TITLE: Back From the Future
AUTHOR: Mercury's Winter
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Andromeda or any of its Characters. This is purely for fun. *Empties pockets* See? No profit here!
ARCHIVE: Yes, please, just drop me a line and let me know where.
SUMMARY: Purple Trance comes back from the future and boy is she ticked off!
SPOILERS: Anything in Season II, especially Ouroboros
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My first foray into fanfiction. This started as a one sentence challenge and a muse jumped up and bit me on the a..(ahem). Please keep in mind that I am terrified, there is so much awesome talent on this board, it's a little intimidating. Let me know what you think.
"There is no future but that which we create."
Anonymous
Purple Trance glared at Gold Trance, in her eyes flaming galaxeys spun vortexes of hate, "You lied to me, I didn't make any mistakes, you stole my life and my friends and I want them back NOW"
Harper watched the exchange with mouth agape. Five minutes previously he had been in machine shop 17, proudly showing Trance the modificaitons he had made to the ship's internal defenses. In the exact middle of his boasting, a strange blue light filled the room. It reminded him of the tesseract fields that saved his life and condemned Hohne. Out of the blinding blue emerged a figure, unseen on Andromeda for 7 months. He and Trance remained transfixed as the light faded and winked out. There before them was Trance in all her purple glory. Her hair was longer than Harper remembered, with dazzling streaks of auburn that flowed around her shoulders like a blazing sunrise. She was dressed in a Highguard uniform of all things, the black and maroon leather torn and stained with blood.
Gold Trance stared back with a hate so cold Harper swore he could see his breath. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here." She rasped through tightly clenched teeth. It was not a question and Harper could see her quaking with rage.
"I have returned to put a stop to your lies and save my friends, my family." Purple Trance noticed Harper for the first time and her gaze softened. "Harper..." She started but the moment of distraction was all Gold Trance needed. She leapt at P.Trance, arms outstreatched, reaching for the girl's throat.
The sudden attack snapped Harper out of his initial shock and sent him into action. "Andromeda! Emergency in Machine Shop 17!" He yelled over the com as he struggled to pull Trance off of...well...herself.
Gold Trance managed to get a choke hold on her twin, as much to keep her from talking as to throttle the life out of her. Their eyes locked again as pure, naked hatred flew threw the air. G.Trance felt something hit her flank, barely acknowledging Harper's attack, she withdrew one hand from the purple neck and used it to knock Harper to the ground. Quickly realizing that she needed to maintain her cover if she ever wanted to rid herself of the pixie for good, she hollered, "Harper, stay back, this is an imposter! She's here to kill us all!"
Harper, slightly dazed from the blow, felt a moment of confusion. He watched the two women struggling and debated what to do. The decision was made for him as the doors to the machine shop opened and Dylan, Beka and Rommie raced through. Beka, seeing only Harper ran to him to make sure he was ok. Harper noted the first aid kit clutched in her hands. Dylan skidded to a halt as he was confronted with the writhing tangle of Trances on the floor. Rommie stopped short, nearly colliding with him. She followed his gaze and did what her programing told her to do, she gasped.
"Trance?" Dylan asked, bewildered.
"Trance?" Rommie echoed.
Beka turned from her quick examination of Harper and took in the scene for the first time. "Trance! Get off her! What is going on here?"
"Get back, Beka, this thing is pure evil, I have to destroy it." Gold Trance said, never taking her eyes from those of her younger self.
"I'll be the one to decide that." Dylan stated as he leveled his forcelance at both Trances. "Let her up, NOW."
Gold Trance tore her gaze away from her target, glancing at Dylan and his forcelance, she considered her options. Trusting Dylan to be Dylan, she knew he would insist on hearing both Trances' explanations and that if she disobeyed him and killed her other self, she would end up in the brig, or worse. Dylan knew enough of her physiology to know that the forcelance blast wouldn't kill her but it would stun her and there were fates worse than death. She looked again at Purple Trance, trying to convey in her eyes what she would do to her twin if the truth were to be uttered. After a long moment, she released her grip and slowly got to her feet.
Purple Trance coughed and rubbed her throat. She struggled a bit in rising and Harper reflexively started to help her. Dylan motioned him back with his forcelance. "I don't know what's going on here, but I think you had better stay back until we get to the bottom of this."
"Now, will one of you please explain to me what's going on here?"
************
Displaying none of her usual spunk, Purple Trance's eyes were clear and calculating, her voice dead serious, "Dylan, I can explain..."
"No. Don't listen to her, she's an impostor sent here to..." Gold Trance interjected.
"Stop." Dylan commanded. He remained calm, his blue eyes hard as steel, his forcelance never wavering. "I will get to the bottom of this."
Before he could continue, an explosion rocked the ship. Tyr, who was manning the command deck while the others tended the emergency, came over the COM, "Captain to the bridge, we are under attack."
"What!? Now!?" Harper exclaimed.
"Of course! Why not? It's not like we are in the middle of anything important." Beka remarked dryly.
"Hunt to command, I'm on my way." Dylan announced, he returned his attention to the two Trances. "Until I know exactly what is going on here, you will be separated. Rommie, escort Gold Trance to her quarters and confine her there until further notice. Beka, take the other one to the med. bay, check her for injuries then join me in command. Harper, you're with me."
"Aye Captain." Rommie said as she drew her forcelance and advanced on Gold Trance. "Just a precaution." She said. Gold Trance glared at Dylan and Rommie before allowing herself to be lead from the room.
"I really think I should go with Beka." Harper stated. He was still very confused, his thoughts tripping over each other as he considered the possibilities. Was this his purple princess? Had she really returned? Or was she an evil murderous thing to be feared, as Gold Trance claimed. He shook his head trying to make sense of it all.
"Beka will relieve you on command when she has this Trance secured." Dylan's voice was commanding and left no room for argument. He knew that leaving Harper alone with what appeared to be the young Trance was just asking for trouble.
Harper took one last look at the Purple Trance before grudgingly following Dylan through the door. The ship was hit again, Harper and Dylan glanced at each other and began to run.
Beka was alone with the young girl, a million questions racing through her mind. Trance suddenly found the floor very interesting and studied intently. She squirmed slightly under Beka's heated stare.
"Shouldn't we be going to med. deck?" Trance said shyly, her gaze still on the floor. She looked to Beka every bit the lost and scared girl Beka hired to be her ES officer what seemed like eons ago.
"Trance..." Beka began but was cut off by Trance's gaze returning to her face.
"Not yet, Beka. Soon though, I promise." With that the purple girl turned and began to shuffle toward the door. Having been cut off from the source of her anger and hate, Trance seemed deflated, almost defeated. Beka finally got her feet to obey her brain and followed.
Soon, Beka thought, but noticing the air that now surrounded Trance, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the truth after all.
***************
Moments later, Dylan and Harper arrived in Command.
"I see you finally decided to join me, Captain." Tyr said sarcastically. He glanced at Harper, and scoffed, "You look undamaged, little man. I assume your emergency is well in hand?"
Harper opened his mouth to comment on the fact that he would need two hands to deal with this particular emergency but Dylan interrupted his thoughts as he took his post.
"Tyr, report."
"Three Drago-Katsov ships exited slipstream and upon detecting us, began to attack. I could have handled them but I wouldn't wish to rob you of the opportunity to make friends with them as they try to kill us." Tyr allowed a little smirk as he finished speaking. Harper rolled his eyes, and snickered.
Dylan ignored them, "Rommie, report."
The Andromeda's hologram sparked to life next to her captain. "I attempted to establish communication, no response."
"Damage?"
"Aft sensors off-line, damage to secondary life support. Rerouting." Andromeda closed her eyes briefly, "Harper should be able to repair the sensors from command. No other damage to report, the modifications to my hull integrity seem to be working remarkably well."
"Of course they are, I am a genius!" Harper exclaimed as he ducked under his counsel. "And don't sound so surprised, when has something I've invented not worked?"
The hologram began ticking off items from her infallible memory banks but stopped when Dylan gave her a look that said Don't go there, She turned her attention back to the enemy ships.
"Andromeda, open a communications channel." Dylan requested.
"No response." Andromeda's alter ego stated from a screen directly in front of Dylan.
"All right, then, Tyr, standard defensive and offensive salvos on my mark. Mark!"
"Aye Captain." Tyr grinned ferally. Finally, he thought. He began firing upon the Dragan ships with carefully concealed glee. There was nothing more satisfying to the Kodiak than the fall of an enemy at his own hands. Especially when that enemy was a Dragan.
"The Drago-Katsov ships have been destroyed." The hologram reported.
Harper popped back up from under his station, "I've jury-rigged the sensors, they'll work but I'll have to go down eventually and repair them manually." He noticed the stand-down from battle, "What? It's over already? Not that I'm complaining but, those were Dragans, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Harper," Dylan said, still looking at his displays, searching for more ships. "I don't think they were searching for us. There were only three of them, they weren't heavily armed and their attack was confused and hurried. I think it was all a mistake."
"Mistake or no, I'm glad it's over! Um...boss? I think we have a little unfinished business?" Harper was practically bouncing with anticipation. With the battle over, there was only one thought on his mind...well...two thoughts.
"Yes, Mr. Harper, we do. Tyr you have command." Dylan joined Harper and together they exited leaving Tyr slightly perplexed.
"Ship, is there something I should know?" Tyr demanded.
Andromeda just shook her virtual head, "You're not going to believe this," She said as she explained the recent events to Tyr.
*********************
Beka nearly collided with Dylan as he and Harper left command. "I just finished with Trance #2." She had heard the "all clear" moments before, "What? Did I miss all the fun?"
"Yeah, it was a regular cake walk." Harper answered. "Just three little ones, Tyr didn't even have enough time for his 'I shall crush you under my boot' speech before they all went boom. We were just on our way to medical, wanna join us? Wouldn't want you to miss anymore fun." He finished sarcastically but with a twinkle in his eye.
Beka cuffed him on the back of the head and the three fell in step, headed back to med deck and hopefully some answers.
"How is she?" Dylan asked, referring to the purple girl.
"Well, she's....Trance, I guess, maybe it's her...." Beka stammered, "I brought her to medical, she's acting pretty strange, I started to scan her but, well, she's Trance! I'm a pilot, Dylan, not a medic. She told me that she could take care of it herself and that I should come help you. So I secured the room and beat feet outta there." Beka finished with a little shudder. This situation was too confusing. She didn't know what to think or expect and that always left her nervous. She hated not being in control, unable to see ten moves in advance. And, dammit, this was Trance! One of her best friends and now she doubted if she could ever trust either of them.
Dylan noted Beka's anxiety, surprised and a little taken aback. He never imagined anything would be able to shake this woman whom he considered to be made of steel.
******************
Rommie ushered Gold Trance into her quarters, secured the door and took her post outside of it. Keeping watch and making sure Trance remained confined to her room.
Trance let out a sigh as the door locked behind her. Her dark eyes scanned the room and soon found what she was looking for. A small rectangle near the ceiling on the wall to her right. A ventilation shaft. Perfect. Being the ship's chief medical officer, her quarters were very near the med bay.
She set about making arrangements to pay the purple pixie a little visit. She gathered her long hair behind her and secured it with clasp made from a Neitzschean bone spur. She had a personal attachment to this particular bobble and made sure to wear it on special occasions. That done, she moved to the consul in her room, keyed in a few commands that blinded Andromeda's sensors which constantly surveyed the room via video feed. The commands also affected randomly selected other areas on the ship, it was subtle enough to appear to be a harmless glitch in Andromeda's systems. She didn't hang around Harper nothing. She wasn't worried about being tracked by her life signs, one of the benefits of her species. As for motion detectors, she had something else in mind to fool them.
There was a small fish tank near the bed, her bed, yeah, right, it still stunk of the little coward. This Trance couldn't sleep in it anymore than she could plunge one of her beloved daggers through her own heart. She hated these quarters. She would have switched immediately but for the proximity to med bay and the fear or raising suspicions in the crew that was already leery of her.
She shook her head and returned her attention to the task at hand. She approached the tank and casually plucked up its inhabitant. She examined the creature in her hand. It was about the size of a kitten and nearly as cute. It blinked its wide eyes curiously at her as it's gills closed and its air-breathing lung took over. In moments it was squeaking and purring to her, nuzzling the palm of her hand. She stroked it once then closed her fist and tossed it to the waiting tendrils of the carnivorous plant that resided near the desk. It and the fish were the only living things she had allowed to remain in her quarters when she had returned. The motion the plant made as it played with, then devoured its prey would more than convince what remained of Andromeda's sensors that she was still in the room.
Trance smiled to herself, all was going according to plan, even the little "diversion" she had arranged was working nicely. It was easy enough to reroute the Neitzschean slave ships through Slipstream, allowing them to "stumble" upon Andromeda. Her powers allowed her limited manipulation of all strings. The strings of possibility, the strings of time, and what was the slipstream but strings across the dimensions of space. She only hoped the idiots lasted long enough for her to complete her task. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the "all clear" was sounded. "Damn." She muttered under her breath as she quickly removed the cover of the shaft and hauled herself up.
********************
After Beka had left med bay, Purple Trance set about getting herself cleaned up. She knew she had to get Dylan to listen to her, and believe her. She shook her head in disbelief, never had she been so anxious to tell her secrets.
She entered the small med bay bathroom, peeled off her tattered and bloodied High Guard uniform, and kicked it into the corner. Slowly she examined herself in the full-length mirror. The past seven months had not been kind. She had numerous cuts and abrasions but nothing serious, to her at least. Not at all surprised, she noticed that her whole body was caked with sweat and dirt and blood, not all of it her own. She looked past the dirt and noticed how skinny she was. She could never have been called fat but now she realized she could actually count her ribs. Her skin had lost most of its sparkle. It looked dull and pasty. She sighed deeply as she ran her eyes up her body. She brought her gaze up, past the bruises that were forming on her throat and for the first time in a long while she looked at her face, really looked. Her cheeks were hollow and stretched. There were deep purple lines of fatigue under her eyes, which had a sunken appearance. She was most disturbed when she gazed into her eyes. Windows to the Soul, Harper had once called them, well, her windows had been broken and then boarded up. There was no sparkle, no sign of life at all. She sighed deeply again and ended it with a little hitch. Tears brimmed her eyes when she let them fall upon her hair. It billowed wildly about her shoulders. Unkempt and unruly, knotted and dirty. She remembered how pretty it once was, how she loved to dress it up with barrettes and make it sparkle. She hated the sight of it now, it looked too much like her hair.
Trance's hand shook slightly as she reached for the brush on the back of the sink. She began to stroke her hair with it but it snagged and pulled. She tried to force it through the knots. The tears of anguish that had threatened to fall turned to tears of rage. Quaking with fury at what she had lost, she threw the brush against the mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces. She gaped at the mess she had made but for once felt no guilt. It felt good actually. The violent display reminded her of why she was here. Vengeance.
With new resolve to rid the universe of the gold skinned liar she stepped into the shower and quickly washed away months of pain, filth and misery. It was absolutely heavenly and she wished she could remain. She noticed the ship had stopped rocking under missile fire and knew the others would be coming to question her soon. With enormous will, she exited the steaming paradise, toweled off and began dressing in the only clothes available to her. A white set of scrubs normally used on Andromeda's patients, normally used on Harper, she amended with a slight smirk.
She buttoned her blouse as she made her way back to the main medical area to await the rest of the crew.
*********************
Trance toweled the rest of the moisture from her hair. She sighed and went to sit down and wait for Dylan when she felt the cold steel of a Katanna blade against her throat and a hoarse voice whispered in her ear. "You should not have returned. I didn't want to kill you again but now you leave me no choice."
Fear and surprise paralyzed Trance for an instant but her reaction was faster than her attacker expected. She thrust her elbow into her assailant's midsection, simultaneously throwing her weight back, knocking her opponent off balance. She immediately grabbed the arm with the blade and flung the intruder over her shoulder.
The golden woman landed on the floor with a whoosh as the breath was forced from her lungs. From her back she gaped at Purple Trance. "I see you have already begun the "change". You are stronger, quicker. I will not underestimate you again." With that she flipped herself back to a standing position. The two women circled each other.
"I learned a lot while I was away." Purple Trance remarked with a shrug. "And the change can be reversed."
"Why did you come back?" Gold Trance asked as she looked for an opening in the purple girl's defenses.
"You have to ask?" P.Trance sneered. Her eyes never left the gold woman yet she used her peripheral vision to scan for anything that could be used as a weapon. She had learned a lot but she was still no match for the warrior that now threatened to tear her head right off.
"I was just trying to satisfy my own curiosity." G.Trance goaded. "Did you come back for Hunt? Beka? Certainly not the Neitzschean. The ship? Or was it the little human?" Purple Trance's eyes flared with raw hatred. "What?" Gold Trance continued, feigning innocence. "What interest could you possibly have in him? Oh, yeah, maybe it's because he's the key to this whole "perfect possible future" crap. I just wish I could have been there to see your face when you discovered the role he really plays and why I'm really here. I bet you missed him while you were gone. I bet you ached for the little freak. Don't worry, he sure didn't miss you, I took real good care of him."
"BITCH!" Purple Trance screamed and launched herself at the other woman. One hand reaching for the laser scalpel on a table nearby.
Anticipating her attack, Gold Trance easily sidestepped the rushing girl and swung her twin blades, aiming at Purple Trance's head. She let out a grunt of frustration when her knives sliced only air. The younger woman arched under the Katanna and thrust her arm into the opening the warrior's counter-attack created. She slammed the laser scalpel against the other woman's throat and was about to turn it on when she felt the prick of steel at her abdomen.
The two women glared at each other, panting from exertion, at a stalemate. Neither woman would "die" from injuries inflicted in such a manner. The goal now was to be the first to tell their version of events to Dylan. To do that, they would have to be the last one standing. They stared intently at each other, waiting for the fraction of a second when they would be the one to gain the advantage. Their "trance" was broken, however, as the doors to med bay slid open revealing Dylan, Beka and Harper.
"Good grief." Gold Trance muttered.
************
*Outside med bay, moments before.*
As they approached the doors to med bay, Harper's mouth went dry. His heart began to pound and his face turned several shades of white. His thoughts had not strayed from the two Trances even though he tried to make it appear that the two aliens were the furthest thing from his mind. He was scared. Simple as that. He had a very bad feeling and, growing up on Earth, he had learned to trust his instincts, especially the paranoid ones. He ran a hand nervously though his hair and took a deep breath as Dylan keyed the command to allow them access to med bay. The breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened as he beheld the scene before them. "Um...Trance..." He started.
"WHAT??" The women barked in unison and then turned their attention back to their stand-off.
Harper was startled at their fierce reaction. His amazement turned to indignation. "What do you mean WHAT!? You," he said, pointing to the Gold one, "are supposed to be in your quarters, and you," he leveled his finger at the other, "well...I don't know about you yet."
"Stay out of this, Harper." Purple Trance said, her voice cold and devoid of all emotion, her eyes still locked on her twin.
A hurt look flashed across Harper's face, quickly replaced by a glowing ember of anger.
"Now everyone calm down." Dylan said, attempting to gain control of the situation. "Rommie, report to med bay."
"Sir?" Rommie's voice came back over the com.
"You'll see when you get here." Dylan said. Turning his attention to the women once again, he said, "Ladies, slowly put your weapons down and we'll figure this out."
"Dylan, you don't understand..." Gold Trance began.
"Understand?" Harper exclaimed, "Of course we don't understand! Neither of you has ever told us anything!" Dylan's calm, "let me handle it" routine had fanned the spark to a roaring fire. Harper began pacing back and forth in front of the pair.
"Harper, this isn't helping." Beka said softly, trying to diffuse the rapidly worsening situation.
"No, Beka, it isn't helping." He shot her a withering glance, his pacing increased as his agitation grew. "I don't know what is going on here but I know one sure fire way to find out." He stopped short, faced the Trances and drew his gauss gun.
"Whoa, Mister Harper, what do you think you're doing?" Dylan said as calmly as he could. In truth he was furious at Harper for not letting him handle the situation. At the same time, he was astounded that Harper would pull a gun on his best friend...(s).
Harper glanced at Dylan, "Getting some answers, boss."
"Harper, stop it!" Purple Trance barked. "You could never hurt either one of us and you know it!"
"Oh yeah?" Harper powered up his weapon. "Try me. You tell me which one of you belongs here, really belongs here or I will just start shooting and whichever of you doesn't come back to life looses." Outside he was cold as ice, his voice steady and controlled. Inside he was a complete wreck. What the hell are you doing??, His mind screamed. This is ridiculous! He was going to make them talk, that's what he was doing, no more "can't tell you, Harper" or "It's a secret, Harper" They are your friend and your just, what, going to start shooting at them? Doubt began to gnaw at him and he struggled to maintain his composure. The gun became slick under his grasp and the hand that held it began to tremble.
Dylan was beginning to think he was going to have to pull his weapon on Harper to get the boy to stand down. He actually started reaching for it when the doors to med bay opened once again to reveal Rommie staring open-mouthed at the situation.
The opening of the doors diverted everyone's attention, everyone but Purple Trance and she seized the opportunity. Quick as lightening, her left hand snaked down the blade at her stomach, knocking it away. In one fluid motion she stepped into Gold Trance, knocking her off balance and shoved her sideways into Harper.
Harper yelped with surprise as the gold woman slammed into him like a freight hauler. He felt himself falling Oh, shit, he thought as the gun slipped in his sweaty hand and discharged.
Harper and Gold Trance landed in a tangled heap on the floor.
"There. That's better." Purple Trance said with a smile.
**********************
Gold Trance moaned and rolled onto her back, bringing her hands up to the lump forming on the back of her head. She glanced around, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She saw Beka and Rommie racing toward her and Harper. Harper! Feeling the first fingers of panic, she turned her head, frantically searching. Her gaze fell upon Harper's still form, his face deadly white but for the specks of blood dotting his right cheek. She got to her hands and knees and scrambled to his side. She heard herself muttering in defiance, "Nononononono." There was blood everywhere. Too much blood. Beka knelt on Harper's other side, tearing off her jacket, using it to try and stop the flow from the wound in Harper's stomach.
Trance felt Rommie's hands on her, hauling her viscously to her feet. Rommie secured Trance's arms behind her back, painfully. Trance realized she was still uttering a constant string of no's and that each one was louder and more furious than the last. She struggled against Rommie's iron clad grasp, her voice rising to a scream. She glared at Purple Trance and shrieked, "YOU KILLED HIM!"
Purple Trance staggered from the accusation, her expression pained. She frowned and gathered her resolve. She starred at the enraged gold woman. "Then I have succeeded." She said softly. Despite her attempt to appear uncaring, her face was pinched and her brow furrowed.
Dylan advanced on her, his forcelance aimed menacingly at her throat while Gold Trance continued her tirade, struggling to free herself and pull Purple Trance apart piece by piece.
"He's not dead." Beka said, one hand still applying pressure to the wound, the other against Harper's pale throat, feeling the weak pulse. "but he will be unless we do something NOW!"
"Rommie, have Tyr get here on the double, I'll need help taking these two to the brig. Beka, do what you can until he gets here. Rommie will be able to help you then. I'm not taking my eyes off the Purple one."
Dylan's words cut into Gold Trance's anger. She looked at Harper one more time and said, "The brig? Dylan no! I have to help Harper, I'm the only one who can save him!"
"Rommie is a perfectly qualified medic and Beka knows enough to be able to assist her. I'm not about to let either of you near him."
A small groan issued from the floor. Harper's eyes fluttered and he tried to speak. "Shhhh...it's ok, we're gonna take care of you." Beka soothed as she caressed his cheek with the back of her free hand. He made a feeble attempted to push her hand away from his wound.
"Hurts." He breathed.
"I know, Shorty, but it's the only thing keeping you with us right now. Just hang in there." She looked at Rommie, "What do I do? I have to do something!"
Before Rommie could answer, the med bay doors slid open and Tyr entered. He headed straight for Gold Trance, having been briefed by Andromeda en-route. He chanced a sideways glance at Harper. It looked as if the boy had lost every drop of blood in his system. Tyr could hear Harper's heart, it was still beating so there was hope. He took over control of Gold Trance allowing Rommie to grab some medical supplies and try to help Harper.
"Scans reveal his condition is worsening." Rommie said. As if to prove Rommie right, Harper gasped, his eyes widening with pain. His body began to tremble and then convulse.
"Harper!" Beka yelled.
"Dylan," Gold Trance said desperately, "Please, let me help him. He is the reason I came here. You know that. You saw me save him from the larva. I won't hurt him! Please!"
Dylan glanced at Harper, still shaking uncontrollably, then at Beka and Rommie. From their faces, he could tell it wasn't looking good for the engineer. "Tyr, release her. She may be his only chance."
Tyr gave Dylan a look of surprise but offered no remark or resistance. He let go of Trance's arms and she bolted for a medicine cabinet and grabbed a hypo-spray. She raced back to Harper and injected it into his neck. His seizure ceased almost immediately but he remained unconscious. She then began barking orders. "Beka, more pressure, it's still bleeding too much. Tyr, get Harper on a bed. Rommie, get some blood ready to transfuse." Tyr didn't hesitate, he carefully cradled Harper and placed him gently on the nearest bed. Beka was right beside Harper the whole way, trying to keep pressure on the wound while matching Tyr's graceful moves. Tyr stepped back to give the women room to work.
Dylan turned to Purple Trance. "Time to go." He said and motioned her out the doors. She nodded slowly and they left med bay.
"Ok Beka," Gold Trance said as she snapped on a pair of sterile gloves, "on three, take the jacket off, Rommie, be ready with suction and sponges. Judging by all the blood loss, he has a nicked or severed artery. I'll have to go in and clamp it before he bleeds to death. Ready?" Beka and Rommie nodded. "Ok, 1...2...3!"
Beka jerked the makeshift bandage back and Rommie applied suction as the wound quickly filled with blood.
Trance plunged her hand into Harper's abdomen. "Rommie, are your scans able to pinpoint the source of the bleeding?"
"Inconclusive. It appears to be emanating from the right renal artery but the blast did a lot of damage, things are pretty messed up in there."
Rommie was right. Trance observed that if she were able to stabilize him for surgery, she was going to have a lot of work to do. She concentrated on the task at hand. Harper had to make it.
"Found it!" Trance exclaimed, "Clamp!" Beka handed her a clamp then stepped back with a sigh of relief as Harper's vitals improved slightly.
"All right, lets get him prepped for surgery." Trance said as she flicked off her gloves. "Rommie, we're going to need more blood, a lot more."
"It's a good thing we keep an extra supply of Harper's type." Rommie remarked dryly.
"He was always such a klutz..." Trance began but she was stopped cold by Beka's hand on her upper arm.
"Remember, Trance, Tyr will be right out here. Rommie and I will be in there with you, watching you. If you try anything even remotely fishy, we'll make sure you never come back, from the dead or anywhere else. Understood?"
Trance gave a brief nod, her jaw set and eyes firm.
The three women set to work.
********************
Purple Trance didn't say a word on the long walk to the brig. Dylan was too worried to grill her just yet. He was frustrated and confused. He had always prided himself on being able to figure out who the enemy was, what they wanted and how far they were willing to go to achieve their goals. This was too much like Rhade. Dylan had thought of Trance as a close friend and ally, now here he was, betrayed again.
When they reached the brig Trance walked right into the nearest cell and sat down on the bed. She put her elbows on her knees and placed her face in her hands.
Dylan stood there wondering what to do next. He still knew nothing of her powers. He didn't even know if the brig could hold her. After a moment's hesitation, he grabbed a chair and moved it to the center of the room where he could keep constant watch. He sighed heavily and sat down. "Andromeda," he called. Andromeda's hologram flickered to life next to him. She threw Trance a disdainful look before turning her attention to Dylan.
"Yes Captain?" She said sweetly.
"What's Harper's status?"
"The other Trance found and clamped a torn blood vessel and they are now preparing to move him to the operating room."
"Okay, keep me updated."
"Yes Captain." Andromeda said. She shot Trance another look before fizzing out.
Dylan sighed again and ran his hand wearily down his face.
"Dylan?" Trance still had her hands over her face and her voice was slightly muffled.
"Yes?" He mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He had the beginnings of a killer headache.
"Did Beka tell you about what happened when I left to go to the future?" She asked from behind her hands.
"Yes." He said, suddenly interested.
"Did she tell you what that gold liar said to me?"
"Well, not word for word, she told me that the future Trance told you that you had made mistakes and she was here to correct them. She also said that you needed to switch places to do that."
Trance slid her hands down her face and rested her chin on them. She looked terrible. Her eyes were red-rimmed, the lines under them darker, her skin pale. Dylan could have sworn her hair had more red in it. "I feel like such a fool, Dylan. She didn't only lie to me, she tricked me. When I saw her, I asked her if she was me, from the future. Do you know what she said?"
"No, I don't." Dylan stated.
"She said 'More or less'." Trance sighed heavily again. "It was less."
*******************
"LESS?" Dylan exclaimed incredulously, his fear and confusion briefly turning to outrage. "What the hell does that mean, Trance?"
Trance winced at his outburst. "You're right, Dylan," she said softly, "I'm sorry, you deserve more than that. Old habits I guess." She shifted slightly in her seat and stared at the floor, collecting her thoughts.
Dylan raised his hands, a look of frustrated anticipation on his face, "Well?"
Trance took a deep breath and returned her gaze to Dylan. "She's from the future, that much is true, but she is not me. I am the only Trance Gemini on this ship."
"Trance," Dylan said tiredly rubbing his forehead, "I think you had better start from the beginning."
"Sorry, I'm doing it again, huh?"
Dylan cleared his throat and tented his fingers.
"Right, ok, um...."
*****************
C.Y. 1108
Trance didn't look back as she entered the tesseract field. A moment later she found herself standing on a windswept plain. Battle damaged buildings reduced to mere skeletons were barely visible far in the distance. Ash filled the air, whipped by an unrelenting wind; it stung her exposed skin and forced her to squint her eyes. Ok, I changed my mind, Trance thought as she turned around, fully intent on returning to the Maru but the portal was gone.
Panic fluttered through her stomach. Now what? she wondered. She took a closer look at her surroundings. She seemed to be in the middle of a vast basin. Mountains ringed the perimeter, barely visible against a turbulent black and green sky. Blue lightening arced between angry clouds, creating an eerie strobe effect that allowed her brief glimpses of the nearer landscape. The decimated buildings she had seen upon her arrival appeared to be the only structures. She turned slowly in a small circle, pausing to wait for the lightening to show her more of the same. Nothing. I'm not going to cry, She thought angrily. I'm not going to... She sniffed loudly, her breath hitching in her chest. Tears formed and spilled unbidden down her cheeks.
"Dammit!" She yelled at the wind, the mountains and the lightening. Her voice carried instantly away by the howling wind. Shoulders slumped, head down, sobs still wracking her slim frame she slowly began walking toward her only hope of shelter. Judging by the air of emptiness that surrounded this place, she held no illusions that she would find anyone there. At least the wind was at her back.
After about an hour of walking Trance brought her head up and wearily peered at her destination. She was disappointed when it appeared that she had not gained any ground. Lightening flashed high above her head followed closely by and earth-shaking clap of thunder. Trance yelped and clapped her hands over her pointy ears. Not until the last vibrations died away did she dare remove them. She gave a shaky laugh as she imagined what she must look like. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a fat raindrop splashed her forehead, quickly followed by another. In an instant she found herself in the middle of a downpour, soaked to the bone.
Not surprised at the latest development, Trance merely hugged her arms around herself and kept walking. She couldn't see two feet in front of her, let alone the buildings she was headed for. Not really caring anymore, she merely concentrated on keeping the wind at her back and letting it push her along.
Eventually the rain let up. Drenched and shivering, her breath pluming in the now frigid air, she paused to once more get her bearings. She mentally sighed when she realized she was off course. Correcting her path she let her head sag. Something caught her attention. Squinting into the darkness, she was startled to see a light flickering in the distance. She rubbed her weary eyes, certain it was a mirage but the speck remained on the very edge of the ruins she had been heading for. With renewed vigor, she pointed her feet toward the light. Hope put a spring in her step as she excitedly imagined finding shelter, and warmth. Perhaps she would get lucky and also find food and someone to explain to her where and when she was.
Her reverie was broken and she faltered as her future self's words echoed in her mind. I made a lot of mistakes...at best we're not going to win. This future was apparently very bad. Trance looked around her again, what she saw would tend to support that. Who could have perpetrated such destruction? The Kalderans? Were they still here? Waiting to attack her? She began to panic as the possibilities race through her mind. She became dizzy and realized she was about to hyperventilate. "Get a hold of yourself." She said, trying to break the cycle of anxiety. Slowly she brought herself under control and she was able to think logically once again. She needed shelter and warmth or she would begin to suffer hypothermia. Her only hope was to reach the light. She would have to be very careful, keep her eyes open and employ a healthy dose of paranoia. Trance smiled slightly, Harper would be proud. The thought of her best friend nearly sent her into another panic attack. Was he dead? Obviously her future self activated the tesseract machine or she wouldn't still be in this horrible place. Was it in time to save Harper? Was Tyr at this very minute keeping the promise he made in the heat of battle? A deep depression began to take root as she realized that she would never see any of the Andromeda crew ever again. She gingerly pushed aside all thoughts of her friends as she approached the edges of the ruins.
It must have once been a great city. Now all that remained were burnt husks of houses and office buildings. Scattered everywhere were the exploded remnants of daily life. The rain had turned ankle deep ash to black oozing mud that sucked at her every step. She cautiously made her way toward the light, closer now, flickering against the wall of what appeared to have once been a house, now only one wall and a section of roof remained. Trance changed her course slightly, coming to the light from a more ubiquitous angle. Picking her way through the darkened, debris-filled streets she approached the wall. She paused to catch her breath and calm her nerves before slowly peering around the corner. After her long walk in mostly darkness, she was forced to squint her eyes against the bright, flickering light of a fire. As her eyes adjusted, she was able to make out the shape of someone huddled by its warmth.
She studied the scene for a few moments, waiting to see if anyone else would appear. When it was apparent that the figure was alone, Trance cautiously crept closer, wanting to get a better look. Her foot dislodged a small avalanche of debris and before she could get back behind the wall, she heard the unmistakable sound of a weapon charging. She instantly dropped to a crouch and scurried behind large pile of rubble. The weapon discharged, the round flying high over her head. Frantically looking for the best way to escape, Trance heard the sound of the weapon powering down followed quickly by a frustrated string of curses. She risked a quick look. Peeking out from her hiding place she could see the shooter, the same person she had noticed earlier, lying by the fire, and furiously hitting a gauss gun against a nearby rock. With one final whack the gun charged back up. "That's more like it," the stranger rasped, "What kind of freakin' genius can't keep a stupid gun working?"
Trance ducked back behind her shelter as he fired again. The round exploded against the pile she was hiding behind. She shut her eyes tight to protect them from flying shrapnel, her heart pounding harder. Suddenly her eyes flew open as her brain finally processed what the stranger had said. "Harper." She breathed. Could it be? Was it possible?
"Don't come any closer! I've got a ton of ammo, 60 Neitzscheans and the biggest baddest ship in the known worlds waiting for my signal!"
Definitely sounded like Harper but there was something odd about his voice. She knew right away that he was lying. It was obvious he was scared and, something else, she couldn't put her finger on it. She took a chance and peeked her head out again. She still couldn't see him clearly but she could see the gun. He was having trouble holding it up, let alone aiming it. The hand that held the gun was shaking so bad Trance doubted he could hit the broad side of a freight hauler. "Harper?" She called, wincing when he let another round fly in her general direction.
"Leave me alone!! Let me die in peace!" He yelled and fired his gun repeatedly.
"Harper! It's me, Trance." She called.
Her words slowly sank in, "Trance?" The gun lowered. "That's impossible." He said as he brought the gun back up. "Trance is dead." He whispered his voice raw with emotion. "Now go back to where ever the hell you came from or I will kill you where you stand."
Trance raised her hands and crept from behind the rubble, revealing herself to him. "Harper, it really is me. I came here using the tesseract machine you built. Please, don't shoot me." She hoped the direct approach would work this time.
The gun wavered. "T...Trance? Is it really you? Really?" She nodded but stayed where she was, hands still in the air. Harper finally lowered the gun all the way and let it drop. "She said you would be coming but I didn't believe her. I can't believe anything she says anymore."
"Who?" Trance asked as she slowly started moving forward. Harper struggled to sit up and Trance noticed he was wounded, badly. She rushed the remaining couple of feet to his side. "Harper, you're hurt!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, babe, you know me, it's nothin'." He ceased his struggle to sit up and slumped back to the ground with a hiss of pain.
Trance knelt beside him, placing a hand gently on his chest to keep him still while she examined him. It didn't look good. He had multiple injuries; it looked as if someone had been using him as a punching bag. His right leg was obviously broken, as was his left arm. Blood oozed from a gunshot wound high on his left chest. His injuries were fairly recent yet already signs of infection were evident. Harper's body was wracked by a sudden coughing fit. When it subsided, Trance noticed flecks of blood on his lips. Internal bleeding and probably a collapsed lung, Trance diagnosed. Nothing she could do about that right now, she continued her triage. He had several cuts and bruises on his face. Trance leaned closer to examine them and noticed something odd. His cheeks were flushed with fever but they were also more weathered than she remembered. Small lines tracked across his forehead and the corners of his eyes. Dismissing it as a trick of the flickering light she set about doing what she could for her friend. She found a pair of metal bars about the same length to use as a splint for his broken leg.
"Who did this to you?" She asked as she tore the leg off her purple outfit, needing it to secure the splint.
"Casondra." Harper spat the name with a hatred so raw it nearly made Trance recoil. He looked at Trance and his face softened, "You don't know who that is, do you?"
Trance shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing. "No, I don't. All I know is that I'm here because a future version of myself said it was necessary to bring about the perfect possible future."
Harper gave her a quizzical look, not understanding. Trance merely gestured at his leg, indicating that she was ready to set it. He gave a short nod, leaned his head back and clenched his jaw. Trance tried to make it as quick as possible but the instant she touched his leg he bit back a scream. She steadied herself and grimaced as she pulled on his lower leg, the bones popping and creaking. No longer able to hold it in, Harper screamed in agony. He screamed until his voice was hoarse and the air gone from his lungs. With a small sigh his eyes rolled back and he lapsed into unconsciousness.
Trance finished applying the splint and moved on to his arm. Not needing to be strong for Harper while he was out cold, she let the tears fall. Crying openly she cursed the fact that she had nothing with her to help Harper. She didn't even have anything to relieve his pain. She wept the entire time she cleaned and dressed his wounds as best she could. When he finally woke, she was strong again, her crying finished.
"Is this a dream?" He croaked when she appeared in his line of vision.
"No, Harper, I'm here." She soothed, taking his uninjured hand in hers.
"Trance, there's so much I have to tell you."
"You should rest. Reserve your strength. Didn't you say the baddest ship in the known worlds was waiting for your signal?" Trance said, slightly amused.
"Trance...you know I was bluffing. Andromeda isn't coming." He coughed weakly, his body trembling from the exertion. "And I know that I don't' have much time left."
"You're going to be fine, you'll have lots of time to tell me everything after you have healed." Trance said as she smoothed sweaty hair from his brow.
"Trance!" Harper's voice was sharp, his eyes, momentarily, clear. "Please! Don't try to placate me! I know I'm dying, I feel it. I'm cold, everything's looks fuzzy and I'm having a hard time concentrating. I have to do this while I still can!"
Trance lowered her eyes, nodding. "I can't...."
"You don't have to, Trance, you just have to listen." Harper leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Trance thought for a moment that he had passes out again.
"Harper?" She said hesitantly.
He opened his eyes again and tried to focus on her beautiful face. "Just trying to figure out where to start, darlin'." He said softly.
Trance sighed with relief. She looked thoughtful, "Why don't you start with how you got here? I mean, I just assumed that you died from the magog eggs in that...er...this...future. How did you survive?"
Harper chuckled, "Well, that was all you, babe, uh...the other you, I mean. As you can guess, we didn't activate the tesseract device. I destroyed it and Hohne was brought back to life. I was in agony, the larvae were fully active and I didn't have much time. Tyr was ready; he would have gone through with it. The look on his face was actually heart breaking, I felt worse for him than I did for me. Which is saying a lot because, well, you know me." He grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, Tyr was just about to pull the trigger when you stopped him. Looking back, it was hilarious, you were quite the little spitfire. You kicked the gun out of his hand and hee-haw'd him on the back of the head. He went down like a ton of bricks. You yelled at Dylan and Rommie to grab me and take me to medical. I was pretty out of it by then but from what I was told, you injected me with something and placed me in stasis until you could figure out a cure." Harper paused to catch his breath, his eyes somewhat glassy as he relived the past.
"How did I cure you?" Trance prompted.
"Technically you didn't. You saved me that day but Hohne came up with the cure, about six months later. I guess it was a good thing we destroyed the tesseract device. Hohne was a big help to us for a long time after that." Harper frowned at the memories the mention of his old friend revived.
"Harper, where are we? What year is this?" Trance asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"Well, babe, that's all part of the story." He teased, but when he saw the pleading in her eyes he answered more frankly. "This is Terazed and the year is 1108."
"Terazed?" Trance exclaimed, "But how...what happened here? What about the Commonwealth? Dylan? Rommie? Tyr?"
Harper's eyes brimmed with tears as he witnessed Trance's confusion. "It's all our fault Trance."
"Our fault? But how? Harper, please, this is no time to get back at me for all the vague answers I've given you over the years."
Harper turned his head and looked at the fire. "But it is our fault, Trance. All of this is because you and I fell in love. Everything you see, all this destruction is just the tip of the iceberg. War is raging in the known worlds and it can all be traced back to our daughter."
Trance leaned back on her haunches, too stunned to speak. Unconsciously mimicking Dylan's actions in another time and place, she wearily rubbed her forehead and finally said, "Harper, I think you had better start from the beginning."
***********************
Still C.Y. 1108
Harper tried to take a deep breath but it turned into another round of coughing. Trance held his head and helped him drink some water from his canteen. When he was finished she attempted to make him a little more comfortable. "Maybe you should rest." She said, wanting, needing to hear more but not willing to have him exhaust himself.
Harper shook his head slightly and winced. "No, I have to finish, it won't be long now." Trance held his hand again and lovingly caressed his cheek.
"Ok." she said.
"I guess the six months I was in stasis was pretty hard on you. Dylan told me later that you nearly worked yourself to death trying to find a cure. He was so worried that he asked Hohne to come on board and help you full-time. The cure was really very ironic. Hohne developed nanobots that when surgically implanted into the larvae, would literally eat the little buggers from the inside out." Harper chuckled again. "Serves 'em right! Anyway, you guys tried it out on me and it worked. Those little freeloaders didn't stand a chance. It took awhile but eventually I woke up. I was totally expecting to be in the hear-after, boy was I surprised when the first thing I saw was Tyr's ugly mug." Harper smiled at the memory. "I looked for you right away but Rommie said you had been ordered to remain in bed until I woke up, seeings how you were so tired and all.
When you finally came into medical, something between us changed, I don't know how to describe it, everything just kinda clicked into place. We didn't even have to say anything to know what we were feeling. We were in love." Harper's voice caught in his throat, he blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. "We took it slow, it was damn hard for me, but we wanted to savor the experience of dating, you know, dinner and dancing, holo-vids in your room, the works. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer. I proposed and you accepted. Long story short, Dylan married us on the Andromeda, in hydroponics, of course. We spent an entire month honeymooning on Infinity. It was the happiest time of my life, up until then, anyway. I shoulda known it was too good to last. That big idiot had to go and get himself killed." Harper finished with a tinge of bitterness borne from terrible suffering.
"Who? Harper, what happened?" Trance asked. She had been marveling at Harper's tale, trying to imagine them getting married. What she would have worn and how handsome he would have looked but his last sentence brought her back to reality.
"Well, shortly after our honeymoon, Beka came up with this hair-brained scheme to find the Engine of Creation." Harper rolled his eyes. "I was off with Rommie on a supply run. Beka convinced you and Tyr to go along for the ride. Something about needing three people to get it or some dumb shit. Only you and Beka came back. You were hysterical and Beka was practically catatonic. It turned out that the planet was littered with ancient booby-traps. One of 'em got Tyr. He didn't even get to go down in battle like he'd always dreamed, he was taken out by some stupid poisoned darts." Harper trembled with grief and pain, his eyes anguished. "I missed him so much, he had become like a brother to me. Beka blamed herself. She said she was in charge of the mission, so she felt like she was responsible. She...she almost left us for good. The whole ship was grieving. I didn't think any of us would ever be happy again."
Trance smoothed his hair and kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.
Harper smiled faintly at her concern. "It was really rough, everything was falling apart. Dylan tried to continue rebuilding the Commonwealth but all the wind had gone out of his sails. His heart didn't seem to be in it anymore. Rommie was upset too, she hated loosing crewmembers but she hated even more what Tyr's death was doing to the rest of us. Time passed slowly those first months after Tyr was killed, but as they say, time heals all wounds.
I'll never forget the day we were finally able to move on. I was working in the slipstream core, just kinda plunking around, not really fixing anything, feeling sorry for myself. You came over the intercom and said that you had a surprise for me. I called it a day and headed home. When I entered our quarters, the lights in our room were turned all the way down. You had lit exotic candles and put them everywhere. The table was set with official High Guard dishes, you know, the ones we save for dignitaries and the like. Oh, you were so beautiful, you had your hair up and it was sparkling in the candle light and you had on this amazing dress that was slit up to here and cut down to there..."
"Harper?" Trance said when Harper didn't continue.
"Oh, yeah, right...uh, it was actually the meal that was supposed to give me a clue to your surprise. You served baby carrots, baby corn, baby potatoes, and some kind of synthetic baby back ribs. I was getting used to living with a vegetarian but even I thought it was a little much. Man, was I dense. You kept giving me these silly looks the whole time I was eating. I was completely oblivious. You finally got a frustrated with me and had to spell it out. 'Harper, I'm pregnant' you said. I literally choked on a piece of baby corn. After you saved me from a very embarrassing death, we laughed and cried and laughed so hard we cried. It was amazing, I wasn't scared at all, I always thought I would be but it felt so right."
Trance smiled as he continued to relate the events of that night. She marveled at the fact that even battered and beaten Harper could still talk the hind leg off a Vedran.
"Everyone was so happy for us. Even Beka started to come out of her depression. We all had something to rally around. I spoiled you rotten. I fussed over you so bad that Dylan had to threaten my Sparky stash just so I would get some work done. Meanwhile we were still flying around, getting attacked, helping people yada, yada, yada. Then one day, Poof! The Commonwealth was restored! Fifty member worlds and a whole fleet of ships rescued from a Neitzschean stronghold." Harper's face beamed with pride. "Dylan was thrilled, but we still had a lot of work to do to get ready for the Magog world ship. I kept working on my mega bomb, and you...well, gestated.
You'd think with all that we had been through that nothing could surprise us anymore. You'd be wrong, we got the mother of all surprises in the form of a distress call from someone claiming to be Tyr's wife! His WIFE! Her pride, Orca, was under attack from some morons that called themselves the Knights of Genetic Purity. Dylan called them Genites, I called them assholes. Anyway off we zoomed to rescue the Orcas. Big battle, lots of explosions, Dylan and Rommie went to the asteroid that the Orcas were living on to start evacuations. Beka and I tried to hold off the Genites but they had some awesome toys and very advanced technology. We held our own for awhile but we were outnumbered and outgunned. We had to get out of there. The Maru barely made it off the surface before the whole asteroid was destroyed. We all ran to the docking bay to try and help with the Orca refugees but only three people came out of the Maru. Dylan, Rommie and an older Neitzschean lady carrying a baby. Dylan introduced her as Olma, matriarch of Orca pride and sole survivor. He introduced the baby as Tamerlane Anasazi, out of Freya by Tyr. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. We all stood there, silent for a minute, just staring at the baby, he was so cute, Trance, you just went bananas over him. Dylan invited Olma to stay on the Andromeda for her and Tamerlane's protection. She agreed and we all helped raise the little bugger. I'd never been around Neitzschean children so I was amazed at how quickly they matured. By the time your due date rolled around, he was walking and starting to speak in complete sentences." Harper shook his head in awe, wincing slightly at the pain the action caused. He closed his eyes and waited for the sensation to pass.
"I think you need to rest now." Trance said, disentangling her hand from his. She started to get up, planning on searching for something for him to eat and a clean source of water; the level in his canteen was dangerously low.
Harper reached desperately for her hand, his eyes pleading, "Please, Trance, I need to get this out." He gave a shaky laugh, "I'm kinda on a roll here."
Trance sighed and grasped his outstretched hand. She stared into his fevered eyes and nodded sadly for him to continue.
"You were even more beautiful when you were pregnant. They say pregnant women have a glow about them, well, you glowed more than any of 'em. I mean that literally, you freakin' glowed in the dark! I had to wear a blindfold to bed just so I could get some sleep." Trance giggled in spite of herself and that earned her one of Harper's patented lopsided grins.
"Finally it was time for the big event. I was a nervous wreck, you were so calm and as usual you helped me get a grip. We did just as we had practiced and in no time we had a beautiful baby girl. Ah, Trance, I wish this you coulda seen her. She was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. She came out squallin' to beat the band but as soon as she saw us, she calmed right down. She was light pink in color, but you said she'd probably darken to a sunset shade of orchid. She looked almost exactly like you, pointy ears, your lips, and your huge eyes. She didn't have a tail though, I was almost relieved, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how we were gonna keep a diaper on her if we had to deal with a tail.
After we made ourselves presentable, we allowed the crew to come in and meet the newest member of Andromeda. They all ooh'd an ahh'd, I was so proud. I felt like I was ten feet tall. Tamerlane came right up to us, looked at the baby and said 'Unca Harper, Auntie Trance, whatcha gonna call her?' Olma signed and left the room. She disliked the fact that Tamerlane hung around me so much, she said I was a 'bad grammatical influence' and that my 'sentence structure was atrocious' if she had known everything I was teaching that kid, she would've skewered me on the spot." Harper snickered. "Oh, yeah, anyway, I picked Tamerlane up so he could get a better look at the baby and I said, 'Tamerlane Anasazi out of Freya by Tyr, meet Kyla Siobhan Gemini Harper' Kyla opened her eyes and they looked at each other, actually they stared at each other. There was an instant connection between them; it was a little eerie. 'Hi Kyla' he said softly, 'You can call me Tam.' Kyla gurgled and cooed. She reached out her little hand and he held it. From that moment on, they were practically inseparable." Harper's eyes took on a far away look and his lids began to droop. "I think I'm ready to take a break, Trance." He mumbled. He forced his eyes open and looked at her, "You'll stay with me, right?"
"I'm not going anywhere. Close your eyes. I'll be right here when you wake up." She held his face gently in her hands and lightly kissed his forehead. He sighed softly, closed his eyes and instantly slipped into a fevered doze. Trance continued to hold his face, tracing every contour with her eyes, comparing this Harper to the one in her memory. 20 years, She thought. A lot had happened to him; a lot had changed in this universe. She reluctantly released his face and turned her attention to the fire. It needed more fuel. She looked around and once again noticed the utter destruction surrounding her. Harper's words echoed in her mind all this can be traced back to our daughter. How? How could someone who was obviously loved so dearly be responsible for such devastation? Trance had to restrain herself from shaking Harper awake and making him answer her questions. Instead she concentrated on finding wood for the fire.