Chapter nine: Harper's Private Lab

Gotta question for you two, you'll find it on my bio. Consider it very carefully. Yes, the characters from Secrets will be used, including Scarecrowmon and Sarabi, but it will take place AFTER Secrets. Include your answer in a review for this chapter.

Harper's best pickup line was to a girl named Lyra: "Y'know, back in the old days, 'lyra' meant harp and nobody plays the harp like The Harper!" LoL! But at the end of that episode, he's dialing her number and we hear, "Oh, who was that?" "No one, just some loser looking for Lyra again!"

Harper was a small human in his early- to mid-twenties. His hair was blond, eyes were blue, and he was a little trigger-happy, especially when it came to Magog, as they had recently burrowed into his abdominal cavity. He grew up on Earth, which caused him to grow up a little anti-social and a bit of a survivalist, as it was ruled by Neitzcheans and plagued by Magog.. He was also a bit of a chaser, even though he received less action then Rev Bem.

Not that he wasn't smart, either. The boy was a technical genius. Hand him a nuclear warhead and a coat hanger and he could make you a nova bomb. Still, though, he wasn't perfect.

He thought he was, but that was beside the point.

Harper held the copy of the schematic the "Digital Monster" had drawn. It was impossible. That kind of technology was *WAAAY* too advanced for 21st century Japan. They didn't even have stuff like that today! Oh, well, the incredibly handsome super-genius would have to improvise. Not that he fully believed the kids' story...

Sighing, he went back to smoothing out the metal with a gleaming silver rotary tool.

"Harper," Romm-doll called to him via shipwide intercom, "Are you sure you can duplicate this... being's technology?"

Andromeda. Now *she's* a hottie. Small, dark brown hair, dark skin, dark eyes, beautiful. Aggressive. Smart. Low tolerance for frustration. Just the way Harper liked 'em.

"No, but I can try."

"Harper?"

Harper rammed the rotary tool he was using into his finger. He cussed and tossed it aside. He glanced at the fingertip, drenched in blood but it was nothing.

"Yes?" he hissed in annoyance while sucking his wounded finger. He could work under pressure, just don't aggravate him if there aren't guns going off.

"Do you think these people really do come from a world where data can manifest itself in a physical form?"

"Rommie, my data port lets me come in there with you. *You* are data in a...well, you're not physical, but...Okay, you're a start."

"Maybe, but an entire world where things from inside it can come out and walk around amongst us?"

Harper pressed his lips together, sucked at his wounded finger, and searched around for a first aid kit. He couldn't find it through the mass of Sparky Cola cans, old machine parts, and ripped out pages of naughty magazines. So just how much of these kids' story was true? I mean, Trance can't read minds...can she? Wouldn't be surprised if she could.

Harper continued his search when a slight crash alerted his attention. Perhaps "slight" was not the correct term, because the small child the other kids had brought onboard, Scarecrowmon, was in a heap and trapped beneath a mound of junk. He was fighting his way free, but his red tattered cape was keeping him pinned. Harper immediately ran to his aid, grabbed the junk, and threw it off, letting the boy go free.

"You need to be careful in here, it's dangerous for children," he reprimanded.

Scarecrowmon gave him a look that said quite plainly, "I am not a child." He then pointed to Harper's bleeding finger.

"Oh, this?" Harper said and held it out. "It's no big deal."

The mage placed his fingers together in various rune-like signs that Harper couldn't remember if the Vedran Empress not only had four legs, but was also a hottie, and told him to. Harper watched as the cut sealed itself and left only a small scar.

"Cool. Really, really cool," he ruminated.

Scarecrowmon smiled, something he did with his eyes since they showed what that freaky-looking mouth of his could not.

"HEY!" Harper beamed, "That device you gave me the schematic for. It only translates random thoughts."

Harper looked at the mage's eyes. He had an uneasy look that said he'd probably feel what it's like when he read the minds of others.

"Here," Harper said brightly, "Lemme show you how to put it on."

Harper retreated to where he was working and pulled the tiny micro- microphone from its place in the junk. He returned and made a calm grab for Scarecrowmon's collar. The boy pulled back.

Harper eased, "'S okay. Trance told me what you got under there. I won't touch 'em and I won't try and remove 'em."

The scarecrow stood still while Harper fixed the earpiece over his ear and then handed him a battery compartment that doubled as a speaker..

"Testing...testing...one, two, three. In Xanadu did Kubla Khan...Tiger, tiger, burning bright, in the forest of the night...cool, really, really, cool," the redwine mage whispered through the battery box.

Harper scratched his head, "So what else can you show me how to make?"

The magic master just grinned and reached for a tool.

Wa'cha think, continue with that theme or not?