Tyr, Trance, Beka, and Rommie sat on the command deck waiting for Dylan and Harper to return. Beka had an arm around Trance's shoulders. Trance's skin was turning more purple and her hair was almost completely yellow. Tyr sat by himself against a wall with his eyes closed. He was thinking about the things he never got to do and how he would probably never see his son again. Rommie stood at a console hopelessly tapping random buttons. All was silent. Only Trance's sniffles broke the silence. She finally gathered the courage to say something.
"I hope Harper can fix the ship."
Nobody answered her. She bowed her head and continued rubbing her arms, which were now completely purple.
* * *
"Harper, be careful down there," Dylan shouted in the darkness. "You're probably the only one besides Rommie who can fix this ship."
"And even she can't do it as good as I can…" Harper's voice was faint, but cut through the darkness like a knife. There was a spot of light where he had the flashlight shining. Dylan could see that he worked hard to jumpstart the engine. "You know, you could help, boss. Just a suggestion…" Dylan came out of the trance he was in and found his way to where Harper was.
"Are you sure you can get this thing started?" he asked with doubt in his voice. Harper gave him a look and went back to work. "I know, stupid question."
"Hold that," Harper said as he handed Dylan a wrench.
* * *
Trance still rubbed her arms. She was starting to get cold. "Think he's almost got it fixed?" Nobody answered her again. "Look, you guys need to start talking or something, because the quiet is really starting to get on my nerves."
"I'm sure he's doing fine, Trance," Beka said. "Harper's good at fixing things without making them blow up."
Just then the ship lurched slightly. Rommie rushed to the doors and listened intently. "I hear fire," she said.
"I hope I wasn't wrong…" Beka said as she rushed toward the engine room.
"I'm okay," Harper said painfully, even though he really wasn't. A cut ran across his left eyebrow and he had been unconscious for two minutes. "Dylan?"
There was the sound of Dylan moaning in pain coming from just a few feet away from where Harper sat. Harper stumbled over to Dylan's side. Dylan had been thrown up against a wall by the force of the small explosion. Blood seeped slowly from the back of his head, and he held his left shoulder with his good hand. "That wasn't fun," he managed to say.
"Can you walk, boss?" Harper said as he began to pull Dylan up. "We need to get you to medical." He listened for a second. "Still didn't get the ship started…"
"Dylan? Harper?" Rommie's voice came from beyond the thick gray smoke.
"Over here, Rommie. Dylan's hurt." Harper and Dylan hobbled through the smoke to Rommie, with Harper under Dylan's right side. Harper didn't need to bend his knees at all since Dylan towered over him. Once they reached her, Rommie helped Harper.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Just a little mishap… nothing huge. It's nothing I can't fix in a matter of minutes."
*
An hour later, Harper was still working on the engine. Beka sat near-by all the while, listening to him spout various obscenities and phrases in languages she had never heard. Tools were thrown, bruises appeared, and blood was spilled… Then he got mad…
"I have had it up to here with this stupid piece of—" He was cut off by Beka's voice.
"Harper, calm down," she said. "You've fixed this thing plenty of times, what makes this any different?"
"Well, let's see here…" He counted off on his fingers as he stated the reasons. "No power, not a lot of time, AND A MAJOR FREAKING HEADACHE!" He took deep breaths as he clamed himself down. Beka began to laugh wildly. "WHAT?" he asked angrily. Beka caught her breath and explained herself.
"I forgot how funny you look when you're angry!" She started laughing again. Harper rolled his eyes and turned back to his work. He finally gave up and kicked the engine. When he felt the pain in his foot, he grabbed it and hopped around on his other foot. Beka continued laughing hysterically. The ship creaked a little and Dylan's voice came from the corridor that led to the engine room.
"Beka, what's going on down here?" he asked.
"She's laughing at me, boss," Harper answered. The ship creaked louder and Beka stopped laughing. "What was that?" Harper whispered.
The ship rocked violently and the three were tossed around. When the ship settled again, Dylan made sure the other two were all right. Rommie, Tyr, and Trance appeared in the doorway, all out of breath. "There was a hull breach near command," Rommie explained. "We don't have much time. Harper, why isn't this thing working yet?"
"I don't know. It won't start. I've tried everything, I even kicked it," Harper said, exasperated. He flinched and grabbed his forehead. This time the pain didn't go away. He kept silent, not wanting to worry the rest of the crew.
"We're going to die, aren't we?" Trance asked nobody in particular. "I knew the second I saw that cat that we were going to die."
"Trance, we're not going to die," Beka reassured her. "We're just having some bad luck right now. Harper's going to fix the problem and everything will be okay."
"Why is it always me who has to make everything okay?" Harper said quietly. Everybody looked at him in surprise. "Everybody always wants me to fix everything." He lifted his head to show his face, which had great pain in it. "Well, what're you going to do when I'm not around to fix everything anymore? Huh? Is Tyr going to take up mechanics? How about Dylan? Brave Captain Hunt…" He stood up.
"Harper, sit down," Tyr said.
"Captain Hunt who can't even fix his own ship," Harper continued. "Wouldn't know a slip drive from a console…"
"Harper, you don't know what you're saying," Beka said. He held up a hand to quiet her.
"Everybody always thinks Dylan is the one who keeps this ship together. Mention the Andromeda Ascendant to somebody, and all they have to say is, 'Oh, you mean the ship Dylan Hunt commands.' What about the rest of us? What about me?"
"Harper, sit down!" Dylan shouted. "What is wrong with you?"
Harper stopped short and put both hands on his head. He staggered for a moment. Dylan stood by him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Harper?" He saw that Harper had a bloody nose. Harper fell to the floor unconscious. Trance gasped and crawled to his side.
"I hope Harper can fix the ship."
Nobody answered her. She bowed her head and continued rubbing her arms, which were now completely purple.
* * *
"Harper, be careful down there," Dylan shouted in the darkness. "You're probably the only one besides Rommie who can fix this ship."
"And even she can't do it as good as I can…" Harper's voice was faint, but cut through the darkness like a knife. There was a spot of light where he had the flashlight shining. Dylan could see that he worked hard to jumpstart the engine. "You know, you could help, boss. Just a suggestion…" Dylan came out of the trance he was in and found his way to where Harper was.
"Are you sure you can get this thing started?" he asked with doubt in his voice. Harper gave him a look and went back to work. "I know, stupid question."
"Hold that," Harper said as he handed Dylan a wrench.
* * *
Trance still rubbed her arms. She was starting to get cold. "Think he's almost got it fixed?" Nobody answered her again. "Look, you guys need to start talking or something, because the quiet is really starting to get on my nerves."
"I'm sure he's doing fine, Trance," Beka said. "Harper's good at fixing things without making them blow up."
Just then the ship lurched slightly. Rommie rushed to the doors and listened intently. "I hear fire," she said.
"I hope I wasn't wrong…" Beka said as she rushed toward the engine room.
"I'm okay," Harper said painfully, even though he really wasn't. A cut ran across his left eyebrow and he had been unconscious for two minutes. "Dylan?"
There was the sound of Dylan moaning in pain coming from just a few feet away from where Harper sat. Harper stumbled over to Dylan's side. Dylan had been thrown up against a wall by the force of the small explosion. Blood seeped slowly from the back of his head, and he held his left shoulder with his good hand. "That wasn't fun," he managed to say.
"Can you walk, boss?" Harper said as he began to pull Dylan up. "We need to get you to medical." He listened for a second. "Still didn't get the ship started…"
"Dylan? Harper?" Rommie's voice came from beyond the thick gray smoke.
"Over here, Rommie. Dylan's hurt." Harper and Dylan hobbled through the smoke to Rommie, with Harper under Dylan's right side. Harper didn't need to bend his knees at all since Dylan towered over him. Once they reached her, Rommie helped Harper.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Just a little mishap… nothing huge. It's nothing I can't fix in a matter of minutes."
*
An hour later, Harper was still working on the engine. Beka sat near-by all the while, listening to him spout various obscenities and phrases in languages she had never heard. Tools were thrown, bruises appeared, and blood was spilled… Then he got mad…
"I have had it up to here with this stupid piece of—" He was cut off by Beka's voice.
"Harper, calm down," she said. "You've fixed this thing plenty of times, what makes this any different?"
"Well, let's see here…" He counted off on his fingers as he stated the reasons. "No power, not a lot of time, AND A MAJOR FREAKING HEADACHE!" He took deep breaths as he clamed himself down. Beka began to laugh wildly. "WHAT?" he asked angrily. Beka caught her breath and explained herself.
"I forgot how funny you look when you're angry!" She started laughing again. Harper rolled his eyes and turned back to his work. He finally gave up and kicked the engine. When he felt the pain in his foot, he grabbed it and hopped around on his other foot. Beka continued laughing hysterically. The ship creaked a little and Dylan's voice came from the corridor that led to the engine room.
"Beka, what's going on down here?" he asked.
"She's laughing at me, boss," Harper answered. The ship creaked louder and Beka stopped laughing. "What was that?" Harper whispered.
The ship rocked violently and the three were tossed around. When the ship settled again, Dylan made sure the other two were all right. Rommie, Tyr, and Trance appeared in the doorway, all out of breath. "There was a hull breach near command," Rommie explained. "We don't have much time. Harper, why isn't this thing working yet?"
"I don't know. It won't start. I've tried everything, I even kicked it," Harper said, exasperated. He flinched and grabbed his forehead. This time the pain didn't go away. He kept silent, not wanting to worry the rest of the crew.
"We're going to die, aren't we?" Trance asked nobody in particular. "I knew the second I saw that cat that we were going to die."
"Trance, we're not going to die," Beka reassured her. "We're just having some bad luck right now. Harper's going to fix the problem and everything will be okay."
"Why is it always me who has to make everything okay?" Harper said quietly. Everybody looked at him in surprise. "Everybody always wants me to fix everything." He lifted his head to show his face, which had great pain in it. "Well, what're you going to do when I'm not around to fix everything anymore? Huh? Is Tyr going to take up mechanics? How about Dylan? Brave Captain Hunt…" He stood up.
"Harper, sit down," Tyr said.
"Captain Hunt who can't even fix his own ship," Harper continued. "Wouldn't know a slip drive from a console…"
"Harper, you don't know what you're saying," Beka said. He held up a hand to quiet her.
"Everybody always thinks Dylan is the one who keeps this ship together. Mention the Andromeda Ascendant to somebody, and all they have to say is, 'Oh, you mean the ship Dylan Hunt commands.' What about the rest of us? What about me?"
"Harper, sit down!" Dylan shouted. "What is wrong with you?"
Harper stopped short and put both hands on his head. He staggered for a moment. Dylan stood by him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Harper?" He saw that Harper had a bloody nose. Harper fell to the floor unconscious. Trance gasped and crawled to his side.