Outside the Command Deck
A few minutes later Harper met up with Beka as she was leaving the command deck.
"There you are Harper, I was going to look for you. Now if you don't have those reports ready I'm going..."
"Here you go Boss" Harper said with a grin as he handed her the reports and the list of supplies he needed for engineering. "I'm sorry that I was late getting it to you. So what are you gonna do after you make all the arrangements for the supplies and the reinforcements? Maybe after I finish telling the maintenance crews what needs to be done I can join you."
"I'm going to go shopping for some new clothes for the wedding," she answered, "and before you ask, no you can't go." She headed for the shuttle bay with Harper walking along side. "Besides I thought you were still working on what ever it is you've been working on. Just what are you working on?"
I want that to be a surprise and I'm almost finished with it. I might even be able to demonstrate it later."
"It better not be like the last demonstration you gave."
"Why does everyone keep bringing that up? It was just one little mistake. Besides I was only trying to make us safer from intruders, such as the Magog for example."
"We all know that you were only trying to help protect us all but you went overboard like you usually do. I mean it's all well and good to improve the effectiveness of the intruder defense system, but destroying the ship along with the intruders is just going too far."
"Well, when you have a bunch of little magog eggs inside you, you would probably feel differently about that. Besides the pulse generators I put in weapons were not labeled correctly." Harper then reached out pulled Beka to a stop and the stylus in his hand made a barely perceptible hiss as it poked her.
"Ow! Harper! Watch what your doing with that thing.
"Sorry boss. As I was saying, that brings me to something I wanted to point out to you. When you submit the orders for these replacement and spare parts I have on this list, make sure that they know that we will not accept any substitutions of any kind."
"Ok, Harper I 'll make sure to tell them. Now I've got to take a shuttle and go see the port master to finish making the arrangements for docking and maintenance.
Command Deck
A little over two hours later when Dylan had finished relinquishing control of the ship to El Dorado's shipyards so they could bring the Andromeda in to dock. Rommie moved next to Dylan in front of the main view screen. She watched along side him as the ship was being pulled in to the docks. "This is the part I like the least about docking," she said to him " and I know you don't like it any better either."
"Your right Rommie, I don't like it." he replied. "Giving up control is never easy, but sometimes you must do exactly that in order to get things done right."
Logic appeared in front of them. "Dylan, Harper has just informed me that he is officially done with his experiment. He said that he would like to give us a demonstration that will as he put it, knock our socks off, just as soon as he gives the maintenance crews their instructions. Which shouldn't take more than an hour."
"Andromeda, Rommie and you Logic does any of you know what he's been working on?"
"No, we do not." answered all three simultaneously. Making it clear to Dylan that they did not like that at all. He wondered which it was that bothered them more. The not knowing what it was or the fact that Harper could keep them from finding out. They ought to know by now that if Harper wants to do something, he's going to figure out how to do it, even if it seems impossible.
"I don't like that either, but well soon find out. As long as he hasn't improved or enhanced the weapons, engines or power systems we should be safe, right girls." The look on his face showed that he believed what he just said as much as they did, which was very little.
El Dorado Drift
As Beka left the port masters office she saw that Trance was waiting for her. When Trance saw Beka coming out of the office she gave a smile that would brighten anyone's day, no matter how bad it was. The kind of smile that she used have fairly often before she changed places with her older self. When Beka saw that smile she felt lighter and everything seemed brighter. She returned the smile then quickly walked over to Trance and gave her an embrace, as if she were a long lost friend who had just returned.
"I'm so glad you came Trance. Its been a long time since we've done anything like this."
"I know, its been an even longer time for me." she replied. "I had just finished the medical report on the crew and I was about to send them to your workstation, when I thought why not bring them to you personally. So here you go," and she handed the report to Beka.
"Trance, you didn't need to use that as an excuse," Beka said as she took the report and put it in her pocket, "but I'm not complaining. I'm curious though, why did you change your mind about coming?"
"After you left I was thinking about what you said, along with some of the things that happened in the future that I came from. It seemed to me that it was foolish not to go with you. Life's too short to not do things like this with your friends when you get the opportunity too, because you never know when or if your going to get another chance to do it again."
"Yeah, life's too short for me not you. Trance I have no idea just how old you are and you've never given me an answer that is of any help when I ask you."
"That's the trouble Beka, I can't give an answer that is helpful because I don't know how old I am. I know that I am still young as far as my race is concerned and that I am older than you. But that is not important anyway, because we have the same amount of time together. Neither one of has anymore or any less time with the other than the other one has."
Beka stood there with a puzzled look on her face for a few moments then said, "I don't know if I will ever really understand what you just said, but thanks for trying." She then turned to head down the busy port towards the shops that lined the walkways not far from the docks.
"Let's go do some shopping Trance. Where do you want to go first, clothes or gifts?"
"Clothes." she answered with a sparkle in her eye.
Harper's Lab
As Tyr entered Harpers lab he saw theat Dylan, Rommie, Core and Logic were all gather there for the demonstration of Harper's latest project.
"What is so important that you called us all here for" asked Tyr?
"Yes Harper," asked Dylan "just what have you been working on that we're all dying to find out what it is?"
"Dylan, I don't think you should phrase it quite that way," Rommie remarked. "You realize with one of Mr Harper's invention's that might easily be what happens."
"Okay, okay I get the point. Sheesh, a guy makes one little mistake and you never let him forget about it."
"Harper 53 holes in my hull is not a little mistake." stated Andromeda.
"Well anyway," Harper continued, "as I started to say that in or recent encounter with SG1, Thor and the Replicators, we all saw some pretty advanced technology. I mean those Asgard seem to have really neat technology that I didn't get a chance to look at."
"That means that he couldn't hack into their computer's database system," commented Logic.
"That's besides the point," Harper retorted. "Well the Asgard's beaming technology was just fantastic. I mean Thor used it to save our butts a few times against the Replicators.. Ever since then I have been trying to figure out a way to do it ourselves. I finally figured out how to do it."
As Tyr opened his mouth to say something, Dylan shot him a look that warned him to not Interrupt Harper.
"The key to the solution was in the information that they gave us on the Replicators. Without that it might have been years before I figured it out. This is what I came up with." Harper motioned to the metal box in the center of the lab. " Now to demonstrate it for you, it's gonna knock your socks off."
"Get on with it" growled Tyr.
"First I gotta call Beka" said Harper. "Beka, come in Beka."
"Yes Harper, what is it?" she answered.
"You know that thing I've been working on, I'm going to demonstrate it now."
"Go ahead and do it without me, I'm busy right now. You can show me later."
"Hang on to your socks Beka." He said as he activated the device. Then the room was filled with a low hum and a momentary flash of light.
