Title: The Worst That Can Happen.
By: Brit
Status: WIP
Rating: R - Language and Violence
Pairings: None. All characters participate
Spoilers: Minor ones.
Summary: My entry for ZS's challenge, challenge.
'Harper is extremely traumatised after an encounter of some sort while interfaced deep into Andromeda. He can't tell anyone what happened. Things start to go wrong on the ship, and there's nothing the AI can do about it. Who put this in her core, when and why? Apologies, I deleted the original e-mail about this so I'm not sure whose challenge it is, let me know and I will acknowledge you.
Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda or her crew. I do not make any money from my writing.
Seamus Harper sat huddled in a corner of Machine Shop 17. Privacy mode was engaged but he wasn't sure how effective it was any more. He'd just had the most frightening experience of his life. What had just happened to him was scarier than any Dragan attack, far worse even than the Magog infestation. After all he'd survived those, he didn't think he'd survive this.
He looked round, swivelling his eyes from side to side. He didn't know whom he could trust any more. He'd tried talking to Rommie about what he'd found while interfaced with Andromeda. She'd looked at him blankly, then carried on with their previous conversation. It was as if she couldn't hear his words.
Andromeda herself had no knowledge of what Harper had found. He'd tried to tell the ship but the ship wasn't listening to him. He punched the metal wall of the machine shop repeatedly. He hardly noticed the pain. Seamus Harper was terrified.
"Oh shit, oh shit." He muttered the words over and over. His voice becoming more and more panicky. There was a bang on the door, Harper scuttled across the floor and slid into a conduit. Not for the first time he thanked the Divine that he was just a little mudfoot from Earth. Unfortunately for him he'd chosen a blind-ended pipe to hide in.
"Come on kiddo." Beka's voice was cheerful. "You've missed at least two meals today. Come and eat and keep me company, it's pretty quiet here with everyone else away." She knocked on the door again. "Harper, I know you're in there because you aren't anywhere else so open up."
"Go away, go away, please go away." Harper whispered. He sucked his skinned knuckles, not feeling the pain. He couldn't go out there, she could be the one, it could be Beka. It could be any of them or all of them, he didn't know.
"Andromeda, emergency override, authorisation acting First Officer Beka Valentine, omega, delta, five, theta, seven."
The door opened and Beka walked in. "Harper, you OK, you're not sick are you? Come on shorty, show yourself, don't know about you but I want my dinner." She looked round the cluttered room. Where was he?
Beka sighed in frustration, what was wrong with her little engineer; he'd been his usual manic annoying, hyper, self just a few hours ago. She walked over to the conduit where Harper had hidden. She could hear his breathing. She knelt down and reached into his hiding place. Her hand came into contact with a boot. She pulled and Harper slid into view. He realised it would be futile to stay where he was.
Beka could see the fear on his face. "What's wrong Harper. Did you hurt yourself in there."
Harper showed her his skinned and bruised hand. "Caught it on the edge of the pipe." Beka looked, he'd had far worse injuries, why was he making such a fuss. "Well it doesn't look broken." Beka tried to reassure him but deep down she knew that there was more to Harper's strange behaviour than a very minor injury to his hand.
"Come on, dinner is ready, macaroni a la Valentine, a treat not to be missed."
"Not hungry," Harper mumbled.
Beka felt his forehead, his skin felt clammy, perhaps he was coming down with something. "Why not go back to your quarters and get some sleep. I'll save you some food you can have it later if you want it. Tastes just as good as left overs."
She was trying to cheer him up, to get a smile from him. He just nodded and ran for his cabin, for all the world like a frightened animal.
Beka shrugged, she wished Trance was there, although she'd looked after Harper often enough before Trance had joined the Maru. She didn't think the boy was sick. He looked more scared than anything. Perhaps he'd feel better after a good sleep. He'd been working very hard the last couple of days. He'd spent a most of his time interfacing with Andromeda and that took a lot out of him, especially since he usually forgot to eat or sleep. Beka resolved to keep a closer eye on him in future. It was almost impossible to stop him doing too much. She could at least take him food and watch over him while he ate. She smiled to herself; he was probably sound asleep by now.
The object of her speculations was cowering under his bed cover. Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He mentally replayed the events that had led up to his terror. He forced himself to think calmly but he could feel his breathing becoming shallow and rapid. He didn't want to remember but he had to.
TBC
'Harper is extremely traumatised after an encounter of some sort while interfaced deep into Andromeda. He can't tell anyone what happened. Things start to go wrong on the ship, and there's nothing the AI can do about it. Who put this in her core, when and why? Apologies, I deleted the original e-mail about this so I'm not sure whose challenge it is, let me know and I will acknowledge you.
Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda or her crew. I do not make any money from my writing.
Seamus Harper sat huddled in a corner of Machine Shop 17. Privacy mode was engaged but he wasn't sure how effective it was any more. He'd just had the most frightening experience of his life. What had just happened to him was scarier than any Dragan attack, far worse even than the Magog infestation. After all he'd survived those, he didn't think he'd survive this.
He looked round, swivelling his eyes from side to side. He didn't know whom he could trust any more. He'd tried talking to Rommie about what he'd found while interfaced with Andromeda. She'd looked at him blankly, then carried on with their previous conversation. It was as if she couldn't hear his words.
Andromeda herself had no knowledge of what Harper had found. He'd tried to tell the ship but the ship wasn't listening to him. He punched the metal wall of the machine shop repeatedly. He hardly noticed the pain. Seamus Harper was terrified.
"Oh shit, oh shit." He muttered the words over and over. His voice becoming more and more panicky. There was a bang on the door, Harper scuttled across the floor and slid into a conduit. Not for the first time he thanked the Divine that he was just a little mudfoot from Earth. Unfortunately for him he'd chosen a blind-ended pipe to hide in.
"Come on kiddo." Beka's voice was cheerful. "You've missed at least two meals today. Come and eat and keep me company, it's pretty quiet here with everyone else away." She knocked on the door again. "Harper, I know you're in there because you aren't anywhere else so open up."
"Go away, go away, please go away." Harper whispered. He sucked his skinned knuckles, not feeling the pain. He couldn't go out there, she could be the one, it could be Beka. It could be any of them or all of them, he didn't know.
"Andromeda, emergency override, authorisation acting First Officer Beka Valentine, omega, delta, five, theta, seven."
The door opened and Beka walked in. "Harper, you OK, you're not sick are you? Come on shorty, show yourself, don't know about you but I want my dinner." She looked round the cluttered room. Where was he?
Beka sighed in frustration, what was wrong with her little engineer; he'd been his usual manic annoying, hyper, self just a few hours ago. She walked over to the conduit where Harper had hidden. She could hear his breathing. She knelt down and reached into his hiding place. Her hand came into contact with a boot. She pulled and Harper slid into view. He realised it would be futile to stay where he was.
Beka could see the fear on his face. "What's wrong Harper. Did you hurt yourself in there."
Harper showed her his skinned and bruised hand. "Caught it on the edge of the pipe." Beka looked, he'd had far worse injuries, why was he making such a fuss. "Well it doesn't look broken." Beka tried to reassure him but deep down she knew that there was more to Harper's strange behaviour than a very minor injury to his hand.
"Come on, dinner is ready, macaroni a la Valentine, a treat not to be missed."
"Not hungry," Harper mumbled.
Beka felt his forehead, his skin felt clammy, perhaps he was coming down with something. "Why not go back to your quarters and get some sleep. I'll save you some food you can have it later if you want it. Tastes just as good as left overs."
She was trying to cheer him up, to get a smile from him. He just nodded and ran for his cabin, for all the world like a frightened animal.
Beka shrugged, she wished Trance was there, although she'd looked after Harper often enough before Trance had joined the Maru. She didn't think the boy was sick. He looked more scared than anything. Perhaps he'd feel better after a good sleep. He'd been working very hard the last couple of days. He'd spent a most of his time interfacing with Andromeda and that took a lot out of him, especially since he usually forgot to eat or sleep. Beka resolved to keep a closer eye on him in future. It was almost impossible to stop him doing too much. She could at least take him food and watch over him while he ate. She smiled to herself; he was probably sound asleep by now.
The object of her speculations was cowering under his bed cover. Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He mentally replayed the events that had led up to his terror. He forced himself to think calmly but he could feel his breathing becoming shallow and rapid. He didn't want to remember but he had to.
TBC