Part 7

"Rev, can we talk?" Dylan cautiously asked, as he stood at the entrance to the darkened room where Rev was meditating.

Rev didn't respond for a moment, and then he finally looked up and acknowledged Dylan's presence. "I am feeling a little tired, due to the illness I suspect, so I should request that we make this quick just in case I lose focus."

"Noted," Dylan observed and approached with caution. "I appreciate your efforts in returning to work whilst you are still feeling the effects of your illness."

"I feel fine most of the time," Rev returned. "But I am also tiring quickly, and my temperature seems elevated most of the time."

"Your illness was supposed to have passed already," Dylan observed.

"I have been in discussion with young Trance, and it seems that I may have contracted a mutated form of the original engineered virus," Rev explained, as he got to his feet. "It might also explain the severe reaction Master Harper received to it, and why he too is suffering high temperature and tiredness."

"It's not contagious or dangerous I hope," Dylan asked with care.

"I can only pass it on through my venom, and I can assure you that I have no desire to take that route with anyone else anytime soon," Rev declared with conviction. "Master Harper's suffering is more than enough for me to feel guilty for at this time."

"Tell me more about your working relationship with Harper," Dylan now requested. "Did you have any problems like this before? Beka seems to think Harper just knuckled down to it, in working with you."

"That is true," Rev confirmed. "But I have always sensed his natural fear and one that will never leave him, I had to take a lot into consideration to make him more able to feel comfortable working with me, no sudden movements, no showing of teeth, no direct contact," he further explained. "I also found that using humour appealed to the young human, I often made jokes at my own expense for his benefit and I feel this helped."

"But you know he feared you, deep down, but he just didn't deal with that fear?" Dylan now questioned.

"I have been aware of that for some time, which makes me regret even more that I did what I did," Rev bowed his head now. "I can only hope and prey that Master Harper will once again find the strength to be able to work with me, I would sincerely hate to inconvenience you any further."

"You're not inconveniencing me," Dylan was quick to assure the Magog. "We're going to be arriving at the Sanserio Drift in the next twelve hours, we have already checked for any anti-Magog security systems of which there are none, so I want you to take some shore leave, get some rest and recuperate from your illness, I hear there are some lovely mountain ranges on the planet below that maybe Beka could be talked into taking you down to," Dylan smiled.

"I will consider your request, a little R&R seems an appropriate option at this time, a break from this ship and your crew, and I would like to clear my system of these ill effects that I am still suffering," Rev bowed his head once more. "Now I fear I must ask you to leave," Rev simply said and Dylan accepted his warning, and left the Magog to his troubled meditation.


The silence was unnatural, and made things tense. Beka piloted the Maru towards the drift without word. They were alone, having left early at the Magog's request, but Rev decided that he needed to talk, feeling concerned by Beka's silence.

"Rebecca, I will use my time on the drift well in retrieving my focus," Rev said with care.

"I hope so, Rev," Beka simply said, without emotion, her eyes fixed ahead of her as she piloted the Maru.

"I am glad to see young Harper returning to work," Rev then spoke with caution.

"Rev," Beka stopped him saying anything else. "Right now I'm wondering if maybe you should be in restraints, wondering if I'm even safe here with you."

"I can assure you that you are, and I will warn you otherwise," Rev quickly spoke.

"You're still ill, Rev, and the last time you lost focus Harper didn't get much of a warning did he?" Beka lightly snapped, still avoiding looking at Rev.

"I can appreciate your upset at my actions towards Harper," Rev's head was bowed.

"Why didn't you tell us you were ill, why did you let things go so far that Harper nearly died?" Beka demanded, finally spinning around to face Rev now.

"Beka," Rev hesitated, as he tried to find an explanation.

"Just forget it, Rev," Beka snapped her attention back to piloting. "I've put a lot of faith into you, and I gave you a chance, Rev, the same chance I gave to Harper and Trance," she stressed.

"Beka I will always be grateful," Rev tried to speak.

"I don't want your gratitude," Beka was quick to interrupt and then she sighed, relaxing slightly. "Just get your focus back, get over this illness and we'll talk, maybe," she finished.

Not wishing to further trouble Beka, Rev bowed his head and left the blonde captain to her piloting as the drift grew ever closer.


Some time later, Beka sat in the serving area of the Maru, looking up as Dylan and Tyr walked through to join her.

"Harper left about ten minutes ago to visit the drift, he wanted to be alone for a while," she advised them tiredly.

"Good," Dylan seemed encouraged. "Did he ask about Rev?"

"No, he didn't, I think he thinks Rev is still on the Andromeda, he doesn't know to my knowledge that I made the two runs here," Beka offered, but appeared distracted. "I don't like this."

"He'll be ok," Dylan stated.

"I have no doubt he will be," Beka responded.

"That's what concerns you," Tyr guessed, and saw Beka glance at him. "You feel the boy has just moved on once again, not dealing with the problem that you see."

Beka got to her feet. "When I spoke to him the other day he was this close," Beka gestured with her hand passionately demonstrating how close. "This close to packing this all in, he told me things he's never said before, about working with Rev and with you Tyr," she stated.

"And now he's returned to the old routine?" Dylan offered.

"As if nothing happened, as if we don't care what happened," Beka frowned, as she sat back down looking disappointed. "Speaking to Rev earlier, he's showing all the signs of regret and seeks forgiveness," she added.

"I thought this was what you wanted," Dylan now questioned. "You didn't want to deal with emotions or issues, just to get on with the job in hand."

"Don't say it like I'm a cold hearted bitch," Beka snapped.

"Beka, I didn't mean to offend," Dylan was quick to speak. "But you wanted things to go back to normal, and as far as I can see, that's what Harper is attempting to get back to, as is Rev in his own way of seeking forgiveness."

"But I know now," Beka now spoke with some frustration. "Harper told me how difficult this is for him, and I know that now," she tried to explain. "This morning I struggled to even say two words to Rev, it was too painful to say anything to him without remembering what he did, and I keep hearing what Harper told me."

"You've been waiting for the little professor to inform us that he's leaving," Tyr then figured.

"And I wouldn't stop him, and I will probably be right there with him," Beka sighed.

"So you're disappointed to be staying?" Dylan tried to work out. "Harper has given me no sign in the past few hours that he wants to leave."

Beka rubbed her face. "No," she conceded. "Just, disappointed that once again Harper's shut us out, and that he's going to once again just accept Rev without first dealing with what happened," she offered.

"The boy will never truly accept the Magog, like he'll never fully trust me," Tyr pointed out.

"He shouldn't be expected to just shut up and get on with it," Beka countered.

Tyr gruffly folded his arms, and frowned. "Why not?" He questioned. "I spoke with the boy and he told me he was going no where, that his actions of late, the avoidance of command, had nothing to do with the creature."

"Because that's all he's ever known, hiding his true feelings, just to make things easier for everyone!" Beka argued, and once again she got to her feet and this time she headed for the exit, but paused before leaving. "Look, maybe it's just me, maybe I'm just learning things about my crew that I previously ignored, but I'm not going to ignore these things any longer," she sighed, with her back to Dylan and Tyr. "Things have changed now and I have to adjust to those changes," she finished.

Dylan tentatively moved forward. "It seems to me there is one thing you are ignoring right now," he offered, and saw Beka turn to look at him with confusion. "Rev," he simply revealed. "Yes, I'm all for giving Harper the support he needs, but Rev needs the same support, but you've hardly mentioned him and you told us yourself that you're having trouble even speaking to him."

Beka simply looked at Dylan for a moment, before she swiftly left the area without another word.

End of Part 7