4
Chapter 8
Kalen sat comfortably in the chair of the briefing room. Her eyes flicked outside, despite what Dylan had said, Beka had followed them all the way here and although Kalen couldn't hear what they were talking about Beka seemed pretty mad.
It seemed that Dylan gave up for when he entered the room Beka followed. She sat down in a chair and glared constantly, either at Dylan or Kalen.
Kalen remained calm and looked into Dylan face.
"Is there a reason why the Nietzschean is watching my every move?" Kalen asked. "I am a guest here am I not?"
"He does that to all our guests," Dylan replied with a forced smile.
Beka merely smirked and spun her chair.
"I see, it seems to me that I was under arrest," Kalen said looking knowingly at Dylan then glanced at Beka who narrowed her eyes.
"No, I just wanted to ask you a few questions," Dylan said.
Beka glanced his way.
"We are going to ask you some questions," she corrected him.
"Alright I'll agree to that," Kalen said.
"Where were you when Harper was shot?" Dylan asked.
"I was in my room," Kalen replied.
"Can anyone prove that?" Dylan asked.
"Are you suggesting something?"
"Just answer the question."
"No, I was by myself," Kalen said.
"Here's a better question, why did you shoot him?" Beka yelled.
"I didn't shoot him," Kalen said too calmly.
"LIAR!" Beka screamed.
"Beka, please," Dylan tried.
"You think that I would waist ammunition on that thing?" Kalen started yelling as she stood up.
Beka jumped out of her seat.
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" she yelled tears forming in her eyes.
"NEVER!" Kalen yelled.
Beka tried to hit her but she moved out of the way.
"HE IS WORTHLESS, I SHOULD HAVE SHOT HIM WHEN HE FIRST STEPPED ON BOARD!" Kalen said with the evilest grin.
Beka slapped her across the face as tears ran down her own.
"Tyr, get in here!" Dylan called as he grabbed Beka and dragged her out of the room as Tyr pushed past to arrest Kalen.
"Beka what's the matter with you!" Dylan asked.
Beka wiped her tears away.
"She admitted that she killed Harper," Beka said.
"He's not dead," Dylan said.
"HE'S DYING!" Beka's voice cracked as she began to remember that ten minutes she sat with Harper before she came here.
Beka sat alone watching Harper in his nightmare. He shook and cried and all she could do was hold onto the hand that wasn't holding the book. The beep from his heart monitor was slowing and his hands were becoming cold. The book he treasured so much was in his right hand, his grip was slowly loosening. She saw it just before it happened, the book that he had clung so desperately too slipped away. Beka let go of his hand to try and catch the falling book but was too late. The dusty pages bent as the weight of the spine crushed down on them. Beka sat on the ground knowing only too well that Harper would never release that book, unless…
Beka wiped the new tears away and turned her head.
"Beka tell me what's happened," Dylan said placing a hand on her shoulder.
She pushed it away and ran down the hall way.
She ran not knowing where she was going tears obscuring her sight.
She turned a corner and ran into Rev.
"Beka dear what is the matter?" He asked her.
She didn't answer but with a look from the Wayist's face she broke down. Kneeling on the ground she sobbed into her hands. Rev bent down and comforted her.
"It's alright dear one," he spoke softly.
Beka buried her tear stained face in his fur.
000
Kalen paced around in the brig while the crew of the Andromeda ran around looking after their engineer. She smiled to herself; of course they still haven't found the virus. She had a defense for shooting Harper, he wasn't supposed to be in there and it could be shrugged of as a misunderstanding. Although her outbreak at Beka was going to make things a little more difficult, but the plan would still carry out as normal, and the loss of Kao had made it harder to gather information but she was starting to become a nuisance and deserved what she got. She sat down on the small bench/bed that was in the room. This wasn't the place she really wanted to be at the moment, not when everything was almost ready. If she had only kept her temper. Her anger flared up, if only that meddling fool had had enough sense to stay out of her business perhaps she wouldn't have had to shoot him. But still they were all going to die in the end; his was just much more painful.
A small instrument on her wrist began to beep, the invasion was about to begin.
000
Beka returned to med deck to find that Harper was alone; her eyes avoided the book that was still on the ground. She sat beside him and gripped his hand.
"Harper you have got to make it out of this," she said her voice cracking.
He didn't respond, but he was no longer shivering, he wasn't showing any signs at all.
"Harper come on," Beka pleaded.
She looked at the monitor that showed brain waves, they were small, very small. She frowned and looked closer. There were two. Two brain waves. One was so minuscule that it was hardly noticeable until Harper's had reached the level of activity as it did.
Beka jumped up and left medical in search of Trance.
000
Trance was in hydroponics when Beka found her.
"Trance, how many brains does one person have?" she asked.
"It depends on what species you're talking about," Trance replied.
"Harper," Beka answered.
"I'm not sure, it's a difficult question," Trance said.
Beka glared at her.
"Well, he has one brain, but if you want to use your imagination his data port could be considered-" Trance began.
"Should he have two separate brain waves?" Beka asked annoyed.
"No, why?"
"Because he has two," Beka said.
Trance followed Beka out back down to med deck.
000
"See," Beka said pointing to the monitor.
Trance looked very close then gasped.
"Andromeda, get Dylan down here," she cried.
Dylan walked in not too long after.
"What is it?" He asked worried glancing at Harper.
"Have you found the virus that Harper said he had removed from the station?" Trance asked.
Beka's eyes lit up with understanding but Dylan was still in the dark.
"No, but what does that have too do with anything?" Dylan said.
"I think I found it," Trance said hoping that Dylan made the connection.
He didn't.
"It's in him, you idiot," Beka said.
Dylan looked from Harper to the monitor back to Harper again before completely understanding them.
"How did that happen?"
Beka rolled her eyes. "What does that matter? It's probably what's killing him, excluding the shot wound," Beka said she seemed to think that the shooting was too touchy a matter to continue talking about so she starting talking again.
"We need to find a way to get it out of him," Beka said.
"Got any ideas?" Dylan said irritated.
Beka growled annoyed.
"Jeez calm down," Dylan said.
"Why should I!" Beka yelled.
"We'll think of something," Trance said.
"You better," Beka said and she stomped out of the room.
000
Beka wandered the hallways unable to sleep as the night dragged on. Her feet took her to places while her mind raged through her thoughts. Beka didn't notice where she was going until she was there. Harper's quarters where right in front of her. She wondered whether she should go in before she released the door was already sliding open for her. She was a little startled but not truly surprise to find Tyr sitting on his bed. He was holding a small poetry book in his hands looking down.
"What's with the book?" Beka asked.
"Harper gave it too me when I first joined the crew," Tyr replied. He held up the small copy of William Shakespeare's sonnets.
"He thought I would enjoy them," Tyr said.
"Did you read them?" Beka asked.
"Not yet," Tyr said sadly.
Beka sat down beside him. She took the book and turned it to Sonnet number 126.
"This is my favorite," Beka said handing the book back to him.
Tyr smiled slightly as he read the passage.
"I'm needed to watch Kalen," Tyr said.
Beka smiled as he walked out the room leaving her by herself on the bed.
000
Kalen smiled as she saw the Nietzschean walk into view. He wouldn't be a problem to get by. She looked around the small cell and then back to the instrument on her wrist. Almost. Tyr took up his position at the end on the Hallway that showed every direction into the brig. He leaned against the wall and seemed to be reading a small book that Kalen couldn't read the title. A few moments past and she felt a little tingle.
She lifted the instrument to her mouth.
"It's time."