Chapter 6
Halfway to the Hanger Bay, Andromeda's humanoid avatar stopped her.
"Beka, what's wrong with you?" Rommie asked, falling into step beside Beka. "I've never seen you snap at Harper like that." Except when you were on Flash.
"Sorry," Terla/Beka said, sighing. "I'm just... preoccupied."
"I understand." Rommie nodded. "Would you like to tell me about it?"
"No, I'll, I'll be fine Rommie," Terla/Beka replied. "I just need to unwind a bit."
Rommie nodded and walked away. Terla/Beka sighed in relief, and continued on her way to the Hanger Bay.
Telemachus was still confused about Beka. Despite what he told Harper, he didn't think that it was mere stress. The Nietzschean made a decision.
"Andromeda?" he asked again.
The hologram appeared.
"Do you know where Beka is?" he asked.
"She's on her way to the Hanger Bay," Andromeda replied.
Telemachus started walking toward the hanger.
"Do you want me to tell her you're coming?" Andromeda asked.
Telemachus shook his head. "No, don't."
"Very well." The hologram disappeared.
The Nietzschean arrived at the exact instant Terla/Beka stepped into the cargo pod, so he didn't see her. Telemachus decided to enter the airlock and see if Beka was on board the Maru. As he walked back through the cockpit, his eyes came upon a rigidly sitting Beka, watching a viewscreen on the wall in front of her.
"Beka?" he asked, walking toward her. The image on the screen was Beka ordering the worker 'bots in the cargo pod.
No answer. Beka didn't even turn to face him.
Telemachus stood in front of her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Beka?"
She blinked frantically at him, but that was all. Telemachus gave her a light punch from the side. Beka fell over, still in the position she was sitting in.
"Beka, what's going on?" he demanded, frustrated.
"What are you doing here!" Beka's voice shouted from behind him.
Telemachus turned, confused to see a very angry Beka facing him. He looked from the motionless Beka to the angry Beka. Huh?!?
At that moment, Terla/Beka charged at Rhade. "I won't have you ruining my plans, not when I'm so close!" she screamed, launching into a vicious jump-kick.
Telemachus ducked and dove forward, putting as much space as he could between the angry Beka. He was abruptly reminded of a similar scene that happened just days before, when Beka had attacked him on board the Maru. He leapt to his feet, flexing his bone blades.
Terla/Beka smiled, then came in with a dizzying karate attack that Telemachus was barely able to deflect. "Why are you doing this?" he demanded as Terla/Beka retreated.
"Poor, pathetic Nietzschean," Terla/Beka sighed. "You just don't understand, do you?"
Before Telemachus' eyes, Terla shapeshifted, becoming a certain Nietzschean Telemachus knew only by reputation, but whose actions haunted him every day.
"Gaheris Rhade," Telemachus said flatly.