Return to Dad's Worst Nightmares
PREVIOUSLY ON FARSCAPE: Crichton wanders through the streets of Valdon and finds Stark in a flophouse. John shakes the Banik awake. Stark yanks free, glances around the room, and asks, perplexed, "Crichton? Crichton. Is Zhaan here? Have you seen her?"
John frowns. Whoa, whoa, sky jockey. It's me, the live one. Concentrate, fella. Stark, I was hoping you could help me get rid of Harvey like Aeryn told me Jack helped the dead Crichton get rid of his."
Starks shakes his head. "I don't know. It isn't something I've tried before. I could try."
Suddenly, the door explodes on its hinges, and two Peacekeepers leap into the room, shooting. Crichton dives, draws Wynnona, rolls, and fires, hitting one of them. The other Peacekeeper fires and hits Stark. Crichton fires again, taking out the other Peacekeeper, and rushes to Stark.
Starks says weakly, "Sorry. I guess I won't be able to help you after all, John. What? Zhaan, is that you?" His eye closes, and his head limply rolls to the side.
****
Crais and Aeryn knock out two sentries and board a cargo shuttlecraft. Meanwhile, Jool is standing guard over the transport pod. A soft shink noise is heard. A muffled sound follows. The cargo shuttlecraft takes off from the Peacekeeper supply depot. Suddenly explosions erupt from the depot. D'Argo and Chiana appear out of the smoke and flame. They quickly board the transport pod and take off.
*****
AND NOW: Crichton surveys the others over the conference table and says, "Crais and Aeryn's raid on the Peacekeeper supply depot gave us the location of Scorpius's command carrier. Crais has forged ident chips for myself and him. I propose that Crais and I infiltrate it by boarding it using the cargo shuttlecraft as its regular supply ship. Crais will go to the computer center, access its core memory, and delete and purge any wormhole technology and data from it while I go to the reactor room and place the bombs in the strategic areas that he and Aeryn have designated. The location and cascade effect of the explosions should completely destroy the command carrier. The bombs will be set to detonate two arns after we board her.
"If we are able to get off the command carrier, Aeryn in Talyn and D'Argo in his fighter will cover our retreat. Talyn will then starburst to here, and Moya will starburst from here, thereby putting two starbursts between them and us."
Aeryn shakes her head. "I still think I should be going with you two."
Crais replies, "Commander Crichton and I have discussed this at length and agree this plan is the best. The fewer who make the penetration, the fewer chances of being discovered. I'm going with Crichton because my knowledge of the command carrier is vital."
John nods. "And I'm going because this is my mission. I'm the one who started this whole thing. This plan exposes the fewest of us to any danger."
Rygel chortles, "I'm glad to hear that."
Chiana frowns. "We're all gonna die."
John grimaces. "Well, I have to do this. I hope you're not Cassandra, Pip. Let's do it."
Rygel, Chiana, and Jool follow behind Crichton, Crais, Aeryn, and D'Argo to the hangar bay. Crichton and Crais board the cargo shuttlecraft, D'Argo climbs into his fighter, and Aeryn steps into the transport pod. Aeryn flies quickly over to Talyn while the Luxan fighter and the cargo shuttlecraft heads for the command carrier.
*****
Chiana walks into the galley and finds Rygel on the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood. Suddenly she hears a scream down the corridor. She races out of the galley and sees Jool lying face down on the floor. Chiana runs up to Jool, turns her over, and asks, "Are you all right? What happened?"
A soft shink is heard, and Chiana screams.
*****
As Talyn and the Luxan fighter are waiting at the designated coordinates, Aeryn suddenly cries over her comm, "D'Argo, look out behind you!"
The Luxan fighter explodes into a million pieces.
*****
The cargo shuttlecraft lands in the command carrier's landing bay. Crais and Crichton disembark. Crais proceeds to the computer center and inserts the ident chip. The door opens. He steps inside and is shot through the chest by a pulse blast.
*****
John makes his way to the reactor room, inserts the ident chip, steps through the door, and sees Scorpius. Scorpius says, "Fail safe." John freezes in position, unable to move.
Scorpius smiles, "So good to see you again, John. My neural clone has neutralized your motor functions until I give the counter command." He turns to two Peacekeepers. "Bring him to the bridge."
*****
On the bridge, Scorpius grins at the immobile Crichton and relates, "John, I have something to show you. Contact Moya." The image of Jool appears on the viewscreen. "Report."
Jool rips off her face, revealing Jenavia Chatto. "Rygel XVI and Chiana are dead. I have incapacitated the Pilot, and Moya is under my control."
"Good." Scorpius nods to Crichton. "Chatto killed and replaced Jool while Crais and his party were conducting their foray on our supply depot."
Lt. Braca's voice comes over the loudspeaker. "Sir, I terminated Captain Crais as he came through the computer center door."
"Satisfactory. Return to the bridge."
The bridge door opens, and Aeryn Sun steps forward and states, "Sir, I have dispatched D'Argo and his fighter. Talyn has been rendered insensate, and the techs are boarding him as we speak."
"Excellent. Officer Sun has kept me well apprised of your plans. She has been reinstated in the service and promoted."
Aeryn sneers, "As if I would want anything to do with a mere copy."
A tear rolls down Crichton's face.
Scorpius relates, "We still have been unable to safely navigate through the wormholes yet, but we can now manipulate them enough to peer into other sections of the galaxy. Activate the viewscreen and wormhole on the designated coordinates."
Scarran warships above Earth show through the wormhole. Brilliant flashes of light appear across the blue-white planet's land surface with boiling dust clouds following them.
Scorpius coos, "I leaked information to the Scarrans that Earth was the home of wormhole technology and they were negotiating to give us the information in return for protection. You have no home and no people. You can work with us or go back to the Aurora Chair."
The television screen goes black with the words: To Be Continued.
