Once again this hasn't been Beta read... sorry about that.
Sorry that it's a short chapter...
Other wise enjoy (
- parisindy
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The bitter cold bit and felt like it was tearing at ever cell. He thrashed and flailed finding no purchase.
His lungs and heart burned
Slowly he became apathetic. Faraway lights sparkles before his eyes. All he wanted to do is sleep but he couldn't...he shouldn't and he didn't know why. For a nanosecond he felt warmer. Then it came, that miniscule thread of promised relief.
It pulled him up. He burst up and out.
It was like coming up for air. It reminded him of the time he got dunked in the water by his house. He gasped desperately for air. It felt like the moments before you're thrust back under by a wave.
The darkness like that wave crashed down hard and relentless.
+++++++++++++++++++++
He couldn't open his eyes. He felt strange. It was then he remembered to breath. It came in a loud gasp and his whole body shook with pain. Sounds... no, voices buzzed in his ears like bees. He raised his hand to swat them but found he didn't have the strength.
"Harper!" the sound died away and the bees became more persistent. Breathing...that was important so he did it again.
The bees flew away. "That's it kiddo! Deep, slow breaths you can do it."
His lips worked but he couldn't make a sound. He licked his lips and tired again. "Mmm, B-Beka?"
"Right here, can you open your eyes? I miss those baby blues." A warm hand brushed his forehead.
"Mmm, tired."
"I know, but it's important. I need you to open your eyes."
Finally, he managed to blink. His eyes opened and fell close again. It was all too hard. He tried to drift away again. He had never been so tired.
There was a sharp biting pain in his left arm.
"Ow!" He complained as his eyes fluttered again. "Pinched me?" He mumbled barley coherent.
Beka slide in and out of focus beside him. "Yeah, I think you have a concussion among other things and I need you to stay awake for a while.
Harper cleared his throat. Beka put a hand on the back of his neck and raised him slightly as she helped him take a small sip of water.
Harper made a face. "Water? You're not supposed to drink the water."
"It's okay sport, this isn't earth water. You can drink it."
She was being awfully nice to him. Did she want him to leave? He felt so confused... all he wanted to do was sleep but she wouldn't let him. "What happened?"
"Open your eyes again and I'll tell you." Prodded Beka.
He hadn't realized he had closed them. He blinked them open again. "You're blurry."
Beka laughed nervously. "I imagine I am. Didn't you know that kids from earth weren't meant to fly through the air?"
He frowned slightly and Beka smiled again. "A lot's happened Kiddo and I'm not sure you'll want to hear the whole story."
"Where'sss everybody?" He slurred. He blinked again heavily. "This is the Maru?"
"Yeah, it's been a long couple of days." Beka sighed. "Alright, here's what happened. Andromeda's AI was on the fritz as you know. Dylan and I got on to command. Andromeda was forcing Trance to slipstream over and over again. She was slowly starting to get better. She recognized Dylan and I but it was too late. Trance had slip streamed us to this place. It was horrible but it was amazing, Seamus. There were all these planets connected together. A world ship... but it was filled with Magog.
Harper shuddered involuntarily.
Beka continued. "They had some kind of weapon. I had never seen one like it before. It fired miniature black holes. Two tore right through us. You almost died. If it wasn't for Rommie you'd be..." Beka looked away with tears in her eyes.
Harper tried to raise his hand, it took him a moment but he finally touched her arm. "Beka?" His voice sounded hoarse even to him. He was worried why wasn't she telling him about the others? "Where is everybody?"
Beka whipped hurriedly at her cheek. "I don't know. The hull was breeched after the first hit. Andromeda couldn't fix it fast enough. Hohne's gone for sure. I saw him float by the Command Deck." She paused looking a little sick. "I left Dylan and Trance on the Command Deck when I heard you screaming. I had to us an EV suite to even get to you. I thought you were frozen solid. I thought you were dead when you quit screaming. I grabbed you but Rommie was holding on to you so tight it took me a bit to get you free. She was lifeless Harper there wasn't anything I could do for her."
Harper rolled over so he didn't have to see Beka's face. How could she just leave Rommie? She really was like all the other people in Harper's life. She just left them behind. She wanted to get rid of him now she left Rommie behind. Why? Why were people like that?
Why did you come back for me? Why didn't you just leave me with Rommie?"
Beka pulled at his shoulder so he was flat on his back again. "Rommie's and android. If we can we'll help her later. She can take the cold. You were dying I needed to help you."
There was logic there but Harper did his best to ignore it.
Beka started her story again, not waiting for him to react. "There was no one else around. I was taking you back to Command when the second black hole hit us. There wasn't any time ...for anything. The Maru was close by and we were running out of air fast. I pulled us in here. We've been holed up here for two days. I can't take off. I thought I might be able to survey the Damage to Andromeda but the docking bay doors are sealed. I'll take an EV suit out later if I can. But I couldn't leave you alone. I-I wasn't sure you'd wake up and well I didn't want you to be alone. I've tried hailing everybody but there is now answer."
"The Magog?" Questioned Harper fearfully.
Beka ran a hand through her hair. She looked worn out as she laughed eerily at his question. "It's weird. There are still there...roaming around. Ever so often I hear their claws on the Maru's hull. But they leave us alone. I don't know why? They could take us anytime they want. Maybe they are saving us for a midnight snack!"
Harper flinched at her words and Beka's face reflected her instant sorrow.
"Aw, hell Harper, I'm sorry. I'm just tired. I have no idea what to do."
Harper coughed he felt cold and achy and he could feel his eyes slowly closing despite his best efforts. "I might." He croaked.
"What? I'm sorry say again?"
"I might know what to do." But it was to late to tell her as he drifted away in to the comforting warmth of exhaustion.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TBC
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The bitter cold bit and felt like it was tearing at ever cell. He thrashed and flailed finding no purchase.
His lungs and heart burned
Slowly he became apathetic. Faraway lights sparkles before his eyes. All he wanted to do is sleep but he couldn't...he shouldn't and he didn't know why. For a nanosecond he felt warmer. Then it came, that miniscule thread of promised relief.
It pulled him up. He burst up and out.
It was like coming up for air. It reminded him of the time he got dunked in the water by his house. He gasped desperately for air. It felt like the moments before you're thrust back under by a wave.
The darkness like that wave crashed down hard and relentless.
+++++++++++++++++++++
He couldn't open his eyes. He felt strange. It was then he remembered to breath. It came in a loud gasp and his whole body shook with pain. Sounds... no, voices buzzed in his ears like bees. He raised his hand to swat them but found he didn't have the strength.
"Harper!" the sound died away and the bees became more persistent. Breathing...that was important so he did it again.
The bees flew away. "That's it kiddo! Deep, slow breaths you can do it."
His lips worked but he couldn't make a sound. He licked his lips and tired again. "Mmm, B-Beka?"
"Right here, can you open your eyes? I miss those baby blues." A warm hand brushed his forehead.
"Mmm, tired."
"I know, but it's important. I need you to open your eyes."
Finally, he managed to blink. His eyes opened and fell close again. It was all too hard. He tried to drift away again. He had never been so tired.
There was a sharp biting pain in his left arm.
"Ow!" He complained as his eyes fluttered again. "Pinched me?" He mumbled barley coherent.
Beka slide in and out of focus beside him. "Yeah, I think you have a concussion among other things and I need you to stay awake for a while.
Harper cleared his throat. Beka put a hand on the back of his neck and raised him slightly as she helped him take a small sip of water.
Harper made a face. "Water? You're not supposed to drink the water."
"It's okay sport, this isn't earth water. You can drink it."
She was being awfully nice to him. Did she want him to leave? He felt so confused... all he wanted to do was sleep but she wouldn't let him. "What happened?"
"Open your eyes again and I'll tell you." Prodded Beka.
He hadn't realized he had closed them. He blinked them open again. "You're blurry."
Beka laughed nervously. "I imagine I am. Didn't you know that kids from earth weren't meant to fly through the air?"
He frowned slightly and Beka smiled again. "A lot's happened Kiddo and I'm not sure you'll want to hear the whole story."
"Where'sss everybody?" He slurred. He blinked again heavily. "This is the Maru?"
"Yeah, it's been a long couple of days." Beka sighed. "Alright, here's what happened. Andromeda's AI was on the fritz as you know. Dylan and I got on to command. Andromeda was forcing Trance to slipstream over and over again. She was slowly starting to get better. She recognized Dylan and I but it was too late. Trance had slip streamed us to this place. It was horrible but it was amazing, Seamus. There were all these planets connected together. A world ship... but it was filled with Magog.
Harper shuddered involuntarily.
Beka continued. "They had some kind of weapon. I had never seen one like it before. It fired miniature black holes. Two tore right through us. You almost died. If it wasn't for Rommie you'd be..." Beka looked away with tears in her eyes.
Harper tried to raise his hand, it took him a moment but he finally touched her arm. "Beka?" His voice sounded hoarse even to him. He was worried why wasn't she telling him about the others? "Where is everybody?"
Beka whipped hurriedly at her cheek. "I don't know. The hull was breeched after the first hit. Andromeda couldn't fix it fast enough. Hohne's gone for sure. I saw him float by the Command Deck." She paused looking a little sick. "I left Dylan and Trance on the Command Deck when I heard you screaming. I had to us an EV suite to even get to you. I thought you were frozen solid. I thought you were dead when you quit screaming. I grabbed you but Rommie was holding on to you so tight it took me a bit to get you free. She was lifeless Harper there wasn't anything I could do for her."
Harper rolled over so he didn't have to see Beka's face. How could she just leave Rommie? She really was like all the other people in Harper's life. She just left them behind. She wanted to get rid of him now she left Rommie behind. Why? Why were people like that?
Why did you come back for me? Why didn't you just leave me with Rommie?"
Beka pulled at his shoulder so he was flat on his back again. "Rommie's and android. If we can we'll help her later. She can take the cold. You were dying I needed to help you."
There was logic there but Harper did his best to ignore it.
Beka started her story again, not waiting for him to react. "There was no one else around. I was taking you back to Command when the second black hole hit us. There wasn't any time ...for anything. The Maru was close by and we were running out of air fast. I pulled us in here. We've been holed up here for two days. I can't take off. I thought I might be able to survey the Damage to Andromeda but the docking bay doors are sealed. I'll take an EV suit out later if I can. But I couldn't leave you alone. I-I wasn't sure you'd wake up and well I didn't want you to be alone. I've tried hailing everybody but there is now answer."
"The Magog?" Questioned Harper fearfully.
Beka ran a hand through her hair. She looked worn out as she laughed eerily at his question. "It's weird. There are still there...roaming around. Ever so often I hear their claws on the Maru's hull. But they leave us alone. I don't know why? They could take us anytime they want. Maybe they are saving us for a midnight snack!"
Harper flinched at her words and Beka's face reflected her instant sorrow.
"Aw, hell Harper, I'm sorry. I'm just tired. I have no idea what to do."
Harper coughed he felt cold and achy and he could feel his eyes slowly closing despite his best efforts. "I might." He croaked.
"What? I'm sorry say again?"
"I might know what to do." But it was to late to tell her as he drifted away in to the comforting warmth of exhaustion.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TBC