Part 18
Beka paused and looked at the makeshift curtain blocking out the sun, then paced the darkened room some more, before pausing again as she looked at the sleeping figure on the floor. At odds, Beka sighed and then frowned, before she knelt down and shook the person to wake them.
"Harper, Harper," Beka spoke. "Wake up, I need to speak to you," she added, when she saw him stir.
"Beka?" Harper wearily spoke, as he moved to sit up and then rubbed his eyes.
Beka let him get his bearings before speaking again. "Sorry, I need to talk to you, and I know its not often you sleep so well, but with everything going on I just wanted to talk without distractions."
"It's ok," Harper offered, as he crossed his legs. "Things have been a bit crazy around here, right?"
"Yeah," Beka smiled, and then reached over to where she had left some food and water. "Take this; you look as though you need it."
"I've eaten already, remember, few hours ago when we got back here?" Harper dismissed. "You have it."
"Harper," Beka spoke sternly and with reluctance he took the small piece of bread, she relaxed her posture and then smiled. "I'm glad you're in one piece at least."
"Is that why you woke me, to tell me that?" Harper half grinned, before tearing the bread into two pieces, and offering half to Beka who this time didn't argue and accepted the food.
"Things were said whilst you were missing, things that Rhade was suggesting," Beka began slowly, concentrating on the bread he had given her. "Some of the stuff he said just got me thinking and maybe this isn't the time, maybe I shouldn't have woken you up but, Seamus," Beka continued until Harper put his arm on her arm.
"Beka, has this got anything to do with what I said in the forest that night, anything at all?" Harper asked quietly, as if sensing that it did.
Beka's expression gave it away that it did. "Your words, what you revealed, we can't pretend that they didn't affect us, Seamus, but Rhade's," Beka was interrupted again.
"Rhade should just shut the hell up," Harper stressed. "Whatever he's saying, Beka, he doesn't know shit, ok? He's just a freaking uber, don't listen to him."
"You don't know what he said," Beka offered calmly.
"But I know that he's got to you, and got you all worked up like this, and I know he's an uber and talks a lot of crap," Harper returned sharply, old prejudices surfacing freely. "Whatever he suggested, it's just his imagination, ok?" Harper attempted to ease Beka's obvious worries.
"He said I used you," Beka decided to just come clean.
"Used me?" Harper showed his immediate confusion, and for a moment it looked as though he was lost for words, but that soon vaporised. "I wish, man, there were nights when all I wanted was for you to use me, but you never did," he idly spoke, and then realised he's spoken out loud and that Beka wasn't impressed. "I mean you remember that silly little crush I had on you, right?" Harper nervously laughed, hoping Beka would crack a smile, and was relieved when she finally did.
"Not like that," Beka scolded with a smirk.
"Beka you never used me, you hit me, mocked me, made me clean the hull more than once for things I didn't even do, threatened me, even introduced me to a Magog, but never once did you use me, ok?" Harper insisted lightly, keeping his hand on her arm. "Come on, I'm a mouthy mudfoot, I'm Seamus Zelazny Harper, I would have said something," he assured her animatedly. "Maybe not to your face directly, but it would have been very sarcastic and I'd have laughed, and even if you hit me, but I didn't, did I? Not once," he smiled fondly.
"Promise?" Beka asked, happy with the vote of confident.
"I promise you never did that, you just did all that other stuff," Harper grinned. "Boss, you saved my life in more ways than you can imagine, and you can tell that uber nut head to shut the hell up, in fact when we get back to the Andromeda I promise you his shower will suddenly stop dishing out the hot water, ok?" Harper smiled.
"Always rely on you," Beka grinned, and brought Harper closer for a quick hug, until she heard a sharp intake of breath. "Sorry," she quickly offered, realising she had caused him pain.
"Just the shoulder is still a little sore," Harper offered through a wince.
"That looks bad," Beka offered, seeing the sore skin protruding from the shirt Harper wore.
"So people keep telling me," Harper returned dismissively.
"So how come you just crashed like that when we got back? Not like you to have afternoon siestas," Beka idly asked.
"Been a long day, a long few days, and I guess being back with you and Rhade I felt able to sleep again," Harper quickly offered, and Beka smiled at that thought until she saw Harper's slightly panicked expression, the one she recognised as him hiding something.
"Seamus, is there something you need to tell me, are you sure you're ok?" Beka pushed slightly.
"Harper!" Zal's voice broke the silence suddenly, and Harper quickly got to his feet to greet the Edenian who had just walked in on them. "Wondered when you'd wake up, or are all aliens lazy like you?"
"Zal, I made sure I woke up before you had the chance to, for once," Harper sneered with a grin.
"I hate laziness," Zal simply said.
Beka had watched the two with some annoyance, wishing she could have had more time to talk to Harper alone, and deciding not to let it go. "Zal, Harper and I were talking," Beka finally spoke.
"Beka," Harper immediately spoke on seeing Zal's sudden hesitation, obviously intimidated by Beka. "Zal wasn't to know."
"I could go," Zal offered and began backing away.
Harper seemed at odds, then suddenly hurried towards Zal guiding him to the door. "I'll be right back, Beka, promise, just got to show Zal, erm, something," he finished with urgency, leaving Beka to raise her eyebrows wondering what was going on.
Zal let Harper push him through to the next room, and on seeing Rhade in what looked like meditation, he pushed Zal further out into the street and didn't stop until they were two buildings away and out of sight.
"I'm not sure I want to see whatever it is you want to show me," Zal ventured with a wry smile, seeing Harper resting back against the stone wall with his eyes closed. "Are you ok?" he then asked when Harper didn't react, and then noticing the human's breathing had quickened. "Harper?"
"Help me sit down," Harper partially gasped, clenching his eyes shut as Zal instantly helped him down.
"Dizzy spell?" Zal asked with concern.
"Yeah," Harper managed to respond. "Man, this one's bad," he added between breaths, and then held his breath as his head twisted to one side.
"Come on man, breath, fight it," Zal encouraged, holding Harper's shoulders now to support him.
Finally Harper relaxed and began to catch his breath, eventually opening his eyes again and rubbing his neck. "That was bad," Harper frowned.
"What is that?" Zal questioned.
"I don't know, maybe some of the metal inside warmed up and shifted?" Harper shrugged unsure. "It must have done something to make my port suddenly active again, I mean I felt my consciousness trying to jump, my port was trying to push me out."
"That has got to be a trip and a half," Zal said with some admiration.
"We can't tell the others about this," Harper then spoke with seriousness.
"Is that why you suddenly marched me out of that place?" Zal now sat down beside Harper.
"If Beka sees me like this," Harper paused. "I just don't want her having something else to worry about, me as I am is bad enough, me with this problem, she doesn't need it ok?" Harper looked at Zal. "Please, don't tell her and if you think you see me struggling, make sure she doesn't see it."
"I'm not sure I can do that," Zal offered with a frown. "But I'll try."
"I want to continue what we were doing, continue the fight, and I'll only be able to do that if I don't have Beka watching my every move," Harper continued to explain.
There was suddenly shouting ahead of them, and both Zal and Harper got to their feet. A gang of youths could be seen ahead and for a moment both friends simply watched, until they were spotted.
"Crap, run," Zal suddenly ordered.
"What is it?" Harper asked, as he numbly turned and followed Zal.
"The Gilads are here," Zal stated. "You can't be seen outside if they are around!"
They continued running until they reached the house and stumbled back inside, both running to the window to check if they were followed.
"They won't come inside, we're safe in the house," Zal panted.
"Why the hell not?" Harper gasped, catching his breath once more.
"They have code of conduct, very special to them, they only take from the streets, it makes it more interesting for them," Zal shrugged, turning away from the window. "Be way too easy for them if they could just rampage through the houses as well."
"Who the hell are these guys?" Harper asked with panic.
"A small group of head cases, they don't follow Kenan but Kenan isn't mad enough to force them to, so they co-exist, they do their thing whilst he does his and so long as neither bother each other, they remain sweet," Zal sighed. "Only that doesn't stretch to us poor folk, Haves or Havenots they don't care who they terrorise, they just terrorise, it's their thing."
"I heard your brother and Pallu mention them, they were saying if I did anything I would attract them," Harper remembered. "Pallu seemed freaked out by that idea."
"Rightly so, and crap," Zal took a sharp intake of breath. "That's why they are here, it has to be, the firebombs I didn't even think," he stressed. "They must feel the aliens are trying to muscle in or something."
Rhade finally stepped forward having observed the exchange with some interest, with Beka joining him and now they both crossed their arms.
"Harper, we just got news about Dylan," Beka spoke sombrely. "Asa tells us that at noon he's going to be the headliner for the square torture show, because of what you did."
Harper took all the news in, and then noticed Asa in the shadows for the first time. "Asa," he spoke with fondness and moved to where the older man was stood. "Good to see you again, I think," he stated.
"Harper," Beka partly snapped, not happy that the human had chosen to fail to respond to the news about Dylan. "Dylan is taking punishment for you, at least give it some consideration!"
"Dylan did nothing wrong," Rhade supported.
Harper didn't respond and awkwardly stood still for a moment. "We have no weapons, and I'm sure as hell not going to give myself up, so what do you expect me to do?"
"Give yourself up," Rhade stressed.
"No!" Beka countered quickly before Harper could respond. "At least show some remorse, some sign that you give a damn about what Dylan is going to go through for you."
Harper shrugged. "I know you want me to feel all crap and sad about Dylan, but I don't, blame my upbringing," he announced. "I don't know if you guys have noticed but we're in a freaking prison camp, not on some vacation isle, and what happens can't be righted, that's why things are so messed up around here, we have log heads in charge who won't hear reason. So we just have to keep doing the crap we do, and I'm not going to stop because of this," he stated firmly. "Even if it makes me the bad guy, I can't afford to care, so I'm going to start making more noise around here."
"What?" Zal spoke up, catching the last bit with some concern. "Even with the Gilads showing up?"
"To hell with all of them, I want out of this place and I'm going to do something to get us out of here," Harper snapped, as if stating the obvious wasn't getting through to those in the room.
"What? Set fire to more things?" Rhade mocked. "That's not going to help."
"And standing there being all high and mighty is?" Harper returned with a sneer.
"Harper, our orders were to wait for the Calvary," Beka reminded Harper. "Let's not plan to make things worse for Dylan, and for those who will turn up to rescue us."
Harper simply smirked, and looked around. "How long have we been here now, boss?" he asked with innocence. "I make it four days, now Rommie and Trance, they had orders to react if we didn't return after three days, with no hesitation and you know, I have fairly good eyesight but I don't see any rescue parties."
"It's only been a day over," Beka stressed, though it was clear she hadn't done the math.
"Without hesitation, Beka," Harper repeated with force. "If Rommie could break down these defences, which she did say there was only a 50 chance that she could, then we'd be heading back to the Maru by now but I haven't seen the defences fall, I haven't seen the great aerial bombardment, have you?"
"What are you saying?" Rhade now asked.
"I'm saying that Rommie might be in need of some help from the genius engineer you have right here on the inside," Harper stressed confidently. "So are you seriously going to let me waltz up to Kenan and confess my sins? When I could be working on what could be our last chance of ever getting out of this place, and helping these people to overthrow the madman who is currently getting ready to torture our captain?"
The silence answered Harper's question.
"Great, well I need to start scouting the area for ways to infiltrate their defences, Zal, wanna keep me company?" Harper asked, and saw the Edenian eagerly agree.
"We all go," Beka decided. "With this new threat you just panicked about, the Gilads? And the guards that are looking for you, you need more than one person watching your back."
"Fine, let's all go," Harper agreed.
"Wait," Zal spoke up and cautiously approached Beka, removing his jacket as he did. "Your bright hair, we should cover that if we don't want to standout," he stated. "My jacket has a hood, it should suffice."
"Thanks," Beka smiled but declined the offer quickly, and to Zal's amazement she simply shook her head and her hair turned jet black.
"Whoa," Zal backed away, his fear of Beka rising slightly as he bumped into a smirking Harper. "How'd she do that?" he asked to Harper.
"Do what?" Harper teased. "She's always had black hair, how come you never noticed?"
"No, she didn't," Zal returned, but with confusion.
"Come on, you can't just change hair colour," Harper mocked, enjoying Zal's uncertainty.
"You're all freaks, stupid aliens, freaks; that's what you should be called," Zal complained and walked ahead as they left the building.
Once Zal had moved ahead Beka turned to Harper. "How exactly are you going to do anything with no tools?" Beka asked, as they moved towards the door with caution, checking for the Gilads.
"My hands are the only tools I'll need, Beka, they served me well enough before I met you, they can serve me again now," he stated with distraction before he hurried out of the building, careful to stay out of sight.
TBC