TITLE: The Unintended
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Andromeda series, I'm just borrowing.
NOTES: Thankies for the feedback, I loves it I does :D More fun and games coming up ;)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Shift
"If you expect the dust to settle, guaranteed someone will come along with an industrial fan and tell you not to be such a smart-ass."
Blue Tolus Serene
CY 4819-21
Rommie disconnected with her grander self's database. "Dylan, I've been doing some research on the Dovien-Genghis."
"What have you found?"
"Apparently many of the pride left their system a hundred and twenty years ago having achieved physical perfection - " Tyr scoffed at that remark, but said nothing more so Rommie continued. " - and set about trying to tune their mental abilities."
"They can't have got very far," Beka mentioned, half serious.
"Their paths must have crossed with Taylor and his experiments," Dylan surmised.
Beka shook her head in disgust. "Then he screwed them over. What an enchanting story."
"A story we're spectators in at the moment," Dylan said. "Have you picked up anything that will lead us to The Barbell or Luthor's ship?"
Rommie answered before anyone else could. "I have a suggestion," she said, and nodded at one of her monitors where a map appeared. It zoomed in on a particular system. "The Dovien system."
"They're going home?" Beka questioned.
"I said some of the pride left the system," Rommie explained. "Many of them stayed behind."
Dylan ran with it. "It's better than nothing. Set a course."
"What else did you find out? Any ideas what they're gonna do with Harper?" Beka asked.
Rommie was careful with her answer. She didn't much like it herself. "Well, they aren't scientists. That's probably why they hired Taylor to conduct their research. I imagine they'll try to get whatever they can out of the Taylor and Rayne. As for Harper...I honestly don't know. But I doubt they treat him like a king."
Rylisa returned to the med-bay to punish the incompetent guard that allowed her pet to escape. She found the aforementioned guard still out cold on the floor, with the doctor standing over him.
Rylisa gestured for another lackey (one was never far away). "You, deactivate this and put it in the cargo bay. There's no way of knowing what our guest did to it. We can sell it for scrap later."
The man nodded and got to work while Rylisa made her way back down to visit Harper now that he had had more than enough time to reconsider her offer.
Harper's new accommodation wasn't as, well, accommodating as his last. For one, it was half the size. Harper was already getting claustrophobic when he'd only been in there five minutes. Rylisa's lackeys had dragged him there and left him in a room somewhere in the lower decks, without a word. The sting lingered in his hand and he subconsciously cradled it while he waited - for what, he didn't know.
Rylisa opened the door. Harper wondered absently if anything had changed at all. He was still being held prisoner by a sadist. Rylisa had another one of smiles on her face. He hoped to god she didn't know about the inhibitor.
"I told you I would extend my offer only once more," she began. "Now is your last chance. Help gain control of The Barbell, and I will set you free. You can take an escape pod and set off the beacon so your friends can find you. It's an easy decision. Make it before my patience runs out."
Harper wasn't stupid. He considered the offer. "You'll set me free, and all I have to do is get you control of The Barbell?"
"That's right," Rylisa grinned.
"Sounds like a good deal. I mean, I never liked the guy anyway, right?"
Rylisa's grin grew wider, like it did every time she was about to get what she wanted.
Harper almost enjoyed telling her to go screw herself. He considered her offer, and then the fact that she was probably lying through her teeth. If he secured The Barbell for her, there was no way she'd set him free. He's be turned into a slave, killed or studied. Freed? Not in a million years. "And what exactly makes you think I'd trust the word of a two-bit, imperfect, dog ugly Nietzschean like you?" Despite his words, Harper was still restrained. He knew losing himself in anger would only result in pain, and he tried his utmost to keep control.
Rylisa showed no such restraint and flew into a rage. She hurled herself across the table and grabbed him by the throat, thrusting him against the wall. "How dare you speak to your superior like that! Who do you think you are, kludge! You're nothing!"
The words washed Harper like water, tainted water, but water nonetheless. "Say what you want, I won't help you. And your threats won't work either. I'm dead if I help you or not."
Rylisa loosened her grip and the smile returned to her face. "You think you're friends are coming for you."
Harper didn't reply but his answer was obvious.
"They were. Not anymore. The Andromeda found The Barbell just as we did. There was quite a battle. Taylor destroyed her." Rylisa watched with enjoyment as Harper's eyes widened. "You're friends are dead. No-one is coming for you."
Harper shook his head in denial. "No...no, you're lying." He was afraid. It wasn't possible. No...it was possible, and that's what scared him.
"Then why haven't they found you yet? Contacted you? Staged a rescue? It's because they're dead and your precious ship is gone."
There was no way of helping it. There was something about a Nietzschean telling him they'd just killed everyone he knew that really set him off. Harper snapped. "IT'S NOT TRUE!"
The room exploded.
Glass shattered and sparks flew from the lights and the control panel for the door. Then the place was in darkness and everything was silent. It took Harper a moment to realise what had just happened. He had used his abilities. And there was no pain.
End of Chapter Fifteen