Part 23

Harper found himself led to a room on the lower floors once they were inside the palace, a barely furnished room that he recognised immediately as he glanced at the floor, seeing the loose floor panels he knew so well from his first visit to the palace a few years earlier.

The guards led him to the middle of the room and he saw the chain above him, it was no surprise when the guards took his secured wrists, adjusting the restraints and position of his arms, before hoisting them above his head to attach them to the chain. The chain from the ceiling was tightened and Harper felt his weight slowly lift until he had no contact with the ground, left to hang as the guards departed the room.

His shoulders already ached and his wrists began to burn as he waited, time moved slower than ever and it seemed like hours had passed by the time the door opened again and Asa walked in, followed by a well dressed man.

'Seamus, good to see that you are up,' Asa half smiled and he activated the mechanism to lower Harper back down to the ground.

With numbed feet Harper found his balance and just stared at the stranger, his arms still raised above his head and the chain still taut, he'd only been lowered enough that he was no longer hanging.

'Early today you defied me,' Asa began.

'I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking straight,' Harper offered quickly.

Asa grabbed his hair, glancing at the stranger before returning his attention to Harper. 'It seems that was the case, and I would love to let you off of that crime but what good would that really do you in the long run?'

'I remember now,' Harper spoke with a pained expression, Asa's hold on his hair hurting now. 'I remember everything, our agreement, everything,' he stated desperately.

'Your memories have returned?' Asa checked, removing his hold and he grabbed Harper's face with both hands, staring into his eyes for some sort of confirmation.

'Yeah,' he nodded.

'Even better,' Asa smiled and Harper didn't miss the glance to the stranger with the news. Asa then checked Harper's face. 'You've been in the wars lately, did she return?'

'Not since the shields were raised, must be too much activity above the shield with the war, she struggles with teleporting when there's interference but she's not gone,' he offered closing his eyes for a moment. 'I'm sorry I stopped taking my medicine, it was a risk, I know that now but I didn't know what I was doing,' he further explained.

'It was a stupid risk, but thankfully you're ok despite it,' Asa spoke. 'It's good the risk wasn't exploited, we don't need her distractions and interruptions, especially not now Seamus, because we need your full attention,' Asa explained. 'This is Commander Hertzler, and you, Seamus, are about to bring peace to this world, it's the least you can do, considering,' Asa hinted.

'He's an uber, Asa, he's Dragan, crap, you haven't?' Harper suddenly realised and panicked slightly.

'And you are now a part of the Drago-Kasov workforce,' Hertlzer smiled.

'No way, I won't, no way,' Harper stressed as he struggled for the first time against his binds. 'Didn't I tell you countless times about these jerks? Didn't I say don't do business with them ever?' he stated with anger, remembering the one thing he had tried to drill into Asa as he saw his plans crumbling.

'Seamus,' Asa spoke and it was enough to make Harper stop struggling. 'I have agreed to this, he's given me his word that you will only serve them as a teacher in using the system.'

'And you believed him?' Harper panicked, and he noticed Hertzler laugh to himself.

'Seamus, I have signed a treaty with the Dragans that is fully above board and I have ensured your safety,' Asa explained, but before he could say anymore Harper could only watch as the uber delivered a harsh blow to the side of the head, rendering Asa unconscious.

'The old man really cares for you Seamus, it's almost touching, in a sick weird way,' Hertzler laughed. 'Shame he's so gullible about my people, he really should have taken your advice but then you're only a kludge, and right now,' he paused for effect as the distance sounds of gunfire were heard. 'My people are completely overpowering his and I think we're now claiming the palace, and winning this war. The Commonwealth will not be able to overthrow us now that we have the palace and the only kludge in the universe who knows the system like you do.'

'I won't help you,' Harper defiantly declared.

The uber looked Harper up and down. 'You're hardly in a position not to.'

'We're not in the control room, and I'm not much use to you chained up in here,' Harper reminded him.

'You were easier to deal with drunk, I admit,' Hertzler conceded. 'But this should hurt just the same,' he declared and Harper yelled out as he felt a harsh blow from a stick strike his unprotected back. 'Now that I have your attention, kludge, speaking your language shall we say, how about a little co-operation?'

'Go to hell,' Harper sneered and received a further five painful blows, as he collapsed against the chain.

'Your family were always the most fun to catch and beat,' Hertzler taunted. 'You just never seem to break like other kludges, always a glutton for more punishment I might dare say you enjoy it,' he stressed as he delivered another three blows to his back. 'Now, Asa kindly informed me that you have a small dependency for this stuff,' the uber shook a bottle of the medicine in front of Harper. 'Told me very helpfully that a few sniffs of this and you're practically a robot, that you're weak to this stuff.'

'Yeah, but you're clearly too dumb to know what it does,' Harper moved his head away from the bottle.

'But you need it and if you need it that gives me control of you, so be a good boy and inhale deeply,' Hertzler declared, and Harper was helpless against the strong smelling substance as he inhaled a small amount, already tasting the blood as his body rebelled against it and the wave of nausea overwhelmed him momentarily.

'Is that the best you got? You don't even know what you're doing,' Harper declared with a slur and felt his head snap to the side as Hertzler hit out, growing impatient with the insults.

'Well you know as well as any worthless kludge that we also have a far more effective method of control,' Hertzler announced and Harper couldn't avoid the dart that flew into his skin, piercing it deeply. 'Control bots, you're more that familiar with these I know,' he smiled sinisterly.

'I hate you,' Harper groaned and then involuntarily shrieked as his body tensed up painfully with the electric charge that suddenly cursed through him.

'Some respect if you please,' Hertzler grinned.

'Took less than half an hour, the palace is now under Dragan control,' Rommie announced.

Rhade, Dylan and Beka all looked at each other, not having to say a word, knowing the Dragans had Harper as well.

'Asa is a fool,' Rhade spat. 'To think after everything we said he still gave those idiots the time of day, enough to sign some pointless and worthless treaty.'

'We can't even move out,' Beka sighed. 'We're trapped in this damned place!'

'We can't give up,' Dylan countered. 'They have the palace but they do not have control.'

'They have Harper, they pretty much have the means of gaining full control now,' Rhade objected.

Dylan got to his feet. 'They would not allow a kludge to rule their destiny, they have too much pride, I think they'll first ensure he's no longer the only person who can work the system.'

'Which could buy us some needed time,' Beka brightened.

'Can we trust Harper to buy us that time?' Rhade asked, looking at Beka. 'He seemed all too eager to give himself up.'

'When he thought he was giving himself up to Asa, not the Dragans, this could be the kick up the butt he needs to start fighting again, to start fixing this mess,' Beka stressed. 'Dylan,' Beka began.

'I know,' Dylan interrupted. 'We have to save Harper,' he pre-empted.

'No,' Beka surprised Rhade, Dylan and Rommie with her response. 'Harper doesn't want saving, that's what he told me, begged me, he wants Edenia saved more, so we do that and if we can save him along the way then great, but we focus on Edenia.'

'Beka, are you sure?' Dylan checked. 'Right now Harper is in the hands of the Dragans and it won't be pretty.'

Beka took a deep breath. 'Harper's done stuff to cause this, stuff he's not proud off but he did it anyway and he says we don't know the half of it, we have to concentrate on fixing this mess he's created, because I'm not sure if Harper can be saved.'

Everyone seemed to understand, and they quietly accepted Beka's words. Dylan moved to her side and offered a comforting arm. 'We'll focus on Edenia but we won't forget Harper, ok?'

'Ok,' Beka agreed whilst battling with her conflicting emotions, remembering Harper's words that went against everything she believed in.

'Lets find out our options, and Rommie, keep up the surveillance, we need you more than ever now to try and keep one step ahead of the game, try and find out what the Dragans are doing with Harper,' Dylan ordered.

'Aye,' Rommie simply said and left the room.

Rev Bem surveyed the landscape; the barren rock face taunted him as he stumbled over the uneven surface. The sun was low, and he knew it would be dark soon but it didn't trouble him, his night vision was good and he never felt the cold chill of the night.

After days of walking he glanced over to the west and saw the sign he had been looking for, a flickering light that seemed to call to him. With renewed energy he hurried across the last hundred or so meters with optimism. On reaching the entrance to a cave, in the middle of nowhere amongst the rocks, Rev slowly entered and then smiled as best he could as his eyes focused on a long lost friend.

'Trance, it has been too long.'

'Rev, I've been expecting you,' Trance smiled warmly.

'I guess you have,' Rev accepted and entered the small abode as Trance gestured for him to come closer.

'The universe is in turmoil,' Trance offered. 'My thoughts and feelings feel confused and awry, my energies are low.'

'You need to find a focus, the balance has been restored but at what cost to your people?' Rev asked.

'Our purpose used to be so clear but now, I see too much and can help only very little,' Trance spoke with some despair. 'I fulfilled my destiny, I should be happy but instead I feel helpless and weak, I live without purpose.'

'Your people shouldn't still be in this universe, should they?' Rev guessed, and saw Trance meekly nod her head to agree. 'Your sister has gone astray, she has been tarnished by the evil within, you stayed to try and guide her,' Rev spoke with care.

'I stayed because I was too afraid to leave, I have friends and they are my weakness,' Trance frowned. 'With the Abyss destroyed our purpose in this universe was complete, we should have moved on, new suns were born that we had to draw new energies from and guide, but my sister forgot her own strength, ignored her calling and saw only opportunity in remaining here, betraying our ancestors and abusing their powers,' Trance agreed. 'My sister is too strong despite being weak, and she was able to assume my place, she took it over because I was weak and worst she has abused my best friend while I could only walk away.'

'The Abyss did far greater damage than purely existing,' Rev remarked. 'To all those he influence and led, he left a small piece of himself within them all, and without his direct guidance some have fallen to the darker side, consume by his desires and needs.'

'My people for the most part recognised the wrongs, and they left this universe to seek solace in other causes, but my sister remains and she has let the dark consume her,' Trance frowned. 'I stayed to help her but only made things worse, I betrayed Harper, I don't think I could ever forgive myself.'

'Harper needs our help, Edenia and the crew need our help, Trance,' Rev then stated.

'I've seen what has happened, but I am powerless to help,' Trance moved away, with some distress.

'My people,' Rev began. 'Without the influence of the abyss, they too are trying to find their path, their way, most of my people wish they were dead, they wish they had been destroyed along the Abyss, they lost their drive and hunger and many have simply stopped and eventually just starved to death,' Rev explained with a pained expression. 'I have been helping a small number, I have shown them the way of the Divine and now there are more like me, they still have the hunger but they are controlling their instincts, and they want to help others.'

Trance looked at Rev and moved back over to where he stood. 'I have seen many possible futures, but I can not see which path to take, it weakens me to try, I am not well, Rev.'

'In life we rarely see even the possible futures that lie ahead,' Rev explained gently. 'Trance, you are probably more alive now than you've ever been, and your friends need you.'

'How can I help?' Trance asked.

'You know your sister, and you know your friends, I simply ask that you be by my side to act as another voice to my own,' Rev asked with a smile. 'Trance, I fear we may be the only two people with the experience and desire to fix the mess the Abyss left behind, this universe is ignorant of the monsters that are growing to assume the space left by the Abyss's destruction.'

'My sister is not a monster,' Trance objected.

'But she's not far off, and I know a fair bit about the monsters within the good,' Rev countered. 'I fear my people are vulnerable, they can smell evil and power and already I am fighting a losing battle to assist them, they sense a new power growing and I see only dark times ahead if we do nothing to stop her.'

'She's not my problem, I am too weak and ill to stop her,' Trance simply said looking away.

'Trance, she has infiltrated your friends, manipulated your best friend, and they all know deep down that she is not you but she's blinding them into believing she is you,' Rev explained. 'She has control over them, and now she has them trapped, all hope for this universe, the good and the bad, she's outwitted them all so her task is a simpler one and by you choosing to do nothing, she has beaten you too, her biggest threat,' Rev stepped closer. 'Edenia is just the first stop; you think she'll stop there? She'll keep growing stronger until she has this entire universe, and then no one, not even you or your people can stop her, then what future do you see for any of us?'

Trance took a deep breath and sighed. 'You are right, I can't ignore the inevitable, I need to be the one to stop her.'

'We both need to stop her,' Rev corrected. 'We need to get into Edenia and stop the war she has created there, and make the only two forces strong enough in this sector to fight her realise that destroying each other is what she wants.'

'Thank you Rev, for finding me, for making me see the path I need to take,' Trance then offered, with a fond smile.

'We need to get moving,' Rev encouraged, and with Trance by his side they headed back outside, with a new determination.

--

TBC