See Prologue for Ratings and Disclaimer.
Sadly, this shall be the last Belizean chapter, as I begin my long journey (and I mean long - 4 hour stop-over doesn't help) back to Canada. Sad, but happy at the same time, we managed to get some great Mayan finds in our last week, including a burial. I wasn't going to post this until I got back, but since I had this extra chapter, which I have dubbed the "Guatemalan Chapter" (that which was missed last week),I figured why not? I hope it doesn't disappoint.
As always, any and all mistakes are mine alone.
PART TEN - Questionable Behavior
Harper was battling - both physically and verbally - with a stubborn AP tank control console when Beka appeared behind him in the engine room of the Majalla's Heart.
After a particular string of profanity, she commented, "A little harsh there, aren't we?"
Harper jumped a few feet back and stifled a yelp before turning to her. "Jeez, boss," he began, catching his breath. "Warn a guy, would ya?"
"Sorry," she said through grinning lips.
He rolled his eyes. "I'm sure." He turned back to the open circuitry and held his hand out behind him. "Hand me that, would ya?"
She was about to ask what, but then she noticed the isolated gadget, obviously one of her friend's own designs, a foot away from his reach. She crouched down beside him and handed it over.
"Thanks," he said, not turning her way. "I'm telling ya, this thing makes the Maru look like a top o' the line luxury cruiser."
"Well then," she replied, "Not much wrong with it, huh?"
He swung his head around and smirked. "Sure." Turning back to the circuits, he fiddled for a few more seconds, before exclaiming, "Finally!"
"Success?"
"Hah! I wish." He pushed to his feet, Beka following. "But at least now I can finally get to work on one of the actual problems."
Beka nodded and looked around. "Good."
Harper looked at his best friend for a moment, not sure what to make of her. He suspected something was wrong, but he didn't expect that she would come out and say it voluntarily. But hey, the simplest solution….
"Something bothering you, boss?"
Her eyes roved around the decrepit box of metal, frowning. "I don't know, it's just…I mean, the hell those bastards put him through, and all the while they're running cargo! If I had just --"
"Hey, hey," he held up a hand, "Don't go all 'Blame Beka', here. I've heard the story over and over, and I still think you're nuts. It wasn't your fault. Things just happen, you know?"
Beka sighed. "Yeah, that's what Rhade said."
The spiky-haired engineer perked up. "You see? Problem solved, issue dealt with." Even as he said it, both knew it probably wasn't going to be that easy.
There was an awkward pause as Harper's happiness faded, replaced by hesitant concern. "How, uh…how is he, by the way?"
Beka removed her gaze from the fascinating metal grating they stood on to look her long-time friend in the face. "Trance says he should be able to get better now that he has time to heal, but…."
"But what?"
She shook her head. "I don't know, something's just not right. I mean, you saw him when we brought him on board, right?"
He nodded, making a face. "Yeah, and it's not something I want to see again, especially from a Nietzschean."
"Well, I just saw him awhile ago, and he was acting like he just got knocked around a little in a Slip Fighter. Like the whole ordeal didn't happen."
"He is a Nietzschean," Harper shot back, attempting to infuse some amusement into the conversation.
She chewed on her lower lip and made a face. "I don't think it works like that."
"Yeah, well, I'm sure he'll be fine. I mean, it's Rhade - nothing fazes him, right?"
"Maybe," she answered, disbelievingly.
Still trying for a joke, he added, "Or, maybe he was just happy to see a familiar face." He waggled his eyebrows a little for emphasis, but she wasn't paying attention.
"Well he certainly had issues when he first woke up, with Dylan and Trance there too, so I doubt it."
Harper sighed inwardly, not wanting to bother explaining the missed meaning. Instead, he said simply, "I guess that's your answer to that, then."
Beka merely shrugged, her eyes once again wandering around the room.
"Maybe I'll go see him tomorrow," Harper suggested. Then, with a grin and a glint in his eye, he added, "And hey, if he's happy to see me, then we'll know there's something wrong."
She shot him a big grin. "Come on," she put an arm around his shoulder and started pulling him to the door. "Let's get some food."
-o-
Rhade was resting his eyes - about the only thing he could do, lest the view of those same walls drive him insane - when Beka walked in late the next day.
He heard her footsteps - brisk and on a mission - until she stopped in the middle of the room, apparently hesitant at what she thought was a sleeping Nietzschean. He could make out her muffled query to one of the medical staff about whether he'd been asleep long.
The nurse's reply was unintelligible, even to his ears, but Rhade guessed that he answered negatively, because Beka replied with a "Thank you," which was followed by the sound of more footsteps, walking away this time.
"I'm awake," he called out, hoping it was loud enough. He'd been having trouble in that department, surprisingly enough.
Apparently it was, for when he finally managed to open his heavy eyelids, he saw her standing at the far end of Medical, looking at him. He noticed she carried something - a flexi, he guessed - in her hand.
"Hey," she responded brightly, heading back over. "I bring greetings from Command."
He attempted to sit up, and had better success than the day before. "I didn't know you were coming."
She shrugged. "Said I would."
He mirrored her shrug…then winced at the pain it caused. "I figured it was a pleasantry."
"Well," she began, and he was happy that she decided to ignore his display of discomfort - too many people had fawned over him today. "We Valentines keep our promises."
"Fair enough."
"Besides, I've spent my fair share of time in here, I know how boring it gets. You can never have too many visitors."
Under his breath, he muttered, "I don't know about that…."
She frowned. "Had many today, I take it?"
Beka watched as he let out a breath and held up a hand and began counting off on his fingers for emphasis. She was grateful to whoever had changed the bandages on his wrists, as they were no longer stained with crimson. For some reason, they had disturbed her more than she cared to admit.
"Harper, Rommie…Trance has been around most of the day…and several members of the junior crew, mostly acquaintances from Tarazed."
Beka nodded. "I suppose you'd like a break, then."
He was quick to reply. "Not at all. It was not really their presence that was the issue." He gave her a tired smile of assurance. "I'd much rather your company in any case."
She gave him a cautionary, questioning look. "What do you mean?"
He thought for a moment. "I believe the correct term would be 'eggshells'. They've been acting strange, uncharacteristic, as if I require special treatment in my current state. They asked how I was feeling every three minutes." A ghost of a grin washed over his face, "Harper was completely civil, almost pleasant."
"Strange indeed," Beka quipped.
"Yes. Trance in particular has been…distant. I'm not sure how to describe it."
"Yeah, well, she's pretty much beyond description most of the time."
"I suppose." He didn't sound convinced.
"Alright, so I'm not strange, right?" she asked jokingly.
"Well I don't know about that," he answered, watching as she gave him a mock-offended face. "But in this respect," he gestured to himself in the bed, "No. And I appreciate that."
"Anytime," she replied. Her gaze roved around the room before settling back on the Nietzschean. "So, uh, has Dylan been around?"
"Not that I am aware of," Rhade answered. "Unless I was asleep. Why?"
"Oh, no reason." In truth, however, Beka was slightly concerned. Their Captain had been acting "strange" as well over the last couple days.
She turned to him once again. "So, I have come, like I said, to rescue you from boredom." She held up the forgotten flexi. "Now, I don't know how well your brain is at the moment…."
Rhade sighed. Maybe acting strange was a good thing…. "What is it?"
Beka's grin faded as she remembered what had happened nearly six weeks ago.
"Well," she began, a little awkwardly. "Remember the day you were taken, when I kinda…went off on you?" He opened his mouth to protest, so she quickly added, "I know, I know, don't worry, no blaming self, got it."
When he sat back and waited for her to continue, she did. "Anyway, do you remember why we were arguing?" It took him a moment, but he finally nodded. "Yeah, well," she handed him the flexi - it was open to the part of the text that had sparked their verbal battle. "In the last little while I've gone over it, a few times. And I think I'm starting to see what you do."
He briefly scanned the flexi, then looked at her hopeful expression. A slow, small grin spread across his features as he gestured to the unoccupied chair a short distance away.
Relieved, Beka pulled the chair over and got comfortable.
To Be Continued...
Galorin - Arch. as well? Where abouts are you doing your fieldwork? Glad you're enjoying the story!