Part 17

The softness of the sheets encouraged him to stay where he was, as he adjusted his position only slightly, relaxed and half asleep. He felt safe and warm, and relished the comfort afforded to him. For the first time in a long while he felt ready to face the day, but was in no hurry to do that just yet.

"I know you're awake, Seamus."

Wearily, Harper opened one eye and saw the blurred shape of someone stood by his bed.

"Who is that?" Harper tiredly asked, even though he recognised the male voice immediately.

"You're blind, not stupid."

"Yussuf," Harper acknowledged finally, and begrudgingly moved to sit up, and he rested his back against the back board as he felt a mug of something hot being placed into his hand by someone stood the opposite side of the bed. "I told you before that I didn't want to be waited on," Harper reminded Yussuf.

"You've been sick, and I am just being the good host," Yussuf stated innocently.

"About that, when are you going to tell me what the hell am I doing here, and why am I your guest?" Harper asked snappily, before taking a sip from the mug and tasting something that resembled coffee.

"With your continued outbursts since you got here, to my presence more than anything else, I wasn't sure if you were interested in the truth anymore," Yussuf explained with patience. "So why should I waste my time trying to explain?"

Harper sipped more of the hot drink, his frustration in still not knowing how he had got there remained, but he knew Yussuf had a point, he hadn't been too interested in cooperating, even though so far he'd been treated well by Yussuf's people.

"OK, point taken, and sorry about the biting, but I was a little freaked out," he meekly offered.

"My medical staff had suffered worse, trust me," Yussuf seemed more amused than angry. "You were confused, upset, and in pain, it's understandable," he added.

"So why am I here?" Harper asked again, and he heard Yussuf pull up a chair to sit down, he could just about make out where he was sitting with his blurred vision.

"You saved my life, Seamus, and maybe my initial confusions on that matter have passed now, I heard you needed assistance so I gave it," Yussuf explained. "When we found you, I thought we were already too late," he added. "You were beaten, confused, disorientated and it took us a few hours just to get you to respond to us."

Harper was already shaking his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. "You hate my kind, and didn't you put a bounty on my head?" Harper questioned accusingly.

"Not me," Yussuf revealed confidently. "But I know who did, it was that wayward young fire starter, Rico and his equally demented sister, Darla," he added with a sigh. "They have been a thorn in my side for weeks now, and you are safer here until those two are caught."

"Now I remember Gerentex saying," Harper rubbed his head, trying to unclog the sleep, and recall some of the events that had somehow led him here. "So Rico is not a part of your people now?"

"No," Yussuf simply said.

"Least it's clearer now why I'm here," Harper sighed. "You'd rather put up with me here, than risk Rico actually getting his hands on me and using me against you, right?" Harper guessed and the brief silence answered his question.

"It's good to hear you finally talking to us, after days of silence or mad ranting," Yussuf noted.

"Maybe all I needed was a coffee, and some explanations," Harper gestured to the mug he held, relaxing more in Yussuf's company.

"The drink is called Kastine, but close enough, it has the same effects I hear," Yussuf noted. "Seamus, because of your heroics, you have done nothing but suffer ever since, I shouldn't have let that happen but I have kept a distant eye on your activities, and I know that you have kept to your word," he added, with the touch of respect. "Tell me how many times did that Nightsider try and get information from you?"

Harper grimaced, his back was still sore and even his jaw still ached from the tooth being pulled. "Enough times, but I said nothing, that rat doesn't make me talk."

Yussuf moved from his chair, to the top of Harper's bed. "I saw what Gerentex did to you, even with Doctor Richter's efforts to help you; there was still a lot to tidy up when you got here."

"Doctor Richter helped me?" Harper checked, suddenly unsure. "Where is he now?" he asked, he didn't want that guy anywhere near him after betraying him like he did.

"In one of my prisons," Yussuf's dismissed. "His little band of men will fail in their quest to defeat me."

"And Gerentex?"

"An unfortunate victim of crossfire," Yussuf spoke, and Harper could hear the smile in his voice.

"He brought the farm?" Harper asked, with his own satisfied smile.

"Seamus, I have no idea what I'm going to do with you, but I feel I have treated you badly, and I need to make things up to you," Yussuf offered.

"Plus I'm too dangerous to you to be wandering around this universe for your many enemies to pick up," Harper remarked.

"I want to make your stay here more enjoyable than the last time," Yussuf offered.

"You're not one of the good guys, Yussuf, and I mean that with the highest respect," Harper quickly corrected himself, and only with a hint of sarcasm. "You brought me here for a reason, and not just to protect your good name," he stated with a sneer. "That's just a convenient cover," he added with suspicion.

"I can understand your confusion, and suspicion," Yussuf responded. "Fact remains I would not be here today if you had not saved me that day, and I do my people a disservice if I allow you to continue suffering because of that action, you deserve a lot more."

"I'm not sure I follow," Harper's concern showed in his expression.

"You are not a prisoner, you are a guest, Seamus," Yussuf declared brightly, and Harper wished he could look the guy in the eye to get a better perspective on the situation, he felt very alone as Yussuf continued. "Relax, enjoy my hospitality, my men are under strict orders to treat you as they would a visiting dignitary."

"I remember how your men treated me before," Harper offered.

"The bad fruit has been removed, this pride has had quite a shake up in recent weeks, what happened to you made me realise I had to act, and clean this place up," Yussuf stated.

"I just have one question," Harper then ventured.

"Dani," Yussuf guessed, and could see in Harper's expression that he had guessed correctly. "I suspected that you would ask of her, you have failed to ask after your own crewmates, but some slave you only knew for a couple of weeks, she is the person you ask about so keenly."

"My crew are dead, and Beka," Harper paused, he hadn't even considered her till that moment, and blamed it on Yussuf and his mind games. "Beka will be here soon, to kick your ass," he smirked.

"But you only really want to know about Dani," Yussuf spoke confidently once more.

"Is she still here?"

"She is, but she does not remember you, she has no idea who you are," Yussuf spoke with a touch of joy in his voice. "Her 'problem' flared up again and there was nothing we could do," Yussuf explained in mock care.

"Bull, you just redid the damage you originally did to her!" Harper stated firmly.

"You should rest, my people will bring you food and clothes when you need them," Yussuf simply said, and Harper could just about make out movement, guessing Yussuf was heading towards the door.

"I don't trust you," Harper stated with conviction.

"Then I have my work cut out, don't I?" Yussuf explained, before leaving Harper's quarters.

Harper sat back against the soft pillows, unable to fully take in what had taken place. He was back in Yussuf's palace but this time as some honoured guest, he was never treated like this by tyrants, especially uber tyrants. He was here simply as protection, Yussuf was running scared and that concerned Harper, something was wrong, he figured, but why didn't he just kill him if he was really that much of a threat to Yussuf that the tyrant would bring him here?

Not knowing the layout of his quarters, Harper felt very afraid and alone, until he was made aware again of another presence in the room, as a door was heard closing, and he looked to where he now sensed the other person but he couldn't see anything for looking.

"If you wish to be escorted anywhere, or if you need anything, sir."

Harper's heart missed a beat in an instant. The voice caught him and froze him to the core. "Dani?" he breathlessly spoke.

"Yes, my name is Dani, I have been assigned to assist you by Yussuf, for the duration of your stay."

The mug of now warm Kastine fell from Harper's grasp as he just stared at the blurred outline of a figure now stood by his bed, and then realising that she had absolutely no idea who he was.


Beka sat on the Maru, finding sanctuary as she felt the warmth returning to her baby. The Andromeda was busy returning power to her ship, and she had found herself here, she needed time to think, and to try to remember.

Her mind was blank, only vaguely remembering sitting in the shower room with Harper, close to tears and his gentle touch. It was the moment she realised that he could see something again, a moment not even her amnesia could let her forget. Beka knew she hadn't imagined or hallucinated that moment, she knew Harper had been on board and she felt she was wasting time trying to convince the others.

Footsteps alerted her to company, and she casually looked up from her place sat on the deck, to see Rhade and Trance joining her.

"Almost back up to full power," Rhade informed her brightly, Beka was still getting used to his new appearance and attitude, and she liked it.

"I'm leaving as soon as it's at full power," Beka announced.

"Beka," Trance spoke up, using that tone that usually had bad news attached to it.

"What?" Beka asked.

"I contacted Sinti, and all of the medical institutes that deal with eye injuries in any shape or form," she began. "None of them have any record of Harper, or of a Doctor who has recently gone missing."

"This is crap," Beka stood up with fury. "I'm not making this up!" she stormed. "I took Harper to Sinti, we checked into a medical centre that specialised in eye surgery, we were shot at," Beka suddenly remembered.

"Shot at?" Rhade picked up.

"Gerentex, we barely escaped, and that's why the doctor came with us and was forced to operate on Harper on board this ship!" Beka realised, as her memory finally returned, if only in a small part.

"Gerentex caught up with you?" Rhade picked up. "So the bounty on Harper's head was still very much around."

"All the reports I have read state that the Andromeda was destroyed, and her crew with it, Beka," Trance stated. "It was universally believed we all perished with it, why would Gerentex know that not only did you survive, but Harper did to?"

"I don't know, Trance," Beka snapped, finding Trance's reluctance to believe her words annoying now. "Maybe they guessed Harper would go to the most reputable eye clinic in the known worlds on Sinti eventually, and posted a spy there, and they got lucky," she offered.

"How did you know to go there?" Rhade asked.

"Harper did this research, he wanted to go before the Arkology but I talked him out of it, and my God why didn't I think of that before?" Beka suddenly moved through her ship and stepped back onto the decks of the Andromeda. "Andromeda, do you still have Seamus Harper's files in your system?"

"Yes, I do," Andromeda's hologram appeared before Beka.

"And did Seamus Harper authorise, that in an emergency I could access his files on the last bit of research he conducted whilst on this ship?" Beka stressed.

Rommie checked her records and then partially smiled. "Authorisation recognised, Beka Valentine, full access in an emergency, and I think we can class the continued disappearance of Seamus Harper as that, to his last created files."

"Transfer them to my quarters," Beka ordered and saw Rommie nod her head to comply.

"Transfer complete," Rommie acknowledged, and flashed out of sight, as Beka wasted no time in reaching her quarters, looking forward to getting some answers that had so far not been forthcoming from her mind, she knew Harper had known to ask for that particular doctor, his research would not only give her a name but also confirm the centre they went to, and she was determined to prove that she wasn't making this all up.

TBC