Disclaimer: Tribune Entertainment owns the characters of Andromeda. No
profit is being made.
** NOTE TO READERS ** I'm sorry this chapter took longer than I had intended, but my graduate school classes are pretty heavy this semester and I haven't had the time to dedicate to finishing this story for all of you. I still hope to have it finished in one or two more chapters, but with luck only one more chapter until completion - I'll try!
Thanks again for taking the time to read the story and leave your reviews and comments!
*********************************************************************
All Lies Lead to the Truth
By Dawn Nyberg
**********************************************************************
Harper stopped short of the OBS Deck's closed doors. Tyr put a hand on the young man's shoulder, "You can do this, Little Man."
"Yeah, easy for you to say. You're not the one having to do this."
"True. Now, go in."
Harper walked into the room still unsure what he was going to say. He saw Dylan off to the side leaning against the large window on the deck. He could see the anger in his eyes over hitting him earlier. Tyr walked over to stand on a nearby wall. Harper glanced toward Trance and she offered a reassuring smile and even Beka offered him a smile.
"Well, kiddo," Beka began. "We're all here. What's going on?"
Harper cleared his throat, "Uh," he began tentatively. "You all deserve an explanation and if I had enough guts I'd tell you each personally rather than like this, but the truth is I don't want to do this more than once."
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Beka's voice was concerned. Tyr spoke up.
"Let the boy speak, Beka."
"Sorry."
Harper looked at Tyr and slightly shook his head in doubt, but Tyr nodded at him and silently mouthed, "you can do this."
"It started on Arabus," Harper began. "After I was able to speak correctly again. My past sort of came visiting." Seamus looked into the eyes of everyone and he continued. "Someone called in a marker that was a few years old, but still active. I accepted the job."
Dylan stepped forward and interrupted him, "Accepted a job? You accepted to do a hit?" His eyes blazed at the young man. Harper nodded. "Tyr!" Dylan turned toward the Nietzschean. "And, you didn't stop him?"
"Don't blame him," Harper interrupted. "It wasn't his fault. He knew something was up, but he didn't know exactly what. And, I sorta drugged him, so, I could get out of the cabin."
"And," Dylan's voice was tense.
"I . . ."Harper felt his stomach begin to tighten. But, then he saw recognition pass over Dylan's face.
"Wait, I read a news Vid and killings were mentioned on Arabus. Human slavers and they were joined for a summit meeting of sorts, but they were all killed. It didn't even cross my mind," he stopped speaking and his eyes were wide as they fell on Harper. "It was you?"
"Yes." It was a small word, but it seemed to resonate in the room and he saw the stunned and shocked looks that crossed over Beka and Trance's faces. But, Dylan was harder to read. Harper was sure he saw rage and what looked like disappointment. "I couldn't come back to the Andromeda after that - not right away, but when I left - I . . ."
"When you left what?" Dylan raged.
"I went back to doing what I knew." Harper offered simply. "I did jobs that's all."
"That's all," Dylan advanced on Harper and stopped. Tyr remained silent, but it was difficult. "You're a hired killer, Harper. I could accept your past when I first heard of it, but to return to it when you didn't have to. You like it don't you?" Dylan fumed. Harper cast his eyes away from Dylan. "Answer the question!"
"I'm good at it." Harper offered in a matter of fact tone.
"Everyone out!" Dylan sounded off.
"What?" Beka said in disbelief.
"You heard me! Everyone out. I'd like to speak to Harper alone."
Seamus glanced worriedly at Tyr as everyone left, but himself and Captain Hunt. "Andromeda engage privacy mode." "Privacy engaged," Andromeda's disembodied voice answered over the Com.
There was a long silence where neither Dylan nor Harper spoke. Captain Hunt paced back and forth in front of Harper. Finally he stopped and walked to the window and looked out into space - his voice broke the lengthy silence. "Well, Mr. Harper, what do you propose I do with you?" He turned and looked at Seamus.
"I see only two options," Harper began. "Either you want me to leave the ship or you want me to stay."
"And, do you even care which option I end up choosing?" Dylan's tone was angry.
Harper felt himself getting irritated at Dylan's tone. "It's your ship Dylan. What do you want?"
"It's Captain Hunt," Dylan asserted to Harper.
"Look in case it's escaped you - I'm not Commonwealth military - none of us except for you and Rommie are. I don't have to follow the yes sir, no sir crap." Harper wasn't going to placate Dylan Hunt.
"Do you want to spend a few days on V-deck while I decide what to do with you?" Dylan yelled.
"Are you deaf or just stupid?" Harper mused in a matter of fact voice. "I'm not military and I'm not going to let you lock me up. You aren't the lord of all you survey."
"Oh, I supposed to let it slide that for a year you've been hopping all over the solar system killing people for money. You're a killer . . . a cold blooded killer."
Harper raised his voice. "Don't judge me you bastard! Who do you think you are? Yeah, I killed for money - so what! It's not like they're going to missed by anyone. In one year I managed to exterminate a good number of human slavers, and drug runners. It isn't like I was out killing women and children. I terminated scum - known scum. I didn't deem them scum Dylan! Society did and I was the one that was hired to remove them from society and if it made me some money - what of it?"
"Who are you? What happened to you?" Dylan raged. "Define 'a good number' Harper. How many people did you kill?"
"They weren't people Dylan. They were scum. They were people who prayed upon the weaker - they were people that sold their own kind to Nietzscheans for profit."
"How many? 50? 100?"
"Fine," Harper said in irritation. "230 give or take ten or so." "Give or take 10 or so! How can you trivialize lives as if they don't matter? Or is that it - they don't matter to you, so, if you forgot a few what's the difference right?"
"Go to Hell Dylan." Harper started to walk away toward the door and Dylan grabbed him.
"You're not leaving." Harper took a swing at Dylan and missed his jaw on purpose. There was a glint in his eye.
"Next time I won't miss. You don't want to do this. You haven't seen me pissed yet."
"No let's," Dylan answered as he stepped away and took on the defensive.
"You'll lose," Harper replied bluntly.
"I'm not too sure about that."
"I am. Shall we begin?"
*** Meanwhile in the corridor outside OBS deck ***
"I can't hear a thing, can you?" Beka turned to Tyr. He shook his head. "Maybe we should do something," she suggested.
Rommie interrupted them. "Dylan has engaged privacy mode. They can't be disturbed."
Beka studied Tyr for a minute. "He didn't get to tell us everything did he?"
"No."
"He was the hired hit for Gogi wasn't he?"
"Yes."
"And, you got his ass off the planet, didn't you?"
"What of it?" Tyr growled expecting some kind of judgment.
"Nothing," Beka offered. "Thanks for looking out for him."
Tyr nodded.
"I have a bad feeling about what's happening in there," Trance chimed in.
"Yeah, me too," Beka answered.
*** Meanwhile, back in OBS ***
Harper and Dylan circled one another. Dylan struck out first and Harper easily deflected his opponent's attempt to hit him. Hunt broke into aggressive martial art moves that Harper had never seen the man do before. "New tricks, huh?" He commented idly as he countered the moves with his own blocks and series of moves.
"You haven't seen anything yet," Dylan commented as a hit snuck through one of Harper's blocks. Seamus stepped back from Hunt. He never took his eyes off the man as he licked the blood from his lower lip.
"Not bad." Harper retaliated with a roundhouse kick that connected with Dylan's chest and knocked the man to the floor. "Get up." Harper taunted Hunt.
"You were lucky," Dylan said as he pulled himself up.
"No," Harper began. "You're lucky I pulled the kick before I made contact. If I hadn't you'd be dead."
"Hardly." Dylan went after Harper and both men grappled. They were matching each other's hand-to-hand combat moves. Dylan was surprised at the level of skill Harper was showing.
*** Outside - in the corridor ***
"What's happening in there?" Beka said in frustration.
Rommie decided to comment. " I detect accelerated heart rates - perspiration levels are elevated."
Tyr, Beka and Trance's eyes were wide and Tyr said what they all now realized. "They're fighting. Rommie you have to unlock the door."
"But . . ."
"No but, they'll kill each other before the other gives an inch."
"I have my orders."
*** OBS deck ***
Dylan and Harper were both bloody now. Dylan had a cut above his left eye on his forehead from a head butt from Harper and the young man's nose was bleeding from a hard right hook from the Andromeda's Captain. Seamus dropped low and did a sweep kick and knocked Dylan down. He approached Hunt to kick him, but Dylan grabbed the leg and threw him back. Harper's head connected with the floor and he lay still. Dylan sat watching him for a few seconds. "You expect me to fall for that trick," Dylan commented as he started to become disturbed at the young man's lack of movement. A full minute passed and Harper had not moved. Dylan spoke out to Andromeda. "Andromeda what is Harper's status?"
"Oxygen levels are dropping below 90%. My sensors detect a pulse, but he hasn't taken a breath in over a minute."
Dylan scrambled over to the young man. "Harper!" And just as he touched the young man's arm Harper's eyes snapped open and he grabbed Dylan and pinned him to the ground.
"I can hold my breath for a good two and half minutes. It adds a whole new level of believability to playing Possum." Dylan tried to counter the weight of Harper, but the young man merely countered in return and now had Dylan's neck in the crook of his arm. He applied pressure. "You feel that?" Harper asked. "There should be a rushing in your ears - that's because," he paused, "well, you know what it is. I've cutting off the blood to your brain and the tighter I squeeze," Harper increased the pressure, "well, you know what will happen in about two minutes give or take." Dylan fought, but Harper had a strong grip on the man. Harper glanced at the OBS deck door. With his free hand he pulled a hidden knife and with dead accuracy hit the control panel and shorted it. "We wouldn't want to be disturbed now would we," he said coldly. "That will keep them busy when they try to get in. Dylan fought against the grip, but his world was beginning to dim and he went to the darkness that enveloped him.
*** Ten minutes later ***
Dylan slowly woke up. His head ached and he knew why, but was oddly surprised to be feeling anything. He sat up and looked around and saw Harper sitting across the room staring back at him. "You didn't kill me, why?"
"Does it matter?" Harper replied as he dropped his eyes.
"It does to me," Dylan answered as he pushed himself to a knee to stand.
"You're not the enemy," Harper commented. "I can't do this anymore, Dylan. I'm sorry." The young man's eyes shifted to a gauss gun. He picked it up.
"Harper, wait," Dylan stepped forward. "You don't want to do this."
"Yes, I do. What do you care anyway?"
"I care," Dylan began. "Hey, remember when I thought I'd hurt you. I was going to try and help you. If I didn't care would I have gone over to help you?"
"You're a boy scout Dylan. It's not in your nature to let someone die if you think you were the indirect cause."
"Partly, I guess you're right about it not being in my nature, but you're wrong about why I wanted to help you. You're a part of my crew Harper. You're family. Yeah, I was pissed, but you're right I have no right to judge you."
"Family? I haven't had family since I was ten Dylan."
"You're wrong. I may not like what you've done with your time over the past year, but if I have to accept that baggage in order to have you around then so be it."
Harper looked at Dylan and he knew he was telling him the truth, but he wasn't sure it mattered. Harper turned the gauss gun toward his own chest. "I'm sorry, Dylan."
"Harper! Please!"
To be continued
** NOTE TO READERS ** I'm sorry this chapter took longer than I had intended, but my graduate school classes are pretty heavy this semester and I haven't had the time to dedicate to finishing this story for all of you. I still hope to have it finished in one or two more chapters, but with luck only one more chapter until completion - I'll try!
Thanks again for taking the time to read the story and leave your reviews and comments!
*********************************************************************
All Lies Lead to the Truth
By Dawn Nyberg
**********************************************************************
Harper stopped short of the OBS Deck's closed doors. Tyr put a hand on the young man's shoulder, "You can do this, Little Man."
"Yeah, easy for you to say. You're not the one having to do this."
"True. Now, go in."
Harper walked into the room still unsure what he was going to say. He saw Dylan off to the side leaning against the large window on the deck. He could see the anger in his eyes over hitting him earlier. Tyr walked over to stand on a nearby wall. Harper glanced toward Trance and she offered a reassuring smile and even Beka offered him a smile.
"Well, kiddo," Beka began. "We're all here. What's going on?"
Harper cleared his throat, "Uh," he began tentatively. "You all deserve an explanation and if I had enough guts I'd tell you each personally rather than like this, but the truth is I don't want to do this more than once."
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Beka's voice was concerned. Tyr spoke up.
"Let the boy speak, Beka."
"Sorry."
Harper looked at Tyr and slightly shook his head in doubt, but Tyr nodded at him and silently mouthed, "you can do this."
"It started on Arabus," Harper began. "After I was able to speak correctly again. My past sort of came visiting." Seamus looked into the eyes of everyone and he continued. "Someone called in a marker that was a few years old, but still active. I accepted the job."
Dylan stepped forward and interrupted him, "Accepted a job? You accepted to do a hit?" His eyes blazed at the young man. Harper nodded. "Tyr!" Dylan turned toward the Nietzschean. "And, you didn't stop him?"
"Don't blame him," Harper interrupted. "It wasn't his fault. He knew something was up, but he didn't know exactly what. And, I sorta drugged him, so, I could get out of the cabin."
"And," Dylan's voice was tense.
"I . . ."Harper felt his stomach begin to tighten. But, then he saw recognition pass over Dylan's face.
"Wait, I read a news Vid and killings were mentioned on Arabus. Human slavers and they were joined for a summit meeting of sorts, but they were all killed. It didn't even cross my mind," he stopped speaking and his eyes were wide as they fell on Harper. "It was you?"
"Yes." It was a small word, but it seemed to resonate in the room and he saw the stunned and shocked looks that crossed over Beka and Trance's faces. But, Dylan was harder to read. Harper was sure he saw rage and what looked like disappointment. "I couldn't come back to the Andromeda after that - not right away, but when I left - I . . ."
"When you left what?" Dylan raged.
"I went back to doing what I knew." Harper offered simply. "I did jobs that's all."
"That's all," Dylan advanced on Harper and stopped. Tyr remained silent, but it was difficult. "You're a hired killer, Harper. I could accept your past when I first heard of it, but to return to it when you didn't have to. You like it don't you?" Dylan fumed. Harper cast his eyes away from Dylan. "Answer the question!"
"I'm good at it." Harper offered in a matter of fact tone.
"Everyone out!" Dylan sounded off.
"What?" Beka said in disbelief.
"You heard me! Everyone out. I'd like to speak to Harper alone."
Seamus glanced worriedly at Tyr as everyone left, but himself and Captain Hunt. "Andromeda engage privacy mode." "Privacy engaged," Andromeda's disembodied voice answered over the Com.
There was a long silence where neither Dylan nor Harper spoke. Captain Hunt paced back and forth in front of Harper. Finally he stopped and walked to the window and looked out into space - his voice broke the lengthy silence. "Well, Mr. Harper, what do you propose I do with you?" He turned and looked at Seamus.
"I see only two options," Harper began. "Either you want me to leave the ship or you want me to stay."
"And, do you even care which option I end up choosing?" Dylan's tone was angry.
Harper felt himself getting irritated at Dylan's tone. "It's your ship Dylan. What do you want?"
"It's Captain Hunt," Dylan asserted to Harper.
"Look in case it's escaped you - I'm not Commonwealth military - none of us except for you and Rommie are. I don't have to follow the yes sir, no sir crap." Harper wasn't going to placate Dylan Hunt.
"Do you want to spend a few days on V-deck while I decide what to do with you?" Dylan yelled.
"Are you deaf or just stupid?" Harper mused in a matter of fact voice. "I'm not military and I'm not going to let you lock me up. You aren't the lord of all you survey."
"Oh, I supposed to let it slide that for a year you've been hopping all over the solar system killing people for money. You're a killer . . . a cold blooded killer."
Harper raised his voice. "Don't judge me you bastard! Who do you think you are? Yeah, I killed for money - so what! It's not like they're going to missed by anyone. In one year I managed to exterminate a good number of human slavers, and drug runners. It isn't like I was out killing women and children. I terminated scum - known scum. I didn't deem them scum Dylan! Society did and I was the one that was hired to remove them from society and if it made me some money - what of it?"
"Who are you? What happened to you?" Dylan raged. "Define 'a good number' Harper. How many people did you kill?"
"They weren't people Dylan. They were scum. They were people who prayed upon the weaker - they were people that sold their own kind to Nietzscheans for profit."
"How many? 50? 100?"
"Fine," Harper said in irritation. "230 give or take ten or so." "Give or take 10 or so! How can you trivialize lives as if they don't matter? Or is that it - they don't matter to you, so, if you forgot a few what's the difference right?"
"Go to Hell Dylan." Harper started to walk away toward the door and Dylan grabbed him.
"You're not leaving." Harper took a swing at Dylan and missed his jaw on purpose. There was a glint in his eye.
"Next time I won't miss. You don't want to do this. You haven't seen me pissed yet."
"No let's," Dylan answered as he stepped away and took on the defensive.
"You'll lose," Harper replied bluntly.
"I'm not too sure about that."
"I am. Shall we begin?"
*** Meanwhile in the corridor outside OBS deck ***
"I can't hear a thing, can you?" Beka turned to Tyr. He shook his head. "Maybe we should do something," she suggested.
Rommie interrupted them. "Dylan has engaged privacy mode. They can't be disturbed."
Beka studied Tyr for a minute. "He didn't get to tell us everything did he?"
"No."
"He was the hired hit for Gogi wasn't he?"
"Yes."
"And, you got his ass off the planet, didn't you?"
"What of it?" Tyr growled expecting some kind of judgment.
"Nothing," Beka offered. "Thanks for looking out for him."
Tyr nodded.
"I have a bad feeling about what's happening in there," Trance chimed in.
"Yeah, me too," Beka answered.
*** Meanwhile, back in OBS ***
Harper and Dylan circled one another. Dylan struck out first and Harper easily deflected his opponent's attempt to hit him. Hunt broke into aggressive martial art moves that Harper had never seen the man do before. "New tricks, huh?" He commented idly as he countered the moves with his own blocks and series of moves.
"You haven't seen anything yet," Dylan commented as a hit snuck through one of Harper's blocks. Seamus stepped back from Hunt. He never took his eyes off the man as he licked the blood from his lower lip.
"Not bad." Harper retaliated with a roundhouse kick that connected with Dylan's chest and knocked the man to the floor. "Get up." Harper taunted Hunt.
"You were lucky," Dylan said as he pulled himself up.
"No," Harper began. "You're lucky I pulled the kick before I made contact. If I hadn't you'd be dead."
"Hardly." Dylan went after Harper and both men grappled. They were matching each other's hand-to-hand combat moves. Dylan was surprised at the level of skill Harper was showing.
*** Outside - in the corridor ***
"What's happening in there?" Beka said in frustration.
Rommie decided to comment. " I detect accelerated heart rates - perspiration levels are elevated."
Tyr, Beka and Trance's eyes were wide and Tyr said what they all now realized. "They're fighting. Rommie you have to unlock the door."
"But . . ."
"No but, they'll kill each other before the other gives an inch."
"I have my orders."
*** OBS deck ***
Dylan and Harper were both bloody now. Dylan had a cut above his left eye on his forehead from a head butt from Harper and the young man's nose was bleeding from a hard right hook from the Andromeda's Captain. Seamus dropped low and did a sweep kick and knocked Dylan down. He approached Hunt to kick him, but Dylan grabbed the leg and threw him back. Harper's head connected with the floor and he lay still. Dylan sat watching him for a few seconds. "You expect me to fall for that trick," Dylan commented as he started to become disturbed at the young man's lack of movement. A full minute passed and Harper had not moved. Dylan spoke out to Andromeda. "Andromeda what is Harper's status?"
"Oxygen levels are dropping below 90%. My sensors detect a pulse, but he hasn't taken a breath in over a minute."
Dylan scrambled over to the young man. "Harper!" And just as he touched the young man's arm Harper's eyes snapped open and he grabbed Dylan and pinned him to the ground.
"I can hold my breath for a good two and half minutes. It adds a whole new level of believability to playing Possum." Dylan tried to counter the weight of Harper, but the young man merely countered in return and now had Dylan's neck in the crook of his arm. He applied pressure. "You feel that?" Harper asked. "There should be a rushing in your ears - that's because," he paused, "well, you know what it is. I've cutting off the blood to your brain and the tighter I squeeze," Harper increased the pressure, "well, you know what will happen in about two minutes give or take." Dylan fought, but Harper had a strong grip on the man. Harper glanced at the OBS deck door. With his free hand he pulled a hidden knife and with dead accuracy hit the control panel and shorted it. "We wouldn't want to be disturbed now would we," he said coldly. "That will keep them busy when they try to get in. Dylan fought against the grip, but his world was beginning to dim and he went to the darkness that enveloped him.
*** Ten minutes later ***
Dylan slowly woke up. His head ached and he knew why, but was oddly surprised to be feeling anything. He sat up and looked around and saw Harper sitting across the room staring back at him. "You didn't kill me, why?"
"Does it matter?" Harper replied as he dropped his eyes.
"It does to me," Dylan answered as he pushed himself to a knee to stand.
"You're not the enemy," Harper commented. "I can't do this anymore, Dylan. I'm sorry." The young man's eyes shifted to a gauss gun. He picked it up.
"Harper, wait," Dylan stepped forward. "You don't want to do this."
"Yes, I do. What do you care anyway?"
"I care," Dylan began. "Hey, remember when I thought I'd hurt you. I was going to try and help you. If I didn't care would I have gone over to help you?"
"You're a boy scout Dylan. It's not in your nature to let someone die if you think you were the indirect cause."
"Partly, I guess you're right about it not being in my nature, but you're wrong about why I wanted to help you. You're a part of my crew Harper. You're family. Yeah, I was pissed, but you're right I have no right to judge you."
"Family? I haven't had family since I was ten Dylan."
"You're wrong. I may not like what you've done with your time over the past year, but if I have to accept that baggage in order to have you around then so be it."
Harper looked at Dylan and he knew he was telling him the truth, but he wasn't sure it mattered. Harper turned the gauss gun toward his own chest. "I'm sorry, Dylan."
"Harper! Please!"
To be continued