Chapter 10

AN: Usual disclaimer.

==== Eureka Maru – The Past ====

The familiar hum of ship's engines slowly brought him back into consciousness. He wasn't even aware that he had fallen asleep.

After that millisecond of bliss, his survival instincts kicked into full gear. Snapping from the bed, his hand flies to his hidden dagger, ready to draw it from its sheath.

Recognizing the bunk he slept in as the one he once had on the Maru, he relaxed.

Relaxing his muscles he slowly moves to stand, only to draw back for his blade when the hatch began to open.

"Morning shorty," Beka called cheerily as she slowly poked her head in.

"Beka," he whispered in relief.

"The one and only, how ya doing Harper?" she asked as she appeared fully in the hatchway, a can of Sparky in her hand.

"That for me?" he asked with a grin.

Beka made a face before replying.

"Of course, none of us can stand the stuff," she said with a grin as she handed him the can.

Tearing the top off the can, he drained half of it in a heartbeat.

"Ahhhh, nectar of the Gods," he said with a satisfied sigh.

"Glad to hear it, since you're back I figured you could get started on the engines right away. They need some serious TLC. I'll introduce you to the new crew later, kay?"

"Sue thing Boss," he answered with a bone-popping stretch.

"You do remember where the engines are, don't you?" she teased as he followed her towards the engine room.

"As if I could forget my favorite ship in the known universes," he said as he gently caressed the corridor walls.

"You scare me sometimes Harper, you know that?"

"I try."

The sound of her laughter followed him to the Engine room.

"Home sweet home," he whispered as he set to work on the engines.

==

After several hours of intensive work, Beka appeared at the top of the ladder.

"Harper?" she called, hoping to find him without an effort. With a sigh she realized she would have to look for him.

"Harper," she called again as she wandered through the small room. "Where is he?"

she remained silent for a few minutes before hearing the sound of muffled singing coming from the rear engine compartment.

Smiling an evil smile she snuck up on the unsuspecting engineer.

Opening the hatch she saw him wearing a pair of headphones she'd picked up on a run awhile back. The things were obsolete and no one wanted them. she was glad he found a use for them. he was currently singing something by Metallica, something about being Unforgiven.

Getting right up to his ear she yelled, "HARPER!"

"Ah," he said as he spun around, the nano-welder coming inches from her face when he stopped it.

"Boss? You should know better than to sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry, but I was calling you for the past 5 minutes."

"Oh, sorry about that, guess these things drown out all the sound. It's time for a break I guess, otherwise you wouldn't be here, am I right?" he asked with a grin as he laid the tools down.

"Partially, its time to meet the other crew members, Trance and Rev Bem have returned from the Drift, and it is time for a break too."

"Cool, can't wait to meet them," Harper said as he stood up in a back popping stretch.

"Sorry," he said when he saw Beka cringe.

"Come on, they're waiting to meet you," she said as she led the way.

Harper just followed her, humming as he mentally calculated the parks he'd need to finish the repairs.

Harper was walking with his eyes on the grating, so he didn't see the person standing right in front of him until he bumped right into them, knocking them both over.

"oof," Harper said as he landed on his backside, glaring at Beka when she laughed.

"Not funny Beka," he said as he turned to the other person. "Hey, why don't you …"

Harper broke off as his eyes landed on the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

She was purple, which made her unique in the first place. Her hair was 3 different colors, mainly blonde with pink and purple highlights. He skin seems to sparkles as she pushed herself to her elbows, her tail swishing off to the side.

Tail? This was the first person that he'd ever seen with a tail. Wait, scratch that, the first naturally occurring person with a tail. He'd seen some of the Dragan's experiments when he was caught and tortured. He only wished that those experiments were killed quickly, some of them must have been in horrible pain.

Repressing a shudder he tried to remember how to speak, but one look in her chocolate eyes and that was a skill he never learned.

"Harper, this is Trance Gemini," Beka said as Harper quickly jumped up and took Trance's hand and gently pulled her to her feet. "Out new Environmental Sciences Officer and Medic."

"Hi," the purple girl quipped as Harper continued to stare and hold her hand in his.

Beka struggled to contain her laughter as she quickly found a reason to leave.

"I'm gonna go find Rev Bem. Harper show Trance where you work will you?"

"Yeah, sure boss," Harper managed to say as the door closed behind Beka.

"Harper?" Trance said shyly.

"Yeah? He asked, still at a loss for words from her beauty.

"Can I have my hand back?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Harper said as he quickly let go, suddenly missing the contact. "Sorry."

"That's ok Harper. So you're going to show me where you work?"

"Yeah, follow me. I'm sure Beka has told you all about me." Harper said over his shoulder as he led the way.

"We've heard some stories. What's this about being banned from Hades Drift for life?"

"Oh, that? Heh, um it was all a misunderstanding, yeah, that's what it was." He answered evasively.

"Ok Harper, if you say so." Trance replied with a smile.

Harper was thankful that she didn't speak until they reached his engine room. Trance meanwhile was examining every inch of Harper, much as he had done earlier, only she did it when he wasn't looking. She was please with what she saw, he was small, but he had potential. That and he was cute.

She had to stifle a giggle as she thought the last part, not that it wasn't true, just that he'd be all full of himself if he knew she thought that, Beka had warned her about Harper earlier.

"Well," he said, cutting into her observations. She had to quickly pull her eyes away from his butt as he turned around and looked at her. "This is it, my home away from home."

She looked around at the cramped little room. The engines took up most, if not all of the walking space. She was amazed that Harper was even able to work on them. there were terminals all around the room, displaying different readings on the engine, pressure, temperature, etc.

"It's nice," she said. "How do you move around in here? It's so tiny."

"Ah, that my purple princess, is one of the boons of having grown up on Earth. I can fit into any space that I need to here."

"Purple princess?" Trance asked, causing Harper to blush.

"Um, sorry about that. I won't call you that again, honest."

Wow, Harper thought, I must really like her or something, I'm actually promising not to use pet names.

"No, that's ok, I like it. it's cute," she replied after a moments thought.

Harper just grinned. He was about to ask Trance about joining Beka's crew when he was cut off by Beka.

"Harper," she began, her body hiding that of another person.

"This is Rev Bem, our xenobiologist." Beka said as she stepped aside to reveal a Magog dressed in orange robes and wearing a medallion of some sort.

"Magog!" Harper screamed as he shoved his body as far back into the engine as he could, his eyes taking on the look of a hunted animal.

"Master Harper," the Magog said as he reached a claw towards Harper.

"NO!" he screamed as he grabbed the closet thing to him and swung at the approaching claw.

"Harper," Beka said, worried when his eyes lost focus. It appeared as though he were living a past memory.

"Harper?" Trance asked, even more worried that Beka. Trance could see the great emotional and mental pain that Harper was going through.

"Magog," was all he said before he collapsed to the decking, Trance rushing to catch him before his head hit the engine behind him.

"Harper!" his name from Trance and Beka's lips was the last conscious thing he remembered.

====

TBC Chapter 11 – The Present.