Chapter 3

The trees suddenly thinned out and Harper was glad he put his breathing mask on half an hour earlier as he spotted the bantra plant smothering the area where he now walked, knowing his weakness to their dangerous toxins. Ahead of him he saw the high stone walls of Edenia looming. Approaching with caution, Harper was aware that the force field that protected the city was nearby, and he grabbed a handful of dirt and randomly began to throw it some distance in front of him waiting for the shield to react and make him aware of its presence. Unlike before, he wasn't invited and the spirits within were not going to manipulate the shield to let him in this time. All he could hope for was that his message got through, or that someone would see him outside.

It was another fifty of metres or so of walking before he saw the flicker of discharge and Harper threw some more dirt, a weightier amount to double check he'd reached the edge. The high gate was another hundred meters ahead, shut tight and the shield was in place, so Harper looked around and found a clear patch of grass and set his pack down. It occurred to him then that he only had enough rations for another day or so, and if no one noticed him then he had no ship to return to, or enough rations to get him back to where Beka had left him. Suddenly Harper began to mildly panic that he hadn't planned this trip very well, just assuming they'd open right up straight away and let him in. He looked at the lifeless gate and sighed, retrieving a blanket from his pack he laid it down and got comfortable, staring up at the sky to wait it out.

The night had fallen and Harper awoke with a start, feeling the chill of the air and then jumped when he saw the whites of another person's eyes staring down at him.

'Seamus Harper?' a man spoke through a breathing mask.

'Yeah,' Harper recovered his breath and composed himself, making sure his mask was still secured.

'Follow me.'

Harper took a deep breath and then repacked the blanket he'd fallen asleep on. Groggily he lifted the pack to put it on his back but another person took it from him, a gesture to suggest he wanted to help and Harper decided to let him.

'So are you my escorts?' Harper asked, the darkness and the masks making it hard to see their features clearly but he recognised the more striking Edenian features, the dark hair and pale skin.

'Follow,' the man repeated.

'What's with the secrecy?' Harper asked as they passed through the space where the shield had previously been in place. Harper glanced around when he heard the feint noise of it being reinstated behind him.

'We are just following orders,' the man ordered as he activated the heavy gates to open.

Harper stood stunned for a moment as suddenly noise and laughter filled his hearing, and then he saw colour and smiles as Edenia greeted him. A carnival or fiesta of some sort was in full swing, drink was flowing and as Harper moved forward he needed the two escorts to help him move through the crowds. For a moment he wondered if it was all for his benefit but he quickly realised it was a festival and he was just someone trying to move through the throng of people. Children's laughter drew Harper's attention, and he found himself struggling to remember if he'd seen any children on his last visit, they seemed so out of place now as they ran around him.

'This way, keep moving.' The man ushered him through the gaps. 'You can lose the mask now,' he then added, and Harper noticed the guards had long removed theirs and he quickly pulled his off and took a deep breath of the clean fresh air.

What had previously been stony dull streets, uninviting and quiet were now full of life. Harper glanced inside the properties and found they were furnished, plants stood proudly outside the doors, people sat outside on chairs talking to their families and Harper was finding it hard to recognise the place he'd still been having nightmares about.

In his time it had been nearly five years since he had last set foot in this city, but he knew it had actually only been two, Seefra had stolen three precious years so it seemed even more incredible to witness the scenes greeting him now. No one noticed him, too wrapped up in their festival to see the new comer despite how different he appeared to them with his shock of blond hair. They were too full of the drink Harper then reasoned, as he was bumped and jostled through the crowds. They finally reached a clearing, as they moved away from the festivities and the men escorting him, their distinctive pale colourings and dark hair contrasting with his own, now walked beside him at a more leisurely pace.

'The easterners know how to party,' one of the men commented.

'Yeah,' Harper could only reply.

'So tell me, why do we let you in?'

'Excuse me?' Harper asked, turning to the man who had first greeted him by name.

'Well, no offence, but we rarely have visitors and none who have been let in so quickly, you only had to wait a couple of hours,' the Edenian explained.

'Long story, short version it's not my first visit,' Harper offered.

'So it's true, you're one of those aliens of a couple years back, one of the freedom saints,' the man asked.

'The what?' Harper checked.

'He's the main one, idiot,' the other man chipped in. 'He's the one who decided our fate, gave us all this,' he stressed. 'Look at his neck, it's right there.'

'Hang on, what are you saying?' Harper asked between the two men.

'Rumours been flying last couple of hours that one of the freedom saints had returned,' the first man shrugged. 'No offence but I was expecting more.'

'I'm just visiting, and I'm nothing special,' Harper frowned, hoping they hadn't exaggerated his past work to be something more than he considered it to be. As much as he boasted about being everything from a god to a saint, he wasn't so keen on the idea anymore since his last visit.

Harper then paused as they entered the main square, one he remembered well and in the darkened skies it looked even more intimidating.

'Come on, not much further,' the first man gestured.

'Sorry, just memories,' Harper partially whispered as he started walking again, remembering how Kenan had tricked them the first time in the very square he now walked, and suddenly he was more aware of being alone without his friends.

They were heading towards the palace that still dominated the square, and Harper grew tense, remembering his brief visit there before when with Rhade they were taken prisoners, ending up under the floorboards soaked to the bone and covered in rodents as a punishment, he could still feel the pain in his arms from being hoisted up in the same manner Dylan had been, causing damage that even today, Harper suspected Dylan still felt even in retirement.

'Is this visit for anything in particular?' the second man casually asked, breaking through his memories.

'Just passing by,' Harper offered not wanting to engage in too much conversation while his mind conflicted over his true feelings and memories that flooded it.

'You pack a lot for just passing,' the man responded, adjusting the pack he carried for Harper on his back.

'What is this, twenty questions?' Harper shot back and then frowned on seeing the man's hurt reaction. 'Sorry, look I've been travelling for two days to get here, I'm cranky, tired, nothing a nice long shower and some sleep won't fix, ok?' Harper explained.

'Sorry, I shouldn't bother you,' the man bowed his head by way of apology.

'I'm not sure what my plans are, I don't exactly have any right now,' Harper admitted.

'Well our boss wanted us to take you straight to him, so consider that your first plan of action,' the first man spoke, ushering them past security with ease before he pushed the door to the palace open. They took a series of corridors and then entered a grand hall, until finally Harper was ushered into a small side room.

'Seamus Harper,' a voice greeted warmly.

'Asa!' Harper smiled in recognition.

'I never thought we'd actually see you again,' Asa moved forward and stood before Harper, and for a moment there was some hesitation. 'You're looking well.'

'First time for everything, right?' Harper grinned remembering his state the previous time he visited. 'It's good to see you, Asa, and see you're still in power.'

'That trick your friend played, with the light, had the desired effect to make people trust me,' Asa warmly spoke. 'Please sit down, let me get you some food and drink.'

Harper wanted to object, he just wanted to sleep but then his stomach growled and he accepted Asa's hospitality, sitting down where indicated. Moments later a few plates of food arrived and Harper heartedly tucked in, as Asa finished up his work and joined him.

'So what have you been doing for the past two years since you left here?' Asa asked. 'I hope staying out of trouble, no more hostage situations!' he joked.

Harper just frowned. 'Well, for me it's actually been five years and afraid to say at least two more mad men took me hostage in that time, along with a whole heap of other crap,' Harper explained between mouthfuls.

'Five years?' Asa checked back.

'About four months after we left here the Magog threat escalated in one region of space, there was this space station it was right in the path of our enemy and we tried to help,' Harper attempted to explain. 'The station got overrun by Magog and I tried to hide but,' Harper paused, staring at his food now. 'They found me, and they were just about to kill or impregnate me again when in a blink of an eye I wasn't in our universe anymore.'

'What?' Asa sat forward with interest.

'We found out later than Trance transported us all to a place called Seefra, she messed with time and I gained three years,' Harper half smiled. 'I was alone and was expected to survive not even knowing what happened to the others, until one day, just as I was getting my life in order, they show up and well…' Harper paused again. 'They were really thoughtful and brought the crap with them'.

'Oh,' Asa tried to understand. 'So you found yourself on a planet where you knew no one and you just had to get on?'

'Pretty much, and it was tough, I had nothing,' Harper explained, sitting up and showing some deep rooted pain. 'But I made do and I did what I had to do to survive and then they show up,' he sighed.

'Sounds like you wish they hadn't,' Asa remarked.

'It wasn't like that, I just,' Harper frowned again. 'I just got use to the idea of them not being there, and it had been tough to just move on, they were a hard act to follow, but I found it even tougher to get back into old routines and they took exception when I wasn't the guy they were expecting, like three years on some dump of a planet doesn't change a guy,' he picked at some food before finishing his drink.

'You were a good team, and even now I can see you are older, wiser than before,' Asa agreed and noted. 'And now you're alone again?'

'Through choice this time,' Harper stated and wondered how the discussion had become so heavy, Asa was not a close friend but Harper felt comfortable talking to him like one, someone who was actually listening to him who hadn't been directly involved in the crap that had been his life since he'd left Edenia. 'Stuff happened, and Asa, I just need a place to lay low for a while, try and get my head around a few things and I thought while I'm at it, maybe I can check the systems, you know?' Harper asked.

'You know you will always be welcomed here,' Asa agreed heartedly. 'And we could do with someone checking the system.'

'Has there been problems?' Harper picked up.

'No, no, everything is working fine but it's only been two years, we're still finding our feet as well and having someone around who understands it would be useful,' Asa smiled fondly. 'But first, you need a place to sleep and I know a perfect location, not far from here.'

Asa got to his feet and Harper joined him, as he followed the older man after picking up his pack that his escorts had left outside. They left the palace building by a side exit and in the darkness they walked a couple of passageways to a quiet row of buildings just behind the main palace. Harper quickly found he was getting use to the eerie sound of the stone streets once again, it wasn't as intimidating as it had felt before, and Harper noticed the plants and small decorations that brightened the stone work a little now. Harper then remembered he hadn't seen much of the haves side where the Palace was situated, he'd spent most of his time with the have nots so wondered if anything had actually changed on this side.

Asa stopped suddenly and opened a wooden door to an empty property. He gestured to Harper and smiled. 'Welcome to your new home.'

'A whole house?' Harper exclaimed with surprise.

'Consider it yours, the least we can do,' Asa offered.

'It's too much, a room would be fine,' Harper stated.

'There's plenty of rooms inside, it had four bedrooms upstairs, a living space, kitchen, basement and a yard out back just through there, it's been empty for a while so you might as well have it while you stay with us, I'll get some more furniture for you in the morning but what is here should suffice till then,' Asa explained. 'Harper, please, just accept this with my thanks, and get the rest you deserve, the waters always hot and flowing now if you need to refresh.'

Harper dropped his pack and when he turned back to protest again he found Asa had already left. He wandered around in a daze, knowing he'd never dreamed of owning such a spacious and beautiful property, on Earth a property like this housed at least twenty people and he tried not to feel any guilt but soon memories of Earth exploding before eyes haunted him again and he forced them from his mind, fearing his emotions getting too close to the surface.

The thought of a nice long hot shower suddenly appealed and on locking the main door he explored the house, his house, in search of the bathroom.

The sun smothered the room and Harper blinked his eyes open to the new bright day that he could see from the wide bay windows. For a moment Harper lay in the glorious light, feeling rested and calm as he listened to the low hum of sounds coming from outside. Children were playing nearby, some music was being played closer still and Harper wondered if he was still dreaming. Slowly he got to his feet, and wrapped the bed sheet around his waist as he walked to the window to look out. His house from the back looked directly out onto the vast palace square, he could even see the raised platform where his hell had begun on his last visit, but now people had set up stalls exchanging goods around it, money still didn't appear to change hands, and children, so many children seemed to be playing and enjoying life, and he envied their innocence. The huge palace was to the right of him, and in the sunlight and with everyday life happening in front of it, the palace no longer looked intimidating, and for the first time Harper could admire the structure and architecture, the view he decided was something he would never grow bored of.

Harper took his time getting washed and dressed, before realising he had no food or anything to exchange. His home also lacked any kind of furnishing and he wondered if Asa was going to return, hoping he would. Just when Harper was giving some thought to venturing outside for a walk he heard someone banging on his front door and with some relief at the interruption, he hurriedly went to answer the door. No sooner had he opened it then he was met full on with a strangle hold hug, and it took Harper a moment to realise it was friendly.

'Harper!' the familiar voice exclaimed. 'I knew you'd return, I always said you would, I've missed you!'

'Zal,' Harper finally acknowledged and prised himself away, but smiling all the while. 'Never realised I'd missed you so much,' he admitted and realised he'd given little thought to seeing his old friend again. 'How are you?'

'I've beaten the habit, I've got married and now I'm a dad!' Zal exclaimed excitedly.

'What? In two years?' Harper showed his shock at the sudden influx of major news.

'I finally wore poor Junia down, after our experiences with you, you being the aliens, not you you, we realised how much we loved each other, so thanks,' Zal beamed. 'Oh and no thoughts on rekindling your feelings for my wife, ok?' he added by way of warning.

'Don't worry, I'm happy for you both, honest,' Harper offered trying to take it all in and feeling caught up in a sudden wave of Zal, as the man dashed past him.

'The kid's called Zelazny,' Zal then revealed. 'Zelazny Ethan Zal,' he added.

'Seriously?'

'Junia wanted to call him Seamus but I thought that was lame,' Zal grinned. 'But Zelazny worked, I like zee's I can relate to names beginning with zee,' Zal continued to smile. 'He's real smart too, like his namesake,' he added.

'How old is he?' Harper idly asked, amused by Zal's words.

'Nearly a year, you're in time for his first birthday in a couple of weeks,' Zal enthused. 'You'll still be here in a couple of weeks, right?' Zal spoke more as a warning than a question.

'I should still be here,' Harper agreed. 'So here when a child is born they take the fathers name as the surname?' Harper then asked, as he settled down on an old chair that had come with his property. He gestured to Zal to take the seat opposite.

'Yeah, my full name is Zal Jacob, with my dad being called Jacob obviously, and Ethan's was the same but that's not always the case, some kids in one family can have many different surnames if you know what I mean,' Zal offered. 'But tough luck with your kids if they are born here, having Seamus as a surname,' Zal then joked and Harper smirked.

'Not in the plans thankfully,' Harper was quick to offer. 'And if they were I'd insist on keeping Harper as the surname, its what most people call me anyway.'

'True enough,' Zal agreed. 'Look reason I'm here, other than to welcome my best bud home is to say you have a whole heap of furniture on its way so you should make yourself scarce right now, unless you want to get roped into helping moving it in, how about I take you out for some breakfast?' Zal asked.

'Oh,' Harper hesitated, glad to know his home would be furnished but surprised at the same time by the generosity being shown to him. 'Sure, sounds like a plan,' he then got to his feet and following Zal they left his house.

TBC