Chapter 13: The Present

AaA Andromeda Ascendant – The Present AaA

Harper was silent as he carried the still unconscious Trance to her quarters. Once he had docked the Maru he had carried her off and onto the flight deck of the Andromeda. Waving off any help or questions he pushed past the others and went straight to Trance's quarters.

Arriving at the door he didn't even have to wait as Rommie overrode the command and opened it for him.

Once inside he gently placed her on the bed. Pulling the covers around her he tucked her in again. Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead he retreated from the room leaving Rommie with an injunction to call him if she awoke.

Confident in his ability to leave her for the time being he made his way to the Mess Hall and the Sparky cola he knew would be waiting for him.

"Hey Boss," he greeted Beka as he entered. He knew that she or Dylan would be waiting for him.

"So," she began as he opened the top of the can and began to drink. "Care to explain your messages? Or maybe why you were carrying an unconscious Trance?"

"Why? I thought the messages were perfectly clear. Trance was kidnapped, I rescued her. End of story."

"Harper," she warned him with a glare.

With a sigh he put the can down and explained the best he could with as few words as he could.

"She was kidnapped by slavers, Boss. They were going to sell her because she's so unique. I found out and went to rescue her. I got her back and returned here. End of story."

"How'd you get her back?" she pressed.

Unfortunately she pressed a little too far.

"I got her back, that's all that matters!" Harper said in a tone she'd never heard him use even as he smashed the Sparky can into the top of the table. Neither blinked as caramel colored soda splashed on them. "The important thing is that's she's alright."

With that he stood and let the mess hall and a very confused and angry Beka Valentine.

AaA

Some time later Dylan found him staring out the viewports of the observation deck. He stood there and watched as Harper remained motionless as the stars streaked by the window.

"So, I take it you spoke to Beka," the young man asked without turning.

"I did," he replied as he moved to stand beside Harper.

"How mad is she?"

"She'll get over it," Dylan replied. "So what really happened Harper? What caused you to react that way to Beka?"

"Come on Dylan, not you too."

"What happened Harper?"

"Please Dylan, don't ask me that," Harper all but pleaded even as he turned to face the other man.

"Harper..." he began but was cut off.

"They were going to rape her!" he yelled even as he pushed Dylan back against the window, arm crossing the front of his chest to hold him there. Much to Dylan's surprise it actually was.

"They were going to rape her, so I killed them. Each and every one of them. They were scum and deserved it."

With that he backed away from the shocked captain before turning and heading toward the entrance.

"Now, you know Dylan."

With that he left the still bewildered man standing against the wall.

AaA

"Its all unraveling Zelazny," Harper said as he sat alone in the hydroponics bay, tucked against a wall and well screened by the trees and a small stream that wound its way through the ground floor of the room.

It is, he replied. But it was going to happen eventually.

"I know, but I had just hoped that it would be much later."

As did I, but we did what had to be done. We both know you love Trance and we had to protect her, simple as that.

"At the risk of sounding crazy, you are the voice of reason sometimes."

Zelazny let out a laugh at this statement.

At the risk of make you crazy, I thank you. But you and I both know that we are one and the same person, just different aspects.

"Two sides of the same coin," Harper said with a nod as he watched a leaf float lazily down the small stream.

What are you going to do now?

"I'm not sure yet, I'm thinking about just letting things happen as they will and react accordingly."

The tried and true method, Zelazny agreed. But what is the next move with Trance?

"Admit the truth, tell her I love her and see where that goes. I almost lost her today, that's not something I can stand again. I want her to know how I feel."

A wise move Seamus. I must admit that you may need to speak to Beka soon as well as Dylan. They need a few explanations concerning recent events.

"And they'll get them, just as soon as we talk to Trance."

As you wish.

AaA

Not more than ten minutes after Harper finished his conversation with himself and left the hydroponics bay did Rommie appear in front of Dylan.

"Dylan," she began as her hologram flared to life on the table in his ready room.

"Yes," he replied even as he broke his staring contest with the wall, his mind still swimming with the recent events with Harper.

"I have something you need to see," she began as a holographic window appeared beside her, in it was a still of Harper sitting in hydroponics. "It's rather interesting."

Dylan only raised an eyebrow as the footage began to play. However his brow creased into a frown once it had stopped.

"Who was he talking to?"

"I don't know. There was no one else present nor did he have any sort of communications device. For all intents and purposes he was talking to himself."

"Andromeda," he said after several moments though, "I want you to watch Harper. See if he does anything unusual."

"Aye Captain," she answered as she winked out, leaving Dylan with more questions than he had answers. For one Dylan Hunt that was not something he enjoyed, nor would stand for very long.

AaA

Hours later, after having done most of the small jobs that needed to be done to keep Andromeda fly, Harper sat holding Trance's hand.

Rommie had let him in once he had finished all his tasks and once he took his seat next to her he hadn't moved since.

Now almost two hours after he had entered he remained where he was, just sitting, watching and holding her hand. Rommie would have been touched if she weren't so concerned about his earlier conversation with himself. Now she was just watching him to make sure he didn't do anything to hurt Trance, not that she ever believed him capable of that.

She couldn't help but smile at the way he gently held her hand and the way his thumb absently moved across the knuckles. She was about to say something to him when he broke the silence.

"I don't know, she should wake up soon."

Rommie was confused who he was talking to but continued to listen as this was reminiscent of the hydroponics bay earlier.

"Yeah, I'm going to let her get some strength back before I tell her." he paused as though listening to another question.

"I'm not sure if she'll remember anything. She was unconscious when we got there."

We? Rommie asked herself as she continued to monitor him.

"I know," he said with a sign. "I'm not happy to have to do that again. I had thought we'd put it behind us when we left Earth."

Here he once again paused and Rommie was once again intrigued by his continued use of the plural when speaking about himself.

"True, we did have go get back into it a few times but since we found Andromeda we haven't had to worry about the Order or anything associated with them."

Just as Rommie was about to begin the query of her database regarding anything about an 'Order' she stopped as there was a shift in the room.

In a flash Harper was kneeling beside Trance's bed as her eyelids began to slowly flutter open.

"Harper?" she said weakly.

"I'm here Trance," he said as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the top. "I'm right here."

She softly smiled at him before a look of concentration took over her face.

"Trance?" he said with worry at her expression.

"Harper I ... I remember everything that happened."

Even as she said this Rommie could see the blood visibly drain from Harper's face even as the smile was replace by a look of fear and shock.

"I know what you did back there."

AaA

TBC.