"Oh, crap." Harper struggled with the suddenly sluggish pilot's controls. "Rommie!"

"We are losing the slipstream drive." Rommie responded as Tyr stumbled into the bridge.

"What's happened?"

"We have a malfunction." Rommie stated too calmly for Harper's liking.

"No, shit!" Harper complained. "Dropping out. Hold on!"

Tyr gripped the environmentals controls and braced as Harper dropped them out of slipstream; straight at a planet. "Where are we?"

"Come on. Hold together." Harper growled. "Beka will kill me."

"Harper.... "

"We need to land." Rommie stated.

"That's good because we're going to whether we want to or not."

"Inhabitants?" Tyr rushed.

"A settlement. It's hard to tell, most of our systems are scrambled."

"Some easy run." Harper snided.

"The upside is, we came out of slip too close to the planet," Rommie stated. "They're blind."

"So are we."

"Hold on!"

"Harper, reentry!"

"I'm working on it! Strap in tight!"

**

"Ow."

"You are alive." Tyr stated then smiled as Harper stuck his tongue out at him. "I would be very happy too but we have a lot of work to do."

"We crashed!" Harper jerked up and caught Tyr's arms as felt dizzy. "Are you all right? Where's Rommie?"

"Easy, I'm fine and she's in the data store." Tyr nodded and helped him to sit up on the edge of the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Um, okay? I think I'm hungry."

Tyr grinned. "I'll get us something while you check on her."

Harper nodded then regretted it. "No, I'm cool, just a little dizzy."

"Then don't get up." Rommie ordered as she entered the bunk area. "We have a virus. The Maru's systems are corrupted."

"Damn."

"How was it uploaded?"

"I don't know yet but I think it is targeted at me. My ship me." She added. "I jacked in to have a look and the fragments I encountered all became active and ran away."

"A feeder program?" Harper frowned. "Something like that shouldn't even be awake on the Maru."

"I accessed the system just before launch."

"Oh yeah." Harper nodded then saw Tyr's confusion. He knew the big guy didn't want to ask so he offered. "A feeder is just what it sounds like. It feeds off the energy of the infected computer. The smarter the system the faster the virus grows, the stronger it becomes. Rommie's signature must have woke it up because the Maru isn't too bright and most of the systems are separate. Where is it?" He asked Rommie.

"Everywhere. It was in propulsion but when that went down I went in to speed up data transfer."

Tyr shook his head. "How long to fix it?"

"Depends on the virus. I'll have to go in through goggles to keep my signature low."

"We have to find the source." Rommie stated.

"Meaning?"

"I think the virus is still uploading. We still have minor systems."

Tyr stood. "What was brought on board?"

Rommie steadied Harper as they went to check the cargo but despite Tyr's most thorough search they couldn't find anything. They even checked the private and personal package Harper had picked up on Stardust drift. Anal beads and cushioned handcuffs.

"I will delete that image from my data banks." Rommie promised but grinned at Harper. "But I will run a few simulations on the possibilities until then."

Harper blushed then looked at Tyr.

"We will talk later, for now we still need to find the virus source."

"Right. I can't think of any other place. It has to be new or we would have found it sooner. Rommie jacks in as a matter of course every time she's onboard."

"Was anyone on board at Stardust?"

"No." Rommie shook her head. "I was the last off the Maru each time we went onto the drift. I leave my signature. Returning you override then Harper enters then I check the signatures. Only our three signatures have been on the Maru since we left me. Andromeda."

"How else can the virus be introduced?" Tyr asked. "Think. Run down the list."

"There isn't a list." Rommie countered. "A computer virus needs a computer."

"Or simply access to power." Harper thought out loud. "If it's a feeder. It would follow any power source. All it would need is access."

"Say it."

"When we dock with a drift we connect power feeds."

"They are reinforced to prevent such transfers." Rommie dismissed the idea. "Drifts would go out of business if they let that happen."

"We'll check it anyway." Tyr stated. "Other ideas."

Harper shook his head. "I might get an idea when I have a look at it."

"See it through my encounter." Rommie suggested. "It might attack the low energy of goggles."

Harper nodded and pulled out his wire. Harper ogled her and grinned, then nodded at her frown. "While I'm in there I want to make sure you weren't infected. Sorry, beautiful, but I'm going to have to look around."

She nodded slowly. "I understand."

Tyr settled behind Harper prepared to catch him when his body collapsed but Harper didn't enter that deeply. He stayed aware and spoke as he worked. Interestingly, a few minutes into Harper's exam, Rommie began to look uncomfortable.

Harper got a good look at the images of Rommie's encounter with the virus then had a look around. Everything looked good but Rommie was shielding a file bundle. "Come on Rommie, this is me, Harper, your engineer. I have to look."

"The virus wouldn't be in there, Harper."

"Let him look." Tyr ordered but went silent when Harper squeezed his arm.

"I'm sorry Rommie but you know how viruses are. I am your engineer. Your doctor. I'll only look for the virus. I promise. You're my Rom-doll. I love you, would never want to hurt you, but I need to see the bundle."

Rommie nodded and looked away.

"Okay, easy now, I ..."

"Harper?" Tyr worried. "What is it?"

"It's okay." Harper sighed and pulled back, leaving Rommie's memories of Gabriel alone. He pulled out and immediately hugged her. "I'm sorry."

"I'm all right."

"Rommie, this is me here. I know better. Would you hug me if I ... went through that?"

Rommie hugged him back and nodded. "I would."

Harper stroked her back. "Shut down for a few seconds. It's all right. We're here."

Rommie closed her eyes and went lax.

"What happened?"

"Rommie isn't infected but the virus is definitely a feeder. The problem with these things is that they grow stronger with power but you need power to kill them. We have to find the source. Rommie's right. We are carrying the source."

"What else did you see?"

Harper shook his head and look down at Rommie's head. "Joy. Pain. She has emotions Tyr. You may not think of them as real, but they are. To her they are very real."

Tyr didn't argue data program versus chemical response. They'd had that argument before and Harper simply refused to accept the difference. He nodded slowly then watched her 'wake up'.

"Reserves?"

"Eighty-four percent." Rommie nodded. "I can't power-up until the virus is out of the system."

"Then we had better find that source."

"Rommie can you run a walking scan on the interior while Tyr and I check the connection lines?"

"I'm not going to fall apart." She smiled as she stood.

"I would." Harper mumbled and walked out.

Tyr saw Rommie hesitate, she glanced at him, worried. "What did he see?"

She met his gaze for a moment then shook her head and followed Harper. "I will begin on the bridge."

"Right."

"I need to plant a sensor perimeter and deploy the camouflage."

Harper glanced at Rommie. "I'll check the connection lines, you go with Tyr."

"You shouldn't be climbing up there alone."

"We are debating?" Tyr growled.

"Harper, " Rommie sighed. "Eat something then begin internal scans. Tyr and I will set up a perimeter."

"Sounds good. Objections?" Harper asked casually. "Then that's the plan. I make lunch. Lucky Tyr."

Tyr growled for effect then grabbed his short muzzled big gun. "The sub-dermals are still working so call if you get company."He ordered and walked out.

"Watch your balance." Rommie warned as she collected sensors then followed Tyr.

**

Rommie and Tyr deployed the camouflage netting from the top of the Maru then inspected the network of nanos and mesh before beginning the perimeter. They walked in opposite circles through the sparse forest planting sensors and checking for evidence of sentient life. Both found some but neither saw anything big enough to set animal traps or shoot trees. They gave themselves as large a perimeter as they had sensors for then joined up where the grassland gave way to the merger forest and compared notes.

"Hunting parties."

"They maybe primitive but I doubt it."

"The burn I found was from a gauss gun."

She nodded. "Slipstream capable at least but I only saw one settlement."

"A new pride would be fortunate to find a habitable planet. They would be fiercely protective."

"Nietzscheans don't generally miss."

"Children need to practice. Live ammunition is best to hone skills."

"Agreed. Nietzschean or not, a small colony will not like us crashing into their hunting grounds. And the Maru is not hidden at all by these trees. The camo is only going to be so effective in this terrain."

"Agreed." Tyr straightened. "Let's get back."

Rommie stood and scanned the area one last time with her own sensors. "The perimeter is going to eat up a lot of my power."

"Spot check every half hour. If you catch something then we'll go full on the second line."

She nodded. "You'll be outside. There are a lot of animals to give warning."

"Yes."

They entered the Maru to hear Harper's singing.

"We could use that as a defense." Rommie chuckled.

"Defense?" Harper looked up, worried. "Do we have neighbors?"

Tyr smiled for him. "Yes but they haven't appeared."

"Anything on scans?" Rommie looked at the scanner.

"Not yet. The bridge is clear. I'm thawing veggies and some meat." He grinned at Tyr. "I couldn't bring myself to feed you a Reso bologna sandwich."

"I thank you for that." Tyr nodded and entered the galley. "Why is there oil sitting in a bowl?"

"Rommie eats, too, you know. I added some tarragon." He smiled at Rommie.

She grinned and went into the galley. She poured the oil into a cup and drank it while Tyr made a quick stir fry. Once they had eaten Rommie took over internal scans and Harper and Tyr went outside to check the drift connections.

She was just into the engine room when they returned empty handed.

"It's getting hot out there. Why couldn't we crash in a tall conifer forest instead of a scrub? Find anything?"

"Something." She frowned. "Harper do you have any programs down here that would register?"

"No. What have you got?"

"A tickle."

"Where?"

"Behind the core. It looks like there's something above the sub-light engines."

Harper scrambled up and over and looked around. "I can't see anything. Tyr, hand me the other scanner, would ya?"

Tyr obeyed then stood back. This wasn't his strength but knew he had probably the best pair in three galaxies for the job.

"Bingo." Harper cheered. "It's coming in through the feed line."

"Can you see where it's planted?" Rommie asked.

Tyr wondered for a moment why Rommie was keeping her distance then remembered that she was at risk for infection and they couldn't risk losing her.

"It's in there."

Tyr grabbed Harper as he wriggled and squeezed and hung out over a three meter drop.

"How did they get it ... Pull me back."

Tyr did and watched his face. "What is it?"

"Nobody came on board and I can't imagine anyone trying to plant a virus here. It's crazy. It has to be outside."

"We checked the connection lines." Rommie frowned.

"Rommie, if you wanted to do maintenance on your outer sensor pile you wouldn't go at it from inside." Harper climbed down. "You go out on the hull and open the access patch over the pile you wanted to work on."

"Someone went walking around on the Maru's hull while we were docked? That is insane." Rommie shook her head.

"Maybe three hundred years ago but not today. It can be done. It has been done. Let's go."

Harper nodded.

Half an hour later they had found the virus core plant and were back on the ground. "Cute little guy."

"Harper."

"Well it is. It's small and tight. External shielding, internal masking. They wanted us to get dumped out of slipstream and disappear. Bleed the sub-lights and destroy the core and we float. Nice. Think about it, Tyr, the Maru is one candle compared to Andromeda's raging inferno."

"If I hadn't triggered it we would have down loaded it into my systems." Rommie shuddered. "If the size of that core is any indication, this is a huge virus."

Harper nodded and held her hand.

"How do we get rid of it?" Tyr asked.

"We could simply erase the active files and upload what files we need from me." Rommie suggested.

"No." Harper refused to even consider the idea. "Feeders are tough. I've yet to meet one that was that easy. Once you start an upload it will infect you and learn your primary code for interface with Andromeda. It'll have everything it needs to simply start attacking." He explained for Tyr. "As it is now, it's learning the Maru's language, that takes time. We have to fight it on its terms. But we'll cheat."

Rommie looked at Tyr. "That will take time."

"How much time?" Tyr demanded.

"That depends on the virus." Harper eyed them. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Concentrate on the virus." Tyr ordered.

"Rommie?"

She sighed. "We found evidence of gauss gun fire when we were setting the perimeter."

Harper nodded. "Great." He pulled out his wire. "I need another look at your record of the virus."

She nodded and settled in to accept Harper inside her.

Tyr watched them for a few minutes then paced. He could handle inactivity but he preferred knowing how to fight his enemy. He hated computer viruses. He couldn't fight them. But Harper could. The thought let him relax somewhat.

"Hhmm." Harper fiddle absently with a thread from his pants.

"Concentrate." Tyr growled.

"Sshh."

Rommie met his gaze and nodded then winced.

"I know."

A thought occurred to Tyr and he stiffened. "How could you have contact with the virus and not be infected. You power signature is quite strong?"

"It takes time to learn new code." Harper stated.

"And I pulled out as soon as I saw it." Rommie added then frowned. "Harper could it be a sleeper, too?"

"I didn't see evidence of that."Harper eyed her. "This was designed for an Andromeda sized power source. Sorry, sweetheart, but you are running on reserves and Maru power. You may have woke it up, and it would probably love to play with you but ... you're not what it wants. Look at this. "

Tyr frowned, but he couldn't see what Harper was showing her as it was happening inside her system.

"That is very specific." Rommie stated then sighed as Harper pulled out of her.

"The virus was specifically written for Andromeda or maybe one of the larger High guard ships you all rescued. Not even the biggest Nietzschean ship has a signature that high." Harper stated. "They could have been working on this for them then saw a chance to infect Andromeda."

"Drago-Kazov." Tyr sighed tiredly. "They will be shadowing Andromeda then or following us, hoping we'll lead them back to her."

Rommie nodded and Harper eyed them again. "I hate it when I don't know everything."

"Can you destroy the virus?" Rommie asked.

Harper nodded. "Yeah. I'll need some help though, some bait."

"I understand." Rommie nodded. "You can destroy me after I have the virus."

"Not a chance!" Harper snapped. "I'll need some of your power though. All it wants is a signature, remember? We set a trap, bait it with your signature and some power, cut everything else to make it hungry, and it'll come running to Mamma." Harper winked at her. "Or rather Papa, since I'll be there but you won't."
 

An hour later Harper looked around the darkened Maru and nodded to Rommie. "Do we have any fluctuations?"

"No. We have complete power shut down. " Rommie answered slowly.

"It'll be alright soon." Harper promised then settled more comfortably in his seat and plugged in. “Once I'm in start the up load sequence and bate the trap, then get out."

Tyr held his shoulder for a moment then leaned down and kissed him softly. "Fight well."

"What does the victorious hero get?"

"I'm sure we could think of a suitable reward." Tyr grinned then nodded.

Harper shifted slightly then eyed Rommie and slid the jack completely into his neck. He slumped and Tyr held him still as Rommie began the sequence and drained her remaining power into the trap. Tyr watched the power fluctuations register in multiple systems then fade.

"Cut." Rommie moaned as she disconnected and Tyr pulled the feed. The trap was sprung.

"Come on, Harper." He growled as Rommie shut down completely.

Tyr watched Harper's responses and waited. They were blind and helpless and he waited. Five minutes. Ten.

At twenty minutes Harper moved sluggishly and pulled the jack out. "We're okay." He slurred then promptly went to sleep.

Tyr kissed him softly then carried him to a bunk and laid him down. Next Tyr laid Rommie on the floor and connected the feed from the emergency generator. He waited until she took thirty percent before waking her up.

She opened her eyes. "What ... Harper ?"

"Sleeping. He said we're okay but can you scan the systems?"

"I'll need to bring power back on line." She stated. "Help me up."

Tyr helped her to the console in front of the data core and watched her close her eyes again as she connected.

One by one systems started coming on line; power feeding into every corner of the Maru. "What a mess." She sighed.

"Damage."

"It's all minor but ... it's all over the place. This is going to take time."

"How much?"

"Twelve hours, twenty at the most. You do want to sleep right?"

He nodded. "I see your personality is in tact."

She smiled. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Tyr chuckled. "Harper will be pleased."

She went internal for a moment then smiled. "Perimeter is secure and power to camo is restored."

"Good."

"I will start repairs. Let Harper sleep for a while, you should rest, too. I will work on the sensors first."

"Agreed." He nodded and stood strait. "Minimize our signature."

"Already done." She nodded and closed her eyes; fully immersing herself in repairs.

All Tyr could do was wait so sat down near the main hatch and closed his eyes. He woke the instant he heard Harper. He saw Rommie open her eyes then close them again.

"Tyr? Rommie?"

Tyr met Harper as he came forward from the bunk area. "She is starting repairs. How do you feel?"

"Okay. It was a real nice virus. I'd like to meet the writer."

Tyr shook his head and ran his finger through Harper's hair. "Get some more rest."

"I'm okay, I ... just wish we could have had more time."

Tyr held him as he move closer. "A few days away would have been better without a chaperone." He admitted.

"Rommie can be discreet but I know what you mean."

"If you two are going to be intimate, I can ignore sounds from the bunk room." Rommie stated. "It is hard to be discreet when you’re standing within sight."

Harper giggled at Tyr’s growl and smiled. "I'd love to ask you for privacy mode Rommie, but I'd rather have Tyr's complete and undivided attention when I do. What are my chances of getting that while we're here?"

"Not very good." She acknowledged.

Harper grinned up at Tyr then pulled his head down for a slow kiss. "We get back to Andromeda, we'll have some time."

Tyr smiled and nodded. "We do have two days off coming."

"If you would do this on me, the ship me, so I could record it, we could sell it to one of those sex vid places." Rommie teased.

"Think we could make some money?" Harper grinned at her from Tyr's arms.

"Yes." She nodded and smiled at them.

Harper laughed. "Let me get a sandwich and I'll get to work. Pick a repair, my dear." Harper pulled away from Tyr and went into the galley.

"A repair." Tyr nodded to Rommie.

"Most of the bridge connections should be checked manually. Could you work on the forward grid, A1?"

Tyr nodded and went forward. Grid A1 was the pilot's well and would take a while. At least he was doing something. He listened to Harper and Rommie organize the rest of the repairs then Harper went into the engine room and quiet descended for about two hours then Harper snuggled against his back and handed him a glass of juice.

"Thank you. How are the engines?"

"They look fine considering what we've been through. I double checked the systems and we should be fine. Just the usual bumps and bangs." He stroked his stomach. "How are you doing?"

"Six burned out circuits and two feeds but nothing major." He turned and kissed him. "I'll be finished soon."

"Cool." He smiled as Rommie entered the bridge. "Done with the inside work?"

"Yes." She nodded. "All we need to do is run over everything and make vital repairs." She moved to sensors. "We should have partial sensors."

Tyr eyed her then watched the screen. It blinked and flickered then cleared into a hazy image with a lot of brightness. "Either it's full afternoon or the opticals are off. How are the environmentals?"

Harper sighed, content to stay snuggled with Tyr. "Add optics to the list, I'll get to it next."

She grinned. "You're on a break. We're making good time." She ran a scan on the perimeter lines and left it up. "Targeting sensors are working." She stated then checked the environmentals and nodded. "They appear to be functioning." Then she opened the console to started running the circuits.

Harper sighed and breathed in at Tyr's neck. "It's hard to be sweet and cuddly with all this mild paranoia."

"Would you be happy if a ship simply dropped in out of no where?" Tyr asked and saw Rommie look up and blink at him. Of course Harper would be happy, until his visitors tried to kill him.

"I'd think it was cool. I certainly wouldn't just start shooting. It's a settlement, we're just one beat-up ship." Harper answered predictably. "But I know what you mean. Shoot first, ask questions later-if at all. Cut throat isn't a new concept to me. Rommie, what was it like in the old Commonwealth?"

She sighed and eyed him.

"Oh, come on, Mom, tell us a story." Harper grinned as he move to the forward panel of navigation.

Rommie smiled. "In the Systems Commonwealth each government ruled by their own laws but there were universal constants. One unit of currency and the right to an educational among them. Even on Nietzschean or Kaldaran held planets, a basic education was mandatory." She told them. She was concentrating on two of Harper's favorite things, money and knowledge.

Tyr listened to Rommie's oral history as he finished the pilot's well then stood and stretched. "I am getting hungry."

"Me too." Harper agreed from below the nav deck.

"Then I'll cook us something. Unless you would prefer another Reso Sandwich."

"I could eat what you cook." Harper grinned through the grating.

"Shall I prepare some oil for you, Madam?" He turned to Rommie.

She grinned overly sweetly. "That would be most kind of you, Sir. Something light, if you please."

"She's on a diet." Harper chuckled then laughed as Rommie glared down at him.

**

Chapter 2

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