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Revised
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit, I’m keeping my day job.
Acknowledgements: My thanks to Runnik for beta reading my writing attempts and for his steady encouragement, to Nerri1029 for his beta, for finding those little inconsistencies that are so easily overlooked, and for his encouragement too. While _player_ joined the original beta read halfway through this fic, his candor and advice are invaluable, as I stink at grammar, and only spell things correctly because of spell check. But more importantly, he is a wonderful sounding board for my whacko, and not so whacko ideas, and has graciously agreed to review the earlier bits. Further, _player_ beta’s the entire fic for this revision and his contribution has gone beyond that of a beta to one of a consultant. Thank you _player_! And I also want to thank everyone who has ever taken the time to respond to any of my fics, this included, for without the feedback I would indeed be discouraged.
Note 1: Jane Doe has been substantially revised and expanded, due, in part, to the feedback I received. While it is the same basic story premise, I think there are enough changes in its execution that it is my hope the people who read the story the first time around will find different enough and interesting enough to read it through from the beginning for a second time.
Note 2: This is still an alternate universe fic, so while some of the revisions accommodate what we know about character reactions from “Promises” onward, I am still operating under the assumption that John Crichton was becoming sympathetic to Scorpius based on the end of “Into the Lion’s Den – Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” where it appeared he was offering Scorpius a way off the collapsing Command Carrier.
Rated: PG-13 for mild sexual references.
Spoilers: Everything up to and including DWTB.
Time Frame: Sometime after DWTB. Moya and some of the crew have reunited with Crichton.
Jane Doe, Part 1
John was spending more and more time with Harvey, having fallen into the habit while alone on Elack. To stave off loneliness, John drank alone, but in his mind, Harvey was his drinking buddy. He kept up his increasingly frequent tête-à-têtes with Harvey, even after Sikozu’s arrival, and Moya’s return to the burial ground to retrieve Crichton.
He was in the middle of one of the dozens of reveries when Pilot called to him. “Commander Crichton, a Peacekeeper escape pod is close to Moya.”
“What’s it doing, Pilot?” John asked, breaking from his internal conversation long enough to respond.
“Nothing Commander. But someone may be in it, alive.”
John mulled Pilot’s revelation over for a few microts and asked, “Is there anything else close by, Pilot?”
“No Commander, there is nothing else for at least one million metras. The pod is alone.”
“Pull it in, Pilot.” John ordered, then commed Chiana and D’Argo to meet him as he ran to the docking bay.
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The pod sat motionless on the docking bay floor. D’Argo peered in through the port and saw someone sitting and staring ahead, not making a move to release the hatch. D’Argo tapped on the port to get the woman’s attention. It had no effect. Chiana and John moved closer. “She might be dead, she’s not moving.” D’Argo said.
“She’s NOT dead.” Chiana cocked her head to add emphasize to her statement.
“Okay Chiana,” John said, moving towards the pod. “We’d better open this fast. Anyone know where the release is?”
It took the three of them several microts to find the external release. The woman did not move as the hatch released. She continued to sit strapped in the seat. A microt after the hatch opened John, Chiana, and D’Argo were hit with a terrible odor.
“Oh god!” John gagged. “We’re too late. It wouldn’t smell like that if she were still alive.”
“If I can stand it, you can.” More keenly aware of the odor, D’Argo chided John. “I do not smell death.” D’Argo said, releasing the harness holding the woman in the seat. He could feel the warmth of her body, and her pulse. “She is breathing.”
John and D’Argo pulled the Sebacean from the pod and discovered the reason for the odor; she had soiled herself.
Chiana commed Jool, “Meet us in the med area. We have an injured Peacekeeper on Moya.”
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“ . . . So, in summary, there is nothing physically wrong with her. It’s her mind that is gone. This is the living death.” Jool said as she completed her examination.
“We can’t keep her on Moya, we’re not equipped to take care of her.” John said, stating the obvious, again. “Pilot, is there anyplace we can take her?”
“I will look Commander.”
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‘But Harvey, this may be your only chance.’ John flatly stated, staring out of the large portal of the terrace. He liked being on the terrace alone with Harvey. At least here, no one would bother him while he had these private conversations with the homunculus.
‘It’s a very poor chance at that, John. First, you do not know if her brain is damaged beyond use. Second, you do not know how to get me out of your mind and into another’s. And lastly, I am a male in my mind, I am not sure I could deal with being female assuming we get past the first two hurdles.’ Harvey knew his days in Crichton’s brain were numbered. He was sure this was not the right opportunity, and he was afraid of what Crichton was suggesting.
‘We could find a Diagnosan who could determine if the brain can function correctly, then tell us how to move you from my brain to another. After that, it’ll be up to you. I’ve been spending way too much time with you, Harv, since we were stranded on Elack. It’s about time I rejoined the living. And if you insist on being a man, you could get a sex change, you know.’ The thought of Harvey in a female body nearly sent John into paroxysms of laughter.
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“No Jool, I don’t know if it’ll work. I just want your best guess as to the health of Jane Doe’s brain.” Before asking the crew to go on a fool’s mission, John wanted to reduce the probability that the Sebacean’s brain could not be revived.
“Well, my scans show a normally functioning brain. I don’t understand why she can’t recover.” Jool said, shaking her head.
“So the lights are on, but nobody’s home.” John quipped. He was pleased there was a possibility he could both remove Harvey from his own head, but not condemn him to death. He had grown to like this wraith. “Pilot, we need to find a diagnosan. Is there a replacement at the place we visited over a cycle ago?”
“I don’t know, Commander, Pilot said.
“Any idea how long it’ll take to get there?”
“Approximately one monen”
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It took Moya just under a monen to reach the female Diagnosan. She agreed to examine the Sebacean to determine the feasibility of Crichton’s plan. While her language skills were only marginally better than her predecessor’s, this Diagnosan worked alone. She did not want to risk her fate to a creature like Grundschlk.
The Diagnosan moved around Jane Doe, studying the readouts. “Body good. Brain good. Person gone.”
“Will you be able to put Harvey in her?” John asked. He was nervous. He had lived with Harvey for so long, that he felt the clone was a part of him, of his own personality. “What’s your guarantee?”
“Yes. Easy. Have right equipment. Small chance not work.”
“How small?”
The Diagnosan shrugged. She didn’t know how to answer the question in John’s language. She had John look at a screen where she showed him some numbers. The odds in favor were extremely good.
“When can you change the sex to male. Harvey is definitely a he.”
“Must wait. Need time Harvey unite body. Half cycle. Start procedure.” The Diagnosan said. She was ready to start the process. “Sit.”
“Give me a few microts. I need to discuss this with Harvey.” John said.
‘Well Harvey, are you ready to go through with this? You’ll have to live in a woman’s body for at least a half cycle. On Earth, whenever someone wanted to change their sex they had to take hormones for months before they could have the sex change operation.’
‘I am ready, John. You have convinced me that this may be my only opportunity. It is rare for the brain to be intact as this one is. I can endure being a woman for six months if that is what it takes.’ While still nervous about the procedure, Harvey was now eager to get started.
‘Have you thought about a name?’ John asked. ‘Harvey just doesn’t fit with that body.’
‘Call me Jane Rylani Harvey. I will look like my progenitor’s mother. It is to honor her.’ Harvey’s expression was at once sad and proud.
‘Why the Jane?’ John wondered why if Harvey was going to all the trouble of choosing Scorpius’ mother’s name, he would want to prefix it with the moniker he used.
‘To honor you! We have been intimate in nearly every sense. Jane sounds a little like John, and that is what you have called her.’
John did not tell Harvey what the name Jane Doe meant. ‘Ready?’
‘Yes.’
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The rest of Moya’s crew was all gathered around John, Jane, and the Diagnosan, watching anxiously for, something, they didn’t quite know what to look for.
Jool was the first to speak, “John, is Harvey gone? Are you alright?”
John examined his mind; Harvey was gone. He felt quite alone for the first time in years. “Yeah, Harvey’s gone. I . . . I feel, uh, normal.” John looked at Jane. “Harvey, I mean, Jane... Say something. What do you feel?”
Jane stood up. Her expression was one of wonder. She examined her hands, touched her face. “A mirror, please... Can I have a mirror?”
John was stunned, “Jane you’re speaking English.”
“Yes John. That is your language, that is how you express your thoughts and that is now my language. I require another injection of microbes, I believe they died with this body’s original owner and the only other language I know is Scarran, as that is how Scorpius communicated with me.”
Jane walked awkwardly to a large mirror. She stopped and stared at her own image, no longer a visage in some other host. A very confused look came over Jane’s countenance and her body began to shake.
John reached her side first, not only because he was closest, but also because he signaled the others not to advance. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing!” Jane grabbed John’s arm and stifled the laughter. “I would never have imagined looking like this.” Jane gasped between giggles.
The laughter was infectious. “Me neither.” John said, trying unsuccessfully to suppress his laughter.
As the pair continued laughing, D’Argo paid the Diagnosan and said, “We should return to Moya now.”
