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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-04
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792
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1/1
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11
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May You Live in Interesting Times

Summary:

Tyr, on the eve of his departure from the Andromeda, makes a final farewell to one particular member of the crew.

Work Text:

Disclaimer: Andromeda is the property of Tribune Entertainment, Fireworks Productions as are the characters of Tyr Anazazi and Seamus Harper, and do not belong to me.

Note: Written for scheherzhad in the live journal community Fic on Demand.

"May You Live in Interesting Times" by Karen

 

Harper waited in the infirmary, the penny whistle, as he had come to think of it his medicine dispenser, dangling from the chain around his neck. He hated being reminded of why he needed, it brought back too many bad memories of being held prisoner by the Magog and the unpleasant reminders they had left in his gut. His breath came in short gasps, and in a remote back corner of his mind Harper knew he was hyperventilating, but he couldn't stop.

There must be a better way, surely a genius such as myself can come up with a better solution than having to be dependent on this stupid medicine.

If he can take apart a broken fuselage, or a slipstream drive, patch it up and put it back together in a day or so, surely he can solve this problem. Right? Harper realize that the metal cylinder he grasps in his fist is not the medicine dispenser, he's dropped that on the floor, and he now holds a knife to his stomach, and this time there's no Rommie to come take it away from him. Harper drops the knife and it makes a spectacular clatter on the metal floor.

He stands up and begins to pace around the circumference of the infirmary, racking his brain for all the available alternatives. Instantly, the one that springs to mind is the rather spectacular almost success of attempting to shift time and space and Tyr's rather irate appearance in mid shift demanding that he not be used as one of Harper's experiments. "That was fun." Harper's grin is wide, crooked at the edges and the mischievous twinkle is back in his eye. His earlier despair forgotten.

Tyr enters the infirmary, his dread locks combed and wet from a recent shower. He regards the short blond human for a moment considering whether or not to proceed with the task at hand. His plan is coming along nicely, and time is of the essence, if he wishes to slip away and off the Andromeda without notice he had best leave now, but somehow Tyr feels he must now leave this particular task undone. It is one better done in person, rather than the pre recorded holographic message he left for his captain, Dylan Hunt, and the one for Captain Beka Valentine. They will learn of those messages when he is ready for them to do so.

"You have been in here long enough," Tyr says, by way of announcing his presence.

"I like it in here, it's quiet," Harper replies, looking for where the medicine dispenser landed when he threw it away in frustration, trying to ignore the big Nietzchean, it's hard, Tyr's size and presence make him very hard to ignore. "What do you want?"

"I want many things, some attainable and some not."

"If you came here to trade philosophies, and discuss whey some people's reach exceed their grasp, Tyr," Harper shrugged, "I'm sorry, but I'm really not in the mood."

"You may not wish to hear this," Tyr shrugged, "but that has never stopped me before and I do not see it happening in this instance."

"First time for everything."

"Harper, be quiet and listen, for I will only say this once." Tyr came over and stood near the edge of the examining table. "During our brief acquaintance, if there is one lesson that I wish to leave with you."

"As long as I've known you've wanted to pound things into my noggin," Harper shrugged, "Don't see how this time will be any different."

"You are an annoying, brilliant little man," Tyr replied. "I am taking my leave of the Andromeda, and before I do I want to give you a message. "May you live in interesting times." Do not give up, you hear me. If I have taught you nothing during our brief acquaintance, it is to survive."

Harper started at the note of both sincerity and menace in Tyr's voice. Harper recognized the quote, it came from old Earth, and specifically from the Chinese culture about life being both a curse and a blessing. Tyr slips a sealed white envelope out of one of the pockets of his leather pants and hands it to Harper.

Tyr leaves the same way he came in, without once looking back, leaving Harper holding the sealed envelope. "He cares. He really does care."