NOTES: Once again I must apologise for my erratic posting of this story. First the site was down, then AOL decided to stop working, and this has prevented me from even signing in to post. So I'm doing this at work on my break as a last resort. Thanks for your patience.

CHAPTER TWENTY ~ Drive

^~*~^

"Only expect everything to go your way if you are fond of surprises."

Old Earth saying

^~*~^

Dylan knew they were dealing with professionals. Persephone Point was the perfect place for an ambush. It was basically in the middle of nowhere, just out of com-range of any planets or drifts that could provide assistance. They would have also needed a considerable amount of skill to get onboard undetected. But the emotional outburst told him that Adonai, at least, was personally involved in the Autriva investigation in some way.

"What are your intentions?" Dylan asked. So far they hadn't learned much about their captors.

"The representatives may have been deluded into excusing the murder of two hundred and six people but I am not so forgiving. Andromeda massacred those colonists, and not even the Commonwealth, the organisation that sells itself as a believer in justice, punished you for your crime!"

"That's because it was an accident," Beka said from the corner. "A horrific one, but still an accident. I know that doesn't make things better, but it's the truth."

"No ship should have ever been built with the capability to destroy an entire colony, let alone be allowed to go on serving after doing so," Adonai said.

"We don't want to hurt anyone," Syla said, trying to sound compassionate.

"You have a funny way of showing it," Beka muttered.

Adonai approached Beka. "This ship is not fit to serve anyone," he said in a threatening voice. "Her core must be eradicated."

^~*~^

Harper found walking much more difficult than he remembered. It didn't help that the corridors kept spinning. Rommie could hear his heavy breaths over the com. "Harper, are you alright?"

"Yeah..." Harper replied after a few struggled breaths. "I just need to...sit...for a minute..."

"No, listen to me Harper, do not sit down, do not close your eyes. You have to get the core," Rommie said urgently. "I'm counting on you."

Harper was struggling just to stay upright, clinging to the walls. Every motivation for getting to the core was slowly being overtaken by the desire to stop moving, to take the weight of his feet and fall into a deep sleep.

"Harper? Are you with me?" Rommie prompted.

"So tired...." Harper replied weakly.

"Stay with me!" Rommie encouraged desperately. Harper's next words were so quiet she had to replay them before she understood.

"...I'm sorry."

^~*~^

Trance was having trouble getting the correct amount of Ciercen essence with Clio root, and becoming very frustrated after every failed attempt. She had still heard nothing from Dylan or Andromeda, when the wall com became active and Rommie's voice came from it.

"Trance? Are you there?"

Trance rushed over the console. "I'm here, Rommie, what's going on?"

"I'm about to find out, but I need your help with something."

"Anything," Trance replied eagerly.

"Harper has passed out somewhere en route to the slip core," Rommie explained. "I need you to help him get there."

"Of course, but I can't get the doors open," Trance said sheepishly.

"I'm afraid access codes only work from the outside, you're going to have to use brute force."

"Alright," Trance sighed and looked for something to give her some leverage.

"When you're out be careful. I haven't encountered intruders yet, but since I don't know what's going on, keep your guard up."

"Understood."

^~*~^

"I won't wipe Andromeda's core," Dylan said plainly.

Adonai had anticipated this kind of reaction. "Nalan," he prompted. Nalan grabbed Beka by the arm and pointed his gun at her chest.

"Watch it!" Beka said indignantly.

Dylan was not happy. "Is this your idea of not hurting anyone?"

"I will do what is necessary. Give your command codes to erase the ship's core."

"I won't," Dylan replied.

"I coulda told you that," Beka said sarcastically.

Adonai's anger rose. He took his gun and hit Beka roughly across the face. She shouted and fell the floor with a bloody nose. "I said we didn't *want* to hurt anyone. If needs be I will kill everyone on this ship until you give me the codes."

Dylan could see Syla and Nalan from the corner of his eye, and noticed they weren't too sure about Adonai's attitude. Perhaps their leader wasn't all they thought him to be.

Just as Dylan was thinking of a way to use this to their advantage, the doors to Command opened of their own accord. Adonai spun around and aimed his gun, only to find no-one on the other side. He nodded to Nalan to check it out.

*Getting his friends to do the dirty work,* Dylan thought. A perfect definition of character.

Nalan crept cautiously forward while Adonai and Syla covered the others. He tried to prepare himself for anything that could come at him, but he wasn't prepared enough for an android to swing around the door frame and kick him squarely in the chest. He was sent flying backwards. Tyr took the opportunity to try and disarm Adonai, while Beka attempted to take Syla's weapon.

But Adonai was too quick, and fired his weapon at Rommie, immediately disabling her. He swung his gun back at Tyr, who had been unable to reach him in time.

"Let her go!" he shouted at Beka. Beka loosened her grip on Syla and backed off. It was a nice try.

^~*~^

After prying the med-deck doors open with the metal bar from a bed, Trance found the quickest route to the slip core and soon enough came across Harper lying unconscious leaned against a wall. It didn't take a medical expert to know he was in a bad way.

Trance felt for his pulse and found a weak one. He was in a deep sleep.

"I know the last thing you need in your system now is more drugs, but there's no other option," Trance told the sleeping man. "We need you."

Trance couldn't help the moment's hesitation that came from being about to stab one's best friend in the heart. But she fought her gut instincts and tried to let her mind rule. She bought her arm down sharply and with enough force so the needle would penetrate Harper's chest. It did, with a sickening puncture sound, and the reaction was instantaneous. Harper choked a breath back and bolted upright. He scrambled to his feet, wide-eyed and in shock. His breath came in huge gasps, he finally focussed on Trance, while the rest of the room spun around her.

"Harper? Are you with me?" she prompted.

"Oh my god!" he breathed, not really answering her question. ".....OW!"

"Harper, listen to me I had to give you an adrenaline shot."

"No kidding," he replied, more awake than he had ever been in the past few weeks. "Oh my god..." he said, holding his chest in pain.

"Focus Harper!" Trance demanded. "There'll be plenty of time to give you complete check-up later," she said, not looking forward to later very much. "You have to get to the slip core, remember?"

"...get control..." he recalled.

"Right," Trance smiled. "Let's go."

"Not so fast," a voice warned from behind them.

Damn, Harper hated those words. They turned slowly. "Is that an Atrican semi-automatic pulse gun with a modified sight and reserve ammo cell?" Harper asked the bemused man holding the gun.

"Yeah..." Elrik said uneasily.

"Can I see it?" Harper asked, and before Elrik could act, grabbed the gun and tried to wrench it out of his hands. A charge went off, burning the walls as it twisted in his hands. Trance had to dive out the way to avoid getting in the way. Harper finally freed the enemy's grip and smashed it over the man's head.

Trance stood shocked at the whole scene. Eventually she regained the ability to speak. "Harper?! Are you crazy, you could have been killed!"

"Sorry. Adrenaline does that to a guy," Harper told her. "Come on, we've got a ship to wake up."

^~*~^