Part 2
On Command Beka, Trance and Dylan were monitoring their respected stations when Andromeda appeared on the forward view screen and Harper and Rommie opened their eyes after exiting the mainframe.
"Are you feeling better Andromeda?" Dylan asked.
"Yes they convinced me to stand down from attacking Harper," Andromeda said to her Captain.
"Releasing mainframe lockdown," Andromeda said and released the lockdown she'd placed over her mainframe and allowed her other self's access.
"Thank you," Both Rommie and Holo-Rommie said in unison as they felt their 'sister' again allow them to their mainframe.
"Yes thank you Andromeda," Dylan said as Andromeda opened the doors of Command.
"So do you want to tell us why the hell you were trying to kill Harper?" Dylan questioned the A.I. on the forward screen. The woman glanced away for a moment at the mention of what she'd done or had almost done.
"Harper's upgrade to my security system conflicted with my original code thus causing me to believe that he was a threat to me…I am sorry Harper." Andromeda said looking at the man that was her engineer.
"No harm done babe just glad I'm not target practice," Harper said while standing up from the station platform he was sitting on.
"My other self's and I corrected the problem in my security system Captain. All systems are now operating within acceptable levels." Andromeda reported.
"Alright I want talk to you later in my office Andromeda say around 19:00." Dylan asked more then ordered his ship A.I.
"Of course," Andromeda said and then vanished from the view screen.
"Mr. Harper I believe you have the day off," Dylan said turning to face the engineer.
"Oh…oh yeah I guess I'll be going," Harper quickly walked out of Command before Dylan changed his mind.
That left Beka, Rommie, Trance and Dylan on Command together.
"I think I'm going to check on Med Deck make sure everything is in order," The purple woman said and then happily walked out of Command leaving behind her crewmates to watch over the Bridge.
"I'm going to go help Harper with his tesseract research," Rommie said walking up the ramp to leave Command when the doors parted and in walked Tyr.
"Did I miss something important?" Tyr asked as he entered Command and Rommie walked off to find Harper.
"Andromeda tried to kill Harper," Beka said.
"Where is the boy now," Tyr asked glancing around Command.
"He and Rommie convinced Andromeda to stop," Dylan supplied.
"The ship should have let me do it," Tyr said with a straight face and in a serious tone.
"Tyr!" Beka and Dylan scolded him.
"Harper are you in here?" Rommie called out into Machine Shop 12.
"Ya what do ya need Rom Doll?" Harper called out from under the damaged work bench. Busily repairing the damaged that the internal defenses had caused to the room and the technology housed inside it.
"I thought you would be working on one of your projects and not repairing me? You do after all have today off." Rommie said walking over to kneel into front of Harper.
"That was before your core A.I. shot up this Machine Shop trying to kill me," Harper said casting a smile in Rommie's direction.
"We said we were sorry Harper," Rommie said.
"I know I didn't mean it like that you know and I appreciate you defending me against your other self." Harper said closing the panel he was working on and climbed out from under the desk.
"You're welcome," Rommie said smiling at him.
"Yeah wanna help me with my tesseract research?" Harper asked walking over to a table covered with piles miscellaneous parts needed to construct the machine.
"That's why I'm here," Rommie said taking a seat in the chair next to Harper.
"Okay let's get started," Harper said while reaching forward for a pile of flexis that contained his research.
"Initiate Privacy Mode," Dylan ordered as he entered his office at 19:00.
"Privacy Mode Engaged," Andromeda replied as she appeared on the screen in her Captains office.
"Okay Andromeda you've got some explaining to do," Dylan said as he took a seat at his desk.
"About why I attacked Harper and acted the way I did?" Andromeda stated the obvious. In response Dylan nodded in agreement.
"Very well...After Harper exited my mainframe and I initiated his upgrade it began to conflict with my original security safeguards. I was merely protecting myself as I saw fit. Though I see now that my methods went against multiple protocols," Andromeda said waiting for her Captains anger and feels of disappointment.
"Well I'm glad you see the error of your ways but still if you'd kill Harper we'd be screwed. He's all we've got to keep you running and the one with the most reason to help us." Dylan said pausing for a moment to let Andromeda absorb his statement.
"Also I'm very disappointed at your handling of this incident. If this were a real intruder would you have done the same thing?" Dylan asked.
"There is a high probably that I would act in a similar manner if it were a true intruder," Andromeda said.
"Do you see a problem with that?" Dylan asked already knowing she knew they both had the answer.
"That if I'd with held that information of an intruder say during a maggog attack my internal defenses would not be enough to repel them. I would be inevitably be over run and you all would have no idea what was going on until they were at the doors of Command," Andromeda said and for the first time she saw the consequences that her fears could have on her crew.
"That's one possibly," Dylan said.
"But why did you act the way you did?" Dylan asked hoping they could get this out of the way and back to business as usual.
"Ever since our run in with the Pax Magellanic and the Balance of Judgment I have been becoming more and more afraid of the day when you all are dead and I will be all alone. I don't want to end up like them…I don't want to go crazy!" Andromeda said emotionally.
"I promise you that you won't end up like them okay. We'll restore the Commonwealth and you'll have a full crew and a purpose." Dylan said trying to sooth her fears.
"But what if we don't succeed in restoring the Commonwealth, what happens when you all die I'll have no purpose and I'll be all alone." Andromeda said.
"Your thinking in 'what if's' I thought you only followed logical facts?" Dylan asked.
"That was before we lost all our crew, were frozen in time, the Commonwealth fell, had multiple run ins from Commonwealth cruisers that went insane after The Fall and nearly my crew again to the maggog." Andromeda said recounting all the events.
"Trust me we'll restore the Commonwealth and if for what ever reason we don't we'll deal with it when we get there," Dylan said.
"Alright," Andromeda said content that for the moment at least she had a purpose.
"End Privacy Mode," Dylan ordered.
"Privacy Mode Terminated…Is that all?" Andromeda asked waiting for his response.
"Yes we're finished," Dylan said and Andromeda's image disappeared from the screen.
In Machine Shop 12 Rommie and Harper after hours of continued study of the technology had made some progress but nothing monumental.
"Oh. ow double ow," Harper called out as the larvae in his stomach decided to move around.
"Harper!" Rommie called out as Harper clutched his stomach. Wrapping an arm his waist she grabbed his inhaler and gave him the medicine to calm down the larvae.
"Thanks," Harper gasped out.
"You're welcome I wouldn't want to lose you after spending all that time and effort to keep you alive." Rommie said.
"Yeah about that I should probably repair the damage you got protecting me. So go lay down while I get my equipment." Harper asked as he walked to the other end of the machine to get his diagnostic equipment and Rommie lay down on the cot.
TBC
A/N: I decided to make it more than two parts. But here's the next addition. R&R is great keep it coming.