Part 33
Harper walked until they found a small abandoned yard where they could talk in peace, and he gestured to Zal to sit on the low wall. Zal was unusually quiet, as if sensing that Harper meant business, and he respected that. Harper paced for a moment, before looking over at Zal, and he then sighed.
"So they used you to get to me, right?" Harper offered finally.
"Yeah," Zal nodded his head, keeping his eyes low to avoid looking at Harper. "Eventually," he then added.
"Explain," Harper requested.
"When you turned up that first night, I don't know what it was, fate, bad luck, whatever," Zal offered with confusion. "But they'd been talking about the aliens in town, and how one was missing, you," he gestured. "Then a couple of hours later, there you are, walking outside and looking for a place to stay, whilst looking half dead."
"Harper luck I think that's called," Harper half smiled.
"Buz was originally the one they marked to get you," Zal explained awkwardly, avoiding Harper's glare. "That's why he enticed you in, used the sisters to seal the deal," Zal looked knowingly at Harper, who looked away for a moment. "I couldn't believe it had been so easy, and it made me mad because I didn't want the Gilads to get you, or any of the aliens, just call me soft, I don't care."
"But you attacked me that first night," Harper remembered.
"Yeah, I was hoping I might scare you away, blame it on the drink, you know?" Zal frowned. "I wanted to make you feel less comfortable there, but instead, you stayed and you told them everything they needed to know."
"What?" Harper checked, knowing he wasn't usually that easy with the information.
"This port?" Zal now mocked Harper. "It plugs into things, connects me to blah blah, makes me do amazing things with stuff no one else understands, I'm from this really bad place, I know what to do, I can help."
"Zal," Harper snapped, hearing enough of Zal's mocking tones.
"They'd been curious about that thing in your neck, and feared what Kenan had done to it," Zal shrugged. "And they suspected that Kenan had also guessed something about it like they had, but I don't know what, and even though he feared it, where they didn't."
"Back up, what has this got to do with my port?" Harper demanded. "And guessed what?"
"I don't know what, I said that already," Zal stressed. "But that port thing, that's why the Gilads want you, Harper, and it's why Kenan tried to cover the thing up," Zal exclaimed. "Its why I tried to help you, and failed when I poured that stuff into it, I wanted to damage the port because I thought it would become less important then, and stop their plans, but I just didn't realise doing that would nearly kill you, sorry about that," he offered meekly.
Harper moved away to consider what Zal was telling him. "How can this all be about something they can't even be utilised here?" he asked with growing confusion.
"That, I don't know," Zal admitted. "That's had me stumped since day one, maybe they think you'll be like a secret weapon on the outside, you have outside tech in your head that they don't?" Zal shrugged confused.
Harper had to smirk at that thought. "That would make sense if Kenan wanted me for this port, not the Gilads, seeing as he's the one who wants to travel the dark beyond but has tried to cover it up, whilst the Gilads want to remain cut off, so it makes no sense."
"Maybe by keeping you, they prevent Kenan having that secret weapon," Zal offered.
"Then why haven't they destroyed the port or just killed me? Completely take out the threat?" Harper dismissed.
"Maybe you're worth more to them alive, I have no idea," Zal sighed.
"They have Dylan Hunt, a legend in his extended lifetime, Beka Valentine, one of the best slipstream pilots going and a damn Nietzshcean that they say don't make the grade walking around as free as anything, and all of them would be far more profitable on the outside than me, port or no port, and Kenan would know this if he's done his homework," Harper stressed. "So why is the attention all on me, and this stupid port?"
"I don't know," Zal shrugged.
"How can I even believe what you're saying is true, Zal?" Harper then asked with resignation.
Zal looked at Harper for a long moment and just frowned. "I'm not lying this time, I promise."
Harper stared at Zal for a moment before looking away. "Come with me," Harper then decided.
"Where are we going?" Zal asked confused.
"To see your brother," Harper stressed, and then felt Zal's hand on his shoulder and he stopped and turned.
"My brother?" Zal questioned.
"I can't trust you until Pallu's hold on you is gone," Harper explained.
"So what, you're just going to walk up to my brother and tell him his lover is the big bad and beats on his kid brother?" Zal questioned.
"Well, I was thinking more words but yeah, something along those lines," Harper agreed.
Zal seemed unsure and frowned. "Harper, my brother hates me."
"No he doesn't," Harper returned.
"You don't know him," Zal sighed.
"So why do you protect him?" Harper countered.
"I don't know," Zal admitted heavily. "You treat me with a lot more compassion than Ethan ever did, yet still you're the one getting hurt so he doesn't," Zal shook his head. "I'm sorry."
"I know how it goes, family," Harper shrugged, and the sighed, looking upwards for a moment. "OK, bad plan but I just want the crap to stop, I've had enough."
"Look, I haven't seen Pallu for a couple of days," Zal then offered with uncertainty and hope. "I think my work is done," he shrugged.
"Now I'm a fully paid up member of the Gilads?" Harper checked and saw Zal nod his head. "None of this makes any sense, and when stuff makes no sense I just end up frustrated and annoyed," Harper sighed and looked upwards again, taking a deep breath this time. "And it hurts too much to think about it anymore."
"Drink?" Zal asked with a crooked smile.
"Why not," Harper agreed and they both began walking back to the house.
Beka made it back to the house before Harper would know that she was trailing him, and she saw Rhade was now awake and talking with Dylan. Both men looked up as she quickly sat down.
"I've been here all along, ok?" Beka's tone was not to be messed with, and both men nodded their heads to agree.
Moments later Harper walked in with Zal and they headed straight for the collection of bottles in the far corner.
"What do you think you're doing?" Rhade then got to his feet, on seeing Harper taking a bottle.
"I need a drink, meat head," Harper stated, his tone short as he then handed the bottle to Zal, ignoring Rhade as the larger man approached.
Rhade stopped short of the human, and looked at Harper. "You should be resting."
"You're not my mother," Harper returned flippantly.
"If you don't need to rest, you should be helping us to deactivate the shields," Rhade persisted, and the tension rose quickly within the room.
"Really?" Harper seemed to be almost enjoying the chance to spar with the Nietzschean, with a glint in his eye. "And what will you be doing? Bad mouthing me some more to the Gilads so they torture me again?" Harper questioned accusingly, and Rhade was clearly taken aback as he stared back at the smaller man, but Harper edged closer now.
"That's right, you know the Gilads got this weird idea that I was a liability, they told me some ugly son of a bitch had told them this," he sneered. "Tell me, you wouldn't happen to have seen this freak would you, maybe the last time you looked in a mirror?" Harper stressed with venom, showing no fear to the Nietzschean.
Rhade grabbed Harper's shoulder abruptly, tiring of the human's tirade and pushed him back a little, omitting a warning growl as he attempted to control his growing anger.
"Yeah," Harper clearly mocked now, as his posture challenged the Nietzschean. "Because you know, I don't think being tortured hurt me enough, so yeah, finish off the Gilads work, uber, I dare you, in fact, just do your worst," Harper sneered, challenging the larger man who needed very little encouragement as Rhade began to react.
Beka quickly got to her feet and moved between the two, forcing them further apart. She turned to Harper and physically pushed him away from Rhade, seeing fire in his eyes. "Get the hell out of here, Seamus, and go get a freaking grip!"
With a look that could kill, Harper glared at Rhade before Zal encouraged him to move back and for once Beka had no objections, as the Edenian escorted the human outside. Beka then turned to Rhade, and her face was cold. "I've had just about enough of you and your attitude, Rhade," Beka snapped. "Don't you think enough has happened now that you can drop the crap, and realise we're all in a mess right now, and picking fights doesn't help anybody!"
Dylan wearily got to his feet. "Rhade, you're a better man than this bitter and twisted person you're being right now."
Rhade closed his eyes, and took some calming breaths. "He blames me for the torture he received."
"Do you really blame him?" Beka questioned.
"Do you blame me too?" Rhade seemed horrified.
Beka sighed and considered his question. "No, but you're making it easy for him to lay blame on you, it's what he does, the universe is kicking him down so he blames the nearest uber, and that's you," Beka explained. "But stop patronising him, he may be only a mud foot in your eyes, but he's much more than that, so show him some respect or you can get the hell away from here, and the Andromeda because I'll refuse to work on a crew where Harper is treated like crap by the likes of you," she stressed. "He's had enough of that already to last him a lifetime."
Rhade turned to Dylan to see his reaction, and Dylan soon moved to Beka's side showing support for her words. "If you can't give Harper a chance, I will be forced to rethink my decision to let you serve in my crew."
The effect they had wanted was immediate as Rhade relaxed and composed himself, knowing he had let things go too far. "I realise I may have been a bit hard on Harper," he finally admitted. "And words said may have inadvertently led to bad things happening," he continued before Dylan raised his hand to silence the Neitzschean.
"We're not the ones you should be apologising to," Dylan gestured to the door.
Rhade seemed in two minds again, before he slowly moved to the door and soon found himself outside and looking at Harper and Zal consuming a good part of the bottle they had taken.
"Slugs for brains," Harper greeted the Nietzschean, as Rhade approached. "What's the matter? Felt that I need some more insulting, or maybe this time you'll be uber enough to finish the job?"
"Harper, what the hell has gotten into you?" Zal moved forward with concern, seeing a flicker of reaction in Rhade's expression.
"I've come to apologise," Rhade then spoke calmly before Harper could answer Zal's question.
"Yeah, forgiven, I'm easy like that," Harper mocked, taking a gulp from the bottle he held. "So go, get out of my sight before I cause you more inconvenience and get sick again, or worse, remain human and an insult to your very being," Harper dismissed with petulance.
"I'm being serious, don't dishonour my words with mindless insults," Rhade stated firmly.
Harper only smirked and looked at Zal. "He's being serious, who'd of thought ubers being serious, man, when they're usually such a barrel of laughs," he staggered slightly and Zal reached out to steady Harper.
Rhade was about to forget his apology and lay into Harper, when he noticed the human was struggling. Zal was taking more of his body weight now, and Rhade moved in quickly to assist.
"Get him back to the house," Rhade suggested, when Harper's head went back and he appeared to be in difficulties.
"No, I'm fine, I'm good," Harper then stressed through gritted teeth, though losing his footing with every attempt at a step. "Ow, ow, and ow again," Harper's face creased up in pain. "Need to fall," he spoke before slumping in Zal and Rhade's hold so much that they had no choice but to let him fall to the ground, whilst they struggled to regain a hold on him to continue escorting him to the house.
"Come on Harper, get up," Zal encouraged.
"Can't," Harper spoke and curled himself up on the ground where he now lay.
"Is it your port?" Zal asked with concern.
"No, port is fine," Harper managed through gritted teeth.
"Then what is wrong?" Rhade asked with impatience.
"It's too much, it won't ease, just pain everywhere," Harper offered emotionally, as he rolled his face into the ground and avoided the stares from Rhade and Zal. "Pain, man, it doesn't' stop even with the drink," he complained and they saw his body shake, to suggest his emotions had caught up with him. "Hurts, I can't breath, I can't think," he managed between heavy breaths, clearly losing his composure.
"Delayed shock," Rhade realised, and without another word he picked Harper up in his arms despite the protests from both Harper and Zal, and he carried him back to the house, knowing as soon as he entered that Beka would be demanding answers, and he wasn't wrong.
"What the hell did you do to him?" Beka demanded immediately.
"Nothing, other than helped him," Rhade answered swiftly bringing Harper down to the floor, and resting him on a collection of blankets. "Harper, rest, and try not to think."
To both Dylan and Beka's surprise Harper didn't say a word as he rolled onto his side and complied.
"Seamus?" Beka ventured forward with some caution, and she saw the wetness around Harper's eyes, then the slight jerky movements and she realised the situation. "Could you all leave us?" Beka requested softly, and as Rhade left Beka half smiled. "Thanks," she offered, and saw Rhade return a brief and concerned smile, before he assisted Dylan in leaving the room to move to the back of the house.
Once alone Beka settled down beside Harper who remained with his back to her, as she put her arms around him, holding him closer to her. "If you want me to go," Beka began.
"Stay," Harper simply said.
"What happened?" Beka asked.
"Not sure," Harper answered, sounding a little calmer now. "I think the drink went straight to my head, and I was suddenly back there."
"Back where?"
"Boston," Harper gulped, and she sensed his fear.
"What do you mean?"
"I heard myself, felt my hunger and then the pain and my brain just flipped," Harper sounded really scared now. "Add an uber to the mix, you get the idea."
"Are you in pain now?"
"Everywhere," Harper admitted.
"Is it ok to hold you?" Beka checked, he was partially lying on his front now, burying his face into the blankets gather up around him, and Beka was almost smothering him, blanketing his back and her arms drawn up with him.
"Feels nice, warm, cosy," Harper murmured sleepily.
"You'll be on med deck before you know it, Trance will help you, and Rommie will have meds to take the pain away," Beka assured him.
Harper didn't respond, and Beka allowed the silence to descend as she continued to hold him until he was asleep, and she soon joined him as her head rested against his back, and her eyes closed.
TBC