"The future can not be determined even by the most gifted of individuals. It the way that a tiny change in course on a ship can take you hundreds of miles from your destination so can a tiny change in the past drastically alter the future."

Anonymous

AFC 14

Rommie, Harper, and the child walked in an awkward silence towards machine shop seven. The child finally broke it though she seemed apprehensive. "Can that, that lady, can she really tell the future?"

Harper pondered the question for a moment. "Sort of. She can tell of futures but, scientifically speaking, there is no real way to predict the future. Too many variables."

The child gazed at her feet. "I don't want to hurt anybody."

Harper frowned. "Look, just forget what Trance said."

There was another long silence this time broken by the avatar. "Harper?"

"Yes, Rom."

She paused a moment debating whether or not to ask. "Do you really think of me as merely a machine?" she questioned bluntly.

Harper winced "Oh. Earlier. No. I don't think of you as only a machine. You are as real as any of us."

She smiled slightly. She knew that it wasn't true. She wasn't just like them but the fact that he said that eased her nerves a bit. That was the old Harper she knew. The one who knew what she was and yet was willing to believe otherwise- willing to bend reality just for her.

"I'm sorry" He put his arm around her shoulders and started the group walking again. "I was just... preoccupied."

"Oh." Rommie nodded. "Is there something you would like to talk about?"

Harper shook his head.

"You know you can trust me, right Harper? I mean, I don't have to tell Dylan everything." Her words had a robotic professionalism about them but he could tell she meant what she said.

Harper wrinkled his brow. "Rommie, I don't want you to start keeping secrets from people. It's not a good habit to get into."

"But you keep secrets. From Dylan. From me. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you Rommie... but... but sometimes things are, well... it's complicated."

"You trust Beka."

He was silent for a moment. Leave it to an avatar to cut straight to the point. "Yes. I trust Beka on most things."

"Only most things?"

Harper didn't answer her at all this time. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

When they reached the Machine Shop Harper invited Rommie in to confirm whether or not she had a virus.

"Okay, this is just a simple test."

Harper sat the child down on his bed. "Now," he directed to Rommie, "can you see her?"

Rommie nodded.

"What color is her hair?"

Rommie answered almost before Harper finished the question eager to prove everything was in complete working order. "Blonde."

"And her eyes?"

"Green."

"Okay," Harper smiled slightly. "So your optical sensors are functioning normally."

"Now," he turned to the little girl. "Say something."

The child almost seemed confused by the command. "What should I say?"

"Perfect." Harper turned to Rommie. "Now, what did she just say?"

"She asked what to say."

Harper's smile widened a bit. "Good. Your auditory sensors are in full working order."

"I told you, Harper. I'm am registering nothing out of the ordinary. Everything is in full working order."

Harper shook his head. "Just one more test. What is her heart rate?"

Rommie furrowed her brow. "She has none?" She tried again. "I mean, I can find no signs of circulation at all?"

Harper furrowed his brow and put a finger thoughtfully to his lips. "What is my heart rate?"

"As of now, it is 114- slightly elevated, but otherwise normal."

"Ok, um, what is her respiratory rate?"

Rommie frowned. Her self-assurance was waning. Viruses were usually only administered to take over or completely cripple her. Neither were very pleasant scenarios. "I- I can't. She doesn't have one."

"And me?"

"Normal." She was getting frustrated.

Harper frowned. "I'm afraid, Rommie, babe, you might have a virus."

Rommie frowned.

Harper put a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. "Don't worry Rom. This is just a little virus. No big deal. I can fix it. You'll be just fine."

Rommie sat down on his bed and he sat down beside her. "Trust me Rommie, you'll be fine. I'd never let anything happen to you."

"Look, Harper, viruses and me equal bad."

"I know usually viruses end in disaster but..."

"Harper, it didn't show up during the diagnostic and I am incapable of diagnosing it myself. It can't be anything but bad."

"But it's only screwed up your internal sensors. And not very badly. Like you said nothing feels wrong. I'll block it off and fix it. You won't feel a thing."

The child timidly scooted up beside Harper. "What's a virus?"

He turned to her. "You don't know what a virus is?"

She gave an embarrassed smile.

"Okay, um, a virus. A virus is, uh, normally, a program, hidden within another, seemingly innocuous, program and it usually, uh, screws things up."

The child nodded, absorbing the information.

Harper continued. "And, there are several different kinds of viruses. However, the majority just bounce right off Andromeda because I updated her software to snuff those puppies out. But, you see, new viruses are being developed every day. One of the latest is called a tapeworm. I think that's what Rommie may have, but." he turned to Rommie, "it's not very serious. More of a joke virus than a substantial one."

"Joke virus?" Rommie questioned.

"It's only meant to cause damage."

"You're right, that's very hilarious," she said sarcastically.

Harper shook his head and turned back to the child. " The tapeworms main virus is stored in a folder known as the 'head'. Most folders embedded within machines programming have a code consisting of numbers and letters, and this 'head' mimics one. Since Andromeda is programmed to learn, many files are added every day. Essentially these files store, well, her, uh, memories. So this file embeds itself within this large tangled mass of folders and begins adding more files. However, all these new files are programmed to lay dormant so they can't be detected by the rudimentary diagnostic scans. But once the scan is completed- BAM! The virus becomes active and starts corrupting every thing within the range of the head and the tail- the first file and the last. And how many files are damaged depends on how long the virus was there before the scan was run."

The child nodded in comprehension and eyed Rommie curiously.

"I think I'm going to be sick." the avatar retorted.

Harper grinned. "Well, lucky for you oh-glorious-creation-of-mine, you don't have a stomach"

Rommie rolled her eyes.

"So how do we fix it? Do you, do you just go and start looking for these files?"

Harper turned back to the child. "Essentially, that is what need to be done. However, what makes a person a brilliant engineer is not necessarily what they can accomplish but what they can create to do it for them.

"And essentially," Rommie interjected, "one could argue that that is programming and not engineering."

Harper turned his attention back to the avatar. "Then that would mean I'm more skilled than I give myself credit for."

She grinned. "Don't count on it."

He grinned back. "Watch it hon. You wouldn't want me messin' up anything when I go mucking about in your systems."

She laughed. "You can't do anything that I won't let you do."

Harper rubbed his port. "Yes, you are one shocking individual."

He turned back to the little girl. "Anyway, ever since that... mishap with her former programming, I created a backup which I update at least once a month... if I can find the time. I store it within it's own little system. It's like a miniaturized version of the Andromeda. First, I will block off the problem area from the rest of her so that the ship can maintain most of it's normal functions completely uninhibited and then, to narrow the information, I'll run a scan that will compare the old backup to the problem area and sort out those files that did not exist at the time the backup was updated. Then I will have to manually sift through the remaining information."

The child pondered the information for a moment before speaking. "Can I help?"

Rommie looked to Harper "I don't want her messing with my internal workings, Harper." she stated firmly.

Harper kept his attention with the child. "I think maybe I could find something for you to help with."

"Harper!"

Harper gave Rommie a reassuring smile. "Relax, Rom, doll. It'll be fine."

"Harper, need I inform you she has no idea what she is doing?"

"Like you said, she can't do anything you don't want her to."

Rommie shook her head. "I can't prevent her from doing anything Harper. The only thing I can do is kick her out of the system and do you remember what that entails?" she warned.

Harper frowned and touched his port again, remembering that every time she forcefully removed him from her systems it was followed up with an electric shock. He looked from Emily's lighted smile to Rommie's apprehensive frown. "You wouldn't really do that would you?"

"Even if I didn't want to, my other two halves would. You know my VR matrix is where all three of me merge. I only have a small amount of control in there. If you'll recall it was not I who shocked you when my backup system was reinstalled. It was them."

The child's smile had faded into utter confusion. "There's three of her?"

Harper gave a half smile. "Um, in a matter of speaking, yes."

Rommie nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry, uh, Emily- Emily right?"

The child nodded.

"I can't take you with me this time. It's too dangerous."

She turned her gaze to the floor in defeat and Harper winced. He turned from her and grabbing a plug from the nearby countertop plugged into Andromeda's VR matrix.

When he entered he was greeted by Rommie's virtual form.

He growled under his breath at her. "While your staring over my shoulder would you mind bringing up your internal sensors?"

Virtual Rommie furrowed her brow. "What's with the attitude?"

He forced a smile. "Just bring up the screen"

Virtual Rommie rolled her eyes. She quickly brought up the screen and disappeared.

It was a thin blue translucent screen. Harper pulled four small chips from his pockets and placed them on all four corners of the virtual screen. After the fourth one was in place the screen began to glow a fiery red. He gave it a quick push and it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. He closed his eyes and was out again.

Harper shook his head trying to overcome the daze that always held him after these trips. He smiled lightly as he heard Rommie explaining her VR matrix to the child.

He walked over to his counter and pulled out another plug but this one was colored a bright purple. It matched the markings on the containment unit for Rommie's backup. It was specially designed. Even though he had made this backup, because of Rommie's accidental reload of an old personality he had a special cord to keep this backup copy from taking over the systems. It was restrained to comparison purposes only. He plugged it into the containment unit. "Andromeda compare."

Rommie turned from the child to face him. "Only if you ask nicely."

Harper gave a light laugh. "Please initiate comparison?"

Rommie smiled. "Comparison initiated."

Harper turned back to Rommie and the child and walked back over to the bed. "Thank you."

He sat down with a small bounce.

"Your welcome." Rommie said smugly. "Politeness goes a long way."

Harper smiled and shook his head.

The child tapped him on the shoulder. "Mr. Harper. If a firewall blocks off information then how can Andromeda compare what's blocked off."

Harper pondered for a moment trying to think of the simplest way of explaining it. "Well, you know what a library is? an archive?"

The child put a finger to her lips. "It holds books, right?"

Harper nodded. "Yep. Think of Rommie's internal sensors as one book. It is it's own entity and yet it's... part of a whole."

The child nodded.

"Well putting up a firewall is like taking the book off of the shelf, putting paper protectors on every page and then putting it back. You can still read the book but your not physically touching it."

"Oh."

Harper looked at Rommie. "Since the scan is going to take a while anyone in the mood for a game?"

The child's smile lit up again.

After Trance had left Dylan turned back to Beka. "So?"

She looked at him questioningly. "So?"

He smiled. "What do you intend to do?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you brought a child onto the Andromeda and I'd like to know what your plans are for finding her a more permanent home."

She looked at him suspiciously. "So you're still going to let me handle this?"

"Well, I sure as hell don't intend to. So what are your plans?"

Beka frowned. "Well, I haven't, uh, I haven't thought that far ahead yet."

Dylan nodded empathetically. "Well you think about it and when you figure it out let me know."

"So I get to call all the shots? Am I hearing this correctly?"

"Again, I'm not going to do it. You are a captain, and you are capable of making command decisions... And I trust you." He turned to leave.

Beka frowned at the slam. Shortly after, she headed for the Machine Shop to find Harper and the child.

Trance paced back and forth across her bedroom floor stopping finally and sitting down on her bed. She frowned and glanced longingly at the small bonsai tree sitting on the nightstand. "The Commonwealth can't be destined to fail. The perfect future needs everyone. The perfect future needs the Commonwealth. But I- I don't know how to fix this. I can't reconcile it from here." She sighed. "This can only mean I have failed... again."

Beka knocked on the door to Harper's Machine Shop.

"Come in" came Harper's muffled voice.

Beka walked in. "I came to grab the computer we took with us." She paused and saw the computer on the counter, already submerged in wire and spare parts.

She turned to Harper and paused for a moment observing the scene. "Are you playing Vedran Whist? You're teaching an innocent child how to gamble?".

Harper sighed and shook his head. "Ya, and she's smokin' the hell outta me."

Beka couldn't help but laugh. She sat down making herself comfortable between Harper and Emily, diagonally across from Rommie who was at the head of the bed.

"She said she'd never played before," Harper explained. "I mean, the first game I was doin' fine."

"Then, he was only getting smoked by me." Rommie interjected with a grin of superiority.

Harper made a face at her. "Ya, ya. Laugh it up."

"Maybe she hustled you." Beka suggested.

The child looked up at Beka. "What is hustling?"

"Did you really know how to play before Harper showed you how?"

The child shook her head and gave a soft smile. "Nope. I've really never played. Not before Mr. Harper showed me. It's actually a very interesting game." She looked back at her cards. "Mr. Harper knows an awful lot."

Beka put an arm around Harper shoulder and grinned. "Well I taught him everything he knows."

Harper gave a light laugh. "Uh, I wouldn't be braggin' about that right now."

Beka motioned to the pile of chips and wires. "Look on the bright side, at least you're not playing with real money." she joked.

The child looked back up at Beka. "It's played with money?"

"Ya, but I, uh, have no money." Harper said quickly.

Emily looked to him and then back to Beka for confirmation.

Beka grinned. "I don't doubt it."

"Ha ha." Harper replied sarcastically as he intently pondered his next move.

"Aww, you know I love you."

"Ya, I know." Beka could sense a hint of remorse embedded within his words.

There was a pause before he spoke again. "I'm uh sorry about earlier, Beka." He kept his eyes glued to his cards. "I don't know what came over me."

"Beka could tell that the latter part wasn't entirely sincere. He was still being evasive. He didn't want to talk to her about something.

She put her arm back at her side. "Aw, forget it."

Harper could sense she doubted him but as long as she didn't press him he didn't care.

"I call next game," Beka said, changing the subject quickly.

Emily grinned at Rommie. "Call 'em."

When all the cards were laid down she had won the hand. Her smile widened as she pulled the pile of chips and wires toward her.

Rommie scowled.

"Aww, being second's nothin' to be ashamed of." Harper joked.

Rommie glared at him.

Beka laughed. "At least you're still in." she said, noting how Harper had now officially lost.

He stuck his tongue out at her. "There's still next game."

The game dragged on as both Rommie and Emily seemed evenly matched. The only thing that turned the tables was blind luck and even the luck seemed pretty evenly dispersed. The only thing that seemed to keep it interesting was Emily's questioning nature. She was eager to learn everything about her new companions.

"So how did you all meet?"

Beka wrinkled her brow. "Um, what do you mean? When did me and Harper meet, or us and Dylan, or what?"

The child pondered for a moment. "How about everything? How did you meet Mr. Harper? Mr. Dylan, Ms. Rommie, and um... um... Ms., uh, orange lady?"

Beka twisted her lips. "Ok um Harper. Harper was helping me and my uh, my ex ship some cargo and." She paused and looked to Harper but he just looked back at her waiting for her to finish. She doctored the story up a little unsure of how much Harper wanted expunged. "Um, he was just uh, such a good worker and companion that I couldn't uh, let him go."

The child nonchalantly tossed a few more computer chips into the pile. "What was the cargo?"

Rommie looked from Emily to her own cards contemplating what to do next. She was determined to beat the child.

Beka glanced at Harper and forced a half smile. He forced a smile back and shrugged giving her the go ahead.

"Um... we were carrying, we were carrying computer chips."

The child accepted it without question and Beka let out a silent sigh of relief. "So who'd you meet next?"

"After Harper? Um, I believe that would be Trance. Right, Harper?"

He turned to her and nodded.

"Would you like to tell the story?" she offered.

He pondered for a moment. "Uh, alright. Let's see. We had stopped off at a bar on the local planet."

The child scowled as Rommie took the pot this hand. "What planet?"

"Ya, I don't really remember."

The child eyed him curiously. "You don't remember?"

"Well, you see, we hit a lot of bars back in those days." Beka interjected.

Harper gave an innocent shrug. "Anyway, all this was back when Trance was purple."

The child drew a card. "Purple? She used to be purple?"

"Um, ya, well, ya. That's a long story."

The child smiled. "Oh. Well I guess I can wait to hear it later. Continue."

"Anyway she was annoying some huge thug next to her."

Beka shook her head. "Ya optimists don't tend to do too well in bars."

Harper gave a light laugh recalling the scene. "The alien must've been at least twice her size. And I jumped into help her because, well she was just to friggin' cute to get squashed."

Beka laughed. "So Harper decides to jump in and help her and I jump in to help him."

Harper grinned. "A few bruises and a couple of stitches later and we managed to get her to the Maru. She helped Rev stitch me back up."

The child furrowed her brow and drew a card. "Rev?"

"Ya. He is a, uh, religious Magog. A Wayist. You haven't met him. He's off on some world praying or something."

The child looked at him. "Magog?"

The others turned to face her shocked.

"Ya, Magog." said Harper. "Don't tell me you've never heard of one of the most torturous, horrible, hellish creatures of the known universe."

The child frowned. "I..." She shrugged.

Beka put a calming hand on Harper's shoulder. "Harper, relax."

"Magog are the nastiest, most demonic creatures ever to live. They strip the flesh from your bones killing you... slowly. They're teeth and claws ripping through your flesh."

Beka winced and even Rommie showed signs of discomfort but even so they allowed Harper to continue.

"And if, by some rare chance, they don't' kill you, they infect you with their larvae. And these, these ... parasites feast on your insides, growing, getting bigger, sustained by your guts until they finally burst out of you and start the vicious cycle all over again."

The child looked at him utterly horror struck at the description.

Beka released Harper's shoulder. "You've seriously never heard of them?"

The child frowned. "Is that bad?"

"Well, no. But it is odd."

"Ya, even the isolationist freaks on Terezad, had heard of the Magog."

The child turned back to the game and to Rommie trying to mask her discomfort. After a few more hands she bluntly stated "This game has gotten boring."

Rommie glared at her and then looked back to her cards but the child persisted.

"I think we should start a new game. That way Mr. Harper and Ms. Beka can play."

Rommie grimaced. The child was right, the game had gotten boring. But why had she not yet beaten the child. She was an AI she was capable of spotting tells, counting cards, and accurately calculating probabilities. She was worried at first that the virus was the problem but finally decided it was just plain luck and agreed to a new game. She picked up the deck. "I'll shuffle."

"Beka snatched the deck away before she could. "I'll shuffle. Don't want you memorizing the deck.

Rommie grinned. "I would never."

Beka laughed. "Ya, and that's why AI's aren't aloud in casinos."

As the cards were passed out, the child continued to stir up conversation. "So how'd you all meet Dylan"

Beka smiled and the game began. "Now that, is an interesting story."

It was getting late and Harper deliberated that the bed in his official quarters was more comfortable than the shabby one stashed in his machine shop and he led the child down the corridor to it.

"Why do you have a bed in your machine shop if you have your own room?" Emily questioned as the two walked.

"Well, sometimes I have, uh, nightmares. And so to, uh, get my mind off them I, I build stuff. So it just made sense to a have a bed already in there so I wouldn't have to walk back and forth."

The child nodded.

Harper keyed in a code and the door to his room opened. He escorted the child and situated her in the bed pulling the covers all the way up to her chin.

"Night." he said as he turned to leave.

"Mr. Harper." she called softly.

He turned back to her. "Yes?"

"Would you tell me a story?"

He wrinkled his brow. "A story?" He walked back over to the bed and knelt down beside her. "Ok. Um, this is a story my, uh, my mother used to tell me. Once upon a time, uh there was this little bo- girl. And she was very smart and han- uh, pretty. But she was born to a nasty barren land ravaged by many evil creatures. he- eh, she would always be gazing at the sky looking, looking for a ship, for someone to take her away. Then one day h- she saw something enter the atmosphere. A beautiful pristine starship. It landed right next to her and a starship pilot exited the ship. 'I've come for you." he said regally. The child shook his... her head in disbelief but it was real. The ship had come for her. Hope was the beacon that brought it. And the ship took hi- her and her family away into the heavens."

The child smiled dreamily and closed her eyes.

Harper remained on the floor for a few more minutes in reflection. The story reminded him of his mother- before she died. She had had hope and what did she get for it? Death. Hope had not saved her and it was not what saved him. What had? Sneakiness and a hand full of luck. He sighed and stood up to leave.