Onboard the Eureka Maru
Later that evening Beka was in her cabin on the Maru trying to relax. At first she had thought of playing one of the CD's she had got back from Rafe, then she remembered that none of them would play since she got them back. She tried reading one of her horror novels but couldn't stop thinking about the days events and what Trance had said on their way back..
"Beka you were very lucky today, because very few people get to witness something like that while they are still alive. Just think if Harper hadn't transported your clothes off of you, you wouldn't have been there to see it. So in a way I guess you ought to thank him."
"Damn it Trance why did you have to say that." she said to herself out loud. "Now it's going to be that much harder to stay mad at him."
Beka tried reading her book again but after 15 minutes of trying she just couldn't get into the story so she put the book down and sat there trying to figure out what it was that she wanted to do. Although she was hungry she didn't feel like going to get something to eat yet. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do; part of her wanted to stay right where she was and be angry at Harper while another part of her wanted to go find him and talk to him. So she did what she usually did at times like these, she pulled out what she had thought of as her treasure chest when she was a child. As she pulled out an ordinary box she thought that in a very real way it actually was a treasure chest, since it contained her most precious belongings.
The first thing her eyes fell upon was an old Clarinthian angel doll. She remembered how she had bugged her father and everyone else on the Maru about how much she wanted one. Then she remembered how happy she was when she finally got it. From that day forward it had been her favorite toy. She picked it up and looked at it; then she said to it, "You know what I saw today? I saw a real angel today. In fact I saw a whole lot of angels and they were just as beautiful and magical as you are. Did you know that? Of course you did." As she held the doll she thought about how much she had loved it as a little girl and how much it still meant to her. After a few minutes of remembering all the fun she had playing with it she decided to shake it. When she did she heard it jingle just like a bell the way it used to.
"You know they say that every time a bell rings an angel gets their wings," said Harper from behind her making her jump. She turned to see Harper with a serving tray covered with a cloth in his hands, and a large tool bag hanging from his shoulder.
"How long have you been there?" she snapped at him.
"I just got here, don't worry I won't be here long. I just came to bring you something to eat since Trance said that you would probably be hungry," he said. Then in a hopeful tone of voice he added, " I also brought a surprise, one that I know you will like.
"Well just leave it there by the hatch then leave me alone." she told him angrily as she sat on the bunk and set the doll beside her. She watched as he set down the tray and the bag on the deck just inside the cabin with a defeated look on his face. Then he turned and left, his shoulders drooping with his usual spring gone from his steps. When she uncovered the tray that he had left she found pieces of assorted fruits, cheeses and meat rolls on the tray along with a large cup of coffee. She took the tray and set it on the bunk next to the doll and picked up the coffee. After taking a drink she said to herself "Don't think some food and a cup of coffee will get you off the hook because it won't." A few minutes later she went over and picked up the tool bag which she tossed out into the common room where it landed with a clatter near the room's small table. She had thought about looking to see what Harper had brought in the bag that he was going to give her, but decided that it could wait until after she was finished being mad at him. Then she went back to her bunk and ate some of the meat rolls and cheese before picking up her book again.
Andromeda's Hangar Deck
As Harper left the Maru to head back to his lab he was unaware that he was not alone on the hanger deck; someone was lurking in the shadows out of his sight. The observer watched as he walked halfway to the entrance then stopped to manipulate something in his hands after which he disappeared in a flash of light. "I'm sorry Harper, but you were the only person she wouldn't talk to right now" the observer said softly as she stepped from the shadows. "I can't afford to let anyone talk to her before she forgets about the homecoming we saw. By morning the memory will be like a forgotten dream, but will leave a much needed hope in her heart. Hope that will give her the strength she needs to go on to do what she needs to do." Trance said to herself quietly as she left the hangar deck.
The Next Morning on the Maru
The first thing that Beka was aware of when she woke up was the aroma of fresh brewed coffee and Trance's voice saying "Good morning Beka, I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all day."
As Beka sat up in her bunk she noticed that she was still dressed and that she was even still wearing her boots. She let out a groan at the realization that she had slept in her new clothes. The book she had been reading was on the floor where it had landed after falling out of her had when she had fallen asleep. She looked at Trance holding out a cup of steaming hot coffee for her to take. As she took the cup she said "You didn't think I was going sleep all day because you knew when I was going to wake up." Then she took a drink of the coffee.
"How do you know?"
Beka held up the steaming cup of coffee in reply. "Ever since you first joined us on the Maru you have always had a hot cup of coffee ready for me when I woke up whenever we're on the Maru. Now I know you didn't make this coffee though, since you always seem to manage to make coffee that tastes like the stuff Harper uses to clean the engines with and this is good coffee."
"The new cook in the officer's mess made it. I brought a whole pot of it for us." Trance said as she went into the common room to get herself a cup.
Beka followed her and noticed the tool bag Harper had brought and a small red bundle on the table next to the pot of coffee. "Why did you bring that?" She asked as she pointed to the red bundle. "I thought I left that back on the drift."
"You did Beka but I picked it up because I thought you had forgotten it. Besides the old woman gave to you to give to someone who needs it just before she died and you said you would do it."
"So I left it, so what. She's dead now, it's not as if it matters to her any more."
"Beka!" Trance exclaimed "Yes it does matter. It matters to you and the person you will give it to. Besides you will be repaying a good deed."
"Ok, ok I'll do it. It's not like one small good deed is going to make a difference, it sure didn't make any difference for that old lady before she died."
"How do you know that it didn't make a difference."
"Because she was going to die before she gave it to me after Harper took all my clothes and she still died after giving it to me. So it obviously didn't change anything for her."
"Yes , but I'll bet her helping you made her feel good," Trance said with a smile. "And I know that it made a difference to you right then, didn't it?"
"Trance," Beka exclaimed in frustration, "that's not fair."
"It's the truth isn't it and if it's the truth its more then fair, it is right."
"Ok I'll do it. I'll keep this until I find some one who needs it as much as I did when she gave it to me" Beka then picked up the red cloak while setting down her coffee and took it into her cabin.
"So Beka did you like the surprise Harper brought you last night?"
"If you are talking about whatever's in that tool bag, I didn't want to open it last night so I threw it out by the table," she said while returning from in her cabin. "What's in it?" she asked while motioning for Trance to open it.
"Beka do you remember how you complained about your CD's not working after you got them back from Rafe?"
"Yeah, I think that was the only reason why he let me have them back. So I took them to Harper to see if he could fix them. Then right after that things got kind of hectic with us having to fight the Replicators and all. I guess that he hasn't had a chance to fix them yet."
"Well Harper told me that he fixed them so they all play now." she said as she began to open the tool bag .
Beka started to smile when she saw her taking out the CD's which she quickly grabbed from Trance's hands. She opened a couple of them and took them out to look at them. "There aren't any scratches on them at all. They look like they were brand new. How did he do it? I tried all the different methods of resurfacing and none of them worked."
"He said it had something to do with carbon polly something something." Trance gulped the rest of her coffee then took one of the CD's out of its case and said, "Here watch this." She quickly picked up her empty coffee cup and hit the CD with it.
"Trance don't do it." Beka shouted when she saw what was happening. "I just got it ba ..." her protest dying as she saw the coffee cup shatter against the CD.
Trance handed the CD to Beka as she said, "He said that you would have to use a nano welder or a point defense laser to scratch them now."
"He was right when he said I was going to like this surprise. " Beka said as she looked at the unblemished surface of the CD that Trance broke the cup on. "I'll see you later Trance,." Beka said as she got up and started head for the Maru's exit.
"Beka where are you going?"
"To thank Harper." Beka answered with a smile in her voice.
Trance smiled then said softly to herself, "Mission accomplished.", while she proceeded to clean up the pieces of the broken cup.
