Lost Souls & Changing Fate Part One: Lost Souls

Chapter Five: Rhade & Arianna

After his very long shift ended, Rhade found himself fighting the urge to go back to med deck. He was still confused and angry about everything he had learned today, and that woman. God, she was enough to drive a man to drink. Turning into the closest doorway, Rhade was surprised to find himself in hydroponics. Had he really walked that much of the ship so quickly? Moving further into the room, he noticed that Trance was in the corner staring blankly at her bonsai.

"Trance?" he questioned softly, not wanting to disturb her too much

"Rhade. I should have known you'd end up here." she said, looking up at him with her usual smile

"Trance I don't understand."

"I don't know if I have the answers you are looking for Telemachus. I don't even think you have all the questions."

Rhade had startled at her use of his first name, no one on the crew used it.

"What happens now?" he questioned, not quite knowing where the question came from

"Now...now we go forward. The future is not a set thing, what we do now will echo to then. We must move carefully or we risk everything."

Rhade was more confused than before. Trance was usually pretty cryptic, but this was a new level of vague.

"I have to go check on our guest. Get some sleep Telemachus, tomorrow is gong to be a long day."

The next day was a series of disasters both small and large. First, Rhade overslept, something that never happened. Then, when he went to take a quick shower, Andromeda was having some environmental control issues, and there was absolutely no hot water. If that wasn't enough, Beka was on a tear about something and Harper was mooning over their guest...again.

"Harper, for the last time, if you don't shut up right now I am going to throw you out the airlock." Rhade snarled as Harper continued to use Arianna's name, gushingly, wherever possible.

"Alright...man what bit your ass this morning?"

"I heard that Harper"

"I heard that Harper"

"That's it...I have absolutely had enough." Rhade stormed away from the piloting console and out the door before anyone could do more than gape. Beka came in the door just as Rhade left, she was almost an hour early for her shift.

"What did you do Harper?"

"What makes you think it was something I did?"

Beka just looked at Harper with a raised brow and a smile. Harper couldn't help but smile in return, it had been so long since he had gotten a rise out of Rhade. Beka sighed as she prepared to start her shift early. Rhade was soooo going to one her one for this.

As Rhade stormed off to his room, muttering to himself about the general madness of humans, Trance was trying to convince Arianna to remain in medical for at least another day.

"Trance, I am fine. There is nothing more that you can do that my body can't do for itself. I need space."

"I understand that, really I do...but are you sure it's the best idea?"

"Trance, I just spent months on that wrecker trying to die. I need space."

"I...trying to die?"

"I...I have to go Trance. I have to."

Without another word, Arianna turned her back to Trance, and left medical. As the door slid soundlessly closed behind her, she frowned at the wall. Where exactly did she think she was going to go? She hadn't seen any of Andromeda except medical and she was most emphatically not going back there. Just as she made the decision to turn right and go wandering, she walked right into Rhade.

"Oh I'm sorry. I wasn't looking..."Arianna trailed off as she got her first real look at Rhade. Never let it be said that he isn't a fine specimen, she thought to herself. Of course, so was Gaharis, and they are genetic twins.

"It's nothing." Rhade murmured gruffly. If he had thought she was beautiful before, she was stunning all cleaned up. There were still faint shadows of bruises along her jaw, but they did nothing to really hide the delicate beauty of her face. "Where exactly were you going?"

"Truth? I have absolutely no idea. I don't know where anything is on this ship and I refuse to go back to medical."

"Hmm"

"What?" Arianna asked, suspicious

"Would you like the grand tour? I can also look into whether there are any quarters laid out for you."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you."

As the couple started down the hall, Rhade pointing out different features of the ship, Trance leaned on the bulkhead with Rommie, watching them leave.

"It would seem that they are getting along." Rommie said, quickly analysing their body language.

"What madness this, changing fate" said Trance with a smile.

Author's Note: I have noticed that a great many people have looked at this pretty little baby of mine. I have also noticed that I have no reviews.Please let me know what you think. I am having a hard time continuing with no feedback. Cheers.