Disclaimer: I do not own any of Andromeda's characters; if I did, would I be writing fanfiction? I think not. It all belongs to Tribune…or some sort of tv company thing. Anyway, it's not mine. This is written purely for entertainment. Enjoy.
Filial Piety
Part 3
She was resting quietly in the small hut to avoid the annoying heat and light of day. This provided her with a chance to meditate and sense how her son was doing in his mission. Anger began to fill her as she realized something was wrong. The old pain was back and stronger, sharper, than before.
Besides that there was something else. Its father was not dead yet. He should have been by now; therefore something was wrong. Had she counted the time incorrectly? It had been quite draining to send the boy so far unnaturally across time and space. But no, there could be no mistakes her calculations and power.
Had she underestimated the child? No; he had been ready, she'd made sure of that. She was not about to let all her careful planning, paid for by pain, time, and boredom, go to waste. Uncontrollable rage flooded her body at the mere thought. At last she decided not to take any risks. Weak as she still was from sending the boy on his way she would wait no longer. She stood up and walked out the door and smiled; her timing was perfect. The sun was setting.
Rhade and Dylan escorted the boy into one of the rooms by the Med Deck, a firm grip on each of his arms despite the heavy binding on his hands. Trance was waiting in the room next to a table of various medical instruments and when he saw her the boy turned pale. He was tied to a chair beside the table and the two men stood behind him with their guns drawn; this was more of an attempt to scare the boy into talking or otherwise revealing information, rather than for actual safety. Seeing them and the effect they were having on the boy, Trance frowned.
"Thank you Dylan, Rhade; I'll be fine by myself."
"Are you sure Trance?" Dylan wasn't too keen on leaving the boy alone with anyone, especially kind-hearted and innocent Trance, but she remained firm.
"Please, you're only going to make this more difficult." Her unusually assertive expression convinced Dylan that she knew what she was doing so he nodded and signaled for Rhade to follow him as he left.
"You can torture me all that you want but I have nothing to tell any of you that I haven't already said." The boy said once they had gone. His voice didn't waver but his eyes were staring at Trance with an obvious effort to not look frightened. She smiled softly at him.
"Is that what you think this is about? You're wrong; Dylan would never let anyone torture a person, especially a child."
"I am not a child," The boy said through gritted teeth. The smile on Trance's face was replaced by a sad grimace.
"Perhaps you're right. Can you tell me your name then?" For a few long moments the boy just stared at her, but at last he said reluctantly,
"My name is Keary."
"Hello Keary, I'm Trance."
"If you're not going to torture me then what are you doing?" he asked as she picked up a needle and fiddled with one of the machines.
"We just need to know if you're telling the truth about being Harper's son; a simple blood test, that's all. At least," She added under her breath, "I hope it's simple."
"What will you do with me when the test proves I'm telling the truth?" Trance turned around to look at Keary before giving an answer.
"I guess that'll depend,"
"Depend on what?"
"On if Harper dies." The boy's form stiffened but Trance tried to give a comforting smile. At this point she was not really sure what to do or how to do it. She was simply going with her instincts to try and help a man whom once, she had been told, was a very close friend of hers. She still felt something for Harper of course; it was just more like a strange memory in the back of her mind rather than a true emotion.
"I can't help it if he dies," the words were clipped and said shortly. He laid back and stared at the ceiling. Trance ignored this comment for the moment and prepared the tools she needed exactly as Andromeda had instructed her to.
"This may hurt a little," She warned. Keary made no reply and didn't flinch when she placed the needle in his arm. Trance then placed the sample of blood into a machine and waited for Andromeda to compare it to Harper's. While she waited she glanced over at Keary.
"I can tell that you're lying, you know. You can help Harper, and you will save his life."
"Why?" He refused to look at her and his voice wallowed in bitterness. "Why should I do that? Will you threaten to kill me if I don't? I'm not afraid."
"You'll help because you're not an evil person: you're a child, a misguided one maybe, but still a child. And children don't kill their own parents." To this he said nothing and Trance had not expected him to. The test was soon complete and she gathered the results to show to the others.
"How is that possible?" Dylan's face was white as he stared at Trance dumbfounded. Rhade's mouth was hanging open and Doyle demanded to see the results herself, just in case Trance had missed something.
"Dylan's right; this can't be possible. Harper can't get a girl to look at him twice let alone…" Rhade stopped when he saw the anger on Beka's ashen face.
"It is possible." She swallowed; one hand came up to her forehead as the shock overwhelmed her.
"This is ridiculous. Harper would have said something if he had a family." Doyle interrupted.
"I don't think he knew." Beka laughed softly; desperately. "How could he of? He didn't even know her name…"
"Beka what are you talking about?" Dylan asked in a calming manner.
"I've been trying to prove to myself that Keary couldn't be Harper's son, that it wasn't logically possible. Trance's results aren't a mistake so where does that leave me? Maybe the kid came back from some weird future where things are different. That would explain a lot if I had no other explanation. But I do. A couple of days after I took Harper off of Earth we stopped at a drift; it was the first place he'd been to in space so I let him explore by himself for awhile. I left him alone in a bar…when I came back I couldn't find him. At first I thought he had ditched me, but that didn't seem like him so I got worried." She swallowed again as though the words were hard to speak.
"The bartender pointed me to a small room saying that he'd seen a blonde boy go in there with a beautiful dark woman. I had my doubts that this could be Harper, believe me, but I checked anyway. And, to my ever-lasting surprise, it was him and the woman was beautiful. Nothing against Harper but let's just say I found it hard to believe that such a gorgeous woman had willing chosen him. I thought he must have tricked her or something…but he was completely wasted; he barely recognized me. The woman was sober though and that made me suspicious. I was so angry and worried about Harper that I didn't even think to talk to her." Beka fell into silence closing her eyes as images of that long-ago night came back to haunt her.
"But why would this kid," Doyle tried to say 'his son' but couldn't form the words, "want to kill Harper? I mean, Harper didn't even know he existed."
"I think that's what we'll have to find out." Dylan replied grimly. Even as he spoke the words Trance shook her head.
"No; we have to save Harper first. We don't have time to waste on questions he might refuse to answer."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Rhade inquired sarcastically.
"Keary knows how to save him, I'm sure of it, though I don't know how I'm certain. We have to convince him to help us." The expression on Trance's face changed from puzzled to decisive and Dylan nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Any suggestions on how we can do that?"
"No," Trance answered in a small voice.
"Well I'll go talk to him. Doyle, see if you can search Andromeda's medical files; maybe there's something on poisons that could help." Doyle gave a quick nod and dashed off.
"Dylan, wait." Beka grabbed Dylan's arm when he turned to go to Med Deck. "Let me talk to him. I've known Harper the longest." Dylan studied something in her face before nodding slowly.
"Fine, do whatever you can. We'll wait here if you need help." In truth Dylan didn't know what else to do and hoped with all his might that Beka could convince the strange boy to help them cure the father he'd done his best to kill.
The first thing Beka realized was how young the boy really was. His eyes were closed and he'd made no sign that he noticed her presence since she had entered the Med Deck. She did the math in her head and felt surprised when she realized how old, or rather, not old, he must be. However he had been old enough to stab Harper and this hardened her against him.
"We both know you're awake so you might as well open your eyes." Her acid voice cut through the air. A moment later and his eyes slowly opened. He said nothing. Only the soft sound of machines whirring kept the silence from being a dead one.
"Trance says you know how to save Harper." Still he said nothing. Striding forward impatiently Beka untied him with savage quickness but gave him no chance to run from her. Not that Keary would have; he knew well enough that there was no where to run to, though he was not entirely familiar with the idea of a sentient ship.
"Maybe you didn't catch my drift: you're going to help us whether you like it or not."
"Give me one good reason why I should do that."
"Give me one good reason why you felt you had to kill my friend." Beka shot back. Those familiar blue eyes made her gut wrench but the calculating way in which they stared at her were entirely alien.
"Thanks to him my mother and I are trapped on a world filled with people who hate us. It is his fault." He decided she didn't need to know more. Yet he searched for reasons and realized that he was having trouble putting into words exactly why he had been compelled to kill his father. The woman's icy blue eyes flashed and she smiled mockingly.
"Point one: Harper didn't even know you existed. Nor did he know your mother's name…he didn't know anything about her. Second point: Harper spent most of his life on a planet filled with people who were determined to crush him, and by the looks of it he suffered much more than you have. Maybe you get why I don't feel inclined to sympathy?" Her tone of sarcastic condescension grated on Keary's nerves. He gave no answer as he tried to prove to himself that she was lying.
"In fact, I think you deserve another reunion with your long lost father. But this time we'll leave the daggers somewhere else." A vice-like grip on his arm pulled him from the chair and practically dragged him out of the room. Keary's feet had become lead and although he offered no resistance to the woman he found he desperately did not want to see the blonde man –his father, again.
"There; not looking his best is he? But then he is dying after all. Too bad he's going to die without ever knowing he had a son." Her words were softer now but no less sharp. Keary stared at the floor and breathed shallowly. The room smelled of sickness and medicine and he refused to look at the prone body on the table before him.
"Look dammit! Don't you dare commit murder and pretend to be too fragile to face your victim!" She jerked his head up in a gesture that reminded him surprisingly of his mother and then all else was forgotten as his eyes became locked on the still figure before him. The poison was spreading; that much Keary could tell having seen the process often enough. Suddenly the man's eyes fluttered open and seemed to focus on the tall blonde woman gripping Keary's arm.
"Beka…" He whispered softly. Instantly the prisoner was forgotten. Beka was at Harper's side laying a soothing hand upon his forehead.
"Shh, you're going to be fine Harper. Don't talk." From venomous and hard Beka's voice had become gentle and soft. Keary didn't even think of leaving the room. His wide eyes were glued to the scene in front of him.
"What…happened…?" He tried to talk but his teeth clenched and his body shuddered. Keary mimicked the gesture involuntarily as he realized what was happening. The man was becoming paralyzed; soon the poison would spread to his lungs and he would die an agonizingly slow death. Bitterly Keary recalled how his mother had worked to perfect the poison so the death it caused wouldn't be 'boring'. And then he remembered, as the woman called out for Trance to come quickly, the small animals he'd befriended only to watch them die as his mother experimented with her arts on them. When he'd complained she'd forbidden him to eat for a week and then resumed her work –this time also upon small children who wandered, or were lured away, from the village.
The young golden woman who had been so kind to him ran in with a panicked expression on her face. The two women were talking loudly now as Harper cried out in pain. All of these things and memories Keary hadn't recalled in more than a year made his decision for him.
"I'll help you." His voice choked and the words came out a ghastly whisper that no one else heard.
"I'll help you." He said louder this time. Beka spun around with something like hope and triumph in her eyes while Trance just smiled knowingly. His heart beat faster and he tried not to think of how he was betraying his mother and all that they had worked to achieve for as long as he could remember. They gave him no time for uncertainty or doubt though. Once more his arm was caught in a solid grip.
"How do we save him?" Keary, a well of inexplicable shame building up inside him, could not meet her eyes.
"When I first arrived in the woods I noticed the different plants. Most were strange and alien, but there was one that I recognized. It's a special plant at home, which is why I noticed it so quickly. It's the only antidote I know of for the poison."
"Dylan we're going on a field trip." Beka's voice, though urgent, contained a hint of glee as well. It appeared that Harper was not going to die after all.
The trip to the woods was spent in relative silence. The trip through the woods went quickly for Keary felt an urgency growing inside of him. On the way back to the ship he mentioned quietly,
"I've never seen the poison progress so quickly in a human being before." No one said anything until at last Beka spoke reluctantly.
"Remember that place I said your Dad grew up on? It wrecked his health; his immune system probably can't even make the attempt to fight off the poison." She fell silent and no more words were spoken. Keary was growing more uncertain about his mission with each moment that passed by.
He was led back to the room where his father lay dying. Trance listened to his instructions carefully on how to prepare the plant.
"I can't promise it will work. The only time I've ever seen it used was on people not quite as far gone as he. And Mother…they were never allowed to fully recover." He swallowed and kept his gaze locked on the floor. Dylan and the others nodded and accepted his words without question.
Keary was then led back to his cell but Doyle brought him food and drink and he was left alone to his thoughts. The others had all gone to wait with Trance.
"Do you think it will work?" Beka asked softly. Her gaze lingered on Harper's still form and Dylan put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It has to." He replied simply. He could not fathom Harper dying so he refused to believe it was a possibility.
"He's survived worse." Rhade added. "After all no other human has lived after a Magog infestation, have they?"
"Yes, but he saved himself. With help from Hohne, but still…" Beka wasn't arguing with Rhade. She was arguing with the forces of the Universe; with Fate. She was trying to convince herself, and Them, that Harper should live. She wasn't sure if she was winning the argument.
While they waited hour after agonizing hour Keary sat in his cell -alone but not forgotten.
"Mother…why did you lie to me?" He whispered. His bright eyes threatened to fill with tears but he wouldn't let them. Crying was not tolerated by Her. Unless she willed it, that is. Keary shivered and wondered why he had always believed his mother's stories unquestioningly, given her treatment of him. Was it because he loved her…or because he feared her?
"No; Mother loves me. I'm her only child. She would never lie to me without a good reason. As for everything else…I only see fault with it because I am too weak to understand Her." He told himself firmly. With that thought running in his head he wondered how he would explain his failure to her.
Some time later Trance arrived and found him slumped on the bench asleep. Her soft footsteps hardly made a sound but his eyes flew open as she approached the door. His gaze unnerved her but she smiled nonetheless.
"Harper's awake. Would you like to see him?" Keary considered her words without changing position.
"I don't think he would want to see me." Was his flat reply. Trance shook her head.
"That's not true." She contradicted. "Besides, there is much that needs to be said. I think you should do some of the explaining. You owe it to him." She said these last words softly and Keary flinched as though in pain.
"I owe him nothing."
"Surely a simple explanation is not too much to give." She pressed. Minutes passed and his unspoken answer hung in the air until Trance almost gave up. Just before she walked away Keary stood silently.
"Very well, I shall come." Trance grinned happily and unlocked the door. Keary stood looking at her.
"Aren't you going to tie me up?" With a kinder smile Trance shook her head. A suspicious look crossed over Keary's face and he stepped forward uncertainly, as if afraid this was a trick.
They found Harper awake and sitting up; he was still a deathly pale but the sickly green had left his veins and his eyes were sharp and sparkling. He laughed at something Beka said and it turned into a cough. His posture implied that his head felt almost too heavy to lift.
"We'll leave if you're tired." Dylan reminded Harper with concern in his voice. Harper shook his head adamantly.
"No way, I'm fine." He smiled as his gaze fell on Trance and then faded when he saw who followed her.
"Heh, isn't that the kid…?" His voice was hoarse; Trance nodded. Beka laid a hand on his arm looking worried.
"Harper…" She fell silent. No one knew what to say or how to say it. Harper looked from her to the others around him in confusion.
"What? I don't get it…did I miss something?"
"Harper, this is Keary." Trance offered. Beside her Keary flushed but couldn't stop looking at the man: his father.
"Keary…" Harper repeated. He in turn studied Keary's face. "You look familiar." He whispered thoughtfully. Keary looked around; none of his father's friends seemed about to offer any explanations and he felt a sinking feeling at the thought of announcing the truth all by himself. Yet that did not stop him.
"I suppose we look somewhat alike. I am your son after all." It was surprisingly easy to get the words out. But he couldn't look into his face. For some reason he couldn't bear to see the surprise and then the disappointment. These thoughts angered him; for what did he care about this man? This father whom he had never known but only heard horrid tales about? He turned his gaze back to the blue eyes that were a mirror image of his own; he stared defiantly, chin thrust out, back straight.
What he saw caught him unawares. Those blue eyes were troubled and he was frowning but not in disappointment.
"Is he telling the truth?" He asked his friends quietly. As one they nodded.
"Trance took a blood test." Doyle explained. The tension had eased somewhat but they all held their breath as they waited to see what Harper's reaction would be.
He blinked. Then he turned to face Beka.
"Who's his mother?" The bewilderment in his voice brought an involuntary smile to Beka's face and a laugh from everyone but Trance and Keary.
"Believe me Harper I was more shocked than you…" She teased. He rolled his eyes but became serious once more as she reminded him of the night, years ago, when he'd just come off of Earth.
"That's right…you didn't speak a nice word to me for a week." He recalled absentmindedly. Beka hit him lightly on the arm.
"Well how did you expect me to take it? I mean come on! I left you alone for a couple of hours and came back to find you completely intoxicated…" Keary watched his father and his friends exchange playful banter and his anxiety increased. When they burst into laughter over words he did not hear he suddenly could take it no longer.
"There; he's better and healthy once again. Unless you plan to punish me, I would ask that you let me go." The bitterness in his voice surprised even him. Instantly the jovial atmosphere vanished and Harper regarded the boy as though seeing him for the first time. There was awkwardness in his voice when he requested,
"Do you guys think you could leave us alone for a few minutes?" Dylan exchanged looks with Doyle and Beka.
"Yeah, sure." He finally said. They left but neither Dylan nor the others had any intentions of leaving Keary and Harper alone completely.
"So, what did your mother tell you about me? I mean," Harper licked his lips nervously and stared at Keary. "Why did you try to kill me?" His voice wasn't accusing but curious. It startled Keary.
"You really never knew about me…or Mother?" He asked astonished.
"I'm sorry…I wish I had. I really do." His mournful voice was sincere. Keary had to take a moment to catch his breath.
"Then the name 'Keary' means little to you?" He asked softly. Harper closed his eyes and searched his memories, finally giving an apologetic shrug.
"It sounds a little like Irish but I can't tell for sure."
"Irish?" Keary asked curiously, then caught himself, his voice once more becoming cold and emotionless. "Mother named me Keary for she said it was a name of the same language as yours. She once told me that it means 'Father's dark son.' I suppose because my hair is black and yours is blonde."
"Something like that." Harper muttered. They were both silent for a few moments. Neither of them knew what to say. Finally Keary began to explain, haltingly, about how he'd been sent to kill his Father, the man who had imprisoned him and his Mother on a backward world where they were hated and feared. Harper's eyes filled with compassion though Keary gave no details concerning his upbringing. Before he could say anything however Keary went stiff and his face turned white.
"You all right?" Harper asked uncertainly. Keary didn't reply but his lips moved soundlessly.
"She is coming." His body went rigid and he fainted, collapsing onto the floor.
A/N: Again, thank you so much for all the reviews and comments; special thanks to my Beta, Chicafrom3. You guys are all awesome (But then, you probably already knew that). Thanks so much for reading-Luna Sealeaf
Part 4 preview:
"What are you?" Harper gasped. His face was white and drawn. Her grip on the unconscious Keary's pale vulnerable throat tightened. Sharp nails broke the skin and blood trickled down his collarbone.
"What am I? I neither have nor want a name. It is enough that I am."
"Why won't you just let him go? We never did anything to you; you have no reason to kill us!" Harper protested. A wind grew around the woman. Her smile and her eyes made him stiff with cold fear. Tears stung his eyes and pain flooded through him as he struggled to look at her. He had his answer.
