TITLE: A Past to Outdo

NOTES: This quote is from another Splashdown song called 'Presumed Lost'.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Into the Dark

"When faith is ebbing, and hope has fleeted, step out of the light, and into the dark."

Anuay Illianu - The Lost

CY 4531

Lane led Harper to her ship. It was slightly smaller than Deven's, and of more efficient design. As soon as they boarded, and the doors closed behind them, Lane brought a ring-shaped device from her pocket.

"What's that?" Harper asked, worried.

"A little extra insurance. Gimme your arm," Lane ordered.

Harper held his right arm up. In retrospect, this was a bad idea. Lane opened the ring up and put it around his arm above his elbow. When she closed it, three pins were punctured his skin, going in about an inch each. Harper yelled at the unexpected pain. A few trickles of blood escaped from the wounds.

"Not that I don't trust you..." Lane said. "...actually, it is. This little baby ensures me that you won't leave this ship. Unless you want to be living the rest of your life in pieces." Lane was loving every moment of Harper's torment. It was just like old times. "Shall we?"

"Do you think he's already dead?" Trance asked. The quiet had been eating at her for some time now.

Tyr looked around at the otherwise empty Command Deck and guessed the golden mystery was talking to him. "I think if Deven's employer wanted Harper dead, he would be dead," he stated, but it was clear Trance was far from at rest. Tyr didn't know why he continued to try and make her feel better. Perhaps it was because over the years he had grown attached to each one of those inferior specimens of life that were his crewmates. Or perhaps it was just that he didn't like annoying, persistent whining. Yes, that was it. "Even if we don't reach him in time, I'm sure Beka is having more luck. She has fire in her blood."

Trance smiled briefly. She could tell what was going on inside that man's head. Still, her sadness wasn't lifted for long. She wondered if Harper was still alive, if he was okay...and if he would forgive her if he ever came back...

They were stuck at the moment, making everyone feel even more helpless. Tyr had been piloting slipstream non-stop to get to Sauska, and while Tyr could have gone on until they reached their destination, the slipstream drive could not. Dylan and Rommie were making the quickest repairs they could, but it was difficult. It was difficult because Harper had made it seem so easy and now he wasn't there to fix things.

Dylan's voice came over the com. "Okay people, we're good to go. Tyr, take us to the next slip-point."

"It's about time."

Harper winced. Withdrawal had once again reared its ugly head. This time the cramp was in his neck. He massaged it with the arm that didn't have the three skewers sticking into. The chills came and went, then came and went again. It was a few minutes before Harper realised Lane was standing in the doorway.

"I got just the thing for that," she grinned.

Harper knew what she meant. Once a dealer, always a dealer. "Not gonna happen," Harper replied, though a part of him desperately wanted to say 'Thanks, Lane, I'd love a hit.'

"I'm just saying, it would make this a whole lot easier on me, and you, for that matter, if you weren't so pitifully miserable."

"In case you hadn't figured it out, my drug addiction is the reason I'm so pitifully miserable," Harper spat back. The withdrawal was making him jittery and irritable. There was no way he'd snap at Lane in his right mind.

"Whatever you say," she conceded. "Guess I'll just leave this here then...in case you change your mind." Lane places a small bottle and a needle on the table and left the room. Harper's eyes drifted over to them of their own accord. It was tempting, of course it was...but he was stronger than that, wasn't he?

Harper got up and went to the table. He picked up both the needle and the bottle and held them for a while. Then he threw them across the room. They shattered, along with Lane's attempt at regaining even more power over him.

Beka got to the docking port as soon as she could but there was no sign of Harper or Lane. She knew where they were headed, but it would have been better to stop their journey before it started. It seemed like Lane was a smart (albeit evil) woman, and would most probably make her approach to Calliope a quiet one. Her face was probably well-known around those parts - being an notorious escaped murderer. That would hopefully buy Beka more time to catch up to them. The closer Harper got to Calliope, the more chance there was of trouble.

Hours went by, and hope evaporated into the night. Harper's thoughts of Andromeda and the safe haven of the machine shop seemed more like dreams than memories, and they were slowly beginning to slip away from him. It looked more and more likely that this was it.

He closed his eyes and tried to pretend he was back on Andromeda, drinking a Sparky, and building nano-bots or working on something to make Rommie even more perfect. He tried to remember the smells and the sounds of the ship, the voices of his friends. He was just drifting to a light sleep when he heard a voice. "Harper..."

He shook off the impending slumber, and listened again. Was he hearing things?

"Harper, are you there?"

It couldn't be. He must have fallen asleep after all, and he was dreaming. That or Lane had slipped him drugs and he was completely out of it.

"Harper, answer me dammit!"

It was no dream. Finally a ray of light cut through the dark.

"Beka!"

End of chapter sixteen

Next chapter: Found and Lost