Title: Barley Alive
Author: Shakia
Spoilers: None
Summary:
Sequal to: Frozen Nightmares
Authors Notes: Sorry about the long delay X.x We were on vacation during the weekend before last and I've been in Seatle the last one, and I have loads of homework since it's nearing the end of the quarter...-.- But at least I've finally updated :3 Anyways, thanks agian guys for the reviews! They seriously help!
The black and matellic collar before him shimmered in what little light surounded them. Harper winced inwardly as he recognized the collar to be much like the one the Dragons had put on the others back on earth. He had always found himself wondering why he had to be the only one out of the hundreds who had not only lived, but escaped. He often found himself wishing Josh or Mara had been the ones to survive rather than him.
"You wouldn't think we'd create you if we couldn't control you?" The alien asked him. Harper was tacken aback by the comment. Control him? What the heck was he talking about? As though the alien had read his mind he continued. "When we put this on you, we'll be able to control everything you do, but, only up to a point." He explained calmly. Harper stared at him in disbelief. They were going to turn him into a killing machine. No, he couldn't let them do that. He couldn't let Taneth be right. It would be just like Taneth had said.
"Once you accomplish whatever we tell you to do, it will shut down until the next task is brought up." He continued calmly. Harper continued to glare at him even though he felt fear fill him. He had to do something. He had to get out of here. As he thought this he tried desperatley to come up with a plan, anything, that could get him out. Though he tried, he knew that at least while he was on this stupid table there would be no way for him to escape. With that last thought another one struck him.
Would Andromeda come to save him? Were they even still alive? If they had survived would they waste their time trying to find him? What if they were dead? He felt trapped and lost as he tried to control his fear and confusion. Somewhere from the back of his mind he was reminded of something. Beka had promised. He forced his thoughts to slow at this. She had promised him that she would come back for him. No matter where he was. His attention focused back on reality as the alien beside him continued, making Harper wonder if he really could read his mind.
"Before you think that your friends will come and save you, because I would have had no doubt that they would have, you better know they're most likley dead." He told him. Harper was good at not letting his emotions show and so when he felt a sence of fear and doubt once more claw at him he was able to hide it from the alien. "Of course, Andromeda's been through worse." He continued, seeming to consider this. "Which is why we have a backup plan. You see, we've been going through Andromeda's history thoroughly and yours. We won't let this be messed up agian, especially by a cause that's been dead over three hundred years." Anger flared through his words as he spoke the last part. That had been the first time the alien had strongly expressed any emotion. "If they're not dead we've made sure they know you've released a virus into the Andromeda that was so powerful it would have killed them within an hour." He explained. Oh great, they framed him. He swallowed, praying that Andromeda and his crew was still alive. "The plan was genuis, really. We switched your usual tools with different ones that contained the virus and left a flexi that had details on how to create the virus in a locked dressor in your room." He explained. "And of course, we took the Maru and left it somewhere before tricking it's records into thinking you left from it onto a different ship." Crap, these guys had gone through a lot of trouble to make sure Andromeda to come to his rescue. With that thought he began to wonder why. Maybe wherever he was was valnerable, maybe Andromeda could have easily rescued him. That seemed like a reasonable explanation for all their trouble. Then something else accured to him.
"Alright, so how the heck did you get on the ship?" He asked coldly. The alien smirked and pulled up a device from a table beside him. When Harper saw it he recognized it immidiatly and felt the urge to groan almost overpowering.
"There's something else I didn't tell you." He said as he shoved it into a data port Harper had not earlier seen. "Our race serves the Abyss."
-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-
Beka turned swiftly through the slipstream, allowing her instincts to take control. She found it difficult to navigate through the slipstream when her mind was on Harper. She was so furious with Dyllan, maybe even more than before. If he could only know why Harper hadn't told them about this. If he only knew what Harper goes through every single time he transforms. The images of Harper transforming in medical were still vivid in her mind. Of course Dyllan hadn't even tried to consider anything like this happening and she couldn't tell him. She silently cursed Harper for making her promise.
She was brought back to reality as she almost missed a turn in the slipstream, sending the ship to lurch violently to the side. Tyr grabbed onto the consul behind her, nearly falling over.
"Consentrait Beka." He scolded her irritabley. Although Beka didn't reply she tried to keep her focus on the slipstream. Finally after another turn an exit was made clear to her. She sped toward it and with a jolt the ship transitted back into normal space. Tyr glared at her as she abandoned the slipstream controls. She frowned as she realized just how badly Andromeda had been damaged. It looked almost as bad as the Magog attack. Wires and pipes hung out from the walls and ceillings and scraps of metal, amoung other things, lay misplaced and mishapen upon the ground. Sparks shot forth from various wires and the lights were still very dim and flickering. Her thoughts immidiatly turned to the possibility of the Maru being here.
"Andromeda, is there any sign of the Maru?" She asked wearily, turning her gaze toward the view screen.
"I'm in the process of scanning, but with the loss of power and damage it's taking longer." She explained. Beka nodded absently.
"Alright." She sighed impatiently as she drumbed her fingers on the rail before her. As Beka's thoughts turned once more to Harper she began to wonder what had happened to him. He wouldn't have left them there, she was sure of that much. Where was he then? Who had taken the Maru if it hadn't been Harper and if it had then why? She sighed wearily, feeling a wave of guilt flow over her. If she had just stayed with Harper or even brought him up to the bridge this wouldn't have happened. She found herself pacing back and forth impatiently. Tyr sighed.
"Beka, calm down." Tyr told her. She opened her mouth to retaliate, but Andromeda's spoke first.
"I found it!" She exclaimed. This immidiatly caught Beka's attention.
"Where?" She demanded. A picture of the Maru flashed on the view screen.
"Not far from here." She told her, already heading toward it. "Beka..." She began after a moment's silence.
"Yea?" Beka asked absently, her mind already racing through what could have happened to her favorite Engineer.
"There's no life signs on board the Maru." She told her. Beka was taken aback.
"What?" She asked in disbelief, concern and panic filling her voice. "Is there any signs of battle damage?" She asked immidiatly as fear crept upon her.
"Other than from what you had, no." She replied.
"Alright, move slowly to get the Maru into the docking bay!" She ordered as she raced toward the door.
-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-
Dyllan sighed as his eyes dropped to the tools before him once agian.
"You sure?" He asked grimly.
"Unfortunatley, yes." Rev stated sadly. Trance frowned and fidgeted slightly with her hands.
"Well, maybe they aren't Harper's." She suggested. Dyllan looked up at her.
"Trance, do you know something I don't?" He asked.
'Yes, that the whole crew will fall apart if we don't find Harper soon.' She thought, but merley shook her head.
"I just thought that maybe they were someone elses. I mean, the Drago Kazuf could've left them here and they could've gotten switched or something." She explained uncertianly. "And Harper's tools were all unique, so we could check if they were his." She added. Dyllan sighed, but nodded all the same.
"Alright. But until then we'll have to assume Harper actually did this." He said as he headed toward the door.
"We can't!" Trance said suddenly. Dyllan turned to look at her and she hesitated. The only future that would turn out good was if they focused their work on finding Harper and bringing him back. Besides that, Trance loved Harper. They were best friends and she couldn't let them waste such precious that could be focused onto finding him.
"Trance?" Rev asked.
"We have to look for him soon." She told them.
"We're trying to find him Trance." Dyllan assured her.
"No, I mean, I think maybe we have to focus all of our attention on finding him. Not just a bit of it." She explained.
"We need to know what happened Trance." Dyllan reminded her.
"Not as much as we need to know where Harper is." She said. Before the conversation could continue Andromeda's voice rang out.
"Dyllan, I've found the Maru, but there's no life signs. I'm trying to get it into the docking bay." She explained. Dyllan nodded automatically before heading out of the room. Trance watched him go, feeling worry fill her. The perfect future seemed even farther out of reach then before.
-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-
Harper found himself silently pulling up every curse word he knew to his mind. Great, they worked for the frikin' Abyss. He would be forced to work for their mortal enemy. If he had been beside a wall he would've spent a good amount of time banging his head agianst it.
"Do you want to know what else this collar does?" He asked, not bothering to pull out the device.
'Not really.' He thought uneasily. "It will keep the bots in your body asleep. You see, although you were built to fight and live in cold wether, you were never suposed to turn back into a human. But, your kind is so weak so we had to improvise." He stated. He looked down at the collar as though to admire it. "Of course, before we put this on you there's one last matter to attend to." He said. A sudden gust of cold air filled the room and Harper felt his heart drop and his breath catch in his throat. Of course he had known this was coming, but it made no differance to how he felt. He shut his eyes and ignored the sound of the alien's footstep's echoing in the room as he left. As he lay there he prayed that somehow Beka would come for him and somehow she would save him like she had so many times before.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TBC once agian. Sorry if this chapter's a bit short O.o Anyways, agian please review! :3 I'd really like to know what you think of the chapter and story so far and also if you have any suggestions! :3
Author: Shakia
Spoilers: None
Summary:
Sequal to: Frozen Nightmares
Authors Notes: Sorry about the long delay X.x We were on vacation during the weekend before last and I've been in Seatle the last one, and I have loads of homework since it's nearing the end of the quarter...-.- But at least I've finally updated :3 Anyways, thanks agian guys for the reviews! They seriously help!
The black and matellic collar before him shimmered in what little light surounded them. Harper winced inwardly as he recognized the collar to be much like the one the Dragons had put on the others back on earth. He had always found himself wondering why he had to be the only one out of the hundreds who had not only lived, but escaped. He often found himself wishing Josh or Mara had been the ones to survive rather than him.
"You wouldn't think we'd create you if we couldn't control you?" The alien asked him. Harper was tacken aback by the comment. Control him? What the heck was he talking about? As though the alien had read his mind he continued. "When we put this on you, we'll be able to control everything you do, but, only up to a point." He explained calmly. Harper stared at him in disbelief. They were going to turn him into a killing machine. No, he couldn't let them do that. He couldn't let Taneth be right. It would be just like Taneth had said.
"Once you accomplish whatever we tell you to do, it will shut down until the next task is brought up." He continued calmly. Harper continued to glare at him even though he felt fear fill him. He had to do something. He had to get out of here. As he thought this he tried desperatley to come up with a plan, anything, that could get him out. Though he tried, he knew that at least while he was on this stupid table there would be no way for him to escape. With that last thought another one struck him.
Would Andromeda come to save him? Were they even still alive? If they had survived would they waste their time trying to find him? What if they were dead? He felt trapped and lost as he tried to control his fear and confusion. Somewhere from the back of his mind he was reminded of something. Beka had promised. He forced his thoughts to slow at this. She had promised him that she would come back for him. No matter where he was. His attention focused back on reality as the alien beside him continued, making Harper wonder if he really could read his mind.
"Before you think that your friends will come and save you, because I would have had no doubt that they would have, you better know they're most likley dead." He told him. Harper was good at not letting his emotions show and so when he felt a sence of fear and doubt once more claw at him he was able to hide it from the alien. "Of course, Andromeda's been through worse." He continued, seeming to consider this. "Which is why we have a backup plan. You see, we've been going through Andromeda's history thoroughly and yours. We won't let this be messed up agian, especially by a cause that's been dead over three hundred years." Anger flared through his words as he spoke the last part. That had been the first time the alien had strongly expressed any emotion. "If they're not dead we've made sure they know you've released a virus into the Andromeda that was so powerful it would have killed them within an hour." He explained. Oh great, they framed him. He swallowed, praying that Andromeda and his crew was still alive. "The plan was genuis, really. We switched your usual tools with different ones that contained the virus and left a flexi that had details on how to create the virus in a locked dressor in your room." He explained. "And of course, we took the Maru and left it somewhere before tricking it's records into thinking you left from it onto a different ship." Crap, these guys had gone through a lot of trouble to make sure Andromeda to come to his rescue. With that thought he began to wonder why. Maybe wherever he was was valnerable, maybe Andromeda could have easily rescued him. That seemed like a reasonable explanation for all their trouble. Then something else accured to him.
"Alright, so how the heck did you get on the ship?" He asked coldly. The alien smirked and pulled up a device from a table beside him. When Harper saw it he recognized it immidiatly and felt the urge to groan almost overpowering.
"There's something else I didn't tell you." He said as he shoved it into a data port Harper had not earlier seen. "Our race serves the Abyss."
-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-
Beka turned swiftly through the slipstream, allowing her instincts to take control. She found it difficult to navigate through the slipstream when her mind was on Harper. She was so furious with Dyllan, maybe even more than before. If he could only know why Harper hadn't told them about this. If he only knew what Harper goes through every single time he transforms. The images of Harper transforming in medical were still vivid in her mind. Of course Dyllan hadn't even tried to consider anything like this happening and she couldn't tell him. She silently cursed Harper for making her promise.
She was brought back to reality as she almost missed a turn in the slipstream, sending the ship to lurch violently to the side. Tyr grabbed onto the consul behind her, nearly falling over.
"Consentrait Beka." He scolded her irritabley. Although Beka didn't reply she tried to keep her focus on the slipstream. Finally after another turn an exit was made clear to her. She sped toward it and with a jolt the ship transitted back into normal space. Tyr glared at her as she abandoned the slipstream controls. She frowned as she realized just how badly Andromeda had been damaged. It looked almost as bad as the Magog attack. Wires and pipes hung out from the walls and ceillings and scraps of metal, amoung other things, lay misplaced and mishapen upon the ground. Sparks shot forth from various wires and the lights were still very dim and flickering. Her thoughts immidiatly turned to the possibility of the Maru being here.
"Andromeda, is there any sign of the Maru?" She asked wearily, turning her gaze toward the view screen.
"I'm in the process of scanning, but with the loss of power and damage it's taking longer." She explained. Beka nodded absently.
"Alright." She sighed impatiently as she drumbed her fingers on the rail before her. As Beka's thoughts turned once more to Harper she began to wonder what had happened to him. He wouldn't have left them there, she was sure of that much. Where was he then? Who had taken the Maru if it hadn't been Harper and if it had then why? She sighed wearily, feeling a wave of guilt flow over her. If she had just stayed with Harper or even brought him up to the bridge this wouldn't have happened. She found herself pacing back and forth impatiently. Tyr sighed.
"Beka, calm down." Tyr told her. She opened her mouth to retaliate, but Andromeda's spoke first.
"I found it!" She exclaimed. This immidiatly caught Beka's attention.
"Where?" She demanded. A picture of the Maru flashed on the view screen.
"Not far from here." She told her, already heading toward it. "Beka..." She began after a moment's silence.
"Yea?" Beka asked absently, her mind already racing through what could have happened to her favorite Engineer.
"There's no life signs on board the Maru." She told her. Beka was taken aback.
"What?" She asked in disbelief, concern and panic filling her voice. "Is there any signs of battle damage?" She asked immidiatly as fear crept upon her.
"Other than from what you had, no." She replied.
"Alright, move slowly to get the Maru into the docking bay!" She ordered as she raced toward the door.
-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-
Dyllan sighed as his eyes dropped to the tools before him once agian.
"You sure?" He asked grimly.
"Unfortunatley, yes." Rev stated sadly. Trance frowned and fidgeted slightly with her hands.
"Well, maybe they aren't Harper's." She suggested. Dyllan looked up at her.
"Trance, do you know something I don't?" He asked.
'Yes, that the whole crew will fall apart if we don't find Harper soon.' She thought, but merley shook her head.
"I just thought that maybe they were someone elses. I mean, the Drago Kazuf could've left them here and they could've gotten switched or something." She explained uncertianly. "And Harper's tools were all unique, so we could check if they were his." She added. Dyllan sighed, but nodded all the same.
"Alright. But until then we'll have to assume Harper actually did this." He said as he headed toward the door.
"We can't!" Trance said suddenly. Dyllan turned to look at her and she hesitated. The only future that would turn out good was if they focused their work on finding Harper and bringing him back. Besides that, Trance loved Harper. They were best friends and she couldn't let them waste such precious that could be focused onto finding him.
"Trance?" Rev asked.
"We have to look for him soon." She told them.
"We're trying to find him Trance." Dyllan assured her.
"No, I mean, I think maybe we have to focus all of our attention on finding him. Not just a bit of it." She explained.
"We need to know what happened Trance." Dyllan reminded her.
"Not as much as we need to know where Harper is." She said. Before the conversation could continue Andromeda's voice rang out.
"Dyllan, I've found the Maru, but there's no life signs. I'm trying to get it into the docking bay." She explained. Dyllan nodded automatically before heading out of the room. Trance watched him go, feeling worry fill her. The perfect future seemed even farther out of reach then before.
-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-
Harper found himself silently pulling up every curse word he knew to his mind. Great, they worked for the frikin' Abyss. He would be forced to work for their mortal enemy. If he had been beside a wall he would've spent a good amount of time banging his head agianst it.
"Do you want to know what else this collar does?" He asked, not bothering to pull out the device.
'Not really.' He thought uneasily. "It will keep the bots in your body asleep. You see, although you were built to fight and live in cold wether, you were never suposed to turn back into a human. But, your kind is so weak so we had to improvise." He stated. He looked down at the collar as though to admire it. "Of course, before we put this on you there's one last matter to attend to." He said. A sudden gust of cold air filled the room and Harper felt his heart drop and his breath catch in his throat. Of course he had known this was coming, but it made no differance to how he felt. He shut his eyes and ignored the sound of the alien's footstep's echoing in the room as he left. As he lay there he prayed that somehow Beka would come for him and somehow she would save him like she had so many times before.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TBC once agian. Sorry if this chapter's a bit short O.o Anyways, agian please review! :3 I'd really like to know what you think of the chapter and story so far and also if you have any suggestions! :3