Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda or its characters and I am making money from this story.
Chapter 18
A man's voice spoke up grumbling, "There's nobody here. It looks like we just missed the Kludges."
"They couldn't have gotten too far. We'll get them," another man's voice replied.
Harper put a hand over Q2's mouth as the teenager was about to speak. Harper cocked his head, listening for any sounds. After a couple minutes the Earther was satisfied the Nietzscheans were long gone and released his hand from Q2's mouth.
"That was close. They were after the humans who were here before us weren't they?" Q2 asked.
Harper nodded his head and proceeded to push off the false floor from over their heads. The engineer motioned for Q2 to climb out. Harper followed suit, replacing the false piece of floor.
Harper briefly examined his work and kicked some dust around before he was satisfied that the Nietzscheans wouldn't notice that the piece of floor was loose.
"Do you think they'll be back?" Q2 asked as he lay down on the couch.
Harper gave a shrug of his shoulders. "It's hard to say. Those two may just come back hoping the people who were here earlier are stupid enough to return. Either that or some other Kludge will be unlucky enough to wander in here."
"So we leave then." Q2 guessed.
Harper carefully looked out a window for any Nietzscheans. "Yup, we should be safer in the sewer system. The Ubers don't like to go down there too much. We'll hit the garbage dump for supplies on the way."
Q2 made a face as he thought about scrounging around in a dump. It wasn't something Qs did. They were all above that sort of thing.
Harper frowned at the teenager and hoped Q2 wouldn't put up too much of a protest. "I know it's not the most pleasant way to pass the time here on Earth but we need food and can't just go around asking the Ubers."
"I know. It's just so revolting scrounging through rubbish," Q2 replied as he joined Harper at a one of the windows on at the back of the room.
The glass had long been knocked from the frame which made for an easy exit. Harper helped Q2 through the window before easily climbing through to the outside.
Harper and Q2 kept to the shadows and side streets, avoiding even the kludges as much as possible. Q2 watched with pity as a mother with two young children begged for food on a street corner. The woman was ignored by the Kludges and barely tolerated by the Nietzscheans patrolling the streets.
Harper tugged on Q2's shirt sleeve to get the teen's attention. "We need to keep moving or we'll attract the Ubers' attention."
Q2 reluctantly continued on. The sheer desperation of the situation of the Kludges on Earth had drawn his fascination. He wondered briefly what he would have done if he had grown up a mere mortal human.
After a walking for a few miles Harper grabbed Q2 and pulled the teenager with him and ducked around a corner. The engineer peeked around the corner of a brick building and watched the action going on across the street. A Nietzschean was talking to a young Kludge boy of about seven. It looked to Harper and Q2 like the Nietzschean was questioning the boy, and none to politely either. The boy struggled to escape the grasp of the much larger Uber.
Harper pulled himself back behind the wall and headed down to the nearby alley and gestured for Q2 to accompany him.
"What's the matter? Why are we going down this alley instead?" Q2 wondered out loud.
Harper kicked a tin can before answering, "We're just taking a little detour. I just saw an Uber I knew when I lived here. I'd rather he didn't see me again."
Q2 was intrigued. He wondered if Harper would open up and provide some details. During his time as a Q he had gleaned a few details about Harper and the rest of the Andromeda crew which only made the teen eager to learn more.
Harper noticed the smile on Q2's face and frowned. "Only a Q would find it funny that I don't like to meet Ubers."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to smile. I am always eager to be able to learn more about humans and didn't think," Q2 quickly apologized.
Harper and Q2 were momentarily distracted by two young girls running by, closely chased by a tall Nietzschean with a rifle.
The Nietzschean shouted for the children to stop as he fired a warning shot into the air. Harper knew what was going to happen next but was powerless to stop it. There was no way for him to stop the Nietzschean. The girls didn't stop and continued running. The Nietzschean fired two shots at the girls which dropped the two Kludges instantly.
Q2 looked at Harper with shock. Q2's parents had kept their son from seeing such unpleasantness until they felt he was old enough.
Harper took Q2 down into the sewer system and the two made their way deeper into the concrete tunnels. Harper followed landmarks that led them to a small mudfoot colony.
Harper introduced himself to the leader, a stocky, man with thinning brunet hair. Ethan O'Brien didn't look older than 15, but with malnutrition rampant Harper guessed him to be closer to 20.
"So you're the famous Seamus Harper huh?" O'Brien asked, obviously still suspicious.
"Yup that's me. And you rhymed too but on to more pressing matters. I don't ever remember seeing you before," Harper observed.
O'Brien snorted at the implication. "I was in one of the Uber detention cells last time you were here. I've proven I can be trusted as the leader here."
Q2 was ignored by the rest of the gang as the teenager tried to get shake hands with the wary humans. This did not go unnoticed by Harper, but the engineer chose not to make an issue of the slight. "Since you are the leader I will trust the others' judgment. 'Is your leadership position just temporary or did you find proof that my cousin Brendan died in the last uprising?"
O'Brien pulled out a cigarette and lighter and lit up. "We still don't know for sure what happened to Brendan Lahey, although there are plenty of rumors to go around."
"I'm sure there are," Harper agreed.
"Why did you bring the kid along? He looks a little too pampered to have along on a trip to Earth," O'Brien pointed out.
Harper spoke up to keep Q2 from saying something they'd both regret. "Don't worry about Simon here. He serves a purpose. So I don't suppose you know anything about Brendan's whereabouts that I don't?"
O'Brien excused the members of his group and took a seat on a dilapidated stool. "Like I said I don't have any news so I'm afraid I can't help you."
"Okay, I just had to ask. We better be going," Harper replied as he started heading back out through the tunnel. Q2 followed the engineer until O'Brien and two of his men stepped in front of them.
"Are you planning to take over as top dog here Harper? If you are, don't try it. I'm not giving up my position to someone who deserted us," O'Brien warned.
Harper was nonplussed and was surprised that Q2 kept his cool as well. "Hey I'm not planning on taking over. If these people think you are worth following then who am I to argue? I just wanna find out for sure if Brendan is still alive. I have to know."
O'Brien sneered at the engineer. "Well maybe if you had stuck around when the fighting started you would know what happened to Brendan."
Harper clenched his jaw as he fought the temptation to pummel O'Brien into the ground with his fists. "I spent 20 years here on this rock and gave it to the Ubers as good you or any other mudfoot, so don't even go there O'Brien."
"But you left the first chance you got didn't you?" O'Brien asked.
"Yeah, and you woulda done the same so don't act so self righteous. Now if you'll excuse me my friend here and I have some business to finish," Harper replied as he and Q2 headed outside.
Harper took Q2 through the sewer system tunnels for at least mile, or so Q2 thought, before finally settling on a place to stay for the rest night. Q2 wouldn't admit that he wasn't used to exerting this kind of energy. Being a human was taking a toll on him.
Harper noticed the teen's tired features. "Hope you don't mind bedding down here for the night. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to get any food. I've got some more food bars and we'll see what we can find tomorrow."
"Didn't you pack enough supplies to last for one of your weeks?" Q2 asked as he stifled a yawn.
"Yeah but I only brought enough for me. I figured you'd pack for yourself," Harper replied.
Q2 sat kicked aside some concrete rocks against the right wall and sat down. "The Continuum wouldn't allow me to take anything with me."
Harper sat down next the boy and stretched his arms out above his head. "I guess I should have figured on that happening. Lucky for you I'm a good scrounger. Now lets' get some shuteye."
"Sounds good to me," Q2 readily agreed before lying down. "What are your plans for tomorrow?"
"We'll go scrounge for some food and supplies and I'll see if I can find out anything more about my cousin; unless you'd care to tell me what you know," Harper answered through a yawn.
Q2 turned over to face Harper and leaned on his elbow. "I can't. I'm sorry."
"Alright, suit yourself," Harper replied as he scooted down and pulled a can of Sparky from a backpack he had brought along. The chugged down the cola hoping it would help him to stay awake as he kept watch through the night. "Sleep tight kid."