Authors:
Xeromem
Disclaimer:
I don't own the characters, not getting paid etc
Rating:
PG-13
Archive:
tell us first
Review:
please
A/N:
This is the sequel to Mechanistra.
Harper's Experiment
Harper's Lab
It was well into early morning hours on the Andromeda Ascendant, there were few crew members standing watch so there very few rooms aboard the Andromeda Ascendant that were fully lighted. However there was one room in the engineering section that had been in almost constant use for the past few days. Inside this room there was a plate with a half eaten meal and a number of empty beverage cans lying about on a small table off to one side of a large work bench. A young blonde haired man was working at the bench, laboring on what looked like a partially constructed metal box with numerous circuit boards, wires, power relays and other miscellaneous electronic equipment. He was working at a furious pace, as if he were working from a set of thoroughly detailed instructions and plans, but there was nothing of the sort present.
"Careful there" said Harper to himself as slight wisp of smoke and the smell of burnt hair rose from the work bench in his engineering lab.
"It wouldn't do at all if I, Seamus Zelazny Harper, were to kill myself just before completing my greatest invention. Well, second greatest. Not at all."
Harper continued working on his project. His concentration on what he was doing was so intense that he was not even aware that he was rambling on out loud or that Andromeda's image briefly appeared then disappeared in the compartment's communication view screen.
"Checking up on Harper again?" Logic asked Andromeda.
"Of course, you know how dangerous he is when he's like this" she replied, "You remember when he tested his improved intruder defense system three months ago. He managed to blow 53 holes in my hull in 0.013 seconds. Luckily the cargo bay he tested it in was empty."
"You know he's not going to say anything more than he already has about what he is working on" said Logic. "Were just going to have to wait until he tells us what it is, unless he electrocutes himself again."
"Should we tell Dylan about this?"
"No, he hasn't made any potentially lethal alterations to any of our systems, yet."
"Or injured himself yet. I'll continue to monitor him just in case he creates a medical emergency."
The Officer's Mess
The officers country was moderately busy when Trance and Beka sat down at one of the empty tables to eat lunch. Trance liked to eat her meals in the presence of others. It made her feel more connected with the crew members somehow. She was glad that they would soon be docking at El Dorado Drift for maintenance and resupply. The crew would get some much needed shore leave and they would be getting reinforcements to replace the lancers they had recently lost in their fight with the Replicators.
"Beka, what did you want to talk to me about" Trance asked?
"Oh that, we'll be docking in about an hour . After I finish making all the arrangements for maintenance and supplies I'm going to do a little shopping for some clothes. Well anyway I wanted to ask if you wanted to come with me."
"What do you need to get more clothes for? You've got more than enough as it is?"
"Well technically I don't need to get new clothes, but I want have something new for the wedding that's coming up. And besides I like shopping and you used to like it too."
"That is true I used to like it and I still do but I have too many things to get done be before I can go ashore."
"You hardly ever do stuff like this with me since you changed places with yourself. Are you sure that you don't want to go?"
"Beka, I really do want to go but not now. I know, why don't you take Harper with you?"
"You ought to bite your tongue for suggesting that Trance. The last time I brought him along while I was shopping for clothes, he got us thrown out of the store. Never again."
"I'm worried about him. Andromeda told me that he's hardly getting any sleep lately, and that he's been spending most of his time working on something in his lab."
"Now that is something to worry about, Harper working on something in his lab." Beka said jokingly but there was a look of concern in her eyes for a moment. She dismissed it saying, "No, he 's probably been having nightmares again and that's why he's not going to sleep. In a couple weeks he'll be back to normal again and then you can rest easy."
"I suppose your right Beka, you have known him longer than I have"
"Well I gotta go,. I want make sure everything's ready before we dock."
Beka got up from the table and as she started to leave she asked "Are you sure you don't want to go?" Trance shook her head no. Beka turned and left saying "If you change your mind you know where to find me."
Back in Harper's Lab
"Now for one last adjustment here ... and here. It should work right this time." Harper said as he closed an access panel on what looked like a rectangular metal box 4'x4'x3' with a miniature sensor array in the center of the top. It also had what was obviously a control panel but there were no labels on anything that would indicate its function. Next to the device there was a freestanding pedestal with a clear seamless plastic ball on it . Across the lab an identical pedestal and lab were set up.
"Now to test you." he said as he started working the controls. The only indication that anything was happening was that was the lights on the control panel flashed on, the room was filled with with a barely audible hum, and the overhead lights flickered for a moment. He then checked the readings on the instrument control panel.
"It works." he shouted. "Man am I brilliant or what."
Just then Beka's voice came from the intercom. "Harper where are those engineering reports and the list of supplies you said I would have this morning?"
Harper turned to the view screen and answered, "I sent it to your workstation last night boss. Didn't you find it."
"No I did not find it" Beka said with an irritated tone of voice.
"Don't worry boss, just give me a couple minutes to shut this mess I'm working on down, then I'll bring you a new copy. Ok?" He then turned back to start shutting down his work. "
"Okay, but don't take too long."
A few moments after Beka's image disappeared from the view screen Andromeda's image appeared. She watched Harper as he was shutting down the device that he had been working on. As he turned to pick up a stylus and the reports she said "Harper you didn't send those reports last night like you just said you did."
Harper looked surprised at her voice, then he turned to her and said "Are you sure? I could have sworn that I did."
"No, you didn't. You were too busy working on that thing all night, and frankly it has me worried."
"Don't worry about a thing Andromeda. I haven't made any changes or additions to any of your systems. In fact I'll be ready to give a demonstration in about two maybe three hours."
"That's what I am afraid of . You remember the results of your last unauthorized project, don't you."
Harper grimaced at the memory of the incident.
"Are you kidding, of course I remember. Dylan said that if I were to ever again modify or enhance any of your weapons systems without his express permission, he would personally shove me into the nearest life pod and eject it. He also said that he might even let you use pod for target practice. I love talking with you Andromeda but I gotta go get these to Beka, if I make her wait too long she just might skin me alive."
