I finally have the next part done, and I think it's the best of all of them. It's a bit slow, but the action comes soon. Looks like all I have to do to get reviews is not update for a long time! Don't worry, I won't get any ideas!

For those who asked, I was in BC visiting family and picking up a puppy. My aunt breeds German Shepherds, and because my current Sheppy is getting old, she gave us a puppy for free. That is the most beautiful place I've ever seen, and if anyone gets the chance, go. I'm thinking of moving to North Vancouver when I'm done school! All those forest fires are a shame, though.

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Harper felt himself falling, and tried to relax into the familiar feeling. It only lasted a few seconds, and then he felt his virtual self materialize in the matrix. This activity always brought him joy. Except now. He couldn't help but feel trepidation. Every time he went into the matrix, something went wrong. What could it be next?

"Harper!" Andromeda's sharp voice cut through his reverie. "We have work to do, let's go!"

"Coming, coming. Don't get your data stream in a knot." He felt a small triumph when she gave him a withering look and ignored him. "So, any thoughts on where this thing might be? I don't have a lot of time to spend looking for it. Neither do you, if you catch my drift."

"Let's go to the central mainframe. Whatever this is, it's accessed all main systems, so it needs to be somewhere that access can be easily gained to those systems."

When they materialized there, Harper knew immediately something was off. Instead of the data streams moving in every direction, a large section of them all went off to the far corner, where a large black mass pulsed. "Well there's something you don't see every day," Harper mumbled.

"I'd say. This is where all the power's going, and it appears it is growing."

"I'm gonna try and read it's programming, see what I can learn. Watch my back."

He inched towards it, careful not to get too close for fear he'd get sucked in too. When he was two feet from it, he reached out and started tapping the streams surrounding it, looking for any information. Accessing it was easy. Almost too easy, he thought.

"Wow, look at this. For as advanced as this technology is, there is nothing here to protect it! Looks like the genius who built it really wasn't a genius after all."

"Don't get too excited, Harper. Maybe it doesn't need built in protection because it can protect itself."

"Don't be silly. It's just a highly advanced program. It can't defend itself from everything out there." Moments later, Harper wished he'd kept his mouth shut as the black mass started to change shape again, and resemble a familiar figure. "Oh crap. I think that's our cue to leave!"

The figure reached out at him, and narrowly missed as Andromeda grabbed his wrist and yanked him back. Together, they made a hasty exit.

Harper felt himself jolted back into his body, and managed to yank the jack from his port seconds before it emitted a shower of sparks. With a gasp, he gave a knowing smile that said 'I know something you don't'.

"Well, Dylan, there is one hell of a mess in there. I managed to put a firewall around it before it tried to attack me, so for the moment, there shouldn't be any more problems. I was also able to read the programming, and there is some serious shit going on with this thing."

"How do you mean?" Dylan asked.

"Okay. Lets say you wanted to steal someone's ship, but you didn't want to risk your own life doing it. How would you do it?"

"Uh, send someone else," Beka stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, or something else." At the puzzled looks, Harper continued. "This virus is draining all the power it can from the ship. It's been designed to drain from life support, sensors and weapons, then the secondary systems. At the same time, it's transmitting a signal, like a homing beacon."

"Of course. Disable the ship, kill the crew, then come and take it. Someone has gone through a lot of trouble to design something like this," Tyr contributed.

"And there's more."

Dylan groaned.

"I wouldn't describe it as sentient, but when it infects the host, or carrier, namely me, the program is influenced by said person's brain waves. Trance couldn't detect it because it mimicked my brain waves, and it changed my personality because it picked up on my subconscious thoughts and brought them to the surface."

"That's why it also started to look like you in the matrix as well."

"Bingo. I'd sure like to meet the guy who designed this."

"You will unless we can get rid of it."

"About that. I can't stay with it too long in the matrix before it notices me. I'm going to have to run computer sims to find something that will work quickly before I go back in."

"How long will the ship be safe for?"

"It's hard to say. A few hours at least, unless the designer is already on his way after picking up the beacon. But with a ship this size, he'd know it would take days to fully drain power."

"Tyr and I will monitor things from here. I want you to go get a shower and something to eat. You look like hell," Dylan commented.

"I'm fine. I need to get this..."

"Now," the Captain ordered.

"I'll just have a Sparky. Really..."

"The Captain means food, Harper. My sensors show you have lost 7.3 pounds in the past week. Anymore and Trance will be feeding you through a tube," Andromeda threatened.

"Alright, alright." Harper put his hands up in mock surrender. "I'll eat. Just let me..."

"No!" everyone yelled in unison.

"Sheesh. I was just gonna release Trance from Obs deck and turn Rommie back on. Relax." When he was done, Beka looped her arm through his and started half pulling, half leading him from Command.

"Come on, skinny. Let's go see what we can find."

"Geez, what's with the slave driver routines?" When he felt Beka tense, he knew it had been the wrong thing to say. She pulled away and turned to face him.

"What did you say?" There was anger in her voice, and a hint of fear. What if they had made a mistake letting him interface again? This was different, though. He didn't have a look of malice on his face. In fact, he looked as shocked as she did.

"Whoops. Did I just say that out loud?" Beka continued to look hard at him. "I'm sorry, Beka. I really didn't mean anything by that. Honest." She couldn't hate him again.

She looked at him for a few more seconds before stepping closer. "Is that what you really see us as? Slave drivers?" she asked sadly.

"No! You know I'd never say something like that, right?"

"But you did, Harper. And it really hurt. You said horrible things to everyone."

"I wasn't myself. I really didn't mean it. I know how slavers operate first hand, and I know that I'm the only engineer on this ship, but sometimes it feels like I have no control over things. That for once I'd like to do something I want, and not have everyone bossing me around when something breaks down. But I also know that meeting you, and getting a job here on Andromeda are the best things that have ever happened to me. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that."

"I know. Come on, I think I saw Tyr hiding a plate of beef in the refrigeration unit. Then maybe after that I can convince you to take a shower."

"I don't think so, Boss. Too much to do."

"Harper, you stink," Beka stated, wrinkling her nose. "I didn't want to say anything earlier, but a Nightsider smells better than you."

"Oh yeah, lay it on. How come no one else has said anything?"

"Because they're being polite, and thankfully I don't have any olfactory sensors," Rommie put in, coming up behind them.

"Hey Rom-doll! Come to witness the Harper work computer magic?" At a look from Beka, he added, "After I eat and shower?"

"Dylan wants me to help you, actually. I might be 'antiquated' as you implied previously, but that doesn't mean I can't be useful."

Three hours later Harper and Rommie were still working, and Beka had run off to get him a Sparky Cola. When sleep was hard to come by, Sparky did the trick. He tried unsuccessfully to stifle another vicious yawn.

"Harper, has anyone talked to you about your previous behaviour yet?" Rommie inquired.

"Oh just Beka, Trance, even Tyr. Although he doesn't really need to talk, ya know? Those looks, sheesh. You'd think I was an axe murderer or something," Harper complained.

"You threatened to dismantle me. With a nanowelder."

Harper looked crestfallen. "Oh. I guess there is a parallel there. Me and my big mouth."

"Dylan's upset with you for all the reprogramming you do without his permission. He's worried that one of these days you're going to put the ship and crew in danger."

Harper growled as the computer beeped incessantly at him again. "Look, I'd never do anything to endanger you guys. You're my family."

"I know that, Harper. It's Dylan you need to convince. He's only known you a short time, and he's already been betrayed by someone he trusted with his life. Just don't do it again. Alright?" No answer. "Alright, Harper?" She turned to look at him. He had a brilliant smile on his face.

"I got it Rommie!"