Where's Harper?

Part 4

Beka thought she was hallucinating till she heard Dylan mutter his name. And before any of them could register what had happened Beka had run forward, and launched herself at Harper; she was now clinging to him dearly, sobbing on his shoulder.

The engineer wore a startled expression on his face, but returned the embrace, and did his best to sooth Beka, stroking her hair, and making soothing sounds. He stood like that for a good five minutes before he glanced over his shoulder at Dylan, and gave him his best 'what the hell' look.

No answers were forthcoming from his captain though he was still standing in the doorway trying to work out exactly what was going on.

Bewildered Harper turned his attention back to his sobbing friend. "Please don't cry" he said as he wiped the tears from her cheeks "What ever it is I'm sure we can get thought it" Harper had never seen his friend cry, and he was truly worried.

"Harper your alive!" Beka finally managed to choke out.

"Yea, why wouldn't I be?" Harper answered genuinely mystified.

"I thought you were dead" was the only answer he received before she launched into a fresh bought of sobs.

Harper was truly puzzled "Why would you think that?" he inquired.

"But you were gone, we searched every where."

"But I've been right here, I haven't gone anywhere"

"No, you weren't here" she insists, but to Harpers relief she at least appears to be calming down a little.

He held her until her sobs quietened. "Can you tell me what happened?" Harper asked now she appeared to have gained some composure.

Harper thought she looked confused for a minute, but eventually she answered.

"You, were missing, Andromeda, said you were no longer on board, we looked every where, we even checked for intruders, then we checked all the local systems, there was no sign of you. I'd just convinced myself I was never gonna see you again, when you just appeared." She looked confused again for a second. "How did you do that?"

Harper didn't quite know how to respond. He tired the best he could "I never left the machines shop, maybe I got carried away spent longer than I meant, I can't see why Andromeda would say I was no longer aboard. Maybe she's malfunctioning"

"I am not malfunctioning" came Rommie's indignant reply. "I performed several sensor scans of the area, and it has also been analysed by several crew members including Beka there was no sign of you. Then you simply just appeared here"

"Now come on, you know that's not possible" Harper tried reasoning with her.

"Neither the less it is what happened" Andromeda replied curtly.

"She's right" Beka added "you were gone, they you simply reappeared"

Harper just stood dumbfounded, "But I never left he muttered again" mostly to himself.

"What were you working on Harper?" came new voice from the doorway as Rommie walked into the room and straight up to Harper grabbing him in a tight embrace.

"Well I'll be sure to work on it again if it means I get the two most beautiful women in the galaxy hugging me, and in the same day... Hay is Trance around?" He asked looking around.

A collective groan was heard from all the rooms other occupants.

"Ok, I think I've been very patient" Dylan spoke up from the corner where he had been all, but been forgotten about "But just what the Hell is going on here?"

For once no one had an answer not even Rommie. "Well?" the captain tried prompting.

Eventually Andromeda's hologram spoke up "I believe that fact is still unclear Captain. She didn't seem at all happy about that either.

"It might help if we knew what you were working on" Rommie tried again.

"Well it was a kind of remake of a old project of mine 'the time machine' only this version worked on a slightly different principle, it should have been more stable. Only it doesn't appear to work at all."

"Maybe it did" Rommie commented moving toward the remnants of the machine

"Huh?" Said Harper "Trust me it don't work, I tried it nothing happened."

"Do you remember what time you first activated the device?" Rommie asked.

"Sure only a couple of minutes ago around quarter to six, I guess"

"Harper the time is currently four fifty five"

"But that's impossible! I'm sure it was quarter to six I swear"

"I believe that may have been true" Rommie said.

"Rommie you not making sense are you suggesting I travelled back a few hours in time?" Harper asked clearly puzzled.

"No" Rommie replied simply.

"Then I'm afraid I really don't get you babe, If I didn't travel back in time how can it be earlier that when I first activated."

"It's not"

"Ok Rommie, I think you should let me take a look at your circuits, coz your not making a lotta sense babe, or any at all come to think of it"

"I don't think you travelled back in time Harper, I think you travelled forward, almost two days."

"Um, I think I mighta noticed that, and I'm telling you babe I didn't go anywhere!"

"Yes, you did" Beka spoke up, she had now regained her full composure "I've spent the last 40 odd hours searching for you"

"Really?" Harper asked shocked.

"But how can that be? I don't remember going anywhere, and while I admit I'm not the most observant person I pretty sure I world have noticed the landing in the future."

"Would you have? It's less than two days very little has changed." Rommie commented. "What precisely do you remember?"

"Well I was working here on the machine I activated it flashed, but nothing happened, then Beka practically jumped at me."

"And was Beka there before?" Rommie prompted.

"Well, no and she was acting kina weird, come to think about it you were too, now its not that I don't appreciate the hugging, and seeing of you soft side girls, but it was kinda freaky."

Harper passed for a minute "Holly freaking Comoli I really did travel forward in time didn't I ? It all makes sense now, you two acting so wired, and Is it just me or has anyone seen Dylan this quite before?

Upon hearing his name Dylan looked up from the corner he'd taken a seat in. "You travelled in time Harper?" he asked.

"Looks like it Boss" Harper shot back

"That would explain why my head hurts so much then" Dylan said, and went back to his slumped position.

"You were really worried about me weren't you Harper said sounding more serious than usual. He walked over to the girls and gave each a hug. I'm touched that you care so much" he said softly."

"So you girls really thought I was dead then?" Harper asked again. The serous tone in his voice now completely gone, replaced with his usual cocky one.

"Wanna let me show you just how alive I am? He said suggestively with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"HARPER!" Said all three Andromeda's, Beka, and Dylan in unison.

Harper was just about to make a hasty exit when he finally noticed the chaos around him for the first time. "Hay! What the Hell happened to my machine shop?"