"It has been said that 'hope is a good thing, maybe the best thing and good things never die'. But that doesn't mean it can't be killed. Something immortal may live forever but if you stab it through the heart or push it off a cliff it will be just as dead as you or I. Hope is like a fire burning, it can be put out but it can also be rekindled after its been long dead. All you need is a spark and that is found in every person, everywhere so that even in the midst of despair, even on the brink of war, there is hope."
***
Harper was crouching in the corner of his cell. He'd given up hope of Dylan coming to his rescue. He'd never had hope of rescue in the first place. Other people didn't help people like him, he was just there to provide a service, whatever that happened to be.
He didn't bother looking up when the guard entered the cell. He stood up like he had always done. Hands by his side, head down. So passive, but inside he was terrified. He prayed, but what use was prayer, you could pray for peace every day and it might never happen. Not because your prayer wasn't answered but because it just wasn't the answer you wanted. There was no such thing as an unanswered prayer.
"Welcome home kludge, what is it you humans say.... the lost sheep has been returned to the flock. And the shepherd isn't going to let you wander off again."
The first punch hit him in the stomach. The second his head and after that he lost count. He heard the sickening crack of his ribs, felt the pain when his arm snapped and mercifully felt the darkness when he lost consciousness.
***
A month later....
On this backwater drift the slave trade was very prosperous. The Nietzcheans were good suppliers of slaves and both Nietzcheans and humans were good purchasers. So this particular slave trader was not surprised at the arrival of a Nietzchean into his 'office'
"I wish to purchase a slave." He spoke directly, to the point and with an attitude of disinterest which was common in Nietzcheans.
The trader smiled accommodatingly. "Of course, for what purpose?"
The Nietzchean replied bluntly and to the point once more.
"I need a mechanic, human, male, young- under twenty five."
The man got hurriedly to his feet. "Of course, right this way and I'll show you some suitable candidates."
***
Harper was barely able to sit up. All his energy was on staying conscious. He was supposed to be fixing this circuit but his hands were unsteady and kept slipping. Any minute now one of the overseers was going to notice his lack of progress.
He was so absorbed he didn't even notice the door open and the trader showing the Nietzchean around. He was concentrating so hard on just fixing the circuit that everything else around him had become irrelevant, background noise. The voice beside him shook him out of his reverie and he almost dropped the circuit.
"What about this one?"
"He's a mechanic, originally from Earth. Approximately twenty years of age. Perhaps you would care to look at one in better condition. This one is cheap but he is not expected to last very long."
The trader tried to encourage him further round the shop. The Nietzchean appeared to study him for some time. Harper tried to continue his work but his hands wouldn't do what they were told. He felt like crying in frustration.
"I'll take him." The Nietzcheans tone was so certain, so definite that the trader didn't even try to argue. The trader named a figure slightly hire than the actual. The Nietzchean pressed a button on his wrist pad.
He turned to face the trader. "I'll said I'll take him. I said nothing about paying."
The trader was about to reach for his gun but a voice behind him stopped him.
"I would not do that if I were you." The voice was gravelly and threatening.
He turned his head slightly to view the person. It took his mind a few seconds to process that there was a Magog standing in front of him.
"Take him, whatever you want!! Just leave, please!"
The Nietzchean turned his attention to the boy, he was in a bad state and looked ready to pass out. He simply picked him up and slung him as gently as possible over his shoulder. When the body went limp he knew that he had passed out.
He and the Magog walked out, a very strange sight to the other stationers. A Magog and a Nietzchean with a human slung over his shoulder.
***
Tyr placed Harper's limp body on the bed. "Can we keep him sedated until he return to the Andromeda?"
Rev Bem shook his head. "I need to treaty his injuries and it would be unwise to sedate him and give him painkillers. Especially because of what Trance told us of his immune system."
"It would be better if Beka or Trance were here."
Rev nodded wisely. "But we thought there was only a small chance of him being here which is why we came and they went to conduct negotiations with the Perseids. After a month we had almost given up hope of finding Harper. But these things generally happen when one least expects it."
Tyr did not look impressed with Rev's little bit of philosophy. He looked down at Harper and back to Rev.
"Which of us should be here when he wakes?"
Rev seemed uncertain about that question but Tyr was not pleased that there was a limit to his apparently infinite wisdom.
"Perhaps you would be the better candidate. Harper is more familiar with Nietzcheans at least and he will not be immediately in fear of his life."
Tyr didn't like it but he saw the wisdom in that. "And perhaps", Rev continued, "When you have him calmed you could inform me and I will treat any of the slightly less serious injuries that I have not already treated."
Rev treated the serious wounds and left, leaving Tyr in the room with the unconscious Harper.
***
Harper woke slowly, groggily. He didn't remember what had happened, everything had been a blur since the Nietzcheans had recaptured him.
He was lying on some kind of bed, there was a blanket over him. A blanket? That was strange. He hurt, all of him, but not as badly as he expected. Maybe he'd passed out from exhaustion and not a beating. He debated whether to open his eyes or not.
"You're awake."
The statement came from somewhere beside him and he inwardly jumped. He opened his eyes immediately and was on his feet in an instant, hands by his side, eyes down.
Tyr had a problem. Well, he had quite a few problems but the most immediate one was the boy standing in front of him.
"Sit down." He said this quietly in an even voice, hoping the young man would listen. He didn't move but stood very still.
"Did you not hear me? I asked you to sit down, you have numerous injuries and are not fit to be up."
At the hint of impatience in the Nietzcheans voice, Harper sat down. He tried to keep himself from trembling but it didn't do any good. A glass of water was handed to him, he tried to lift it to his mouth but his hands were too shaky. A hand reached out and steadied the glass, helping him drink.
Unintentionally his eyes met the Nietzcheans. They looked familiar but he didn't know why. He took back the glass and Harper transfixed his gaze on his hands.
"Do you remember Beka Valentine?"
Harper sighed inwardly. He'd been through this hundreds of times with the Dragans before they were satisfied that he knew nothing of value.
"Yes, sir." Harper was trying to guess the next question.
"Good. She is a friend of mine and she asked me to collect you and bring you to her, back to the Andromeda. We're on our way now."
When he heard this Harper was surprised. He forgot to look at his hands and stared openly at the Nietzchean. He now recalled where he recognised him from. He'd been on the Andromeda.
It was a trick. It was all just a trick. Someone trying to find out if he really knew anything about the Andromeda, trying to torture him with thoughts of safety. Well, he wasn't going to fall for it. He looked back down at his hands trying to fight the spark of hope that threatened to ignite inside him.
Tyr reached over to Harper face to get the boy to look at him again. Harper immediately jerked away from the touch and frantically pressed himself closer to the wall.
Tyr held both his hands out trying to show that he meant no harm.
"I have no intention of harming you. I promised Beka that I would bring you home unharmed and I intend to do just that. She also told me to tell you that her hair is now red until you return."
At this Harper gave up fighting and began to hope. He had never told anyone about Beka's hair colour changing. So maybe, just maybe, he was telling the truth.
"Do you remember who Rev Bem was?" Tyr continued to ask questions trying to keep the boy calm and to jog his memory of the Andromeda. People in slavery often forgot things.
"Magog.." Harper voice was barely above a whisper. He recalled what Trance had said about Rev Bem. "....and a Wayist."
"That's right. He is a Wayist monk and a good person. We've been looking for you for the last month and we are very glad to have found you. Dylan believes that you are a very important part of his crew. He will be very glad to have you back and Trance has been very worried about you. Every time your name was mentioned her tail curled up."
Harper smiled at the image of the purple girl's tail curling. Tyr was smiling too. Harper was beginning to think that maybe he wasn't that bad for a Nietzchean. Dylan had liked him and Beka trusted him.
"Rev Bem wishes to treat the rest of your more serious injuries when you are ready."
Harper shook his head and backed away from Tyr once again. The Nietzchean was trying to be patient but his patience was wearing thin.
"Harper, he does not mean you any harm. He is a Wayist monk and has better medical knowledge than I do. Please let him treat your injuries."
Harper nodded slightly in consent. Tyr left to find Rev and Harper sat trembling trying to keep himself calm. He was trying to change the litany in his head from Magog to Wayist. He knew the two words didn't really belong together.
The door opened. Harper tried to recall that he was supposed to breath.
"Hello Harper, how are you feeling?" Harper didn't reply he just sat still concentrating on each breath.
"I need to treat some of your injuries. Is that alright Harper?"
He nodded slightly. He might as well get this over with.
Rev Bem was finished after a few minutes. He hadn't expected a better reaction than what he got but he was satisfied that by the time he was finished bandaging Harper's injuries the young man had stopped flinching at every touch. Harper would eventually become accustomed to him but it would take time.
***
"They found him, they found Harper!" Rommie announced this as her hologram appeared on the observation deck.
Beka hugged Dylan and thanked whatever god was in their favour. Dylan smiled for the first time in a while and Trance almost jumped with joy. Harper was safe.
They had all felt obligated to find him since they had been the ones to give him his freedom and then send him right back into hell.
To tell the truth Trance had missed him as a friend too. He was funny, clever and kind when you got to know him and Trance had missed his company.
They all headed down to the Docking bay to see him. Tyr was helping him out and Rev was following behind.
Dylan put his hand on Harper's shoulder and tried not notice when Harper shied away. "It's good to have you back Harper!"
Beka greeted him next. She smiled at him and changed her hair colour back to blond. "It's nice to see you again Harper."
Rommie was standing back slightly but she was also smiling at Harper. Her creator had returned and it was a reason to be pleased.
Trance was the last to greet him. She threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. He was so surprised that he forgot to be afraid. "I missed you and we were all so worried. We never gave up on finding you!"
Harper smiled slightly at this. He hadn't seen someone so delighted to see him in a long time. And he was beginning to think that having hope wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Trance was content now. She knew there were many hurdles ahead but everything was as it should be, all the pieces were there, she just needed to make sure that the puzzle was put together properly. She knew Harper had a lot to face before he would be okay with who and what he was now. But they'd be there to help him through.
They were all happy. Dylan had a crew, Beka had a purpose bigger than her own life, Tyr had something that he seemed okay with, Rev was helping people, Trance's future didn't look so bad anymore and Harper had his freedom.
At times like these you understood why life was worth living, for the good times and the bad. You only appreciated the good times when you had lived through the bad.
***
The quote in my quote the '' words come from the 'Shawshank Redemption'
A/N: This may possibly be the last full chapter. I haven't decided whether to continue this story or to end it with a small tag scene. Thanks again to anyone who has reviewed this story, it's been a great experience to write this. It may or may not be over yet but you'll know soon enough! Happy St. Patricks Day! La fheile Padraig!
