+++++++++++++++
The two men sat there for a few minutes neither of them able to react.
Slowly, Harper got up. "I'll take her to her bunk." Bobby pulled his gun and aimed it at Harper. "No!' Harper turned towards Bobby menacingly. "Just exactly where the hell do you think I'm going to go!? We're dead in space! My best friend just died! You callus son of a .." "I said no. I don't believe either of you." "Wh-what?" "I think this is all some scam you and your Captain have cooked up. She would never leave you to die. This is all a trick!" Bobby grabbed Beka's wrist and searched for a pulse. He swore and let her arm fall limply to the ground. Then he grabbed for her neck. His searching was leaving red welts on her neck. Still nothing, he picked her up and started to shake her. "Bobby, no .stop! You're hurting her." "If she's dead moron then I can't hurt her." "Still.don't. Please." Harper pleaded. Bobby stopped and looked at the younger man's face. Never once had Harper showed his throat in submission to Bobby. Why now? He let Beka's limp body fall heavily on to the grating. Harper winced at the noise. Bobby stepped over to him. Harper looked up. Damn this guy really was a tree wasn't he? Bobby studied him for a moment then raised his arm and backhanded him. Harper stumbled then fell to his knee's. Pain lanced through his body. It was like getting hit by a meteor. He had no reserves or will to fight back. Bobby seemed to study him again. Harper wiped the blood from his face with the back of his sleeve and met his glare. "What is it with you two?" Bobby started to rant. "She kicked me off the ship for you. Damnit! Right from the beginning she wanted to protect you. after we picked up the supplies from earth I wanted to just dump you. But, she gave me that look.I would have done anything for her. Now . She killed herself so this ship would be useless . but did she really think I would just let you go? You are both fools. I do not what you see in each other but you deserve each other. Idiot's both!" Harper stood on shaky legs. "Beka dumped you because you lied to her. You were nothing but a bum and she knew it. You were nothing to her." If Bobby could have shot lighting from his eyes he would have. He grabbed Harper by the back of the neck and pushed him down the hall. Harper struggled but to no avail. Bobby threw open the supply closet door and pushed Harper in. He grabbed Harper's good hand and some sealant tape. Before he could even blink Bobby had taped Harper's arm to a pipe over his head. Harper had to stand on his tiptoes as not to pull his own arm out of his socket. Bobby gave him a vicious glare then as he grabbed Harper's other arm. Harper swallowed a scream as Bobby taped his injured arm over his head as well. Sweat poured down his forehead and over his closed eyes. He took deep breaths through his noise to control the pain. When he managed to open his eyes again Bobby was gone and he was alone in darkness.
His reprieve was short though. Seconds later the closet door flung open again. Bobby dumped Beka's body unceremoniously on the floor. "Like I said you deserve each other." He slammed the door and was gone. The darkness was impenetrable. With the cold creeping to his bloodless fingers he could only think of one thing. "Beka? Beka, are you alive?" Nothing. A leaky pipe dripped somewhere quietly. He'd have to fix that Harper shook his head...the pain and the encroaching cold were getting to him. Maybe the air was already getting thin. Maybe she was really dead. Maybe he really was alone. No, this was ridiculous. on earth he wouldn't have give up this easy. There was no way he was going to let that bastard Bobby win! He, Seamus Zelazny Harper, was a survivor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Using the tape and his arms for leverage he swung his legs up and over his head. He hooked his bare feet around the pipe he was tied to and flipped himself up. His shoulder throbbed mercilessly.
He was now sitting on the pipe with his hands between his legs. Harper grinned to himself for a moment and imagined what it must look like.
"Mind out of the gutter." He whispered. "I got work to do." He shimmed to the side till he found a bracket that held the pipe in place. He began to saw back and forth on the dull edge. After a few minutes his wrists were raw but he felt the tape starting to give. +++++++++++++++++++++
Bobby banged around the cockpit. There had to be an answer here somewhere. A backup battery that he could hook up the life supports to. Or. better yet an extra way to draw enough power to launch the escape pod. But damn! He didn't want to leave the ship behind. It was piece a crap but Beka had a good reputation and it was excellent camouflage for what he had planned.
He really hadn't wanted her dead. Sure he wanted to piss her off but.. How could she do this to him? And, that creepy little mudfoot ruined everything. Now, that was someone who he would like to see dead. But, he needed the urchin. If he couldn't find the back up power source. he started sorting through junk again.
Hello what was this? He smiled to himself as the memories rushed forth. He held an old bottle of champagne in his hand. Beka had bought this with him when they first started going together. He rolled it over in his hand feeling the grittiness of the dust on his fingertips. They were going to drink when they hit the big time...the big score. He couldn't believe she kept it. Then he remembered the look on her face as she hit that button on the injector. as she crumpled to the floor dead. Did she really not love him anymore? Now she was dead.She wouldn't need it now. He smashed the cork off on a near by panel and took a long drink. He let out a long breath and watched frost create a little puff of smoke in front of his nose. If he didn't find away to get this ship operational soon he would make the boy tell him. that brat knew more then he cared to admit. Harper might be his only key to getting off this barge.
Bobby cursed the darkness and got back to work.
Slowly, Harper got up. "I'll take her to her bunk." Bobby pulled his gun and aimed it at Harper. "No!' Harper turned towards Bobby menacingly. "Just exactly where the hell do you think I'm going to go!? We're dead in space! My best friend just died! You callus son of a .." "I said no. I don't believe either of you." "Wh-what?" "I think this is all some scam you and your Captain have cooked up. She would never leave you to die. This is all a trick!" Bobby grabbed Beka's wrist and searched for a pulse. He swore and let her arm fall limply to the ground. Then he grabbed for her neck. His searching was leaving red welts on her neck. Still nothing, he picked her up and started to shake her. "Bobby, no .stop! You're hurting her." "If she's dead moron then I can't hurt her." "Still.don't. Please." Harper pleaded. Bobby stopped and looked at the younger man's face. Never once had Harper showed his throat in submission to Bobby. Why now? He let Beka's limp body fall heavily on to the grating. Harper winced at the noise. Bobby stepped over to him. Harper looked up. Damn this guy really was a tree wasn't he? Bobby studied him for a moment then raised his arm and backhanded him. Harper stumbled then fell to his knee's. Pain lanced through his body. It was like getting hit by a meteor. He had no reserves or will to fight back. Bobby seemed to study him again. Harper wiped the blood from his face with the back of his sleeve and met his glare. "What is it with you two?" Bobby started to rant. "She kicked me off the ship for you. Damnit! Right from the beginning she wanted to protect you. after we picked up the supplies from earth I wanted to just dump you. But, she gave me that look.I would have done anything for her. Now . She killed herself so this ship would be useless . but did she really think I would just let you go? You are both fools. I do not what you see in each other but you deserve each other. Idiot's both!" Harper stood on shaky legs. "Beka dumped you because you lied to her. You were nothing but a bum and she knew it. You were nothing to her." If Bobby could have shot lighting from his eyes he would have. He grabbed Harper by the back of the neck and pushed him down the hall. Harper struggled but to no avail. Bobby threw open the supply closet door and pushed Harper in. He grabbed Harper's good hand and some sealant tape. Before he could even blink Bobby had taped Harper's arm to a pipe over his head. Harper had to stand on his tiptoes as not to pull his own arm out of his socket. Bobby gave him a vicious glare then as he grabbed Harper's other arm. Harper swallowed a scream as Bobby taped his injured arm over his head as well. Sweat poured down his forehead and over his closed eyes. He took deep breaths through his noise to control the pain. When he managed to open his eyes again Bobby was gone and he was alone in darkness.
His reprieve was short though. Seconds later the closet door flung open again. Bobby dumped Beka's body unceremoniously on the floor. "Like I said you deserve each other." He slammed the door and was gone. The darkness was impenetrable. With the cold creeping to his bloodless fingers he could only think of one thing. "Beka? Beka, are you alive?" Nothing. A leaky pipe dripped somewhere quietly. He'd have to fix that Harper shook his head...the pain and the encroaching cold were getting to him. Maybe the air was already getting thin. Maybe she was really dead. Maybe he really was alone. No, this was ridiculous. on earth he wouldn't have give up this easy. There was no way he was going to let that bastard Bobby win! He, Seamus Zelazny Harper, was a survivor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Using the tape and his arms for leverage he swung his legs up and over his head. He hooked his bare feet around the pipe he was tied to and flipped himself up. His shoulder throbbed mercilessly.
He was now sitting on the pipe with his hands between his legs. Harper grinned to himself for a moment and imagined what it must look like.
"Mind out of the gutter." He whispered. "I got work to do." He shimmed to the side till he found a bracket that held the pipe in place. He began to saw back and forth on the dull edge. After a few minutes his wrists were raw but he felt the tape starting to give. +++++++++++++++++++++
Bobby banged around the cockpit. There had to be an answer here somewhere. A backup battery that he could hook up the life supports to. Or. better yet an extra way to draw enough power to launch the escape pod. But damn! He didn't want to leave the ship behind. It was piece a crap but Beka had a good reputation and it was excellent camouflage for what he had planned.
He really hadn't wanted her dead. Sure he wanted to piss her off but.. How could she do this to him? And, that creepy little mudfoot ruined everything. Now, that was someone who he would like to see dead. But, he needed the urchin. If he couldn't find the back up power source. he started sorting through junk again.
Hello what was this? He smiled to himself as the memories rushed forth. He held an old bottle of champagne in his hand. Beka had bought this with him when they first started going together. He rolled it over in his hand feeling the grittiness of the dust on his fingertips. They were going to drink when they hit the big time...the big score. He couldn't believe she kept it. Then he remembered the look on her face as she hit that button on the injector. as she crumpled to the floor dead. Did she really not love him anymore? Now she was dead.She wouldn't need it now. He smashed the cork off on a near by panel and took a long drink. He let out a long breath and watched frost create a little puff of smoke in front of his nose. If he didn't find away to get this ship operational soon he would make the boy tell him. that brat knew more then he cared to admit. Harper might be his only key to getting off this barge.
Bobby cursed the darkness and got back to work.