Chapter 3
Trance felt the ship quiver.
"See? It has already begun!" Auril proclaimed.
Trance ran out of the conference room. As soon as she reached the med deck, Rhade appeared carrying Beka. He looked very distressed.
"Rhade! What happened?" Trance asked. Her breath caught in her chest as she saw the gash in Beka's head. Rhade set Beka carefully on the examination table.
"She fell. The last hit before we went to slipstream flew her over the console." Rhade grunted. "I tried to stop her from flying over but I was too late."
"Oh."
"Do what you can Trance. Do whatever you have to." Rhade said quietly.
"Don't worry, Rhade. I will." She answered.
Rhade glanced at Beka and left for command.
"What I want to know is how they knew Trance was gold. Last time we were here she was her usual purpleness." Harper said. "She turned gold later. And why they have a problem with all Nietzscheans all of the sudden. They didn't seem to care when Tyr saved them from the Dragons."
"I wonder, too Mr. Harper." Dylan replied.
"If you ask me..."
"I didn't."
"The blue chick is behind it." Harper said, "There is something about her that is just...off. It seems whenever we welcome a visitor with open arms, we get our butts shot at by someone."
"I know how you feel Harper, seeing as the missiles go through MY hull" Rommie stated. Auril stormed into command. "Captain! I have never been more insulted in my life!"
"Well..." Dylan said. "Care to elaborate on that?"
"She ran out! No explanation! No saying 'I'll be back'! NOTHING!" Auril screamed. Her normally calm, smug face was looked livid.
"If you are talking about Trance," Dylan began, "Then I am sorry I do not agree with you." Dylan's voice was rising steadily until he was shouting. "BEKA WAS FLUNG ACROSS COMMAND AND IS AT THIS MOMENT FIGHTING TO STAY ALIVE! SO I AM SORRY IF TRANCE WAS TOO RUDE FOR YOUR LIKING! I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE BEKA ALIVE THEN YOU SATISFIED! TRANCE IS THE MEDICAL OFFICER AND WAS NEEDED!" Dylan finished.
For some reason this seemed to anger Auril more then Trance running out on her. "Well...I...never..." Auril was so angry that words failed her.
"You are not listening! Beka is more important then you!" This time it was Rhade who spoke.
As if noticing him for the first time, Auril jumped back, her blue eyes widened it horror. "Keep away from me Kludge!" Auril shrieked. Rhade growled, his eyes narrowed.
"I will not allow you to treat my crew like that." Dylan said," Rommie, escort Airia Auril back to her quarters. If she still wants to talk to Trance, she can meet her later."
In medical, Trance was sitting with her head in her hands. This unusual sign of weakness from the gold alien evaporated immediately as Rommie's voice rang over the intercom. Trance jumped up. "How is she?" Rommie asked. Trance then realized that Rommie was in the room with her. She hadn't even noticed her come in.
"Well, I've stopped all the internal bleeding and her body temperature is back down to normal, but...well, the part of her brain that deals with memory is severely swollen. When she wakes up, she might not know who we are."
"For how long," asked Rommie.
"I don't know. It could be a day, a week, a year or forever," Trance finished sadly.
In her quarters, Auril was pacing. "I have to get Trance away from here. Away from it all. Everything. She cannot save Beka! If she does, it will all fall apart. She cannot interfere. She doesn't know the consequences. Their destiny will be all screwed up! "Auril raged to herself.
Trance felt the ship quiver.
"See? It has already begun!" Auril proclaimed.
Trance ran out of the conference room. As soon as she reached the med deck, Rhade appeared carrying Beka. He looked very distressed.
"Rhade! What happened?" Trance asked. Her breath caught in her chest as she saw the gash in Beka's head. Rhade set Beka carefully on the examination table.
"She fell. The last hit before we went to slipstream flew her over the console." Rhade grunted. "I tried to stop her from flying over but I was too late."
"Oh."
"Do what you can Trance. Do whatever you have to." Rhade said quietly.
"Don't worry, Rhade. I will." She answered.
Rhade glanced at Beka and left for command.
"What I want to know is how they knew Trance was gold. Last time we were here she was her usual purpleness." Harper said. "She turned gold later. And why they have a problem with all Nietzscheans all of the sudden. They didn't seem to care when Tyr saved them from the Dragons."
"I wonder, too Mr. Harper." Dylan replied.
"If you ask me..."
"I didn't."
"The blue chick is behind it." Harper said, "There is something about her that is just...off. It seems whenever we welcome a visitor with open arms, we get our butts shot at by someone."
"I know how you feel Harper, seeing as the missiles go through MY hull" Rommie stated. Auril stormed into command. "Captain! I have never been more insulted in my life!"
"Well..." Dylan said. "Care to elaborate on that?"
"She ran out! No explanation! No saying 'I'll be back'! NOTHING!" Auril screamed. Her normally calm, smug face was looked livid.
"If you are talking about Trance," Dylan began, "Then I am sorry I do not agree with you." Dylan's voice was rising steadily until he was shouting. "BEKA WAS FLUNG ACROSS COMMAND AND IS AT THIS MOMENT FIGHTING TO STAY ALIVE! SO I AM SORRY IF TRANCE WAS TOO RUDE FOR YOUR LIKING! I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE BEKA ALIVE THEN YOU SATISFIED! TRANCE IS THE MEDICAL OFFICER AND WAS NEEDED!" Dylan finished.
For some reason this seemed to anger Auril more then Trance running out on her. "Well...I...never..." Auril was so angry that words failed her.
"You are not listening! Beka is more important then you!" This time it was Rhade who spoke.
As if noticing him for the first time, Auril jumped back, her blue eyes widened it horror. "Keep away from me Kludge!" Auril shrieked. Rhade growled, his eyes narrowed.
"I will not allow you to treat my crew like that." Dylan said," Rommie, escort Airia Auril back to her quarters. If she still wants to talk to Trance, she can meet her later."
In medical, Trance was sitting with her head in her hands. This unusual sign of weakness from the gold alien evaporated immediately as Rommie's voice rang over the intercom. Trance jumped up. "How is she?" Rommie asked. Trance then realized that Rommie was in the room with her. She hadn't even noticed her come in.
"Well, I've stopped all the internal bleeding and her body temperature is back down to normal, but...well, the part of her brain that deals with memory is severely swollen. When she wakes up, she might not know who we are."
"For how long," asked Rommie.
"I don't know. It could be a day, a week, a year or forever," Trance finished sadly.
In her quarters, Auril was pacing. "I have to get Trance away from here. Away from it all. Everything. She cannot save Beka! If she does, it will all fall apart. She cannot interfere. She doesn't know the consequences. Their destiny will be all screwed up! "Auril raged to herself.