Part 48
The silence hit him first, as Harper opened his eyes, and for the first time in a while he felt refreshed. Blinking his eyes, he discovered his head was clear of the fever that had struck him, and his muscles only mildly protested as he pushed himself up having been using Beka's lap as a pillow. Beka still slept, leant against one of the supports of the basement they had found themselves in, and Harper was careful not to wake her, as he got to his feet and stretched his legs.
Looking up, Harper saw the cover above was moved and the ladder was in place, so he began to climb it not knowing his intentions.
"Harper," Dylan's voice stopped him. "It's wiser to stay down here."
Harper wanted to offer a snappy retort but bit his tongue, and instead he simply descended back down the ladder.
"Asa is just getting some fresh supplies, he'll be back soon, we are staying down here until we are sure the coast is clear," Dylan informed him.
"If we're stuck down here, how will we know the coast is clear?" Harper countered without emotion, and Dylan offered no answer.
"Dylan," Harper then offered seriously, still very aware of the tension between them from the previous night. "Asa is going to block any attempts we make to leave Edenia, so we can't stay here," Harper spoke with his voice low, aware that Ezra was sleeping not too far away, as he moved to sit next to the captain. Dylan didn't speak and Harper already knew the reason why. "Fine, don't believe me, put it down to another of Harper's mad supposedly drug induced rants," Harper dismissed with frustration and began to move away.
"Harper," Dylan then spoke, stopping him. "Tell me more," Dylan requested, but Harper saw Ezra stirring and the look on Harper's face in the direction of Asa's wife didn't go unnoticed by Dylan.
"You just have to trust me, boss," Harper conceded, knowing it was too big a risk to talk with Ezra so close. Harper could see that Dylan was prepared to do that, but he then glanced at Rhade to find the Nietzshcean was glaring back at him.
"What's your problem?" Harper sneered. "Oh yeah, you're Nietzschean, explains everything," Harper added when Rhade didn't back down, and he looked away hearing Rhade growl.
There was noise above as Asa returned and then replaced the stone, before finishing his descent down the ladder with supplies in his arms. His return stopped all conversion, as they watched him lay the meagre supplies on the ground.
"That wouldn't feed an ant on a diet," Harper offered glumly.
"It's all that's left, the house has been trashed," Asa frowned, as they looked at the nearly empty ration pack and barely half a bottle of water.
"Well we still have the rations that were down here," Dylan offered brightly and put three ration packs and another half bottle of water next to what Asa had found.
Harper couldn't help the smirk, as he looked at the offerings. "I guess with the war that's now going on, rations won't be so easy to come by," he figured, and got to his feet. "We should save what we have until we're really hungry, forget these set times for food, any notions like breakfast, dinner or lunch, it means nothing now," Harper stated looking away from the group and up at the covered hatch above.
"Harper's right," Dylan agreed. "We can't afford such luxuries now, so is anyone really hungry now?"
No one spoke up, as Harper moved to Beka's side and gently shook her awake. "Beka should eat, she's still recovering," Harper stated, as Beka slowly stirred and became aware of her surroundings.
"What?" Beka enquired unsure.
"You need to eat," Harper moved to the rations and retrieved a small portion for Beka, and handed it to her.
"Why am I the only one eating?" Beka asked, looking around unsure.
"The rations are now on ration," Harper offered with a smile.
"I'm not hungry," Beka returned, still holding the food Harper had given her.
"You need to eat," Harper insisted but Beka shook her head.
"We all need to eat, but I'm ok, honest," Beka stated and gave the food back to Harper.
Harper reluctantly took the food, but remained by Beka's side. "You sure?" he checked, but Beka ushered him away to return the food.
Dylan then looked at Harper. "What about you, Harper?"
"Me? I'm ok," Harper responded quickly.
"You didn't eat after you woke up yesterday, you left your rations untouched, and I never saw you eat anything else," Dylan remembered. "With your fever and other ailments I think you really should eat something."
"I said I'm ok," Harper returned, as he moved to Beka's side and sat down. "So what are we doing, just sitting here for the rest of the day?" Harper asked with agitation, continuing to glance upwards at the exit, like a caged animal.
Ezra then stirred and she was fully awake in seconds as she remembered the previous night. Asa only threw his wife a secondary glance, before looking away, and Ezra's stare then landed firmly on Harper.
Harper suddenly felt unnerved by Ezra's attentions and he needed a distraction. "Where did Zal get to?"
"He'll be back soon, I'm sure," Beka offered.
"Where'd he go?" Rhade asked.
"To get Junia," Beka answered and immediately Ezra was on her feet.
"What? You've got that Gilad sympathiser Zal to go and get his Gilad girlfriend, to bring her back to the house?" Ezra demanded angrily. "Why not just invite Buz as well, hell invite all the Gilads we'll have a party!" she yelled with frustration, then looked at Asa. "Did you know about this?"
"I was wondering where Zal went," Asa shrugged unsure.
"I want them out of my house; they've already led a war into it!" Ezra stormed, clearly unhappy.
"I'd happily go, if you just let us!" Harper returned sharply.
"I especially want that thing out of here," Ezra demanded of Asa, pointing at Harper.
Asa rose to his full height, towering over his wife. "You're not exactly in any position to be making demands," Asa offered, still reeling from his wife's confession the previous night. "And Harper stays, we can not afford for him to be wandering the streets, again," he stressed the final part, as he glared at his wife.
"If he stays, I'll go," Ezra stated and then paused, waiting for some kind of reaction from her husband.
"Let me get the hatch for you," Asa offered, and his wife stood clearly stunned.
"You're letting me go?" Ezra checked, her voice softening but Asa didn't respond as he calmly lifted aside the hatch for his wife to leave. "Asa, we can work through this, please, I'm sorry," she offered, but Asa said nothing and simply waited.
Ezra's pain turned to fury as she glared at Harper. "I hope you're happy," Ezra snarled.
"Hey, I never told him anything," Harper offered defensively, but clearly showing no remorse.
"If I walk out of this house you will lose all the support you have, I'll make sure of it," Ezra warned.
"By doing so you'll simply prove to me that you're no longer the woman I married," Asa responded without emotion.
With clear frustration Ezra climbed the ladder and left the basement, and the others watched as Asa calmly replaced the hatch, and then returned to where he was sitting.
"One less mouth to feed," Harper then spoke up to break the silence.
"Harper!" Beka hissed disapprovingly, nudging him.
"Just thinking practically," Harper defended himself.
"Right now, think like a human and not a kludge," Beka chastised him, and Harper seemed to understand the point and backed down.
"Are you ok?" Rhade then asked Asa, who remained stony face.
Asa slowly looked up at the Nietzschean. "I have just given up a number of years of happy marriage for a myth I'm not even sure exists," Asa spoke slowly turning towards Harper.
"Hey don't blame me," Harper offered, getting to his feet. "I wasn't the cause, I caught her in bed with that other guy, it wasn't like it was me doing the dirty," Harper stressed. "And I'm still pissed that you put this damn collar on me so if anything you can't be pointing the finger at me for this!"
Harper then went to climb the ladder and put his shoulder to the hatch, clearly wanting out as he attempted to move the stone.
"Hey fat head, come and help me with this," Harper stressed towards Rhade. "We shouldn't stay here, if we're found here, we might as well wrap ourselves up as gifts for those wishing to kill us," Harper stressed but still the others only watched him. "Am I the only one who wants to do anything?" he asked angrily, pushing at the stone but it wasn't moving an inch.
Slowly Dylan got to his feet and moved to the ladder, and although it pained him he began to work with Harper to move the hatch.
"You won't move it," Asa remarked finally.
"Well move it for us, there's four of us, one of you!" Harper snapped.
"That wouldn't be in my best interests to do so," Asa calmly returned.
"What did I tell you, Dylan, he's keeping us prisoner!" Harper stressed with anger, now putting some force behind his efforts as his determination took over to move the hatch.
Rhade stood up, making his way to the hatch to offer help to Dylan and Harper, but before long it was clear the hatch wouldn't move, so they stopped and looked at Asa. Beka then joined them, but the Edenian wasn't in a talkative mood it appeared.
"You've offered us sanctuary and we thank you for that, but I am forced to believe that staying here is no longer in our best interests," Dylan decided.
"I need to know," Asa calmly spoke, still seated.
"Got it!" Harper then exclaimed having continued to work on the hatch, as the others had focused on Asa. He lifted the hatch on his own with ease, and then noticed that everyone was looking at him with surprise.
"And now I do know," Asa then stated, getting to his feet.
"What?" Harper gestured. "It worked using a simple catch system dependant on weight distribution and having the right touch, simple mechanics," Harper offered brightly, knowing he had shown his genius once again. "Simple for me at least."
"This house was one of the original buildings on Edenia, as old as the walls themselves that surround us, and there were myths and legends that stated that those with power resided or even built these buildings," Asa stated, and moved closer to where Harper now looked back at him, half on the ladder ready to leave. "I knew the secret to how the hatch worked, but only due to the information being passed down to me through many generations, but no one else would know, unless," Asa begin, staring at Harper.
"He has the power," Beka concluded. "Sorry to burst your bubble but this kind of tech isn't so sacred where we come from."
"So how come none of you figured it out?" Harper countered to his crew mates.
"Harper, trying to get your butt out of this mess, do you mind?" Beka hissed and Harper immediately frowned.
"She's right, it's just a simple lock mechanism, nothing special, any engineer outside of Edenia would know it," Harper offered with a shrug.
"I only saw you do it," Asa noted towards Harper, and then looked at Beka. "Don't get me wrong, I do not believe your friend is sacred or in anyway the mythical figure some are claiming him to be, but I am very aware that he could be very dangerous for this city," Asa stated but was then distracted by Harper as he continued, who himself appeared to be distracted now. "And he has just proved that to me, by that one simple action and his ability to figure out an age old secret without a second thought," now Asa was curious, as he continued to look at Harper who continued to appear distracted.
Harper had cocked his head to one side, as if listening to something. His eyes darted about and he soon had everyone's attention. "You hear that?" Harper asked attentively.
"Hear what?" Rhade asked, knowing his hearing was usually very susceptive but on this occasion he couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary, though he conceded that with Harper stood at the top of the ladder his range might not be so good still stuck in the basement.
"That noise, like electricity," Harper stressed, almost getting excited.
"Electricity?" Beka questioned, and then saw Harper scarper up the rest of the ladder out heard him running across the floor of the house. "Harper!"
Without hesitation Dylan, Beka and Rhade pursued the excited engineer and found him outside, arms outstretched as he looked upwards towards the sunlit sky with a smile so wide.
"Harper?" Beka questioned, as she approached, not sure what he was so happy about, and for a fleeting moment she considered that maybe he was addicted after all with the strange behaviour he was displaying.
"Look!" Harper gestured upwards with glee.
Beka sighed and then looked up, not expecting to see much but then her attention caught the slight changes in the skies above them. Dylan and Rhade now joined her, and they too saw the flashes of light above them.
"Harper?" Rhade turned to the younger man knowing he had an explanation.
"It's Rommie!" Harper stressed. "She's trying to reach us; she's managed to disrupt the shields!"
"Are you sure?" Dylan was suddenly alert to what Harper was suggesting.
"Damn sure, is that sure enough for you boss?" Harper stated firmly. "You only get those disruptions in shields from pulse lasers which is exactly what I told Rommie to work with before we left," he stated with joy. "Rommie and Trance must have been working like the lovely ladies we know and definitely love to have modified them enough to have caused this reaction!" he stressed. "The fact they have got this far, I'm seriously going to have to pull that old bunny out the hat to ensure I keep my genius status, those girls are catching me up," he then took a deep breath and smiled. "Isn't it a beautiful sight," he offered.
To the right of him, Asa only looked up with dismay, and then turned to Harper. "No, this can't be happening, nothing can penetrate those shields!"
"Well, nothing that is until I left a few pointers before I left on this great big powerful warship, above, for them to try, in the event we might get stuck here, oh look we did," Harper mocked triumphantly. "And look they are working! Harper strikes again," he smiled broadly.
"You did this?" Asa checked, whilst looking up again and all around them Edenians were coming out to see for themselves the light show above, suddenly fearing for their city.
"Not directly," Harper crossed his arms as he considered the question. "I can take maybe a bit of credit," he offered smugly.
Rhade was the first to react as Asa moved with purpose towards Harper and he instantly stepped between the human and Edenian. "He's had enough crap from your people," Rhade stood firm, blocking Asa's attempts to grab Harper who backed away with Beka rapidly.
"It's ok Rommie!" Harper yelled upwards. "You've stuck to your end of the deal; now babe, I'm going to stick to mine, hold on!" Harper felt like celebrating for the first time in weeks.
"We won't simply let you destroy this city!" Asa stressed and Rhade was forced to hold the older man back.
"No one is going to destroy this city," Dylan now stated calmly. "We just want to go home," he added.
"And leave us defenceless," Asa feared.
"We wouldn't do that," Dylan confirmed. "We do not belong here and our presence here has caused nothing but trouble, we need to leave but we will not destroy the shields unless forced to," Dylan stressed now, as Asa calmed down slightly in Rhade's hold. "And by that I mean any more harm comes to Harper whilst he's here, we'll be forced to find other ways that might not be so tactful, but we will leave one way or another."
Asa took a deep breath, aware of the Edenians that were beginning to gather around them, and he nodded his head. "You are greatly outnumbered," Asa gestured, as the gathered people moved closer around them. "And these people agree with me, they fear you will destroy our city, our home."
"Only if you force us to stay," Dylan repeated.
Harper was growing increasingly concerned by the people closing them in, and the light show above had now ceased, but just knowing Rommie was so close was enough for him to keep fighting, and he then remembered Dylan's plan as he spotted a familiar face pushing through the crowd.
"Buz!" Harper explained brightly and moved away from Beka before she could stop him.
"Harper," Buz showed his confusion at the welcoming response from Harper.
"These people are kind of annoying me," Harper offered innocently gesturing to the gather crowds, and then Asa. "Especially him," he then shrugged towards Asa to show he had no choice, as Buz immediately ordered the armed men with him to break the crowd up.
"These aliens are a part of the Gilads, and are protected by us!" Buz declared loudly, and despite some rumblings of vocal protests his men easily began to intimidate the mass of people to back off. "No one and I repeat, no one can claim them other than us, anyone touching or harming them will answer to the Gilads, is that clear?" Buz yelled, and was met with low mumblings of understanding as the people quickly moved away, as Buz's men continued to show they meant business armed with guns, a reminder to Harper and the others that the war was still in progress.
"What is Harper doing?" Beka hissed towards Dylan, and she missed his knowing but brief smile, whilst being encouraged to move closer, as a group being protected by Buz's men.
"I have no idea, but he seems to know," Dylan offered innocently, glancing at Rhade and Beka, as Buz's men began to escort the small group away from the situation that had arisen.
"No he doesn't!" Beka stressed under breath. "Buz was on the warpath yesterday, trying to find Harper."
"What?" Dylan was caught now, unsure of the development.
"Buz thinks Harper's had his way with his girl," Beka informed the captain.
Dylan glanced at Rhade, and then frowned. "I'm sure the war with Kenan, and the developments with the shields above have made him forget about such things?"
"Did Harper have his way with Tarah?" Rhade idly asked, as they practically marched along the stone streets.
"No!" Beka stressed. "I'm not sure Buz has the intellect to just forget something like his pride being seriously hurt, Tarah's been doing a lot of talking I gather, and we need to warn Harper, stop him playing this stupid game of being Buz's best friend! I'm sure it'll come back to Buz if Harper keeps hanging around him like that!"
"We can't," Dylan immediately responded then caught himself, knowing exactly what Harper was doing. "What I mean is, he's too far ahead, we can't get to him," he added, but there was concern in his expression now.
No one spoke as they continued to walk, all three keeping a watchful eye as Harper simply walked beside Buz without word. Finally they reached the tents, and Buz gestured roughly for Harper to walk with him giving the human little choice in the matter, whilst ordering his men to sort out new accommodation arrangements for Beka, Rhade and Dylan.
"Harper," Beka called out but Harper simply glanced back at her, shaking his head slightly and then he was walking out of sight, leaving her behind with Dylan and Rhade. "He's up to something," Beka then realised and immediately glanced at the expressionless Dylan. "And you've put him up to it!" she exclaimed on realising.
"What?" Dylan attempted innocence.
"Dylan, I know that look," Beka stressed with a pointed finger aimed at the captain. "Don't you think he's done enough already, what the hell were you thinking?" She raged. "And what exactly have you asked him to do?"
"Beka, calm down," Dylan offered.
"No I won't calm down," Beka returned abruptly. "He's currently making out he's best pals with Buz, did you put him up to this? What the," Beka was at a loss for words as Buz's men showed them into a new building, that only had the one room this time, before leaving them alone. "I have to find him I'm not leaving him with Buz."
"Beka," Rhade stopped her.
"I'm his carer, I need to stay with Harper," Beka stressed, now losing her calm, as Rhade took hold of her.
"Harper knows that Rommie is up there now, and it's spurred him on, that's the only reason he's making nice with Buz right now, because he has to," Rhade stated firmly making sure he had the female's attention. "Harper is our only hope of deactivating those shields long enough to leave. We have long suspected that the Gilads have the access we need to the controls, Harper's is using good tactics to get us closer to our goal in the shortest time, so we can help the Andromeda."
Beka took some deep breaths to calm herself down, and Rhade relaxed his hold on her. "Buz isn't just going to open the door and let Harper mess with the shields," Beka reasoned.
"We all know Harper is sneakier than that, we have to trust him," Dylan stated.
"You trust him now that you accept he's not a drug user?" Beka countered harshly, her mood growing darker as she felt herself losing control once again, with Harper out of her sight. "He told me what you both did, how you ganged up on him."
Dylan momentarily closed his eyes, before looking at Beka. "We let the situation catch up with us, we weren't thinking and I can't explain, but at the time it made sense," he stressed.
"You didn't see him," Rhade supported. "He was seriously gone, I've seen flash addicts and he wasn't far off, just minus the eyes," he added.
"He wasn't that bad, he couldn't have been," Beka dismissed but with doubt looming suddenly with Rhade's tone.
"He was, and maybe he's not addicted but we can't rule out the possibility that his problems might be a lot worse than we imagine," Dylan calmly suggested. "He admitted to having a previous addiction, we can't ignore that."
"He's having problems with his port, and the rest is all physical, and will heal," Beka reminded them harshly. "And if there's anything else it's because of this place, not drugs!" she added. "But is it really the right thing to do to ask Harper to go walk with the devil, considering his mindset, and especially with one who feels cheated by him?"
"We're running out of options," Dylan simply answered, and Beka turned away unable to give a response as she quietly feared what could be coming next.
TBC