"Rommie!" Dylan shouted into his comm. He stood at his desk in his quarters. "What the…?" He started to walk out of his quarters and ran into Rommie on the way out. "There you are," he said with a sigh. "What's happening?"
"I don't know, but I have a feeling it has something to do with our furry visitor."
"What in the name of all that is considered holy is going on?" Tyr's angry voice came from the corridor. Everyone shot a glance at him and turned away.
"Great. Messed up systems and an angry Nietzschean," Rommie thought. "What a wonderful day." Then she realized something. "What about Harper?" she said out loud. Everyone looked around to see if Harper hadn't joined them silently.
"Where was he last time you heard from him?" Dylan asked.
"My guess is machine shop. I didn't really pay that much attention."
All five of them stalked though the corridors toward machine shop. Rommie's earlier conversation with Harper ran through her mind. "I'll log in and see if I can figure out what's wrong," Harper's words repeated themselves in her memory. "I wonder if he ever did log in," she thought. "I hate being cut off from myself." Then she saw Harper walking toward them, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I hate sparks," he shouted. "Rommie, what's happening to you? The second I hooked up, your systems went berserk and I got kicked out… Painfully at that…"
"I was about to ask you the same question," Rommie said. "I'm cut off from the ship. I have no idea what's going on anywhere on the ship but where I am."
"Um… Guys?" Beka said quietly. Everybody ignored her and went on talking.
"Harper, is there anyway you can fix her?" Dylan asked.
"I can try," Harper said painfully.
"Guys…" Beka said a little louder. They still ignored her.
"What do you mean you'll try?" Tyr said. "You've fixed this ship plenty of times, what makes this any different?"
"I'd have to do it all manually. I think my cerebral port was damaged." Trance grabbed his face and turned his head to the side. She inspected his cerebral port closely.
"I don't see anything wrong with it."
"GUYS!" Beka shouted. Everyone turned to her. They looked in the direction she was staring and saw the little kitten sitting at Harper's feet. Harper freaked out and didn't move. "Rommie, I thought you locked this thing up," Beka said through her teeth.
"I did," Rommie replied through her teeth.
"Get it away from me," Harper said quietly.
Trance rolled her eyes and picked the kitten up. "Guess I have to be the brave one," she said as she stared at Tyr.
"I can't stand kittens," he said making an excuse. "What is wrong with all of you? I know none of you hate kittens more than me."
"Think reeeaaalll hard, Tyr," Beka said. "Remember it at all from the tunnel?"
Tyr stared at the kitten. "No," he said blandly.
"Well, it's from the tunnel," Harper said. "Spawn of Satan in the fur." He rubbed the back of his neck more. "Man, have I got a headache."
Beka blinked and looked at him. For a brief second, she could have sworn he looked like he did when she first met him. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, then looked at him some more. He looked the same as he had a few minutes before. She shook her head again and passed it off as a trick of the eyes. Trance rolled her eyes again and carried the kitten back to its cage in the med deck. Everybody stood back and watched her as she walked away, golden dreadlocks swooshing behind her, and all of them thought she was crazy for touching the thing.
"I don't know, but I have a feeling it has something to do with our furry visitor."
"What in the name of all that is considered holy is going on?" Tyr's angry voice came from the corridor. Everyone shot a glance at him and turned away.
"Great. Messed up systems and an angry Nietzschean," Rommie thought. "What a wonderful day." Then she realized something. "What about Harper?" she said out loud. Everyone looked around to see if Harper hadn't joined them silently.
"Where was he last time you heard from him?" Dylan asked.
"My guess is machine shop. I didn't really pay that much attention."
All five of them stalked though the corridors toward machine shop. Rommie's earlier conversation with Harper ran through her mind. "I'll log in and see if I can figure out what's wrong," Harper's words repeated themselves in her memory. "I wonder if he ever did log in," she thought. "I hate being cut off from myself." Then she saw Harper walking toward them, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I hate sparks," he shouted. "Rommie, what's happening to you? The second I hooked up, your systems went berserk and I got kicked out… Painfully at that…"
"I was about to ask you the same question," Rommie said. "I'm cut off from the ship. I have no idea what's going on anywhere on the ship but where I am."
"Um… Guys?" Beka said quietly. Everybody ignored her and went on talking.
"Harper, is there anyway you can fix her?" Dylan asked.
"I can try," Harper said painfully.
"Guys…" Beka said a little louder. They still ignored her.
"What do you mean you'll try?" Tyr said. "You've fixed this ship plenty of times, what makes this any different?"
"I'd have to do it all manually. I think my cerebral port was damaged." Trance grabbed his face and turned his head to the side. She inspected his cerebral port closely.
"I don't see anything wrong with it."
"GUYS!" Beka shouted. Everyone turned to her. They looked in the direction she was staring and saw the little kitten sitting at Harper's feet. Harper freaked out and didn't move. "Rommie, I thought you locked this thing up," Beka said through her teeth.
"I did," Rommie replied through her teeth.
"Get it away from me," Harper said quietly.
Trance rolled her eyes and picked the kitten up. "Guess I have to be the brave one," she said as she stared at Tyr.
"I can't stand kittens," he said making an excuse. "What is wrong with all of you? I know none of you hate kittens more than me."
"Think reeeaaalll hard, Tyr," Beka said. "Remember it at all from the tunnel?"
Tyr stared at the kitten. "No," he said blandly.
"Well, it's from the tunnel," Harper said. "Spawn of Satan in the fur." He rubbed the back of his neck more. "Man, have I got a headache."
Beka blinked and looked at him. For a brief second, she could have sworn he looked like he did when she first met him. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, then looked at him some more. He looked the same as he had a few minutes before. She shook her head again and passed it off as a trick of the eyes. Trance rolled her eyes again and carried the kitten back to its cage in the med deck. Everybody stood back and watched her as she walked away, golden dreadlocks swooshing behind her, and all of them thought she was crazy for touching the thing.