Fic: Scene
Apr. 24th, 2004 08:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ivyficI warned that it would happen, and here it is. My first Andromeda fic. Not really a fic, even, just a scene. It appears to be part of a larger story, who knows what, though. I've only seen half of season one so far, so don't kill me if I contradicted later continuity. I'm just trying to get a handle on Harper's voice right now, so please let me know if I'm on the right track.
Title: Scene
Author: Ivy
Universe: Andromeda, season 1
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I am not Gene Rodenberry. Therefore Andromeda is not mine. Ah, logic.
“Harper, get down here.” Beka craned her neck up toward the access panel where she could see her engineer’s workboots on a ladder surrounded by a mess of wires.
“No way!” Harper replied. “I’m upgrading Rommie’s gravity generators, and you know how testy she gets when I just leave things hanging.”
“Uh-huh,” Beka said sarcastically, putting her hands on her hips.
“You see,” Harper continued, ignoring the sarcasm, “I figured if could just reverse the couplings, and run the generator through the hull plating, then Andromeda could just repel incoming missiles, like a giant not-black hole.”
“Or you could get the polarity wrong and cover Andromeda with all the space dust in the sector.”
“Hey, she’s been dyin’ for a new ‘do. Dust might just be her thing.” Beka could hear Harper continuing to tinker above her.
“And the sudden urge to turn Rommie into a dust bunny wouldn’t have anything to do with the formal reception Dylan’s planning in, oh,” Beka checked her watch, “fifteen minutes?” She peered up at Harper again, squinting her eyes.
“Beka, doll, I’m hurt! Why ever would you think I was avoiding something? You know how I love a good party.” Beka wasn’t sure, but it looked like Harper was trying to boogie on his perch.
“Right. And the fact that it’s for a few Magog has nothing to do with it,” Beka shrugged.
“No, of course –" Harper inadvertently bumped his toolbox and sent two spanners and a collection of spare circuits raining down on Beka. Beka glared up at Harper, whose face appeared amid the clutter, looking sheepish and repentant. Beka waited a minute, and sure enough, Harper climbed down.
“It’s just three,” Beka tried to reason.
“Which is three to many.”
“You know how important this is to Dylan. If he can make peace with even just a few Magog, it shows that this Commonwealth really stands a chance.”
“As I recall – and please, correct me if I’m wrong – it was making peace,” Harper made little quotation marks with his fingers, “with the Magog that made the Nietzscheans start the war with the Commonwealth in the first place.”
“But you’ve never had a problem with Rev, and he’s a Magog,” Beka changed tacks.
“Rev is the exception that proves the rule. It’s like ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ and sounding like ‘ay’ in 'neighbor' or 'weigh.' Rev is like ‘weigh’ – "
“Harper –" Beka tried to interrupt.
Harper ignored her. “– where as all the other Magog are like ‘soldier’ or ‘fiend’ or ‘enemies.’”
Beka rested her hand on Harper’s forearm. “Exactly, Harper. Rev is like ‘weigh,’ and these other Magog, they’re Wayist too. Do you know what these means to Rev, to know that there are other Magog out there like him, who are working for peace, like him?”
“Yeah, I know.” Harper looked down at the deck.
“Do you?” Beka tried to meet his eyes.
Harper raised his gaze. “Look, I’m sorry. I can’t.” He paused for a moment trying to smile. “Rev’ll understand,” he shrugged.
“Yeah, he will. And you know why? Because he’s your friend. He’s a Magog, and he’s your friend, and he’ll forgive you. But you don’t make it easy for him.”
Harper shook off her hand and turned back to the ladder. “I, uh, I’ve got to get back to work.” He paused for a moment climbing up, and said in a whisper, “I’m sorry.”
He disappeared back into the access panel, and Beka shook her head as she walked away.
Title: Scene
Author: Ivy
Universe: Andromeda, season 1
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I am not Gene Rodenberry. Therefore Andromeda is not mine. Ah, logic.
“Harper, get down here.” Beka craned her neck up toward the access panel where she could see her engineer’s workboots on a ladder surrounded by a mess of wires.
“No way!” Harper replied. “I’m upgrading Rommie’s gravity generators, and you know how testy she gets when I just leave things hanging.”
“Uh-huh,” Beka said sarcastically, putting her hands on her hips.
“You see,” Harper continued, ignoring the sarcasm, “I figured if could just reverse the couplings, and run the generator through the hull plating, then Andromeda could just repel incoming missiles, like a giant not-black hole.”
“Or you could get the polarity wrong and cover Andromeda with all the space dust in the sector.”
“Hey, she’s been dyin’ for a new ‘do. Dust might just be her thing.” Beka could hear Harper continuing to tinker above her.
“And the sudden urge to turn Rommie into a dust bunny wouldn’t have anything to do with the formal reception Dylan’s planning in, oh,” Beka checked her watch, “fifteen minutes?” She peered up at Harper again, squinting her eyes.
“Beka, doll, I’m hurt! Why ever would you think I was avoiding something? You know how I love a good party.” Beka wasn’t sure, but it looked like Harper was trying to boogie on his perch.
“Right. And the fact that it’s for a few Magog has nothing to do with it,” Beka shrugged.
“No, of course –" Harper inadvertently bumped his toolbox and sent two spanners and a collection of spare circuits raining down on Beka. Beka glared up at Harper, whose face appeared amid the clutter, looking sheepish and repentant. Beka waited a minute, and sure enough, Harper climbed down.
“It’s just three,” Beka tried to reason.
“Which is three to many.”
“You know how important this is to Dylan. If he can make peace with even just a few Magog, it shows that this Commonwealth really stands a chance.”
“As I recall – and please, correct me if I’m wrong – it was making peace,” Harper made little quotation marks with his fingers, “with the Magog that made the Nietzscheans start the war with the Commonwealth in the first place.”
“But you’ve never had a problem with Rev, and he’s a Magog,” Beka changed tacks.
“Rev is the exception that proves the rule. It’s like ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ and sounding like ‘ay’ in 'neighbor' or 'weigh.' Rev is like ‘weigh’ – "
“Harper –" Beka tried to interrupt.
Harper ignored her. “– where as all the other Magog are like ‘soldier’ or ‘fiend’ or ‘enemies.’”
Beka rested her hand on Harper’s forearm. “Exactly, Harper. Rev is like ‘weigh,’ and these other Magog, they’re Wayist too. Do you know what these means to Rev, to know that there are other Magog out there like him, who are working for peace, like him?”
“Yeah, I know.” Harper looked down at the deck.
“Do you?” Beka tried to meet his eyes.
Harper raised his gaze. “Look, I’m sorry. I can’t.” He paused for a moment trying to smile. “Rev’ll understand,” he shrugged.
“Yeah, he will. And you know why? Because he’s your friend. He’s a Magog, and he’s your friend, and he’ll forgive you. But you don’t make it easy for him.”
Harper shook off her hand and turned back to the ladder. “I, uh, I’ve got to get back to work.” He paused for a moment climbing up, and said in a whisper, “I’m sorry.”
He disappeared back into the access panel, and Beka shook her head as she walked away.