"I'd like to know exactly how your ship got so damaged," Dylan said in an agitated voice. "You never mentioned the fact in your distress signal."
"It's very complicated, Captain," Felix started.
"I'm still curious."
"Well, I was on my way to Infinity Atoll to pick up some cargo that I was hired to deliver, and I ran into an asteroid belt. I tried to steer around it, but it was too late. See, I had the ship on autopilot so I could relax a little, and by the time I realized I was headed straight for the rocks, it was too late to make a quick escape."
"So why didn't you just say that in the distress signal?" Dylan sounded suspicious.
"Call me crazy, but it was a little embarrassing. It wouldn't look too good if I were to be picked up by another cargo ship, seeing as how we're supposed to be some of the best damn pilots out there." Felix faked a smile and laughed a little. She knew Hunt probably wouldn't buy her phony story, but it was worth a try.
Dylan looked at her for a second. "Alright," he said after an awkward pause, "go fix your ship. You can use any of Mr. Harper's tools you need, and the mess deck is always open. Let Rommie know if you need anything else."
"Thank you, sir," Felix said with a huge smile.
"And you can call me Dylan. It's been so long since anybody's called me 'sir' that I'm not used to it."
"Okay, s- -Dylan."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harper's feet were sticking out from under a console on the Hydra. Felix stood with her arms crossed and shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Harper?" she asked.
"Yes?" Harper replied cheerfully.
"What are you doing?"
"Fixing your ship."
"No."
"Yes."
"No. My ship. I fix my own ship, not you." She pulled him by his feet out from under the console. "Now get up and let me get to work."
"Fine, but don't say I wasn't trying to help you." Harper stood up and moved out of the way. He bowed and motioned his hands toward the console. "Your highness."
Felix gave him a dirty look and started working. Harper had done a good job so far. Some of the circuits had been blown during one of the explosions and he had already fixed one of them. "I've only been gone for a few minutes," she thought.
"So, Felix, where're you from anyways?" Harper asked.
There was a pause, and then she said, "Earth. I was from Earth. A little place called Fort Huachuca in Arizona. After my parents were killed I bought a ship with what money I had and left. That was seven years ago. Now I do cargo runs for whoever's willing to pay me. I've gotten by so far, but it's not enough. I need adventure."
"Adventure, huh? Why don't you stay on the Andromeda? We have plenty of adventures. Maybe too much for one person to handle." Harper sat down and leaned against the wall next to the console.
"That's a nice offer, Harper, but I can't stay." She was thinking of the reason why, but she couldn't tell him.
"So how old were you when you left Earth?" Harper asked, ignoring her response.
"I was fifteen. Can you imagine being fifteen and out on your own doing cargo runs for some sleaze ball?"
"Sheesh… So now you're, what, twenty-two? That's just as bad. You're out here all by yourself. Don't you ever get lonely?"
"I've gotten used to being alone. But sometimes that need for company comes back. I had no friends on Earth because my parents kept me locked up in the house all day everyday, and I'm an only child, so I had nobody to take with me when I left." She paused for a moment. "It's hard to make friends out in empty space. I've got some acquaintances, but no real friends."
"Sorry to say this, kid, but your life sucks!" Harper tried to imagine living in space on his own without Trance or Beka or even Tyr, but he couldn't. He started to feel sorry for Felix. "So, anyway, let me know if you need any help. I'm like a security system or something. 'Seamus Harper is always on your side.' That's catchy…"
Felix heard him humming as he walked out of the ship. "Strange," she said to herself.
"It's very complicated, Captain," Felix started.
"I'm still curious."
"Well, I was on my way to Infinity Atoll to pick up some cargo that I was hired to deliver, and I ran into an asteroid belt. I tried to steer around it, but it was too late. See, I had the ship on autopilot so I could relax a little, and by the time I realized I was headed straight for the rocks, it was too late to make a quick escape."
"So why didn't you just say that in the distress signal?" Dylan sounded suspicious.
"Call me crazy, but it was a little embarrassing. It wouldn't look too good if I were to be picked up by another cargo ship, seeing as how we're supposed to be some of the best damn pilots out there." Felix faked a smile and laughed a little. She knew Hunt probably wouldn't buy her phony story, but it was worth a try.
Dylan looked at her for a second. "Alright," he said after an awkward pause, "go fix your ship. You can use any of Mr. Harper's tools you need, and the mess deck is always open. Let Rommie know if you need anything else."
"Thank you, sir," Felix said with a huge smile.
"And you can call me Dylan. It's been so long since anybody's called me 'sir' that I'm not used to it."
"Okay, s- -Dylan."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harper's feet were sticking out from under a console on the Hydra. Felix stood with her arms crossed and shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Harper?" she asked.
"Yes?" Harper replied cheerfully.
"What are you doing?"
"Fixing your ship."
"No."
"Yes."
"No. My ship. I fix my own ship, not you." She pulled him by his feet out from under the console. "Now get up and let me get to work."
"Fine, but don't say I wasn't trying to help you." Harper stood up and moved out of the way. He bowed and motioned his hands toward the console. "Your highness."
Felix gave him a dirty look and started working. Harper had done a good job so far. Some of the circuits had been blown during one of the explosions and he had already fixed one of them. "I've only been gone for a few minutes," she thought.
"So, Felix, where're you from anyways?" Harper asked.
There was a pause, and then she said, "Earth. I was from Earth. A little place called Fort Huachuca in Arizona. After my parents were killed I bought a ship with what money I had and left. That was seven years ago. Now I do cargo runs for whoever's willing to pay me. I've gotten by so far, but it's not enough. I need adventure."
"Adventure, huh? Why don't you stay on the Andromeda? We have plenty of adventures. Maybe too much for one person to handle." Harper sat down and leaned against the wall next to the console.
"That's a nice offer, Harper, but I can't stay." She was thinking of the reason why, but she couldn't tell him.
"So how old were you when you left Earth?" Harper asked, ignoring her response.
"I was fifteen. Can you imagine being fifteen and out on your own doing cargo runs for some sleaze ball?"
"Sheesh… So now you're, what, twenty-two? That's just as bad. You're out here all by yourself. Don't you ever get lonely?"
"I've gotten used to being alone. But sometimes that need for company comes back. I had no friends on Earth because my parents kept me locked up in the house all day everyday, and I'm an only child, so I had nobody to take with me when I left." She paused for a moment. "It's hard to make friends out in empty space. I've got some acquaintances, but no real friends."
"Sorry to say this, kid, but your life sucks!" Harper tried to imagine living in space on his own without Trance or Beka or even Tyr, but he couldn't. He started to feel sorry for Felix. "So, anyway, let me know if you need any help. I'm like a security system or something. 'Seamus Harper is always on your side.' That's catchy…"
Felix heard him humming as he walked out of the ship. "Strange," she said to herself.