As Time Goes By:part1
by The Radiant Aeryn Sun
Feedback: RazberryWestie@netscape.net
John stood looking out on the terrace. The stars were glowing brightly and peacefully, and he felt as though he could stand there forever. But a planet was coming into view, and John had asked Pilot to keep an eye out for a nice planet so everyone could get off of Moya for a nice little vacation, because of the fact that everyone seemed to be at each other’s necks, especially Jool and Chiana. Dargo was just as grumpy as ever, and iff you called him on the comm for the slightest thing, he’d growl at you. Stark and Rygel, who had been getting along quite well, were now driving each other insane. Pilot was calm, although he really didn’t appreciate getting yelled at for no reason. Aeryn and John were, well, being themselves, as usual, and they were as happy and content as can be, but they were getting annoyed with everyone else.
So John was really looking forward to getting off Moya for a bit. He already had everything packed, as did Aeryn, and John hoped that a break would calm everyone down.
“Commander Crichton?” Pilot’s voice came over the comm.
“Yes Pilot?”
“As you can see, a nice, green and blue planet is coming closer to us. It seems to be uninhabited, except for some wild animals, but it seems very nice. It can sustain all of you.”
“It’s perfect” John said with a smile. “It kinda reminds me of home, but it’s more quiet. That’s really what we need.”
“Do you wish me to call everyone to Command?”
“Yes, please Pilot.”
John, sighing with relief, turned around and started walking through Moya’s many corridors. John sometimes ended up feeling dizzy after walking around through them after a while. But it wasn’t very far to Command. All he had to do was pass-
“What are you DOING?!” John heard Jool shout.
“I’m bring your frelling clothes from being washed for you!”
“Who said you could touch them?!”
“They were in the basket, so I cleaned them! I knew you were just going to leave them there for a weeken!”
“Hey, hey!” John shouted as he came to them. “Jool, she cleaned your clothes. You should be at least a LITTLE grateful.”
“Yeah, well-“ Jool stopped abruptly, realising she couldn’t win this one.
“Good. So why don’t we all go down to Command?”
Jool stomped off, followed by Chiana, who seemed to be very agitated.
John, not wanting to run into them again, went a different way to meet up with Aeryn.
Sure enough, she was there, about to start heading off. John snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him.
“Hey, sunshine” he whispered in her ear.
“Hello yourself” she said with a grin. “I’m so glad we can get off Moya for a bit.”
“Me too.”
So they headed over to Command together, and when they arrived into Command, everyone seemed to be smiling at the planet, as though their birthday had come early.
“As Zhann would say, thank the Goddess!” Chiana exclaimed.
“I can do some nice meditation and relaxation” Stark said thoughtfully.
“I can get off this ship!” said Rygel gleefully.
“I can get some fresh air!” Jool exclaimed.
“I can get away from everything!” Dargo said, who was actually smiling.
“Good. Are we all in agreement?” Aeryn asked, and everyone nodded. “Ok, lets meet in the hanger in about an arn.”
Everyone headed off, practically skipping.
Aeryn turned to John. “Will you help me get the pods ready?”
“Sure. Just let me get our stuff.”
So, sure enough, after about an arn, everyone met in the hanger, looking excited, as though they were off to Disneyland for the first time. They loaded onto two separate pods, since there was so many of them. Aeryn, John, Stark and Rygel took one, Dargo, Jool and Chiana took the other. When they landed, they all agreed to meet up with each other in seven solar days and then head back to Moya. Then they all headed off in groups or alone.
John and Aeryn walked together as usual, and headed for a trail to find a nice place to camp out. Unfortunatly, the trail was very slippery and bumpy, and John kept slipping everywhere. Aeryn thought this was quite funny, until she fell herself. But the whole problem was, she had fallen down a very deep ditch, and John, who had nearly fallen in himself, was staring wide-eyed down the ditch, worried as you could possibly be. He threw everything to the side and jumped in after her.
“Aeryn!” he shouted.
“John!” she shouted back through the darkness.
John kept falling until he landed in...........water? John sank and then swam back up. He had been worried that the water would be some poisonus liquid, but it was clear, pure and clean. He gulped some down. It tasted so good. He couldn’t remember the last time he had some pure water.
He finally spotted Aeryn and swam over to her. Since she still had all of her belongings strapped to her, she was sinking. John pulled her up, told her to hold onto his back, and they swam to shore.
They collaspsed onto the sandy ground. John could see a sun shining brightly in the distance. All around him were flowers, trees, and little creatures lurking about. Apart from the lake, there was a beautiful waterfall. It would have been more peaceful had it not been for what had just happened.
“I’m-not sure-I ever-want to-go swimming-again” Aeryn panted, laying her head onto John’s soaking lap.
“Oh, that will probably change, but not for a bit” John said, exhausted.
“You-don’t have your-bag, do you?”
“No. I left it at the top of that cliff.”
“Everything is probably soaked in mine. What do we do?”
“I dunno.......we’ll see what happens........”
* * * * *Stark, who decided to go on alone, walked along a river, searching for a waterfall someplace so he could meditate in peace. So much beauty here, he thought. Zhann would have loved this. If only she were with us. She would be so happy to see how much everyone has grown. How I miss her so.............
Stark came to a lovely clearing. There was a lot of shade, which he was very thankful for. Stark sat down and began to meditate. After about a microt, he felt the ground shudder beneath him. He looked up, expecting some horrible thing to come and attack him as always, but instead, Zhann appeared.
“Zh-Zhann?” Stark said in disbelief.
“I am here, Stark. I felt Moya’s presence, and I knew you would be here soon” she said with a smile.
“But-your-dead” he said gaping wide-eyed.
“I thought I would be, too. But then I found a way to send my spirit down here, and after I healed, I returned to looking my normal self.”
“Wait until I tell the others!” he said in excitement. “They will be so happy!”
“How is everyone? Are they still in one peace?” she said amused.
“Oh, yes! Everyone is blooming, even Rygel, but we had to come down here to get a break from each other.”
“Tell me all about what has happened. I want to know everything........”
So they talked for about an arn, Stark describing about how John had been doubled, how the crew had split up and how John and Aeryn’s relationship was at it’s height finally, how Rygel had become friends with Pilot and Stark, how Dargo and Chiana were starting to come closer to each other again, how Jool had stopped screaming, and all about the retreival squad.
“So Aeryn met her mother?” she asked. “Well, that really comes as a shock to me that she killed Aeryn’s father. How has she coped with that?”
“She is strong, and her mind is-er-too full to think about that. Oh, I must have a drink, my throat is getting dry.”
“Oh-you shouldn’t drink that water” Zhann said hastily.
“Well, when you taste it, it tastes wonderful. But then it makes you start to halluncinate and make you think of your greatest desires. It can make you forget everything else, and if you can’t keep your head strait, you-er-have quite a problem.”
“Oh-well-what can I drink?”
“From this one plant” she said, gesturing to a violet-colored plant with beautifully designed leaves. “Just break off the stem and suck from it.”
Stark did so and realised that the water from the plant was delicious. Zhann and Stark kept talking into the night