The Elephant: Eps 12 - 22

By Neuroscpr MTRX9991@aol.com 

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The Elephant Ep12: Compassion

The prowler flew erratically through space. It stumbled and swerved on its way towards the weak signal. The pilot struggled to remain conscious. He clutched his chest and felt the warm blood stick to his hand. He cursed himself for not staying at the clinic. Now he was close to death. Something on the radar alerted him. A large ship was very close. A leviathan. Reaching for the comm, Sargas gripped it with as much force as he could muster. "Help me, please." The transmission was sent across the short distance. Inside command, the lights were low and Chiana was close to sleep. The silent comm burst to life and a man’s voice came through. "Aeryn, we’re getting a distress call."

<<<<>>>>

Vince stumbled out of the bar and into the last remaining rays of sunlight. Fighting to stay standing, he walked over to the edge of town. The endless desert spread out in front of him as the sun disappeared. He burped and smelled the alcohol on his breath. The world was plunged into darkness and he had forgotten his purpose. Turning around, he found the bar much farther away than before. The noises were starting. Vince looked over at the Scarren vessel that had arrived earlier and considered asking for help. He brushed the idea from his mind. Something was moving off to his left. Footsteps could be heard from the darkness. He tried to run but fell instead. Looking up, he saw its face. That was last thing Vince ever saw.

John sat up from his makeshift bed and turned to the Scarren that lay nearby. "Did you hear something?" Kezia stirred slightly but said nothing. Ever since the Nyid had left, the ship had been quiet. The maintenance computer had warned of something crawling around in the vents. But Kezia was sure that it was just rodents. He stood and walked over to the door. The buttons were written in strange symbols that he could not understand. "Top right corner." John pressed the button and stepped out into the warm night air. Something was lying on the ground not too far from them. It looked like a man.

<<<<>>>>

Tom pulled the covers over his head. The last thing he wanted now was a visitor but apparently no one got the picture on this ship. The doors slid open and Meryl walked in quietly. She made no attempt to initiate conversation. He felt her move close to him and then back away. She had grabbed the pillow that lay beside him and placed it on the floor. A few minutes later, he heard her breathing slow. Tom turned and found her lying down next to the bed. This was even more discouraging. There was plenty of room for both of them. He sighed and went back to sleep.

D’Argo was the first to arrive at command. Chiana stood beside the comm and pointed out into space. He saw the prowler fly awkwardly past them before turning for another run. "Has it attempted to signal us?" She nodded and played the message. "Sounds like he’s dying." She walked towards the window. "Why would a peacekeeper signal us?" D’Argo stepped up next to her. "I have no idea."

Pilot heard the message as well. He and Aeryn had been talking when it came through. "What should we do?" He posed the question to a distracted leader. It was her job to come up with plans now. She walked over to his console and pressed the appropriate button. "Identify yourself soldier." A low murmur came back. "Lt. Sargas, help me." She looked up at Pilot. "Let him in." Without another word, Aeryn ran out of the room. Meryl would want to hear about this.

The prowler just barely missed slamming into Moya’s outer wall. It came crashing into the hanger and almost hit the group there to meet it. Meryl raced forward and pulled off the exit hatch. Sargas lay covered in blood on the pilot’s seat. She dragged him from his soon-to-be coffin and put him on the floor. "Get Zhaan!" she shouted the words at Aeryn with more force than was intended. The other woman nodded and took off. Placing her attention back on the dying man, Meryl checked him over. "Who did this to you?" He could only mumble at this point. Zhaan came up next to them. "Let me help him."

<<<<>>>>

John ran up beside the body and checked for signs of life. "Kezia! Get down here!" The man was obviously dead. His insides were lying next to him on the ground. Spotting the bar, John walked over. Kezia stepped out of the ship and saw the dead man. He pulled a gun from his belt and went to investigate. Kneeling down beside the body, he noted the severity of the attack. Someone had really wanted this guy dead. "There’s nothing you can do." He shouted the words to Crichton again but the stubborn human wouldn’t listen.

The door to the bar slammed inward and revealed the scene. The local bar frequenters looked out but said nothing. This was not uncommon in this part of town. "Can someone help us?" John repeated the question but no one responded. He walked back outside and met Kezia. "Apparently this guy didn’t have very many friends." The Scarren snorted and leaned over the body. He sniffed it a few times before looking up again. "Whatever attacked this man wasn’t the same species as them." They both glanced out at the desert. A trail of blood led into the darkness. "What now?"

<<<<>>>>

Sargas lay sleeping on the cot in Zhaan’s lab. She had repaired the wound and given him a reasonably good chance of surviving. Meryl watched over him with the attentiveness of a mother with her child. The feelings of guilt were strong in her. After escaping her own death, she had left him behind. Assumed he had already left. The truth was that she had forgotten about Sargas. He moaned softly in his sleep. "Is that normal?" Zhaan smiled back at the concerned woman. "Yes my child. Do not worry." That was easier said than done. Meryl sat down beside him. "You don’t leave a soldier on the battlefield."

Aeryn and D’Argo watched the scene from a safe distance. They both eyed the sleeping peacekeeper with equal amounts of unease. "Do you trust them?" She gave him an odd look. "Meryl, of course. She wouldn’t turn on us." He nodded. "But what about the other one?" That answer was not so easy to come by. Aeryn remembered his attitude around her and Tom. Sargas did not wish to conspire with escaped prisoners. "We will watch him closely."

Tom had chosen not to go to the lab. He sat in the kitchen now alongside Chiana and Rygel. The only three on the ship who had no current purpose. Plates of food cubes lay untouched in front of them. "Isn’t there something we could be doing right now?" The other two laughed at his question. Chiana leaned over close to him. "You’re still new." Rygel reached forward and shoved a cube down his throat. "The only time we’re busy around here is when something terrible happens." Tom shrugged and looked down at his own plate. "Great."

<<<<>>>>

He lowered himself slowly from the vent and dropped down into the hanger. This ship was very different from the one he had been born in. The other was warm and almost inviting. This place was eery and frightening. He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching him. Spotting the door, he walked over to it. Perhaps Scorpius was outside. The warm desert air hit him hard and he staggered back. He stepped out and found that a cooler breeze ran across the open sand. The sound of footsteps caught his attention. He turned and found a woman staring back at him. She smiled and revealed rows of pointed teeth covered in blood.

John and Kezia dropped the body into the makeshift grave they had dug and then headed back towards the ship. As they passed by the bar, John stopped. "I could use a drink right about now." His companion agreed and they stepped inside. The patrons all looked up as they entered. You didn’t see their types around here very often. The bartender nodded at them. "What can I get you?" Kezia smiled. "A bottle of the strongest stuff you have." A small man dressed completely in black sat beside them. "So I see you’ve met Zelaya." John turned towards the man. "Who?"

Zelaya leaned in close to him and smelled his skin. "You are not pure." He watched her every move. She smiled again and he almost wet himself. "I-I’m not?" She took his hand and led him away from the ship. "Come, I will show you." He followed her across the street and to the first house that didn’t look abandoned. Without saying a word, she slammed in the door and pulled him inside. A man and a woman sat at a table in the house. Zelaya grabbed the man and ripped open his chest with her teeth. He fell to the ground dead. "This one is pure. Only one race." He still did not understand. She groaned. "You have more than one type of race in you."

He nodded. "So you’re not going to eat me?"

<<<<>>>>

Sargas opened one eye at a time and let them adjust to the light. Someone was leaning over him. Someone blue. "It’s good to see you awake." He jumped out of bed and reached for a weapon. There weren’t any. "How did I get here." Footsteps came up behind him. "Sargas, calm down." Meryl grabbed his shoulder and pushed him onto the bed. "You’re alright. Zhaan healed you." He looked back at the blue woman. "You are the Delvian?" Zhaan nodded. He seemed only more distraught. "This is the escaped leviathan." Meryl grabbed his face and pointed towards her own. "Relax. Everything is alright now."

Zhaan left the room and walked out into the corridor. "What happened?" Aeryn and D’Argo were waiting for her there. They both seemed anxious about her new patient. "He is awake now. Meryl is watching him." She shook her head as they moved in to get a closer look. "He is in no condition to fight." They ignored her. "Why do I even bother." Zhaan turned the corner and headed down towards her cell.

"Captain, what have you done?" She frowned and turned away from him. "I’m not a captain anymore. You know that." He was angry now. Sargas walked over to the wall and leaned against it. "You’re conspiring with escaped prisoners. They’ll execute you for that." Meryl turned to him and met his angry gaze. "It is my decision to make." He started to say something else but she shushed him. "You must rest now. I don’t want you here too long." He watched his former captain leave the room. Something had to be done.

<<<<>>>>

He watched her finish off the woman and then turn towards him. "Don’t worry. I can’t stomach Scarrens." She walked past him and back out the door. He followed anxiously behind her. Zelaya stalked out into the darkness for a few moments before stopping abruptly. "What are you doing?" The question caught him by surprise. "Following you." She shook her head. "You can’t follow me. I kill people." He didn’t move. A question suddenly occurred to him. "Do you know Scorpius?" This got her attention. "Yes, I do."

Kezia heard the screams before John did. They stood expecting the others to do the same. No one else moved. The man in black spoke up again. "Best to leave it alone. She likes big ones." John couldn’t do that. "We have to go." He ran past Kezia and stormed out the door. The desert was quite again. There wasn’t anything to see. Something caught his eye over to the right. One of the houses along the street had its door wide open. He walked over and looked inside. A man and a woman lay dead and disemboweled on the floor of their kitchen. "Kezia!" The Scarren ran up to meet him. "Oh dren." John moved back towards the ship. "We’re leaving."

"There’s nothing to eat out here but dirty drunks and peasants." She spoke the words more to herself than to him. As they entered the small cave, he could see a pile of garbage along the side. She walked over to it and found the black device. "Here." She tossed it over to him. It landed in his arms. The message played automatically. Scorpius appeared in all his glory, asking for the whereabouts of John Crichton. He looked at himself and back at the message. They looked similar to each other. "That is Scorpius?" She nodded. "Where is he?" This time she had no answer. "Beats the frell out of me." Suddenly the sound of an engine roaring to life broke the silence.

<<<<>>>>

Meryl had left a little while ago. He lay on the bed in a state of confusion. The options available to him were limited now. There was only one thing to do. Sargas slipped out of bed and ran out the door. Aeryn was standing there waiting for him. "Just where do you think you’re going?" His mind raced with possible answers. "I was going to go get something to eat." She nodded and let him pass.

He heard the doors swish open. She came in slowly without making any loud noises. Meryl moved down to the floor beside the bed. Tom swore to himself and stood up. "We talk about this now." She sat up and looked at him. "Fine." She stood and sat next to him on the bed. "Why are you acting like this?" Meryl met his gaze. "Whatever earth women are like, I know that I’ll never be one. I have done things. Terrible things that you couldn’t even imagine. All you know is what I let you see in that cell." Tom reached out his hand and brushed her cheek. "I’m no soldier, but I’m not a saint either. How could I ask that of you?" She relaxed a little and let him get closer. He smiled and leaned forward. She stopped him. "You’re not my first. The words struck him, but he didn’t move back. "Yes I am."

Aeryn felt silly. This man had helped them escape from the home world. She understood his uneasiness with them to a certain degree. Not too long ago, she had felt the same way. Leaving her post outside the lab, she walked calmly back towards her cell. On the way, she found herself stopping outside the training area. The punching bag almost called to her. It was the best way to relieve all the stress she felt. Stepping inside, she spotted something discouraging. Crichton’s old yellow flight suit was sitting in the corner.

"I’ll check it out Pilot." Rygel floated out of the kitchen and down towards command. Everyone else was apparently asleep or somehow busy. He found that doubtful. Pilot had picked up a signal being transmitted from somewhere inside the ship. Things like that always had to be taken seriously. Rygel had no idea why he was the one doing it. He found the door to command open and leaning over the comm. "Who the frell are you?" The man raised his head and the Hynerion immediately recognized him. "Sargas, what are doing?" The peacekeeper didn’t hesitate. Picking up the pistol that someone had left unguarded, he turned and fired on the defenseless dominar. Rygel took the shot in the chest and fell off his throne. "You bastard!" Those were his last words before blacking out. "Shush little one." Sargas stepped over him and locked the doors before leaving.

<<<<>>>>

"Did you hear something?" John glanced over at Kezia with an annoyed look. "You seem to be hearing a lot lately." The Scarren brushed off the comment and stood from his chair. Someone was banging on the exit hatch. John walked up behind him. "Who?" Kezia hushed him and pressed the open button. Both men raised their weapons and watched the door slide open. Zelaya stood in the doorway with her companion. She smiled. "Ahh!" John and Kezia jumped back before regaining their composure. "Stay back or I shoot." The two creatures understood and did not move.

"You’re the thing from the lab?" The Scorpius look-alike nodded. John looked from him to the woman. "And you’re the thing that’s been eating people?" Zelaya nodded. "Are you going to eat us?" She pondered the question for a moment. "I don’t like Scarrens. You look alright though." John didn’t find her funny. "What do you want?" She smiled again. "The boy says he’s looking for Scorpius. Said you were too. I like peacekeepers." John wasn’t sure whether to laugh or run away. "We’d like to come with you." Kezia shrugged at the human’s questioning gaze. "Whatever you think."

<<<<>>>>

D’Argo heard the gunshots clearly from his cell. Someone was firing in the training room. He stood quickly and ran out the door. It had been a mistake to let Sargas roam free. He cursed in Luxan and made his way there. She was still firing when he entered the room. "What the frell are you doing Aeryn?" He looked over at the punching bag. It had been ripped to shreds by pulse fire. Strips of yellow material hung on its sides. D’Argo picked one up and noticed the symbol. It read IASA. Aeryn dropped the gun and slid down to the floor. She was crying. He kneeled down next to her. "What’s wrong?" She looked up at him and wiped away the tears.

"He failed me D’Argo." He did not understand. "Crichton? How?" She shook her head and looked up at the ruined flight suit. Aeryn pounded the ground with her fists. "I hate this." D’Argo put his hand on her shoulder. "He taught me to change. To become who I am now." He nodded reassuringly. "But he didn’t teach me how to do it alone."

"What kind of signal?" Meryl and Tom were awakened by Pilot’s worried voice. "Lt. Sargas has broadcast a message to all peacekeeper ships in the area. He’s giving them our exact position." She jumped out of bed and grabbed her gun. "What are you going to do?" Tom’s question went unanswered as she bolted out the door. "Where is he Pilot?" The response came back quickly. "Last sighting was by the hanger."

Sargas ran into the hanger and searched frantically for a ship. He made his way towards Aeryn’s prowler. The sound of boots hitting the ground caught his attention. Meryl stormed into the room with gun drawn. He stepped back from the ship and raised his hands. "You wouldn’t shoot me." Despite his brave words, the peacekeeper was obviously doubtful. Meryl kept the gun trained on him. "I’ve shown more compassion in these past weeks than I have in my entire life. I have no compassion left for you." She fired three times before lowering the gun. Sargas’s body crumpled to the ground. She walked up and nudged it with her foot. He was dead.

The Elephant Ep13: Testing Grounds 1: A Smile Like Yours

"So you, um, eat people?" John looked over at the woman sitting across from him. She was dressed all in black. Just like the man in the bar. She smiled and nodded. Zelaya was beautiful, at least when she didn’t open her mouth. The rows of pointed teeth erased the peacefulness of her face. "Why?" The question made her giggle. "Because they taste good." He backed up a little farther in his seat. "So, why haven’t you eaten us?" She pushed a strand of dark wine colored hair off her face and revealed cold black eyes. "I’m not an animal. I can control my urges." She stood and walked back into the hanger. The other one was in there. The creature she had come aboard with. They were calling him Fred.

Kezia sat in the captain’s chair and ignored the conversations going on behind him. "How have I come to this?" He wondered out loud. How had a royal spy of the highest rank come to share company with the strange creatures back there. John Crichton he could stomach. The human was as resourceful as the peacekeepers. And not half as annoying. The other two were the ones who had him worried. Fred, as Crichton had started calling him, was nothing but a child. He had no idea what was going on. The woman, Zelaya. Kezia was afraid to fall asleep with her on board. Her race was registered on the computer. The Ferrians had been wiped out over a hundred cycles ago. She was of the last ones alive. He shivered and tried to concentrate on the stars.

<<<<>>>>

Meryl strolled down the hall in a state of being she had never experienced before. She felt lighter than usual and her feet seemed to move almost rhythmically. She found herself humming one of the tunes that Tom enjoyed so much. A noise caught her attention. Someone was coming up ahead. She heard the Nebari’s familiar voice and turned to duck out of sight. It was too late. Chiana spotted her and ran forward. "What are you so happy about?" Meryl smiled mischievously and said nothing. Refusing to give up, the younger woman followed close behind as she walked down the hall. "Come on , tell me."

D’Argo heard the two women bickering from far down the hall. He had been searching for Rygel for some time now without success. Apparently someone had stolen Aeryn’s pulse pistol. There was only one person on Moya who sprung to mind. "Have you found him yet?" Aeryn’s voice came in over the comm. She was angrier than usual. "I don’t see what all the fuss is about. You have another one don’t you?" She did not respond. Then Meryl and Chiana came into view. The peacekeeper was smiling broadly. "What are you so happy about?"

Zhaan had been sitting quietly inside her cell for some time now. She had sensed the pain only a short time ago. Her gifts allowed her to find the source, but apparently that person was fighting it. She heard footsteps outside and stood. "Aeryn, is that you?" The figure stopped and turned towards her. "Yes Zhaan. What is it?" She opened the door and stepped outside. "Do you know where the others are?" Aeryn shook her head with recognition. "Everyone but Rygel. He’s been missing for a while now." The panic rose quickly inside Zhaan. "We must find him. Now!"

"You look well." Tom smiled back at Pilot with unusual enthusiasm. "Yes Pilot. I’m doing quite well thank you." He jumped up and sat on the console. The giant creature smiled back and returned to work. "Have you found Rygel yet?" The question brought a frown to Pilot’s face. "Unfortunately no. He’s turned off his comm and the DRD’s can’t locate him." Tom slipped off the console and walked towards the door. "I guess I should go help look." He waved goodbye and stepped out. Pilot watched him go with unease. "Innocent."

<<<<>>>>

"Hey Fred. How’s it going?" The boy stopped his examination of the ship and looked up. "Is that my name? Fred?" John smiled and shook his head. "Sure." The other nodded and turned back. Fred sensed the human’s eyes on his back. "Did you want something?" John, surprised by the directness of the question, thought quickly for something to say. "Why are you looking for Scorpius?" This made they boy turn around again. "I don’t know. His voice, in my head, calling me." John almost laughed. "I know the feeling."

Zelaya slipped quietly into the cockpit and sat beside the Scarren. He noticed her immediately but said nothing. Her breath was very warm and its effect on his skin was pleasing. "Are you afraid of me?" He stiffened in his seat and stared forward. "No, I’m just cautious." She laughed at that and moved closer to him. "I knew a Scarren once. He was a very strong man." Kezia gulped involuntarily. "What was his name?" Zelaya moved backwards a bit. "I never got a chance to ask." He grabbed his shaking hand. The spy business didn’t suit him anymore. "Why is that?" She smiled, revealing the hideous set of teeth. "He had to leave unexpectedly."

A beep on the radar forced them to end the awkward conversation. A ship was going to pass very close within a few moments. Kezia quickly pushed a series of buttons on the console and then waited. The space around them rippled and fluctuated. "What did you do?" He smiled proudly. "We are now invisible to their sensors." John passed through the door behind them and stepped inside. "What’s going on?" Kezia hushed him and pointed out the window. A large peacekeeper vessel was passing by in front of them. "It’s a prison transport for maximum security inmates." John nodded. "Our kind of people."

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn slammed on the doors to command to no avail. They weren’t budging. "Pilot, can you open these doors?" While she waited for a response, Zhaan pressed her forehead against the wall. The obstruction melted away in her mind and she could see Rygel lying on the floor. His chest was secreting blood slowly. "Do you see something?" The two women looked at each other with concern. "Our little green friend is dying." Aeryn pounded on the doors again and shouted to Pilot. "I’m doing the best I can Officer Sun. The door seems to be locked from the inside."

Rygel heard the loud shouts from outside and tried to speak. All that came out was saliva and obscure sounds. He could not respond. The wound on his chest was getting worse and he could already feel the numbness setting in. Hynerions were built small but strong. He was not sure how long his body could last. Zhaan’s thoughts entered into his mind where he could speak freely. "How do you feel Rygel?" Her soft words served to calm him. "I told you never to come in here." He could feel her pull away immediately. "No, don’t go please!" Her presence returned. "We will be there soon."

Tom stared down the dark shaft with doubt. "Why am I doing this again?" D’Argo shook his head angrily. "This shaft drops down into command. I don’t fit so you have to go." The younger man nodded without conviction and lowered himself in. "Wouldn’t Chiana fit better?" D’Argo would not wait any longer. He grabbed Tom’s head and shoved him in. He disappeared into the darkness but his shouts could be heard long after. The sound of something hitting the floor rose up seconds later. "See how easy that was." The Luxan stood and walked down to meet the others.

"I think I broke my ass." Tom opened his eyes and found himself staring up at the ceiling. The world seemed to spin for a moment before he regained his composure. Someone else lay close by. He half turned and saw Rygel lying still not too far from him. "Rygel are you alright?" The little head moved but no word came. He stood carefully and walked over to his fallen comrade. Tom touched the Hynerion’s face and felt warmth. Rygel did not stir. "I thought you didn’t like people touching you." One of the eyes opened slowly and looked up at him. "At this point....I couldn’t care less." They both laughed and the small one coughed loudly.

The doors opened in front of Aeryn but she didn’t flinch. Tom stepped out and allowed her and Zhaan to pass through and help Rygel. Zhaan bent over the ailing creature with infinite care. She pulled open her medical bag and pulled out some bandages. "I’ve had far too many patients lately." Her expression was grim. Rygel coughed again and tried to smile. She shook her head and smiled back. "Be brave. This is going to hurt." Tom and Aeryn watched her pour a clear anesthetic over the wound. "Oh you evil bitch! What have you done to me?" He cried out in pain several more times before calming down.

Meryl and Chiana heard the screams and came running. They arrived on the strange scene too late for the Hynerion’s shouts of pain. He had passed out and was sleeping soundly. Zhaan lifted him up gently from the floor and carried him out. "He’ll need to rest in the lab for a while." No one said anything as she passed. Meryl’s blood boiled as she realized who had done it. Only one person could have. She raced down the hall and beat Zhaan to the lab. Sargas’s body still lay covered on one of the beds. She pulled back the sheet and punched him in the face repeatedly. "I assure you my dear, he is dead." Zhaan restored the cover and ushered her out the door.

<<<<>>>>

John and Kezia stared out at the passing ship with minds racing. "It’s an old model. The new ones can see right through my shield." John stepped closer and smiled. "Are you thinking what I’m thinking?" The Scarren stood and faced his partner. "A little practice never hurt anyone." Zelaya watched the two of them with growing amusement. She too understood the opportunity that had arisen. She stood and raced past them into the hanger. Fred was once again standing against the wall. His attention wrapped around another piece of machinery. He turned at her entrance. "What’s going on?" Zelaya smiled. "Lunch."

Captain Powell, of the peacekeeper vessel Ingram, stormed out of his tiny office and raced towards engineering. He had been given this post just over two arns ago and it still hadn’t grown on him. The quarters were dark and cramped. There were no technological advances evident on the Ingram. It had survived over thirty conflicts and now stood as a sign of peacekeeper might. The truth was that it was falling apart. The few inmates held within its walls could have easily escaped by now. The only reason they didn’t was because any type of assault would probably blow the reactor and kill them all. That’s why the latest report was strange. Something had hit the ship from outside. Something big.

Kezia navigated his ship over the Ingram with little care for the other ship’s safety. More than once, the trademark spikes of a Scarren ship had scraped against the other vessel’s hull. The two flew almost as one now. One right over the other. The other three were in the back now. John and Fred carried pulse rifles. "Here, take this." John tossed a pistol to Zelaya but she refused it. "I don’t need that." She flashed her teeth and headed for the exit hatch. "I’ll go in and check the layout. When I’m done, you three come in after me." Without another word, she pulled open the hatch and jumped down into the other ship.

Powell was just down the hall from engineering when he heard the sounds. Something was walking on the outside of the ship. He could hear the footsteps banging loudly against the hard exterior. The noises stopped by one of the hatches to his left. The wheel starting turning slowly and he raced back into one of the compartments nearby. He had just closed the airtight barrier before the door to space opened. "No one could survive in space for that long without a suit." Powell wondered if this was some sort of test. Looking through the porthole, he quickly realized that this was no test.

Zelaya floated into the old ship with mouth firmly shut. The space environment did not affect her body like other species. She shut the door quietly and headed down the hall. A lingering scent caught her attention. There was someone nearby. A Sebacean. Spotting the porthole, she moved over to investigate. Powell watched her come towards him with equal amounts of astonishment and dread. The woman was gorgeous, unlike few he had ever seen. Then she smiled and he could barely contain the screams.

<<<<>>>>

The two ex-peacekeepers sat across the table from each in silence. It was the first time that they had been truly alone together in some time and there were questions to be asked. Aeryn stared at her new shipmate with nervous energy running through her. Chiana had been whispering things in her ear that could no longer be ignored. Meryl sat quietly with that maddening smile on her face. Aeryn frowned and tried to form the question politely. "You slept with him?" Meryl nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, many times." This was incredibly confusing for Aeryn. John had never pushed it for obvious reasons. "It doesn’t bother him that-." The younger woman waved off the question. "We’ve come to an understanding. Sex can be far more interesting than you and I ever realized." Aeryn choked on the food cube she was sucking.

<<<<>>>>

Powell fired his pulse rifle into the hatch and sent it flying against the other wall. Caught by surprise, Zelaya went with it and was knocked senseless for a moment. The energized peacekeeper ran away down the hall and into engineering. He was shocked to find it completely empty. The timer on the wall read notification of shift change. Powell turned back towards the monster woman and found her gone. He searched for some method of singling her out. A blue and red button on the wall caught his eye. Just as he pressed it, Zelaya appeared beside him and opened her mouth.

The entire ship was suddenly bathed in bright blue light. Kezia could see it pouring out of every window and porthole. He activated the comm. "What’s going on down there?" There was no response. Zelaya looked down at herself and saw red. She was glowing red against the blue background. "Heat Sensors." The sound of boots hitting metal caught her attention. The new shift was coming in. "Kezia, do something quickly!" He responded immediately. "What?" She repeated the frantic demand. Not knowing what to do, he did the first thing that came to mind.

The officer on duty at the radar station was shocked to discover the Scarren ship floating right alongside them. Within seconds, he had pressed the alarm and sirens were blaring throughout the ship. Soldiers moved to their battle stations with exact coordination. Pulse fire erupted from the side turrets and sent Kezia’s craft careening away. John and Fred picked themselves off the ground and raced to the cockpit. "What the hell is going on?" Kezia shrugged and pointed to the other ship. "They fired on us." John cursed to himself. "Well fire back!"

Zelaya slipped out into the hallway as covertly as possible and hid in one of the empty compartments. She felt the ship shudder several times. "Kezia, what are you doing?" His response came back through heavy static. "I fired back." Before she could say anything else, a loud explosion smashed the window beside her and sent everything flying sideways. Zelaya tasted blood in her mouth and gulped it down quickly. Something was wrong. Her feet weren’t touching the ground anymore. A dead soldier floated serenely down the corridor as she looked on. "Idiot! You blew the gravity drives!" Kezia frowned and checked over the schematic he had pulled up of the enemy ship. "That thing really is old." She cursed him several more times before the signal went dead.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius looked out the window of his gammek base and out into infinite darkness. The test was running again. Within moments, the familiar blue vortex would appear and hopefully not fragment into oblivion. "You may begin General." Chernov cursed the hybrid quietly and ordered the test. An urgent distress call cut him off in mid-sentence. "We are under attack! Scarrens!" The general quickly changed tactics and moved to answer the call. "General, we are in the middle of something." Scorpius’s ice cold glare met his own angry one. "We can’t just let them die." Scorpius ignored him. "Continue the test."

The wormhole formed gradually in front of them and held. Scorpius started lifting his hands in triumph, still half-expecting it to collapse at any second. One of the teks in front of him turned and smiled excitedly. "Sir, integrity is at one hundred percent and holding strongly. He relished this moment and could almost feel the warmth levels rising within him. The tek’s face became suddenly grim. "What’s wrong?" He was afraid of the answer. "Something is coming through sir. Its size is off the scales." Everyone in the room looked up into the wormhole and saw it. A blast hit the base and the front windows exploded.

The Elephant Ep14: Testing Grounds 2: Job Opportunities

Tom sat against the bed quietly and looked up at his companion. Meryl had come in only a few minutes ago and taken a place against the wall. They sat like that for quite a while without speaking. One of the matters they had discussed earlier had been talking to each other. This proved to be more difficult than it sounded. Tom took in her elegant face and finally spoke. "You look nice." She smiled and looked down at her hands. "Thank you." Silence returned to the room. Their eyes met for a moment and Meryl could see that he wanted her to say something. "You look nice too."

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius peeked out from his hiding spot behind one of the consoles. The wormhole was still there. Through its narrow passage, he could see the enormous ship beyond. It had not crossed through. As he moved, another blast came and shook the entire room with incredible force. Equipment crashed and exploded, sending sparks flying everywhere. One of the teks was sitting across from him in a crouch. An idea sprung to mind. "Shut off the power." He whispered the words but the tek did not understand. "Shut off the frelling power!" Nervously, the tek stood and pressed the large red button on the wall.

Chernov heard the shout and raced towards a small compartment under one of the consoles. It was stocked with oxygen masks. He placed one over his head and backed away. A hand reached out and gripped his shoulder. "Don’t forget about the rest of us General." Scorpius leaned past him and grabbed a mask. They both looked out into space. The loss of power had done two things. The ship had stopped firing and the environmental shield had gone offline. The vacuum of space burst into the room and debris flew everywhere. Teks who had nothing to hold onto where blown out into the darkness. Scorpius growled.

<<<<>>>>

The Ingram had suffered heavy damage. Kezia looked down at the ancient ship and noted several breaches in the hull. "We’ve got to get her out of there." John stepped up beside him and glanced out. They both knew what a dying ship looked like and this one was getting there. The comm burst to life again. "Can you hear me?" Her voice was low and difficult to understand. "Yes, what’s your situation?" They waited for a reply but nothing came. "Damn it!" John pounded the console with his fist.

Zelaya was not used to floating. She guided herself through the broken window and out into the hall. Several soldiers were still alive and saw her. Fortunately, they were having just as hard a time as she was. A few pulse fires flew past her but nothing close enough to connect. Something suddenly grabbed her from behind. Another soldier had managed to get the drop on her. With mouth open, she lunged at him. A ringing alarm bell stopped the battle in before it could start. They both fell to the floor and landed hard as gravity was restored. Regaining their composure, the soldiers opened fire. Zelaya was already down the hall and out of sight.

Sgt. Levo, apparently the one now in charge, looked down at his captain’s ruined face and dropped it back on the ground. The woman had taken most of his neck and chin. He shuddered just thinking about. Stepping out of engineering, he ran into a small contingent of his men. They all appeared confused. "What happened?" Most of them had no idea what to say. One finally opened his mouth. "That thing, she killed the captain and took off down the hall." Levo shook his head. "And the explosion?" This time the subordinate could only shrug. "I heard something about a ship outside." He nodded and left them to check in on radar.

Zelaya heard the footsteps coming towards her and ducked. The peacekeeper ran past her without even noticing. She considered taking him but thought it best to remain in hiding. One of the grates along the floor was broken. She climbed in and took off down the tunnel. It was dark and she had only some of her senses to guide her. A small opening on the wall gave view to the level below. Zelaya saw cells, hundreds of them in both directions. This gave her an idea. Dropping down, she searched for some sort of manifest.

Kezia put the shield back up around his own ship. John had gone into the back and not said anything. The confused Scarren got the feeling that he was up to something. Getting up from his chair, Kezia walked into the hanger and found Crichton sitting in the module. "Where do you think you’re going?" John glanced up at him momentarily before returning to his check. "You’re not going down there." This got the human’s attention. "And why not?" Kezia shook his head angrily. "Anything that comes toward that ship is going to get blown to bits. Don’t underestimate a peacekeeper vessel." John sighed heavily. His partner was right.

<<<<>>>>

The first chance she got, Meryl made up an excuse for leaving the room. Moya had been quite the last few hours. With Rygel on sedatives and Chiana apparently asleep, there was no one to cause a commotion. D’Argo and Aeryn had been missing for a while but she did not know why. It occurred to her that Aeryn usually worked on her prowler when nothing was going on. She headed towards the hanger.

Tom watched her go with both relief and exasperation. This wasn’t going as well as he had hoped. He searched for something to do that would keep his mind off the mess. Sleep seemed like an obvious choice. Just as he began to crawl into it, a knock on the door stopped him. D’Argo stuck his head in and then entered. "How is everything?" The question held more meaning than was implied in its simple delivery. Tom shrugged and motioned for the Luxan to come closer. "What do Luxans do for fun?" D’Argo grinned.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius watched the wormhole disappear and take the alien menace with it. He stood and instructed the others to do so as well. The lights came back on and most of the machines were still functioning. He turned to the tek he had been speaking to before the incident. "Tell me you got the analysis." The tek smiled triumphantly and nodded. "Right up until the power was shut off the sir. We have the blueprint for the perfect wormhole." Scorpius returned the smile and turned to Chernov. The general was understandably shaken but did not allow it to show. "This is good news then Scorpius?" The hybrid laughed and nodded.

<<<<>>>>

It was hanging on the wall past the last cell on the right. A black tablet had been stuck to the wall with markings all over it. She read the names in earnest and found that there were only a few felons onboard. Most were murders of the lowest form. She found it amusing to be judging men for what she did herself. The thought left her as she made her way down the hall. "Who wants out?" Laughter came from several of the cells. "Come over here honey. I’ll set you free." Zelaya was no longer amused. She walked over to the cell, opened it, and gave the inmate her best smile.

"We caught a Scarren ship approaching from above." The officer assigned to the radar console replayed the video for Levo. He saw the large craft hit with pulse fire and shoot back. They had been severely damaged by it. "Is it still out there?" The man nodded and pointed to the screen. A red dot stood motionless and dangerously close to their own dot. "Do we have firing capabilities?" The question was silly. He knew the answer before it was said. "We’re dead in the water sir." Levo cursed to himself and left the room. His comm started beeping just as he entered the hallway. "Sir, someone is releasing the prisoners!" He was off and running before it ended.

Zelaya dropped the heavy corpse and rubbed the blood off her face with his shirt. The prisoner had not been very tasty at all. She kicked him and left. "Anyone else for rude comments?" No one said a word. Checking the manifest, two names caught her eye. "Rotonion slaves huh?" They were good muscle. Stopping in front of their cell, she peered in. The two of them sat against the wall and said nothing. "You two interested in a job opportunity?" One of them stood and walked up to her. "What’s it pay?" Zelaya smiled for him. "Nothing, but you get to kill peacekeepers." He considered that for a moment before smiling back.

<<<<>>>>

Tom stood in the middle of the hallway with the remaining pieces of punching back strapped to him. "Thank you for this. I’ve been needing something to release the stress with." D’Argo’s words only worried him more. The Luxan had positioned himself a few meters down the corridor. He was hunched over and eyeing his prize with enthusiasm. "So, this is like football right?" Tom’s question went unanswered. D’Argo lunged forward and the human closed his eyes.

Aeryn hunched over in the cockpit of her prowler when Meryl came in. She was pulling at some wires and jumped back as a spark shot out. "What’s wrong with it." Meryl waited for a response but got none. She walked over to her own prowler and slid her hand over its smooth surface. "What do you and John talk about?" This time Aeryn stopped working. She mulled the question over a moment before answering. "We don’t really. Just about what’s going on at the moment." Meryl nodded. "And if nothing’s going on?" Aeryn shrugged. "I tell him to help me fix my prowler." Aeryn dropped a bag into the seat and walked out of the room. As soon as she was out of sight, Meryl pulled out her pulse rifle. She aimed it at her prowler’s engine and fired.

Tom felt the blow and then everything he saw went upside down. His cheek slammed against the ground and he lay still. D’Argo laughed happily and walked over to him. "Again?" He groaned and shook his head. Meryl stepped up next to D’Argo and whispered in his ear. The Luxan nodded and waved goodbye as he left. Tom saw her lean over him with a strange expression on her face. "Come on. You’re going to help me fix my prowler." She didn’t wait for a reply.

<<<<>>>>

Zelaya and her two new best friends moved quickly down the hall and towards the hatch she had come through. Their names were Tolero and Norm. They weren’t much to look at but she could tell that they were strong. The three of them were about to crawl into the vent when a voice cried out. "Hey! I want a job too." Zelaya let her curiosity get the best of her and turned around. According to the manifest, the man behind the bars was a mass murderer. He looked skinny and weak to her. "My name is Wesker. I can help you." She cautiously opened the door and let him out. One more couldn’t hurt but they would have to watch him.

Levo burst into the prison section and found it quiet and peaceful. At first glance, everything seemed to be in order. But then he saw the doors. Two cells had been left wide open and were now empty. He was on the comm and reporting back upstairs in seconds. "We have three prisoners missing. Lock the ship down now." There was no answer. He tried again but no one responded. "Frell!"

The four of them moved easily down the corridor where Zelaya had entered in the first place. She reached over to open the hatch but stopped short. "I don’t suppose you three can survive in space?" They stared back at her blankly. Grabbing her comm, she tried to reach her shipmates. "Kezia, you there?" His voice came back weakly but held. "Yes. Are you coming out?" She motioned for the other three to stand back and opened the hatch. Zelaya dove out into the darkness and closed the hatch behind her. The Scarren ship was very close and she reached it easily.

Tolero and Norm stared dumbly at each other as the pretty lady jumped out into space. Between them, there wasn’t much in the brains department. Wesker, noticing this, took off down the hall and into the engineering room. They did not notice. Suddenly the walls buckled inward and something tore through them. Kezia’s ship stuck its rudder as far into the Ingram as it could go. The two convicts jumped inside and yelled for the third man. Wesker ran back out and boarded. Kezia pulled away and closed the outer doors. "John and Fred met the four others in the hanger. "I see you make friends quickly." Zelaya smiled at John but said nothing. The introductions had just begun when a loud explosion rocked the ship.

There were two explosions actually. One at the far end of the Ingram where the reactor was, and another at the center. The ensuing blast engulfed the entire ship and vaporized anything within its grasp. Poor Sgt. Levo never made it back to the radar room. He was stuck between floors when his life came to an end.

<<<<>>>>

Pilot watched over his beloved ship with much welcomed calm. Through his extended eyes and ears, he could see its crew in high spirits for the first time in a while. Rygel had almost fully recovered. Zhaan and Chiana sat by his side like two attentive nurses. For once, the old Hynerion had no words of disparagement. Tom and Meryl were hard at work on her prowler in the hanger. Pilot had sensed the strange pulse blast from there earlier. He could not imagine what had happened. D’Argo was here in the den with him. They did not talk much but it was good to have company sometimes.

The Elephant Ep15: Meeting of the Minds

John Crichton peered up into the afternoon sun and watched his ride disappear into the darkness that waited beyond. Allowing his sight to drift slowly back to the ground, he squinted at the dusty gravel beneath his feet. Zelaya and the one she had brought aboard, Wesker, stood silently beside him and paid no attention. They both seemed anxious he noticed. He couldn’t imagine why. The small town they had intruded upon looked deserted and completely serene. John scolded himself. That was almost never true. "Come on. Let’s get this over with." The other two nodded and followed him into what appeared to be a trading post.

Kezia stared down at the planet and remembered the conversation that had gone on earlier. "How can we have seven people and only three guns?" He cursed their lack of foresight and looked back at the new arrivals in the hanger. The two brutes that Zelaya had rescued were simple enough. They were dumb as rocks and didn’t pose any threat. Their size and strength was impressive though. It occurred to him that they would make good shields. Kezia laughed and pushed the thought aside. John, Zelaya, and that other one were down on the planet right now. Bartering for weapons. You can’t infiltrate a top secret peacekeeper base without weapons.

They stepped into the cool shade of the trading post and found themselves surrounded by exotic looking knickknacks and food. John picked up a strange looking fruit and bit into it. "Oh God, this is good." He licked his lips in ecstacy. Zelaya was staring at him with angry eyes. ‘We’re here to buy guns." He smiled sheepishly and put the fruit down. The man behind the counter noticed them immediately and called them over. He grinned cheerfully. "What can I get for you?" John leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "Oh no sir. I don’t carry any sort of weapons here." John cut him off before he could continue. "Hey Z, smile for the nice man." She complied and the man’s memory was suddenly jarred.

<<<<>>>>

Chernov had taken just about enough of the Nyid’s foolishness. He stared the creature down while keeping a hand close to his pulse rifle at all times. "Scorpius moves ever closer to finishing his research and you tell me to wait!" The general was not known for his patience. His tactical maneuvering usually relied on the virtues of others. Bob remained calm and met Chernov’s icy glare. "Crichton will be here soon. I promise you." Chernov did not accept this. "Why hasn’t he arrived already?" This took a more detailed explanation. Bob pointed towards the damaged wall behind them. "You say this base was attacked by a wormhole. The Leviathan, Moya, had a similar incident." The Sebacean stared back at his Nyid associate. "But you took care of it." Bob nodded. "Yes, I did."

Scorpius had been working in a frenzy since the day of the attack. Every tek he could grab a hold of was working round the clock on his project. The forces that had been led here by his meddling had given him a gift greater than any other. The secrets of wormhole technology were finally within his grasp. As he marched down the hallway, trailed by teks of course, the hybrid managed to catch a familiar voice. Scorpius turned momentarily and caught a glimpse of someone. A person he had seen before. "What are you up to General?" He had no time to follow up conspiracies now. There was work to be done.

<<<<>>>>

The prowler engine sat in ruins between the two exhausted mechanics. Tom rubbed his forehead, spreading grease across his formerly clean face. Meryl looked over at him and almost laughed. She had enough discipline to keep her mouth shut. This had been her fault after all. It was obvious that this human had no technological abilities worth noting. "Haven’t you ever operated a vehicle before?" He shook his head. "Never even got my permit." She ignored the comment and sat up. Her precious ship was now a mess of tangled wires. "You ruined my prowler." This got Tom’s attention immediately. "What do you mean me? This was your idea."

Zhaan heard the shouts and came running. They seemed to be originating from the maintenance bay. As she entered, the source became all too clear. Tom and Meryl were fighting over something or other. It didn’t really matter what. "You’re useless!" The ferocity of the former peacekeepers cries revealed a simple fact. This girl had never been taught how to deal with a domestic fight. Some sort of curved metal tool flew past Zhaan’s head and hit the wall behind her. "Is there a problem Zhaan?" Pilot’s inquisitive voice came through her comm. "Just a lover’s quarrel Pilot. Apparently, Tom broke Meryl’s prowler."

<<<<>>>>

The clerk led through a back door and into a large storeroom. The air was dusty and smelled like it had been shut in there for weeks. Through the dim haze, John could make out rows and rows of shiny new weapons. Everything an army would ever need. "Are you militia, terrorists, or thieves?" The man seemed to know his way around an arms deal. A large shimmering panel sat alone off to the side. John tapped it lightly with his hand and the machine sprung to life. It was an x-ray weapons detector. Through it he could see the other three people in the room in profile. "What is this!" The clerk was suddenly very angry. "What?" That was all that John could say before the man rushed Wesker. Looking back at the machine, a small cylinder was visible in Wesker’s skull.

Guns were suddenly drawn on both sides of the room. Luckily, only John and the clerk were carrying. He assumed that the display weapons were not armed and hoped for the best. "Your friends got pk mind frelling stuff in his head." Wesker put on a shocked face and said nothing. John lowered his gun slowly. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "He’s got a neurochip?" The clerk nodded. John’s gun was now trained on Wesker. "Why were you on a prison transport. Why do you have a neurochip?" The convict wasted no time. Before anyone could make a move, he burst out the door and into the sunlight.

<<<<>>>>

The control center for Scorpius’s experiments had been moved to a shiny new room on the other side of the complex. Bob sat quietly in the old ruined one and surveyed the scene. Something with incredible firepower had let loose on this place. But signs of restraint were evident. He knew from personal experience that one regulator ship could have destroyed the entire base. Then again, they weren’t in the mass murder business. His little side trip had been a waste of time. There was no information left in the data stores. Everything had been removed per the hybrid’s orders. It was time to take this to the next level. Bob stood and left.

<<<<>>>>

John ran out into the street with gun drawn. For a moment, the few shoppers in the street stopped to glance at him. Then they continued on without a word. The locals were used to this type of thing. He walked up to a fountain in the middle of the square. The pit was full of wanted beacons. All untouched and melting in the rays of sunshine. A door slammed behind him and he turned quickly. It was only Zelaya. "What is a neurochip? Why did he run away?" He shook his head wearily. "I’ll explain later. Just trust me, this guy could be unstable." This did not impress her. "I saw the manifest. He’s a killer. We already knew that." This was going nowhere. "Get the guns and go back to the ship.

Wesker watched the two of them argue in the street. He had been able to hold the voice down until now. The recent incident had given the monster a chance to break through the barriers that he had set up. The familiar face appeared next to him in the alley. "In trouble again. I told you to listen to me." He tried to ignore it but it was too strong for him now. "Leave me alone Clive. The man in the white lab coat would not leave. "You know I can’t do that. We’re a team, you and I." A confused shopper walked by and passed right through Clive. Wesker had learned to ignore it by now.

"He’s a got a voice in his head telling him what to do?" John nodded as the Ferrian woman stared back at him in shock. She had never heard of such a thing. "That’s cruel." He knew only too well. Zelaya would not leave his side. "Why don’t you just leave with me? We can get the frell out of here and forget about him." John shook his head purposely. "No, I have to take care of it." She did not understand. "Why you?" He would have preferred to avoid this. "Because that was me not too long ago." That shut her up.

<<<<>>>>

"You’re completely useless!" She repeated the words and it stung just as hard. Tom stared at her in disbelief and fought not to shout back. That would only make things worse. But then she said something he couldn’t ignore. "I would have been better off alone." Without waiting to gage his response, she turned on her heels and marched out the door. Meryl passed by Zhaan and didn’t bother to say anything. "Hey Zhaan." Tom shouted the words in passing as he chased after the angry ex-captain. He raised his hand to grab her shoulder when she turned and caught it in midair. "Do you mean that? You’d be better off alone?" She considered the words for a moment before answering. "Yes."

Zhaan heard the words leave the girl’s lips and knew instantly how they would affect Tom. She saw him slump down in his stance and take on a sad and pathetic look. This disturbed her greatly. With each new arrival, it was getting harder to keep the peace on this ship. In one bold move, Zhaan stepped forward and slammed the two against the wall. They fell unconscious to her feet. She laid them next to each other so that their heads were aligned.

<<<<>>>>

Zelaya had gone back into the store to finish the deal. Once again, John was left alone in the street. His thoughts of neural clones and the like automatically summoned Harvey. His own constant companion. "Did you think that you were the only one?" The Scorpius clone appeared amused by the whole situation. "Neural technology is a rapidly advancing field John. Scorpius is not the only one using it." John tried to ignore him but Harvey was more persistent than ever. "Stop distracting me. You’re going to get us shot." This made Harvey smile. "You said us John."

Wesker watched the human argue with himself and the realization quickly dawned on him. This man knew his predicament. John Crichton had a neural clone in him. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or to tense up. What better way to catch a killer than to understand him. "You’re right my friend. We’ve got to kill him." Wesker smiled. "Yes, we do indeed."

John spotted the man as he raced out of an alley down the street. He took off running after him and it was not too long before they were sprinting side by side. "Wait! I just want to talk to you!" Wesker paid no attention. He lunged at John but missed and toppled to the ground. They stared at each other now. Four men standing in the middle of an empty street. The vigilant home owners peering through their windows only saw two. "How long have you had it?" Wesker was hit hard in the face as John got around him. He looked but Clive had disappeared. "Five and a half cycles." John backed away in shock. "Frell."

"Can you see him now?" John and Wesker sat side by side on the ground. Their others had apparently abandoned them for the moment. "No, he’s gone now." John shook his head and watched the man frown. "What did you know?" This made Wesker angry. As if he was remembering something too painful to mention. "Nothing. The peacekeepers, they took over my planet. Their doctors came in, looking for experiment volunteers. I refused. Apparently, they didn’t hear me." The poor man cradled his head in his arms and stopped speaking. John felt pity for Wesker and relief for himself.

<<<<>>>>

Meryl opened her eyes and the looked around. The world was blurry and difficult to get a hold on. Somehow, this didn’t feel right. She wasn’t herself. A voice came through the haze and helped to calm her. "Just relax and take it in." Through these strange eyes she saw something astounding. She saw Meryl Raynor staring back at her. With that realization came an wave of incomprehensible images and sounds. Thoughts swirled around inside her head making it impossible to think clearly. Millions of fractured images appeared and disappeared. Meryl tried to quiet it but the force was too strong.

Tom opened his eyes and looked around. The world seemed somehow colder and distinct. There was something unfamiliar about this though he couldn’t place it. A woman’s voice came in from nowhere. She seemed to be humming. It was surprisingly calming. Then it happened. He saw Tom staring back at him. There was a moment of utter confusion followed by silence. Where his usual mental functions took over there was nothing. It was just him in this empty place. Something happened when he saw himself though. A feeling of warmth and confusion. It came naturally to him but felt wrong in this place.

<<<<>>>>

Zelaya walked out into the street and spotted the two men sitting quietly against a building. She had delivered the supplies to Kezia but John was taking too long. She came back to investigate. "Crichton! What are you still doing with him?" Her words seemed to hit Wesker hard. He looked from her to Crichton with an expression of fear. Wesker stood and ran down the street. "What the hell did you do that for? I had him calmed down." Zelaya ignored John’s annoyed gaze and looked past him at the running man. "Weren’t you going to kill him?" He nodded. "Yes, but I was waiting for the right moment. He’s in a lot of pain."

Somehow Wesker heard those words. Clive appeared immediately. His own little paranoid best friend. "You see! I was right about him." He nodded and turned back towards Crichton. The human wanted him dead. "Why?" Clive considered this for a moment. "He’s jealous of you. Wants to be the only one." The response didn’t really make sense but Wesker’s mind was beyond that. He only needed an excuse. "Quickly, there’s a pulse rifle over by that house!" Clive was right. The pulse rifle glistened in the sun. Almost calling out to him. Wesker went for it.

<<<<>>>>

There was a flash of blue and they found themselves lying on the floor as they had been only moments before. Meryl was definitely herself again and it was the same for Tom. They looked up and saw Zhaan staring lovingly down at them. She smiled and touched their foreheads before standing up and walking away. Tom looked over at Meryl and gave her a look of confusion. "Did you just...?" He couldn’t think of anything to describe it. She nodded and stood. "So, did you mean what you said?" Meryl pulled him up to stand alongside her. "Being better off doesn’t always mean the same thing as being happy."

<<<<>>>>

John walked out into the center of the street and pulled back his coat. His pulse pistol sat in its holster waiting for him. Zelaya moved forward but he waved her off. "I’ll do this." Wesker stood a ways down the street in the same position as John. His own gun had been tucked into his ragged belt. The two men stared each other down as a tumbleweed passed by in between them. No other people inhabited the street now. It was just the two of them. John moved his hand down and Wesker did the same. Their mental devils had vanished again. Simultaneously, two guns were raised and four shots were fired.

The first shot, a rather wild one actually, sailed past Wesker’s head but didn’t even come close to hitting him. Shot number two, slightly better aimed, came within inches of changing John’s facial features. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. The third shot fired was aimed low and hit John’s leg just above the knee. He tumbled to the ground in pain. The fourth and final shot hit Wesker squarely in the chest and he also fell. John lifted the gun up to his face and checked the cartridge. Only one shot had been fired.

Dragging himself over to the other wounded man, John had to struggle to keep from shouting in pain. He reached Wesker and grabbed the man’s pulse rifle. It had also been fired only once. This didn’t make any sense. He looked up into the bright afternoon sun and was blinded. Something stepped forward and in between him and the sun. A gun was raised and fired. Wesker didn’t even have time to gasp before his head exploded. Aeryn Sun knelt down over him. "Who was he?" John managed a slight smile. "What I might’ve been." She helped him up. "You shot me." Aeryn smiled. "And?"

A Scarren ship with seven passengers flew off into the darkness of space to meet its destiny. One of these foolish people had been just recently replaced by someone much more capable. Kezia and Zelaya sat at the cockpit of this doomed craft and looked back at the new arrival. John and Aeryn sat together against his module. Neither of them said a word. There was nothing that needed to be said. The human smiled and she returned the gesture.

The Elephant Ep16: The Not So Magnificent Seven

The sparkling blue and white energy from a leviathan starburst dissipated as Moya forced herself back into normal space. Her remaining crew was scattered about the ship in their respective pairings. Some odder than others. Chiana and D’Argo stood in command watching the sensors for any movement close by. "Are we near the base yet Pilot?" The eggshell shaped monitor came to life. "I believe so yes. Officer Sun has instructed me to remain just out of sensor range until we are signaled." D’Argo nodded and turned to his companion. "Do you think we’ll see them again?" The young Nebari stared back at him with uncertainty in her eyes. "Of course we will. Don’t talk like that."

<<<<>>>>

She couldn’t believe it at first. The picture staring back at her could possibly be the most important thing she would ever do. Tek Feyd rose from her computer console and looked around nervously. There was no one else there. She remembered the immense pride she had felt when Scorpius himself had congratulated her. "The hardest working member of my team." He had said that. She smiled and reached for the comm. "Sir, could you come here please?" It took a moment for the response to come through. "I will be there shortly. This better be important." Feyd giggled, yes giggled, knowing what he would say now.

Scorpius rose from his chair as the cooling rod was completely inserted into his head. It had been his first break from research and he was anxious to return. The tek had sounded excited. He wanted to believe the time had finally come. Could almost feel it inside. The hybrid rushed out of the room and down toward the girl’s lab. He flashed his security key and stepped inside. The room was a maze of notes and drawings. As a centerpiece, the giant computer in the middle of the room completed the image. A simulation was playing on the screen as he approached.

The wormhole formed itself on the screen and flowed into the familiar cylinder shape. He flexed his gloved hands repeatedly as the simulation continued. It held strong and passed the breakaway time with no problems. "How long has it been?" Feyd checked the timer and grinned. "Quarter of an arn sir. Well past the cutoff line." Scorpius felt numb. All his work boiled down to this precious moment. "How?" That was all he could manage at the moment. "The sequence was out of order sir. When the attack came, it provided me with a model to follow." She brought up the order on the screen. "Who else has seen this?" She looked surprised. "No one sir. I tell you first."

<<<<>>>>

The supply closet was dark and cramped. Aeryn turned to look out the slit in the doorway and her cheek brushed against John’s nose. "Careful." She stopped and turned to look at him. "Sorry about that." He nodded, feeling her hair move against his forehead. The moment would have been almost romantic. "How long we gotta be in here?" The gruff voice came from the other two people in the closet. Talero and Norm were both smashed up against each other. John had graciously offered to stand in between them and Aeryn. They didn’t understand why.

Outside, Zelaya stood behind her companion as he spoke to the visitor. Kezia’s usually calm demeanor had become somewhat more nervous. The man standing in front of him was a legend. One of the greatest generals in Scarren history. General Quelnor looked down at the exiled ex-spy with more than a little contempt. He had no respect for the man. Kezia was a screw-up. But this opportunity was too good to pass up. Noticing the Ferrian woman, he sighed to himself. If this operation ever got back to him, it would be an incredible embarrassment.

"We will provide a diversion so you can go in with minimal resistance." Kezia nodded. "Divert their main defense forces away from there. I will do the rest." The general accepted this and turned to leave. "Don’t fail me again Kezia. Or it will be your head instead of Scorpius’s on my wall." Kezia felt his face warm up and said nothing as Quelnor left the ship. He turned back to Zelaya. "That’s taken care of. Go get the others." She looked concerned. "They would kill you?" She reached for his hand. "I wouldn’t like that."

The other four stumbled out of the closet and into the hanger. "Did he agree?" Kezia nodded at John and moved past him to the cockpit. "We have to do this right Crichton. If this goes wrong, I’m not dying alone." John said nothing and turned back to Aeryn. She did not look pleased either. "Do you realize how insane this sounds?" He almost smiled. "Yes I do."

<<<<>>>>

Chernov sat quietly behind his desk at the security office. This was what he had been reduced to. A great peacekeeper general made to work security to for a scientific experiment. He prayed to whatever was out there that John Crichton would come today. He had no idea if the human would succeed. But the thought was too good not to consider. Chernov wondered how it would happen. What plan could possibly get someone inside this base to kill Scorpius? He would help if possible. "Sir, we have reports of a warship coming in on the radar."

The convey had left command thirty solar days ago. It carried with it hundreds of fresh teks and personnel to aid those already at the base. The journey had been quiet and peaceful. Until now that is. Appearing almost out of nowhere, an enormous Scarren warship burst onto the scene and began attacking the ships. Prowlers and marauders were dispatched immediately but they didn’t seem to be enough. From his desk, Chernov smiled despite the loss of life. This could only mean one thing. "Central, this is General Chernov. I want you to deploy every available ship to aid the convoy." The response came back immediately. "But sir, we’ll be defenseless." That was the plan. "Do it!"

<<<<>>>>

"It’s starting." Meryl watched from the terrace as explosions lit up the darkness in the distance. The plan was ludicrous and she feared for the safety of her friends. Then again, they appeared to deal quite well with lost causes. Tom walked out behind her and looked around. He had never seen this place before. "This is amazing." She didn’t turn around. "Has it started yet." Meryl pointed off into space. The explosions continued unhindered. It dawned on her for the first time that her own people were being slaughtered. Strange, it didn’t bother her as much any more.

<<<<>>>>

The auto-defense grid went up as soon as it came within detection range. A Scarren ship, albeit smaller than the warship, was descending quickly on the base. No ship rushed out to meet it. They had been conveniently called off to battle only microts before. Kezia set the controls on auto-pilot and moved towards the back of the ship. Pulse fire erupted from the defense guns. They tore the outer coverings away from his ship with ease. But it was stronger than it looked. A Scarren ship, like the people, had very strong skin. The hull was almost impossible to rupture with conventional weapons. With incredible momentum, this ship plunged through the main entrance and into Scorpius’s gammek base.

There were only a few people in the lobby when the attack came. A grunt named Doyle was the first to see it. The outer walls buckled inward and came flying across the room. "What the frell!" Those were his last words as a shard of metal was thrown through the air and him. Kezia’s ship tore through the lobby and smashed easily through Scorpius’s glass shield. It came to a stop just as the first group of soldiers came out to greet it. John and Aeryn were first out of the ship. The pulse fire had already begun and was all around them as they dropped to the ground. "What now?" The ex-peacekeepers words were lost among the chaos.

Scorpius heard the loud crashing sound and rose from the computer. Feyd looked frightened and clung to his arm. He brushed her off and went for the comm. "What is going on out there?" The line was full of static and hard to make out. "Sir, we’re under attack." His eyes widened. "Scarrens!" He roared. How had they found this place? A realization suddenly dawned on him. He turned back towards the tek. "Show me the sequence again." She punched it up and he quickly memorized it.

Talero and Norm jumped out of the hatch and hit the ground. They looked at each other and wondered just what they had gotten themselves into. "Freeze!" A peacekeeper soldier ran up beside them and raised his weapon. Norm chuckled and rushed the unassuming grunt. The gun never got off a shot. Kezia and Zelaya came out next. He ran up to Crichton and shouted in his ear. "How do we get out of this room?" It was a frustrating question for John. This was the farthest he had ever gotten. "Kill the soldiers!" Kezia stared back at him in anger. "We’re all going to die aren’t we." He turned as Zelaya rushed out into the fray.

Chernov watched the scene from his monitor and shook his head. "Those idiots." He stood and pulled a small comm device from his pocket. "They’re going to need some help in there." It took a moment but the response did come. "Understood. I’m heading there now." Chernov grabbed a pulse rifle from the cabinet and left his little office. With any luck, he’d never see it again.

Fred stared out at the confusion and wanted to shut his eyes. They told him that Scorpius was here. That they would take him to see the man. "I, I can’t." He whispered the words to himself over and over while clutching his pulse rifle. The gun felt heavy in his hands and took considerable skill to shoot straight. The sound of someone climbing the stairs alerted his attention. A man in brown rags stepped inside and grabbed him by the collar. The next thing he knew, Fred was sailing towards the ground. The man dropped down next to him and ran away.

Aeryn turned to see the boy lying on the ground with a pulse rifle in his hand. She pulled it from his grasp and aimed towards the soldiers. "Shoot at them." He nodded. Fred tried to communicate what had just happened but the woman had already gone back to fighting. A strange smell filled his nose and he felt himself being thrown forward. His clothes were on fire.

The explosion knocked everyone to their feet or killed them. Kezia watched in horror as his precious ship fell to pieces and released waves of fire across the ground. "My, my.." He couldn’t even speak. Zelaya pulled him up. "Get up, a path’s been cleared." He followed her gaze and saw that she was right. The soldiers blocking their way into the base had been dispersed across the room. He shouted over to Crichton. "Let’s get inside before the main reactor blows!" John and Aeryn grabbed the others and followed him down the hall. Just as they passed through the entrance, Norm fell to the ground. A pulse shot tore through his stomach and he dies before his partner’s eyes.

Scorpius fired a shot into the computer and watched it sputter out and die. The image disappeared and took all the data along with it. He fired a few more shot for good measure. Feyd looked on in confusion. "Sir, my research?" He shook his head. "We know the sequence. The Scarren’s can’t discover it." He grabbed her by the arm and ran out the door. The hallway was empty but the sound of footsteps could be heard nearby. Then Scorpius saw the last face he ever wanted to see coming down the corridor. John Crichton was coming towards him with an odd group of followers. They fired on him at first sight and he was almost hit. "Forgive me, Feyd." She cried out as he pulled her close to him. She took the pulse fire and died in his arms.

John stopped and the others followed his example. "John, what are you doing? He’s right there." He grabbed Aeryn and pointed out the woman Scorpius was using as a shield. She gasped. "I’ve got him." Talero angrily fired before they could stop him. They watched in horror as the defenseless tek fell dead. "Damn it!" John cursed again. He looked back up in time to see something terrible happen.

Chernov led his detachment of soldiers down the narrow corridor and towards the research labs. Those had been Scorpius’s last known whereabouts. As the hybrid came into view, he motioned for the troops to stop and take positions. He smiled, understanding what was going on. Scorpius was trapped.

Scorpius watched the two sides take aim at him slowly and deliberately. He cursed himself for not taking care of Chernov earlier. It was too late now. He prepared himself for the end and tried to show as much composure as possible. The secret of wormhole technology would die with him. "Scorpius!" He opened his eyes and looked towards the sound. Bob was beckoning to him from a shaft on the wall. The firing began as he ran forward and towards salvation. "How did you-?" Bob pulled out his gun and smacked the hybrid across the face. "You belong to me now."

"Was that Bob?" Both sides were asking the same question. John could not comprehend what had just happened. He had been moments away from sending that monster back to hell when... He blinked repeatedly. Chernov swore loudly and smashed his gun against the wall. "That double-crossing-." He stopped as the nearest soldier patted him on the shoulder. "Sir, what do we do about them?" He had almost forgotten. Crichton and his crew of assassins were still there. "Let the human live. Kill the rest of them." They opened fire.

<<<<>>>>

Moya swooped in over the gammek base and stopped alongside its open hanger doors. D’Argo raced to the entrance as Pilot opened the way in. He saw John and Aeryn running towards him and some others close behind. They raced inside and shut the doors as peacekeepers ran out with pulse rifles blazing. "Did you do it?" The sorrowful faces that looked back at him did not provide much confidence. "Pilot, get us out of here!" The force of starburst knocked them from side to side as Moya vanished from the ruined base.

<<<<>>>>

It had been four days now and they had finally reached the planet. The harsh light of day hung over John Crichton as he knelt over the fourth and final grave. They had died because of him and he had insisted on carrying the bodies out. How could he leave them in that terrible place. Aeryn walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I could have helped you bury them." He shook his head. "It’s our responsibility." Zelaya nodded from her place in front of Kezia’s grave. There were actually tears in her eyes. "Yes, it was."

John knelt over the Scarren’s grave and whispered into the ground. "I’ll get him Kez. I’ll get him for the both of us." Zelaya put her arm around him. "We’ll get him." He nodded. "Frell, I killed him. He was there because of me." Aeryn watched the two of them from behind. She wanted to say something. It didn’t seem her place to do so. She looked over at the other three graves. Remembering what Kezia had said about the Rotonions, Aeryn felt bad knowing that she had agreed. They were both dead now too. Good shields though.

Zelaya stood up and walked to the other grave. She remembered the frightened look on Fred’s face the first time they had met. She told him that he was safe because of the Scarren in him. That was only partially true. The innocence in his eyes had saved Fred’s life. Zelaya did not kill children. It seemed odd that the first two people she had not wanted to kill in along time were now lying in the ground. She looked over at John. He was all she had left now. They would find Scorpius and kill him. Then maybe she’d kill herself.

The Elephant Ep17: What About Bob?

It had been six days since the pointless battle against the incoming peacekeeper convoy. The warship had stayed in the area hoping to get word from Kezia that the task had been completed. When nothing happened, General Quelnor ordered his crew to set course for the home world and forget this had ever occurred. He sat peacefully at his desk now, going over important documents left unattended. The sound of heavy feet broke his concentration and announced the visitor’s arrival. One of his aides was at the door. "Sir, we have captured someone trying to enter the ship undetected." Quelnor waved the man away. "Why should I concern myself with this?" The aid stepped aside and allowed the prisoner to enter. "She says you know her sir." Zelaya grinned through the muzzle they had placed on her.

She tried her best not to reach across the table and rip his throat out. The Scarren general had taken off her restraints and ushered the confused aid out. "He’s dead then?" Quelnor shook his head in disgust. "Incompetent as always." Zelaya lost it. She leapt up and got halfway there before he turned and knocked her down. He raised his hand and the familiar force flowed out and held her in place. "You Ferrians are so volatile. It’s no wonder there aren’t more of you around." She said nothing. "I will let you go. Unless you have something else to say?" Zelaya stood up and pulled a photograph from under her clothes.

"It’s not possible!" He stared down at the photo before him and all breath left his lungs. It was distorted and unclear but one thing was certain. The man lying dead in the picture was Scorpius. Quelnor looked up at the Ferrian and smiled. "He did this?" She nodded. "With help." He rose from his chair and looked out into space. "When command hears of this..." Zelaya cleared her throat. "You will give Kezia the recognition he is due?" He laughed and nodded in agreement. "Kezia will go down in history for this." That was all she needed to hear. Without another word, Zelaya turned and left the room. She was allowed safe passage back to her ship. An odd looking contraption with the symbol IASA on the side.

Crichton looked up at her as she pulled back the hatch and jumped into the back seat. "Did it work?" Zelaya nodded happily and motioned for him to start the engines. "You don’t think it was a mistake? Lying to a Scarren general?" He considered the question for a moment while looking down at his holstered pulse pistol. "Very soon, it won’t matter."

<<<<>>>>10 Days Later

The planet came into view just shortly after the first of them had woken up for another day. Moya had been peaceful and quiet since the day of the attack. Those who usually stirred up trouble felt no strength to do so. The newest member of the crew had been given the chance to settle in without incident. Despite her frightening qualities, she spent most of her time in a cell alone. When Zelaya did venture out into the ship, she was never more than a few feet from John. Pilot saw it before the rest of them but did not say a word. The shouts would come soon

John rose quickly from bed and started pulling on his close. He looked back at the sleeping Aeryn and smiled. She lay fully clothed above the covers with a slight frown spread across her lips. The tough soldier had not left his side since that day. Aeryn was taking care of him. It felt good to say that. The comm went on and he immediately left the room. There was no need to wake her just yet. "What is it Pilot?" The answer came back quickly. "Moya has reached the planet Crichton. We should be in orbit in a quarter of an arn." John shook his head. Time to go to work again. "Thanks Pilot."

Meryl had awakened earlier than usual and left her companion asleep in bed. She had taken the opportunity to walk the halls of Moya without any distractions. It was becoming a ritual with her. One to give her calm before another unpredictable day. But there was something different about it today. As she passed the kitchen, a lone plate sat conspicuously on the table. Untouched food cubes adorned it. Meryl stepped inside and put the plate away. Footsteps could be heard running down the hall. She turned to see a wave of hair turning the corner.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius tasted dirt in his mouth and spit it out in disgust. "How have I come to this?" He whispered the words to no one in particular and shifted in his uncomfortable seat. He had lost count of the days early on and that only made the waiting worse. The Nyid had dropped him in this hole and apparently forgotten about it. Wooden planks above his head blocked the sun and allowed only tiny slits of light to permeate through. There was a rustling sound from up there and his eyes were suddenly blasted with sunlight. "How are we this morning?" Bob smiled down at him. "Frell you."

"No, not today I’m afraid." Bob disappeared for a moment before coming back with a large bag of ice cubes. He poured them into the small hole allowing a few to cascade over the hybrid’s head. "I’ll never tell you the sequence." The Nyid continued to smile without a hint of worry. This had the opposite reaction on Scorpius. Why was he so confident. The cooling effects of the ice served to calm him a bit. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

<<<<>>>>

The decision of who was to stay aboard or go down to the planet was always a difficult one on this ship. No one liked being left behind. It was finally decided that John, Aeryn, and Zelaya would go. Better to keep the risk to a minimum. After much deliberation, Tom managed to get himself on the pod as well. "I’ve spent time with Bob. I can help you." It had worked and now the four of them were speeding down towards the Nyid’s home world. For such an enormous planet, it sustained very little life. The result of a cataclysmic attack by strange forces hundreds of cycles ago.

There were no major cities to speak of. Only small towns connected by long rambling trails that crossed through the remaining forests and mountains. The pod landed quietly outside one of these and its passengers climbed out. John looked around the place. "Like a needle in a haystack." Tom smiled back at him, happy to hear an old earth expression. "We’re not that lucky." Bob could be anywhere in the universe for all they knew. It seemed logical to start with his home.

The marketplace was crowded and the shouts of merchants bargaining could be heard everywhere. Reluctantly, Zelaya agreed to ask around with Tom while the other two went off in a different direction. She glared over at the younger human and scowled. He lacked the only redeeming qualities that Crichton had. Stuck on a manhunt with a writer! She shook her head and followed him into the fray. Tom knew the woman behind him wasn’t very pleased. He tried to ignore her pointed looks and focused on the task at hand.

<<<<>>>>

Bob put the finishing touches on the device and stood back. He had been collecting the parts secretly every time a chance had presented itself. It held nowhere near the power that Scorpius’s aurora chair had, but the substitute would have to do. He looked over at the hole and shook his head. The hybrid had not cried out once since his abduction. Nothing less should have been expected. He walked over and kicked the cover away with his foot. "You’re going to kill me when this is over aren’t you?" Bob would have preferred not to answer that question. Unfortunately, he was obligated to do so. "Yes, I think so."

<<<<>>>>

Sam had spotted the two odd looking people in the marketplace immediately. They had left the even stranger looking pod on the other side of town. He was burning up inside with anticipation. His master, Joel, had not permitted him to leave the post just yet. He would have to wait until the older man wasn’t looking. "Can I help you sir?" Joel was distracted by a customer and Sam seized the opportunity. He ran out into the crowd and towards them.

"You looking for someone?" Aeryn ignored the little boy and kept on walking. "We don’t want to buy anything." John tried a more gentle approach. The boy shook his head and laughed. "I don’t sell anything. Just wanted to help you out." John considered this for a moment before kneeling down beside him. "What’s your name?" Sam smiled and told him. Behind them, Aeryn shrugged and walked back to listen in. "Do you know who Bob is?" It was a longshot but who knew. Sam’s eyes bulged. He put his hands over his mouth. "Doesn’t everyone?"

Aeryn pulled him aside immediately. "You’re taking the word of a little boy? He’s no older than ten." John started to say something but Sam interrupted him. "I can’t lie. Tell you the truth always." He smiled with pride. John looked back at her and shrugged. Aeryn turned to the boy. "How do we know you’re talking about the same Bob?" Sam looked at her as if she were crazy. "Nyids only give names once. There are no other Bobs." He led them into a nearby building. "Come, we’ll talk in here."

<<<<>>>>

They had been going about this for a while now without any clue. "This is pointless. We aren’t going to find him here." Zelaya kicked a barrel beside her and cursed. Tom shook his head and continued looking. "You aren’t a very patient person are you?" She growled, revealing her deadly rows of teeth. He stared for a moment but didn’t flinch. "You’re trying to impress me. Is that it?" She closed her mouth again and walked past him. He watched her go and wondered which was worse. An alien woman or an earth woman. Tough call.

<<<<>>>>

The needle was in his arm before Scorpius could do anything about it. The syringe released its fluid into his system and he could already feel the numbness taking over. The last thing he felt was a pair of hands dragging him out of the hole. "You’re heavier than you look Scorpius." Bob grunted and pulled with all his might. It took every last bit to get him out of there and into the chair. Scorpius blinked his eyes several times but vision was still blurry. He could just make out the Nyid standing in front of him. "What now?"

<<<<>>>>

"I will tell you as accurately as possible. No one knows the exact details but I have heard stories from other Nyids that believed them to be true." Sam sat in front of them in the sand with a stick in his hand. He was drawing circles as he spoke. Aeryn looked doubtfully over at John as the boy continued. The human ignored her stare and paid attention. "After the great fall, our people were left poor and defenseless. The other races took our lands and property. A decision was made by the government to send out a research team. A group whose sole purpose was to find wormhole technology again."

<<<<>>>>

Bob turned the dial and the machine began to spin. Scorpius sat up in the chair and looked around. It took him a moment to put together what was happening. "Where did you get this?" Before the Nyid could respond, the realization came. "Chernov. He’s the only one who could get this." Bob ignored him and set about putting the headpiece in place. Scorpius couldn’t move but he tried anyway. "Despite the general’s efforts, the peacekeepers will come looking for you." This time the Nyid stopped working. "I believe you."

<<<<>>>>

"Bob was the last one to be sent out. None of the others had ever returned from their journey. It is believed that they were killed by the same race that took our empire away." John looked at Aeryn and a spark of recognition passed between them. "The Regulators?" Sam looked at her with surprise. "You have seen them?" She nodded. The look on the boy’s face was one of amazement. "What I wouldn’t give to have been in your shoes. To see something like that!" John interrupted him. "About Bob?" Sam apologized and returned to the story.

"Bob came home about twenty cycles ago. He told stories of amazing races with awesome power. Of a powerful organization called.....peacekeepers. Yes, that’s it." Aeryn smiled. The boy’s innocent tone tore down her grim defenses. To hear something so terrible from her past being spoken of so simply. "He said they offered to help him." Sam’s tone turned instantly serious. "But the help came with a price." John had to interrupt him there. Tom and Zelaya were passing by outside. "Hey! In here!"

<<<<>>>>

Bob felt the nervous excitement run through him again. After so much work and suffering, he would finally get what he was after. He thought back to all the terrible things he had done in the past. Tried to convince himself that they were all worth it. The people he had killed, the knowledge he had stolen. Working with the peacekeepers had taken its tole on him. Now he would get his people’s dignity back. Bob turned the dial faster and watched his victim begin to squirm.

Scorpius howled in pain for the first time since the machine had been turned on. The monitor spun through millions of images that seemed incomprehensible to the confused Nyid. "Stop fighting it. You how it works Scorpius. Eventually it will break through." The hybrid refused to fall victim to his own creation. His Scarren growl burst out and he pushed himself upward. Bob jumped back as the restraints snapped and fell to the ground. Still numb, Scorpius rushed him and the two fell to the ground. "You frelling-!" Bob pulled out his pulse pistol but couldn’t fire it safely. A shot went off accidently.

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn let the other two in and stepped back to follow them inside. Just as she was about to close the door, a familiar sound caught her attention. The sound of a pulse pistol going off. She pulled her own out instinctively and walked out into the street. The door slammed shut but she did not call out to the others. Another door burst open down the street and for a moment Aeryn thought she was seeing things. Scorpius had crossed half the distance between them before he recognized her. She lifted her gun but he was already dashing off in the other direction.

"Wait! Don’t shoot him!" Bob came out the door next with a hand clutched to his stomach. Blood was soaking the man’s coat and he appeared to be in pain. Aeryn kept her gun trained on him despite his weak appearance. "I should kill you right here." He started to say something but stopped short. An eery silence had taken over the marketplace. Aeryn turned around and found the merchants and shoppers all looking off into the distance.

Sam was still taking in the new arrivals when the door burst inward. Aeryn ran in with gun drawn. John and Zelaya jumped up and pulled their own weapons. "Aeryn, what’s going on." She looked out the door and then back at them. "We’re leaving right now."

The Elephant Ep18: Pearl Harbor

Zhaan sat up from her bed and looked around nervously. Something was wrong. She sensed it everywhere inside the ship and out. Moving quickly, she threw on a robe and burst out into the hallway. There was no one there to greet her. "Pilot, is everything alright?" Zhaan waited for his response but received none. This only worried her more. She ran down the corridor on her way to command. Chiana was sitting alone when she got there. "Hey Zhaan, what’s up?" Zhaan ignored her and rushed to the window. There was something out there.

D’Argo looked at Pilot’s worried face and lost some of his own cool. The jamming had started about a quarter of an arn ago. They couldn’t get through to anyone on comms. He would have been worried more if not for the DRD’s. The little creatures had checked to make sure that everyone was alright. "Do you see anything yet?" Pilot shook his head and continued tapping at the console. "Moya can only sense the areas around her now. Something is blocking her long range scanners." The Luxan frowned and headed for the door. "I’m going to go out on the terrace and see if I can’t spot anything." Pilot nodded.

Meryl had already thought of that idea. She and Rygel stood on the terrace and looked out in wonder at the stars. The view was amazing and she found herself here more and more often. But there was a disturbing reason for it today. Meryl spotted the first signs of it just after the Hynerion had appeared. He made no attempt at conversation. Rygel was as captivated as she was. "Do you see it?" She nodded and felt the knot in her stomach tighten.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius’s head was a jumble of crazed images. He couldn’t think straight and it had almost gotten him killed already. John Crichton was here. He hadn’t seen the human yet, but officer Sun was never too far away. His eyes began adjusting to the light again as he peeked around the corner. Bob was no longer there. Scorpius crept out and started making a run for it. The sound of a door slamming stopped him cold. Crichton and some others had just come out of a building. They were looking up into the sky. He followed their gaze. "Frell."

Bob saw the hybrid and took his chances. He stepped out into the street, wincing heavily as the wound spat more blood out onto his coat. Scorpius would die for this. Right after the information was retrieved. Bob watched as his target froze in his tracks and looked up towards the sky. He couldn’t help but do the same. All other thoughts were erased from his memory at that moment.

<<<<>>>>

"We’re leaving right now." Aeryn ushered them out into the street and pointed up into the heavens. John was the first to say anything. "You’ve got to be kidding me!" Zelaya and Tom looked from him to Aeryn in desperation. Priorities suddenly needed to be reevaluated. "What? What do you see?" The little boy, Sam, pushed through the blockade of bodies and stared upwards. He didn’t say another word. The four of them watched him scurry off down the street. A dark cloud descended over the town and for a moment it seemed as if the sun itself had been eclipsed.

<<<<>>>>

"Pilot! Starburst now." D’Argo hated to leave his friends down there but right now it was his responsibility to save Moya. "I’m sorry but Moya cannot do that now. Any collision would be harmful to her." The frustrated Luxan saw that he was right. There was no way they could get through that without hitting something. The first of three Apocalypse-Class Command Carriers floated past the leviathan in what seemed to be slow motion. Hundreds of prowlers and marauders dotted the sky and formed a terrifying cloud. "Can they see us Pilot?" The response voice was shaky. "They do see us. Apparently, we are being ignored." What the frell did that mean?

Meryl tried to say something but no words came out of her mouth. Rygel looked over at her with a similar expression. "I believe the word you are searching for is frell." He tried to smile but it didn’t seem to be working. She ignored him and ran out of the room. D’Argo passed by her in the opposite direction. "Where are you going?" She stopped and turned to face him momentarily. "To my prowler." He shook his head angrily. "You don’t have a chance of-." Meryl had already taken off down the hall.

Chiana stood and walked over to where Zhaan was looking out the window. "What’s going on out there?" The blue woman pointed towards the planet. Before Chiana could turn her head, the massive hull of a command carrier blocked their view. "We have to get out of here! Pilot, starburst!" No one answered the Nebari’s frightened cries. "It’s too late for that my child. We’re not going anywhere." The look on Zhaan’s face was deadly serious. There was no questioning it.

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn took off down the street without waiting for the others. John ran up behind her and yelled out. "We can’t leave. Anything trying to get off is gonna get shot down." She stopped and looked at him. His face frozen with concern. Not just for her she knew, but for the people of this planet. "I have to get to Moya, John. I have to get to my prowler." John shook his head. "No way. You stay here where its safe." He considered the absurdity of that statement for a moment. Aeryn would not be deterred. "I’m a pilot John. I belong in the air." She climbed aboard the pod and within seconds it was off the ground.

"Where does she think she’s going?" Tom ran up beside Crichton and looked up at the departing pod with more than a little dismay. "She’s going to get herself killed." There was no hint of humor on John’s face today. He looked past the confused Tom and to the house they had just left. "Where’s Zelaya?" Tom turned around. "She was there a minute ago." Zelaya had apparently disappeared.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius heard the footsteps coming towards him and immediately ducked out of sight. They didn’t belong to Bob. The sounds were too light. The sounds of lips smacking together caught his attention. He looked up at the roof above him and saw a squadron of prowlers fly by. There was someone else up there too. The Ferrian he had seen at the base. She looked down at him with hatred in her eyes. "Those prowlers are going to start shooting soon." His warning had no affect on her. "Don’t worry. You won’t be here to see them." Scorpius swallowed involuntarily.

Zelaya jumped down just as the hybrid started running. His scent was heavy on her nose and wouldn’t be difficult to track. She was just about to take off after him when the first shots started. The building next to hers exploded in a burst of flying rubble. "Frelling peacekeepers." The blast threw her sideways and against the wall. Zelaya tasted blood in her mouth. She swallowed it and slipped away.

<<<<>>>>

The prowler pilot watched with amusement as his comrades opened fire on the city below. He couldn’t hear the explosions but the visual was just as good. The leviathan pod had shown up on his scanner just a few moments ago. It moved stealthily away from the battle and up towards space. He wouldn’t let it get away that easily. The prowler shot forward and tailed the pod straight up into the sky.

Aeryn saw the prowler lock onto her and took action. She was almost smiling as the pod groaned from the force of her maneuver. Flying never ceased to excite her. "We’ll see who the superior pilot it." She pushed down on the controls and let the pod drop straight down with incredible speed. The prowler pilot saw this one second before it nearly tore his craft in two. Whoever was behind the wheel had talent. Now he would see how much.

<<<<>>>>

Meryl jumped into the empty prowler and started the ignition sequence. It almost felt good to be back in combat again. She slipped on the headgear and punched the engines. The sleek ship rose off the ground and shot quickly through the cavernous outer hanger into space. Once out in the familiar darkness, she steered it down towards the growing conflict below.

<<<<>>>>

John and Tom stood motionless on the ground for a moment. "What do we do now?" They both pondered that question before walking calmly back into the main market place. A loud explosion ripped them abruptly from their trance. The prowlers were firing into the screaming crowd with no mercy. Buildings on all sides burst into flames and fell to pieces. Both of them could see and hear the cries of victims but lost their bearings in the confusion. Tom looked to his side and found himself alone. "John!" There was no answer.

Bob pushed the rocks and debris off of his body and tried to stand. The fall had only aggravated the wound further. He limped over to the nearest wall and breathed heavily. The ground rumbled below his feet causing him to sway repeatedly. The building he was looking for stood only a few metras down the street. Inside was something that could save the people still left alive.

<<<<>>>>

Chiana almost ran into D’Argo as they came careening down the hall. She looked him in the eyes and saw the fear that resided where his usual confidence was. "We have to go get them D’Argo. They’ll die down there." He shook his head and grabbed her shoulders. "There’s no way we can get anywhere near that planet right now. They’re on their own." She didn’t want to accept that but there wasn’t much of a choice. D’Argo pulled her closer to him and sighed heavily. "I’m sure they’ll be fine."

"Pilot, say again." Meryl had almost reached the planet when his radio transmission had come through. Apparently the jamming had been lifted. "Moya senses her pod nearby. Attempts to contact it have been futile." She shook her head and started the search. "I’ll look in on it Pilot." The comm quieted again and she tried to focus on the task at hand. "What squadron do you belong to?" The question caught her off guard. Before Meryl could answer, the incoming prowlers opened fire. "Ok, here we go." She put her finger on the firing button and pressed down.

<<<<>>>>

Zelaya pushed open what was left of the door and stepped inside. The room was dark and full of loose dirt. The scent was beginning to fade among the constant firing and she couldn’t afford to lose the bastard. A stray pulse blast cut a hole through the roof and illuminated the room in afternoon sunlight. She spotted a leather glove slipping around the back doorway and lunged forward. Scorpius turned just in time to see her jaws spread open. He cried out in pain as her body collided with his. The force sent the two of them crashing through the wall and into the street.

John turned and saw Zelaya wrestling with something on the ground. He ran to her side and pulled it off. The sneering face made him jump back for a moment. "John, call her off. Please!" He started to respond but the woman was not letting up. She kicked Scorpius savagely in the chest and watched with delight as he cried out again. Zelaya leaned over him and opened her mouth. "This is for Kezia and-." She never finished her speech. The building in front of them exploded in a giant fireball that repositioned the three of them in different directions.

<<<<>>>>

Tom knelt over the dying woman and almost shouted in frustration. The entire left side of her face was burned away and he had to fight not to cringe. "Help me please!" He shook his head and felt a tear roll down his own cheek. "I’m not a doctor. I’m sorry." A loud crash from behind sent rubble flying everywhere. Tom threw himself over the suffering woman to shield her from it. As he lifted himself away, she closed her eyes for the last time. "Oh, God." He bent over her and felt the last bit of control float away. In the distance, he could hear more shouts of pain.

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn saw another prowler come between her and the first one. She was preparing herself for another maneuver when one of the black ships exploded. "Aeryn, how are you holding up?" It took her a moment to place the voice. Relief flooded over her as she realized it was Meryl. "I could have taken care of that." There was no contradiction from the other. "Just help me get to Moya. I prefer a prowler over this heap." The two ship soared back up towards the waiting leviathan. No ships followed them.

<<<<>>>>

Bob dragged himself in the door and felt the scanning lights fall over him. "You are cleared for entry." The robotic voice was a welcome reminder of this place’s purpose. He stumbled into the next room and saw a wall full of glowing buttons waiting for him. "Let’s see how they do against this." He smacked the first button with his fist and felt the ground move under him. Bob smiled to himself. His current position in the universe did have its upsides every once in a while. The electronic whine from outside signaled the beginning.

John felt the ground fall out from under him. He tumbled to the floor and saw a large brown object rise up from below. He used it to pick himself up and then backed away quickly. It reminded him of those gigantic guns on the top of battleships. A burst of white energy shot from the cannon and up towards the attacking planes. In between blasts, John realized something. He couldn’t hear a thing. As he looked around, several more cannons sprung up from nowhere and began firing.

<<<<>>>>

Chernov watched the devastation from his captain’s chair. It would have been nice to be there under better circumstances but this would have to do. High Command had given him permission to wipe out the troublesome Nyid world. Of course, they had no idea that one of their most valuable assets was down there right now. The tracking device had been installed just recently. He had seen to it personally and was almost one hundred percent sure that Scorpius didn’t know. The signal had led them right to him. Now the monster would die.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius lifted himself from the rubble and looked around. The woman was nowhere in sight. He noticed the brown machine that had materialized beside him. It was astounding. The mere force of its blasts was enough to shoot down a prowler with one shot. Checking again for the woman, he leaned down next to the weapon and studied its design. "Amazing, isn’t it?" He turned to find Bob standing there without his gun. "It looks like you have bigger problems to worry about than me now." Scorpius was about to make a run for it. "You’re right. But I will be seeing you again." The Nyid disappeared into the confusion without another word.

<<<<>>>>

Tom tore another shred of his sweatshirt away and watched it soak with blood. The man on the street had only minor wounds and seemed to be ok. He left him there and headed off through the smoking ground. Someone familiar was walking up ahead of him. He recognized Bob and ran after him. "Hey wait!" The Nyid turned to run but stopped when he saw who it was. "Tom, what are you doing here?" They stared at each other for a moment, knowing quite well that the polite attitude was nothing but a cover. "Looking for you." Bob nodded solemnly and then pointed over to a building down the street. "Come with me, and perhaps you and your friends will get out of this alive."

<<<<>>>>

John dove out of the way as a broken prowler came careening towards the ground. The formidable black craft had been shot easily out of the sky. He stood and ran over to the hatch. Checking inside, he found the pilot’s head smashed against the windshield. "I don’t think this one’s gonna make it." The sound of Tom’s voice in the distance caught his attention. John looked up in time to see him and Bob duck into a building down the street. Now that he realized it, the brown guns seemed to be in a circle around the place. "Hey Tom!" The younger man didn’t hear him. A group of prowlers flew by overhead and were cut to pieces by the guns.

With most of the smaller crafts getting shot down, the command carriers started moving in. Chernov felt the walls shake slightly and stood from his chair. "We’ve broken the atmosphere." He smiled to himself and looked out the window. The firepower of a single carrier was enough to finish the job now. There were three floating over this pathetic planet. He was getting rid of two nuisances with one stone. "Sir?" He turned to see one of his lieutenants at the door. "Yes, what is it?" The soldier brought up a video clip on the computer. Two of the prowlers below were attacking the others. "What are their id numbers?" The man shook his head. "There not registered sir." Chernov shook his head and frowned. "Bring them in."

<<<<>>>>

Tom felt his companion lean forcefully against him as they entered the building. A green laser line came out of the wall and started scanning them. Bob growled as the computer read the results. "Unauthorized personnel." He punched a code into the keypad. "Computer, give Tom here full access." There was a beeping sound. "Understood." The door slid open.

John watched the door slam and lowered his hands. It was useless to call out any longer. "Are you alright John?" He turned to find Zelaya standing behind him with an unhappy expression. "I take it you didn’t catch Scorpius." She nodded in frustration. Both of them looked around at the destruction and an overwhelming sense of futility sunk in. The explosion caught them totally off guard. John felt something hard smack against his face and toss him to the ground. Zelaya just stood there staring. "The building Tom just went in to." She knelt down to help him. "It’s gone."

The Elephant Ep19: Too Much Too Soon

As the last of the smaller crafts were destroyed, a temporary peace settled over the ravaged planet. Up above, the three command carriers floated quietly in space. Chernov stood waiting in one of these for his guests to arrive. The two prowlers were dragged in fighting as the docking web did its work. Giant hanger doors closed off the only exit and the pilots stopped shooting. A group of soldiers ran up to the black ships and pulled up the hatches. A woman, obviously peacekeeper sat defiantly in each one. "Step out slowly." With pulse rifles aimed at their every movement, the two women stood and raised their hands.

"Officer Aeryn Sun and Captain Meryl Raynor." Chernov circled the two women and smiled with more than a hint of pleasure. Both of them stood still and stared forwards without making a sound. "Two soldiers with perfect service records. Look at you now." He leaned in close to whisper in Meryl’s ear. "What they used to say about you behind your back." She turned slightly towards him but said nothing. "Maybe these humans have some sort of psychologically damaging affect on Sebaceans." Chernov shook his head. These two had been trained well in the art of holding back emotions. He would never get a rise out of them. "Put them in a cell. I don’t want to have to worry about this now."

<<<<>>>>

John and Zelaya ran over to where the building used to stand and found nothing but a pile of rubble. The entire structure had collapsed on itself, leaving no trace of Tom or Bob. They started pulling away at the debris when someone walked into their field of vision. Zelaya caught the scent first. There was no mistaking its putrid smell. "Scorpius is close." John started to look up but she grabbed his arm and kept him down. "Don’t look up." She continued to search and made no attempt to stand. John heard the footsteps right after she did.

Scorpius saw the two of them standing there and stopped momentarily. He considered picking up a weapon but decided against it. The woman was too fast for him to sneak up on. He started walking back the other way when she finally stood. "Scorpius!" The shout echoed through the ruined town and filled his ears. There was nowhere to run. He took another step but she was already there. "You can’t kill me." The words were out of his mouth before he could even think of what to follow them up with.

<<<<>>>>

Bob watched the human’s expression of wonder with amusement. He remembered the first time he had been down this shaft. Tom looked over at him and shook his head. "Where are we going?" The Nyid simply smiled and pointed at the wall. The elevator was moving quickly downward towards a concealed location below. The source of the planet’s defenses came from that place as well as their hopes for survival. "What did the boy tell you about me?" Tom seemed surprised that he knew. "I didn’t hear much of it. Got there too late." Bob nodded and stayed quiet for a moment. He would have to start at the beginning.

<<<<>>>>

Pilot brought his claw down on the comm button again with even more force. "Aeryn, Meryl, can you hear me?" There was no answer and the panic in his voice continued to rise. D’Argo watched him from the door with a questioning look. "Still nothing?" He lowered his head in frustration and frowned. "They could be jamming us again. Or..." Neither of them wanted to think of that possibility. "Just keep trying." The Luxan exited the room and headed back down to command. There were two very worried women waiting for him. Rygel was probably worried too.

Chiana looked out the window for what seemed like the hundredth time. None of them had any idea what was going on and there were five of their own still outside. "Calm yourself Chiana. It does no good to worry like this." Despite the Delvian’s brave words, she noted more than a little shakiness in her voice. "Can you sense them Zhaan?" The older woman pondered this for a moment before responding. "I will try." She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead up against the glass. Rygel shook his head angrily. "How many times have we been in this exact same situation before? They’ll be fine." He glanced out the window. "Probably."

<<<<>>>>

"Ok, let’s hear it. Why can’t we kill you?" Scorpius did not understand. He looked from one to the other and found only blank expressions. Zelaya licked her lips but said nothing. "I have something you want." He was regaining his composure. "The wormhole technology John. We can share it." Crichton smiled devilishly and nodded. "Yes, good. I will tell you-." John cut him off in mid-sentence. "What do you think Z?" She smiled viciously. "Sounds like he’s resisting to me." Scorpius sensed there was pain coming. He closed his eyes and felt himself being dragged down the street.

John pushed open the first door he came to and peeked inside. Somehow, this building had escaped the full force of the attack. Only a little damage could be seen. But it was something else that caught his eye. A black structure in the middle of the room stirred his memory. He turned back outside. "Bring him in here. We’ll have to do this the hard way." Zelaya dragged the hybrid in by his collar and dropped him in the waiting chair. Scorpius felt the familiar seat and opened his eyes. "John, you can’t do this. No!" John pressed a hand over his mouth and wagged his finger. "Hush."

<<<<>>>>

The guards shoved them forcefully into the tiny cell and slammed the barred door shut. The room was dark and the sound of a video camera moving from side to side continued from somewhere. Aeryn began pacing as the other woman sat down against the wall and lowered her head. "I told you to shoot me down." Meryl looked up at her with a surprised expression. "You were serious?" Aeryn scowled at her and punched the wall. "It would be preferable to this." The younger woman just shook her head and ignored the ravings. She knew that despite Aeryn’s tough words, she did not want to die. "Next time maybe."

Chernov sat back down in his chair and looked out at the planet below. The heavy loss of troops had disturbed him. But perhaps there was some advantage to it after all. He pressed down on the comm button and called in his subordinate. "Yes sir?" The Lt. was younger than most. Inexperienced and idealistic. He smiled to himself. That would pass. "Prepare a marauder for me. I will be going down to the surface." The man looked confused. "But sir, I thought you were going to destroy-." Chernov cut him off. "Did you not hear me Lt.?" The man nodded and left the room. Just as he passed out of sight, the general called him back. "Those two women we captured." He grinned. "Break them down while I’m gone.

<<<<>>>>

The elevator stopped moving and the doors slid apart. The two of them stepped out into a dark hallway. At the end of it, a thin line of light could be seen. "So they sent you out to find wormhole technology again?" Bob nodded and continued walking. "My ship was the last of the explorers." Tom moved his eyes over the place with equal parts amazement and nervousness. "What happened to your ship?" The Nyid’s face darkened. "Destroyed by Regulators." This didn’t make sense to the young human. "They killed everyone but me." Tom looked him in the eyes. "Why you?"

Bob placed his hand on the wall sensor and the door slid open. Behind it stood an immense room with the undeniable look of the Regulators. "The Regulators chose me for a very important task. They made me a spy." He pointed towards a small terminal over to the side. It looked like it came from peacekeepers. "It was my job to keep the peacekeepers from discovering wormhole technology." Tom began to see the connections. "Taking them down from the inside?" Bob laughed. "That’s one way of putting it, yes." Something behind him caught the human’s eye. "What is that?" There was a brown ship sitting in the middle of the room.

<<<<>>>>

Zelaya moved her hands over the black control panel and then looked up at John. "What is it?" He smiled back at her. "It’s an Aurora Chair." She shook her head. "It reads memories and plays them on that screen there." John pointed towards a square monitor that sat against the wall. "Painful?" He nodded. "Just turn that dial." Scorpius watched the two of them act almost playfully. He felt the weight of the headgear against his forehead and growled. Any attempt to stand meant certain death. John’s pulse rifle was aimed right at his chest and he knew the human would use it. "Are you ready Scorpy?" The hybrid said nothing. "Hit it Z." She turned the dial as far as it would go. Scorpius could not help but cry out.

<<<<>>>>

They had been sitting in the cell for just over an arn when the door was pushed open again. A pair of soldiers stood outside with pulse rifles aimed. "Medical testing. Who wants to go first?" Aeryn started to stand but Meryl moved faster. She watched as they dragged the younger woman out the door and shut it in her face. "Be brave." Aeryn slumped back down to the floor and felt the anger rise in her once again. It was a feeling she felt often. But not like this. What she was feeling now belonged to the old Aeryn Sun. She felt hatred.

<<<<>>>>

Zhaan pushed herself away from the window and put her hands against her temple. "You ok?" Chiana was by her side in an instant to offer support. She pushed the Nebari back and sat down at the table. "I am fine Chiana. Their spirits came to me." Rygel looked hopeful. "Are they all alive?" Zhaan looked up at him and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I sense great fear in all of them, except Tom. He is at peace." Her face did not show calm. "That could mean one of two things." Chiana understood and turned away. "He might be dead right?" The Delvian said nothing. There was nothing she could say at this point.

D’Argo walked quietly into the hanger and spotted the transport pod. He tapped his comm lightly. "Pilot, can the others hear us?" While he waited for a response, the Luxan pulled open the ship’s door and stepped inside. "No, this is a private channel." He nodded. "I’m going down to check on the others. Don’t tell Chiana until I’m gone." A burst of static came from the comm. "Alright. As long as you know what you’re doing." The ship lifted off the ground and glided out into space.

<<<<>>>>

"A gift from the Regulators." Tom ran his fingers over the ship’s outer covering as Bob talked behind him. "What does it do?" He could already guess. "It’s designed for wormhole travel." Tom turned back towards him. "It must be amazing." The Nyid did not look fondly at it. "Do you have any idea what it’s like to have that? To possess that which your people want most and yet not being able to give it to them." He shook his head. "That’s what got me in this mess in the first place." Bob went back to the computer and started typing. Tom backed away from the ship and went to join him. "What mess?"

Bob turned around quickly and stared him in the eyes. "What I’m telling you now is important. So listen carefully." He pressed a button on the computer and a video came up. "This is the initial attack on my planet by the Regulators." Tom watched in awe as the giant brown ships descended to a huge city on the planet’s surface. The same type of white energy that came from the guns outside bore down on the city and within seconds there was nothing but ruin. "The representative that came to your leviathan. What impression did he give you? Tom thought about it for a moment. "He seemed pretty peaceful to me." Bob frowned and pointed back to the images. "You got lucky."

<<<<>>>>

John watched the hybrid cry out in pain as the chair moved even faster. "How does it feel Scorpy?" Scorpius opened his eyes and leaned as far forward as possible. "I’m going to kill you Crichton. Mark my words-." Zelaya turned another dial and jumped back into his seat. "Is there something we should be looking for?" John looked up at her. "Search for wormholes." She type it in and immediately, the shiny blue creations appeared on the monitor. Scorpius fought it as best he could but there was no use. They would find the sequence and then kill him.

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn heard the voices coming towards her and stood quickly. She pressed her ear against the door and listened for any familiar sounds. The bars slammed backwards outside and then the inner shield was removed. She stepped back as Meryl was thrown into her arms. The two of them toppled to the ground. "Are you alright?" She asked again but got no response. Meryl appeared frozen in a forward stare. Her features stayed still as stones. "Meryl, answer me." The younger woman slumped down against the wall. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she opened her mouth and whispered. "Do you think it was wrong for me and Tom to sleep together?" Aeryn was confused. "What?" Meryl looked up at her with sad eyes. "Do you?"

They stared at each other a moment before Aeryn could think of what to say. "Well, I um, I thought so at first. But what you told me before, about finding something new. Maybe it’s something I just don’t understand." She shook her head angrily. "No, the truth is I envy you two." It was Meryl’s turn to be surprised. "Envy me? I’ve seen you every night for the past two weeks. Staying in John’s room." Aeryn laughed. "He sleeps under the covers, I sleep on top of them. Fully clothed." Meryl smiled. "I’ve seen you two together. When he was gone, the way you acted when he came back." She sat up a little. "He loves you." Aeryn nodded slightly. "Yes, he does."

<<<<>>>>

Chernov was just stepping into the marauder when the call came in. "Sir, we’ve spotted a leviathan transport pod heading towards the planet." He jumped down to the hanger floor and pulled out his comm. "I’ll get it." As he climbed in again, the ship rose off the ground and flew towards the waiting doors. The pilot sat quietly in the front. "Go after the pod." The man’s helmet moved forward in acknowledgment.

<<<<>>>>

"They started out like that. Just taking the information and leaving." The image continued to play on the screen as Bob talked. "But not anymore?" Tom fidgeted nervously as the other continued. "Their attacks have grown increasingly violent as the years have passed. Thousands of people have died at their hands." The Nyid sighed heavily and looked towards the peacekeeper station. "My own efforts to capture the technology for myself have led to only more bloodshed." He faltered in his stance and Tom noticed once again the wound. "I have killed many people to stay one step ahead of both races. I failed."

Tom watched him execute a command on the computer and then step back. A small silver disc slid out of the machine and into Bob’s hands. "Here, take this." The human raised his hands and took it. "What is this?" Bob stumbled back against the machine. "A data chip. It contains everything I have learned about the Regulators." Tom flipped it over in his hands and suddenly realized what was going on. "Wow, you’ve got the wrong idea here. I can’t be that person. I can’t just go after these people." The corners of the Nyid’s mouth rose slightly in a half smile. "Nor would I expect you to." He allowed himself to slide to the ground. "But if you take that ship, they will come after you." Bob closed his eyes and lay still. "Bob?" A loud beeping noise made Tom jump. He took one last look at the Regulator ship. "I don’t think so."

<<<<>>>>

"John, please, no more." Crichton motioned for Zelaya to stop turning the dial and she complied. Scorpius raised a hand to his cheek and felt tears. "I’ll give it to you." All three turned to the monitor as a new image came up. A set of mathematical equations appeared on the screen and formed an order. The same order that he had seen on Feyd’s computer. John smiled. "There it is." Zelaya tapped him on the shoulder. "Can I kill him now?" He was about to respond when a gunshot cut him off. Tom stepped into the room and dropped a pulse rifle on the floor. "Trust me, you didn’t want that." John could only stare at the broken machine.

<<<<>>>>

"What is that?" Everyone on Moya rushed to a window as Pilot shouted out in fear. Chiana reached it first and searched the sky for whatever he had seen. Zhaan did not need to look out the window. She stood and tapped her comm. "It’s a wormhole Pilot." Rygel moved over next to the Nebari girl. He gasped as the blue vortex opened up and revealed something even more amazing. Two Regulator ships, gigantic in size, burst out of the wormhole and towards the planet below. "Did things just get better or worse?" No one answered his question.

The Elephant Ep20: How To Start A Fight

"Tom? You know, I catch him just looking at me sometimes. He never says why." Meryl touched the edges of her lips as she spoke. The memory of those moments flooding back. "He’s not like anyone I’ve ever met." Aeryn smiled from her corner of the cell and nodded. "You mean passive?" The younger woman shook her head. "No. He can get angry. It’s just that he never reacts violently." The words made Aeryn shift uncomfortably in her seat. "John used to be like that. We called him innocent." Meryl noticed the frown on her face and decided to change the subject. "So why haven’t they come for you yet?"

Even as she spoke the words, her answer made its presence known. One of the Regulator ships glided stealthily towards their command carrier and rubbed against it in passing. The conversation ended as the walls began to shake. "Maybe that has something to do with it." Both of them stood and looked out the door. The inner shield had been left open. They could see right out into the corridor. There was no movement outside at the moment. Finally, the sound of running footsteps could be heard from down to the left. "Hey, what’s going on?" Aeryn shouted again and this time the lone soldier stopped. He was one of the guards who had brought them in. "The ship is going down."

<<<<>>>>

The transport pod rocketed over the desolate town with a single passenger waiting for his chance to disembark. As it got close enough to the ground for a jump, D’Argo dove out the open hatch and hit the dirt hard. He spit the dust out of his mouth and looked up at his ride. The marauder appeared out of nowhere and intercepted it. The explosion tore through its weak defenses and blew it to pieces. "Sorry Pilot." D’Argo ran for cover and watched as the peacekeeper ship disappeared from sight. He tried his comm but got nothing. It might have been damaged in the fall. A gunshot from down the street caught his attention.

"Bob’s dead." Tom looked out the window before turning back to the three confused people. John stared at him, still in shock from the blast. "You killed him?" The young human shook his head furiously. "No, no. He said it was an accident." Scorpius shook his head and smiled. "I hit him when we were fighting earlier. Too bad." Zelaya smacked him across the face. "Shut up." She looked up at the other two. "So, what do we do now?" The door burst open before anyone could answer. D’Argo stepped into the tip of Crichton’s pulse pistol. "Hey! It’s only me."

<<<<>>>>

Chiana and Zhaan continued looking out the window as the giant ships below went about their business. "Do you know which ship they’re on?" The Nebari looked hopefully at her blue companion but she said nothing. Rygel peeked over after the silence continued for too long. "What does it matter? Those things don’t attack ships do they?" At that moment, a large explosion rocked the ship and the window they were using. One of the command carriers beneath them was being attacked. "Do you see it? They are attacking the ships." Pilot’s worried voice came on strongly over the comms. "Any word from Aeryn, Pilot?" Zhaan already knew the answer. "No, nothing."

<<<<>>>>

Chernov watched the pod explode satisfactorily and patted his pilot on the back. "Good shooting." He leaned back in his chair and pulled open the portable computer he had brought with him. Scorpius’s signal was coming in loud and clear. The marauder shook slightly as it touched ground. The pilot opened the hatch from his console. "Shall I wait for you here sir?" Chernov nodded and stepped out into the sunlight. As he walked away from the ship, something caught against his leg. "What the frell?" It was a dead Nyid. The face was burned away terribly. He kicked it off and continued on his way.

"There are peacekeepers on the surface. A marauder shot down the pod." They listened as D’Argo explained what was going on overhead. "What do you mean they’re missing?" Both John and Tom became suddenly paranoid as the new was relayed. Their two Sebacean other halves had disappeared and were most likely captured. John smashed his fist against the wall. "There’s always something." Scorpius was almost amused by the whole situation. If only he wasn’t in it too.

<<<<>>>>

The guard started to run away again when Aeryn called him back. "I have no time for you now." She shook her head and pointed to his pulse pistol. "Don’t let us die in a cell. We’re peacekeepers. Give us a soldier’s death." He considered it for a moment before nodding slightly. He pulled the gun out and raised it towards her. Aeryn suddenly pounced forward and ripped it from his hands. "Go, I don’t want to shoot you." The surprised guard took off running before she even got the words out. "Let’s get the frell out of here." She fired a few rounds into the bars and they crashed to the floor. Meryl rose next to her. "After you."

The corridor was empty again except for the two of them. There was no one to block their escape. Aeryn looked to Meryl. "Which way to the hanger?" The former captain knew every inch of her own carrier. They were all the same. "To the left." Meryl led the way with Aeryn close behind keeping watch. Not a sound could be heard in either direction except for the slapping of their own feet. "Central control must have already been taken out." Aeryn didn’t argue with her. "Just get me to a ship." Up ahead, two thick metal doors signaled the path to freedom.

<<<<>>>>

Pilot watched in horror as the three command carriers exploded one by one. The previously calm alien ships were apparently very good at demolition. Some smaller crafts could be seen flying out just before the eruption. He commed the others. "I am detecting a prowler headed our way." Down in command, Zhaan breathed a sigh of relief as she felt a familiar presence coming closer. Chiana and Rygel watched her carefully as she opened and closed her eyes. "It’s them. They’re alright." Zhaan had to sit down after extending her spirit out so many times in such little time. The other two were at her side in an instant. "You don’t look so good though." Rygel felt his breath return to normal.

<<<<>>>>

Chernov looked up at the ragged building standing between two empty lots and checked his computer. The signal appeared to be coming from in there. He raised his pulse rifle and stepped forward. The door was flimsy and unlocked. Using his gun to push, Chernov slid gently inside. He couldn’t believe his luck. There were five of them in there. Scorpius was the first to turn and notice him. "Crichton!" John turned and stared straight into the barrel of a pulse rifle. His own gun sat in its holster. Too far out of reach now. "Hands up, all of you." Scorpius and the two humans complied but the Ferrian woman just sat there. "You too, Ferrian." She smiled and pounced forward.

The pulse blast shot right through her shoulder and dropped Zelaya to the ground. She cried out in pain but remained on the floor. The amused general looked down at her and shook his head. He pulled a small comm from his pocket. "All I have to do is call my command carrier. Aeryn Sun and Meryl Raynor will die." None of them were aware that said ship had just been blown out of the sky by a Regulator ship. Chernov was in charge now. "Where is the wormhole information?" He was looking at Scorpius. The hybrid shrugged. "I don’t have it. The only person who knew the sequence is dead."

<<<<>>>>

The prowler navigated through the scattered bits of carrier waste and flew into Moya’s waiting hanger. As the ship touched ground and the engines were shut off, Chiana and Zhaan rushed in to meet it. Aeryn pushed open the hatch and stood up. "Zhaan? Where are the others?" Meryl climbed out from behind and looked questioningly at the Delvian. "Crichton, Tom, and Zelaya remain on the planet’s surface. We have not spoken to them." Both women lowered their heads slightly. "I’m going down for them." Aeryn started to climb back inside but Zhaan stopped her. "No, Aeryn. The Regulator ships could come after you." Aeryn shook her head. "Why would they do that?"

<<<<>>>>

Chernov considered his options as the others watched him in silence. His eyes swept over the room searching for some clue to follow. Then he saw the aurora chair. Bob had brought it down here. "Where is Bob?" Tom, the younger human, lifted his head to meet the general’s eyes. "He’s dead." Chernov shook his head angrily. "I knew he was going to try to steal the wormhole technology on his own, but.." It suddenly occurred to him that the Nyid’s body was not there in the room. He pulled out his computer and checked for a signal. Bob’s transmitter always used to fail when they parted ways. Perhaps it worked now.

John and the others were led outside single file as Chernov brought up the rear with his computer held out in front of him. The peacekeeper general looked over at where a structure used to stand and realized that the signal was coming from below. He ran forward and kicked some of the debris away. Sure enough, the outline of an elevator could be seen just under the dirt. As he turned back towards his prisoners, the sound of footsteps caught his attention. Scorpius, seeing his chance, jumped out of line and into a nearby alley. Zelaya growled and took off after him. Chernov raised his rifle but didn’t fire. "It doesn’t matter." He looked over at the other three. "Open it."

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius breathed heavily as he made his way through the wasteland left after the attack. He touched his head and still felt cool running through it. The new coolant rods were lasting longer. "Thank you nurse." The sound of someone running caught his attention. It was the Ferrian woman. She was close by. Scorpius remembered the computer that Chernov had been using. They must have installed a transmitter in him. Picking up a jagged piece of broke glass, the distraught hybrid tore into his own shoulder. That was where they were usually put. He dug his fingers into the torn flesh and felt around. Something metallic rubbed up against his glove. "There you are."

Zelaya heard a slight whisper and stepped slowly forward down the alley. She turned once to check on the peacekeeper but he had not come after them. Suddenly, something black took off in front of her. Scorpius was running for his life up ahead. She followed close behind but not enough for him to notice her. Zelaya heard him cry out once as he turned a corner. She reached it and took a peek. A marauder sat quietly on the other side. Its pilot had looked out to see who was coming.

<<<<>>>>

D’Argo signaled to John with his eyes. The human shook his head slightly and continued walking towards the destroyed house. It would do no good to run now. Chernov was already watching them more closely. "John, we can make it." Crichton turned and stared angrily at him. "But Tom won’t." D’Argo sighed and nodded. The boy would never reach safety in time to be saved from a pulse blast. Chernov reached out and grabbed Tom as he neared. "I said open it." Tom landed hard over the metal section and felt sharp pain in his arm. Before he could say anything, the automated computer voice answered for him. "Signature recognized. Welcome Tom." He cursed under his breath as the panel slid away to reveal the elevator. Chernov smiled.

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn and Meryl had positioned themselves at the window in command. The others sat quietly at the table watching them. "Are you two alright? Did they hurt you?" Zhaan’s questions went unanswered. Apparently these two had more important things to think about. "Pilot, any luck yet?" Meryl had finally opened her mouth. "I’m sorry, no." Up above in the den, he tapped hastily at his console but got no response. "I believe the Regulator ships are blocking my frequencies." That did not sound good. "I still think we should risk it and go down there." Aeryn’s voice shook slightly as she spoke but her resolve was evident. Outside, a disabled prowler floated within range of the larger ships. It exploded in a bright flash of light.

<<<<>>>>

"Scorpius? Sir, is that you?" The hybrid growled as he stared into the eyes of the confused pilot. "Who else would it be?" The man thought about it for a second. "General Chernov came down with me. Did you see him?" Scorpius smiled devilishly. "He’s dead. Get me out of here." The pilot’s voice cracked up. "Dead? Where is his body?" That was all that Scorpius could take. He grabbed the soldier by the collar and tossed him to the ground. "You go look for him." He stepped inside and slammed the hatch down. As soon as he disappeared from sight, Zelaya rushed out and stopped the door from closing completely. She slipped inside and shut it quietly.

<<<<>>>>

The four of them stepped out of the elevator and into the dark hall. Chernov raised his pulse rifle and swept the area. "Are there any defense systems?" He nudged Tom with the edge of the gun when no one answered him. "No. If you have access, the system shuts down." The general motioned for him to raise his hand at the door. Tom complied and the two metal shields slid away to reveal the large main room. The Regulator ship sat in the middle but Chernov ignored it. He went for the computer and started typing furiously. "Yes, it’s here. All of it." John turned to D’Argo and pointed towards a beam lying on the floor.

Chernov heard the sound of something sliding off the ground and turned with his rifle aimed. The beam D’Argo picked up smashed against the gun and knocked it away. The angry Luxan stepped forward to grab the general. John pulled his pistol but stopped when his companion dropped the beam. Chernov had pulled a small metal sphere from his belt. It fit in the palm of his hand but the look on D’Argo’s face was enough to get the message across. "Drop the gun. I’ll kill us all if I have to." John dropped his gun to the floor.

Tom stood away from the other three with his hands raised. He shifted nervously in his stance as the metal object slid around in Chernov’s palm. Bob’s body lay next to the computer. The eyes were shut but somehow Tom still felt like someone was looking at him. The Nyid’s words came floating back to him. Bob had fought to keep the technology away from peacekeepers. The reason had to be very important. Finding courage he didn’t know he had, Tom lunged forward and pulled the sphere out of Chernov’s hands. "What the frell are you doing?" The look on the general’s face took all his bravery away. There was a slight clicking sound.

John and D’Argo watched in horror as the sphere exploded. Shards of jagged metal shot out in all directions but were blocked by the intertwined bodies of Tom and Chernov. Both men fell to the ground in a heap. "Tom!" John ran forward and checked his friend. "What the hell did you do that for?" D’Argo checked over the other man. "Chernov is dead John." The general’s forehead was riddled with tiny entrance points. John felt for a heartbeat. "He’s alive." Most of the shards had hit Tom in the lower part of the body. Tom coughed and opened his eyes. "Did it work?" John smiled. "Yeah, it did." He felt something warm against his skin. Blood was seeping out of the thin wounds.

"John, we have to get him out of here." Crichton nodded and lifted Tom up onto the computer table. "Where’d you leave the shuttle?" D’Argo shook his head. "It was destroyed by the marauder." John searched around the room for something. Anything that could get them back to Moya. The brown ship in the middle of the room caught his eye. "D’Argo, check it." The Luxan stood and ran over to it. The hatch was unlocked and he stepped inside. The technology was unlike anything he had ever seen. "I think it works John. But I can’t be sure." He went back outside and helped Crichton carry Tom in. The young human opened his eyes as they set him down. "Signature acknowledged. Welcome Tom." He tried to get up but the pain was too great. "John! No, no." The words barely made it out. John ignored him.

<<<<>>>>

"I’m not waiting any longer." Aeryn turned angrily from the window and started for the door. She was just about to pass into the hallway when Pilot appeared on the screen. "There’s something coming off the planet’s surface. Moya does not recognize it." Meryl motioned for her to return to the window. Aeryn ran back and looked out into space. Something was indeed rising towards them. A thin blue line extending upwards into the darkness. Pilot watched it with growing alarm. "It’s headed straight for us. Moya is very scared."

The open mouth of the wormhole cut a direct course through space towards the leviathan. Before Pilot could say a word of warning, Moya was engulfed by the shimmering blue creation and blasted across the universe. Back in command, Aeryn and the others watched as their view was suddenly obstructed by a wall of light. Traveling just behind them, the Regulator ship edged closer and pulled into the open hanger doors.

John stepped out of the brown ship and onto Moya’s familiar floor. He looked back out the way they had come in and gasped in amazement. Footsteps were coming down the hallway. He turned to see Aeryn running into the room with one of her special smiles in full view. "Did you see it? The ship guides the wormhole. It’s amazing." They embraced as he continued on with the babble she could not understand. "Where’s Tom?" He stopped as Meryl walked into the room. His expression of wonder turned solemn. D’Argo jumped out the hatch with Tom in his arms. "What happened?" The Luxan ran past her and towards the lab.

Zhaan bent over his still body with a pair of shiny metal tweezers. "Is he going to be alright?" Aeryn hovered close behind her as she worked. "His wounds are severe. There is only so much I can do." The Delvian stuck the utensil into a slit and pulled gingerly on a thin strip of metal. "We need to get him to a real doctor." Aeryn nodded and looked up towards the doorway. Meryl stood quietly against the wall with a vacant stare on her face. "I’m going to go check on her." Zhaan smiled slightly and went back to work. Aeryn walked over to the other woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. Meryl met her gaze and finally spoke. "As soldiers, we were trained to deal with tragic situations." Aeryn frowned but did not say anything. "So, why is it that at this moment I feel like my legs are falling out from under me?"

The Elephant Ep21: Fork In The Road

The wormhole seemed to freeze for a moment before collapsing into a shower of blue fragments. From the alien console, John stared in fascination as they reentered normal space. He turned to Aeryn, who was standing close behind him and smiled broadly. "Did you see that?" She rolled her eyes and nodded. The frelling human had been at this for hours. "Aeryn?" John stood up and walked over to her. "What’s wrong?" Aeryn lifted her head up to meet his questioning gaze. "Oh, nothing. Go on." He sensed there was something bothering her but chose to ignore it for now. He was too excited. "Look at this. The computer has thousands of planets documented." This only made her feel worse. "So, maybe they know where Earth is?"

D’Argo stepped into the strange brown ship and found two of his friends hunched over the controls. "John, have you found one yet?" Crichton looked up at him and nodded. "Yes. There’s a planet with healing facilities close by." The excited human turned back to the computer and punched in some commands. "This ship can get us there in a few arns." D’Argo nodded and moved towards the door. "Do it then." He walked outside and headed to command. Meryl would want to hear about this. As he made his way down the hall, something still troubled the Luxan. Something that Tom had said before they left. D’Argo wasn’t completely sure, but it had sounded like the young human had said, "No."

"You did good Chiana." Zhaan smiled at the hopeful Nebari and took her hand. Chiana peeked into the lab where Meryl sat diligently beside her sleeping human. It had been her idea to use one of the cryo-pods. That way they could keep Tom in stasis until help could be found. She smiled back at the Delvian and walked down the hall. Away from the depressing sight. Zhaan followed close behind her. "How about you Zhaan? Are you ok." Zhaan frowned slightly. "Of course." They separated at the first junction and Chiana watched her friend leave with more than a little worry.

Meryl stroked the cold glass with her gloved hand and sighed softly. Inside, she could see Tom’s innocent face locked in a solemn expression. The pod kept him basically alive but no one had any idea about how long it would last. She heard voices from outside as they drifted farther and farther away. Chiana and Zhaan had been keeping watch over her. "How is he?" She jumped at the sound of Pilot’s voice. "The same, thank you." He grunted something in return and terminated the comm. The room was left in silence again. "You didn’t have to do this. They would have found another way." The words did nothing to soothe her nerves. Meryl wanted to reach in and smack him around a bit. Knock some sense into the foolish human.

Rygel floated down the hall in a blind daze as he recalled the events of the past few days. It was unlike him to get so worked up about someone else. Especially a person he hardly knew. Yet it had become harder as time went by not to be affected by the emotions of his fellow crew members. Chiana almost bumped into him as he passed by Tom’s cell. "Sorry Rygel. I was just..." He shook his head. "I was going to his room. Would you like to join me?" She smiled unevenly and nodded. They walked inside and started looking around. Chiana sat on the bed and ran her fingers over the human’s things. "I still remember the look on his face that first day at the laundry." Rygel laughed. "You were playing with him."

<<<<>>>>

The marauder blasted through space on a vector towards Scorpius’s gammek base. In the cockpit, he kept a close eye on the stars above while navigating. "No more surprises." He whispered the words to himself again. Almost feeling confident again. Despite the previous day’s calamities, he would be back on track very soon. The sequence was still fresh in his memory. Scorpius felt that his day had finally come. Soon his name would be revered throughout the universe.

Zelaya crept out from her hiding spot and took in her surroundings. The marauder was empty except for herself and the hybrid. He sat quietly in the cockpit making strange gestures with his hands. She stood and stalked carefully forward. Without warning, Scorpius turned in his seat and looked back towards her. Zelaya dove to the ground just as his eyes passed over where she had stood. "No one there." She found herself leaning against the co-pilot’s chair. Just climb over and jump him. The plan seemed simple enough.

<<<<>>>>

The planet came into view of Moya’s scanners and immediately a plan was being prepared. Meryl would go down with the cry-pod. John and Aeryn would go them for protection. Pilot opened the hanger doors and the transport navigated out into the darkness of space. "What did the computer say about this doctor?" Aeryn looked over at Crichton and caught him staring off into the distance. "John?" He snapped out of it and turned around. "It said he was a specialist in deep tissue trauma." She frowned. "What the frell does that mean?" John shrugged and glanced back at the other two. Meryl had her arms around the pod to keep it from moving too much. "Did you tell her to bolt it to the floor?" Aeryn nodded. "She didn’t want to."

The building was situated in the center of a small mining colony. It was completely cut off from the town by large stone walls that encircled it. Dr. Weisz waited outside the main entrance with one of his assistants alongside him. The transmission had come in just after the leviathan had steadied itself in orbit around the planet. He had never seen such a ship before. "Amazing." He whispered the words to no one in particular. His assistant grunted behind him. "What was that?" It grunted again. The air shifted the dirt around their feet a little as the transport pod landed in the courtyard in front of them. Four Sebaceans exited the craft with a cryo-tube in tow. "Is that the patient?" The first one out, a fierce looking woman, nodded and pushed the contraption past him and into the building.

"This machine, very good." Weisz swept over the comatose Tom with some sort of scanner. Instantly, the young man’s image appeared on a monitor hanging on the wall. "What do you mean?" John looked at Aeryn with suspicious eyes as the funny-looking doctor tended to his new patient. Meryl stood quietly beside them. Her vacant stare had returned. "If you had not placed him in it, your friend would already be dead." John shook his head. "Thanks pip." Weisz glanced upward. "Excuse me?" Aeryn stopped the conversation before it could begin. "Can you fix him?" The doctor nodded eagerly. "Yes, but one of you will have to strip him." No one moved. Finally Meryl stepped forward. "I’ll do it."

<<<<>>>>

Chiana opened the large chest that lay beside Tom’s bed and rummaged through it. "At least wait until he’s dead." She shot an angry look at the Hynerion. "I’m not stealing you idiot." Rygel shrugged and floated over beside her. "Then what are you doing?" She wasn’t quite sure what to answer back. Before either of them could get another word in, something fell out of the box and to the floor. Chiana picked it up with interest. It was a folded piece of paper. "What language is that?" She pushed him away and opened the letter. "It’s Luxan."

<<<<>>>>

Zelaya pounced onto the co-pilot’s seat and jumped at the surprised hybrid. Scorpius roared in pain as her pointed teethe sliced at his exposed shoulder. He managed to push her backwards with all the force he could muster. She hit the wall hard and fell in a heap to the floor. But her strength had not run out yet. "You’re going to die Scorpius." He raised a pulse rifle out of its wall holster and pointed it at her. "Even if you die with me Ferrian?" She considered the question for a moment before smiling grotesquely. "As a matter of fact..." Scorpius did not wait for her to finish. He reached out rapidly and punched the ejection button for her chair. The jets erupted instantly and sent her flying out into space. "Goodbye."

She heard him whisper something just before the deafening roar assaulted her ears. Next thing she knew, Zelaya was blown out into the darkness on a very unstable boat. The seat rocked and twirled on its journey out. Without a seatbelt to hold her down, she had to dig her hands into the fabric and hope that everything would be alright. Zelaya finally opened her eyes and looked around. It suddenly occurred to her that she could be in a worse situation. "You can survive in space remember." She shook the nerves off and looked around. The marauder had already disappeared from view and nearby planet was edging closer by the microt.

<<<<>>>>

D’Argo was sitting quietly in his cell when the call came. "What is it Pilot?" The creature noted his irritable tone and continued cautiously. "There seems to be an alarm sounding in the hanger. The sound waves are disrupting my navigation skills." Just as the words left his mouth, Moya rocked slightly from side to side. "I’ll check on it Pilot." There was a burs of static from the comm. "Thank you D’Argo." He stood and walked out the door. His Luxan hearing system had already picked up the troublesome noise. It was faint but definitely there. Some other sounds could be heard now too. The rustling of items close by. The seemed to be coming from Tom’s cell. "What the frell are you two doing in here?"

Rygel and Chiana looked up as D’Argo pushed open the doors angrily and stepped inside. The Nebari hid her note behind the chest and hoped he wouldn’t investigate further. "Just thinking about Tom. We weren’t stealing anything." Rygel smiled mischievously and winked at D’Argo. The Luxan frowned back at him. "What?" The Hynerion fought to choke down the insult he had been preparing. For Chiana’s sake, he would restrain himself. "Nothing. Just saying hello." D’Argo growled. "Hello."

<<<<>>>>

Tom’s body floated naked inside the machine that Weisz used to heal victims of penetrating wounds. Dozens of tiny entry points glowed red and stained the clear liquid that held the human up. "How many are there?" The doctor looked over at John and frowned. "Just over a hundred. Most only reached his external layers but a few are deeply rooted." Aeryn didn’t like the sound of that. She left Meryl’s side and walked over next to the machine. "And the machine does what?" Weisz pointed towards the body and pressed a button on his console. The liquid started to churn inside and then just as quickly stopped. A sucking noise could be heard faintly from behind the glass. "Frell me." John gasped.

Hundreds of tiny metal shards shot out of Tom’s body and into the waiting fluid. They floated calmly to the surface and accumulated there in shiny piles. Weisz rose up the ladder that ran next to the machine and plucked one out of the water. "Let’s see now." He placed the specimen on a flat plate and slid it into an analyzing device. A green laser line glided over the piece of metal and sent reports back to the central computer. "Your friend is in luck." John stepped up to get a better look. "Sometimes these weapons are tainted with poison. This one appears to have been clean." Aeryn turned around and looked at Meryl. The ex-peacekeeper nodded slightly.

<<<<>>>>

The noise continued to grow in strength as D’Argo hurried into the hanger. It was definitely coming from the Regulator ship. He stepped inside and saw the computer screen. Apparently, Crichton had started another planet search. He acknowledged the match and watched as thousands of different worlds flashed by on the screen. The picture froze on a medium sized planet mostly covered with water. "Earth?" The computer replied to his question. "Affirmative." D’Argo read through the file without paying too much attention. One thing he did catch was that Regulators had not yet visited this planet. They had only seen it from a distance. Its coordinates flashed repeatedly on the screen.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius felt the larger ships presence before he saw it. The marauder was tossed around in circles as the giant brown vessel passed over him. Whatever it was, it belonged to the same race that had fortified the Nyid home world. He followed the ship without ever getting close enough to draw attention. The sight that appeared before him took his breath away. A wormhole had opened up in front of them. The brown one seemed to have summoned it somehow. "What are you?" Scorpius directed the marauder into the blue vortex.

"It’s not possible." The hybrid gasped in fear and anger at the sight he saw before him. The ship he had followed had exited into normal space right beside his gammek base. The facility was in ruins. Nothing but a black shell remained of what had been an immense and productive science center. Something slammed against his windshield. Scorpius swerved the marauder away from the ghastly debris. Bodies, burned and battered, floated everywhere. The larger ship fired at them, spraying Sebacean blood onto his own craft.

<<<<>>>>

Zhaan sat down inside her cell and closed her eyes. The disturbing feeling that had settled in over her was only getting stronger. Something bad was happening. She could sense the alignment of random events throughout the universe setting a path for her friends. A new presence that brought with it both pain and joy was coming. She opened her eyes again. The planet below was visible from her small window. "Goddess help us all." A knock at the door broke her spiritual connection. "Zhaan, got a minute?" Chiana stepped inside and sat down beside the troubled Delvian. "For you? Always my child."

<<<<>>>>

Tom’s body was back in the cryo-pod with the hatch shut and stasis back in effect. John glared angrily at Weisz and then looked down at his sleeping shipmate. "What do you mean there is another problem?" The doctor swallowed involuntarily as the three faces in front of him bore into him. "I was able to remove the metal shards, as you saw." Meryl had finally opened her mouth to say more than a few words. "So, what the frell is the problem?" He nodded and punched a key on the console.

The image of Tom’s body that had been transferred before appeared on the screen. His outer skin dissolved to reveal the inner sections. "Tom has suffered a very dangerous amount of blood loss." Weisz pointed to several key veins that ran through the picture. "Without a transfusion, his body will be unable to function very soon. The only thing slowing it down now is your cryo-pod." Meryl gritted her teeth and punched the first available machine. "So give him one." Aeryn tried to bring a calm attitude to the proceedings. She looked from Meryl to the doctor. Weisz was staring at John. Crichton had a similar expression. "You don’t have any human blood." The words hit all of them equally hard. "Correct. My synthesizers could theoretically come up with a close enough match, but it would be too late by then."

Meryl shook her head angrily and fought to hold back the tears. "Crichton, you can give him one." John saw the pleading look in her eyes and nodded. "It would be dangerous. I would need to remove a substantial amount." He nodded in understanding. Aeryn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She pulled John aside and whispered in his ear. "You’re talking about killing yourself to let him live." He stared back at her. "We don’t know that for sure." Aeryn glanced back at Meryl and then back to John. Nothing she could say would stop this. John stepped forward and put his arm on the table. "Do it."

<<<<>>>>

D’Argo stood quietly inside the hanger and watched as the transport pod landed with a thud inside. The hatch was pushed up and Aeryn stepped out onto the floor. The look in her eyes was not comforting. "Did it work?" He had not believed the new at first. John was going to give up his own blood to save Tom. The Luxan had never heard of such a thing. The weak die so the strong can survive. It was a basic rule of the universe. Yet it did not seem as strange when you looked at who was doing it. "My blood doesn’t match." John himself walked out with a frightening expression on his face. One D’Argo had not seen since Aeryn had died on the ice planet. Meryl came up behind them, wheeling out the cryo-pod with Tom tucked carefully inside. "There may be a solution." Three confused faces stared back at D’Argo with questions ready.

The Elephant Ep22: It Comes Undone

John watched her step into the brown ship with a look of determination on her face. Aeryn had been acting strangely ever since it had arrived. It didn’t take much thought to figure out what was bothering her. He walked from his vantage point and entered after her. She sat down at the computer and tapped the keyboard. The image that D’Argo had seen earlier popped up on the screen. John had to fight to keep from gasping all over again. It was Earth. This ship knew how to get him home. "Come here John." Aeryn turned and looked right at him. He tried to mask his surprise and obeyed.

"You can go home now." She turned her head towards him as he sat beside her. John met her gaze and they stayed that way for a moment. Aeryn leaned in a little closer to him as he answered. "It’s not that simple. You know that." She felt his breath on her skin and shuddered slightly. It was still terrifying for her to be this close to him. Especially when they were alone. "Aeryn." Her head snapped up to meet his gaze. "We’re coming back. This isn’t a one-way trip." The look of reassurance in his eyes did little to comfort her. "If you say-." John bent forward and kissed her before she could continue. Aeryn kissed back and forgot what she was going to say. "Prove me wrong then." She backed out of the embrace and stood to leave.

<<<<>>>>

Meryl sat up with alarm as the body shifted slightly inside the container. She shook her head angrily. "Don’t talk like he’s already gone." He was not just a body. But Tom was moving. Ever since they had left the planet, he had been fidgeting from side to side. Zhaan had said it was normal. Not an indication that he was waking up. "You’re going home soon. Wait for it." The idea of letting him without her had been terrifying at first. Meryl had insisted on going with John. But the human had a valid point. Their chances of saving Tom lessened if an incident occurred. Better to stay here. "Frell that." They hadn’t given her much of a choice. What bothered her most now was the look on Aeryn Sun’s face when John said he was going alone.

Tom opened his eyes and looked straight up at the ceiling above. Through the ice covered glass of the cryo-tube, he could see Meryl keeping watch over him. "Hey! Open up." He tried to raise his hands to tap against the glass but they wouldn’t move. Suddenly the view changed. The container had disappeared along with the familiar world outside it. Tom was standing on Moya. He looked out at the stars and for a moment thought that he was on the terrace. But that was impossible. "Confused?" The voice snapped him out of the trance. Bob stood in front of him with a smile on his face. "Is this heaven?" The Nyid shook his head. "Is this hell?" Bob laughed and grabbed Tom’s shoulder. "Not just yet my friend."

<<<<>>>>

D’Argo sat quietly in his cell with the qualta blade sitting harmlessly in his lap. "What the frell have I done." He told himself that the plan was for Tom’s sake. That was a noble enough cause. Surely it was the right thing to do. But right and wrong wasn’t what was bothering him tonight. More selfish thoughts had begun to intrude upon his mind. The look on Aeryn’s face specifically. The way she had acted when John was so quick to agree with him. "I’ll go to Earth with Tom. Get him to a hospital and then come right back." The validity of that statement was in question now. Both these humans, John especially, had longed for a chance to return to their home. Would they come back from that? To this?

Chiana passed by the Luxan’s closed quarters and let her boots smack loudly against the floor. Careful to make sure that anyone inside would hear them. She waited for a moment but got no response. Her comm went off without warning. "Chiana, where are you?" It was Rygel again. He had been staying close to her lately. "Leave me alone." She pulled the device off her clothes and stuffed it into a pocket. There was a slight shuffling from inside the cell. Maybe D’Argo was ready after all. "Just stay calm Chi. You can deal with this." She knocked on the door.

<<<<>>>>

Zhaan stroked his head gently with her hand and smiled. Pilot returned the smile and sighed softly as his arms tapped at the console. "You know something don’t you?" His question caught her off guard. She was not used to having him take particular interest in her spiritual side. "Yes, something is wrong Pilot." He furrowed his brow but said nothing. Perhaps waiting for her to enlighten him. "There will be time for that later." Zhaan leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Now, I must got to John." She slipped off the console and headed for the door. "Moya and I will be brave when the time comes." She turned at his words and nodded. "We all must be."

John took in the warmth that Aeryn’s kiss had filled him with. "Prove me wrong." He repeated her words and felt a pang of nervousness inside. She obviously saw doubt in him. Why else would he feel like this now. "Oh hell." He rubbed his eyes wearily and then looked back at the computer. With a keystroke, John sent the image away and replaced it with black. "John? Are you in here?" Zhaan passed through the doorway and looked over at him. "Good. There is something I wish to discuss with you." The Delvian sat down beside him and put a friendly arm around his shoulder. An act John was not used to receiving from her. "What’s up Z?"

<<<<>>>>

"What do you mean not yet?" Tom didn’t like where this was going. Questions of belief did not bother him now. Any peace that needed to be made had been. Right before he commited suicide. Then again, he wasn’t dead was he? Bob seemed to understand his thoughts and continued to smile. "Your friends are keeping you alive Tom. Risking more than they know to save you." The words made Tom feel slightly better. "What could they do?" The Nyid brushed the question off. "That’s not important right now." Bob walked over to the edge of Moya’s hull. "What is important is that you took the ship." Tom shook his head angrily. "I didn’t. John wouldn’t listen to me." Bob nodded solemnly. "It makes no difference."

Aeryn walked into the lab and found Meryl still sitting beside Tom. The ex-captain barely acknowledged her presence. She looked up only to nod. Aeryn felt obligated to say something. Anything that might bring some peace of mind to her new friend. That was what they were now. Friends. "If someone had told me back in the academy that I would be here right now, I would have laughed in their face." The words hung clumsily in the air. Meryl made no attempt to answer the remark. A different tactic would have to be employed. Aeryn walked up beside the container and looked in on its occupant. Somehow, more words came to her. "He’s braver than we give him credit for you know." This got Meryl’s attention. "For this? It was an act of lunacy. Foolish." Aeryn shook her head. "No, for expecting a you to love him back." The vacant stare returned to Meryl’s eyes. "You think he loved me?"

<<<<>>>>

The doors slid open in front of the Nebari and allowed her entrance. She found D’Argo sitting on the floor with the sword in his hands. "What is it Chiana?" She gulped and slowly pulled the letter out from beneath her coat. It floated slowly to the ground and landed in between his legs. "I, um, found this." Anger flared momentarily in his eyes before the calm took over again. D’Argo picked up the piece of paper and carefully read through his converted words. It made him think of Tom. His thoughts were quickly diverted back to the present situation. Chiana wasn’t going to leave. "Sit down." She obeyed.

<<<<>>>>

Rygel floated out onto the terrace hoping to find someone to talk to. There always seemed to be somebody out here looking at the stars. He was surprised to find the place empty. "Very well." He navigated his throne down to the ground and carefully stepped out of it. Hobbling over to the edge, he gazed out into the darkness. Something caught his eye immediately. Tom was standing outside. Another man, the Nyid, was standing beside him and apparently saying something important. They appeared to be arguing. Rygel tapped his comm frantically. "Pilot! Do you see that?" The answer came back immediately. "See what Rygel?" The confused Hynerion looked back and found the area empty again. "Never mind."

<<<<>>>>

Zhaan stared intently in the human’s sad eyes and tried to word what she wanted to say just right. "Every choice has its consequence John." He half-smiled and nodded in agreement. "You don’t have to tell me Blue." She cursed herself for being so ignorant. This was John Crichton she was talking too. "Something has happened John. I cannot tell you what. It’s been kept hidden from me." John frowned and waited for her to continue. "You mean something I did?" The Delvian shushed him. "I have been meditating, trying to gain some sense of what this all means. Unfortunately, that is still unclear." Her tone grew even more serious. "Be careful John. I fear that this mission holds more consequences than you imagine." Zhaan stood up abruptly and left the room. John watched her go in a state of shock and confusion. "What the frell?"

<<<<>>>>

Tom glared at the Nyid as he walked in circles around the area. "Is there a point to this? Or are you just having fun with me now?" Bob grinned and shook his head. "This God that inhabits your thoughts now. You believe in him?" The human found his question rather odd but answered it anyway. What else did he have to do. "Most of the time. It’s comforting to believe in something. You know what I mean?" The Nyid looked up at the stars. "Yes, I do." His tone became serious as their eyes met again. "Your belief has allowed us another chance. A chance for me to explain something to you." Tom wasn’t feeling too comfortable at this point. "Explain what?"

<<<<>>>>

John and Meryl wheeled the cry-pod into the Regulator ship with some difficulty. Once it was inside, the computers seemed to pick up on the body very quickly. "Welcome Tom." Every screen in the room flickered before returning to normal. John looked at his companion warily. "You saw that right?" She shrugged and then went back to checking the freezer systems. He left her like that and walked back into the hanger. "Almost time to go." There was no one to hear him but somehow it felt better to talk. "What ever happened to protecting your home?" The voice surprised him at first. The emotion turned to anger quickly. "What?" Harvey stepped out of the shadows dressed in full astronaut gear. "I thought you wanted to keep all us nasty aliens away from Earth." John tried to ignore him. Easier said than done.

"What’s your point?" They sat together against the wall as Harvey fought to get his point across. "You really don’t see it." He shook his head with shame. "And I thought we were really getting somewhere." He pointed to the Regulator ship. "That thing is going to lead all of us straight to Earth." John sighed. The clone was making sense, which was a frightening proposition on its own. "It’ll be a short trip. Not long enough for global disaster to strike." Harvey grinned, exposing his yellow teeth. "You would really take that chance? For Tom, a man you barely know." John had heard enough. He stood and wiped the vision away from his mind. "Damn straight."

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn looked the bag that John had packed and those same feelings came back to haunt her. He had packed all of his things. "Stop it." She cursed herself and stood up to leave. There was no point in torturing herself any further. What was done was done. "Stop what?" John entered into the room and walked up to her. He put his hands on her waste and together they backed up against the wall. He was leaning in close again. Aeryn did not try to fight him off. "This isn’t over yet." She saw a sparkle in his eye. One that had been missing too often recently.

John kissed her lightly and then a bit stronger. "Is that right? What makes you think I’ll wait?" He shook his head. Aeryn was playing games with him again. "I love you. I’m coming back for you." She froze and let the words wash over her. "I love you too." He waited for her to add something. A stern warning about keeping their feelings in check. Aeryn allowed herself to forget that part of training. "How much time before you leave?" John thought about it for a moment. "Enough time." She smiled, destroying every last bit of soldier that was etched eternally in her face.

<<<<>>>>

It was almost time now. Most of the goodbyes had been said, the warnings given. Two couples, one slightly impaired, remained on the Regulator ship. Aeryn and Meryl would have to get off soon. It was their job to take care of Moya now. Its two resident humans were off to find home again. John Crichton sat at the computer controls and brought up the picture of Earth. He allowed himself to marvel in the sight for a moment before returning his attention to the present situation. D’Argo stepped inside and walked over to the cryo-pod. The others, taking cue from his strange look, backed off and gave the Luxan his space. He knelt over Tom’s quiet form and whispered.

"You’re going to want to hear this." Bob leaned forward and patted Tom gently on the shoulder. Without another word, he vanished before the human’s eyes and left him alone. Tom blinked a few times and then watched the scenery change dramatically. D’Argo was leaning over the cold glass container that kept him in place. Through it, he could just make out what the Luxan was saying. "I wanted to thank you before you left. This might be the last chance I get." The older man seemed to shift uncomfortably as he said the words. "You saved my life. You didn’t need to, but you did it anyway. Let me return the favor one day." D’Argo grunted and stood up. John was watching him from the doorway. "He knows."

D’Argo stepped forward and hugged the confused human. "Find what you’re looking for John. Then come back and say hello." Crichton squeezed the big creature tighter and nodded. "Take care of things around here while I’m gone." They disconnected and the Luxan walked out the door. John smiled to himself and knocked lightly on the glass cover. "We’re going to be missed." Aeryn stepped into the room and went directly for him. Her companion followed and knelt over the cryo-pod to say one last goodbye.

Aeryn looked him in the eyes and ran her fingers over his chest. She fastened the buttons of his coat in a rare showing of almost motherly concern. "You come back to me." They smiled at each other until he couldn’t hold back any longer. John rushed forwards and swept her off her feet. She laughed and for a moment things didn’t seem as bad as they were. "Just be here when I get back." He put her down and glanced over at the other two.

Meryl slid her hand over the glass cover and felt its coldness pass through her glove. She wasn’t quite sure what to say now. The man she had come to love was leaving her. She pressed her face as close as it would come to his. "You were right about me." Through the mist-filled compartment, she thought for a moment that he had winked at her. Meryl shook it off. She backed away from the pod and followed Aeryn out the door. The two of them watched in silence as the ship rose off the ground and blasted out into space. The familiar glow of a wormhole formed in the darkness and swallowed up the brown vessel. Within seconds, the tiny dot against the blue background disappeared altogether.

Aeryn looked over at Meryl and saw that familiar vacant stare again. It had frequented the woman’s face ever since they had escaped peacekeeper custody. Feeling her own strong emotions rising to the surface, she finally thought to ask the question. "Meryl, what did they do to you on the command carrier?" The ex-captain moved her lips but Aeryn couldn’t tell if it was a smile or a frown. "They told me I was pregnant."