Caretaker
By Farscapian
Archive: If you want this please let me know where
Feedback: Yes welcome, I always love good feedback
Disclaimer: Every Farscape character, ideas, terminology belong to the Jim Henson Company, Rockne O’Bannon, Nine Networks Australia etc… Imitation can only want people to watch the show, so thank me later.
Author’s Notes: This is my first story, so don’t think it’s going to be excellent
Rioharz sat slumped and spinning in the cockpit chair of his little ship, scanning the ever-present continuum with his mind. All was normal until he suddenly sensed something out of the ordinary. “Bloody hell. What is this? Dammit, no rest for the wicked.”
Rioharz focused his mind. “A pregnant leviathan. Haven’t seen one of those for a few millennia.” He had gotten used to talking to himself after all of the time he had spent out in space alone. “Something more interesting. A human!”
Thoughts flooded through his mind. ‘My species.’ ‘What are they doing out here?’ ‘A sebacean as well, human and sebacean in the same space, breathing the same air… I have waited for the day. I must tell them their species past.’
Rioharz strengthened his mind and propelled the craft through the dimensions. As he did it he thought to himself that he would never get used to the feeling of the dimensional shift, but at the same time he was happy he was returning to his home dimension.
“Computer, how long till I reach dimension Kathu?” …2.5 SECONDS… Rioharz relaxed his mind and he came slowly out of the dimension corridor. ‘Now down to business.’ “Computer, set a course for the leviathan, full starburst.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
John Crichton stood looking out at another blue planet in the command room. Aeryn quietly sneaks in to relieve john of his watch duty in command; john looks over his shoulder at Aeryn.
“Missing home?” Aeryn asked.
“Not as much as I missed you at dinner last night, gorgeous. Where were you?”
Aeryn thought of not answering his question, because it wasn’t his business what she was doing. Anyway he was just a primitive human… “I was training.”
“Sure it was just training. Seems pretty long for training. I thought you might have gotten caught by another freaky alien.”
“ANOTHER, I always have to rescue you!!!”
“Ooookay then, I guess you don’t remember me risking my ass to get that nerve tissue thingamabob.”
The room went quiet at that moment. Both John and Aeryn knew what had happened those couple of days, but they weren’t prepared to talk about it just yet. John thought back to the Gammak Base. John thought back to when after Aeryn was much better……..the time they spent together in her room…
“Aeryn, I thought maybe we could be close tonight considering we’ve only been intimate twice.”
“Oh, so that’s what you want.” Aeryn smiled at the thought of how John had made her feel last time.
“How about I give you a little tasters, for you to look forward to!”
“Tast…”
“Shhhhh.” John passionately kissed Aeryn on the lips.
“I like that.” Aeryn smiled.
“I bet you do, gorgeous.”
D’argo entered the room, which made the couple blush. “Ahem.”
John and Aeryn quickly straightened themselves up, half embarrassed of what D’argo might have seen.
“I just got word from Pilot that a vessel is about to come out of starburst in 15 microts.”
John was a bit annoyed. “Why didn’t Pilot contact us over the comm.?
D’argo replied, “Pilot says the energy signature is massive so it’s interrupted the comm signals.”
Aeryn tensed up at the thought that it might be a threat to Moya.
Zhaan and Chiana came rushing in to see what the big fuss was that D’argo was raving about.
Rygel came floating in on his chair stuffing his face full of food cubes, mumbling, “What’s going on that’s so important to interrupt the Dominar’s food time.”
“Nice to have you here, your royalness,” John said sarcastically. “We’ll all see what’s going on in 4 microts.”
Moya started to shake, throwing the crew onto the floor of the command deck. “PILOT, what the frell was that?”
“It’s a new phenomenon. I can’t identify the reason but it seems to be caused by the energy that Moya scanned a few microts earlier.”
As soon as pilot finished, a starburst opened, but it seemed to be much brighter than any known starburst. A small craft appeared out of the center. It was completely black with no windows or access ports.
Chiana remarked. “I….thought….it….was supposed to be bigger.”
Aeryn was a bit confused. “Pilot has that craft got the same energy signature Moya scanned earlier?”
“It does, but it seems to have reduced in intensity.”
“Have any of you seen anything like it before?” Crichton remembered a Star Trek film he once watched on Earth. “I tell ya, it looks like one of those old Vulcan ships off that Star Trek film.”
“One of those sayings again?” D’argo asked, confusedly.
“No. It’s just a t.v. and film thing.”
“I heard something when I was a child that had that ship in it. It’s an old sebacean myth that was told before space travel. Sebacea was once ruled by an ancient race that ruled the universe with fear. They were called K’tax.”
“Were!!”
“Yeah. The K’tax were around but not anymore. Anyway, I’ll carry on with the story. During a time of immense suffering and pain a small black bird flew into the sky on a bright day and lit the sky with it’s beautiful song. The universe burnt for a few microts, incinerating every trace of the K’tax from history except the written knowledge of their existence on Sebacea. The bird was thought of as a god until Sebacea changed it’s ways and refused to believe in religion. A few cycles later the peacekeepers were created and started to become a military species.”
D’argo growled, “And started to kill innocent species.”
Zhaan put her hand on D’argo’s shoulder. “I know your pain D’argo. Delvia was imprisoned as well, not just your planet. You can’t blame Aeryn for how the Peacekeepers turned out a long time ago.”
D’argo relaxed and looked at Zhaan, knowing the pain she suffered at the hands of the Peacekeepers. “You’re right Zhaan.”
“I’m going back to my room to get more food. The Dominar shouldn’t be interested in such boring matters.” Rygel floated off, thinking to himself what kind of worth that ship could have.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Rioharz looked at the leviathan through his vid screen wondering what he should say, what he was going to do, how he was going to persuade them he is the guardian of the universe, and that he was born……………on Earth!! “Computer, arm the defense systems against the Ancients and anything else just activate phase shift.”
Rioharz was worried. It was the first time for fifty millennia that he had to resort to leaving his craft. He placed his hand on the organic metal of the ships hull. “You have served me well friend.” He acted like he might not see his ship ever again, but this time he knew it might very well be the last time.
Rioharz focused his mind and a brilliant white light engulfed his entire body and suddenly he was aboard Moya in the command room. He thought he should not reveal his true identity until he thought the crew was ready, so he created a thick black mist covering his entire body.
John looked at Rioharz then quickly turned his head toward Aeryn. “So what’s it like to meet your myth?”
“We don’t know what it is. Anyway, myths aren’t real.”
Zhaan quickly cut in after Aeryn “I am…”
Rioharz finished her sentence in a rough kind of voice that pierced through everyone’s soul. “Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan, a Delvian”
Zhaan paused, wondering how he knew that. “You read my mind, didn’t you? It isn’t nice to read other peoples minds without asking.”
Rioharz walked up to Zhaan and looked into her eyes. Zhaan vaguely thought that she had met him before. “No Zhaan, I already knew.”
“So I guess you already know who I am,” John said. “That’s the interesting thing, I really don’t know anything about you, except for one thing. You are human.”
“Err…” Rioharz smiled at John because he knew what the question would be. “Leave that question till later, but…”
John imitating a tour guide said, “How did you kn…never mind…If you’ll look to my right you’ll see Ka D’argo, a Luxan, and on my left the beautiful Aeryn Sun, and just in front of you Chiana.”
“John, why are you talking like that?”
“Erm… tourist guide thing, err…never mind.”
“Tourist guides. What the, oh frell it. When I ever understand you is when I’ll become as ugly as Rygel.”
Rioharz walked up to D’argo. “Do you have anything to say about yourself?”
D’argo growled at Rioharz. “Only one thing. I don’t trust you at all.”
“But I trust D’argo and all of you, including the little Nebari and the slimy toad Rygel, whom I haven’t met, but I still trust you. That’s why I’m going to reveal my true identity.” The mist surrounding Rioharz dissipated and everyone saw what he looked like.
John asked, “You look human or sebacean. Where are you from?”
“Let me ask you something first. Do you believe there is a being in the whole universe… which looks after the universe almost like a caretaker of life?”
“Well, if there was then I wouldn’t be stuck here on Moya.”
“John!” Zhaan said sharply.
John looked at Zhaan then back to Rioharz. “No I don’t and before you say it you’re not a God either.”
“Shhhh John, I wouldn’t be too fast to mock him. I think he that…erm…what do you call it? Caretaker of life? I sensed I knew him when I looked into his eyes, although I never met him. This is the being that brings order to the universe. A being of light.” Zhaan looked deeply into Rioharz’s eyes in awe, knowing what he was.
“I think Zhaan has gone a bit loony,” John said.
Chiana walked up to Rioharz and pressed herself closely to him. “You are very handsome and sexy for an ancient being. How about we go to my room and talk a little bit more.” Chiana prodded Rioharz in the chest. “So how bout it?”
D’argo quickly grabbed Chiana’s arm and pulled her away from Rioharz.
“Hey, I was just trying to get to know him a bit better.” Chiana looked at Rioharz and smiled seductively.
“I know what you were doing.”
“Err….Friendly woman…”
“I can be a bit more friendly if you want.”
Rioharz looked at Chiana and smiled. “I’ll talk to you later.” He walked over to John then. “So John, how would you like to see your home again?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I want to go home.”
“What, now?”
“If you’ve got a spare wormhole, then yeah,” John quietly laughed.
Zhaan quickly nudged John and he stopped laughing. “Sorry about John. He can be somewhat of an…..”
“Idiot” D’argo quickly said and laughed.
“D’argo,” John snapped.
“Err, can I ask you a question?” Aeryn asked.
“Sure. Fire away.”
“I won’t fire at you. Wait a minute. You sound like John. Are you human?”
“Bloody hell!! Didn’t know my cover would be blown right open that quickly. Must be losing my touch in me old age. To answer your question Aeryn, yes, I am human.”
“I thought humans couldn’t come out this far,” Zhaan said surprised.
John said, “We can’t. So mister God here, is no human.”
“Of course I’m human John. Don’t you ever wonder why there are so many Human looking aliens around the universe?”
“I thought it was just random convergence of DNA, or in ‘Lamens’ terms, coincidence.”
Chiana looked confused. “Err, who is Lamen?”
“It means simple. Those translator microbes are really having trouble aren’t they.”
“No John. It isn’t coincidence at all. We’re all the same and all descend from an older species.” Rioharz looked out the window at space. “One part of that species decided to improve themselves by purging all technology from their world and eliminating all memories and thoughts of their previous existence. In a sense, they started their species again, free from technology.’ A couple of moments passed and Rioharz looked back at John. “I think you already know the name of that species, don’t you John. I think you’ve known it since you saw your first sebacean.”
“Err, refresh my memory.”
“Humans, humans and other human looking aliens are the ancient race John. Far older than the ‘ancients’, or as you refer to them ‘the creepy bugs’.”
“Alright, if you are right, prove it and take me back to Earth.”
“Oh come on John. You don’t believe any of this frell do you?” Aeryn said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “It’s probably some kind of Peacekeeper trick. You can’t trust him.”
“Aeryn’s right. We can’t trust him,” D’argo said while pointing his Qualta-blade at Rioharz.
“You don’t have to threaten every visitor we get D’argo.”
“If you don’t trust me, I’ll take you back to Earth, but before I do, I’ll introduce myself. I am Rioharz. I thought I was the last human out here in the uncharted territories. Anyway, back to business.” Rioharz turned his back to the crew. Outside Moya space seemed to bend and flex while bright pinpricks of light whizzed by them. The speed was incomprehensible. No mortal except Rioharz had ever witnessed it… until now!!
“Rio de Janeiro, what are those?” John asked.
“My name is Rioharz and those, John, are the very essence of the universe. We are traveling under and over the layers of the universe.”
“Incredible!”
“I’ll second that.”
“Me too.”
“And me.”
Rioharz looked at John. “So John, where do you want to enter the solar system?”
“Err…………err…………………erm…just take the scenic route.”
“Alright, just outside of Pluto it will be.”
Everything came to a sudden halt and Moya was flying by what seemed to be Pluto. “Incredible. I’m finally back home.” John looked out in awe at his own solar system.
“Well, John, congratulations. At least one of us got back home.”
“Yeah John, I hope there are more people like you on Earth,” Chiana said with a wicked smile.
“So where am I supposed to go now?” Aeryn asked sounding a bit worried.
“Sundance, you can come with me if you want. We can find a nice secluded place and live there.”
“I’m not sure I’ll fin in. I…especially after what happened on the fake Earth.”
“Aeryn, I don’t want to leave you. Not ever. I’ll protect you on Earth, not that you need protecting being an ex-Peacekeeper and all.”
Rioharz interrupted the conversation. “Ahem. Sorry to interrupt this heartbreaking moment, but John and Aeryn, would you like to visit your original world where humans and Sebaceans were once one species?”
“I’m not related to him. Oh come on. You can’t believe that!” Aeryn looked at John.
“I know so, because I have been to that very planet,” Rioharz said slowly, letting the words sink in to the crew’s minds.
“Humans and Sebaceans can’t be the oldest species. You only have to remember the ancients.” John looked at Zhaan. “Or even Delvians. They seem older than humans by thousands or millions of years.”
Rioharz looked at John. “You have a saying on Earth, don’t you John…Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” He looked at the confused aliens. “It means don’t judge something by its appearance.”
“Alright, Mr. God,” John said sarcastically, “Take us to this planet of yours.”
Rioharz looked at John with annoyance. “My name is Rioharz, not mister god. You really do have a bad problem with names don’t ya.”
Chiana looked at John. “But what about Earth? I thought you wanted to…”
“I’m sure he can take Aeryn and me back here.”
“On, so now, you decided to add me to your conversation. I thought you said I never wanted to go to Earth.”
“I’ll never leave you Aeryn. Anyway, I said I’ll protect you.”
“Yeah right, John.” Aeryn quickly rushed out of the room.
John ran after Aeryn. “Aeryn wait.”
“The sparks are really flying now,” Rioharz joked.
“It’s like this most of the time, ever since they got it together.” Chiana said.
“It’s hard for them both, being in such an awkward situation,” Zhaan said with a hint of concern in her voice.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Aeryn ran into her room with tears streaming down her face.
John called out to her, “Aeryn wait!” He walked into her room and sat next to her. “Aeryn, sweetheart, this isn’t like you. What’s the matter?” She turned her back to John. “Hey,” John said softly, while pushing back a stray strand of hair around her ear. “I would never leave you. As a matter of fact there is a saying on Earth. ‘Home is where the heart is.’ My heart is with you always. You are my home now, not earth. I’ll always stay with you, through thick and thin.”
Aeryn wiped away her tears and tried to act like a strong ex-Peacekeeper. “I was just……………………scared…………………that you might leave me and I’d never see you ever again.” She looked into his eyes.
“I would never leave you and I hope you would never leave me,” John said.
“I would never leave you John.” She smiled at John.
“So why are we upset then? We will always be together and nothing can separate us.”
“I know John.”
“Alright, do you want to stay here and talk a little bit longer?” John smiled because he knew he loved the most beautiful woman in the universe.
“I don’t want to talk, John.” Aeryn kissed him, surprised that John didn’t make the first move.
“Oh, you want that.” John embraced Aeryn in his arms and lowered her to her bed. “You know you…” Aeryn kissed him again before he could speak.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Zhaan looked at Rioharz and asked herself silently why he was really there on Moya.
“Zhaan, you don’t need to be worried. I didn’t intrude on your thoughts Zhaan. Other beings thoughts are attracted to my mind like ‘iron to a magnet’. It’s one of many abilities my species has.” Rioharz turned around and looked at Zhaan with his hands behind his back. “Every human has the ability along with many others. Even John has them, but unlike the memories and technology, we thought it would be inhuman to rip the very genes that made us human from our DNA, so we just made them dormant.” Rioharz looked at Zhaan closer. “Zhaan, is your species plant evolved?”
“Yes, yes it is. Why do you ask?”
“769,000 years ago on Earth, there were sentient plants living there with intelligence beyond any animal, but far below human intelligence. We decided these beings showed promise, so we sent them to a planet far across the stars to the other side of the universe. One human female stayed on that planet. She may have been looked at like a goddess… I thought that perhaps that species could be Delvians.”
“That is an interesting theory. It is true that Delvians worship a goddess, but the idea that Delvians evolved on Earth, that could take a lot of evidence to prove it. Even the most spiritual Delvians might have trouble believing that idea. I don’t think that Delvians would abandon their beliefs that quickly.”
“I wasn’t asking you to abandon your beliefs. I was just trying to open your mind a little bit.”
“I don’t think Delvians are ready for the idea just yet.”
“Perhaps not.”
There was a long pause in the command room, but it was interrupted by Pilots voice. “Excuse me, but Moya is sensing a huge disturbance in the gravity field of that gas giant.”
Zhaan looked at the image of Pilot on the vid-screen. “Pilot, could you bring up an image of that gas giant? Could you also contact John and Aeryn and tell them to come up here now.?”
“Certainly Zhaan.”
6 microns later Aeryn and John came running into the command room. “What in hezmana is going on? Pilot said there was a huge disturbance around Jupiter.”
They looked at Rioharz. D’argo growled, “I bet it’s this alien’s doing.”
“Well…err…it might very well be my fault,” Rioharz said.
Aeryn went up to Rioharz and whacked him around the head with her pulse rifle, glad that she had grabbed it from her bedside.
“What is happening? If you don’t tell us, I’ll throw you out the airlock!” D’argo again growled at Rioharz.
“Well, those moons around Jupiter…are not what they appear to be. They are in fact, weapons, designed to destroy anything not from Earth. Over the thousands of years they have collected ice and rock and have formed into moons. That’s my theory anyway. The weapons could have been destroyed by Jupiter’s gravity.”
John added, “Those are just harmless moons.”
“Oh right John, have you been there recently? Have you landed on them? Oh, that’s right you’ve only been to your moon. We can’t forget that fact can we?”
Aeryn hit him over the head with her pulse rifle. “It’s not a good thing to insult the crew.” Aeryn was about to hit him over the head again when a shockwave hit Moya, spinning her out of control. Everyone fell to the floor and held on tight to the consoles.
D’argo shouted, “What the FRELL have you done, Rioharz?”
“I’ve done nothing. It’s the warning from the automated defense systems.” Another shockwave hit Moya, throwing them to the ground again. “If you want to live, Moya better starburst outta here.”
“You can’t give us orders, you piece of dre…” John was interrupted by another shockwave.
Chiana screamed, “Pilot, starburst would be nice about now!”
Pilot replied, “Preparing to starburst NOW.”
Suddenly the all to familiar starburst effect kicked in and Moya was traveling along the starburst corridor. Rygel floated into the command room while banging against the walls, “What the frell is goi…” He banged against the wall and knocked himself out.
D’argo laughed, “Serves the greedy little toad right.” Just as suddenly as it started, Moya exited the starburst.
D’argo quickly got up and slammed Rioharz against the wall. “You frelling piece of dren, tell us the truth now.”
“Let me go,” Rioharz’ eyes lit up a dark blue and grey and D’argo was flung across the room but was suspended in the air before he hit the wall.
“What the frell?” Aeryn lifted up her pulse rifle. “I knew he wasn’t here to help us.” Aeryn shot at Rioharz. He lifted up his hand and the pulse blast slowed down and stopped in front of his hand, vanishing in a flash of light.
Rioharz’s voice changed into a more gritty, darker voice. “I was willing to show you…all the wonders of the universe. John…I was going to open your mind to new options and abilities, just like I have done and enlighten my fellow humans, and perhaps, perhaps even restore the human and sebacean race to one species like it was a long time ago. It wasn’t just the human and sebacean races though. I…” Rioharz paused. “I was going to enlighten other species across the universe, the Nebari, Delvians, Luxans, Scarren, Hynerian, and even these sentient leviathans.” Rioharz laughed. “Perhaps even the Ancients, you know, tell them where the world they have been looking for is located, but now I see you are not ready to be told your secrets. You have to find them for yourselves. A journey of self discovery.”
Tendrils of electricity flowed around Rioharz’s body, engulfing his entire being. He moved his hand, palm up, and an image of the universe floated just above his hand. “You see, I have been to every corner of the universe…and back…I’ve seen everything there is to see, every species past, present, future, and now… You, all of you have to find the secrets that your species and your lives present to you.”
The image of the universe vanished from his hand and a portal of pure white light formed behind him. “I must go now, but remember, I’ll be there when you find these secrets.”
“Where are you going,” John asked.
“I’m going to the essence of all life,… the beginning.” The portal of light engulfed Rioharz, absorbing the tendrils of electricity. “I must rest. I have been in this universe too long.” The electricity engulfed his entire body. “Remember,” Rioharz said in a faint whisper. The portal of light closed in a flash of brilliant blue light.
“Ahh, frell it, I was looking forward to him… Oh well, what’s that saying you use Crichton? Another day another freller.” Chiana remarked.
“Erm… No, not exactly, but I reckon that saying suits you perfectly!”