Author's Note: Since everyone is asking for some interaction between Harper
and Tristan, I wrote some into this chapter and promise more in the next.
As always please review.
Chapter 5
When the three of them left Dylan's office, the captain and first officer headed for the command deck, while Telemachus returned to the mess hall. Upon entering Rhade was relived to see the boy laughing and clapping his hands together as Harper made one of the cards in his hand disappear and then reappear in the other. Every time Tristan laughed, a little peace of his past seemed to lift away. He saw Telemachus coming and waved happily, receiving a smile in return.
"Everything looks well here," Rhade sat down next to him.
"Harper's funny," Tristan couldn't hold back the laughter. "Did you know he can make things disappear?"
"I did," Rhade replied with an affirmative nod. "Such as several gallons of Sparky Cola a week. It's a great mystery where he puts it all."
"It's magic," Tristan gave him the best silly-grown-up expression.
"Yeah, magic," the man agreed. "Magic that quite realistically clogs up Andromeda's bathroom facilities on a regular basis."
Harper looked greatly offended. "Hey, it doesn't happen that often and I always get it fixed."
"All right enough on that," Telemachus waved off the unpleasant subject. He leaned down and looked the boy straight in the eyes. "Tristan, Captain Hunt, Beka, and I have decided on what to do with you."
Immediately the smile vanished from his lips, and Tristan stared up at Rhade in a mixture of anxiety and fear. All the tentative trust that had been built up over the past few hours seemed to vanish. "Are.. are you going to give me away?"
"What? No, of course not," Rhade hadn't considered his words carefully enough and realized that Tristan must have thought that he was about to be sold again. "No, Tristan, you're not going back to... to that place. How would you like to stay here with us?"
"You mean it?" the boy looked ecstatic. "I get to stay here with you?"
"If you like," Telemachus nodded. "I'll put an extra bed for you in my quarters. They're large enough for both of us so no one will bother you, and Beka and I will look after you. You're going to have to learn quite a few rules, and I understand it will be a significant change in environment, but I suspect it is a change for the better. Do you think you'd like to stay?"
"Yes!" Tristan answered without a hint of hesitation. "Thank you so much!"
"It's my pleasure," Telemachus smiled. "Now, Beka has some work to do, but I have enough time until my next shift to show you around the ship and introduce you to where you'll be staying."
Tristan looked very excited, but then glanced at the now empty plate of food and then at Harper. Telemachus couldn't understand what had caused the boy's pause, but Harper immediately saw the problem. He flashed his best reassuring grin at the child.
"No worries, shorty. Let's you, me, and Rhade take a little tour and then get you something else to eat before bed."
"But I'm not tired," Tristan protested.
"Trust me," Telemachus said, "after covering even a small portion of the ship, you will be."
* * * * * * * * * *
The first stop on the tour was the observation deck, which unlike the corridors, was the greatest open space on the ship with plants lining the stands perturbing from the walls. However it was the large windows to the star littered blanket of space that drew the attention of the young Nietzschean-human hybrid. Tristan ran to them, pressing both palms against the cool thick glass and staring out with aw. It was moments like this that Telemachus found himself in a similar situation as the boy. On the one hand, Tristan was much older than his age, having been exposed to things that no child should have to endure. On the flip side, he was very much innocent and unaware of the great wide universe before him. Telemachus often felt the same way. Though he was at one point admiral of an entire planet's army, Beka had been right when she implied that he had no real knowledge of the world outside of Tarazed.
"He seems like a good kid," Harper said to Rhade as both men watched Tristan run around the obs. deck, "to bad he's been dealt such a lousy hand. Up until now, anyway. So what's the big plan?"
"Plan?" Rhade frowned.
"Yeah, the plan on how you're gonna handle a four-year-old. Or are Nietzscheans just born with perfect parental skills and don't need a plan?"
"To begin with," Telemachus replied, "I am not his father. Beka and I will be his... guardians. As for Tristan himself, he will need to be taught essential educational material. I highly doubt he knows how to read or write. Then there's also mathematics..."
"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Harper held up his hands. "Ordinarily I'd make some sort of wisecrack right about now about how you have no frickin' clue on what you got yourself into, but since you're so big and scary, I'm not gonna do that," then his face grew more somber. "Listen, Rhade, after all the shit that kid's been put through, right now all he needs to do is... well, be a kid. He just needs to be cared for, needs to play a little. I don't suppose you have any toys for him?"
Rhade shook his head. The idea of toys hadn't even crossed his mind. "Well then luckily for you, I'm not just a super genius, but also an excellent babysitter," the engineer grinned from ear to ear. "The Harper's got it all under control. Follow me."
Telemachus called for Tristan and they exited the obs. deck. "Where are we going?" the boy asked curiously.
"Good question," Rhade told him. "One best answered by Mr. Harper."
"Oh didn't I tell you?" Harper threw over his shoulder. He was leading the way down Andromeda's corridors with Rhade and Tristan close on his heals. "Next stop: the Maru."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Somehow, I don't think we should be doing this," Telemachus mumbled under his breath, "even for Tristan."
"Relax," Harper's head appeared from some little doorway on the Maru. "Beka's a terrible packrat, worse than a Nightsider. This place still has her and Rafe's old toys from when they were kids."
Rhade stopped opening drawers and stared at Harper. "I don't think Tristan would enjoy playing with dolls."
"You think Beka played with dolls?" Harper laughed at the idea. "Come on, Rhade, you've been around long enough to know better than that."
Telemachus considered it, but had to agree that the thought of Beka playing tea party with dolls was just too ludicrous. He shook off the mental image and continued looking around until he stumbled upon an old photograph. Upon closer examination, he noticed a young read haired girl next to a blond boy who looked slightly older than herself.
"Pleasant memories," Harper came over to look at the picture. "That's from way back in the day, before her dad messed up with Flash and Rafe skipped out to do his own thing. Don't know what happened to her mom. Beka never talks about her."
"She has her reasons," Telemachus said quietly. "It's best to let these things work themselves out."
"Beka doesn't like to deal with her problems," Harper said a little sadly. "She puts everything on the backburner and hopes it goes away."
"She's in pain," Telemachus told him. "When you came, a little scar from her past began to heal. The same happened when she met Rev, Trance, and then Dylan and the Andromeda. Little by little the past will fade. It'll never truly be gone, but the pain will subside. My hope is that Tristan can do that for her as well. She may not admit it, but she needs him as much as he needs her."
"Is that philosophy?" Harper raised an eyebrow.
"No, simply a fact based upon observation," Telemachus returned his attention to the drawer and pilled out a stuffed brown dog. "This will do for now."
Harper had to return to the machine shop, hoping to finish his latest project, so Telemachus took Tristan back to their quarters. A small bed had already been set up on the other side of the room from Rhade's, which was quite timely since Tristan was beginning to yawn and rub his eyes. Along with the bed, Andromeda had also provided clean linen and a fresh pair of pajamas. Rhade handed them to Tristan and told the boy to wash and change in the adjacent bathroom. By this time, he knew better than to offer help. When Tristan needed it and was ready to accept it, he would ask for assistance himself. The exhausted child trotted out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later and literally fell down on the bed, the stuffed animal tucked under his arm. Rhade smiled and dimming the lights, left the room.
Chapter 5
When the three of them left Dylan's office, the captain and first officer headed for the command deck, while Telemachus returned to the mess hall. Upon entering Rhade was relived to see the boy laughing and clapping his hands together as Harper made one of the cards in his hand disappear and then reappear in the other. Every time Tristan laughed, a little peace of his past seemed to lift away. He saw Telemachus coming and waved happily, receiving a smile in return.
"Everything looks well here," Rhade sat down next to him.
"Harper's funny," Tristan couldn't hold back the laughter. "Did you know he can make things disappear?"
"I did," Rhade replied with an affirmative nod. "Such as several gallons of Sparky Cola a week. It's a great mystery where he puts it all."
"It's magic," Tristan gave him the best silly-grown-up expression.
"Yeah, magic," the man agreed. "Magic that quite realistically clogs up Andromeda's bathroom facilities on a regular basis."
Harper looked greatly offended. "Hey, it doesn't happen that often and I always get it fixed."
"All right enough on that," Telemachus waved off the unpleasant subject. He leaned down and looked the boy straight in the eyes. "Tristan, Captain Hunt, Beka, and I have decided on what to do with you."
Immediately the smile vanished from his lips, and Tristan stared up at Rhade in a mixture of anxiety and fear. All the tentative trust that had been built up over the past few hours seemed to vanish. "Are.. are you going to give me away?"
"What? No, of course not," Rhade hadn't considered his words carefully enough and realized that Tristan must have thought that he was about to be sold again. "No, Tristan, you're not going back to... to that place. How would you like to stay here with us?"
"You mean it?" the boy looked ecstatic. "I get to stay here with you?"
"If you like," Telemachus nodded. "I'll put an extra bed for you in my quarters. They're large enough for both of us so no one will bother you, and Beka and I will look after you. You're going to have to learn quite a few rules, and I understand it will be a significant change in environment, but I suspect it is a change for the better. Do you think you'd like to stay?"
"Yes!" Tristan answered without a hint of hesitation. "Thank you so much!"
"It's my pleasure," Telemachus smiled. "Now, Beka has some work to do, but I have enough time until my next shift to show you around the ship and introduce you to where you'll be staying."
Tristan looked very excited, but then glanced at the now empty plate of food and then at Harper. Telemachus couldn't understand what had caused the boy's pause, but Harper immediately saw the problem. He flashed his best reassuring grin at the child.
"No worries, shorty. Let's you, me, and Rhade take a little tour and then get you something else to eat before bed."
"But I'm not tired," Tristan protested.
"Trust me," Telemachus said, "after covering even a small portion of the ship, you will be."
* * * * * * * * * *
The first stop on the tour was the observation deck, which unlike the corridors, was the greatest open space on the ship with plants lining the stands perturbing from the walls. However it was the large windows to the star littered blanket of space that drew the attention of the young Nietzschean-human hybrid. Tristan ran to them, pressing both palms against the cool thick glass and staring out with aw. It was moments like this that Telemachus found himself in a similar situation as the boy. On the one hand, Tristan was much older than his age, having been exposed to things that no child should have to endure. On the flip side, he was very much innocent and unaware of the great wide universe before him. Telemachus often felt the same way. Though he was at one point admiral of an entire planet's army, Beka had been right when she implied that he had no real knowledge of the world outside of Tarazed.
"He seems like a good kid," Harper said to Rhade as both men watched Tristan run around the obs. deck, "to bad he's been dealt such a lousy hand. Up until now, anyway. So what's the big plan?"
"Plan?" Rhade frowned.
"Yeah, the plan on how you're gonna handle a four-year-old. Or are Nietzscheans just born with perfect parental skills and don't need a plan?"
"To begin with," Telemachus replied, "I am not his father. Beka and I will be his... guardians. As for Tristan himself, he will need to be taught essential educational material. I highly doubt he knows how to read or write. Then there's also mathematics..."
"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Harper held up his hands. "Ordinarily I'd make some sort of wisecrack right about now about how you have no frickin' clue on what you got yourself into, but since you're so big and scary, I'm not gonna do that," then his face grew more somber. "Listen, Rhade, after all the shit that kid's been put through, right now all he needs to do is... well, be a kid. He just needs to be cared for, needs to play a little. I don't suppose you have any toys for him?"
Rhade shook his head. The idea of toys hadn't even crossed his mind. "Well then luckily for you, I'm not just a super genius, but also an excellent babysitter," the engineer grinned from ear to ear. "The Harper's got it all under control. Follow me."
Telemachus called for Tristan and they exited the obs. deck. "Where are we going?" the boy asked curiously.
"Good question," Rhade told him. "One best answered by Mr. Harper."
"Oh didn't I tell you?" Harper threw over his shoulder. He was leading the way down Andromeda's corridors with Rhade and Tristan close on his heals. "Next stop: the Maru."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Somehow, I don't think we should be doing this," Telemachus mumbled under his breath, "even for Tristan."
"Relax," Harper's head appeared from some little doorway on the Maru. "Beka's a terrible packrat, worse than a Nightsider. This place still has her and Rafe's old toys from when they were kids."
Rhade stopped opening drawers and stared at Harper. "I don't think Tristan would enjoy playing with dolls."
"You think Beka played with dolls?" Harper laughed at the idea. "Come on, Rhade, you've been around long enough to know better than that."
Telemachus considered it, but had to agree that the thought of Beka playing tea party with dolls was just too ludicrous. He shook off the mental image and continued looking around until he stumbled upon an old photograph. Upon closer examination, he noticed a young read haired girl next to a blond boy who looked slightly older than herself.
"Pleasant memories," Harper came over to look at the picture. "That's from way back in the day, before her dad messed up with Flash and Rafe skipped out to do his own thing. Don't know what happened to her mom. Beka never talks about her."
"She has her reasons," Telemachus said quietly. "It's best to let these things work themselves out."
"Beka doesn't like to deal with her problems," Harper said a little sadly. "She puts everything on the backburner and hopes it goes away."
"She's in pain," Telemachus told him. "When you came, a little scar from her past began to heal. The same happened when she met Rev, Trance, and then Dylan and the Andromeda. Little by little the past will fade. It'll never truly be gone, but the pain will subside. My hope is that Tristan can do that for her as well. She may not admit it, but she needs him as much as he needs her."
"Is that philosophy?" Harper raised an eyebrow.
"No, simply a fact based upon observation," Telemachus returned his attention to the drawer and pilled out a stuffed brown dog. "This will do for now."
Harper had to return to the machine shop, hoping to finish his latest project, so Telemachus took Tristan back to their quarters. A small bed had already been set up on the other side of the room from Rhade's, which was quite timely since Tristan was beginning to yawn and rub his eyes. Along with the bed, Andromeda had also provided clean linen and a fresh pair of pajamas. Rhade handed them to Tristan and told the boy to wash and change in the adjacent bathroom. By this time, he knew better than to offer help. When Tristan needed it and was ready to accept it, he would ask for assistance himself. The exhausted child trotted out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later and literally fell down on the bed, the stuffed animal tucked under his arm. Rhade smiled and dimming the lights, left the room.