Part 27
Dylan glanced over to Rhade and then to Trance and Beka, they were stood on command. The ship was gaining more power, but slowly, despite Harper's best efforts. It was a lot of work and they needed to be patient, but the view screen showed the destruction going on around them as the Seefra sun continued on its course towards Seefra One.
"I think our plan will work, just," Rhade spoke up, having spent the best part of the last couple of hours figuring out the sums and timescale.
"Then let's ensure it does, is Harper ready with the shield?" Dylan asked, snapping to alert.
"It's ready, he's moved onto Rommie and Doyle," Beka partially smirked, pleased that Harper was ahead of the game.
"Good," Dylan showed his surprise.
"Dylan," Trance spoke up suddenly. "Do you need me for this?"
"Trance, it's your sun we're trying to stop," Dylan reminded her.
"Beka should go then," Trance stated.
Beka turned to Trance with confusion. "What's going on?"
"Harper shouldn't be alone right now," Trance warned. "He is close to fixing the androids."
Trance didn't have to say anything further, Beka was already hurrying towards the exit and Dylan could only frown, before he continued to issue orders to try and save Seefra.
Harper admired the two beauties lying on parallel cots, all his own work and for a moment he felt like a proud father before he shook that image completely out of his head, not settling well with his fantasies.
"Guess it's time," Harper decided. "Hope this works."
With a press of a button he activated a signal that immediately set into motion the boot up sequence for one of the androids, as Harper looked on. Slowly Rommie opened her eyes and then sat up, as awareness returned. Harper was lost in the joy of seeing Rommie mobile again, and this time he had had all the components he had needed to fix her, no more making do.
"Welcome back, babe!" Harper declared.
"Seamus Harper," Rommie acknowledge, a little disorientated and she seemed to be remembering as she slowly slid from the cot.
"No need to be so formal," Harper offered. "I've missed you Rom Doll," he stressed, as his feelings for her became apparent in his emotions. "Missed you so much like you wouldn't believe."
"You put my head in a box," Rommie simply spoke, as she approached Harper.
"Rommie," Harper spoke before realising the manner in which Rommie approached him now. "Hey, I fixed you as soon as I had the right parts, look, you're fixed babe," he stressed, backing away now as Rommie continued to move towards him.
With a sudden thought Harper directed his scanner towards Doyle and activated her boot up sequence, hoping she wasn't so defective. "Rommie, back off, come on, play fair!" he stated with panic.
Rommie backed Harper against the bulkhead of the machine shop, and then put her hand to his throat. "I was a prisoner inside my own mind and you put me there!"
"Hey, you weren't the only prisoner, doll, I've not been having the best of times either you know," Harper stressed, glancing at Doyle and seeing her slowly awakening but gagged on feeling Rommie's fingers press deeper into his neck. "Please, Rom Doll, don't do this."
Rommie only stared at Harper with contempt, continuing to press down on his air way as he brought his arms up to try and push her away. "What gives you the right to decide if I live or die?"
"I didn't kill you," Harper gasped, seeing spots in his vision now. "I saved you, Rommie, I saved you!"
Before Harper knew what was happening he felt all the air in his body suddenly leave as he received a heavy blow to the stomach from the fist of Rommie. Gasping for air, but finding none, Harper fell to the deck struggling to breath as she simply stood over him. His eyes searched Rommie's for any sign of what he remembered her to be, but saw only the cold stare of an android who wanted to see him dead. The realisation consumed him and he tried to pick himself up, only to find a booted foot kicking him back down, as Rommie toyed with him, and he felt his ribs crack as he screamed in pain.
"Harper!" Doyle's voice was then heard and Harper felt the presence of Rommie move away, and the distance sounds of the two androids going head to head. Wearily, and still trying to recover his breath, Harper instead simply lay face down on the deck recovering.
"Harper!" Beka's voice now filled his conscious, but Harper could barely bring himself to move, this wasn't how he had imagined Rommie returning to his life to be, so much pain he was in. "Harper, speak to me, come on," Beka encouraged. "What happened?"
"I rebuilt her," Harper spoke with genuine confusion and dismay, as Beka gently rolled him onto his back, so Harper could rest in her lap. "Hurts," Harper then winced and his hand moved to his stomach.
"We should get you to med deck," Beka suggested. "Can you move at all?"
"I'll try," Harper gestured and then noticed the fight still going on between Doyle and Rommie. "I can't leave them."
"Yes, you can," Beka advised but Harper suddenly froze, as if realising something he had forgotten. "What is it?"
"I know what's wrong," he stressed, clearly in pain from the blow to the stomach but he pushed away from the assistance Beka was giving him and headed for the still fighting androids. "Stop!" Harper declared, but instead had to duck quickly as Rommie aimed a piece of machinery at his head. "I said stop!" Harper yelled, hiding his discomfort.
"Harper, you should let me deal with this," Doyle stressed.
"I'm touched that you care again, but listen to me," Harper stated firmly, and looked at Rommie. "The reason you're so confused is because you're still incomplete, you have to bear with me," he assured her softly before turning to Doyle. "You've looked after something that means the world to me, something more precious than anything I have ever had in my care before," Harper spoke with conviction.
"I have?" Doyle looked confused.
"You need to give it back now, and to its rightful owner," Harper gestured to Rommie, before turning to face Doyle.
"Harper!" Beka yelled, but Harper felt the sudden sharp pain in his back and couldn't help falling forward into Doyle as his breath caught him. Behind him, Rommie kept the sharp blade she had acquired from some tools on one of the workbenches inside of her engineer, before she grabbed him and moved him away from Doyle.
"I want nothing from you Harper, except revenge," Rommie snarled into his ear as she held him close, the knife still embedded in his back that she held.
Harper was too shocked to speak but his eyes locked with Doyle's, and she seemed to understand as she moved closer.
"Stay away!" Rommie ordered and Harper grimaced, feeling the blade inside him. Wearily he rested against Rommie in the hold she had on him, he could hear Beka and Doyle talking, but he felt himself fading, as Rommie's voice became less clear.
Then with some force, Harper found himself falling to his knees, Rommie's hold suddenly gone and he soon found himself in someone else's hold, one he was familiar and safe with as Beka held him tight, and her voice encouraged him to stay with her.
"You did it, Seamus, Dylan's just relayed the success, we've saved Seefra One, you saved this system," Beka's voice sounded distance but he took some joy in the news. "And I think Doyle figured out what she had to give to Rommie, so you have to stay with us," Beka added, and Harper could tell she was crying as she held him tightly.
"Not my time," Harper defiantly whispered. "Going no where," he attempted a smile just before he felt himself pass out.
Beka held Harper close, feeling his blood soaking her clothes as she noticed a flash of gold light in the corner of the room knowing the other Trance had been watching, checking on her handiwork. Doyle and Rommie, no longer fighting immediately took Harper from Beka, and they all rushed to the med deck.
It had been so long, too long. The swirls of light were like family that had not been around to comfort her in a long while. Beka Valentine navigated the slip stream like she had never been away, and in moments of doubt she had Seamus Harper by her side to encourage her to keep going. He looked weak, but he was up and he was alive, and she needed no further reason to keep focused on getting them all home.
With a jolt, the ship came to a stop and after a moment of adjustment the crew looked out to the universe beyond. A familiar voice soon spoke what they all wanted to hear, as Andromeda announced they were home, safely back and in their own universe and away from Seefra.
Emotions ran high as in turn each crew member took a moment to embrace the others, and Beka took a moment to savour the joy around her.
"I'm home, I'm really home, I mean Earth is just so close, I can touch it," Harper exclaimed with the excitement of a five year old, his two day old wound in his back suddenly pain free with his adrenalin rush.
"Hey, calm down," Beka warned him. "Don't go pushing yourself."
"I'm home, Beka, we're home," Harper emphasised.
"I know, we're home," Beka agreed, as she looked at Harper with care. "So what now?"
"We savour this moment of rare good fortune?" Harper offered.
Beka smirked. "You want to go home, don't you, to Earth?"
"We're so close, it's been so long, it's my home let me take the Maru," Harper asked pleadingly.
"Actually, Harper, I was hoping we could get ourselves reacquainted with our own universe before we go rushing off on personal errands, we've been away a long time and we need to ensure things are as we left them," Dylan warned.
"But," Harper attempted but Dylan silenced him with a wave of his hand, and Harper turned to Beka. "I'm so close, it's been over three years, Beka," Harper pleaded.
"I know," Beka agreed. "But a few days won't make any difference, Dylan's right we should get an idea of what's happened in our absence." Harper winced and brought his arm around himself, in apparent pain. "Harper, you ok?" Beka checked with concern.
"You were right, I should have calmed down," Harper complained. "I think I should lie down," he offered looking a little light headed.
"Good plan, and as soon as we're caught up, I'll take you to Earth myself, ok?" Beka assured him.
Harper distractedly nodded his head, and it appeared Earth was the furthest thing from his mind as he showed the discomfort he still felt from his injury. Beka glanced at Rommie who quickly looked away, unable to come to terms with what she had done to Harper in her confused state. Doyle had made things right by downloading the missing pieces of her matrix into her core, and suddenly Rommie had realised that Harper was not the enemy, no one was.
Beka felt awful for Rommie, but proud of Harper. He had refused to blame Rommie for what had happened, and he had simply got up from his sick bed and had helped them push that final distance to return home. Maybe it had taken its toll, Beka realised, remembering how much in pain Harper had been before he had left a few moments earlier but she would make it up to him somehow.
"Harper had done a lot to bring us home," Trance's voice appeared beside Beka.
"He's suffering, he deserves an extended absence of leave for the hours he's put in whilst injured with that wound," Beka stated.
"You were told not to let him go," Trance then spoke, and Beka turned to her with confusion before seeing Trance offer the briefest of smiles, before flashing out of sight, Beka spun around and saw the genuine Trance talking to Dylan and her blood run cold.
"Andromeda!" Beka barked upwards. "Where is Seamus Harper?"
Command fell silent before Andromeda spoke up. "My internal surveillance systems have been deactivated, I am unable to respond," Andromeda returned.
Rommie moved forward. "Docking bay doors are opening, a slip fighter has just left," she stressed. "Assume it's Harper, and its heading is Earth!"
"We have to stop him, Dylan," Beka stressed, moving to the slipstream station.
"He deserves some R and R," Dylan tried to object.
"Evil Trance was just here taunting me about letting Harper go!" Beka snapped with anger.
"Oh no, it's happening," Trance then focused. "We have to bring Harper back!"
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Dylan demanded.
"The same thing that always goes on when it involves Harper, chaos," Rhade remarked.
"Harper is already on approach to Earth, the slip fighter is already out of range," Andromeda revealed.
"Already?" Beka snapped. "How is that possible, not even a slip fighter moves that quickly!"
"He had help," Trance solemnly revealed. "They want this."
"Who?" Rhade asked.
"My sisters, time itself righting a wrong," Trance fearfully spoke.
"I am detecting eruptions on the Earth's core," Rommie spoke up. "It's going to blow."
"What?" Dylan, Rhade and Beka spoke in unison.
"Your sisters are going to blow Earth up to teach you a lesson?" Beka stressed astounded.
"It's insignificant in the greater picture but means the world to the one being that should not be here," Trance sighed.
"Why are your sisters doing this Trance?" Dylan asked, as he frantically ordered the Andromeda to get closer. "Tell me, are your people working for good or evil?"
"I always believed we worked for the greater good, I always did but maybe that's why I'm the outcast," Trance offered without answering. "I say sisters but there's only one who wants Harper dead, she blames him for all the wrongs."
"What do you mean? How can she make Harper a target?" Beka snapped.
"She has good reason, he's been a target for a long while to her," Trance sighed.
"You knew about this?" Beka asked towards Trance, as a count down began and Earth's time was nearly up.
"Where's Harper?" Dylan ordered.
"I'm getting no reading," Rhade returned.
"I've just found out the full extent," Trance numbly responded to Beka's question. "They with held information from me, they told me only half truths, I can't stay, I caused this," she spoke with sadness, as her eyes watered numbly looking out to Earth.
"Trance, I have enough to deal with here with one crew member going awol, you will stay right where you are!" Dylan yelled. "Andromeda, locate Seamus Harper!"
"Two, one."
TBC