Chapter 3

Explorers we are, intrepid and bold,
Out in the wild, amongst wonders untold
Equipt with our wits, a map, and a snack,
We're searching for fun and we're on the right track!

- Bill Watterson, The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes

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Harper waited a good hour and a half before he slipped out of his hiding place and into the common area. He was sitting calmly at the table drinking a Sparky and reading a back issue of "Intergalactic Surfers Unlimited" when Dylan walked in.

"Hiya, Boss."

"AUGHHHHH!" Dylan screamed and jumped three feet into the air. He swore emphatically as he stared at Harper in open shock.

"Mr. Harper, what in the name of the Vedran Empress are you doing on this ship?" he demanded once he'd hit the ground and slightly gathered his wits.

"Reading," Harper answered innocently.

"Harper!" Dylan growled. The look on Dylan's face was quickly moving from confusion to frustration to outright murderous and Harper realized the time for jokes was not now. He quickly got to his feet, setting the can down and raising his hands in surrender.

"Look, Dylan, I accidentally tapped into the message from Tarazed when I was fixing the communications systems." Dylan's eyebrows narrowed and he stepped threateningly toward his engineer. Harper scurried backward out of his reach and hurried on before the captain could open his mouth. "It was an accident, I promise. I know I shouldn't have listened but I was intrigued, okay? Then when I figured out what they wanted you to do, I figured you could probably use my help. You really shouldn't go off on these trips alone, you know." Harper finished his rapid flood of words and gazed up hopefully at the captain.

Dylan ran his hand through his hair and sighed in frustration at the young man. When he signed up for the High Guard, he'd never thought he'd have to deal with things like this, with people like this. This was not in his contract! He was sure he'd read the fine print and babysitting was never mentioned.

"Harper, this is a classified mission!"

"Not anymore," Harper muttered cheekily, then caught a flash of Dylan's 'you-have-two-seconds-to-explain-yourself-before-I-harm-you-severily' look and gulped.

"Boss, I'm sorry, okay. I shouldn't have listened, and I won't do it again, I promise. I've been bad and I'll make sure to shut my fingers in the door or something later, but right now I'm here and believe it or not I probably really can help ya. That guy said you would have to get through some pretty technical stuff and admit it, I rule at technical. Besides, we made a freakin' good team last time, remember?"

Dylan sighed again but this time out of fatigue rather than frustration. If he turned around to take the kid back now, he'd lose almost four hours. Besides that, something Harper had said had grabbed his attention. He was sure his engineer had meant it in jest but the thought of Harper even teasing about having to punish himself reminded Dylan of where his thoughts had been before this crazy mission call came. He remembered the haunted look on Harper's face when he muttered he'd been a slave and suddenly all the anger just drained out of Dylan. He looked at Harper closely and beneath the cocky smile he could see the pleading in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, the young man needed a distraction as much as he did, to get his mind of certain subjects. And Harper did have a point. Not that he would ever fuel his ego by saying it out loud but he really was a wonder with machines and such. Harper probably could be a valuable asset on this mission, provided he could keep from getting himself killed. With that thought, Dylan made up his mind.

"All right, you can stay," Dylan caved. Harper opened his mouth to celebrate, but Dylan cut him off. "But this is not a pleasure trip. Even I don't know what we're walking into here, and I'd like to be alive to walk out of it when we're done. I appreciate your offer to help and I'm sure it will be needed but remember, I'm in charge here. This is no time for your rather loose interpretation of orders, understand?"

Harper nodded, but he couldn't wipe the grin of success off his face. "Thanks, Boss! I knew you'd be glad I came. I mean, how could you resist the Harper charm?"

"Very easily," Dylan muttered dryly but without malice.

"So, what do we do first, oh wise and mighty leader?"

"First, we get some sleep. I'm not starting this adventure until I've had a few hours of shut-eye. I think you took ten years off my life when you scared me just now, and I'm feeling a little worn out. And I happened to know you haven't slept in over forty-eight hours, Rommie told me. So we're going to bed." As he spoke he took the young man by the arm and forcibly steered him away from the Sparky and the flexi and toward the crew quarters and his bunk.

"Aw, Boss, you've been having me watched?" Harper whined grumpily.

"Not me, Beka. Now get in that bunk or I will turn around and take you back and you can speak with Beka yourself. I'm sure she'd probably be really glad to see you about now," Dylan added pointedly.

Harper sighed, but it was mostly for show. He really was exhausted and, now that he'd won his fight, he didn't mind taking a little break. "Do I at least get to take my boots off?" he asked the captain, purposefully increasing the whine in his voice.

Dylan threw up his hands in frustration and rolled his eyes. "Mr. Harper, just go to bed! I don't care about the specifics!" he said and turned around to make his own preparations. Behind his back he heard a muttered "Touchy" and smiled a little. He quickly turned out the light and settled into one of the lower bunks. A few moments later he heard Harper pull himself up into his own bunk and everything was quiet… for a bit.

"Night, Boss."

"Goodnight, Harper."

Silence, blessed silence.

…

…

…

"Dylan?"

"What, Harper?"

"Could you try really hard not to snore? Last time, when we went after that vase, you kept me up all night."

With a moan, Dylan covered his face with the pillow. This was going to be a REALLY long two weeks.