Chapter 14

AaA Eureka Maru – The Past AaA

Several days following the incident with Rev, Harper found himself on late watch. The Maru was currently traveling between jump points, and since the ship was on autopilot all she needed was someone to watch for trouble and to take over if necessary.

Tonight, that duty fell to Harper. Currently he sat in the pilot's chair with feet propped against the console, flexi in hand as he read. His head was propped on his hand as his eyes skimmed the words, elbow compressing the armrest cushion into a nice little crater.

Normally he would be reading some technical manual, but, Trance had recommended a Dickens novel to him. So, now he sat reading through A Tale of Two Cities. He had finished A Christmas Carol not more than a few hours ago and had moved on to yet another Dickens classic. He was now enraptured with the tale and how it was playing out, he vowed to read more of Dickens' novels should the time present itself.

To this Zelazny only scoffed, Harper ignored him and kept on reading.

Now, even in his state of rapture he didn't lose his survival instinct. Not at all, if anything it was more fine-tuned in this state. So, it was no small surprise to him when he heard light steps approaching him that he immediately identified the owner. Although, that may have more to do with his attunement to the owner than the heightened sense.

"Hey Trance," he said as his eyes continued to scan the text. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Couldn't sleep," she said as she slowly made her way to where he sat and leaned against the back of the chair. "So, I thought I might keep you company."

He turned his head away from the flexi and took in her radiant smile. He could never say no to her. It was a few days since he had re-joined the Maru, and while he was still adapting to having a Magog on board things were going well. His relationship with Trance had blossomed quickly, almost to the point that it worried both he and Zelazny how fast he had taken to her. Since his initial promise to try for her, he found himself doing more than he had before, all for her.

"Thanks," he said with a smile as he shifted in the chair, turning so he could see her better. She was wearing a pair of lilac flannel pajamas, her tail swaying behind her through a hole sewed into the pants. To him she looked gorgeous.

"Nice pajamas," he said with a grin, "Very cute."

Her response was to grin and lean closer over his shoulder, trying to see what he was reading.

When this technique failed she pouted for a moment before moving around the chair and plopping down next to Harper; forcing him to shift completely to one side and her to sit partially on his lap. Internally she was smiling, knowing the effect she was having on him both mentally and physically, this was only the first of many stepping-stones toward the perfect possible future. That isn't to say that she wasn't relishing in the reaction her mere presence evoked in the young man; when you've got it you got it, and she knew that she most definitely had it.

"Dickens?" she asked once she had read enough of the display to recognize the story. She was slightly shocked that he would actually take her suggestion and read something that wasn't technical and would broaden his cultural horizons.

"Yeah," he replied as he got used to the new weight against him, something he found he liked a great deal. But this realization led to the question of whether it was the contact, or just her. Shaking this discussion off until later he continued to answer her question.

"I already finished A Christmas Carol. Thanks for recommending that first. It was great."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile as she returned the flexi to him. Curling into his side she settled herself for a nap, a yawn escaping as she did so. Her hands were pillowing her head against his chest even as she drew her legs up and over his lap. His body warmth had a calming effect on her and she soon found herself growing sleepy, his arms had unconsciously come around her to hold her in place. "Harper, would you read to me?"

If he was surprised by her nestling into his lap he was even more so by her request. But, as he had stated before, he could never say no to her.

"Sure Trance," he said with a smile as he bookmarked the page he was on and went back to the beginning.

"A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Book the First: Recalled to Life."

He paused to clear his throat before reading the tale's famous open passage.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…"

He continued to read long after she had fallen asleep, he only stopped when the Maru reached the jump point. Thumbing the Comm., he called Beka from her bunk to take over. While he was a proficient slip pilot he had two disadvantages to Beka; one she was a natural, the best he had ever seen. The second was that he had a sleeping girl in his lap, not something that enables one to pilot a ship through normal space let alone slip space.

Once Beka had arrived, amid teasing that he knew he would never hear the end of, he left the cockpit and made his way to the crew quarters. In deference to his fears, Rev had graciously offered to bunk in the dining area which could be converted into another bed if necessary. Now, Harper made his way past the sleeping Magog and into the quarters he shared with Trance. Placing her gently on her bunk he tucked her in after removing her boots and placed a tender kiss on her forehead before retiring to his own bunk. Not once did he notice the smirk on her face following his kiss.

AaAaA

The following day found Harper hard at work running a maintenance check on the engine. The noise of the ship's heart enough to drown out his conversation, at least until you were right next to him.

You've got it bad Seamus, Zelazny said with a chuckle.

Harper ignored him for a moment as he had to focus on a particularly difficult plate cover.

"Yeah," he began as he struggled to remove the seemingly welded-in-place bolt. "Well, I don't see you making any objections."

Why would I?

"That's a good question," Harper relied as he fell backwards with the bolt and cover in hand, proof that yanking as hard as you can does pay off, sometimes.

I see that you've thought this through very thoroughly.

"Oh, shut up," Harper replied with a small grin, his only concession to his victory over the plate cover. Soon he was waist deep in the space behind the massive engine.

As eloquent as ever, Zelazny replied with a mental grin. So, what are your intentions toward Trance then? You know long-term relationships are a bad idea. We may need to run again.

"I know," Harper replied as he pulled out of the opening with a mass of tangled wires in hand. "What the hell are these supposed to do? They're just lying in here!"

Tossing the questionable tangle to the side he sat back on his heels and let out a sigh.

"My intentions are what they've always been; to survive. I know that I can't get attached to anyone on board, least of al Trance. I can't put them, her, through the pain of my leaving." With another sigh he turned to sit against the engine housing. "Tell me Zelazny, what am I supposed to do? I like them all, hell even Rev is growing on me. How can I keep my distance without offending them and how can I befriend them without eventually hurting them?"

Zelazny was silent for a moment; was it due to the fact that there was no answer he could give or that there was no answer at all.

I don't know, he reluctantly admitted a moment later.

"That's what I thought," Harper said with a sigh.

"To whom are you speaking Master Harper?" the gravelly voice of Rev cut through his introspective.

Needless to say his body stiffened before he forced his hand to move away from the tool bag sitting nearby.

"No one," he managed to get out after much convulsive swallowing.

"It did not sound that way. It seemed as though you were having a conversation, but, perhaps I was mistaken."

"Why are you here?" Harper asked in a shaky voice.

"Beka asked me to check on you. Trance is busy in one of the pods and she wanted to know if you needed anything."

Harper managed a small smile at her concern, but he quickly removed it as he forced himself to speak to the Magog, a feat that was becoming easier over time.

"I'm fine, tell her thanks for me."

Rev only nodded before he turned to leave the engine compartment.

"Rev?" a shaky voice stopped him and forced him to turn.

"Yes?" he replied as he turned to face Harper who was sitting with back to engine and eyes closed.

"You're a monk, right?"

"That I am."

"Do you hear confessions?"

This caught him back for a moment. The young man who wanted to kill him not more than a few days ago was asking him to hear his confession, to bear witness to his most intimate secrets and keep them.

"I would be honored to hear your confession, Master Harper."

The young man smiled slightly as he turned his head to face the Magog.

"Will it stay between you and me? As long as you breathe?"

"As long as I breathe," the Wayist vowed as a clawed hand came to rest upon his heart.

"Close and lock the door, I have a lot to tell you."

Submitting to the order he did as told and slowly approached the young man, sitting a respectful distance away from him.

"I have a lot to tell you," Harper repeated as his hands fidgeted.

"I will listen," Rev said slowly. "You need not tell all at this moment. Take your time."

Harper nodded as he contemplated where to start.

Perhaps you should start with me and the story of life growing up on Earth? Zelazny suggested.

"Good idea," Harper said with a nod. Needles to say this confused Rev as this answer wasn't directly related to his previous comment.

Yet before he could ask any questions Harper began to speak.

"What ever you've heard about growing up on Earth, forget all of it. No matter what you've heard I can tell you that things are almost a thousand times worse."

And so began the first of many conversations with Rev about Harper's life. Nothing was off-limits, not even Zelazny.

AaAaA

TBC