Just a quick note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I recognized some
names from fanfic I've read, and I'm honored that these talented writers
took the time to comment. Switching topics. in this story, when Harper
thinks about 'home', he means the Andromeda, not Earth. It seemed right to
me. Now, on with the story.
***
"Well, I notified the governments of the commonwealth planets, and they've agreed to keep an eye out for Harper. I know it's not much, but if Harper passes through a customs or is arrested, then we'll find out." Dylan smiled apologetically at his First Officer.
"Great. So now I should hope that Harper has criminal intent? Criminal intent against a commonwealth planet at that! Why would Harper run off in secret to one of our allies? That makes no sense!" Beka's voice had risen in volume.
Dylan was calm in contrast. "Beka, we are doing the best we can. But the universe is not going to be put on hold. We still have a ship to run and a commonwealth to maintain. Now, we can do all that and look for our engineer, but I need you at 100 percent. Why don't you get some rest?"
Beka wanted to be irritated at her captain, but for once he was making sense. She hadn't slept a wink since Harper had disappeared, and it showed. Her blond hair was disheveled and dark circles ringed her eyes. Instead of her usual exuberance she fidgeted with nervous energy. She kept telling herself that this shouldn't affect her so, but she knew why it did.
Dammit, Harper. I nearly lost you forever! It had been hard enough to face the reality that Harper might die- would die- from the magog larvae. She couldn't imagine the Andromeda without the sparky engineer. Then he was miraculously cured, and it was easiest for Beka to pretend that the danger was never real, that his salvation was inevitable. And now you just leave us silently. Didn't he see that she needed her surrogate brother back for good? "Yeah, I'll get some sleep. First, though, I'll check on Trance."
Rommie's holographic self appeared facing Dylan. She looked hesitant. "Err.Captain, I have some good news and some bad news."
Dylan glanced at Beka and sighed. "Alright. Good news first."
"I've discovered that Harper created a program to randomly open library files. He must have anticipated us looking for any research material he might have used."
Beka nodded impatiently. "So, how is this good news?"
Rommie smiled. "Because the program was written to open 69,063 files. Before initiating the program, Harper opened six files individually." Rommie closed her eyes and the six files appeared on the vid-screen behind Dylan's desk. As he peered at the list, the Captain's face lit up.
"This should narrow our search."
"Wait," Beka interrupted. "What's the bad news?"
Rommie shifted uncomfortably. "It's Tyr. He just left in the Maru."
***
That night Morpheus carries him back to his home on Andromeda. He is standing on the Observation deck, surrounded by the large windows and leafy plants. Only the ancient light of distant stars touches him.
Trance walks in, her skin nearly glowing a pale purple. She walks straight towards him and gently touches his shoulder. He smiles at her, inexplicably glad to see his friend here.
When she leans over to whisper in his ear, her breath is cool against his neck. "I came to say goodbye."
He shakes his head, still smiling. "What for? I'm not going anywhere."
Her eyes are sad. They reflect a lifetime of turmoil. "I am."
This catches his attention, and he suddenly remembers what happens next. What is yet to happen; what happens months ago. Now he becomes angry. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you give me a chance to choose? Did you ever think I might care about what happened?"
There is a brief silence in which Trance closes her eyes. "I did tell you."
That does it. "You think a stupid kiss was enough?! I miss you!" He pulls away sharply and turns to the window. He can see Earth in the distance and frowns slightly. "Not that it matters. I'll die anyway."
Now the golden Trance is next to him, leaning over his shoulder to gaze at the blue and brown planet. "You won't find any answers there, Harper."
He woke up to see large green eyes peering through the darkness at him. Before he could shake the cobwebs from his mind, his knife was in his hand. Harper blinked and suddenly relaxed. Standing in front of him was a tiny girl, maybe six years old. Although the weariness he saw in the old woman was missing, the similarity between the emerald eyes was remarkable.
Harper sat up, ignoring the aches from sleeping on a hard floor. He moved slowly, careful not to frighten the little girl. "Hello," he hoped his voice was suitably gentle. "My name is Shay. Are you Haley?"
She nodded. "Grandma says you come from far off. Are there Niets there too?"
Harper smiled, remembering all the times Tyr threatened him in that non-threatening way. "Yeah, there are Nietzscheans where I come from, but they leave humans alone for the most part. Hey, have you ever had chocolate?" Haley's eyes grew large and she nodded, glancing greedily at his backpack.
There were no scruffy children on the Andromeda. There were no little girls with big eyes and bony hands. It had been a long time since Harper had been affronted by a begging child. As he rummaged through his backpack, an unexpected anger rose in his chest. What did Dylan know about the universe? What good could he do if the commonwealth ignored the slave planets? Harper wished that Dylan had come to Earth instead of Tyr. Tyr already understood; Dylan hadn't seen Earth in over 300 years.
Haley's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Is that an elf?"
Harper followed the girl's gaze to his open backpack. Visible through the supplies he had crammed in was a picture of Trance showing off a plant with purple leaves that matched her skin perfectly. It had been taken by Rev a few months before joining the Andromeda. His eyes stung unexpectedly. Without answering, Harper handed Haley a chocolate bar and closed his backpack.
Of course, freeing Earth wouldn't help him now.
***
"Well, I notified the governments of the commonwealth planets, and they've agreed to keep an eye out for Harper. I know it's not much, but if Harper passes through a customs or is arrested, then we'll find out." Dylan smiled apologetically at his First Officer.
"Great. So now I should hope that Harper has criminal intent? Criminal intent against a commonwealth planet at that! Why would Harper run off in secret to one of our allies? That makes no sense!" Beka's voice had risen in volume.
Dylan was calm in contrast. "Beka, we are doing the best we can. But the universe is not going to be put on hold. We still have a ship to run and a commonwealth to maintain. Now, we can do all that and look for our engineer, but I need you at 100 percent. Why don't you get some rest?"
Beka wanted to be irritated at her captain, but for once he was making sense. She hadn't slept a wink since Harper had disappeared, and it showed. Her blond hair was disheveled and dark circles ringed her eyes. Instead of her usual exuberance she fidgeted with nervous energy. She kept telling herself that this shouldn't affect her so, but she knew why it did.
Dammit, Harper. I nearly lost you forever! It had been hard enough to face the reality that Harper might die- would die- from the magog larvae. She couldn't imagine the Andromeda without the sparky engineer. Then he was miraculously cured, and it was easiest for Beka to pretend that the danger was never real, that his salvation was inevitable. And now you just leave us silently. Didn't he see that she needed her surrogate brother back for good? "Yeah, I'll get some sleep. First, though, I'll check on Trance."
Rommie's holographic self appeared facing Dylan. She looked hesitant. "Err.Captain, I have some good news and some bad news."
Dylan glanced at Beka and sighed. "Alright. Good news first."
"I've discovered that Harper created a program to randomly open library files. He must have anticipated us looking for any research material he might have used."
Beka nodded impatiently. "So, how is this good news?"
Rommie smiled. "Because the program was written to open 69,063 files. Before initiating the program, Harper opened six files individually." Rommie closed her eyes and the six files appeared on the vid-screen behind Dylan's desk. As he peered at the list, the Captain's face lit up.
"This should narrow our search."
"Wait," Beka interrupted. "What's the bad news?"
Rommie shifted uncomfortably. "It's Tyr. He just left in the Maru."
***
That night Morpheus carries him back to his home on Andromeda. He is standing on the Observation deck, surrounded by the large windows and leafy plants. Only the ancient light of distant stars touches him.
Trance walks in, her skin nearly glowing a pale purple. She walks straight towards him and gently touches his shoulder. He smiles at her, inexplicably glad to see his friend here.
When she leans over to whisper in his ear, her breath is cool against his neck. "I came to say goodbye."
He shakes his head, still smiling. "What for? I'm not going anywhere."
Her eyes are sad. They reflect a lifetime of turmoil. "I am."
This catches his attention, and he suddenly remembers what happens next. What is yet to happen; what happens months ago. Now he becomes angry. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you give me a chance to choose? Did you ever think I might care about what happened?"
There is a brief silence in which Trance closes her eyes. "I did tell you."
That does it. "You think a stupid kiss was enough?! I miss you!" He pulls away sharply and turns to the window. He can see Earth in the distance and frowns slightly. "Not that it matters. I'll die anyway."
Now the golden Trance is next to him, leaning over his shoulder to gaze at the blue and brown planet. "You won't find any answers there, Harper."
He woke up to see large green eyes peering through the darkness at him. Before he could shake the cobwebs from his mind, his knife was in his hand. Harper blinked and suddenly relaxed. Standing in front of him was a tiny girl, maybe six years old. Although the weariness he saw in the old woman was missing, the similarity between the emerald eyes was remarkable.
Harper sat up, ignoring the aches from sleeping on a hard floor. He moved slowly, careful not to frighten the little girl. "Hello," he hoped his voice was suitably gentle. "My name is Shay. Are you Haley?"
She nodded. "Grandma says you come from far off. Are there Niets there too?"
Harper smiled, remembering all the times Tyr threatened him in that non-threatening way. "Yeah, there are Nietzscheans where I come from, but they leave humans alone for the most part. Hey, have you ever had chocolate?" Haley's eyes grew large and she nodded, glancing greedily at his backpack.
There were no scruffy children on the Andromeda. There were no little girls with big eyes and bony hands. It had been a long time since Harper had been affronted by a begging child. As he rummaged through his backpack, an unexpected anger rose in his chest. What did Dylan know about the universe? What good could he do if the commonwealth ignored the slave planets? Harper wished that Dylan had come to Earth instead of Tyr. Tyr already understood; Dylan hadn't seen Earth in over 300 years.
Haley's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Is that an elf?"
Harper followed the girl's gaze to his open backpack. Visible through the supplies he had crammed in was a picture of Trance showing off a plant with purple leaves that matched her skin perfectly. It had been taken by Rev a few months before joining the Andromeda. His eyes stung unexpectedly. Without answering, Harper handed Haley a chocolate bar and closed his backpack.
Of course, freeing Earth wouldn't help him now.