Thank you so much for the positive reviews. I'm completely loving the fact that so many people actually like my story. Sorry it's been a while since I updated, but I've been busy and kind of low on creative brainpower. I hope this chapter pleases you like the others did. I know it's short, but I think it's a good one. Oh, and the matter of currency comes up again, so please excuse me if I sound stupid. I didn't study "Andromeda" currency for this one...
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Beka opened her eyes and sighed deeply. It had been two days since she kicked Bobby off of the ship and she was actually starting to regret it. Usually when she felt regretful, all it took was one look at Harper's bruised face to make her stop feeling that way. He wasn't there now. She was alone in her quarters, just waking up from a rather fruitless night's sleep. A tear slid down the side of her face and she rolled over on her side, cuddling Bobby's pillow to her body. All she could seem to think about was all the times he had lied to her or all the times she had yelled at him, but in the far corners of her mind, she could remember all the good times; waking up next to him every morning and smelling his cologne, those few occasions when they had time to go out for a romantic dinner, and all the times he had encouraged her to continue with the toughest jobs because everything would be better once it was all over. Those times left with the coming of his addiction to alcohol and his high-and-mighty attitude. Just thinking about how quickly he had changed made her cringe. What had happened to the man she loved?
A knock on her door startled her out of her reverie and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. She was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts, but she pulled her blanket around her shoulders as she stood to answer the door anyway. It was Trance that waited for her on the other side. Her smile was somewhat uplifting as she offered Beka a steaming cup of black coffee. "Wakeup call," she nearly sang. "It's almost ten in the morning, you know. Harper said he's almost done with the repairs. He just had to go out and get some last minute parts he needed to fix the engine. Until he comes back, it's just us girls."
Beka tried to make her smile sincere as she took the offered cup of coffee, letting the blanket fall from her shoulders. She took a sip of the drink and sighed. Trance made the best coffee. "When did he leave?" she asked, meaning Harper.
"About twenty minutes ago. He said it wouldn't take him long because he knows all the best places to go," Trance replied with a reflective smile. She still wore a look of concern that Beka couldn't understand every time she talked about Harper. It was like Trance knew something that Beka didn't. Beka gave her a puzzled look and she giggled a little. "He's just so… so shy still. I don't understand it. It's like he doesn't trust us. I just wish he'd realize that we're not going to hurt him or anything like that."
"Trance, it's hard for him to trust anybody but himself, and I'm sure even that's difficult," Beka explained. "Being a slave, not to mention from Earth, has that effect on people. It could take him years to break out of that shell of his, if he ever breaks out of it at all. That's just something we have to accept and get used to."
"I guess you're right," Trance said with a sigh of submission. "I'm just glad that he wants to stay."
----
Harper gave an exasperated sigh and leaned against the counter, glaring at the shop owner. "This part isn't worth that much," he growled for what seemed like the tenth time. "I'll give you…" he pulled the currency chips Beka had given him when he first started fixing the ship and counted them. He threw the chips on the counter and said to the shop owner, "That's twenty-five thrones, half of what you're asking. Either you take it or I'll take my money elsewhere."
The shop owner gave him a contemplative look and glanced at the part they were arguing about. "You're a stubborn pest, mud foot," he finally said with a hint of an accent. "Take the damned part and get out of my shop." He snatched the chips off the counter and slipped them into his pocket, grumbling and cursing Harper the whole time. Harper put on a satisfied smile as he grabbed the part and left the shop. Once outside, he looked around and remembered which way he had to go to get back to the Maru. He'd gotten the three parts he needed in thirty minutes, his personal best. He walked in silence through the busy market streets, his head bowed out of habit, careful not to bump into anybody if he could help it. This was how he had to walk when he was entering a Nietzschean-ruled neighborhood or when he was walking behind his former "employer." While he walked, he could feel a presence behind him, following him, but he tried to ignore it.
To occupy his mind, he thought of that late night conversation he'd had with Beka the night she kicked Bobby off of the ship. She seemed so sad, but he knew that what she did was only going to liberate her. He hadn't seen much of her since that night. If he wasn't working, he was sitting in the machine shop listening to music and reading some of the flexi novels he'd found in storage on the Maru. The instances where he was in the mess hall or anywhere else on the ship, Beka was always in her quarters or away from the ship. Beka was still coping with what she'd done, that much he understood, but what bothered him was the fact that she didn't talk about it. Maybe she was just like he was, always keeping to herself and never letting others know that something was wrong. The idea that she was a lot like him somehow troubled him. With everything that he'd been through came low self-esteem and the idea of somebody else feeling the same way bothered him. Beka was better than that. She was tough, and from what he could tell, she always persevered. She was too beautiful, smart, and strong to feel like he did, like nothing he did ever mattered and his life would amount to nothing at all.
A voice from behind him brought him out of his troubled thoughts. The voice was so familiar that it sent chills down his spine. "Why are you walking so fast, you little rat?" He stopped walking and stood perfectly still, afraid to look at the owner of the voice. Harper had only had one bad run-in with him, but that, combined with Beka's stories, was enough to make him hate every last fiber of his existence, starting with the people that gave him life. Bobby Jensen was his enemy the minute he set foot on the Maru and now he wanted nothing more than a gauss gun to blast his brains right out of his head. "Think you can replace me, mud foot?"
Harper cringed at the name. He knew what he was. He didn't need Bobby to remind him. "That's impossible," Harper replied, turning slowly to face Bobby, who stood behind him with a crooked snarl on his face. "I'm not a big enough asshole to replace you." Bobby apparently didn't like that answer because he took a swing at Harper, catching him across his jaw and knocking him to the ground. Harper landed with a thud and he groaned slightly. "We gonna dance again, big guy? What's the matter, didn't get your kicks last time?"
"You're the reason Beka kicked me out," Bobby growled. "She wouldn't have done that if you hadn't won her over with your helpless, 'look at me, I used to be a slave…' attitude." He picked Harper up by the collar of his shirt and Harper dropped all the parts he'd been carrying. "You must have lied to her to get her to like you so much. I mean, look at you… You're nothing compared to me. How else could you have done it?"
"I guess I'm all charm," Harper said with a sarcastic smile. "And you're right… I can't think of anybody who compares to you. No… I don't think I've met anybody with a brain that small." Bobby snarled again and slammed him back onto the pavement, getting a painful groan out of the tiny human. Harper was sure he'd just broken one of the ribs he'd bruised a few days ago. Pain exploded in his sides and he coughed, trying to regain his breath. As he rolled over onto his stomach to try and heft himself back up, Bobby kicked him back onto his back and reached into his coat pocket. His hand returned clasping a gauss gun with the safety off.
"I'll make Beka take me back," Bobby said quietly. "She'll want me back when you're out of the way. When she finds out you're dead, she'll come running to me for a shoulder to cry on." He aimed the gauss gun at Harper's chest, his hand shaking slightly with anger. Harper couldn't think of anything to do but stare at Bobby in defiance. If he was going to die, he didn't want to go without a fight. Without hesitation, he leapt back onto his feet and lunged at Bobby. Bobby fired the gun in surprise. The stray shot hit something. Harper's scream echoed in the empty street.
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MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA… MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA… cough, cough Oh, pardon me… I love cliffhangers… Especially when I write them. Sorry folks, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happened…
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Beka opened her eyes and sighed deeply. It had been two days since she kicked Bobby off of the ship and she was actually starting to regret it. Usually when she felt regretful, all it took was one look at Harper's bruised face to make her stop feeling that way. He wasn't there now. She was alone in her quarters, just waking up from a rather fruitless night's sleep. A tear slid down the side of her face and she rolled over on her side, cuddling Bobby's pillow to her body. All she could seem to think about was all the times he had lied to her or all the times she had yelled at him, but in the far corners of her mind, she could remember all the good times; waking up next to him every morning and smelling his cologne, those few occasions when they had time to go out for a romantic dinner, and all the times he had encouraged her to continue with the toughest jobs because everything would be better once it was all over. Those times left with the coming of his addiction to alcohol and his high-and-mighty attitude. Just thinking about how quickly he had changed made her cringe. What had happened to the man she loved?
A knock on her door startled her out of her reverie and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. She was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts, but she pulled her blanket around her shoulders as she stood to answer the door anyway. It was Trance that waited for her on the other side. Her smile was somewhat uplifting as she offered Beka a steaming cup of black coffee. "Wakeup call," she nearly sang. "It's almost ten in the morning, you know. Harper said he's almost done with the repairs. He just had to go out and get some last minute parts he needed to fix the engine. Until he comes back, it's just us girls."
Beka tried to make her smile sincere as she took the offered cup of coffee, letting the blanket fall from her shoulders. She took a sip of the drink and sighed. Trance made the best coffee. "When did he leave?" she asked, meaning Harper.
"About twenty minutes ago. He said it wouldn't take him long because he knows all the best places to go," Trance replied with a reflective smile. She still wore a look of concern that Beka couldn't understand every time she talked about Harper. It was like Trance knew something that Beka didn't. Beka gave her a puzzled look and she giggled a little. "He's just so… so shy still. I don't understand it. It's like he doesn't trust us. I just wish he'd realize that we're not going to hurt him or anything like that."
"Trance, it's hard for him to trust anybody but himself, and I'm sure even that's difficult," Beka explained. "Being a slave, not to mention from Earth, has that effect on people. It could take him years to break out of that shell of his, if he ever breaks out of it at all. That's just something we have to accept and get used to."
"I guess you're right," Trance said with a sigh of submission. "I'm just glad that he wants to stay."
----
Harper gave an exasperated sigh and leaned against the counter, glaring at the shop owner. "This part isn't worth that much," he growled for what seemed like the tenth time. "I'll give you…" he pulled the currency chips Beka had given him when he first started fixing the ship and counted them. He threw the chips on the counter and said to the shop owner, "That's twenty-five thrones, half of what you're asking. Either you take it or I'll take my money elsewhere."
The shop owner gave him a contemplative look and glanced at the part they were arguing about. "You're a stubborn pest, mud foot," he finally said with a hint of an accent. "Take the damned part and get out of my shop." He snatched the chips off the counter and slipped them into his pocket, grumbling and cursing Harper the whole time. Harper put on a satisfied smile as he grabbed the part and left the shop. Once outside, he looked around and remembered which way he had to go to get back to the Maru. He'd gotten the three parts he needed in thirty minutes, his personal best. He walked in silence through the busy market streets, his head bowed out of habit, careful not to bump into anybody if he could help it. This was how he had to walk when he was entering a Nietzschean-ruled neighborhood or when he was walking behind his former "employer." While he walked, he could feel a presence behind him, following him, but he tried to ignore it.
To occupy his mind, he thought of that late night conversation he'd had with Beka the night she kicked Bobby off of the ship. She seemed so sad, but he knew that what she did was only going to liberate her. He hadn't seen much of her since that night. If he wasn't working, he was sitting in the machine shop listening to music and reading some of the flexi novels he'd found in storage on the Maru. The instances where he was in the mess hall or anywhere else on the ship, Beka was always in her quarters or away from the ship. Beka was still coping with what she'd done, that much he understood, but what bothered him was the fact that she didn't talk about it. Maybe she was just like he was, always keeping to herself and never letting others know that something was wrong. The idea that she was a lot like him somehow troubled him. With everything that he'd been through came low self-esteem and the idea of somebody else feeling the same way bothered him. Beka was better than that. She was tough, and from what he could tell, she always persevered. She was too beautiful, smart, and strong to feel like he did, like nothing he did ever mattered and his life would amount to nothing at all.
A voice from behind him brought him out of his troubled thoughts. The voice was so familiar that it sent chills down his spine. "Why are you walking so fast, you little rat?" He stopped walking and stood perfectly still, afraid to look at the owner of the voice. Harper had only had one bad run-in with him, but that, combined with Beka's stories, was enough to make him hate every last fiber of his existence, starting with the people that gave him life. Bobby Jensen was his enemy the minute he set foot on the Maru and now he wanted nothing more than a gauss gun to blast his brains right out of his head. "Think you can replace me, mud foot?"
Harper cringed at the name. He knew what he was. He didn't need Bobby to remind him. "That's impossible," Harper replied, turning slowly to face Bobby, who stood behind him with a crooked snarl on his face. "I'm not a big enough asshole to replace you." Bobby apparently didn't like that answer because he took a swing at Harper, catching him across his jaw and knocking him to the ground. Harper landed with a thud and he groaned slightly. "We gonna dance again, big guy? What's the matter, didn't get your kicks last time?"
"You're the reason Beka kicked me out," Bobby growled. "She wouldn't have done that if you hadn't won her over with your helpless, 'look at me, I used to be a slave…' attitude." He picked Harper up by the collar of his shirt and Harper dropped all the parts he'd been carrying. "You must have lied to her to get her to like you so much. I mean, look at you… You're nothing compared to me. How else could you have done it?"
"I guess I'm all charm," Harper said with a sarcastic smile. "And you're right… I can't think of anybody who compares to you. No… I don't think I've met anybody with a brain that small." Bobby snarled again and slammed him back onto the pavement, getting a painful groan out of the tiny human. Harper was sure he'd just broken one of the ribs he'd bruised a few days ago. Pain exploded in his sides and he coughed, trying to regain his breath. As he rolled over onto his stomach to try and heft himself back up, Bobby kicked him back onto his back and reached into his coat pocket. His hand returned clasping a gauss gun with the safety off.
"I'll make Beka take me back," Bobby said quietly. "She'll want me back when you're out of the way. When she finds out you're dead, she'll come running to me for a shoulder to cry on." He aimed the gauss gun at Harper's chest, his hand shaking slightly with anger. Harper couldn't think of anything to do but stare at Bobby in defiance. If he was going to die, he didn't want to go without a fight. Without hesitation, he leapt back onto his feet and lunged at Bobby. Bobby fired the gun in surprise. The stray shot hit something. Harper's scream echoed in the empty street.
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MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA… MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA… cough, cough Oh, pardon me… I love cliffhangers… Especially when I write them. Sorry folks, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happened…