Coda
TITLE: Coda
AUTHOR: BR48 (br48@juno.com)
RATING: G
SPOILERS: For The Widening Gyre.
ARCHIVE: Please ask.
DISCLAIMER: Andromeda is property of Tribune Entertainment, for better or worse.
SUMMARY: Parting is such sweet sorrow.
"Not even the most bitter circumstances can make our short time together any less valuable."
- Excerpt from The Tale of Ancient Fires Burning, CY 9831
Dim starlight filtered through the massive nebula. As he glanced through the obs. deck windows, Harper breathed deeply, inhaling the medication that kept his Magog infestation at bay. It wouldn't be much longer now.
"I don't care," Beka folded her arms. "We just need a little more time. Let Trance work on it a little more, and she'll find a cure."
"She's been working for months now, and she hasn't made any progress," Harper answered. "I gotta do this."
"If you could just wait, Andromeda has plenty of chemicals she hasn't tried--" Dylan began.
"But they have the cure," Harper insisted. "If I wait around here, I could die. I've gotta get the procedure now."
"But its so dangerous," Trance looked at him with concern. "You'd be the first person to try it out."
"For all we know, these scientists could be a bunch of scam artists planning to rob you blind as soon as we leave orbit," Dylan added.
"Una salus victus," Tyr spoke in his characteristically detached manner as he reclined on the long bench. "This cure may be dangerous, but it is his only chance of survival."
"It isn't his only chance," Rommie protested. "I have the entire High Guard medical database, and Trance is a very talented medical officer. We can do this."
"No," Dylan shook his head, "Tyr is right. We can't wait and hope to come up with something ourselves. Harper, are you ready?"
Harper looked down, "Yeah, I'm ready."
"Beka," Dylan turned to his first officer, "Prepare for slipstream."
****
Beka cursed as the Maru's flight control systems shorted out again in a shower of sparks. Harper could have fixed it in a couple of hours, but he was too busy talking to the so-called doctors on the planet below. It was around 1400 when she heard a knock on a nearby bulkhead.
"Yeah?" Beka called out.
"Beka," Andromeda's humanoid avatar came to the entrance of the small room. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," The pilot continued to work on her ship. "What is it?"
"You haven't eaten since Harper left," Rommie answered. "I thought you might be hungry."
"Sure," Beka responded absently. "Just... gimme whatever Tyr had."
Rommie looked up briefly, "One Caesar salad and one baked salmon platter with health shake coming up."
"Is there something else?"
"I thought you might want to talk about it."
"What's to talk about?" Beka slid out from under the machinery. "Harper's down there getting prodded by a bunch of quacks, and we're just gonna leave him behind."
"There's nothing else we can do. He'll be on the planet for over three years, and we have a Magog invasion to worry about. We can't stay here with him, and we can't take him and expect him to survive."
"Maybe you're right," Beka stood up, "But it just seems so... wrong to leave him with strangers. We're the only real family he's known since he left earth."
"He knows that we're doing this because we care about him," Rommie put her hand on Beka's arm, "It'll be ok."
Beka tried to smile, "Cancel my dinner. We should eat with Harper before we leave, sort of a farewell party."
Rommie half-smiled in return, "That sounds nice."
Part 2
The crew of the Andromeda stood near the air lock as Harper prepared to leave. They had talked and laughed over dinner. They lingered longer than usual, but now it was time for the ship to get underway, and for Harper to get back to the planet.
"Mr. Harper," Dylan looked at the younger man. "Your extended medical leave begins now. We look forward to your return in three years."
Harper wanted to say something memorable, but he couldn't think of anything. All he could say was, "Thanks, me too."
Rommie was next. "They say that every ending is just the start of something new. I hope you find what you're looking for in your new life."
"Rommie, you act like I'm not coming back," Harper hugged the android that he had built. "I'll be back."
"Right," Rommie tried to hide the tear forming at the corner of her eye. "I'll see you then."
She held him for a moment longer, then he moved on down the line.
"And we'll be stopping by a lot between now and then," Beka said as he gave her a quick hug, "We'll send messages, too."
"I know. Thanks boss... for everything."
Beka smiled at him, and ran a hand through his disheveled hair as he continued along the line. It was Rev's turn.
"Harper... I've always felt that knowing you has been one of the greatest blessings ever given to me by the Divine. I pray that his light will guide you and comfort you. As long as we remember and think of each other, we can all be together in spirit."
"Thanks Rev, I'm gonna miss you."
"Boy," Tyr spoke forcefully as Harper stepped in front of him, "This isn't easy for you, but it's your only means of survival, and I respect that. Weaker men would have killed themselves in your place, but you chose to fight. I know you'll survive, because I know you won't stop fighting until you've won."
"Real inspirational," Harper smiled wryly at the Neitzchian. "You should start your own line of greeting cards."
Tyr looked at him for a moment, showing no sign of how he would react. After a pause, he gave Harper a soft punch in the shoulder, and laughed. Harper smiled back, but then swallowed hard, his face becoming grave.
"I'll miss ya, Tyr. You always surprise me."
"You surprise me too," Tyr admitted, "Now get moving, or you'll be late."
"Right," Harper looked away, and continued on. Only one person was left.
"Harper..." She began, uncertainly.
"Trance," He responded, "Think there's a perfect future out there for me?"
She nodded, tears running down her face, "Definitely. You're already on the way there, and pretty soon, life's gonna be great. I know. Just...be careful."
"I will Trance," Harper took her hand in his, "I'll see ya again soon."
"Yeah, soon," She fought the tears, trying not to let her emotions cause Harper any more pain than he was already going through.
Harper squeezed her hand, and reluctantly let go. He headed out, but turned just as he was about to go through the airlock. "I'm gonna miss all of you, but remember that it's not over. We've still got plenty ahead of us, even if I'm not part of the crew anymore."
"Harper," Dylan stepped forward, "You will always be part of the crew. If you ever change your mind, just send us a message and we'll be back."
"I know."
Dylan and the others stood at attention, "Your service and your friendship has been an asset to this crew. You'll be missed... Seamus Zelazney Harper, we salute you."
The crew of the Andromeda Ascendant raised their hands as one and saluted. Harper gave one last bittersweet smile, and left.
The End
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