Hi!
Thank you all for the wonderful comments! Glad you're enjoying the ride! Anna
Chapter 6
Rommie stood At Ease beside the captain's chair, palms crossed behind her back, feet shoulder-width apart, studying Dylan unobtrusively from the corner of her eye. He was tense. She could sense his tension. Respiration, too quick, heart rate, unsteady, she checked off of the list in her mind. That she would monitor his bodily functions without his knowledge was not unusual, he was her captain after all. His word was law for all three of her incarnations, well two anyway. Her avatar self was infused with human emotions and tended to be more independent. So she monitored him whenever she felt like it.
She frowned. She'd never really considered herself independent. She considered herself as part of the starship Andromeda, the ship being the main part of all that was her. A warship. Yet, as an Avatar she could think and feel and move without regard to the ship. She could experience an entirely separate life. It was confusing, really. Still, every part of her loved her captain, loved Dylan, wholeheartedly. So, she stared, she monitored, she kept watch and protected him.
With one finger over his lips, chin in palm, leaning his elbow against the arm of the pilot's seat, he pondered the system slowly growing in the viewscreen.
She smiled. He looked almost eager. Shore leave would do him good.
"Rommie," Dylan said.
"Yes?"
"Inform the crew that we will be going ashore soon."
"I will." She cocked her head to look at him sideways. "Dylan, is it wise to let everyone go planetside simultaneously? I know you all need it, but regulations suggest you go in shifts," she said. "And Harper has been acting strangely."
He frowned thoughtfully. "Have faith, Rommie. Don't be so pessimistic. Nothing will go wrong. Besides, Andromeda is very resourceful and can take care of things."
Her brow furrowed momentarily, assuming he spoke of her in all of her incarnations. She wasn't certain if she should be flattered. She wasn't certain whether he meant * she* would have to stay and mind the store. "I'll let them know."
"Rommie," he called as she turned to leave. She stopped and peered at him with a questioning look. "You're going too."
"I have no need for relaxation."
He rolled his eyes. "So? See new sights. Learn something. Stick with one of the women and experience fun things. Go with Beka and... well, no, go with Trance and learn how to shop, um, on second thought that might not be such a great idea either."
She smiled. "I've gone with her and Beka before. It's a unique experience." Her expression turned serious. "Still, someone should stay on board."
He shook his head. "Not you. Rev said the Magog hit this system pretty hard. He's decided to stay onboard and meditate. Go on shore leave. That's an order."
"Yes, Captain," she said brightly, happy to have had her objections overruled. As she left to find the crew, she smiled. She did enjoy leaving the ship once in a while, seeing and learning new things. This could be fun.
~~
When Rommie informed Beka that they had found a planet and were nearly in orbit, the blond changed clothes fast enough to amaze her. During all of her routine monitoring of the crew, she had never seen anyone move so quickly. The First Officer pounded her on the arm joyfully and raced for the Maru with a wide smile on her face.
Watching after her, the avatar felt confusion. Rommie thought the First Officer liked being in space and hated planets. She decided to monitor the other woman. There might be something wrong. Beka was entirely too happy to leave the ship. It was out of character.
After the tall woman was out of sight, she did something she seldom did. She broke through the Full Privacy Mode ordered by the First Officer and scanned her quarters. There was nothing unusual; a cold half cup of black coffee, mussed sheets lying partially on the floor, a plain, functional bra on the vanity and a flexi-novel face down on the bed. Casually, she scanned the contents of the novel. Suddenly, a flush crept over her face. The novel had explicit scenes, quite a few sexually explicit scenes. She had seen sex before in her data files and during her casual monitoring of her former crews, but this was far more extreme and replete with explanations of the emotions involved. It was new to her.
"Oh, dear," she whispered, wondering if that was why Beka had departed so quickly. She ended her scan abruptly, restoring Full Privacy Mode. With a glance around the empty corridor, she hurried off to find the rest of the crew and hoped the unaccustomed flush on her cheeks faded before she met anyone else.
~~
Beka jogged through the passageways gleefully. This was her chance to find her own Perdue, her own man like the strapping hunk of manhood starring as pool boy in the novel The Sword of Desire. Sure, men like that probably didn't exist. Most of the men she had ever met had an agenda, a hidden reason for every action they ever took. Dylan, sweet, driven, naive Dylan, didn't make a move without first considering its impact on his Restored Commonwealth. Tyr normally only did things that helped Tyr. Harper took orders from his hormones. Even Rev Bem first considered how his actions helped spread light in the universe before he made a move. So, why should she get her hopes up that she might find a simple, straightforward man on the planet below? Because there's always a chance, she told herself silently. Besides, she didn't want to keep him, only borrow him for a little fun.
She climbed aboard her ship and started her pre-flight checklist, humming to herself. She didn't have to read the checklist, she could do it in her sleep. So, her mind whirled with the possibilities that lay below. She trusted Dylan to thoroughly brief them all about the planet, its attractions and dangers, on the trip down. She let the excitement of the unknown swell within her. Romantic scenarios flitted through her mind as she rode the wave of anticipation. Finishing the checklist, she started the engines. She glanced over her shoulder, tapping her hands on the console impatiently. Where were the others? Rommie said they were all coming. Finally, she stood and paced Command, drumming on her thighs with each step.
~~
Trotting off the holographic stage, Harper slung his tool belt low around his hips. With a last glance at the young woman who took a bow for a crowd that wasn't there, he left the room in search of the components he would need to fulfill his dream.
Rommie met up with him in a corridor. He was hunched over behind one of her service robots. She cocked her head as she tried to see what he was doing.
"Harper? I can't read that Maria bot. It's no longer connected to my relays. What are you doing?"
He straightened so quickly that he dropped his screwdriver. "Huh? Oh..." He gave her a sheepish grin, a flush creeping over his cheeks. "Hi, Rom-doll. Yeah, I know this bot's not connected. Poor little bugger got lost. I'm working on it now. Should have her booted up in an hour or so. So, don't worry your petite little prom queen-body self about it."
She responded to the remark with a scowl. She had no idea what a prom queen was, but she knew Harper. Most of his references had to do with physical beauty and little else. "You have located the problem then? What made it go offline?"
He blinked rapidly and swallowed hard, hoping she wouldn't notice. "Uh, no, I haven't located the problem. If I knew what was wrong, I could fix it in five minutes. You know me, the all-knowing, all-powerful engineering genius."
She crossed her arms over her chest, arching a skeptical brow. "Your omnipotent powers aside, Harper, this bot can wait. Dylan wants you...all of us... aboard the Eureka Maru before 1300 hours. That leaves you only twenty-two minutes to wash up, comb your hair, change into clean clothes and run to the ship."
"What? You're saying I'm grubby?" He peered down at himself, plucking the front of his dirt and grease stained shirt from his chest. He dropped it quickly and looked up at her through his lashes. "Okay, so I won't win a beauty contest and I don't really care about that 'cause there are more important things in life. Besides, I don't want to go just yet. I need to fix this."
"No arguments, Harper," she barked, her voice leaving no room for protests. "Get cleaned up. Leave the bot and get ready NOW," she ordered. "I won't have you representing the High Guard and the Restored Commonwealth looking and smelling like a street beggar."
He gritted his teeth. He really did want to leave and have fun, but the excitement of his new project made him tremble. Leaving it would be like giving up Sparky Colas for a day including the inherent caffeine withdrawal migraine. He could lose his momentum and not get it back. "But-"
Her dark eyes narrowed then widened as she glared at him.
He rolled his eyes in acquiescence. "All right, all right. A guy can't get anything done around here. Nag, nag, nag." He slapped the panel on the back of the bot shut and fastened it with the screwdriver.
"And take a quick shower," Rommie said, waving a hand in front of her nose in distaste. "You'll scare away all of the natives."
"Sheesh, Miss Picky," he said to her back as she hurried toward the hanger bay and the awaiting ship. He waited until she was out of sight then turned to the bot and commanded, "Go to the quarters of Seamus Harper and stay. My commands only." He grinned as the bot followed him back to his living quarters thankful that Rommie hadn't noticed anything unusual.
TBC
Thank you all for the wonderful comments! Glad you're enjoying the ride! Anna
Chapter 6
Rommie stood At Ease beside the captain's chair, palms crossed behind her back, feet shoulder-width apart, studying Dylan unobtrusively from the corner of her eye. He was tense. She could sense his tension. Respiration, too quick, heart rate, unsteady, she checked off of the list in her mind. That she would monitor his bodily functions without his knowledge was not unusual, he was her captain after all. His word was law for all three of her incarnations, well two anyway. Her avatar self was infused with human emotions and tended to be more independent. So she monitored him whenever she felt like it.
She frowned. She'd never really considered herself independent. She considered herself as part of the starship Andromeda, the ship being the main part of all that was her. A warship. Yet, as an Avatar she could think and feel and move without regard to the ship. She could experience an entirely separate life. It was confusing, really. Still, every part of her loved her captain, loved Dylan, wholeheartedly. So, she stared, she monitored, she kept watch and protected him.
With one finger over his lips, chin in palm, leaning his elbow against the arm of the pilot's seat, he pondered the system slowly growing in the viewscreen.
She smiled. He looked almost eager. Shore leave would do him good.
"Rommie," Dylan said.
"Yes?"
"Inform the crew that we will be going ashore soon."
"I will." She cocked her head to look at him sideways. "Dylan, is it wise to let everyone go planetside simultaneously? I know you all need it, but regulations suggest you go in shifts," she said. "And Harper has been acting strangely."
He frowned thoughtfully. "Have faith, Rommie. Don't be so pessimistic. Nothing will go wrong. Besides, Andromeda is very resourceful and can take care of things."
Her brow furrowed momentarily, assuming he spoke of her in all of her incarnations. She wasn't certain if she should be flattered. She wasn't certain whether he meant * she* would have to stay and mind the store. "I'll let them know."
"Rommie," he called as she turned to leave. She stopped and peered at him with a questioning look. "You're going too."
"I have no need for relaxation."
He rolled his eyes. "So? See new sights. Learn something. Stick with one of the women and experience fun things. Go with Beka and... well, no, go with Trance and learn how to shop, um, on second thought that might not be such a great idea either."
She smiled. "I've gone with her and Beka before. It's a unique experience." Her expression turned serious. "Still, someone should stay on board."
He shook his head. "Not you. Rev said the Magog hit this system pretty hard. He's decided to stay onboard and meditate. Go on shore leave. That's an order."
"Yes, Captain," she said brightly, happy to have had her objections overruled. As she left to find the crew, she smiled. She did enjoy leaving the ship once in a while, seeing and learning new things. This could be fun.
~~
When Rommie informed Beka that they had found a planet and were nearly in orbit, the blond changed clothes fast enough to amaze her. During all of her routine monitoring of the crew, she had never seen anyone move so quickly. The First Officer pounded her on the arm joyfully and raced for the Maru with a wide smile on her face.
Watching after her, the avatar felt confusion. Rommie thought the First Officer liked being in space and hated planets. She decided to monitor the other woman. There might be something wrong. Beka was entirely too happy to leave the ship. It was out of character.
After the tall woman was out of sight, she did something she seldom did. She broke through the Full Privacy Mode ordered by the First Officer and scanned her quarters. There was nothing unusual; a cold half cup of black coffee, mussed sheets lying partially on the floor, a plain, functional bra on the vanity and a flexi-novel face down on the bed. Casually, she scanned the contents of the novel. Suddenly, a flush crept over her face. The novel had explicit scenes, quite a few sexually explicit scenes. She had seen sex before in her data files and during her casual monitoring of her former crews, but this was far more extreme and replete with explanations of the emotions involved. It was new to her.
"Oh, dear," she whispered, wondering if that was why Beka had departed so quickly. She ended her scan abruptly, restoring Full Privacy Mode. With a glance around the empty corridor, she hurried off to find the rest of the crew and hoped the unaccustomed flush on her cheeks faded before she met anyone else.
~~
Beka jogged through the passageways gleefully. This was her chance to find her own Perdue, her own man like the strapping hunk of manhood starring as pool boy in the novel The Sword of Desire. Sure, men like that probably didn't exist. Most of the men she had ever met had an agenda, a hidden reason for every action they ever took. Dylan, sweet, driven, naive Dylan, didn't make a move without first considering its impact on his Restored Commonwealth. Tyr normally only did things that helped Tyr. Harper took orders from his hormones. Even Rev Bem first considered how his actions helped spread light in the universe before he made a move. So, why should she get her hopes up that she might find a simple, straightforward man on the planet below? Because there's always a chance, she told herself silently. Besides, she didn't want to keep him, only borrow him for a little fun.
She climbed aboard her ship and started her pre-flight checklist, humming to herself. She didn't have to read the checklist, she could do it in her sleep. So, her mind whirled with the possibilities that lay below. She trusted Dylan to thoroughly brief them all about the planet, its attractions and dangers, on the trip down. She let the excitement of the unknown swell within her. Romantic scenarios flitted through her mind as she rode the wave of anticipation. Finishing the checklist, she started the engines. She glanced over her shoulder, tapping her hands on the console impatiently. Where were the others? Rommie said they were all coming. Finally, she stood and paced Command, drumming on her thighs with each step.
~~
Trotting off the holographic stage, Harper slung his tool belt low around his hips. With a last glance at the young woman who took a bow for a crowd that wasn't there, he left the room in search of the components he would need to fulfill his dream.
Rommie met up with him in a corridor. He was hunched over behind one of her service robots. She cocked her head as she tried to see what he was doing.
"Harper? I can't read that Maria bot. It's no longer connected to my relays. What are you doing?"
He straightened so quickly that he dropped his screwdriver. "Huh? Oh..." He gave her a sheepish grin, a flush creeping over his cheeks. "Hi, Rom-doll. Yeah, I know this bot's not connected. Poor little bugger got lost. I'm working on it now. Should have her booted up in an hour or so. So, don't worry your petite little prom queen-body self about it."
She responded to the remark with a scowl. She had no idea what a prom queen was, but she knew Harper. Most of his references had to do with physical beauty and little else. "You have located the problem then? What made it go offline?"
He blinked rapidly and swallowed hard, hoping she wouldn't notice. "Uh, no, I haven't located the problem. If I knew what was wrong, I could fix it in five minutes. You know me, the all-knowing, all-powerful engineering genius."
She crossed her arms over her chest, arching a skeptical brow. "Your omnipotent powers aside, Harper, this bot can wait. Dylan wants you...all of us... aboard the Eureka Maru before 1300 hours. That leaves you only twenty-two minutes to wash up, comb your hair, change into clean clothes and run to the ship."
"What? You're saying I'm grubby?" He peered down at himself, plucking the front of his dirt and grease stained shirt from his chest. He dropped it quickly and looked up at her through his lashes. "Okay, so I won't win a beauty contest and I don't really care about that 'cause there are more important things in life. Besides, I don't want to go just yet. I need to fix this."
"No arguments, Harper," she barked, her voice leaving no room for protests. "Get cleaned up. Leave the bot and get ready NOW," she ordered. "I won't have you representing the High Guard and the Restored Commonwealth looking and smelling like a street beggar."
He gritted his teeth. He really did want to leave and have fun, but the excitement of his new project made him tremble. Leaving it would be like giving up Sparky Colas for a day including the inherent caffeine withdrawal migraine. He could lose his momentum and not get it back. "But-"
Her dark eyes narrowed then widened as she glared at him.
He rolled his eyes in acquiescence. "All right, all right. A guy can't get anything done around here. Nag, nag, nag." He slapped the panel on the back of the bot shut and fastened it with the screwdriver.
"And take a quick shower," Rommie said, waving a hand in front of her nose in distaste. "You'll scare away all of the natives."
"Sheesh, Miss Picky," he said to her back as she hurried toward the hanger bay and the awaiting ship. He waited until she was out of sight then turned to the bot and commanded, "Go to the quarters of Seamus Harper and stay. My commands only." He grinned as the bot followed him back to his living quarters thankful that Rommie hadn't noticed anything unusual.
TBC