Part 6
"Beka."
Beka looked up from her food to see Dylan joining her. "He's fine," she pre-empted.
Dylan smiled as he sat down. "So everything is back to normal?" Dylan asked.
"Harper is back working, Rev is meditating, I think so," Beka answered with shortness, and took another mouthful of food.
"I'm not the enemy," Dylan spoke sincerely, and waited for Beka's response.
Beka put down her cutlery, and frowned giving Dylan more of her attention. "Harper's pretty shaken up, and I've never seen him like this before," Beka offered finally. "Rev feels like he's failed in his faith, let us all down," she sighed. "Maybe they'll be alright in time?"
"Tell me some more about Harper and Rev," Dylan requested. "How did you ever get Harper to accept Rev in the first place?"
Beka smiled, as she remembered. "I just asked him to."
"Just like that?" Dylan checked.
"Yeah," Beka agreed. "Well, when Harper joined the Maru a lot was going on for him, I mean come on, he'd just escaped Earth, so in those first few weeks he was just willing to put up with anything, I guess," she shrugged.
"But he escaped Earth I assume to get away from the Magog?" Dylan questioned.
"Believe it or not, when Harper first signed up for the Maru he was not as confident as he is now," Beka remembered. "He was cocky for sure, had a mouth on him like you wouldn't believe, but he was also very afraid that I was going to dump him at the first opportunity, and so when I said he had to work with Rev, he just did without question, and I think he quickly figured out for himself that Rev was different."
Dylan considered her words. "Well maybe that's what he wanted you to see and think," he offered. "I think we're seeing something very different now."
"He's ill, Rev is ill, that's all we're seeing," Beka dismissed.
"I'm not judging your crew," Dylan quickly spoke.
"So first problem and they are suddenly my crew again?" Beka snapped.
"That's not what I meant," Dylan was fast to correct. "And this is far from the first problem," he added with a smile, keeping the mood light. "My point is that you're now seeing what Harper truly has feared all along about working with Rev, deep down, and maybe what Rev has also feared by working with Harper, and I'm guessing this is the first time anything like this has happened between them."
Beka was silent now, as she continued to eat, it took her a few moments before she could respond. "I never had the time to deal with my crew's emotions and fears, but it wasn't that I didn't care," she admitted. "We were just too focused on getting our next job, our next payday so we could all eat and survive, that we didn't have time to deal with things like this," she sighed. "But this ship, your mission," she paused. "It's forcing us to address these unspoken issues, and I'm not sure I like that," she sighed. "I'm sorry Dylan but I'm starting to think this whole situation is tearing what I consider to be my best crew apart, maybe what has happened between Harper and Rev is just my wake up call to this fact."
"You can't blame Harper or Rev for having these issues," Dylan noted.
"I don't," Beka returned sharply. "It's just before, we managed to all get along, we all knew our roles and jobs, don't get me wrong we fought, and we argued," Beka frowned. "But we all needed each other, and that one element of survival kept us working towards the same goal."
"Now you fear that focus and goal has been taken away?" Dylan asked with interest, and some confusion.
"This ship, it has all we need and in some way it's taken away a part of our fight, the struggle," Beka explained with consideration. "In its place we now have some impossible fight, but it's not nearly so consuming, we have time to think now, to talk," Beka further explained. "And it means that if Rev gets sick, he stays here to recuperate because he can, it in turns affects us all, and I discover that the once solid crew that I thought I had were just held together with hope and the promise of food and a safe place to sleep," Beka finished with a sigh.
Feeling a little responsible, Dylan frowned. "This ship has provided them with a comfort and sanctuary you've not had afforded to you before," he concluded what Beka was trying to tell him.
"This is a warship, and compared to the Maru, this ship is a whole drift in itself, if we need a break from each other now we don't have to leave, we just move to another deck," she smirked, trying to lighten her own mood.
Dylan waited for a few moments before speaking again. "So, this isn't the first time Rev has been ill?" Dylan checked back on what Beka had said.
"I've never known Rev to be ill, but before when things got tough for him he'd just disappear for a few days or weeks, and then come back refreshed and focused," Beka responded. "And he didn't do that this time."
"So you think that Harper coming across him unknowingly during one of these times, when maybe Rev would have previously put more distance between you all, caused Rev to react how he did?" Dylan asked.
"That and the illness," Beka agreed. "Rev has always had impeccable control, Dylan, and this is the first time I've known him to lose it and the first time I've seen him so much as look at one of our crew with intent," Beka looked at Dylan now. "Look, I spoke with Harper earlier, and I should warn you that he is, unsettled," she looked away, her own words concerning her.
"We're all adjusting to this new situation," Dylan pointed out. "Give it some time."
"You are probably wondering how we even managed to function before you came along," Beka mocked now.
"The fact you did is good enough for me," Dylan countered with a smile. "And somehow you managed to not only have a Magog on your crew, but the wonders that are Trance and Harper."
Beka smirked now, softening slightly as she looked at Dylan. "You know I'm still not convinced that this can work, this whole Commonwealth ideal," Beka then spoke. "But I'll be damned if I'm going to let this mission, or adventure, whatever this really is ruin what I know is the best crew I ever had."
"I have no wish to destroy anything, I'm all about building and progress," Dylan confirmed confidently.
"So, if things get worse, I can count on you?" Beka asked.
"Do you think they will?" Dylan asked.
"This is new territory for me, before if I had a problem with my crew I'd airlock the trouble maker," Beka grinned. "I just don't really know if anyone is truly to blame, can't blame Rev for being ill or being a Magog, and I can't blame Harper for his nightmares and who he is."
"What do you want me to do?" Dylan prompted.
"I don't know," Beka sighed. "Just pretend like this is your crew so I can try and get some more sleep, I'm really not sleeping well right now, and then maybe I can wake up and everything will be back to normal?" she suggested tiredly.
"I can do that," Dylan played along, as Beka got to her feet. "Or at least give it my best shot," he added.
"You have command," Beka mocked as she left the mess deck, leaving Dylan only slightly more confident with the situation.
Harper wrestled with the chips that refused to move from the panel in the conduit where he now lay, usually he had no problem with moving them, but his left side was still feeling weak, and it was hindering his work now as the working day was coming to a close, and tiredness was settling in. Most of the jobs he had done had kept him out of the way, hidden among the conduits and constantly on the move, and it seemed for the most part that the crew were happy for him to keep a low profile.
Rommie had occasionally checked up on him, appearing in hologram form wherever he worked, and she seemed satisfied each time that he was doing well. This time however when she blinked into sight, Harper knew she would be ordering him to rest and eat. He had been steadily growing more agitated, and whatever lingered of the virus was starting to show again, Harper knew his time was up before Rommie had even uttered a word.
"I'm packing up," Harper pre-empted. "I have to think overtime to just do the simple jobs," he complained, as he put his tools away.
"I have noticed your work rate is slightly below normal levels," Rommie's voice returned.
"I just feel a bit slow today," Harper frowned. "Got a slight headache, so going to go and get some rest before anyone orders me too."
"Good, your temperature has been steadily rising again and you do need to rest, your body's systems are still recovering from the effects of the paralysis," Rommie's hologram informed him, as she flickered into life. "I have left food and drink in your quarters," she added with care.
"Thanks," Harper sighed as he began to make the journey back to the main area of the ship, he liked that Andromeda, being a warship in particular, would care for him like this but he couldn't help but sense the undertones of uncertainty in her actions, and in a warship that couldn't be good. "Hey, Rommie, care to add some candles and join me?" he then added with a smirk, in some small way hoping to sound more like his usual self.
"Sorry Harper, I'm busy tonight," Rommie returned playfully, seemingly appreciating his humour for once.
"Shame," Harper smirked. "You don't know what you're missing."
"Oh I think I do, Seamus," Rommie responded but with a glum air almost, before she blinked out of sight, leaving Harper to frown at what she could have meant.
As he pulled himself out of the conduit, he immediately knew he had company and Harper soon saw Tyr stood waiting in his machine shop.
"I'm done for the day," Harper spoke evenly. "Whatever it is, it waits till tomorrow. I got a headache, and I'm not exactly at my sharpest right now."
"This can not wait," Tyr stated.
"Tough, I'm tired, hungry and under orders from a warship to rest," Harper spoke, as he put his tools to one side, and prepared to leave.
"The matter with the Magog needs to be resolved," Tyr stated, even though he noticed the slower reactions from the human.
"Really?" Harper responded dismissively, not sounding as convinced.
"The Magog, like you, worked for a few hours today," Tyr announced. "On Command."
"Good for him," Harper responded sharply, and quickly headed for the exit.
"Do you plan to avoid him for the rest of your time here?" Tyr questioned. "However long that might be," he added.
Harper stopped and turned. "Sounds like a plan to me," Harper offered without conviction.
Tyr moved forward. "As much as I dislike serving in a crew that includes a savage murderous beast, who has apparently found the way, I concede that his presence here maintains a purpose."
"This is all very interesting but I have dinner waiting," Harper complained, and began to move again.
"As do you serve a purpose," Tyr finished, and Harper stopped again but didn't turn around this time.
"At least you got something right, uber," Harper simply spoke, and he didn't have a chance to react as Tyr grabbed hold of him and pushed him against the bulkhead with force.
"You will stop calling me that name," Tyr demanded strongly, and stared into the confused then resilient eyes of the human, as he slowly smirked at him. "I have done a lot, boy, to try and make you feel comfortable around me, I have been somewhat sensitive to your fear and your uncertainty and yet you repay me with curse words and disrespect."
Harper lost his smirk, but the defiance remained. "I owe you nothing, and I'm not a boy," Harper snapped.
"We serve the same crew, fight the same fight," Tyr reminded him.
Harper smirked again. "Yeah, I see your 'I fight side by side with Hunt' t-shirt that your wearing, yeah I really believe you, uber!" Harper stressed mockingly. "You forget that I probably know your kind a lot better than you know yourself!"
"You see me as the enemy?" Tyr questioned. "As you see the Magog?"
Harper sneered without responding and Tyr shook him to get his attention, the wayward young human was truly trying his patience now.
"If you are unable to work with the Magog, how will you perform you duties on board this ship, or will you avoid Command forever? That does not serve this ship well," Tyr then stated, letting Harper go with annoyance.
"I'll work how I always have done, my way and in my own time," Harper simply stated, and then pushed past Tyr as he left the machine shop to return to his quarters.
Tyr pursued him, and quickly caught up but he could already sense the rising anger in the boy, admitting that this was something of a welcomed surprise. Since he had known the little professor, Tyr had feared him to be a weak link, but now he felt he was seeing a promising development.
"Look, Mr Muscle," Harper now snapped, as Tyr did nothing but walk alongside him, as if waiting for Harper to react. "If you thought you could talk me into playing nicely with the Magog then get out of my face now, I'm not some stupid kludge who needs to be told what to do, especially by an uber," Harper snapped and then saw Tyr just looking at him expectantly, and deep down he now felt guilty for his choice of words, an uber on Earth would have floored him by now for the things he had said.
With frustration, Harper looked up and down the corridor, they did serve side by side and Tyr did deserve a little better from him, he conceded. "This isn't about Rev, it's not even about you, ok?" he then stated and sighed. "Just get out of here, and don't worry, I won't risk the ship over what is obviously in your uber enhanced view a stupid petty trust issue," Harper stressed. "And I'm going nowhere, you'll see that in a week I'll be playing nicely again, no doubt, like I always do," he sighed, feeling tired more so now than before, as his anger rapidly left him.
Tyr stopped and let Harper continued alone now, having heard all he needed to hear, some sort of logic from the boy that gave him hope.
End of Part 6
