Part 27
Rhade was still fuming an hour later, as he paced the building they called home. Dylan could only watch, as the Nietzschean worked out his anger.
"This is ridiculous! You know this is ridiculous!" Rhade stormed. "What the hell is going on, is Harper one of them now?" he barked.
"No, we all are," Dylan calmly answered, sounding tired.
"No," Rhade dismissed, and then sharply looked up when he saw three figures at the door. "Oh great, now what?" Rhade snapped as he turned away, his anger controlling his emotions.
Dylan gingerly got to his feet to acknowledge the visitors, as they walked in. "Buz, I believe?"
Buz just nodded his head, and strode into the middle of the sparse room flanked by two fellow Gilads. "Your friend needs to learn control," Buz observed Rhade, quietly fuming by Dylan's side.
"Why are you here?" Dylan asked getting straight to the point.
"I need to know more about Harper," Buz answered, and stepped forward. Dylan remained calmly looking at him, as Rhade looked away with displeasure. "Tell me what he is capable of."
"That might take a while," Dylan answered with a hint of amusement.
"What is his purpose on your crew?" Buz persisted.
"He's my engineer," Dylan answered simply.
Buz nodded his head and turned his attention to Rhade. "Tell me, what does 'uber' mean?"
Rhade controlled his reaction as much as he could. "It is a nick name for my kind."
"I see," Buz partly smiled. "And I assume with the tone he used to call you this name, it was not meant affectionately."
"There is a long history between humans and Nietzscheans," Rhade answered diplomatically.
"You do not like Harper," Buz then challenged, focusing on Rhade now.
"He is a fellow crew member, and I am loyal to Dylan's crew," Rhade answered, glancing at Dylan.
"What is the purpose of these questions?" Dylan thought to interrupt.
Buz looked once more at Dylan. "I need to assess the potential threat Harper could bring us, after my first meeting with him I became aware that his experience could both be of use to Edenia, and a hindrance, the latter proving true with his firebomb attacks a couple of days ago."
"Harper comes from a very bad place, you can not hold that against him," Dylan offered.
"Tell me about this place," Buz requested with interest.
"Earth," Rhade began. "For years it's been a slave planet, controlled by my people and continuingly targeted by the Magog," Rhade answered. "Not a place to bring up your kids and expect them to be normal."
"And so we have Harper, a product of this place," Buz figured. "And yet, Harper serves side by side with you, a tormentor from his past," Buz added, looking at Rhade.
"It was not my pride that enslaved Earth," Rhade was quick to point out.
"But it was your kind," Buz dismissed.
"Harper is intelligent enough to work out the difference between those who enslaved his people, and those who work for a better good," Dylan stated.
"I saw your man ready to attack Harper," Buz countered, looking at Dylan and then glancing at Rhade.
"I was angry," Rhade offered as explanation.
"Tell me again about this difference that apparently exists," Buz partly smiled, enjoying holding court. "In fact, no need, Harper has already explained to me his feelings about your kind, and of the Magog."
"So why come here and ask us?" Dylan questioned.
"What kind of man, Captain Hunt, would willingly serve on a crew with his own enemies?" Buz then asked, and received no answer. "I'll tell you what kind of man, a man who will do anything to help himself, a man who I consider can not be trusted and is therefore a liability, so tell me, Rhade, do you consider Harper to be a liability?"
Rhade hesitated and replayed in his mind the times recently that he had accused Harper of being just that in the past day or so. Unable to answer, Rhade simply glared at Buz until the man spoke again.
"I think we do agree on something at least," Buz answered knowingly.
"Harper is not a liability," Dylan stressed.
"Did you order him to do those firebomb attacks?" Buz questioned towards the captain. "You took the punishment but did you really perform the crime?" It was Dylan's turn to be silent as Buz revelled in his own correct deductions. "Harper now belongs to us," Buz continued. "You no longer need to worry about him, and once he's trained he will serve a use to the Gilads. Unfortunately, neither of you make the grade, now by association with Harper and in turn with us, we're willing to ensure you remain protected by the Gilads in our quest against Kenan, and you're welcome to visit your friend anytime."
"What about Beka?" Rhade was quick to ask.
"Beka, she's been determined to be of use, and she is now Harper's carer and will ensure he's in good health and able," Buz revealed.
"Why are we considered unable to make the grade?" Dylan asked concerned by what that might actually mean long term.
"You," Buz gestured to Dylan. "You are weak and injured, you ask too many questions and in truth, you're just too damn tall for my own personal liking, likewise with your friend here," he smiled at Rhade. "Plus, your friend, he really needs to control that anger and then maybe, in time, if you both prove to us that you are willing, we might find you make the grade, just not at this time."
"Who'd have thought a gang of bullies could be so well structured," Rhade remarked to Dylan, who couldn't help the smirk.
"To those on the outside, we're only bullies, and whilst you still believe that, you will never make the grade," Buz offered brightly and soon left the two men to consider what had been said.
"This is beyond crazy," Rhade was forced to comment, once he was alone once more with Dylan. "In some way I wish they'd just lock us up and be done with it, but all this crap about being free to visit, not making the grade and being protected by these freaks," Rhade ranted with disbelief.
"Civilised entrapment," Dylan remarked. "It's not like we can go anywhere, so why give themselves the hassle of imprisoning us?"
Rhade growled under his breath and walked to the door. "I've not exactly made things better, have I?"
Dylan frowned and then shrugged. "You needed to control your rage a little better, Harper has done nothing wrong."
"Nothing wrong?" Rhade turned with anger.
"Rhade," Dylan spoke with authority and immediately the Nietzschean backed down. "Harper is now considered of use to these people, the Gillads, these bullies whose only past time appears to be terrorising and inflicting torment on anyone they care to victimise," he explained with firmness. "Do you really think Harper needs your anger right now?"
Rhade considered Dylan's words and relaxed. "I'm assuming by Beka being assigned as his carer, things will not be easy for him."
"Then we have to work extra hard on getting him, and Beka the hell away from here, we now have to do what we can to enable Andromeda to rescue us, because I'm not sure Harper's going to be in any position to help us," Dylan solemnly announced.
Rhade looked away. "So what's the plan?" he asked.
"We need to find where the shields are generated from," Dylan decided. "And seeing as we fail to make the grade, hopefully we shouldn't concern the Gilads, and be able to go about our business without much fuss."
"Always a bright side," Rhade smiled, and followed Dylan out of the house.
"This will only take longer if you keep moving," Beka scolded, as she attempted to try once more to clean the blood from Harper's arm.
"It hurts!" Harper protested.
"It's just a scratch," Beka argued, and once satisfied the cut was clean she quickly positioned a bandage over the area. For a moment she looked at Harper, lying on a blanket in a temporary shelter that the Gilads had constructed in one of Edenia's squares. "Is your head still floating?"
"Not so much now," Harper answered. "Just sore," he added with a grimace.
"No surprise there," Beka frowned. "Let's just be grateful that the Gilads are well stocked medically," she added and retrieved some more bandages and antiseptic. "Right, I've done the face and arms, so get rid of the shirt."
"Enough already," Harper complained, just wanting to go to sleep.
"Harper, there's no way I'm going to let you sleep after you insisted I was your mother less than ten minutes ago," Beka stated firmly.
"I was confused, that's all," Harper sighed.
"Because you've had one too many kicks to the head, so come on, let me finish my job," Beka ordered.
Reluctantly Harper began to lift his shirt and then Beka helped him the rest of the way until it was removed. Lying back down, Harper allowed a groan to escape and Beka could only frown at the amount of bruises that now covered his ribs, chest and then seemed to continue around to his back.
"I'm going to check your ribs, ok?" Beka warned, seeing Harper had closed his eyes. "Come on, stay awake, Seamus," she requested as she gently tested his ribs, aware that they were already sore with bruises covering them. On the fourth rib that she touched, she couldn't miss the sharp intake of breath but she continued until she had tested the whole front area. "I'll need to tape these, there's obviously some damage. I didn't think your were breathing easily, so I need you to sit up," Beka instructed.
Harper appeared to be working on automatic, as he slowly rose and Beka helped him to sit up. His head fell forward whilst she checked his back, and it became harder to get Harper to respond when she was finally ready to apply the bandage around him.
"Harper, stay awake," Beka spoke again, and with force this time when she saw Harper drifting. "I need you to hold this here," Beka gestured to the bandage and placed Harper's hand on the end, but he was starting to sleep and she knew that wasn't a good idea.
"Try this," Junia then offered appearing apparently from nowhere, and Beka looked up startled for a moment, having not heard her approach. Junia moved forward with a small bottle and unscrewed the lid, placing the strong smelling liquid under Harper's nose.
"Whoa," Harper exclaimed, suddenly awake and alert again.
"Smelling salts, thanks," Beka smiled, relieved to see Harper awake again.
"Can I help?" Junia asked, and Beka nodded her head after a moments thought.
"Just keep that bottle away from me, ok?" Harper grizzled.
"He got off lightly I see," Junia noted.
"He did?" Beka frowned, unconvinced.
"You should see Zal, I've just finished patching him up in the next tent," Junia half smiled.
"Is he ok?" Harper asked.
"He currently thinks he's the king of the Zodd people," Junia revealed.
Harper and Beka both frowned. "Seems ok to me," Harper then commented with a smirk.
"So how come the Gilads have all these medical stuff?" Beka then asked, as she began to wrap the bandage around Harper's ribs, with Junia's assistance.
"Usual means, they raided the hospital some months back, we have enough supplied to keep us going for at least a year," Junia shrugged.
"Why didn't you tell me you were a part of this?" Harper then asked to Junia. "A part of the Gilads?"
"It's not something I'm exactly proud off," Junia returned softly. "I'm not a part of this by choice only by association with my sister who by association with Buz became a member," she explained. "I'm Zal's carer, not that that means much as he can't decide if he's a part of this or not, so usually I'm in limbo when he disappears for days on end."
"So Zal is part of the Gilads," Harper stated.
"Not by choice either," Junia offered, as Beka secured the bandage and gestured to Harper to lower his arms. "Zal refused for a long time to accept it, and for a while he was at odds with a lot of Gilad members, but then Pallu got close to his brother and now Zal has no choice but to do what keeps his brother safe."
"Does his brother even know what they do to Zal?" Harper asked.
"Ethan hates Zal, with a vengeance," Junia frowned. "Even if he knew, I doubt it would make a difference, those two have never seen eye to eye."
"So why does Zal put up with it?" Beka asked.
Junia just shrugged. "Because he wants his brother to like him, and because he's family, and Zal has no choice in that either."
Harper just smirked, with sadness behind his expression that Beka noticed. "You ok?" she asked, as she began cleaning a few more scrapes that she'd found around Harper's shoulders.
"Just reminds me of stuff," Harper offered glumly, and seemed to be in no mood to offer more.
"Well, I think you're done, at least the top half," Beka announced, and gave Harper his shirt back.
"There's no way I'm removing my pants," Harper immediately announced.
Beka just smiled. "And that's a good thing, Harper, because that's the last thing I would really want you to do," she teased, as Harper frowned.
"We have some rations in the mess tent, that's the large tent towards the back of the square," Junia informed them.
"We just help ourselves?" Beka checked.
"You're one of us now," Junia simply offered. "I best check on Zal, make sure he's stopped preaching."
Junia left them alone, and Harper rolled his shoulders with a grimace. "You know just once I'd like to wake up and not be in pain," he complained with a heavy sigh.
Beka couldn't help but smirk, but seeing Harper was more awake now she wanted to ask him something. "Before, when you thought I was your mother, why was that?"
Harper showed confusion, before looking at Beka and it took him a moment to answer. "I thought I was back on Earth, and I was that kid again," he admitted quietly, before taking a deep breath. "There was this time, way back when, I'm not sure how old I was but I took some bread that wasn't mine," he remembered distantly. "And for a moment today I thought I was there again, and that it was ubers beating me, just like before. All I really remember about that is that it was the first time I got hurt, and I had no parents to look out for me, wasn't the last, but-" he then looked at Beka and recognised her expression. "You have that 'crap Harper's talking about his dreadful past again' expression, Beka; just tell me to shut up."
Beka snapped herself out of the expression she wore. "I don't want you to shut up, Harper, and I never have, but I can't help my reaction when you say this stuff," Beka defended.
"Then why do you ask? Why do you want to know?" Harper asked with confusion.
"Because it's a major part of who you are," Beka explained.
"No one wants to hear this crap," Harper dismissed. "I see it all the time, Beka, I mention my past and eyes start rolling, it's the past, that's all."
"Maybe I'm ready to hear now," Beka offered, and Harper just stared at her. "I'm serious, Harper, I want to know more about who you are."
"You already know who I am, better than anyone," Harper stated, looking away.
"Tell me about your parents, tell me about Brendan, tell me about what you did day in day out on Earth, Harper I hardly know any of this stuff," Beka stressed.
"Let me think about it," Harper simply said, in a manner that told Beka to back off.
"I'll see if I can get us some rations, maybe ask about baths or showers too?" Beka suggested and Harper just nodded his head, as he turned on his side attempting to get comfortable on the blanket.
Beka frowned, and headed for the exit. Unknown to Beka, Buz was stood outside in the distance, observing as Beka left the tent and walked away. Without any delay he gestured to his men and they moved quickly.
Once inside the tent, Buz was quick to act. "Take him," Buz ordered and Harper was given no time to react before he was hauled up, and escorted from the tent. A hand clasped over his mouth to prevent him making a sound, as they dragged him away.
TBC