TITLE: Vengeance - Chapter Nine - Unspoken
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Andromeda series, I'm just borrowing.
NOTES: My grades were E for general studies (pretty good considering we were forced to take the subject and no-one went to a single lecture), C for English Language, B for Communication Studies and A for Film Studies. My first A in any exam! Anyhoo, here's chapter nine for ya. Only two more chapters to go, and I will post them together soon, cuz I'm just that nice.
CHAPTER NINE - Unspoken
"Ask no questions, hear no lies."
- Unknown
^~*~^
"Dylan, we will be in weapons range of Tierte Drift in a little under 45 minutes. What's your plan?" Tyr asked when Dylan entered Command.
"Turns out Rommie went nuts because Harper died." Dylan said bluntly.
Tyr replied by raising his eyebrows.
"Don't ask. Basically I'm going to try and tell Andromeda that he is still alive and lying in med-deck." Dylan explained.
"That's you plan?" Tyr asked, bemused.
"Have you got a better idea? No, let me guess, abandon ship and let the Ethereal destroy Andromeda. Sorry Tyr, it's not gonna happen." Dylan said, putting Tyr in his place. "Andromeda. Respond."
Andromeda did not appear on the viewscreen but Dylan knew she was listening, so he started anyway. "I know what the program controlling you is. It's a Vengeance program. You are being told to kill those responsible for Harper's death, but Harper is still alive." There was still no response. "Do you hear me? Harper is still alive, in med-deck, see for yourself!"
Andromeda did not materialize, but an image appeared of med-deck on one of the monitors. It was empty. Tyr and Dylan exchanged looks. Dylan immediately went for the comms to contact Harper but they weren't registering. Great. That was all they needed.
Trance arrived before Dylan had the chance to leave. "Trance," He greeted. "Harper is - "
"Awake, I know." Trance finished for him. "I went to check on him but he was gone."
"He's bound to head here, he knows this is where we'd be." Dylan concluded. "Any luck finding Rommie?"
Trance shook her head.
^~*~^
Rommie watched two of her targets silently and out of sight. They were going to Command where the others were located. With all the targets in the same place she could take them out with one swift command.
There was just one problem. An anomaly. A target who was giving off Seamus Harper's sensor signature. This was not possible. It was probably a trick by the others to stop her mission. She would have to deal with this man alone.
Rommie waited for her targets to arrive and prepared to strike.
^~*~^
"We figured that if we can show Andromeda you're not dead, she might stop what she's doing." Beka told Harper as they neared Command.
"It could work, but I have no idea how this happened in the first place."
"Yeah, who'd have thought Seamus Harper would make a mistake." Beka teased. Harper said nothing.
They finally reached Command, but what happened next was so fast it was over in an instant. Beka and Harper were walking through the doors, Beka first and Harper behind. Then Rommie came out of nowhere, grabbed Harper, shoved Beka into Command and the doors shut before anyone even knew what was going on.
"Harper!" Beka called out, but it was too late. The others in the room barely saw what happened. Beka clawed at the doors but they wouldn't open.
"Beka? What the hell just happened?" Dylan said.
"Rommie's got Harper."
In the brief silence that ensued, all that could be heard was the hissing sound from the air in the room being vacuumed.
^~*~^
The last thing Harper remembered was being pulled backwards violently, and then a sharp pain to the back of his head. He realised he was now in the Slipstream core. He recognised the loud echoing hum in the room, not to mention the uncomfortable metal grating beneath him. As he opened his eyes he realised Rommie was standing over him.
"Who are you?" She demanded.
"Rommie, it's me" Harper replied groggily.
"Identify yourself." Rommie repeated.
"Rommie, it's Harper."
"That isn't possible. The only reason I kept you alive is because you are somehow tricking my sensors, now explain how you did it."
"It's me Rommie, don't you recognise me?" Harper asked, then realised Rommie said she only kept *him* alive. Did that mean the others were.... "What have you done to the others?" He demanded.
Rommie did not reply for a moment. She wasn't sure why she should answer any of this man's questions, but she did anyway. She was compelled to by something inside her. "Command is being depressurised." She told him.
"What?! No you can't! They're your crew!" Harper begged.
"That is irrelevant."
"Look, I can tell you everything you need to know, just please, please don't kill the others."
^~*~^
"This is very, very bad." Beka commented as the air became thinner.
"Isn't there some kind of override for situations just like this one?" Trance asked Dylan, who was trying to get the door back open with Tyr's help.
"Yes, but Rommie's cut power to all the consoles and won't respond to vocal commands. I can't do anything." Dylan replied through gritted teeth as he strained to open the door. In truth he knew it was useless. The Command doors were designed to keep people in or out, and nothing could open them. But he tried anyway. He had to try, there were lives at stake, not just the people of Tierte Drift but Harper's life too, and he would be damned if he let anything happen because he couldn't get a stupid door open.
"Wait...I don't hear the hissing anymore...I think it stopped." Trance said.
"Maybe Harper got through to Rommie." Beka hoped. Surely Rommie would stop her rampage if she was faced with the undeniable evidence of Harper standing right in front of her.
"It's not over till it's over." Dylan replied, though he too desperately wanted the entire ordeal to end. "Maybe we can get the monitors to show us how Harper's doing."
^~*~^
Rommie didn't know why she was compelled to obey the target before her, but she stopped depressurising Command. It was vital she establish how this control was held, or her entire mission could be compromised.
"Tell me why you can influence me." She ordered.
"Because I created you." Harper returned. He got up slowly, to not seem threatening. "I'm Harper." He stated clearly.
"Every sensor tells me that you are. But it isn't possible....Seamus Harper is dead. You are alive, therefore you are not him." Rommie stated.
"Look, regardless of whether I am or not, you have to stop what you're doing Rommie. I know the Vengeance program is telling you to kill people, but it's malfunctioning. Can't you see that?"
"I can detect faulty programs. The Vengeance program works perfectly. We are nearing Tierte drift. I have to bring primary weapons online."
^~*~^
End of chapter nine
^~*~^