Thanks for the reviews. And thanks as always to parisindy for being my beta.
Chapter 7
Three hours later Beka returned to the Maru to see give Trance an update on Harper's condition. Beka had expected the perky purple girl to run up and greet her, barraging the pilot with an endless stream of questions about Harper's condition. Beka assumed that Trance had just gone to lie down on her old bunk.
Beka was not yet in panic mode when she saw that Trance's bunk was empty. Beka called out Trance's name and got no response. Beka now was beginning to panic, fearing that the purple girl had been kidnapped or even something worse.
"Okay calm down, you're a Valentine remember," Beka told herself. "Trance probably just went back to the hospital to check in on Harper and we just missed seeing each other."
Beka was about to put in a call to the hospital from the Maru when she noticed a flexi sitting on the pilot's chair. Beka picked up the flexi and played Trance's recorded message.
The purple alien flickered onto the small screen on the flexi. "Beka I'm leaving this message so you won't worry that something happened to me. I'm fine. I had to leave. I can't say too much right now but I'll explain when I get back. I hope you will understand.
Then Trance's image dissolved into a blank screen.
Beka was angry and confused. She couldn't understand what would cause Trance to take off like this and leave Harper still in a hospital bed. "You had better have a good explanation for this Trance." Beka was relieved that at least Trance appeared to be safe and hadn't been the victim of a kidnapping or foul play. Beka was still angry that Trance Trance had left Harper in the care of strangers. "You still have some explaining to do Trance." Beka
A day later the Andromeda had exited slipstream near Sinti. Dylan went planetside and visited Harper in the Hospital. The Engineer had gained a bit of strength and was able to stay awake for a few hours at a stretch. He was awake and talking to Beka when Dylan entered the room.
Harper looked up at the High Guard Captain and smiled weakly. "Hi Dylan, Beka told me you all managed to chase off the Sabra Jaguars."
"Yeah we got rid of them for now. You look a lot better than when I last saw you," Dylan replied cheerfully.
"I guess I would look a bit better. So I was just gonna ask Beka where Trance is at," Harper announced with concern.
Dylan looked over at Beka with a slightly worried look on his face. "I was wondering the same thing. Do you know anything Beka?"
Beka bit her bottom lip as she looked over at the High Guard captain. "Trance left me a message on a flexi saying she was leaving. She didn't say anything else. I don't know where or why she just took off like she did."
"Trance just left?" Harper questioned in disbelief.
Beka jerked her head and saw the hurt look in Harper's eyes that she had expected. "I'm sorry Seamus, but Trance just left with no explanation."
"She's my Purple Pixie. How could she leave without at least saying good bye?" Harper blubbered.
"I wouldn't be too hard on Trance," Dylan interjected. "I had a talk with Andromeda. It seems that Trance confided something to her that Andromeda felt important enough to tell me once Trance left. Andromeda was able to detect some changes in Trance, despite Trance's attempts to hide it. Eventually Andromeda felt it necessary to ask Trance if there was a problem. Andromeda informed me that Trance told her that Trance is undergoing some kind phase that is common to her people. The phase causes a chemical imbalance in her kind which can cause somebody of Trance's kind to act in an emotional and irrational manner."
Beka's eyes opened wide as the implications of Dylan's explanation sank in. "You mean that Trance is going through some kind of PMS?"
Dylan lifted a hand in the air to stop the blonde pilot. "I gather it's a little more complicated than that Beka. Essentially Trance is not able to act rationally when under certain emotional stress."
"We've got to find Trance and bring her back to the Andromeda," Harper said in a weak but firm voice.
Beka put a reassuring hand on the Engineer. "I'll go after Trance. I was able to get the make and model of the ship she rented when I checked with security at the spaceport. They put tracking devices on all of their rentals in case somebody decides to take off without paying. I was planning to head out after her as soon as I told you Harper."
"What are we waiting for then? Let's go find Trance!" Harper encouraged as he started to sit up.
Beka put her hands on the engineer's shoulders and firmly pushed him back down onto his pillow. "You're not going anywhere Seamus. You're still recovering. I'll go after her in the Maru."
"Sounds like plan. I'll go with you. We'll leave as soon as I ask Rev to look after Harper," Dylan said as he started heading for the doorway.
"Dylan I really wish you would let me do this on my own. I'm not sure how Trance is going to react if you're with me," Beka reasoned.
Dylan looked over at Harper then back to Beka. "Okay, you have a point, but keep in touch. And be careful, there's no telling what kind of trouble Trance is getting herself into," he advised.
Harper squirmed under Beka's hold as much as he could in his weakened condition. "There's no way you're leaving me here. I'm going with you," he demanded through gasps of breath.
"I said no Seamus and I mean it. You will stay here and let the doctors make you better," Beka ordered. Beka could see the engineer's eyes were glazed over and he skin felt slightly clammy when she put a hand on his arm.
Harper opened his mouth to protest but no words came out. Before the engineer could start fighting the dizziness that engulfed him he passed out. Beka released her grip on Harper and gently brushed some wayward strands of hair away from his face. "You better get well Shorty. That's an order and you know I don't give orders lightly.
"I think he'll sleep for awhile," Beka observed. "Now would be a good time for me to leave."
Dylan put a reassuring hand on Beka's shoulder. "Good luck Beka. Harper will be okay," Dylan promised as he sat down in a chair next to Harper's bed. "Andromeda, have Rev Bem come to medical and keep an eye on Harper."
Beka took one last glance over her shoulder at Harper as she left the room. Now she had two friends to worry about.
Trance tensed in anticipation as she exited the final slipstream jump that took her to Fargo Drift. The purple alien had visions visiting the past as she and the rest of Andromeda's crew did when she last piloted through slipstream. Then they had gone back Three hundred years in the past to the battle of Witchhead.
The purple girl breathed an audible sigh of relief and relaxed as she saw Fargo Drift in the distance. "I hope I'm still in the same time," Trance thought to herself. When Trance received clearance to land at the local spaceport she made it a point to ask what year they were in. The purple girl explained to the traffic controller that she had suffered memory lost recently.
As soon as she landed the spacecraft Trance put on a cloak with a hood. A purple girl with pointy ears and a tail would attract unwanted attention. Trance didn't want word to get back to the two Sabra Jaguars that she was on Fargo Drift.
Trance strolled out of the spaceport, scanning the street for her prey. The two Sabra Jaguars were nowhere in site. After half an hour of rambling through the streets Trance got one of her hunches. Trance's had the feeling she should head for one of the run down section of the drift. Two Sabra Jaguar exiles might be in the mood to hide out there. Trance had learned to follow her hunches when searching for things and walked for what seemed like an hour, the whole time the surrounding area became seedier and seedier.
Trance felt that she was now the right area. The purple girl stopped, unconcerned about any potential dangers in standing still. Another hunch came over Trance as her gaze fell upon a cheap hotel.
The purple pixie walked towards the hotel and entered the lobby. It was dusty and looked ready to fall apart, with pieces of plaster missing from the ceiling and walls. There was a man sitting behind the front desk, appearing to be unconcerned by the fact that Trance had entered. The hotel clerk was busy reading a holonovel as Trance approached the front desk.
"Excuse me sir, I'd like to rent a room for a couple nights," Trance announced. The man didn't move or acknowledge her presence. Trance brought her right hand up to cover her mouth and coughed. "Excuse me sir, I would like to rent a room please."
The clerk turned to his left and glared at Trance, obviously unhappy about being disturbed. "Okay, do you want a room for just you? And how long are you gonna be here for? I also require payment up front."
Trance began reaching into a small satchel hanging from the belt around her waist. "Of course, and how much will it be for one week's stay?"
"That'll be 400 Thrones," the clerk said curtly. He appeared anxious to get back to his holonovel.
"Okay here are the 400 Thrones and thank you," the purple girl replied as she handed over the money with a gloved hand.
The clerk bent down and disappeared behind the front desk. Moments later his head popped back up from behind the front desk and he handed Trance a room key. "Your room is on the second floor, third one on the right."
Trance clutched the key in her right hand and smiled at the clerk. "Thank you sir," the purple girl said before disappearing up the nearby stairs. Once in her room Trance set a small duffle bag filled with her clothes and personal items onto the cot that served as a bed. Trance quickly changed clothes before heading back downstairs.
Trance sneaked past the front desk clerk and went outside. She didn't' want the desk clerk at the hotel seeing her comings and goings. The purple girl walked across the street and sat down in front of a dilapidated building. Trance leaned back against the front of the building and waited for any sign of the two Sabra Jaguars. After three hours of sitting and waiting, Trance saw the two Nietzscheans who had become her prey.