Part 17
Harper was about done counting the rivets in the med deck bulkheads, when Trance finally returned to do his check up. Harper sat up and looked at Trance questionably.
"You said about half hour," Harper accused.
"I got caught up, you know Dylan has an important conference coming up soon," Trance offered. "I had to put together some reports for him, about the Magog and the injuries they cause," Trance looked at Harper knowingly.
"Infestations," Harper guessed and looked away for a moment. "Man, wish I could focus on the minor matter of the magog, and the world ship, anything looks easy in comparison to this stupid mission," Harper complained, and with a sigh he looked towards the doors.
"How are you feeling?" Trance asked to swiftly change the subject. "Harper?" she added after he didn't respond.
"Sorry, distracted," Harper admitted, turning back finally from the main doors.
"I mean how are feeling, physically?" Trance smiled. "It's pretty obvious how you are feeling otherwise," she slyly smiled.
"Am I really that obvious?" Harper seemed disappointed almost.
"At least you're not denying it now, like earlier," Trance returned.
"It's only been a few hours and look at me," Harper sighed. "I'm telling her to take things slow, yet, I get these moments like now where I don't want to be away from her," he frowned.
"It's something new, it's going to distract you for a while," Trance reassured him, as she sorted out the medical equipment she needed.
"It's really consuming me right now, I can't think straight, and its all people want to talk to me about, I mean I don't even know if this is serious, or what it is," Harper explained with confusion obvious in his expression. "It's not even been a day yet and people are judging us," Harper sighed, showing how much of a strain it was beginning to be on him. "At this rate we'll be married and divorced before the day is out," he added, attempting to lighten his mood.
"I won't take up too much of your time then, sounds like you have a busy day ahead," Trance grinned, and then began to scan him. "You're just excited, and everyone else is just worried, but only because they care about you, that's all," Trance then spoke. "Things will settle down in a day or two, and then you'll know what you might have."
"If she's anything like my previous girlfriends, we won't have to wait that long, you'll just find me unconscious somewhere or catch me betraying the ship, way before then," he frowned, remembering his more recent liaisons.
"Harper, give this a chance," Trance simply said, as she stepped closer to him. "Don't judge Dani on previous events in your life."
Harper narrowed his eyes. "You told me that you thought you sensed good about this, what did you mean, and what do you see?" Harper asked.
"I don't see specifics," Trance offered cagily. "I said 'I think' because Dani doesn't appear to me to be completely honest or above board, but I do think the feelings she has for you, however small right now, are genuine enough."
"Doesn't mean she wouldn't hesitate to knock me out after fooling me into helping her escape, if that is her plan," Harper idly remarked. "It's not like she hasn't done so already."
"What do you mean?" Trance immediately asked, and Harper instantly looked up at Trance with his full attention.
Shaking his head dismissively, he attempted to figure out what to say, and eventually he just sighed with defeat, knowing he'd said too much and he'd better come clean. "She may have electrocuted me during the attacks yesterday, I was unconscious for a while I think," Harper shrugged as casually as he could.
"Oh," Trance returned a little taken aback.
"She still had the memory thing going on," Harper offered in her defence. "She didn't know me, and thought I was a threat," he shrugged again.
"I see," Trance simply said.
"Come on, you must have seen the mark," Harper lifted up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the fading injury on his arm. "It wouldn't have healed this quickly otherwise."
Trance immediately stepped closer and took a closer look. "I missed this injury, I mean I wasn't looking for it, I concentrated only on your breathing and lungs when you were admitted," she stated.
"But, it was a burn, they don't heal this well without treatment," Harper responded. "I know all about healing times, and I know this as fact, maybe one of your team did something?" he suggested.
"No, you were solely assigned to me, I was planning on checking you for further injuries but time went against me, and then you discharged yourself," Trance explained.
Harper took a deep breath. "So who did this?"
"Only Dani was in the area with you whilst you were unconscious," Trance revealed.
Harper looked away. "Maybe she was covering up what she did, she felt guilty?"
"The equipment we use is not easy to operate without training," Trance checked the fading mark again. "And by all accounts, this is a professional job."
"So, I have found someone who's handy with the old medical equipment, that's good isn't it?" Harper attempted once again to lighten the mood.
"Only if you don't ask yourself why she is so skilled at fixing burn marks, or any other injuries we are not aware of yet," Trance stated with concern.
Harper was silent in contemplation before he spoke again. "Look, we don't know for sure that Dani did this," he offered. "Maybe one of your team saw that you had missed it, and dealt with it?"
"Maybe," Trance reluctantly agreed. "But why did you fail to tell us about this earlier, about what she did to you? Is this why it took you so long to contact us?"
Harper just nodded his head. "I would have told you, but yesterday was pretty hectic for me, for all of us, so I just forgot," he shrugged.
Trance considered his reasons, and knew that it was true, and that the day had been a long one for all of them. She looked at Harper closely, showing some concern. "I still think it was important enough for you to mention, considering Dani's position on this ship right now, something like not mentioning that she had rendered a crew member unconscious is something of an oversight, Seamus," Trance explained. "She could have seriously hurt you."
"I feel fine," Harper dismissed all too easily. "It's Dani I'm worried about," he admitted looking towards the door.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Beka won't eat Dani alive," Trance smiled.
"She'll solve one of my problems if she does," Harper figured, still not knowing what to think of Dani, and the situation he found himself in.
"Let me test your lungs and then you're free to go, and I would recommend you head straight for you quarters and get some more rest," Trance stated, and gestured to Harper to lie down, and move his arms, as she placed a medical instrument against his lower chest. "Do you feel any pain in this area," she asked, as she pressed the device into his chest slightly, and took a scan and some readings.
"Just some aches, nothing serious," he offered.
"Now breathe deeply into this," Trance requested as she handed Harper a modified scanner. Harper did as she asked and grimaced as he reached the end of his breath. "Still experiencing pain when you breathe?"
"Yeah, but only when I breathe deeply," Harper was still grimacing as Trance took the scanner away.
Looking at the scanner, Trance frowned. "Your lungs are still recovering after recent events, so I'll give you something to help ease that pain."
"Thanks," Harper accepted and then frowned. "Do you think I'm being a fool?"
"A fool?" Trance asked innocently.
"For giving Dani the time of day, even though you said you didn't sense anything bad from her, what do you really think?" he quickly offered.
"I'm not your personal horoscope, Harper," Trance returned calmly. "Just because I don't sense something, does not mean it's not there."
"So tell me, what does your instinct say?" Harper pushed.
"That you should be careful, like with any new relationship," Trance advised.
"Not even sure we have a relationship," Harper admitted. "I mean, bar taking her on endless tours of the ship, or doing the other thing, which I'm really trying to refrain from doing just yet surprisingly, what else is there to do around here that can come close to a having a relationship?"
"Use your imagination," Trance suggested.
"If I do that I'll probably be thrown in the brig," Harper looked a little concerned suddenly.
"I mean, find things to do that will mean you both interact, as friends, so you discover more about each other," Trance explained. "There must be something you can both do?"
"My stores need tidying up," Harper remembered idly.
"Not exactly romantic," Trance said with amusement.
"But practical and maybe not being romantic is a good thing right now," Harper suggested. "I mean, if she can tolerate tidying stores with me, and me complaining on top of that, then maybe we do have something going for us?" he shrugged.
"If you do decide to do that, can you please ensure you remain on top of the materials this time?" Trance partly mocked.
"Funny," Harper smirked. "I best go find Dani, rescue her from the third degree of Beka Valentine in full protective mode."
"Beka's just concerned for you, Seamus," Trance gently smiled.
"I know," Harper agreed with a grin. "We're both as bad as each other in that department, and maybe this time I'm glad I have Beka looking out for me, because I'm sure as hell not comfortable with what's developing here, but I'm also, I don't know, I am kind of excited by it too," he offered awkwardly.
"Enjoy it, and even if it ends tomorrow, you're having fun now, right?" Trance simply said. "You know we'll be looking out for you, so relax, all I ask is that you consider getting some rest sometime soon," she added.
Harper nodded his head, appreciating Trance's advice before he left the med deck.
"Will you stop playing with that thing?" Beka requested, seeing Dani continuing to twirl her injector around her fingers, she soon stopped after Beka's request. "So, let me get this straight, you worked for Yussuf as a messenger?"
"Yeah," Dani agreed.
"And your supposed brain injury made you the perfect carrier as you wouldn't remember the information until a few days had passed?" Beka checked.
"Correct," Dani smiled.
"What information did you pass on?"
"Security details, classified information on politicians and other important figureheads, or instructions to senior pride members," Dani returned without fuss.
"Do you remember these details?"
"Yeah," Dani nodded her head. "Did you hear about the attack on the Holtar System a few months back?" Dani asked and saw Beka nod her head. "I passed on the security codes that enabled Yussuf's men to take the back door in, and surprise them."
"Dani, over three thousand innocent people lost their lives in those attacks," Beka pointed out.
Dani looked uncomfortable momentarily. "I hadn't heard that, we don't get much feedback," she offered quietly.
"We need to stop Yussuf, or at least dent the amount of control he has over this sector, regain some control for the people who live here under his regime," Beka explained.
"Ok," Dani simply responded but without emotion.
"Is there anything you can tell us that could compromise Yussuf?" Beka asked.
"Is this why you took me?" Dani checked before answering.
"Yes, the Commonwealth has suspected for a long time that you were more than just a slave, Commonwealth intelligence placed you at the scene just before any major incident," Beka offered.
"Right," Dani responded distantly, and appeared to be thinking. "I'll have to think about this, what exactly I know and if it can be useful to you," she offered softly.
"I'll give you till tomorrow morning, no longer," Beka stated. "And now, I just want you to listen," Beka checked that she had Dani's full attention. "I don't know what is going on between you and Harper, but if you try anything, or you hurt him in anyway, you won't just be hurting him," Beka warned in a low voice. "He has a lot of friends, that's all I'm going to say."
Dani sat back, looking relaxed as she stared back at Beka, a hint of a smile on her face. "What can I really say?" she asked in a defensive pose. "Even I'm not sure what is going on between Shay and me," she frowned. "I can't promise anything, so I can't reassure you, I wish I could but in truth," Dani now shrugged. "I don't think he's interested, ok, so right now the idea might intrigue him but come on, to him I'm just some stupid slave."
Beka now sat back, this had been unexpected. She had expected a more defensive response, or possibly an attempt by Dani to try and convince her that she meant Harper no harm, but instead, Dani was relaxed, understanding and even indifferent to what was going on.
"Do you seriously like him?" Beka had to ask.
Dani shrugged, and crossed her arms. "Yeah, he seems a nice guy, a little short, a little odd in the way he sometimes expresses himself," Dani explained. "But I think he's someone I could have fun with, just a shame that he's a kludge, and I'm a slave or things could have been perfect."
"Do you seriously have a problem with him being from Earth?" Beka had to ask.
"Not really, but he's one of those," Dani explained with care.
Beka narrowed his eyes. "One of what?"
"It's hard to explain, but he doesn't like slaves, right?" Dani offered.
"Yeah, I guess," Beka agreed.
"Well, I come into that category, in his mind anyway, and I swear that even though he might try to convince himself that it's not a problem, it will be," Dani stated assuredly, and Beka saw a sadness in her expression that threw her. "Maybe it won't always be obvious, but it will always be there, niggling at him."
"So what are you expecting?" Beka asked with interest now.
Dani just shrugged again, displaying an indifferent attitude. "Nothing," she answered, and she brought her hand to her head. "Look, I get that you're worried, and all that does, other than make me wonder what I'm getting into with Shay, is to be more jealous of him," she stated, and got to her feet. "I want what he's got, that's what I expect now that I've chosen freedom, he's shown me what I could have, that's all I expect."
Beka took a moment to look at Dani, this had been the first time she had properly spoken to the girl and annoyingly Beka had found her to be co-operative, talkative and even worse, likeable. It served mainly to make her more suspicious on one level, but on another, Beka was now seeing her as a human being, not a slave, or a mission, or anything else and what scared her more was that she could see her with Harper, now they had spoken she could understand a little better what Harper was attracted to.
Beka took a deep breath and looked at the pad she had in front of her, distracted by her thoughts now that she had spoken to Dani, and she knew that Harper was now planning to back off, and cool things down between them. With a glance, Beka partly smiled towards Dani as the silence continued, and she made out that she was contemplating the next move. It seemed as though Dani was fully expecting Harper to back down, to move on swiftly, but Beka could also see that Dani had some feelings, genuine feelings in her mind, towards Harper.
Beka got to her feet with an air of trepidation, Dani was only her concern as far as the mission. Her priority would always be to Harper, and knowing that he could get out of this mess now, intact and with his part of the mission now done, Beka was only too pleased.
"Well I think everything that we needed to discuss has been said, so I'll see you tomorrow, after you've had a chance to think about what we discussed about Yussuf," Beka confirmed and Dani stood up, but with less enthusiasm.
"Sure," Dani agreed distantly, and on cue Harper appeared at the door.
"Harper," Beka greeted. "We've just finished," she added quickly, and she couldn't help but wish he hadn't turned up here, Harper had been given the perfect opportunity to keep out of sight after his check up, under the guise of resting or even going back to work, but here he was.
"Great, got everything you need?" Harper asked brightly, moving beside Dani.
"Yeah, Dani has revealed some useful stuff," Beka agreed, and briefly smiled at Dani in an attempt at nice. "Shouldn't you be resting, Harper?" Beka asked, almost hinting, to try and get some kind of response from Harper on the matter.
"I will," Harper complained. "I just wanted to make sure everything was fine here, and that everything went ok," Harper attempted to explain.
"I was on my best behaviour," Beka returned, but she was given the distinct impression that he had found it hard to stay away and deep down she felt a bad feeling, but she had to trust that Harper would keep to his word.
"So was I," Dani spoke up with amusement, totally missing the unspoken words between Beka and Harper.
"Good, good," Harper smiled now, and for the moment there was an awkward silence between the three people.
Beka then moved towards the exit. "Dani, I'll see you in the morning, and Harper, I really think you should go and get some rest, Dani knows her way around now, and she doesn't need a chaperone," Beka suggested, giving the engineer's shoulder a quick squeeze before leaving.
Harper looked on as Beka left them, and silently nodded his head, understanding and acknowledging Beka's instruction, even though she didn't speak. He knew she was giving him the all clear, Dani had said enough, she had talked, and now Beka was encouraging him to back off from Dani like he said he would once Dani had talked. Harper could only stare at Dani, as his thoughts raced, and he wondered if he had really said what he had said to Beka.
Dani turned and smiled on seeing him. "Hey, did you get a good report from Trance?" she asked, moving closer.
"Yeah," Harper stated with a hesitant air. "So how come you're still in one piece? I was sure Beka would have torn you to strips."
Dani just smirked. "I did what she asked, told her what I knew and promised to consider what more I could offer in assistance to bring my boss down."
"Ex-boss," Harper corrected her.
"Yeah," Dani stated and looked closely at Harper. "You look tired."
"Yeah, I should go and rest, now is as good a time as any whilst it's quiet around here, doesn't happen often," Harper explained, but he didn't move and instead just looked at Dani.
"Can I join you?" Dani then asked and then quickly continued. "I mean; just to hang out, nothing more," she added with amusement.
Harper gave it some thought, and he had to admit that he couldn't think of a good reason not to let her hang out with him, in a purely innocent way of course, he considered, even though it wasn't exactly keeping his word to Beka. "Ok, but I do need to rest," he stated, reasserting some form of control on his part.
"I won't get you into trouble with Trance, I promise," Dani grinned.
"It's not really Trance I'm worried about," Harper said under his breath, and just shook his head, as Dani walked with him back to his quarters.
The room was full of activity now, and Yussuf checked read-out after read-out with excitement. Moving to another desk, Yussuf joined more of his more senior staff, a smile plastered across his face.
"We have them, pass on my thanks to the people who provided this information," Yussuf declared. "The Andromeda Ascendant has been found, and with it my Dani," he beamed.
"Do you want us to launch another attack?"
"No," Yussuf stressed almost immediately. "We wait, just keep them under observation and don't let them escape us again."
"Sir," the older general confirmed.
"Alert our people in the Ipcres system that we are nearly in a position to go," Yussuf ordered. "The Commonwealth conference still lists a certain Captain Dylan Hunt as a guest speaker, so no doubt the Andromeda Ascendant will soon be making its way to the Ipcres system, and into our trap, so that is when we will strike."
"I like it, sir," the senior general confirmed.
"It's only a slight modification to my original plan," Yussuf offered. "The major change being that Dani is no longer able to infiltrate the Andromeda crew at the conference," Yussuf explained and then beamed. "But she should remember what her mission was now, and realise where she is, on board the very ship, with the very crew that I wanted her to infiltrate, and that she's in an even more perfect position to complete her mission, so that we'll finally be able to bring this damn Commonwealth to its knees, begging for mercy."
"I would suspect that any man on that crew would find Dani hard to resist if she sets her sights on them," the general beamed now.
"My Dani is hard to resist," Yussuf confirmed with some pride. "It's just a shame that any man I find so much as looking at her, will find out exactly how I feel about them doing so," he seethed with menace, and the general noticeably shied away.
"They should expect death for crossing you, sir," the general spoke up.
"Death would only be a blessing, they deserve so much more and you know how I love my entertainment," Yussuf hinted in as he sneered. "I really hope my Dani has eyes only for this Captain Dylan Hunt, he would certainly fit the bill nicely."
"As Telemachus Rhade was the man behind taking her from you, I would have thought he would have fitted the bill better," the general remarked, glancing at the crew files.
"He is one of us, maybe a little misdirected, working with the enemy, but he is still of Nietzschean blood, good blood," Yussuf explained with care. "Dylan Hunt would make a far more interesting prospect, and a perfect specimen for Dani to have fun with."
"Dani's tastes and methods have never been predictable, she is always full of surprises in getting the job done," the general spoke with care. "I wouldn't put it past her to go for this supposed kludge genius they have on board, the engineer, and he'd know a lot about the ship, about how it works."
"Dani, my Dani with a worthless kludge?" Yussuf spat with sudden anger. "I should strike you down where you stand, general!"
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking," the general backed away.
"If I ever caught my Dani with such lowlifes as Earth reared scum," Yussuf took a calming breath, feeling his emotions running away with his thoughts. "Dani has more class than to even look at this mess of a being," Yussuf gestured to the screen that now showed Seamus Harper's file. "I just hope he hasn't contaminated her with vile abuse, mistaking her for her cover, and harming her with his wretched speech," Yussuf declared with anger. "I am just very sorry that due to the unforeseen action of Dani being taken by this Rhade and Valentine, that she may have been exposed to such a vile creature, I hope they keep him well hidden away," Yussuf sighed with obvious distress.
"By all accounts they suggest that he is a part of the main crew," the general pointed out.
"All lies!" Yussuf stressed animatedly. "The commonwealth dress him up, probably only some diplomacy act, winning votes from all the lowlifes in this sorry universe, but underneath it all, this kludge is nothing but an eyesore, even his image makes me sick, and I will not believe he plays any part on a high guard warship," Yussuf declared and deleted the file they had on him and silence followed, the discussion was over, as Yussuf walked away, needing to lie down.
TBC