Chapter 4
The morning came, and Dylan was hesitant to let her leave.
"Beka, we need you here." He protested.
"Well, I don't need any of you." The tone of her voice made it clear she was leaving, whether he liked it or not. This was just a formality.
He gave in. "There is a slipfighter being prepared for you now, but if you wish, I have a small craft in hangar 12." She simply turned around and left.
She wouldn't take anything but what little money she had, and some clothing with her. The night life on the drifts was what kept her going before. Before the Andromeda, before Harper, before even Bobby. It was what was going to get her through this, too.
The ship Dylan had for her was about the size of the Maru. It would do. She stepped in, ready to leave.
"Beka, wait! This just came in…" Dylan was running towards her.
She took it from him. "A data file… it says that Bobby has died. And he left me as his next of kin. I hope they don't think I'm going to do something about this."
"Beka, you need to go-"
"I am on leave right now, remember, captain? You do not tell me what I need to do right now." She stepped into the ship. "Let me out." Walking to the cockpit, she turned around. "I will come back, Dylan."
"I know." He turned around and began to walk away. "By the way, the ship's name is the Challenger. Thought you might like to know." She nodded and went on her way. At least she would escape this crap for a while. Honestly, she didn't think she'd miss anyone here for a while.
Tyr was in his quarters. He had stayed detached from the whole situation. When the little professor died, he slipped away and kept his distance from the rest of the crew. He knew they would be mourning him, and that they wouldn't expect him to join in. The truth was, losing Harper had affected him more than he's like to admit. And what it must be doing to Captain Valentine… but he wouldn't go there. He wanted to comfort her, but he wouldn't. She was a mere kludge; it would make him seem weak. Although she was exceptionally strong for a kludge, almost enough to be Nietzschean. This was ridiculous, he would stop considering all of this right now. He headed to the weight room.
On the challenger, Beka was getting a message. The face that popped up on the screen was one of the strangest things she'd ever seen: Bobby Jensen, back from the dead.
"Why, hello Beka! Miss me?"
"Not really. I don't feel like dealing with your crap right now."
"Awwwww, we can't talk?"
"Let's don't and say we did."
"That's just not good enough for me. Jensen out." Suddenly the ship rocked from impact, and an alert sounded. "We are being boarded."
"Thought continuing our conversation in person would be better."
"I don't. What do you want?"
"Access to the Andromeda Ascendant."
"Well too bad, as of right now I'm not a part of that crew anymore."
"But I bet you still have all the access codes. And that little mudfoot of yours could probably work his magic from right here."
"He probably could. Too bad he's dead." She was trying with everything she had to keep her emotions in check, but she was going to collapse soon. Jus thinking about it killed her, and talking about it was a million times worse.
"Oh no. Well, at least there won't be Sparky cans all over the floor, and chairs, and tables, and, well everything."
"You bastard, you're talking about my brother! Get the hell off my ship!"
"I'm guessing this isn't your ship, it doesn't look quite like the Maru…"
"Get off right now, dammit!" She started shooting at him, but he just laughed it off.
"You think that will affect me?" For the first time, she really looked at him. "You're a cyborg!" She whispered in complete astonishment.
"I take it you like the new look?" he was laughing at her. "Look, just give me the access codes to the Andromeda, and I'll leave you alone. But remember, I can tell when you're lying."
"Fine. She threw him a disk of the codes. These are the codes. I'm not lying, now go away."
"Thanks, nice seeing you again, babe!" He walked off the ship jovially.
"The codes before Harper changed them." She said to his retreating figure, grinning. "You're gonna wish he was still around, he's the only one who knows how to turn off the defense system when someone tries to use those codes!"
The morning came, and Dylan was hesitant to let her leave.
"Beka, we need you here." He protested.
"Well, I don't need any of you." The tone of her voice made it clear she was leaving, whether he liked it or not. This was just a formality.
He gave in. "There is a slipfighter being prepared for you now, but if you wish, I have a small craft in hangar 12." She simply turned around and left.
She wouldn't take anything but what little money she had, and some clothing with her. The night life on the drifts was what kept her going before. Before the Andromeda, before Harper, before even Bobby. It was what was going to get her through this, too.
The ship Dylan had for her was about the size of the Maru. It would do. She stepped in, ready to leave.
"Beka, wait! This just came in…" Dylan was running towards her.
She took it from him. "A data file… it says that Bobby has died. And he left me as his next of kin. I hope they don't think I'm going to do something about this."
"Beka, you need to go-"
"I am on leave right now, remember, captain? You do not tell me what I need to do right now." She stepped into the ship. "Let me out." Walking to the cockpit, she turned around. "I will come back, Dylan."
"I know." He turned around and began to walk away. "By the way, the ship's name is the Challenger. Thought you might like to know." She nodded and went on her way. At least she would escape this crap for a while. Honestly, she didn't think she'd miss anyone here for a while.
Tyr was in his quarters. He had stayed detached from the whole situation. When the little professor died, he slipped away and kept his distance from the rest of the crew. He knew they would be mourning him, and that they wouldn't expect him to join in. The truth was, losing Harper had affected him more than he's like to admit. And what it must be doing to Captain Valentine… but he wouldn't go there. He wanted to comfort her, but he wouldn't. She was a mere kludge; it would make him seem weak. Although she was exceptionally strong for a kludge, almost enough to be Nietzschean. This was ridiculous, he would stop considering all of this right now. He headed to the weight room.
On the challenger, Beka was getting a message. The face that popped up on the screen was one of the strangest things she'd ever seen: Bobby Jensen, back from the dead.
"Why, hello Beka! Miss me?"
"Not really. I don't feel like dealing with your crap right now."
"Awwwww, we can't talk?"
"Let's don't and say we did."
"That's just not good enough for me. Jensen out." Suddenly the ship rocked from impact, and an alert sounded. "We are being boarded."
"Thought continuing our conversation in person would be better."
"I don't. What do you want?"
"Access to the Andromeda Ascendant."
"Well too bad, as of right now I'm not a part of that crew anymore."
"But I bet you still have all the access codes. And that little mudfoot of yours could probably work his magic from right here."
"He probably could. Too bad he's dead." She was trying with everything she had to keep her emotions in check, but she was going to collapse soon. Jus thinking about it killed her, and talking about it was a million times worse.
"Oh no. Well, at least there won't be Sparky cans all over the floor, and chairs, and tables, and, well everything."
"You bastard, you're talking about my brother! Get the hell off my ship!"
"I'm guessing this isn't your ship, it doesn't look quite like the Maru…"
"Get off right now, dammit!" She started shooting at him, but he just laughed it off.
"You think that will affect me?" For the first time, she really looked at him. "You're a cyborg!" She whispered in complete astonishment.
"I take it you like the new look?" he was laughing at her. "Look, just give me the access codes to the Andromeda, and I'll leave you alone. But remember, I can tell when you're lying."
"Fine. She threw him a disk of the codes. These are the codes. I'm not lying, now go away."
"Thanks, nice seeing you again, babe!" He walked off the ship jovially.
"The codes before Harper changed them." She said to his retreating figure, grinning. "You're gonna wish he was still around, he's the only one who knows how to turn off the defense system when someone tries to use those codes!"