TITLE: The Unintended

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Andromeda series, I'm just borrowing.

NOTES: Aw you guys are just swell :D Thanks for reading, here's the next chapter just for you.

CHAPTER FOUR The Reckoning

"The greatest unrealised potential of the human mind is a complete mystery - because no-one has ever realised it."

Dran Sekwentia, Lucier Texts

CY 1454

Harper didn't even register it at first. It seemed like such a natural thing to have done, but then the realisation dawned on him, and he stopped what he was doing. Freaked out, he dropped the soldering iron and stepped back from the table. He stared at the tool and wondered what the hell had just happened, if it just happened. Maybe he was asleep. Maybe the virus was working fast, maybe he was already insane.

No, it was real, he felt it...what had he felt? He wanted the tool and it had moved into his hand. But that was impossible. Harper cagily held up his arm. Why was even trying this? It can't have happened, it wasn't possible. So where's the harm in trying? Harper's inner voice whispered. He bit his lip as he opened his hand.

"Harper, Dylan is holding a debriefing and requests your presence," Rommie said, interrupting whatever was, or wasn't about to happen in the machine shop. Harper lowered his hand and shook off the ridiculous thoughts that were going through his head. It was insane. Or maybe he was.

In Command, Dylan was going through the logs they managed to extract from The Outset, before heading to the debrief. A lot of them were protected by encryption codes. They weren't just any codes, however. They were High Guard codes. Top level. Whatever research was going on aboard that ship, it was guaranteed not many people knew about it, which meant in turn that there was probably no-one that could help Harper. Trance would do her best but she had to start from scratch effectively, and that just wasted valuable time.

Dylan was about to leave when Andromeda stopped him. "Captain, a ship is approaching," she told Dylan, just as the ship appeared on her sensors.

"Who is it?" Dylan asked, immediately tensing out of habit. It wasn't his fault most of the ships they came across tried to shoot at them.

Andromeda checked her readings. "It's the Barbell," she replied. Dylan knew the name. It was another High Guard class ship. "We're receiving a communication."

"Onscreen."

An older man appeared on the screen. "Captain Hunt, I am Admiral Taylor, I understand you are currently investigating The Outset."

"News travels fast," Dylan said suspiciously. No reports had been sent to Commonwealth headquarters yet, so how did anyone know about it? "What can I do for you?"

"We realised something was wrong when the regular reports suddenly ceased. The crew of The Outset were performing some classified research. I'm afraid that research is classified to you as well Captain," Taylor said authoritatively. "We need all the logs you may have and anything you took from the ship."

"Alright, but it's not going to be that simple. A member of my crew has been infected with something The Outset crew were developing."

It was clear this information had a profound effect on the Admiral. He was visibly shocked. "Are you sure?" he said urgently.

"Yes, I'm sure," Dylan replied, starting to get annoyed. "Why?"

"There's no time to explain, you must give your crewman to us immediately," Taylor said gravely.

"Hand him over, why, what's going on? What aren't you telling me?" Dylan demanded.

Taylor suddenly because quite threatening. "If you refuse to hand over your man, we will come onboard and take him by force."

"Admiral, I am not about to start a fight," Dylan replied calmly. "I just want to know what's going on. I think I'm entitled."

The Admiral was not pleased. "Captain you are making a grave mistake." With that, he abruptly shut off the communication, leaving Dylan bewildered.

"I don't like this," he said as soon as the screen went blank.

"He's an Admiral, Dylan. He must have his reasons," Andromeda told him.

"Well he certainly doesn't have any idea how to ask nicely. Don't let him onboard. Harper's not going anywhere until I get some answers."

"An Admiral Taylor from The Barbell has arrived trying to cover up something that went on onboard The Outset," Dylan explained to the waiting crew. "When I mentioned that Mr Harper had been infected with something for the ship, he demanded that we hand him over."

Harper looked afraid. "What? So...you're just gonna let them take me?" he asked. He had been noticeably jittery since he arrived in the debriefing room.

"No, of course not," Dylan said swiftly. "I told the Admiral he's not setting foot onboard this ship until he gives us some information. I want to know what was going on onboard The Outset. In the meantime I want you to stay in med-deck where Trance can monitor you."

Harper had nothing to say, which Dylan took to mean he had no objections. "Now, my access codes were enough to decrypt some of the lower level classified files," he went on. "So far I've only uncovered what looks like general reports on progress, nothing specific. But there are constant references to a 'Project 246.' Trance, did you get a chance to look at those files?"

"Yes," Trance began, though she seemed to do so absent-mindedly, as if she were preoccupied. "The virus was engineered by the research team, but from what I've read there were significant side-effects with each strand they created. They don't go into specifics."

"We need access to the rest of those files," Dylan surmised. As he talked, Harper was trying to stop his hands from shaking, and the others from seeing. He glanced over at Trance, who was usually the first to notice these things, but she was engrossed in a flexi she was reading.

"What's on the flex Trance?" Beka asked, taking the words right out of Harper's mouth.

Trance looked up at Beka, then a guilty glimpse at Harper told him exactly what was on the flexi. Something about the virus. "What does it say?" Harper asked accusingly. He guessed it was about how quickly the virus would begin to show, after all, he was already experiencing hallucinations and knew it was taking effect. At this rate he'd be certifiable by the end of the week.

"It's just some scans," Trance said vaguely but she wasn't fooling anyone.

Harper wasn't about to let it lie. "Can I see it?" he asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"Harper," Dylan warned. He knew Trance had her reasons for keeping whatever was on the flexi to herself, and Harper was pushing her.

"If it's just some scans, I would like to see them," Harper said, getting angry.

"They're not important," Trance insisted.

"Show me!" Harper snapped, and no sooner had he shouted, the flexi was out of Trance's hands and into his.

There was a silence that could rival a Wayist monastery. Everyone was in shock, no more so than Harper. Everyone had seen the same thing that he had...which meant he wasn't insane. Then why did it still feel like it?

"What the hell just happened?" Beka finally asked.

All eyes were on Harper. "Uh...a side-effect?"

End of Chapter Four