Part 31
Beka awoke to the smell of fresh coffee and for the moment she wondered if this was what having a normal life was all about. She sat up and wearily shook the sleep from her mind, as she focused on the room surrounding her.
"Morning," Colin's bright voice entered the room and with it he carried a mug of the coffee that had woken her.
"Thanks," Beka smiled. "It's becoming harder to remember I'm being held here against my will," she offered, and briefly remembered Harper back on board that ship, if he was even still on that ship, she just had no idea. One thing she was sure of, he wasn't sipping fresh coffee at that moment like her.
"He'll be ok," Colin seemed to read the concerns in her mind.
"How did you know I was thinking about him?" Beka asked.
"All the new recruits do it, first few months, whenever they have something that they enjoy, like the coffee, they feel guilty for their loved ones," Colin said with an experienced air. "It will pass with time."
"I don't want to lose it, and besides, you keep telling me that in a matter of days all of this will be a thing of the past," Beka reminded him.
"And it will," Colin agreed.
"How long have you been here?" Beka now asked, and she couldn't help but noticed Colin's bone blades, he was no longer wearing the jacket to hide them.
Colin just shrugged. "I think between six and nine years," he answered, and noticed Beka looking at his bone blades. "What?" he asked, seeing a confused expression from Beka.
"The name Colin, not something I would associate with a Nietzschean," Beka had to be honest.
"I don't use my real name, I don't want to be associated with my father after he did this to me," Colin showed a rare flash of anger. "I had a friend here, in the camp when I first arrived, his family name was Collins, and I took it on to honour his memory after he died of illness."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything, I didn't mean to be rude," Beka flustered, she wished she hadn't said anything now.
"No, it's ok," Colin returned. "And you're right, it's not really a name usually associated with first born sons of an alpha male," he grinned. "And in truth, I don't act like the first born son of an alpha male," he added. "This is not an ideal environment to explore the more natural Nietzschean tendencies," he grinned.
"Are you telling me you've gone soft?" Beka asked with amusement, then frowned as she considered his words some more. "I guess in a camp like this it takes a lot of your identity away, forced to live like this with so many different species," Beka reasoned.
"There's no room for ancestry, religion or heritage here, or anything that identifies with anything outside of the camp," Colin agreed. "We have our own way of life, created our own culture, and we have encouraged people to forget the past, it makes accepting all this that much easier," he sighed and then looked towards the window. "I have a few of the other members showing up soon, they will bring you in on the plans, we'd be interested in your reactions to them."
"Let me freshen up and I'll be right with you," Beka suggested and Colin left the room, leaving Beka to finish her coffee, before preparing for the day.
Dani found herself in a bed, and somewhere she didn't recognise. Sitting up she moved to the side and listened at the door, hearing voices, and quietly she opened the door slightly. At a table, playing some sort of card game and looking as though they had played through the night, Dani saw four ubers.
She looked around the sparse room, and found her bag, retrieving some fresh clothes she quickly got dressed and remembered the mission, something she had never been able to do before now. Remembering how to act dumb, Dani looked at herself in the mirror, knowing she had to appear a little confused in front of the ubers as to where she was, whilst knowing full well that she was a guest of the Gegain Pride, an off shoot of the Drago Kasov pride.
Tentatively she stepped outside the room and approached the table, her head bowed. The ubers all stopped their talking, and she could feel them looking at her.
"She's awake, I guess its time to go to work," the lead uber announced. "I have some information that I wish for you to pass on to your boss, Yussuf, but don't hurry your sweet little self in telling him," he grinned.
"Go ahead," Dani confirmed, just wanting to get this over with so she could return to the palace.
"There is a threat to his leadership, a very real threat and it comes in the shape of Johnson, or to give him his real name J'ahnsen, a name from Yussuf's past that he will know all too well," the uber spoke clearly, as Dani remembered the details with ease. "The strike could happen any day now so be prepared, it's in all our best interests, and we do not want to see the J'ahnsen pride rule any sector any time soon."
"Is there any more information you wish to pass along?" Dani asked.
"There is," the uber spoke in hushed tones now. "J'ahnsen is a known back stabber, literally, do not let him blindside Yussuf, he will try to get him alone or away from his usual haunts in order to strike," the uber spoke. "But again, if you don't remember in time, do remember I did try to warn him," he hinted with an amused smile.
Dani nodded her head, but could show no reaction, even though alarm bells were ringing, she knew that Yussuf was planning a mission and now she had wished she had learnt more details. This uber was doing nothing but covering his own back, this information was arriving too late, and purposely so, Dani seethed. Had this been before her head was fixed, there would be no way Yussuf would discover it in time, if the threat was so close, but now she would remember and Dani knew she could warn Yussuf, but she would risk revealing her secret.
Stepping away, Dani faced a dilemma, but she waited before feeling a familiar sensation of a light stab to her neck, as she was once again sent to sleep.
Harper communicated with the door controls and with ease he opened the main door to some underground caverns, he then quickly retrieved the cable so he could follow the team in. The team of ubers moved swiftly, and with trained precision, and Harper felt his lungs beginning to burn from the exertion already, and they had only just arrived.
"Stay here," Kane ordered towards Harper, they were now in some dank corridor, underground and they clearly were no where near their destination. "Be ready for our return, we'll need a quick exit."
"I'll stay with him, keep an eye on him," Yussuf declared, also looking short of breath but for different reasons.
Harper sighed, he had hoped to at least follow them to the main section, the interesting bit, but maybe Kane had seen he was struggling and took pity of him, and Harper hated his stupid lungs for being so weak at this time. For the first time in days something interesting was happening, and he had to miss out, for the very reason he always dreaded, because he was just a kludge.
The team had broken off into two, with the four ubers of Kane, Rico, Darla and Ewan heading towards the main core, whilst Johnson and his two flunkies headed to retrieve information from the offices, with Yussuf staying with Harper.
Harper had slid down the wall to sit down, and get his breath back, perspiring slightly he wiped his brow with the hem of his shirt, and was surprised when Yussuf joined him, although sitting across from him.
"You're everything I expect in a kludge, weak, simple minded, vile," Yussuf began, giving Harper very little to return with. "You sum of what the Commonwealth mean to me, very little, like yourself," he grinned at his own humour.
Harper could only sneer in reaction and look away, tired of the insults and the fact that he was not able to give as good as he got, at least not daring to in the condition he was currently in, it wasn't a wise move for survival. Picking fights with the tyrant of the sector was well and truly out of the equation whatever his health, he then considered inwardly with amusement.
As he glanced down the tunnel where the team of four ubers had disappeared, he found that he was actually enjoying his little excursion. He may be just the kludge they had brought along to open doors, but at least he was doing something, and being of use, and he had the opportunity to be something more than just a stupid slave, this was just what he had needed, Harper realised.
"Do you hear that?" Yussuf then asked towards Harper. "Of course you don't you're just a kludge, stand up," he ordered briskly.
Harper got to his feet, rapidly being reminded of his status in this team, and Yussuf gestured to Harper to move closer to the offices where Johnson had disappeared to. "Tell me what Johnson is discussing with his goons, I can hear voices and I heard my name, go to the door and listen."
Harper frowned but he couldn't complain or protest and begrudgingly he headed towards the offices, taking care not to be heard of seen. He crept up to the door frame and listened to the discussion, they were speaking with hushed voices, so Harper had to concentrate to hear.
"On return to the ship, we strike, and Yussuf will be no more," Johnson was heard and Harper froze, his back pressed to the wall, and he glanced back at Yussuf who was waiting for him. "As soon as dinner is over, we will meet in the corridor connecting to his quarters, you two take out his guards, and I'll deliver the goods to the man himself."
Harper knew he had to move away, but on standing up he stumbled and in an effort to remain quiet, he failed as his boot squeaked on the tiled floor. Harper was convinced that he'd been heard by Johnson, so he began to run and was closer to Yussuf by the time Johnson had come out of the office to investigate.
Harper glanced back and saw confirmation in Johnson's pose that the uber now suspected that he had heard everything, and Harper knew he had heard enough. Yussuf was by his side now, and it was plain to see on Johnson's face that he was not a happy man.
"What did you learn?" Yussuf demanded grabbing hold of Harper's shirt, and Harper nervously glanced at Johnson who was walking towards them. Yussuf put his other hand on Harper's shoulder, and the human was increasingly aware of Johnson fast approaching.
"Give me that kludge," Johnson now demanded, but Yussuf pushed Harper away to the side, and protectively he stood between Harper and Johnson, knowing the kludge had learnt something of importance with his eavesdropping.
"Why are you so afraid?" Yussuf questioned.
"I do not wish the kludge to be spreading unfair rumours about me, I have no idea what lies he would tell about what he may have heard, it could be easily taken out of context," Johnson stressed, and Harper couldn't help but smirk, and find a smile, that Yussuf didn't miss.
"Tell me, what did you hear and I'll make my own mind up," Yussuf stressed looking at Harper.
So focused on Harper, Yussuf took his eyes away from Johnson for a moment, but Harper spotted the flash of light hit off the knife and his natural instincts kicked in as he pulled Yussuf to one side and then lunged at Johnson. It took Yussuf a moment to realise the situation, and when Johnson's flunkies quickly turned up, Yussuf found himself fighting alongside Harper.
Harper fought off the attempts of one flunky as he bashed the hand that Johnson held the knife in, but his strength was no match for Johnson and soon the larger man over powered Harper and twisted him over onto his back, Harper looked up at Johnson as he glared down on him.
"Stupid kludge," Johnson said with such venom, and Harper's rage hit maximum as he kicked Johnson between the legs and could almost feel the pain he now saw in Johnson's expression. In a desperate bid for retaliation, Johnson swung the knife in front of Harper, who in turn screamed out when the blade connected sharply with the back of his hand as he tried to protect himself. Distracted, Johnson was able to swing a couple of punches across Harper's unprotected face now.
So blinding and consuming was the pain now, that Harper didn't know the attack was over until he heard Yussuf's voice encouraging him to sit up. Opening his eyes, Harper controlled his breathing as he stared back at a smiling Yussuf, looking at him with disbelief.
"They were planning to kill you," Harper finally revealed what he had overheard.
"I figured that one out, but you did well," Yussuf returned. "You saved my life," he then added with confusion, before checking how pale Harper was and seeing the wound to the back of his left hand. Without another thought Yussuf tore part of his shirt and quickly wrapped it around Harper's hand tightly to stem the flow of blood. "Stay with us, we still need you to get us out of here, remember," Yussuf ordered, but it was said with some care now.
Harper just nodded his head, the pain in his hand felt like nothing else he had experienced and he couldn't move his fingers, let alone feel them anymore. Tiredly, he glanced over and saw the pile of ubers, Johnson and his flunkies, dead or unconscious, he wasn't entirely sure but he didn't really care for the minute.
"You are worthy of being Dani's slave, her assistant and protector," Yussuf then spoke through the haze that was Harper's rapidly declining consciousness. "You have saved my life, possibly averted a coup," he continued over the possibilities. "So, I am to be grateful to a kludge?" he then questioned.
"No," Harper managed, keeping hold of his consciousness. "I don't want your thanks or anything," Harper sneered with honesty.
"I can't let this go unrewarded," Yussuf explained with some uncertainty. "Just as much as I can't be seen to praise a kludge," he added.
"How about you give me my freedom?" Harper asked through heavy breaths.
"So you can travel the universe telling people of this, that you were once my slave and now you are not?" Yussuf was almost mocking him. "I don't think that is a reward, I think that is a punishment for me."
"I wouldn't do that," Harper was heavily perspiring now.
"Well," Yussuf looked at him. "Maybe I'll be lucky and you won't survive the trip back."
Harper closed his eyes, his life stank, and he saved a guy who now wished him dead so that he wouldn't have to thank him publicly.
"Stay awake," Yussuf demanded.
"Make me," Harper countered losing the will to stay on the ubers good side, and then felt his body being shaken violently, enough that he opened his eyes again. "Ok, ok, point taken, so you can make me stay awake," he complained.
"I can't let you die, I know that you mean too much to Dani for me to let that happen," Yussuf idly spoke.
"I do, you do?" Harper questioned, a little confused in his weary state.
"Well it's obvious," Yussuf conceded, talking frankly now. "I see no other reason why you remain unmarked by her, why her scent always seems to be around you," he then reached for Harper's face to get his undivided attention, with a firm grip on Harper's jaw. "You are both intimate, right?" Yussuf asked outright.
Harper wasn't sure if it was a trick question or not, and with Yussuf holding his jaw, he decided to play it safe. "We became friends on the Andromeda," he answered, knowing it was the truth.
"She told me you treated her badly in the beginning, because she was a slave," Yussuf began, finally letting go of Harper, and the human shrugged before agreeing before wondering what else Dani had told him. "And then she turns around and makes you her slave, you have to love her twisted sense of humour, don't you?" he grinned.
Harper snapped his attention to Yussuf. "She told you that she did this because of what I did to her?" he asked, forgetting himself for a moment.
"That's the impression she gave me," Yussuf nodded his head.
Harper decided not to respond, this was Yussuf after all and he had to trust that Dani wouldn't have done what he was claiming, and he had to trust her and believe her original explanation. Harper knew that right that minute he was just emotional, tired and in intense pain, and he wasn't thinking straight, he considered.
"Stay awake," Yussuf said again.
"I'm awake," Harper returned, and his head felt like it was on fire now.
"Here they come," Yussuf stood up and Harper remained where he was, but he could hear voices, and he guessed that Yussuf was probably explaining to the team what had happened, before after about a minute he felt someone lift him to his feet.
"Good work," Kane then spoke as Harper focused on him. "Now get us out of here and we'll get you fix up good and new as a reward, we might even allow you to rest," he grinned.
Harper just nodded his head, and took the assistance that Kane offered him in hooking up to the door computer once again. It took him a little longer this time to figure out the code but they were all soon moving again, with Kane lifting Harper over his shoulder for the rest of the journey back to the ship.
Rhade had grown bored of his surroundings as he waited for time to pass by, but soon he was stood by the entrant's door with a few other people, all looking desperate and ready for a fight. The fight night would start in two hours and he was hoping that he had made the right decision to do this.
"I hear Yussuf isn't even here tonight," one potential fighter spoke.
"What does it matter?" another man spoke.
"If you win your fights you get noticed, and if you're good you can join his camps, free food, board, and all you have to do is keep winning," the man enthused.
"All you have to do?" the other man scoffed. "I just want my winnings and I'll be out of here on the next transport to a better place, out of this mad mans control."
Rhade was now ignoring the exchange, he had hoped they were wrong about Yussuf, as that was his main reason for being here, but he soon found himself being talked to.
"So why are you here, you don't look as desperate as the rest," the man looking for a way off the planet was asking.
"I want information, information I can only get if I'm on the inside," Rhade answered.
"See that's more of an answer, a man with brains and a mission," the man declared. "My fighting name is Traveller, and you are?"
"Rhade, I'm sure we'll never meet again," he added with a knowing smile.
"Too true," the man responded.
The heavy doors finally opened and Rhade considered once again backing out, but instead found himself being led into the building by the Traveller man, as he put an arm around his shoulders and led the way.
Beka was aware of the raised voices as she walked through the building to find Colin, having just taken a shower after her relaxing start to the day, it had been nice to just feel warm running water again after her previous experience.
As she entered the main room she saw that the others had turned up, who she had yet to be introduced to, and they all seemed a lot more stressed than before.
"I'm telling you everything is dead, everything," a woman flustered at Colin, who simply looked up as Beka walked in. "This is bad, Col, without this, just how are we going to know what is going on?"
"It might have already happened and we'll be sat here like idiots," an older man huffed, like a child with his arms crossed.
"I'm sure we can sort it out," Colin simply offered a little calmer than the rest.
"Problem?" Beka chose to ask.
All eyes turned to her, and she picked up on the suspicion from the others immediately, as she was the new face it was only natural for them to think she might have been involved in whatever had gone wrong.
"Communications have died, all over the camp," Colin explained. "Nothing is coming in, and nothing is going out."
"Ah," Beka frowned, and crossed her arms. "So, we have no way of knowing if what you say is going to happen, has happened?"
"Exactly, and it is due to happen any moment now, in fact it's very possible it already has, but we just have no way of knowing now," Colin sighed, as he walked to the window.
"Do you think it's deliberate?" Beka asked suspecting fowl play.
"Well you tell us, no one knew about this other than us, then you come along and suddenly we hit a problem we've never hit before," the older man accused, standing up and glaring at Beka.
"I had nothing to do with this, I want out of this place just like you," Beka stood her ground, remaining calm to his words.
"Ges," Colin simply warned, moving next to Beka. "This is Beka, she's a part of the Commonwealth, she has no reason to do anything against us, and she speaks the truth about wanting out."
The small group of people didn't seem convinced but they remained silent now, as Colin paced the room. "It's possible that the guards on duty heard about something and cut us off, until they know more," he shrugged, but didn't seem particularly convinced. "But usually it's a job keeping them awake, the only reason any of us are still here is the tech, not the guards."
"All we were waiting for was the news that Yussuf had been killed, one sentence, and now we'll hear nothing," the female continued to complain. "Our freedom, our paradise has been taken away from us, just like that, it's just not fair," she said and Beka was almost expecting her to stamp her foot, unable to believe what she was seeing in these people in reaction to the communications failing.
"Look, I know I'm new around here but crap happens, and it's more about how you respond to it that counts," Beka explained, and glanced at Colin, seeing he wasn't attempting to stop her so she continued. "Communications are down, so let's try and resolve it, is it a problem we can fix, do we even know?" she asked, and saw blank faces looking back at her.
"We have everything provided for us, we generally just wait for things to be fixed," Colin explained.
Beka couldn't hide her reaction, of shock and amusement. "On one hand you want to be free of this camp, of its restrictions and of Yussuf, but on the other hand I doubt any of you can survive five minutes without him," she was forced to admit. "How long have you all been here, that you've become so dependant on his care?"
The female got to her feet with the fury. "Who the hell do you think you are saying these things to us, we're not reliant on that man, and we work outside of this system he has!" she fumed.
"Really?" Beka had to smile. "You use his buildings, his equipment, his staff to fix it, his food to keep you fed, you're about as independent as a pet my engineer once had, and that died within hours of escaping from its cage because it had no idea about anything either," she emphasised.
"Colin, tell her she's wrong!" the female spluttered with disbelief.
"Kirsty, she's right," Colin realised with stunned disbelief. "How independent are we?"
"We are as independent as we can be, given our situation," Ges offered bluntly.
"Wrong," Beka responded. "You've all been here for years I take it, and what have you really done in that time to assert independence?" Beka asked. "Have any of you heard of Earth, the humans there, they also live under Nietzschean rule, in camps that are a hundred times worse than this, they are not given food, shelter or equipment like this," she gestured to the broken transmitter. "But they get by, they find ways to build equipment, to find food, they survive because they were forced to," Beka stressed and paced the room now. "Why depend on their food when you could have grown your own, you have the land, the food they provided has the seeds, did any of you consider the fact the ubers could have just stopped the supply at any time?" she questioned with anger.
"Do we have to listen to this?" Ges complained.
"Yes," Colin simply stated and gestured to Beka to continue.
"I've said my piece, but I will say one more thing and that's about my engineer, who Yussuf has captured right now, he came from that environment on Earth and he could teach you a thing or two about a lot of things, especially about survival," Beka said with passion.
"He still got caught by Yussuf," Kirsty sniped, with arrogance.
"And he will survive when he does eventually escape, and he will escape, of that I have no doubt," Beka returned strongly. "But you guys, do you even know what is coming this way, the horrors that await you? Do you realise that there is a Magog World Ship just months away," Beka then gave it some consideration. "You know to be honest, you shouldn't leave this place, you're not ready for the real universe out there," Beka stated.
There was silence now in the room and all complaints and moans had ceased as Beka's words sunk in. Colin moved beside Beka and gently stroked her arm, but she moved away and left the room to go outside to get some air. A few minutes later Colin stepped outside and joined her.
"They needed to hear that, we all needed to hear that," Colin assured her quietly.
"I've never been diplomatic," Beka offered with an apologetic smile. "But their reactions in the face of one problem, one set back, Colin, you have a bunch of kids in that room, you know that right?"
"I guess we just never had many obstacles like this," Colin explained. "You have to help us."
"I want to, but my patience isn't all that good around kids," Beka shrugged, looking upwards. "And what if Yussuf is already dead and we've missed the party, what then?"
"Yussuf is dead, and his reign is over I can just feel it," Colin stated confidently looking up at the blue skies above them. "We live in free times now, and word will reach us, somehow."
Beka took a deep breath. "Then I can expect a visit soon, see my friends, they are grown ups and they'll know what to do, they'll find me," she grinned.
"Beka!"
Beka frowned, and did a double take. "Although I wasn't expecting them to find me quite so soon, Dylan?" she questioned, looking towards the voice and recognising it.
"You know them?" Colin gestured to the two people rapidly approaching.
"It's my friends, from the Andromeda, and the Commonwealth, how the hell did they get in here?" Beka asked wildly as she moved towards Dylan and Rommie.
Embracing Rommie and Dylan in turn, Beka couldn't hide her joy. "Does this mean Yussuf is dead?" Beka asked, but both Dylan and Rommie's face showed confusion to her question.
"As far as we know Yussuf is alive and well," Dylan answered. "We just infiltrated the supplies team, cut communications and here we are."
"You cut communications?" Beka checked. "Dylan, we're here waiting on word of Yussuf's demise, so we need those communications, something big is going down."
"So we keep being told," Rommie responded, and then looked to Beka. "I received confirmation that his ship has returned to his base, and I have no reason to believe that Yussuf has been killed, there are no reports stating this as yet," she added, confirming to Beka that Rommie was in contacted with the ship, and it was scanning the frequencies.
"How does she do that, and how can she be so sure?" Colin now asked, looking at Rommie with confusion.
"She's our ship, the avatar," Beka explained.
"Neat," Colin could only speak in response, looking Rommie up and down.
"Dylan, I have received no further update from Rhade, it's been over twelve hours since his last communication," Rommie added.
"Beka, we need to move," Dylan stated.
Beka looked at Colin, and hesitated before she turned back to Dylan. "You know we have about fifteen hundred people who really should leave with us," she stated.
"I know the situation," Dylan confirmed.
"Most of these people are security for staff who work for Yussuf, if we free them, we take away his security, his means of controlling his staff," Beka continued to push her case.
"Well, we do have a sketchy escape plan, a few extra hands would help," Dylan confirmed.
"We will help, whatever it takes," Colin enthused.
"I am able to withstand the current that flows around the parameter fence for a short while, enough time to break the flow, and allow a number of people to dismantle the fence, would you be able to get enough man power to help us do this?" Rommie asked Colin.
"Give me thirty minutes and I'll get you a hundred men who can," Colin was already backing away, his enthusiasm obvious as he broke into a sprint back to the house.
"Strange man," Dylan frowned.
"This whole place is strange," Beka stated and then looked at Dylan with concern. "Please tell me that you have rescued Harper, or at least sighted him."
"Sorry," Dylan returned. "It was a tough enough task finding you, and we had hoped Harper would be here too."
"He must still be with Yussuf, they tricked us, and we were separated," Beka frowned. "He was really bad when I left him, they are not the perfect hosts they," Beka stopped unable to continue, as Rommie put an arm around her.
"We'll find him, don't worry, and if plans are in place to overthrow Yussuf like it appears they are then he might even find his own way home," Rommie encouraged.
"I hope whoever has the guts to kill Yussuf, does it soon," Beka agreed, with a degree of anger in her voice.
TBC