Ghosts' Night Out
by CeRell
The Krystolian craft exploded, the resulting force flipping the prowler end
over end. Aeryn's helmet slammed into the metal wall. She immediately lost
consciousness, leaving the prowler unmanned as it careened out of control.
"Aeryn!" John screamed into the comm as he watched helplessly as the prowler
spun directly into the pod's path. Frantically he tried to maneuver the
bulky pod out of her projected flight trajectory. His attempts were futile
as a screech of metal to metal sickeningly caught his ear as the prowler
made contact with his pod.
"NO!" He screamed as he slewed the pod around to keep the prowler in his
visual range.
"Aeryn!" Again there was no answer. As he followed the prowler, he noted in
horror an asteroid larger than the pod moving in a collision course with
Aeryn's disabled craft.
"Now Aeryn! Come on Baby! Wake up!" He pushed the pod to its sluggish limit
trying to get to the asteroid ahead of the prowler.
As he drew even with the prowler, he heard a groan in the head set.
"Aeryn! Wake up! Get control NOW." He growled in response trying to calm
himself.
Aeryn shook her head. Her eyes widened as they focused on the asteroid
hurtling towards her. Deftly she steadied the prowler and slipped out of the
asteroid's path just in time to avoid a deadly collision.
"You all right?" John's anxious query sounded in her ears.
"Uh. Yes I think." Aeryn pulled her helmet off and touched her temple coming
away with bloody fingers. "Just hit my head I guess. Are you all right,
John?"
"Yes, now that you aren't doing the splat thing." He smiled at the prowler
through his view screen vastly relieved.
She grinned. "No. Not doing the splat thing yet. Let's get back to Moya,
shall we. I've got a whale of a headache."
"Gladly." John chuckling at her earthism and maneuvered the pod after the
fleet prowler.
******
A whisper of a sound caught her attention. She spun around whipping her
pistol out. Her dark eyes carefully analyzing the shadows of the corridor.
Again she found nothing.
"Frell. I'm turning into Crichton now." She angrily shoved the gun back in
its holster. Keeping her hand on the gun, she carefully walked around in the
shadows ensuring nothing was to be found.
"Frell." She finally left the corridor with a last irritated scowl and
continued to her room.
She unbuckled her holster hanging it on the shower wall. Undressing she
entered the shower with a sigh and let the water spray over her face in
gratitude letting her muscles relax under the steady soothing stream.
"Help me" Came the whisper from the far side of the room. She blasted from
under the water, grabbing her pistol in one smooth move, marching over to
the bare corner.
"Frell!" She whispered as a trickle of fear pricked its way into her
consciousness. The corner was empty as usual. She backed slowly to the
shower and slipped her pistol back into its holster. Keeping a wary eye on
the corner she finished her shower.
As she finished dressing she fingered her comm. "Dren." She said under her
breath.
"John, Zhaan?" At their inquiring responses, "Can you meet me in the
kitchen? I've got a problem."
**
John's hand stopped in mid air over the chess board as he heard Aeryn utter
the words. He quickly pushed back his chair hurried off to the kitchen worry
building with every step.
**
"What's up?" He grabbed her elbow as she entered. "Are you ok?" He managed
to sound cool and collected.
She raised her eyebrows in answer.
She sat down and motioned to the opposite chairs. She sat in silence for
several microts gathering the courage to speak. "I'm hearing voices."
John looked at her with a mildly stunned expression. It was the last thing
he'd expected her to say. "Hearing voices." He repeated.
"What type of voices?" Zhaan inquired.
"Whispers. Usually I can't understand the words, but just now while I was
showering I heard distinct words. 'Help me.' Whispered, but very clear."
Zhaan reached across and laid her hand on Aeryn's. "How long have you been
hearing these voices?"
"Since the fight with the Krystolians."
"Krystolians." Zhaan murmured. "They claim to talk with their dead."
"Maybe that's not just a claim. Maybe you were effected when that ship
exploded so close to you." John reasoned.
"You're saying that some essence from them invaded me or something?"
"Weird things happen in this universe." He responded. "I can't think of any
better answer."
They sat in silence for several long microts.
"Just whispers? Is it the same voice? You don't see anyone?" John pressed
his steepled fingers to his lips thoughtfully.
"I think it's the same voice, but I can't be sure. I don't see anyone, just
hear the whispers."
"I've been hearing and seeing Scorpy now for about a cycle. And he's
definitely not a whisper; but a real pain in the ass. We've got a trend
going. I've got Scorpy and you've got whispers." He looked to Zhaan.
"I'm fine. Not hearing or seeing anything odd." She touched her comm and
questioned the others. All the responses were negative.
John touched his comm. "Pilot. Can you have the DRD's check the bulkheads
for any critters or anything out of the ordinary?"
"Certainly Commander."
"Not much else we can do." John looked at her. "Why don't you hang with me
for a few days. Then maybe I can hear what you are experiencing."
Aeryn held his gaze and nodded. "I'd like that. Those whispers are getting
unnerving."
Three days later John lay sprawled on her bed. "And that's the story."
Aeryn dried her hair, wrapped the cover around herself and stepped from
behind the shower stall.
"Interesting." She sat on the bed beside him, looking down into his eyes.
"But, I fail to see how simply seeing the past or future events would
suddenly change him into a caring soul."
"The idea is that Scrooge was such a self centered fellow he never thought
about how his actions effected those around him."
"And having Tiny Tim die because of his miserliness completely changes him."
"Well, Aeryn it's just a story, movie, a play. It was popular on earth
around Christmas. A classic. You don't have anything like that in your
culture?"
"If it wasn't military, no we didn't."
"That might be what I miss the most." John mused.
Aeryn raised her eyebrow.
"Holidays with the family. Out here." He sighed. "I don't even know what day
it is on earth."
"Well, John, all our lives are vastly different than we thought they'd turn
out to be."
"That's for sure." He smiled and rubbed her arm.
Aeryn stiffened and sat back abruptly, sharply twisted away from him.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
She got up off the bed. "John there is something there."
"Aeryn I don't see anything. Where?"
"The doorway John. It's like a fog, it's taking a form...looks like a
sebacean."
"Peacekeeper?"
"A woman." She whispered. "It's Gilina."
John looked from the empty door to Aeryn's face which was visibly paling. He
got up and grabbed her bare shoulders. "Aeryn, I don't see anything." He
whispered.
She took a step backwards, pressing up against him, her bare heel atop his
booted foot.
He moved around in front of her, getting between Aeryn and the door.
"What is she doing?" He whispered turning his head, glancing back at Aeryns
pale face.
"She's stopped about half way to us." Aeryn whispered in his ear, pressing
close to his back. "She's wearing the clothes she had on when she died.
Saying 'help me'."
John looked at the empty doorway, feeling partly the fool, but believing
Aeryn's fear at the apparition.
"Gilina. Help you do what?"
"She's dissolving. She's gone."
He turned to her. "What could a ghost possibly want? And what from us?"
"We're taught when we die, we die. We go nowhere. John, this can't be. I
can't be seeing or hearing this. She's can't exist."
"Humans see ghosts on earth, or at least claim to." He searched her face.
Her eyes slightly frantic. "Come on. Come sit down. You look pale as a g..."
He stopped smiling slightly, realizing she wouldn't appreciate being
compared to a ghost.
He led her to the bed and held her. She nestled closely wrapping her arms
around his.
"On earth ghosts or spirits show themselves, usually from being murdered,
displaced. Looking for resolution to their murder before they can get to
heaven. Others haunt the place where they lived, or in some cases died."
"Does everyone see them?"
"No. Not at all. Most don't believe they exist."
"We know how she died. Scorpious shot her. No mystery. Simple, clean cut."
They sat silent for long microts.
"Maybe that's it." John finally spoke.
"Ummm?" Aeryn looked up at him, rubbed her forehead along his jaw.
"It doesn't make too much sense. But. maybe being around me, close to my
spirit or soul when she died, hers split from her body and tried to go to
heaven."
"If you had some effect on her death or whatever, then why would she be
coming to me?"
"Aeryn, I have no clue, I'm making this up as I go along. Maybe she's been
trying all this time. Maybe she's been around none of us could see her,
until now."
"If that's right, how can we help her?"
John harrumphed. "I've no idea. I was never into the ghost or haunting
scene."
Aeryn stiffened in his arms. He looked down at her. "She's back." She
whispered.
John disengaged himself from her. "Where is she?"
"Doorway." Aeryn whispered.
He stood up and looked to the doorway. "Gilina. On earth peoples spirits
sometimes get caught between earth and heaven. Heaven is the place we
humans' spirits or souls go when we die. We rise up into the air, and look
for a bright light. Follow that light and you'll eventually make it into
heaven."
Aeryn abruptly got off the bed and stepped quickly to John's side. John
looked to her questioningly.
"She kissed you." Aeryn whispered in his ear.
"That bothers you?" He smiled and turned to face her.
"Uh, I.."
"You don't have to say anything, Aeryn." He gently kissed her. "You don't
have to say anything at all."
Aeryn raised her arms to wrap around him and her cover fell to the floor.
John smiled. "Looks like Gilina is telling us something."
Aeryn smiled broadly before she poured herself into his arms and captured
his lips.