Beka walked slowly through the empty corridors of the Andromeda. She should be happy that it was quiet, that things had settled down for at least a short period of time. Harper had recovered from the strain on his body and data port from having the entire download of the Commonwealth in his mind. No one had tried to kill them or take advantage of them in at least a week. Things were quiet enough in this part of space that Dylan had decided some shore leave was in order for the crew.

Despite this, or maybe because of it, Beka found herself at loose ends, irritable and edgy, as she hadn’t been for months. Usually she didn’t have time to be this moody which was usually a good, if tiring, thing. On her own ship, the Eureka Maru, she had been responsible for everything, regardless of who actually performed the duties. Here, she was second in command and she had to admit that it bothered her.

It wasn’t that Dylan didn’t trust her. After everything they’d gone through together, they’d forged a good working relationship that had even spilled over into a decent friendship. All right, if she was going to be completely honest, they were very good friends. He had stuck by her addiction to Flash and been at her side through all the chaos of the recent past. He was almost like an older brother, the brother she’d always wished to have if she remained honest. He looked out for her and the others even though they were all perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.

“Is everything all right, Beka?”

Beka turned towards Rommie’s holographic image and managed a faint smile. The dark haired beauty facing her appeared more somber than usual, brown eyes wide and concerned. “I’m fine, thanks Rommie.”

“You appear to be distressed.”

That’s what happened when your ship had a mind of its own; it decided to become a mother hen. Although the fact that the crew had been wiped out from roughly 500 to only 6 probably had a lot to do with it as well. “I’m fine, honest, Rommie. Just a little…restless…I guess the word is.”

“Restless? I would think that this down period would be somewhat of a relief after recent events,” Rommie observed.

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But I feel on edge. I’m probably just waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Beka admitted.

“The other shoe?”

Smiling for real this time, Beka explained, “It’s an expression. It means when things are too quiet that something bad is going to happen.”

“You think that this is inevitable?” Rommie asked curiously. “Dylan believes that with word spreading as to our mission and new worlds slowly joining that it will only get better.”

Snorting, Beka said, “Dylan’s an optimist. I personally feel like there’s a big red target painted on my back.”

“Really. Interesting,” Rommie said, pursing her lips.

Beka found her eyes drawn to those lips, full and painted a dark bronze. They looked so soft and natural to the eye. And what did a hologram need with lipstick anyhow? She remembered their conversation of how Rommie had picked her features and body with an internal smile. Briefly wondering if Rommie felt everything humans did, Beka shook the thought savagely from her head.

“Something wrong, Beka?” Rommie asked innocently.

She hadn’t realized that she’d shaken her head in actuality. Innocent was a perfect description of Rommie, she thought. It bespoke of Rommie’s entire nature, both her artificial intelligence and the glimpses of humanity Beka saw beyond the AI. It was hard to remember, very hard most times, that Rommie wasn’t human, that she wasn’t simply a beautiful woman in charge of the Andromeda. It was exceptionally difficult to remember that Rommie was, point in fact, Andromeda, the essence of the ship Beka now called home. “I’m fine, Rommie. Excuse me, please.”

She knew that leaving the holographic image wasn’t really leaving Rommie; the AI could track her progress anywhere in the ship. That suddenly made it imperative for her to get to the Maru. She needed space from everyone and the best place for that would be on her own ship.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rommie watched Beka stride down the hall, startled by the abrupt departure. Running over the brief conversation in her mind, she couldn’t think of anything that she might have done to upset the other woman. Beka was a mystery to Rommie, an intriguing mystery that she had been trying to solve almost since the moment Beka had stopped trying to take over the ship and begun working with Dylan. There had been times in the recent past when the only thing that kept the strange emptiness inside at bay was Beka; thoughts of her or actually being in the other woman’s presence.

‘Perhaps Dylan would know what had happened,’ she thought, searching the ship for her Captain. Dylan was playing basketball with Harper and Trance was sitting on the sidelines cheering them both on. She smiled a little at the image of the delicate, purple humanoid jumping up and down, tail swishing from side to side in her excitement. Trance was as much an enigma as Beka, though of an entirely different fashion.

In any event, it was not a good time to ask her question. Dylan got so little time for recreation that she was loath to interrupt for anything save an emergency. And while upsetting Beka upset Rommie, it didn’t qualify as an emergency. Scanning the rest of her ship, Rommie found Tyr in his quarters reading, probably something about weapons or combat. Even if he wasn’t, the aggressive Nietzchean was hardly the person she would ask for advice. Rev Bem was in the arboretum, though she wasn’t certain if he was meditating or napping. Thinking that perhaps the Magog might be able to counsel her on Beka, Rommie initiated the holographic imager in the arboretum.

As always, Rev seemed unsurprised by her appearance. His alien features were difficult to read at best, his dark and strong facial bone structure covered with patches of hair at the base of his chin. Right now, in his contemplative state, it was even more difficult to do so.

“How may I help you, Rommie?” he asked, voice scratchy and peaceful at once.

“I have a question about Beka,” Rommie replied. She knew that he appreciated directness, even if it hadn’t been her primary manner of dealing with things.

“Which is?”

Under his slightly curious gaze, Rommie suddenly wondered if perhaps she should have kept her confusion to herself. Now it was too late, of course. “I was just speaking to her, she appeared distressed, then for no reason that I can discern, she just left.”

“What was the conversation regarding?” Rev asked.

“I asked if she was all right. She replied in the affirmative. I thought that perhaps she was not being completely forthright and then she mentioned waiting for ‘the other shoe to drop’. I wasn’t certain what she meant so she explained. Beka paused for a long moment, staring at me, then she left. Did I do something wrong?” Rommie hated the slightly anxious tone to her voice but at least she didn’t sound whiney. That would be even worse, she decided.

Rev Bem hesitated then said, “I think that perhaps Beka is still unused to being here. That it has created a dilemma for her.”

“Such as?”

“Such as being on a ship of this size and capabilities in the midst of a mission of peace and reintegration of an ideal she never believed in. And because of that, we are a target for those not like-minded which makes her wish to use force,” Rev clarified. Then he added, “Then again, it could simply be that she’s growing impatient with no longer being in charge. Where is she now?”

Rommie scanned the ship and discovered that Beka was on the Maru. “On the Maru. Which would support your second theory.”

“Not necessarily. Beka Valentine is a complicated woman, one that I would hesitate to guess about. If you are uncertain where you stand with her, you should ask,” Rev said firmly.

“Yet if I do, it might upset the balance she and Dylan have worked out,” Rommie pointed out.

“What of the balance between you and she?” Rev asked.

“I am unimportant in comparison to the welfare of the crew,” Rommie replied immediately, ignoring the quiver within at her own statement.

Holding up a claw-tipped finger, Rev countered, “You are a sentient being and all souls are important. To Beka Valentine some, more than others.”

With that mysterious declaration, Rev smiled at her and left the garden. Frowning after him, Rommie muttered, “Well that was less than helpful.”
 
 
 
 
 
 

“Hey boss lady. What’s up?” Harper asked, sliding into the cockpit beside Beka. It had taken a call to Rommie to find out Beka’s location.

“Nothing,” Beka answered, not opening her eyes. She’d just found a kind of equilibrium for herself when Harper showed up. Naturally. Though her best friend, Harper wasn’t the most soothing of company when she was in this kind of mood. His mercurial temperament, not to mention nonstop chatter, were comfortable most other times. Right now, however, she thought it a little unsafe for him to be near her. She might be too tempted to throttle him.

“Rev talk you into meditation finally?” Harper joked lightly. He was still a little unsure around the Magog, even though he knew he had nothing to fear from this particular Magog.

“If he did, you’re interrupting,” Beka pointed out, finally cracking an eyelid to gaze at her engineer. Harper was damp with sweat but not winded so the odd game Dylan and he had taken to playing together must have been over for a while. “Something wrong?”

“Just wondering why you were sitting all alone. Need a dance partner?” Harper asked.

A code phrase they’d developed if either of them had anything serious to talk about but seemed reluctant to talk. If Dylan was her older brother than Seamus was her younger, she thought idly with a smile. Closing her eyes again, Beka said, “Just moody.”

“You? Never!”

Beka heard the laughter in his voice and couldn’t help but grin. He was pulling her out of the funk even when she didn’t want him to. “You’re a pain in the ass, Harper, anyone ever tell you that?”

“Not often enough,” Harper replied dryly.

Now there was something in his tone that she hadn’t noticed before. Had someone else been ragging him about that? Or was he being literal, she wondered with interest. “So how is our fearless leader? Did he beat you into the ground with that game of his?”

“Ah, no, actually. We’re tied. Trance was having more fun than either of us, cheering for us,” Harper reported. “You should see her, Beka. All jumping up and down, making like we’re both going to win.”

There was that tone again. Peeking at Harper, she saw his shorter, more compact body hanging half over the cockpit chair, his legs dangling in the air. His golden hair, darker than hers but lighter than Dylan’s, was spiky at all angles. It was his face that drew her attention though. He looked flushed, as though she’d either said something to embarrass him or he were remembering something and trying to draw attention away from it by talking too much. A suspicion wormed its way into her thoughts and she tried not to smirk. “So. You and Dylan seem to be getting on a lot better these days. Anything I should know about?”

“Ah, no, not that I know of.”

A definitely cautious tone, as though he knew she was fishing and now she did smirk, practically pouncing on him. “Seamus Zelazny Harper! You like him!”

Harper flushed an even darker color, which showed up incredibly well on his pale skin. “Beka! Please don’t start with me!”

“When did this happen?” Beka demanded, squirming in her chair so that she was facing him. “Why didn’t you say anything to me? What’s happened so far?”

Blue eyes rolling in exasperation Harper sighed and reminded, “We aren’t here to talk about me, Beka. This is all about you and why you’ve been roaming the decks like the walking wounded.”

“Oh no. You aren’t going to get out of it that easy! Details. Right now.”

He eyed her then observed, “You aren’t going to drop this, are you?”

“You know me,” Beka replied with a grin.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “First of all, there isn’t anything happening between me and Dylan.”

“But you want there to be?”

“Hey, who’s talking here?”

“Sorry, go on.”

“There isn’t a lot to tell. He’s still not over Sara, of course, never mind the fact that she’s been dead a couple hundred years. And then there’s the whole Captain/Engineer thing we’ve got going in that he probably would never get involved with someone under his command. And don’t forget the restoring of the Systems Commonwealth deal that consumes his every waking minute. So yeah, I like him Beka, but that’s all it’s ever going to be. All on my side of things.”

Reaching out to squeeze his leg, Beka said, “Not even Captain Dylan Hunt, formerly of the great Systems Commonwealth, can resist the Harper charm and wit for long. Hey, you almost got me into bed once or twice, remember?”

Grinning suddenly, Harper winked and answered, “How could I forget? Damn you’re a tease, boss lady!”

“It’s not my fault you get so easily worked up,” Beka returned, still grinning. “I wonder if I should warn Dylan?”

Snorting, Harper subsided into his chair and asked, “What am I going to do, Beka?”

“We’ll think of something Harper, don’t worry. Even if I have to hogtie him into bed for you,” Beka promised. She grinned as a gleam came into Harper’s eyes at her comment. It was good to have friends. “Don’t worry, Harper, I’ll be subtle.”

She laughed out loud at his groan.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rommie knew the moment Beka and Harper exited the Maru and changed her focus from the bridge to the docking bay to watch them. She was relieved to see Beka smiling and joking with the engineer. The strong willed blond always responded best to Harper, though why that was, Rommie still didn’t know. They shared an odd relationship; almost familial in nature though Trance had told her the two were not blood related.

Which reminded her that Trance was requesting her presence in the medical bay. Reluctantly quitting the sight of Beka’s head thrown back in laughter as she attempted to put a neck-lock on the smaller man, Rommie slid through her internal conduits to activate the holographic imager where Trance waited for her. “Yes Trance?”

Wide blue eyes stared at her innocently as Trance asked, “Were you running an internal diagnostic, Rommie? That took longer than usual.”

“No, I was not,” Rommie replied. Before Trance could ask her anything further along those lines, and feeling strangely reluctant to talk to the little alien about Beka, Rommie continued, “I have the schematics that you were searching for. They were in an alternate archive to which you do not have access. Though how you knew they even existed is beyond me.”

“Great!” Trance exclaimed, moving over to the monitor and hopping onto the stool at the counter.

For the next half hour, Rommie’s primary focus was with Trance as they went over a medical schematic update that had never been implemented, though Rommie could not remember why not. While talking with Trance, Rommie simultaneously maintained their orbit, making minor corrections as needed; monitored all support systems and functions; and responded to the various requests by her crew.

“How’s Beka?”

Startled by the non-sequitar, Rommie paused before answering. “I believe she is fine. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering,” Trance replied, that innocent look still on her face. “I know that you two don’t spend a lot of time together, mostly because of emergencies and all, but I thought it might be a good idea for you to do so. Keep things in balance.”

Another comment about balancing a relationship with Beka in one day, from two very different people on Beka’s crew, her own crew, should probably not be taken lightly. And yet there was something distinctly uncomfortable about putting that advice into practice when she thought about it. Besides which, Trance was unusual when she brought something up. With the ability to read potential futures, it was hard to read when the small woman was being prescient or simply helpful. Unable to help the stiff response, Rommie said, “I will think about it.”

“Really, when you get to know her, Beka’s one of the best people around,” Trance continued, apparently oblivious to Rommie’s attack of nerves. “She’s honest, caring, strong, and underneath that rough, shoot-to-kill-first image, she’s really very sweet.”

Rommie blinked in surprise. Sweet was not a word that came to mind when thinking of Beka Valentine. Strong, yes; physically impressive, especially in her habitually skin-tight black pleather, absolutely; highly motivated, definitely; aggravatingly headstrong and annoyingly impetuous also distinctly came to mind. “I wouldn’t use ‘sweet’ to describe Beka Valentine.”

Smiling broadly, Trance said, “You’d be surprised, Rommie.”

“Surprised about what?” Harper asked from behind.

Rommie had known he’d entered the medical bay but was sufficiently distracted by Trance and images of Beka in her matrix that he startled her anyhow.

“At how sweet Beka can be,” Trance piped up.

An eyebrow raised, Harper commented, “That’s not the first word that comes to mind but yeah, it’s on the list. Any particular reason she’s the topic du jour?”

“I was just thinking that Beka and Rommie should spend more time together,” Trance explained.

“Why not?” Harper agreed, looking at Rommie intently.

Now it was three in one day, definitely time for a strategic retreat. “Now that Harper is here, I’m sure the two of you can work out the rest of the details, Trance.”

Before either of them could say anything, Rommie pulled out of the imager and willed herself back to the bridge. Dylan was in his quarters doing what Captains always did at the end of a quiet day: paperwork. There were a hundred things for her to do, a hundred things that she was doing, and yet Rommie was bored.

That was the only word that she could think of to describe the odd mood that had overtaken her. Well, not the only one, she amended. The emptiness of the last few months returned, doubly as strong and before she consciously made the decision, she unexpectedly jumped to the imager in Dylan’s room. Rommie restrained the impulse to simply appear in his room; that would be a violation of his privacy. She respected her crew and would never do such a thing. On audio only, she requested, “Dylan? May I speak with you?”

“Of course, Rommie.”

Immediately transferring into light as well as sound, Rommie stood in the center of his room, in the study area where he was, as she’d suspected, doing paperwork. “I’m sorry to disturb you.”

Leaning back from the desk, Dylan’s large frame rested easily in the chair, balancing it on the rear legs. The overhead light caught highlights of amber in his longish hair and lit the blue eyes that smiled at her. “What is it?”

Now that she was there, Rommie didn’t know what to say. She actually opened and closed her mouth a few times before shutting it for good. If she’d had teeth, they would have clicked together painfully.

Frowning in concern, Dylan asked, “Rommie? Are you all right?”

His voice was gentle and soothing. She knew that she was programmed to enjoy it but believed Dylan would have had a pleasing voice even without being her captain. “I am…unsure.”

With anyone else, he probably would have invited her to sit, poured a cup of coffee or done something else designed to make her less tense. Part of her problem, she realized, was that she could do none of these things even if he offered; that she didn’t really exist outside her sphere of electronics, her avatar body notwithstanding. Despite that fact, he had always treated her as an equal. Although that could also be part of the problem, she mused. If he hadn’t treated her as such, nor expected others to do so, she might never have evolved beyond her programming. Might never have loved and lost. Might not now be feeling this gaping hole inside, wherever her inside truly was.

“Rommie?”

“I’m sorry, Dylan. I shouldn’t have disturbed you.”

“Rommie, wait!”

Looking into his earnest blue eyes, Rommie couldn’t do anything except stop. He really did ask very little of her. “Yes, Dylan?”

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

Though phrased as an order, Rommie knew it to be a request. He had half risen from his chair when she’d begun to pull back into the imager, his hand in the air to stop her. When she made no further move to leave, he sat back down and waited. The only problem was that she didn’t know where to start. “It’s about Beka.”

He appeared as startled as she felt when the words blurted out. He regained his composure quickly though and asked, “What about Beka?”

“It’s not really about Beka,” Rommie clarified hastily. Something told her to keep that knowledge buried as deeply as possible. Besides which, her odd preoccupation with Beka was probably due to whatever else was wrong with her. “It’s about me. I feel as though I am…incomplete. As though my programming has a flaw somewhere and I am only just now beginning to realize it.”

“Incomplete how?” Dylan probed gently.

“I…I don’t know. I feel…I’m uncertain how I feel. I shouldn’t feel anything like this, Dylan! I only know that even though I go on doing what I have always done, I have little to occupy my attention. Part of that is due to the crew shortage, I know. But that’s a small part. I feel…isolated and…removed from all of you and I don’t know why,” Rommie admitted, her voice raising slightly at the end.

Standing, Dylan walked over to her and said, “It’s all right, Rommie. We’ll figure this out. I’ll talk with Harper and we’ll find out what’s wrong.”

Looking him in the eyes, Rommie asked with a tinge of despair, “What if nothing is wrong, Dylan? What if I am feeling all this because I am meant to?”

“We’ll cross that bridge if we get to it,” Dylan assured her. “For now, let me get Harper, all right?”

Though she acquiesced, Rommie knew it would do no good. Harper would find nothing wrong and she would be forced to feel whatever this was forever. If she had a heart, it would have ached at the thought. As it was, Rommie began to understand the meaning of the word futility.
 
 
 
 
 
 

“There is something.”

Startled, Rommie looked first at Dylan and then at Harper through her avatar eyes. He pulled the connector cord from his neck as she repeated, “There’s something? What something?”

“I’m not sure. Everything checks out on a diagnostic. All your systems are running perfectly, Rommie. But there’s an echo that I’m just barely catching hold of. Never noticed it before and I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been looking really hard this time,” Harper admitted, rubbing his neck. The data port where he connected to interface with Rommie was a little sore; strained from the long-term connection they’d just shared. Dylan moved closer and kneaded the muscles there for him and his eyes closed in near bliss. Strong hand, gentle hand and Dylan knew just what to do with it.

“Can you narrow it down more?” Dylan asked.

“Not without another go and to be honest, I’m too wiped right now to attempt it,” Harper confessed.

“Of course, Harper, I should have pulled you out sooner,” Rommie apologized.

“Don’t sweat it, gorgeous. You know that I’d do anything for you,” Harper promised with a smile. He winced when Dylan’s hand tightened slightly, though it was only for a second. He looked up at the taller man but nothing, as usual, showed on Dylan’s face. He was like some ancient god; not only way too handsome but made in stone when his Captain’s mask was on.

Dylan pulled his hand back, realizing that his irritation over Harper’s flirting had translated into an overly hard pinch. “First thing in the morning then. Your new priority is finding this problem and fixing it.”

Rommie was still surprised there was a problem to fix. Maybe she could go back to the way she’d been, then, and find that certainty of purpose that had abandoned her of late. It might also take away the disturbingly sensual images in her matrix that insisted on revolving around Beka. Relieved, she said, “Thank you, Harper.”

Yawning, Harper nodded and waved a good night. She looked to Dylan and suggested, “You might want to accompany him to his quarters, make sure he gets there in his current condition. I wasn’t paying enough attention to realize how exhausted he really is.”

“Right. Good idea, Rommie,” Dylan thanked, moving quickly to follow Harper.

Rommie smiled faintly. It was good that Dylan was moving on after Sara, even if he did need a subtle nudge once in a while. He was too alone, too burdened by their mission to make staying single a serious option, even if he didn’t realize it. She was rather surprised at his choice but then, perhaps she shouldn’t be given his rather limited choices. Beka had apparently fallen into the category of sibling, Tyr was still a potentially dangerous rival, if no longer actively working against them, Rev didn’t even enter into the equation and Trance; well Trance was Trance.

Harper was engaging and social to Dylan’s stoic reserve and that was just what Dylan needed. Having linked with Harper many times, she knew the engineer’s soul went far deeper than his bravado even hinted at. Certainly he was a more than adequate match for Dylan. Rommie wondered if perhaps she should keep a closer watch on the two in the future. So far they hadn’t done much more than beat each other silly in basketball with Trance cheering on the sidelines. Thinking about Trance brought to mind the alien’s comments about spending time with Beka. She blamed the echo Harper had found when that thought was greeted with increased respiration and an anticipatory feeling flushed through her.

Beka, she noted, was in Harper’s area.
 
 
 
 
 
 

“Do you need assistance?”

Rommie’s question startled Beka enough for her to jerk upright and bang her head on the console directly above. Cursing, she put a hand to her head and held the throbbing spot for a long minute. When the pain finally dulled, she glanced over to see Rommie in her avatar body standing a short distance away. As realistic as the holograms of the AI were, they didn’t do her avatar any justice. Harper was indeed a talented man when it came to putting things together. “Not particularly.”

“I see. Well, I am sorry to bother you.”

Beka thought she heard disappointment in the other woman’s voice and called out, “Rommie wait. You can help me, actually.”

When Rommie appeared distinctly more cheerful, Beka smiled and knew she’d chosen right. In the beginning, just after Harper had first created Rommie’s artificial body, it had been distinctly weird to know that the woman was not real, that she was only an extension of the AI personality of Andromeda. Over time, though, it had become second nature to talk and interact with Rommie via this feature. Of course, over time it had simply become second nature to talk and interact with Rommie period.

One of the things that made her so lifelike was the way her personality sparkled through the dark eyes, as they were doing now. As they had done on many occasions past when the two women had spent time together. Beka knew that Rommie liked to feel useful to the crew and said, “I’m trying to figure out how to get this thing working. Harper’s disappeared somewhere, probably crashing after that game he and Dylan had earlier.”

“He is,” Rommie confirmed. “I sent Dylan after him to make sure Harper made it to her quarters.”

“Way to go, Rommie,” Beka complimented with a grin. “I didn’t realize you were so devious.”

“Dylan is many things but perceptive, at least when it pertains to his own personal life, is not one of them,” Rommie observed wryly.

“Noticed that, did you?” Beka said, still grinning. “Want to bet when they finally realize they’re made for each other?”

Squinting at Beka suspiciously, Rommie answered, “I have also noticed that you do not bet unless it is, as humans say, a sure thing. Therefore you must have inside information to which I am not privy.”

Chuckling, Beka said, “Caught me. I talked to Harper about it just today.”

Leaning on the counter between them conspiratorially, Rommie rested her chin in her hand and asked, “And?”

“And he likes Dylan. A lot from the way his eyes lit up talking about him. He thinks Dylan is going to have issues with the whole subordinate thing though. That and not having a personal life in his quest to restore the Commonwealth,” Beka confided.

“Dylan does tend to become rather single minded,” Rommie agreed wryly. “Still, I think I can show him, discretely of course, that a satisfied captain makes for a happy crew.”

“Rommie!” Beka exclaimed with a laugh. The sly look in the other woman’s eyes when she murmured ‘satisfied’ made her meaning unmistakable. “You are just full of surprises.”

Shrugging, Rommie straightened and said, “Even to myself, apparently.”

“What does that mean?” Beka asked sharply. She didn’t like the way Rommie now stood with her arms crossed tensely over her chest. As though something she couldn’t handle pressed against her.

Hesitantly, Rommie replied, “I do not want to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble,” Beka said firmly. She was so used to the confident, unshakable Rommie that this new and sudden shift threw her for a moment. Not for long though. Rommie had been there too many times for her not to respond. She pushed herself up on the tool-littered counter and shoved a spot clear beside her. “Talk to me.”

Using a chair to climb gracefully onto the high surface, Rommie sat beside Beka and remained silent for a few minutes. Beka waited patiently.

“Harper found something wrong in my programming. An echo is what he called it,” Rommie admitted in a low voice. “He is going to do a more thorough check in the morning when he is up to it.”

A flash of fear went through her at Rommie’s words. “But you’re all right, right? I mean, you’re not in any danger from it?”

“It does not appear harmful; simply disturbing. I feel isolated and alone when I shouldn’t feel anything at all,” Rommie said.

“What do you mean you shouldn’t feel anything?” Beka asked. “I know you feel things, Rommie.”

“Concern for the health and well being of my crew, a protective streak for my crew, a moderate sense of self-preservation. All those things are well within the parameters of my programming. I think this may have started when Pax first came on board. And then…then there was Gabriel. That was, really, when I first realized I was capable of feeling things far beyond my programming.”

“I know how hard you took that,” Beka murmured, placing a comforting hand on Rommie’s thigh. She remembered the handsome android that had come aboard a few months before and fooled them all and, in the process, stolen Rommie’s heart. The depth of Rommie’s feelings for the virtual stranger had taken them all by surprise, Dylan the most, Beka knew. Not that it had stopped Rommie from destroying the android who had been programmed to betray them a final, fatal time.

“Since then, I haven’t really gone back to…normal functioning parameters I suppose,” Rommie said. “But it hasn’t been a problem, either, not until recently. I actually thought that having this added perception would be a good thing, I can relate more to all of you. But now…”

“Now?” Beka prompted when Rommie fell silent and looked down at the floor.

Rommie looked up into Beka’s eyes. “Now it’s something I no longer wish to feel. I don’t like this…emptiness inside me. No matter what I do, or what I have to do, or what’s going on, it is always present. Almost always.”

“What makes it go away?” Beka asked softly.

Rommie looked away from the intense gaze, feeling they were straying into dangerous territory. “Being with people, in their immediate presence, like now.”

Beka frowned slightly, hearing a hesitation in Rommie’s voice that only showed on certain occasions. “Rommie. I know you’re lying. Well, evading at the least.”

Startled, Rommie looked back at Beka and asked, “How do you know?”

“I pay attention,” Beka said. She hesitated, thinking about who might be the one to make things better for Rommie. It only took a few seconds to work it out, of course. “It’s all right for you to care for Dylan, Rommie. I know how long the two of you have worked together. It’s only natural that he would be the one to help you through this.”

Rommie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Beka’s misunderstanding and was immediately distressed that she felt either to be a valid selection. Jumping off the counter, she strode a few paces away before turning to say, “It’s not Dylan. Dylan is not an option and I don’t really want him to be. He’s my Captain.”

Also getting off the counter, Beka crossed the distance between them and touched Rommie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Rommie, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Rommie looked at little wild at her touch, her carefully concealed emotions obviously out of control. Beka pulled her hand back but Rommie grabbed it and used her strength to pull Beka against her, wrapping her other arm around Beka’s back while her mouth centered upon Beka’s. Stunned by Rommie’s intensity, Beka didn’t at first respond. When it finally penetrated that Rommie was actually kissing her, Beka’s mouth opened to the demand of the avatar’s tongue.

‘She feels real enough,’ Beka thought vaguely. The press of their breasts together, the warmth of skin on skin, even the strength in the arms surrounding her were all very real. The most real thing to Beka, however, was the need in the kiss. Opening her mouth further, Beka’s own tongue slid aside then danced with Rommie’s. Heat suffused her body and she moaned into the silence. It had been so long since anyone had touched her that even the desperation behind Rommie’s touch faded into the background. It was enough, for the moment, to be touched and to return in kind.

Breathing heavily, Beka finally pulled back, traces of their mixed saliva on her kiss-softened mouth. Though Rommie was not, naturally, breathing heavy, Beka could see a flush to the avatar’s face, one that sharpened her exotic beauty. Held securely in Rommie’s arms, her forehead rested on a handy shoulder, Beka was thankful they were of a similar height as she tried to regain her composure. A difficult thing to do while held so intimately.

When she could finally think without the flood of hormones interfering too badly, Beka raised her head to look into the dark eyes filled with a mix of need and confusion. “Wow. That I did not expect.”

“I’m sorry, Beka, I honestly don’t know what is wrong with me,” Rommie said, releasing her hold on the other woman.

It was Beka’s turn to reach out, wrapping her arms around the AI’s neck to keep her close. Everything about this felt real, Beka realized; from the faint flush still around the face to the soft curve of Rommie’s spine. More than that, she knew that something had happened to Rommie during her encounter with Gabriel. Something had unlocked the emotions of the AI and caused the ‘echo’ that Harper had found.

Though Rommie could easily have broken free of her embrace, she didn’t, perhaps sensing Beka’s wish to work through her thoughts. Beka was grateful to be given the time because she needed it. Keeping Rommie close reinforced the feeling of rightness in their embrace. “Rommie, how long have you felt this way about me?”

“I do not know,” Rommie admitted quietly. “You have occupied my thoughts much of late. I was especially distressed when you became addicted to Flash. It seemed to bring my feelings into a concrete sense for you where before, you were simply an interesting enigma.”

Smiling, Beka repeated, “An interesting enigma, hm? Well, it’s certainly a lot nicer than some of the things I’ve been called.”

“Beka, what am I going to do? It was bad enough when Gabriel…when I felt things for Gabriel and he was an android. We were at least of the same kind. But you’re human! How can you ever possibly feel anything for an AI?” Rommie finished almost bitterly.

“Rommie, hey, don’t do that. Do not even think that way. I don’t know what I feel,” Beka said honestly. Her hand reached over to brush soft hair from Rommie’s forehead. “I’ve always been attracted to you, I’d have to be dead not to with a body like that. But I don’t know if this is anything more than that. I will always be honest with you Rommie. I always have been, haven’t I?”

            Nodding reluctantly, Rommie agreed, “Yes.”

            “Good. Then let’s just see what tomorrow brings. For all you know, this is a similar attraction and not something meant to go any further. Harper is going to look you over and see exactly what this echo thing is and what, if anything, can be done to fix it. We don’t know if it has anything to do with how you are feeling or not. Take it one step at a time, all right?” Beka suggested gently.

            This time, Rommie leaned forward, resting her forehead on Beka’s shoulder. That kiss had been so much, emotions and sensations had flooded through her system at Beka’s passionate response. Her lips had been as soft as Rommie had imagines. Her arms slipped around Beka’s waist as she thought, ‘I don’t want Harper to fix it.’

            Beka rubbed Rommie’s back, her fingers trailing lightly up and down along the spinal column through the thin shirt material. It felt good all over, the tingling returning to points south as Rommie nuzzled at her throat. Unfortunately, the day caught up to her and a yawn forced its way through her will.

Rommie reluctantly pulled back and said, “It’s late. You should get some sleep.”

Grinning faintly, Beka agreed, “It’s been a long day. Walk me to my quarters?”

“Of course,” Rommie replied.

The halls were deserted as they traced through Andromeda to Beka’s rooms. At her door, Beka found herself unsure of what to say. Rommie looked almost as upset as before their kiss. Cupping Rommie’s face with her hands, she leaned forward to press a brief kiss to the AI’s lips. Pulling back, she said, “Try not to worry. We’ll figure out what to do.”

Rommie nodded, not looking at all reassured. “Thank you, Beka. For being there for me.”

Grinning slyly, Beka replied, “Anytime, Rommie, anytime.”

Rommie laughed at her tone and said, “Sleep well.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

“Tell me again why you want to be here?” Harper asked, holding the cable close to his neck-port but not connecting.

“Because Rommie deserves all our support,” Beka said firmly, ignoring the irritation her engineer was deliberately trying to stir up. He did that sometimes, stirred up trouble just because he could. Well two could play with that game. “Unless you can’t perform because you’re still too tired?”

Green-blue eyes narrowed but Harper slid the cable home without further comment. Beka watched as his body went limp in the chair while his mind made the jump to Rommie’s internal circuitry. It was disconcerting just how vulnerable Harper was during the mental exchange. Despite the fact that this was the only way to help Rommie, and that he’d had the port longer than Beka had known him, she still felt protective of the younger man. Her glance slid to Dylan and she was pleased to note the faint frown on his face as he took in the same sight. “So you and Harper seem to be getting pretty good friends.”

Dylan returned her look serenely and said, “You might say that.”

“What else might I say?” Beka asked bluntly.

“That as my first officer, this is none of your business,” Dylan continued mildly.

She hated it when he pulled the calm captain crap. “As Harper’s friend, it is my business. And captain or not, if you hurt him I’ll beat you into the next millennium.”

Beka watched the realization that he could hurt Harper sink in with satisfaction. It had now been brought to his attention, rather forcibly, that Harper was in a position of vulnerability with him, in more ways than one. Not the subtle approach she’d promised Seamus but then, Beka wasn’t really the subtle sort. Turning her attention to the matter at hand, Beka frowned and asked, “Any idea how long this is going to take?”

“Not a clue,” Dylan answered. “He was in there at least two hours last night.”

“Really? I probably shouldn’t have razzed him about being tired then,” Beka said guiltily.

“If you hadn’t, he probably would’ve thought something was wrong,” Dylan pointed out.

“I guess.” Beka wondered what, if anything, Harper would find wrong with Rommie. She was more than half hoping he wouldn’t find anything. That Rommie really did care for her more than was wise for either of them. It had been a long time since someone had felt anything like that for Beka, a very long time. And while she had spoken the truth the night before, that she didn’t know what this might turn into, Beka knew it wouldn’t take much for her to fall in love with Rommie. She might be AI to the most powerful ship in the galaxy but Rommie was also a sensitive and incredible woman.

Beka just hoped that whatever Harper found would leave the good and take away the bad.
 
 
 
 
 
 

“Rommie, I can’t see with you blocking the light like that,” Harper complained.

Instantly stepping back, Rommie apologized, “I’m sorry, Harper. It’s just uncomfortable with you here.”

“I know Rommie and I’m sorry but I had to come this deep in order to find the sucker,” Harper said, his virtual hands moving carefully over highly sensitive electrical pathways. If he were really there he would, naturally, already be dead. As a virtual entity, though, he could move around within Rommie without harming either of them. It helped in repair and upgrades and all manner of things.

Keeping her hands firmly clasped behind her back, Rommie waited, still hovering but at a greater distance. She trusted Harper, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was having anyone this deep within her. There had only been two others this deep and they had both betrayed her: her sister and her lover.

“Oooh. Now what have we here?” Harper murmured.

“What? What is it?” Rommie demanded, moving closer.

Ignoring her, Harper delved further into the conduit he was exploring, vanishing from sight altogether. It seemed an eternity before he reappeared and when he did, he looked far too serious to be Harper. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, there’s good news and there’s bad news,” Harper hedged.

“Just tell me.” The wait was excruciating.

“You’ve definitely got a bug, Rommie. A really nasty one, too. It’s linked into your matrix directly, probably downloaded from Gabriel. Although I guess Pax could’ve been the carrier since she was in here, too. Come to think of it, it seems a little more unstable than I would expect from Gabriel, calculating bastard that he was. I mean…”

“Harper!” Rommie interrupted.

“Right. Sorry.” And he did look apologetic, running a hand through his already wildly askew hair. “Anyhow. I can get rid of it but I’m pretty sure it’ll take some, maybe all your emotions with it, not just the depressing, needy ones.”

“All of them? You mean I won’t…won’t care for any of you?” Rommie was horrified.

“It’s locked into the part of your personality matrix that controls emotions and responses,” Harper confirmed. “I don’t know if it will take all of them with it if I destroy it or not.”

“Was that the good news or the bad news?” Rommie asked faintly.

“Ah, the bad news. The good news is being able to program it out of you at all,” Harper admitted.

“Thank you, Harper. You can leave now,” Rommie said, turning away.

“Rommie, I am sorry,” Harper offered, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you,” she repeated, not moving.

“Right,” Harper muttered. He pulled his hand back and reached for the virtual connection in his throat that would sever the link with Rommie. It took more than the usual half-minute to recognize his surroundings and from that, Harper would have known that he’d been out a long time even if Beka and Dylan hadn’t both been wearing almost identical, worried frowns. “How long?”

“Four hours, Harper! I was just about to have Rommie tell you to come out!” Dylan exclaimed. Taking a calming breath, he asked, “What did you find?”

“A particularly nasty program attached to our dear Rommie’s matrix personality,” Harper answered.

“That’s a bad thing,” Dylan guessed.

“A very bad thing,” Harper agreed. “I can wipe it out but I don’t know how many of her real emotions will get wiped out at the same time.”

“You can’t target just that program?” Beka asked, chewing on a nail.

“Oh sure, and that’s what I plan to do. But I don’t know what kind of defenses this thing has. It’s extremely advanced and highly toxic, well, toxic to Rommie,” Harper amended. “I also don’t know whether leaving it alone is the answer or not. We could leave it be and suddenly have another Pax on our hands.”

“Destroy it.”

Rommie’s calm voice surprised all three humans and they turned to her image. Beka searched the dark eyes made incongruously from moving light particles but found nothing except a calm and implacable self-assurance. “Rommie, are you sure about this?”

Returning Beka’s gaze, Rommie answered flatly, “Of course. We cannot afford the chance that I will become unstable. If the only way to do that is to get rid of the program then that is what should be done.”

“Rommie. You shouldn’t do this for us,” Harper protested. “If your other programs are harmed or destroyed in the exchange then you won’t, well, you won’t be Rommie anymore. You’ll only be Andromeda.”

“Dylan. You know it has to be done,” Rommie said, turning to her Captain.

Unwillingly, Dylan nodded. “She’s right. If Rommie were to become unstable, she could become a danger both to us, and the galaxy at large. There’s no help for it. Harper, once you’ve rested, get whatever you need put together and then contact us when you’re ready to put it into action.”

“Dylan…”

“That’s an order Harper.”

Angrily, Harper bit out, “Yes, sir! Right away, sir!”

Beka’s eyes hadn’t left Rommie throughout Dylan and Harper’s interchange. She watched the AI carefully but couldn’t determine anything that might suggest Rommie was uncomfortable with her decision.

“Beka?”

Pulling her gaze from Rommie’s image, Beka looked at Dylan. Her tone softened from the irritation that had been about to spill out as she took in his agitated expression. “Yes, Dylan?”

“Would you check on Harper for me? Make sure he’s okay with this?” Dylan asked hesitantly.

“I think he’d like it better if you checked on him,” Beka said honestly. She hid the grin threatening to burst out at his stymied expression and suggested, “Just give him an hour or so to cool down. Bring him a Sparky cola. That’ll cheer him up.”

Eyebrows raised, Dylan said, “You’re sadistic, you know that?”

Beka chuckled and said, “It’s not like he can get much more hyper than he already is.”

Morosely, Dylan began to leave muttering, “I guess.”

When he was gone, Beka turned back to Rommie, crossing her arms as she did so. “Rommie, talk to me. You can’t be serious about this. You don’t know what this will do to you.”

“Beka, my first obligation is to Dylan and my mission. I must carry that out above all else,” Rommie answered. “If there is even a chance of my breaking down then it must be prevented.”

Beka knew that nothing she could say would sway the AI but suddenly wished there was, even though she knew this was the right thing to do. If something did go wrong, if the cure did prove to be worse than the problem, then she would miss Rommie…a lot.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Beka felt like she was hovering almost as anxiously as Dylan while they waited for Harper to finish deploying the antivirus. Harper wasn’t connected to Rommie for this; they were taking no chances that something might leak into his hardware and cause damage.

“Geeze boss, hang back, will ya?” Harper demanded, running a hand through his hand.

“Sorry,” Beka said contritely, moving back. She bumped into Dylan and they shared a commiserating look. Waiting to make sure a crewmember was all right was always the worst part of command. And no matter what Rommie might think, she was every bit a part of their crew as Harper, Trance, or even Tyr.

“Okay. All done,” Harper said at last, moving back from the terminal.

“That’s it?” Dylan asked in surprise. Harper had been at the keyboard less than ten minutes.

“What, you expected a fireworks display or something?” Harper asked with a grin.

“Ah, something,” Beka agreed. “Now what?”

“Now we wait,” Harper informed them, his expression growing serious. “She should know in the next fifteen minutes or so what the final results will be.”

“Less than that,” Rommie said suddenly, appearing from the imager.

The three humans stared at her, waiting.

“I regret to inform you that the Rommie you knew, the affected Rommie, has been subsumed by the antiviral program that Mr. Harper introduced into the Andromeda systems.”

Beka was stunned. She’d thought for certain that Harper would somehow be able to pull it off that Rommie would remain the same. That the woman who had grown to care for Beka, that she’d grown to care for, would remain. Her eyes closed briefly in pain as she remembered the times they had spent together in growing friendship over the past year. It wasn’t just that she’d lost the potential for love, though that hurt badly enough, it was that her friend was gone.

“Beka, are you all right?” Harper asked, noticing how pale she’d gone. He reached out and grabbed her elbow to steady her.

“Fine, I’m fine Harper,” Beka snapped sharply, yanking her arm away. Taking a breath she apologized, “I’m sorry, I’ve got things on my mind.”

Dylan looked at her with what appeared to be sympathy and she realized that he too had lost a friend in the transfer. She managed a faint smile of assurance then said to the hologram, “I’m glad that you’re feeling better Rom…Andromeda.”

“Thank you, Commander Valentine,” the hologram replied, pleasantly but formally.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rommie tracked Beka’s erratic progress through the ship until Beka ended up back in the Maru. From there, her sensors did not apply though she desperately wished they did. Deceit was not new to her program but using on a personal basis was. She had seen the way Beka had reacted and yet perpetuated the false image that Harper’s program had wiped out her emotions. It would be better this way for all of them. Beka wouldn’t be tied to a confused and confusing AI that didn’t know her own feelings, let alone how to control them.

Knowing this was the best course however, didn’t make it any easier.
 

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