Author's Note: Silver Spider, is it ok if I kinda use Tristan from Invictus to base my Nietzschean girl? (Don't worry, she won't be adopted & raised by Beka and Telemachus, or really be a major character for the sequel to this!)

Oh, and a note on the age. I screwed it up when I was typing, it's supposed to be 9-10 years old. Sorry!

Reviews: John Able- Sounds like a smashing beginning. I loved the scene with the locket! The end, however, sounds a tad like SilverSpider's Invictus. I do hope this is an original story line, yes? Write well.

Thanks! It is gonna be an original story-line, but I do kinda want to base it off Tristan. Don't worry, not exactly like him, but sort of.

prin69- i love your stories so far! aww, he was so cute to lie for her. harper was super funny, i can so see him tainting her like that. oh, what WILL he have her do? aw, the poor little girl. i hope she's okay. sniff

I tried to make Harper pretty much like he is in the episodes, so thanks for telling me I did a great job! As for the rest, well... you'll see! :P

Thanks for the great reviews, keep 'em coming!

Chapter 2

"Oh my God," Dylan breathed, staring. "Oh my God... What happened to you?"

The girl smiled hesitantly. "Collectors happened to me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. It probably hurts to talk, Beka thought, sickened. "We were on a routine cargo run when we were ambushed by Commonwealth ships. They shot a few missiles, not really causing much damage. Then," the girl swallowed hard. "Then they fired a dart-ish thing at us, sticking in our hull. The enemy leapt into Slipstream. It was a few hours before we noticed a dark blue mist drifting through the ship. "The mist..." the child hesitated. "It stuck to our skin and wouldn't wash off. We didn't think much of it until it began... eating our skin," the girl's voice was now choked with tears. "Everyone on board... my family... they're all on the floor, polished bone skeletons."

A pause. "How are you still alive?" Dylan asked, looking as heart broken as Beka felt.

The girl held up her arm so they could see the bone blades on her forearms, untouched by the acid. She was Nietzschean, so that's why she is more resistant.

"The rest of the crew was human," Rommie said softly. Even the AI was struck by this monstrosity.

"Please," the girl pleaded hoarsely. "Help me?"

"Don't worry, child," Telemachus said comfortingly. "We'll help you. Stand by?" Looking at him, Beka could see the repressed anger in his eyes.

The girl nodded tearfully, and the transmission cut off.

"What do you think it is, bio-weapon?" Dylan asked, clearly still shaken.

"Symptoms are consistent with the results of an agent developed for when the Worldship comes," Rommie said. "Omega Blue."

"If the Collectors have stooped to using Biological weapons on cargo freighters," Telemachus growled low in his throat and shook his head.

"Andromeda, is there a cure for it?" Trance asked softly.

"Checking," Rommie closed her eyes briefly. "The projects funding was cut off when Omega Blue infected and killed the researchers. It's highly contagious," she added.

"So we can't bring her on board," Dylan said. "I can't risk the entire crew being infected."

"Boss, we can't just leave her," Harper protested. "She's just a kid."

"I'm open to suggestions," Dylan said, spreading his hands.

"I have one," Trance said. All attention shifted to the gold alien. "We could send someone over in an EVA suit, put the child in one-"

Dylan frowned. "Wouldn't the EVA suits be contaminated?"

"Yes," Trance said, looking crestfallen.

"If we set up a relay of corridors," Harper said, thinking out loud. "Sealed them off and filled them with vacuum but left the AG fields on, then the bio-weapon will only be on the EVA suits, which will be discarded while in the vacuum..."

"And then Omega Blue won't spread," Dylan said thoughtfully. "Once we get the girl to Med-Deck, Trance can be wearing an EVA suit, and we can seal off M-Deck."

"Omega Blue won't eat through the EVA suits," Rommie agreed. "It was designed to kill only living beings and nano-bots."

"Ok," Dylan said, looking encouraged. "Set it up."