Chapter 5
He was heading down to the machine shop when Tyr burst through the door. The big Nietzschean was carrying an unconscious Beka. "Trance," he roared. "She's stopped breathing."
It seemed to Harper as if his whole Universe suddenly went into slow motion. He watched as Tyr put Beka on to one of the beds and Trance began to work on her.
As soon as Tyr stepped away from the seemingly dead pilot Harper flew at him like a demon. He pummelled the big Nietzschean with his fists and feet and only stopped when Dylan pulled him away.
"What did you do to her?" Harper screamed at Tyr. "You bastard, what did you do to her?" He was almost incoherent in his rage, so wild was he that he was able to totally ignore the cruel laughter echoing in his head.
Tyr stood impassively allowing the small engineer to work off his anger. It was only when Harper had exhausted himself and was leaning against Dylan unable to move that Tyr reacted.
"Boy," he said quietly. "I will forgive you that outburst, I know how much Beka means to you." He gave Harper a cold look. "But if you ever call me a bastard again I will kill you." Tyr turned and walked off the med deck. Not before Harper saw the tears that glistened in his eyes as he looked at Beka lying pale and unmoving on the bed.
Trance was still working furiously on the blonde pilot. She looked over at Harper and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Harper I think we've lost her, I'm so sorry." She turned back again to Beka, Trance didn't intend to give up yet.
Harper's legs gave way suddenly and he sat down on the deck. Tears were flowing unheeded down his face as he gave way to complete despair. The voice's laughter grew more and more evil. It was so loud that Harper thought everyone on the med deck would be able to hear it.
There was a shout of triumph from the purple girl. "Harper, she's breathing, I've got her back." Harper was on his feet again in an instant. He wiped his sleeve across his face to try and dry the tears.
Beka woke up to see three worried faces looking down at her. Trance and Dylan looked concerned, Harper looked dreadful. "Hey kiddo," she said a little painfully. "How'd I get here?"
Trance smiled. "You stopped breathing, Beka and Tyr carried you here. Can you remember what happened?"
Beka thought hard. "I remember walking down the corridor from the observation deck and there was a panel slightly out of alignment on the wall. I pushed it back in and there must have been some live wiring behind it. It gave me a shock, next thing I knew I was waking up in here."
The voice sniggered. "Who will be next? A little surprise for the purple creature perhaps, or maybe for the brave High Guard Captain. The Nietzschean could have an accident. Who will it be? You make the choice you have an hour to decide."
Now that he knew Beka was out of danger Harper was able to leave the medical deck. He slipped away quietly while Trance was busy, Beka was sleeping and Dylan had returned to the bridge. He thought his first task should be making the panel that had shocked Beka safe.
He found the place in the corridor without any difficulty; he was working away at the wiring behind it when he felt as if he was being watched. Someone was definitely behind him; he could feel the hairs rising on the back of his neck. He spun round quickly the nano welder clutched in his hand. Rommie stood on the other side of the corridor watching him.
He laughed nervously. "Rom doll you gave me a fright."
"You should be frightened, Harper." Rommie said with a strange smile. Harper's blood almost literally ran cold. It was Rommie but the voice she was speaking with was not her own. It was the one that Harper had been hearing in his head ever since his living nightmare had begun.
Rommie began to laugh and so did the voice in Harper's head. Their laughter rose to the ceiling in a devilish harmony. Harper screamed. "Stop, please stop." He sobbed.
Rommie smiled again. "Time's up." She said. "Time's up." Echoed the other voice. "Have you decided? Who is it to be?"
"I can choose anyone in the crew?" Harper needed to be sure.
"Of course," the voice replied.
Harper looked over at Rommie. "Sorry." He said. She looked at him uncomprehendingly.
Harper took a deep breath. "I choose Rommie." He said.
TBC
He was heading down to the machine shop when Tyr burst through the door. The big Nietzschean was carrying an unconscious Beka. "Trance," he roared. "She's stopped breathing."
It seemed to Harper as if his whole Universe suddenly went into slow motion. He watched as Tyr put Beka on to one of the beds and Trance began to work on her.
As soon as Tyr stepped away from the seemingly dead pilot Harper flew at him like a demon. He pummelled the big Nietzschean with his fists and feet and only stopped when Dylan pulled him away.
"What did you do to her?" Harper screamed at Tyr. "You bastard, what did you do to her?" He was almost incoherent in his rage, so wild was he that he was able to totally ignore the cruel laughter echoing in his head.
Tyr stood impassively allowing the small engineer to work off his anger. It was only when Harper had exhausted himself and was leaning against Dylan unable to move that Tyr reacted.
"Boy," he said quietly. "I will forgive you that outburst, I know how much Beka means to you." He gave Harper a cold look. "But if you ever call me a bastard again I will kill you." Tyr turned and walked off the med deck. Not before Harper saw the tears that glistened in his eyes as he looked at Beka lying pale and unmoving on the bed.
Trance was still working furiously on the blonde pilot. She looked over at Harper and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Harper I think we've lost her, I'm so sorry." She turned back again to Beka, Trance didn't intend to give up yet.
Harper's legs gave way suddenly and he sat down on the deck. Tears were flowing unheeded down his face as he gave way to complete despair. The voice's laughter grew more and more evil. It was so loud that Harper thought everyone on the med deck would be able to hear it.
There was a shout of triumph from the purple girl. "Harper, she's breathing, I've got her back." Harper was on his feet again in an instant. He wiped his sleeve across his face to try and dry the tears.
Beka woke up to see three worried faces looking down at her. Trance and Dylan looked concerned, Harper looked dreadful. "Hey kiddo," she said a little painfully. "How'd I get here?"
Trance smiled. "You stopped breathing, Beka and Tyr carried you here. Can you remember what happened?"
Beka thought hard. "I remember walking down the corridor from the observation deck and there was a panel slightly out of alignment on the wall. I pushed it back in and there must have been some live wiring behind it. It gave me a shock, next thing I knew I was waking up in here."
The voice sniggered. "Who will be next? A little surprise for the purple creature perhaps, or maybe for the brave High Guard Captain. The Nietzschean could have an accident. Who will it be? You make the choice you have an hour to decide."
Now that he knew Beka was out of danger Harper was able to leave the medical deck. He slipped away quietly while Trance was busy, Beka was sleeping and Dylan had returned to the bridge. He thought his first task should be making the panel that had shocked Beka safe.
He found the place in the corridor without any difficulty; he was working away at the wiring behind it when he felt as if he was being watched. Someone was definitely behind him; he could feel the hairs rising on the back of his neck. He spun round quickly the nano welder clutched in his hand. Rommie stood on the other side of the corridor watching him.
He laughed nervously. "Rom doll you gave me a fright."
"You should be frightened, Harper." Rommie said with a strange smile. Harper's blood almost literally ran cold. It was Rommie but the voice she was speaking with was not her own. It was the one that Harper had been hearing in his head ever since his living nightmare had begun.
Rommie began to laugh and so did the voice in Harper's head. Their laughter rose to the ceiling in a devilish harmony. Harper screamed. "Stop, please stop." He sobbed.
Rommie smiled again. "Time's up." She said. "Time's up." Echoed the other voice. "Have you decided? Who is it to be?"
"I can choose anyone in the crew?" Harper needed to be sure.
"Of course," the voice replied.
Harper looked over at Rommie. "Sorry." He said. She looked at him uncomprehendingly.
Harper took a deep breath. "I choose Rommie." He said.
TBC