"It feels good to be home"
Lane's voice woke Harper from his light doze. After pulling hard at the chains and breaking the skin on his wrist Harper had slowly fallen into a worried sleep. Harper bit his tongue and kept his eyes closed, hoping that he would wake up back on the Andromeda.
The next thing he felt however, instead of Trance shaking him awake, was Lane kicking his stomach.
"Get up professor. Your home"
The nickname Tyr had given him sounded cruel as Lane spoke it but it gave Harper a small sense of hope. The Andromeda was coming for him and he just had to wait.
Lane unlocked the chains holding his arms up and they dropped to the floor as they had gone numb hours before. Lane laughed as Harper winced and slowly moved his arms as the blood flow came back. Along with his arms his legs had also gone numb. When Harper didn't move Lane got annoyed.
"Get to your feet boy" He ordered sharply.
Harper glared upwards to the Neitzschen, only now getting feeling back into his arms.
"My butt's asleep okay?" Harper snapped, anger in his voice. He didn't know however if he was angry with Lane or angry with himself for letting himself get caught.
Lane gave him a look of mock sympathy and held his hand out to give Harper a hand. Harper hesitated, knowing it was a trick and suddenly the hand moved quicker toward him changing into a fist that connected with the humans jaw.
Harper bit back a scream as his check bone, teeth and even his eye socket exploded in pain. Before Lane could hit him again Harper forced himself to his knees and then onto his unsteady feet. By sear force of will he kept himself on his feet as pain shot up and down his legs.
"So you're sending me back down to the Boston ghetto?" Harper asked, partly worried but also hoping they would send him back. He might be able to find Brendan. Maybe he had survived the rebellion.
Lane laughed however. "You think we'd send you back down there? After you left once. No Seamus," Harper hated how he said his name, it made his skin crawl "you're coming back with me to one of the orbital habits"
Harper didn't comment, a memory, one of his earliest from Earth, suddenly came back to him.
FLASHBACK
"There's a floater coming"
Nine-year-old Seamus yelled at the top of his lungs as soon as he had seen the ominous shape against the grey sky. He ran through the ghetto towards his home, the small ruins that housed his mom, dad, aunt's, uncles and cousins. Dodging round people Seamus ran as fast as he could, forgetting about calling out a warning. Just wanting to get home. As he turned a corner the boy froze when he saw a familiar face in the crowd.
"Cathy, what are you doing out here?"
The seven-year-old looked up at her name being called and a grin spread over her face when she saw her cousin.
"Shany!" She said, excited. Her cousin hardly ever played recently, he was normally off with the older children, finding food. "Come and play with me. I found some cool junk"
Seamus shook his head "Cathy come on. There's a floater coming. We gotta warn the others."
Before the young girl could move over to Seamus someone on the street screamed as Neitzschen's came running. Hitting and shooting and grabbing whoever they could.
For a moment the two cousins stood frozen, watching as the Neitzschen's threw people onto the waiting floater. Seamus knew where they were taking them, up to the orbital habits above, filled with Dragans. Taking them to be slaves.
The shock wore of Seamus in a second and he shouted over to Cathy
"Run. We have to run"
She looked over at him, her face pale but she nodded and started to run and Seamus followed. They could hear the Neitzschen's behind them and Seamus ran faster, unaware that Cathy couldn't keep up.
Suddenly he heard her scream and skidded to a halt spinning round to see his cousin in the arms of a Neitzschen raider. Without thinking Seamus ran forward, yelling and cursing for them to let her go. The raiders simply laughed and one grabbed him too. Seamus kicked and yelled, all aware of Cathy shouting
"Shany help me, please help me"
The Neitzschen holding Seamus scowled and threw the young boy who landed in a heap amid piles of junk.
Screaming her cousin's name Cathy tried to get free herself, but was no match for the Neitzschen's. They held her tightly and threw her into the floater.
Seamus forced his eyes open but could only watch as the floater continued, searching for more slaves. Jumping to his feet in to the now empty street, Seamus Harper screamed and cursed, kicking the trash that lined the sidewalk. Asking the question no one could answer.
'Why her? Why not me?'
END OF FLASHBACK
"…that you have that data port you'll be even more useful"
Harper forced himself out of his past, blocking out her screams and focussed on Lane's voice.
Harper scowled but didn't comment. Before Lane could say anything else they heard a voice over the inter comm.
"We've docked at the base Lane."
"I'll be right there." Lane said "Just getting the cargo"
As he spoke Lane grabbed Harper by the scruff of his neck and forced him towards the door and down to the airlock. Lane didn't waste time a talked as they walked. Explaining to Harper what he would be doing for the rest of his life. Harper was dying to tell him that there was no way he was sticking around, that he was leaving as soon as the Andromeda came for him. But he wisely kept these to himself and listened to the Neitzschen droning on.
"I will escort you to the sleeping quarters. It's is night now. In the morning you will report to the machine shop and carry out any repairs and orders you are given. However if you try any sabotage you will be made an example of. Do I make myself clear?"
Harper offered a meek nod though he was already thinking of ways to escape.
Lane smiled what was meant to be intimidating but after spending a lot of time with Tyr, at his best and worse moments, Harper knew that not all Neitzschen's were intimidating anymore. And Harper refused to let Lane frighten him.
They reached a door and Harper was pushed through and heard it close sharply behind him. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darker room, after spending hours in that small room on that ship that was filled with bright light.
Harper could see that the room was full of other Earthlings, some were sleeping in groups on the floor, huddled together for heat. The clothes they wore were patched together from many other clothes and all were thin and pale. Harsh coughing could be heard along with a constant whisper as all eyes were turned in his direction.
A man, taller then Harper, came forward and Harper could see he looked quite a bit older.
"It's a sinking collaborator" He spat, staring at Harper's clothes and boots. Harper knew he would be able to see as well in the gloom as he could in the daytime.
"I'm not a collaborator" Harper argued hating that word. "I'm from the refuge camp from Boston. I've just been away for a few years, on a salvage ship"
Harper knew from experience that for his own survival he had to fit in with these people. Maybe even find someone he had known.
A group came forward studying him.
"We came from Boston," one said. "What's your name boy?"
Small relief filled Harper that there were people from Boston here in the room, and he just hoped some one knew him or his family.
"My names Seamus Zealzny Harper. I'm the son of Aidan and Dara Harper"
Harper forced his voice to keep steady as he said his parent's names. It had been so long since he had said them.
"Harper"
They all repeated the name staring at him and each other. One young girl in the group was staring at Harper with intense blue eyes.
Harper swallowed being under her gaze but something her eyes was tugging at his memory. While the rest of her group were whispering and glancing around at each other she stepped forwards.
"Seamus" she breathed so quietly that he hardly heard her. He however was watching her blue eyes, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.
She tried again speaking louder this time, a name spoken only in memory.
"Shany?"
Harper swallowed too stunned to speak afraid that if he spoke her name she would disappear from him again. But he had to make sure. Reaching out a gently hand he lightly touched her check
.
"Cathy?" He whispered no louder then she had been. However as soon as he said it her face broke out in a huge grin, one that had been in his memory for sixteen years ago. One that was so hard to find on Earth. One that he now able to match on his own face as he looked at his cousin.
Thousands of emotions played across the engineer's mind as he studied his cousin. They seven year old he had known had been replaced with this young woman. She looked a lot like Brendan, who was one year older, the dirty blond hair both cousins had received from their mothers. The piercing blue eyes that was able to sparkle with joy even in the worst times on Earth. The sparkle was back now as she stared at her cousin.
Harper swallowed down his emotions and pulled Cathy into a crushing hug and his grin widened when she let out a surprised squeal.
The other humans in the room saw the reaction and went back to there corners, accepting Harper.
When the cousins pulled apart Cathy had tears shiny in her eyes. Questions fell out of her mouth, the words falling over themselves as she asked.
"What happened to every one?" She started "My mom and dad? Brendan? Auntie Dara? Uncle Aidan?"
Harper swallowed, sadness in his eyes. He knew that she had been living on hope for the sixteen years that the rest of the family was still safe.
"My mom and dad were killed by the slavers" he started quietly holding her hand and they moved over to sit in a corner. Harper could see his sadness echoed in Cathy's eyes.
"Auntie Cassidy and Uncle Kieran both passed away a couple of years later" He continued "I left when I was 19 but I came back after I got a message from Brendan not that long ago."
Hope lit up in his cousin's eyes at the mention of her brother's name. Harper started to continue but the memory of his last glimpses of Brendan came back to him.