Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda or its characters. I never have
and never will. Sigh.
A big "Thank you" to those of you who have posted reviews of
chapter 1.
Now, on to the next chapter.
Chapter 2
Inside the room Beka and Dylan searched for the Volpon Cup that Andromeda's sensors had indicated was located somewhere in the old building. Dylan tossed aside a piece of wooden beam that had fallen from the ceiling. The only thing there were some spiders the High Guard captain had disturbed.
"Nothing here but spiders," he announced.
"Oh great, more ugly creatures," Beka griped as she peered into a hole in the left wall.
Beka judged the hole to be just large enough for her to reach into it. Cautiously she put her right hand through the hole. Gingerly, the blond pilot felt around, half afraid of what she would find. After a few moments of feeling around in the hole, Beka's hand felt something smooth on the floor of the hole.
"Dylan, I think I may have found something." Beka called out.
Dylan made his way over to Beka and took up a position at her right side as he watched waited to see what the tall blond woman had found. Beka noticed the Andromeda's captain had a glint in his eyes, like a child waiting to open a present. She silently smiled at the thought, momentarily forgetting about any possible creatures in the hole. A few seconds later Beka pulled out her hand to reveal a CD. It wasn't in the best shape. It looked as if a creature or creatures had chewed a small piece of the edge off of the disk.
"It's not the Volpon Cup, but this looks promising," Dylan said as Beka handed the CD off to him.
"I don't suppose this means we can go back to the Andromeda now?" the blond asked.
Dylan shook his head and pocketed the disk.
"I didn't think so," Beka grumbled as she followed Dylan out of the room.
Back on the Andromeda Ascendant a short, thin human was working on the ship's plumbing.
"Why couldn't Dylan have let me go with him and Beka?" Seamus Zelazny Harper griped.
"Noooo. For the Great Dylan Hunt says, 'Harper I need you to stay on the Andromeda in case it needs repairing,' " Seamus Zelazny Harper intoned, impersonating Dylan's speaking style. "It's not fair," he whined.
Seamus Harper wasn't above whining, wheedling and complaining if it would get him his way. Right now though, nobody was listening to the engineer's whining. Harper was alone in an alcove, save for his tools. Fixing Andromeda's plumbing was not his favorite duty on Andromeda. Right now though, it was the most pressing duty. Until Harper found the reason for the poor drainage in Trance Gemini's quarters all running water had been shut off. Alone and working at a task he detested, Harper had time to let his resentment fester. Harper had complained to Dylan in the past that the captain would bring along just about anybody else except Harper when going on a mission. This hurt Harper's pride. Sure, Seamus Harper was small in stature, even by earth standards. But Seamus Harper had managed to survive the Nietzschean occupation and Magog invasions on earth. The engineer didn't consider himself, or anyone else, a wimp if they had managed to survive living on earth. Which is why Harper couldn't understand why Dylan didn't trust the engineer to go along
"It's not like I'm gonna break anything," Harper argued to himself.
The engineer turned plumber suddenly felt a presence behind where he sat and turned around, bumping his elbow on a pipe. "Ow! That smarts,"
Unfazed by the shorter man's pain, Tyr Anasazi folded his arms and silently watched Harper rub the throbbing elbow.
"Harper, how long until the plumbing is ready?" asked the dark- skinned Nietzschean.
"About an hour or so. Give or take," informed the earther as he grabbed a can of Sparky Cola resting on a nearby ledge.
"I advise you to make it quick Harper. The waterless cleanser is used up and I do not plan on keeping this grease on my hands all day," Tyr stated.
Harper took a second to examine Tyr and finally noticed the Nietszchean's hands were quite liberally coated with grease from working on one of the Nietzschean's prized weapons. Harper grinned at the sight. Normally Harper was the crewmember who looked like he lost a battle with Andromeda's inner workings. The young engineer wasn't exactly Mr. Clean at the moment either. His cargo pants were rife with spots and his shirt had a rip at the collar.
Harper took a swig of the cola and set it back down on the ledge before replying to Tyr. "I'm going as fast as I can but even a genius like yours truly can only go so fast."
The Nietzschean wasn't convinced by the earther's bluster. "Let me know the minute you are finished Harper."
"I promise you'll be the first to know," Harper assured the tall man.
The Nietzschean didn't respond to the short engineer's promise. Tyr knew it was Harper's idea of a joke. However, Tyr had made his point with Harper and felt satisfied that the repairs were coming along smoothly. Having accomplished his minor mission, Tyr turned and headed down the stairs.
Harper grabbed a nanowelder and returned to his seemingly thankless task.
"Nobody loves a genius," the engineer complained halfheartedly.
Even though he heard the remark, Tyr chose to ignore it. He had more important things to do than to spend all day responding to Harper's attempts at humor. Truth be told, Tyr didn't have time to converse with any of Andromeda's other crew members right now. The Nietzschean was late for his workout.
Tyr came to the bottom of the stairs just as Rommie, Andromeda's AI.
"Tyr, Dylan and Beka are about to arrive on the Eureka Maru," the android informed.
Without speaking, Tyr and Rommie made their way down another level to the ship's bridge. They joined Trance Gemini, who had arrived on the bridge moments earlier.
The golden skinned Trance keyed in a few numbers into the console in front of her and Dylan's face appeared on Andromeda's bridge screen.
"Did you find the Volpon Cup Dylan?" Rommie questioned.
"Unfortunately, no. Well, not in one piece anyway," The captain replied.
Odd, Rommie thought. Andromeda's sensors couldn't have been wrong about the Volpon Cup being in the former government building on Mantu.
It was then that Rommie noticed Dylan's face showed little sign of the disappointment she was sure her captain would be feeling right now.
"Not to worry. The trip wasn't a total loss," Dylan offered.
"You found something else,' Trance piped up as the corners of her mouth turned upwards, forming a slight smile.
Andromeda's captain returned Trance's smile with one of his own and replied, "You'll just have to wait until I get back to find out."
Chapter 2
Inside the room Beka and Dylan searched for the Volpon Cup that Andromeda's sensors had indicated was located somewhere in the old building. Dylan tossed aside a piece of wooden beam that had fallen from the ceiling. The only thing there were some spiders the High Guard captain had disturbed.
"Nothing here but spiders," he announced.
"Oh great, more ugly creatures," Beka griped as she peered into a hole in the left wall.
Beka judged the hole to be just large enough for her to reach into it. Cautiously she put her right hand through the hole. Gingerly, the blond pilot felt around, half afraid of what she would find. After a few moments of feeling around in the hole, Beka's hand felt something smooth on the floor of the hole.
"Dylan, I think I may have found something." Beka called out.
Dylan made his way over to Beka and took up a position at her right side as he watched waited to see what the tall blond woman had found. Beka noticed the Andromeda's captain had a glint in his eyes, like a child waiting to open a present. She silently smiled at the thought, momentarily forgetting about any possible creatures in the hole. A few seconds later Beka pulled out her hand to reveal a CD. It wasn't in the best shape. It looked as if a creature or creatures had chewed a small piece of the edge off of the disk.
"It's not the Volpon Cup, but this looks promising," Dylan said as Beka handed the CD off to him.
"I don't suppose this means we can go back to the Andromeda now?" the blond asked.
Dylan shook his head and pocketed the disk.
"I didn't think so," Beka grumbled as she followed Dylan out of the room.
Back on the Andromeda Ascendant a short, thin human was working on the ship's plumbing.
"Why couldn't Dylan have let me go with him and Beka?" Seamus Zelazny Harper griped.
"Noooo. For the Great Dylan Hunt says, 'Harper I need you to stay on the Andromeda in case it needs repairing,' " Seamus Zelazny Harper intoned, impersonating Dylan's speaking style. "It's not fair," he whined.
Seamus Harper wasn't above whining, wheedling and complaining if it would get him his way. Right now though, nobody was listening to the engineer's whining. Harper was alone in an alcove, save for his tools. Fixing Andromeda's plumbing was not his favorite duty on Andromeda. Right now though, it was the most pressing duty. Until Harper found the reason for the poor drainage in Trance Gemini's quarters all running water had been shut off. Alone and working at a task he detested, Harper had time to let his resentment fester. Harper had complained to Dylan in the past that the captain would bring along just about anybody else except Harper when going on a mission. This hurt Harper's pride. Sure, Seamus Harper was small in stature, even by earth standards. But Seamus Harper had managed to survive the Nietzschean occupation and Magog invasions on earth. The engineer didn't consider himself, or anyone else, a wimp if they had managed to survive living on earth. Which is why Harper couldn't understand why Dylan didn't trust the engineer to go along
"It's not like I'm gonna break anything," Harper argued to himself.
The engineer turned plumber suddenly felt a presence behind where he sat and turned around, bumping his elbow on a pipe. "Ow! That smarts,"
Unfazed by the shorter man's pain, Tyr Anasazi folded his arms and silently watched Harper rub the throbbing elbow.
"Harper, how long until the plumbing is ready?" asked the dark- skinned Nietzschean.
"About an hour or so. Give or take," informed the earther as he grabbed a can of Sparky Cola resting on a nearby ledge.
"I advise you to make it quick Harper. The waterless cleanser is used up and I do not plan on keeping this grease on my hands all day," Tyr stated.
Harper took a second to examine Tyr and finally noticed the Nietszchean's hands were quite liberally coated with grease from working on one of the Nietzschean's prized weapons. Harper grinned at the sight. Normally Harper was the crewmember who looked like he lost a battle with Andromeda's inner workings. The young engineer wasn't exactly Mr. Clean at the moment either. His cargo pants were rife with spots and his shirt had a rip at the collar.
Harper took a swig of the cola and set it back down on the ledge before replying to Tyr. "I'm going as fast as I can but even a genius like yours truly can only go so fast."
The Nietzschean wasn't convinced by the earther's bluster. "Let me know the minute you are finished Harper."
"I promise you'll be the first to know," Harper assured the tall man.
The Nietzschean didn't respond to the short engineer's promise. Tyr knew it was Harper's idea of a joke. However, Tyr had made his point with Harper and felt satisfied that the repairs were coming along smoothly. Having accomplished his minor mission, Tyr turned and headed down the stairs.
Harper grabbed a nanowelder and returned to his seemingly thankless task.
"Nobody loves a genius," the engineer complained halfheartedly.
Even though he heard the remark, Tyr chose to ignore it. He had more important things to do than to spend all day responding to Harper's attempts at humor. Truth be told, Tyr didn't have time to converse with any of Andromeda's other crew members right now. The Nietzschean was late for his workout.
Tyr came to the bottom of the stairs just as Rommie, Andromeda's AI.
"Tyr, Dylan and Beka are about to arrive on the Eureka Maru," the android informed.
Without speaking, Tyr and Rommie made their way down another level to the ship's bridge. They joined Trance Gemini, who had arrived on the bridge moments earlier.
The golden skinned Trance keyed in a few numbers into the console in front of her and Dylan's face appeared on Andromeda's bridge screen.
"Did you find the Volpon Cup Dylan?" Rommie questioned.
"Unfortunately, no. Well, not in one piece anyway," The captain replied.
Odd, Rommie thought. Andromeda's sensors couldn't have been wrong about the Volpon Cup being in the former government building on Mantu.
It was then that Rommie noticed Dylan's face showed little sign of the disappointment she was sure her captain would be feeling right now.
"Not to worry. The trip wasn't a total loss," Dylan offered.
"You found something else,' Trance piped up as the corners of her mouth turned upwards, forming a slight smile.
Andromeda's captain returned Trance's smile with one of his own and replied, "You'll just have to wait until I get back to find out."
