Thanks to everyone for sticking with me. I will figure out this problem with my story not moving to the 1st page. Parisindy thanks for sticking by me through this all. It is great to see your reviews with every chapter. It keeps me writing. And I am so happy to hear someone likes the quotes (I didn't know if they helped or hindered the story)
~~~*~~~
'No other folk make such a trampling' said Legolas. "It seems their delight to slash and beat down growing things that are not even in their way.'
The Lord of the Ring: The Two Towers
~~~
Lori-
(climbs up on soap box)
You know it breaks my heart when I hear about some innocent Muslim or Arabian person getting beaten or even murdered because of Sept. 11th. If we were attacked because of what 'American' stands for aren't we defeating our own response by committing these crimes? I mean doesn't American stand for freedom above all else. Although I am just young and ideal.
Sarah-
It's good to be young and ideal. I am. And we grow up too fast.
~~~*~~~
"You bastered." I yelled. I swung the bags I was carrying into the magogs chest. He was knocked back by the force of the swing. I dropped the bag, Harper would kill me later if I broke any parts but right now I was fighting for my life, and payback for what he had done to Harper. I was going to make this scum pay. No one did that to Harper. No one messed with my crew. I reached down and got my blaster off my belt. I took a step back and aimed the gun straight at the creature's heart.
"Miss, miss…"
"Don't you try and play polite magog." I said stepping back out of the range of the magog claws.
"I am sorry miss, do I know you."
"How nice I threaten you life and the next day you don't remember me. Maybe that happens too often for you to remember. Well here's a little reminder, you attacked one of my crew, a little blonde mudfoot. You beat him till he was unconscious and then carried him back to my ship. I then chased you out and told you to stay the hell away from me and my ship. Apparently you don't follow directions."
"I am sorry miss but I do not know what you are talking about. I was meditating at the temple all yesterday."
"Magog don't go to temples, unless they need a quick meal."
"Miss I know my kind has committed unspeakable acts but I have reformed my ways and become a monk on the path to flow the divine."
"Sorry not swallowing."
"I am sorry miss, and I am sorry about your crew member. I will pray for him."
"You're going to pray for a mudfoot. The human you attacked yesterday. A boy whose family your kind has killed and infested, a kid who watched his village being destroyed by your kind."
"I am deeply sorry for the actions of my brothers."
"What about your actions, what about what you did to Harper."
"Your crew man is named Harper?" Shit shit I didn't want this piece of filth to know Harper's name. I should have just shot him. I should still shoot him. "I will pray for him but I swear to the divine that I did no harm to this Harper."
"Forgive me if I don't believe that coming from a magog."
"Forgiveness is not mined to give but the divines."
"Just stay the hell away from me. The next time I see you I will kill you." With that I picked up the parts and headed back to the ship. I wasn't running but I was walking as fast as I normally ran. I had to get back to Harper. I had to get him away from the creature. Why wouldn't he leave us alone? Why did pretend to not remember last night? Why did I not shoot him the moment I first saw him? And what was all that garbage he was muttering about the divine?
I was still wondering all this when I found myself standing at the airlock for the Maru. I entered my access code and walked straight towards my quarters. I was sitting on my bed when Harper finally broke the trance I had entered. "Boss?" one simple word made me jump almost falling off the bed.
"What Harper?"
"You just, well I have been calling you for the last 5 minutes. You walked onboard, pass me and Trance, dropped the parts on the table and sat down in here. Did something happen?"
"Nope"
"You sure?"
"Yes I am sure. If something had happened I would say something happened but nothing happened. Ok. Got it? Nothing happened."
"Yeah, sure boss, I be in my room. Call me when you want to start working on repairs." Harper slowly started moving down the hallway. His stiff movements showed yesterdays beating. I don't know what was worst seeing the pain in his eyes and not being able to do nothing about it? Or seeing the fear and know that I had the power to rid the world of one magog that no one would have missed. Heck that magog had probably killed thousands. So why couldn't I do it? I slammed my hand into the wall leaving a dent.
~~~*~~~
"Beka we have a visitor." Trance pleasant voice said calling me back to conciseness.
"Who?"
"He said his name was Rev Bem. He wanted to see how Harper was doing."
"Is Harper awake?"
"No he was sleeping so soundly I didn't want to wake him."
Nodded as I looked down at my clothes, it was the same outfit I had worn yesterday. They looked about the same with a little more dirt and winkles. I ran my tongue over my teeth and grimaced. Well monks were supposed to be forgiving; hopefully this one would forgive morning breath. I followed Trance into the main room. At the table was sitting the same bloodily magog from earlier. Was he deaf? Why wasn't he leaving us alone like I had clearly explained earlier at the point of a gun, twice?
"Ummm Trance?
"Yeah Beka."
"Have you ever seen a magog?"
"No"
"Well one is sitting at the table."
"But he seemed so nice. Maybe they aren't all bad." I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at Trance's statement. How could she know so much and be in the dark about so much else. I just nodded and charged up my pulse pistol. "Beka he just came to talk. Hear him out before you start firing. And please Harper's finally sleeping."
Again I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the purple pixie. If I could quietly get him outside without Harper seeing life would be good. If I shoot him Harper would wake up and see a dead magog. I would spend months sitting next to his bed at night and it would be even more time before he would stop waking the entire crew up screaming at the ghosts of his past. If I threaten him Harper would wake up and see a live magog. That would bring more trouble then a dead one. Plus I had threatened him twice and gotten no results. I had to get rid of him somehow. Somehow I found myself sitting across the table from 'Rev Bem.'
"What do you want?"
"I know you wanted me to stay away from the young sir but I was concerned and come to see how he was."
"Well he is fine, or will be," I caught myself before I said no thanks to you. I couldn't get mad. I would yell and Harper would wake up. I was beginning to wish that Trance could have sedated him so I just kick him off the ship without having to keep my voice down.
"I am pleased to hear that. When Brother Marks said he ran into a young woman in the market place that spoke of a wounded crew member, well from his description of the conversation I was worried that he hadn't woken up yet."
"His awake."
"And he does not remember the attack."
"No thanks to you." Calm, Beka stay calm. I forced some deep breaths before I said something else.
"Harper, is that his name?"
I found myself taking more deep breaths. How dare this low life even say Harper's name. "Yes, Harper is his name. I guess you didn't have time to find that out when you met."
"Young Harper had passed out by the time I got to him. Three men jumped him. The divine talks of non-violence so I didn't interfer a first. I am sorry for that. I see the error in my way. I misinterpreted the path of the divine and your crew member was beaten and robed. I chased the man off later but young Harper was greatly injured so I brought him back here. I saw him leave this ship earlier. I am deeply sorry for what I did."
"Well you attacked him."
"I am sorry you don't believe me but I never harmed your crew member. I tried to help. I know my species have committed many crimes and I can see why you would believe that I could have done this. If you wish me to leave now I will."
"Yes that would be good."
"I will continue to pray to the divine for young Harper. I know you do not trust me but I promise I did not hurt your master Harper."
"You're right I don't trust."
"That being the case I assume that there is no way you would let me see him."
"No way in hell."
"I understand. Thank you for your time." With that the magog turned and walked out the airlock. What was that all about, polite magog?
I found myself standing at Harper's doorway. He was sleeping deeper than normal. I found myself sitting by his bed hold his hand waiting for the magog shaped boggie man to invade his slumbers. At some point I most have joined him in dreamland.
~~~
I don't know what woke me up. I would guess that Harper had cried out in his sleep. When I woke up he was sitting up in bed soaked in sweat. He had had another nightmare.
"Harper?"
"ya boss." A defeated voice asked. Harper was holding his ribs and trying to slow his rapid breathing.
"What are they like?"
"They?"
I swallowed. Did I really want to open up this can of worms? "The magog."
"Monsters, no feels morals or emotions. They kill and destroy and that is all."
"Not big conversationalists."
"Well I never stuck around long enough to find out. But was I saw from hiding was grunting and not a lick of common spoken. Why you want to talk to one, they would kill you before you said hello."
"Harper?"
"Yea boss"
"I have talked to two."
"When?"
"Two days ago, when the one brought you here, looking back he seemed concerned, worried even for your health."
"More for his meal."
"I don't know. I bumped into one in on the planet…"
"You never…"
"You think I was going to tell you. I mean he didn't even try to attack me. I mean I got the first punch in but he didn't fight back. He was polite even. Spoke of the divine."
"The divine doesn't exist, only wayward monks believe in the divine."
"Do believe that anyone can be a monk."
"Sort of, I mean I could never see a Neizchiens in those orange robes but I know some are."
"Orange?"
"Yeah there were some on earth; they would hand out food, clothes and blankets."
"The magog that brought you here wore orange. He said he was a monk, Rev Bem is what he called himself."
"Magog are not monks."
"This one claimed to be."
"Yeah well magogs aren't known for telling the truth."
"Harper I know…"
"You nothing about those creatures, those things stole everything that the Neizchiens didn't take from me. They are worst then the Neizchiens, I hate them, every last one of them." Harper's breath was now coming in short pants and tears where running down his face. Damn it why did I say anything? But it seemed so weird, yet somehow true, this magog was a monk. They didn't sound like con-man and besides he could have over powered us at anytime. Somehow I was beginning to believe a magog.
~~~*~~~
"Beka, Beka" I crawled out from under my covers to look at a panicked Trance standing in the doorway to my room.
"What?"
"He's back!"
"Who?"
"Rev Bem!"
"Who, oh, I'm up." I shot out of bed and began hunting around the room for clothes. I finally found some on the floor that looked clean enough and ran to the door to greet the magog.
"Rev Bem,"
"Mama"
"Beka"
"Miss Rebecca."
"Just Beka"
"Miss Beka, it is a pleasure to see you again."
"Ummm…"
"I understand my species is not one to be greeted lightly. I promise I will cause you and your crew no harm."
"Well if you don't mind I would rather that we continued this conversation right here at the airlock anyways."
"I understand, but there is something I would like to offer to your master Harper."
"What?"
"Myself, I am his property to do whatever he wants with."
"I am sorry what do you mean? I thought you said…"
"Forgive me but this is my matter to discuss with the young sir. It is my fault I should have interfered when he was attacked. Because of my actions he was injured. I should have done something. It is as much my fault as it I had thrown the punches myself."
"So you are going to give up your life."
"Yes I wronged him. I must pay for this."
"You don't understand Harper grew up on earth. He hates your kind. He will kill you."
"That is the young sir's choice."
"Don't you care about your life?"
"This is the action that the divine has chosen for me."
"Fine, stay there," with those words I closed the airlock in the suicidal magog face.
"Harper, Harper are you awake we need to talk." I walked into Harper's room to find him sitting on his bed fully dressed, almost waiting for me."
"Do you know what just happened?"
"You where talking to the man who saved me."
"What do you mean?"
"I remember that voice. He was in my dreams that night, after I was knocked out. He told me I was ok, that I was safe and he was going to take me back to you. I thought that the magog must have killed him."
"No Harper, that man is a magog."
"Beka I remember that voice, that man, he helped me, magog don't help. They kill. They kill or infested."
"He's a monk, and he wants to give you his life."
"I heard. I just thought he was being weird, feeling overly guilty. I was wondering why you said I would kill him."
"Well what are you going to do? His life is in your hands."
"I can't remember what happened, how I can condemn a man to death. He says he should have helped me, I remember him saving me, his kind says kill, but you say he is different."
"It is your choice."
"But what if I let him live and he attacks this planet? Boss there is no way I could decide this."
"It is your decision though."
"Boss,"
"I can't…"
"I have an idea." I looked up at Trance who was now standing in the doorway. "I heard the whole thing. What if he comes aboard, I have been talking to him. He knows several languages; it could help us get more clients. He claims to be peaceful."
"Trance do you know what he is?"
"Yes but I don't know who he is? But I think he is a good man."
"That is what I have seen Harper." I said. What was I thinking, debating having a magog on board? He could kill us in our sleep.
"I know, Boss. But if I let him join the crew and he killed someone, would you blame me?"
"No I would shoot him dead and then reanimate him to kill him again slowly and painfully."
"Do you think you could take down a magog?"
"I don't know Harper."
"Boss, I can't leave him here and I can't kill him. What if he became a member of the crew?" I bit my lip. Somehow it worked, somehow. Trance seems to know what to do and she seemed convinced about this magog.
~~~*~~~
Dear Mr. Vern,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was that we did wrong. But we think you are crazy for making us write you an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us. In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.
Sincerely yours,
The breakfast club
~~~*~~~
Alright crew of the Maru down, on to the 1st episode, maybe I could add so more BA (Before Andromeda). Either way I have a problem, I started watching around Harper 2.0 so anyways I am going to have to 'research' for this part. Any help would be great!