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<-- BROWNFINGER Part 3
S’hangra: Brownfinger’s Complex
Crichton hid in a wooded area near Brownfinger’s vast complex. The Farscape module, camouflaged to look like a herd of grazing local ungulates, was nearby in a field suited for take off. Stark provided John with a device to detect Brownfinger’s surveillance devices. He programmed the device to defeat the ‘eyes’ as he progressed into the complex. He did not see the ‘Welcome Mat’ placed on the ground that surrounded the inner complex. This low-tech trap was invisible to his device. Within microts of tripping the silent alarm, John Crichton was surrounded by Brownfinger’s personal security force of leather-clad guards. * I guess I’ll have to come in through the front door now. * Crichton thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Crichton was brought into a small, narrow and windowless room. A long table surround by very uncomfortable looking chairs dominated the center of the room. The chairs and table were pewter gray and the room was a grayish white illuminated by harsh fluorescent light. One long wall sported a large mirror which John knew wasn’t there for grooming purposes. It was a typical interrogation room. The door opened and a security guard entered. His uniform was different from the others. “I am in charge of security for Scorpius Brownfinger. Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“Name’s Crichton, John Crichton. I was lost, not snooping. Who might you be?”
“You will call me Lt. Braca. And I do not believe you were lost. You were able to defeat our surveillance with this device.” Braca put the device he confiscated from Crichton on the table. “Who are you working for and what are you looking for?”
“I told you I was lost. I don’t know what that device is. It must have been put with my clothes while I was golfing this morning.” John decided to play innocent. He might be able to learn something and Brownfinger apparently wasn’t in the complex. “I played a round of golf with Brownfinger and he suggested I drop by after we finished.”
Braca’s eyes narrowed. “You are lying. I have other ways of learning this information if you don’t volunteer it.” Braca left the room.
John was made to wait in the room for more than eight arns. It was very boring. They didn’t even give him anything to read. The chairs were very uncomfortable and the room was overly warm and stuffy. He took his coat off reluctantly. * Maybe they think I’m Sebacean and will suffer in this heat. They don’t know this Southern boy loves the heat. * That last thought made John audibly chuckle.
“Well, well, Braca, it looks like the human is easier to crack than we thought.” Brownfinger said. “Have Aeryn Sun get the Aurora Chair ready. I think he is ready.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John found himself strapped to a large chair that was on a track in the middle of a large, well-ventilated room. He was immobilized. His coat was thrown on the floor near the track. He wished he were wearing it. He was staring at the wrong end of a scope. It looked like it was designed to bore into his skull. He shivered at more than the cold air. He could hear Brownfinger behind him. “Crichton, you are denser than I thought. What are you doing here?”
John saw the operator flip some switches and press some buttons. The chair began to turn and the scope moved extremely close to his left eye. * That woman is gorgeous! * he thought and instantly saw this thought on the screen in front of him. He also saw other thoughts about Aeryn Sun on the screen in front of him. The chair stopped.
Brownfinger replaced the scope with his face, up close, and personal. “John this device will strip your mind, such as it is. Do not resist, tell me what I want to know.”
* Hasn’t anyone told Brownfinger about dental floss? * John idly wondered. He responded to Brownfinger’s question, “I don’t know what you are talking about. I got lost. I just told Braca a little fib about looking you up, but I was only lost.”
Brownfinger moved away from the chair and signaled Aeryn Sun to resume the interrogation. “Cooperate or this will become painful.” Brownfinger growled.
“Do you expect me to die Mr. Brownfinger?” John asked between screams. * This chair is going to kill me. * He thought.
“No, Mr. Crichton, I expect you to talk.” Brownfinger left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Crichton saw Aeryn Sun tuning the chair. This gave him some time to examine his surroundings. Although he could not move his head even a dench, he was able to see new details each time the chair made a revolution. The most astonishing thing he saw was an Earth atlas where Mars, Pennsylvania was at the center. * Our intelligence is on target. Brownfinger is trying to get the coordinates to the Mars factory. Good thing it isn’t in Mars anymore. * John thought. * It’s a good thing this precaution was taken once Snickers became the Universal monetary standard. Hmm, She’s going to engage the chair again. I had better suppress that thought! *
Aeryn Sun didn’t understand why this human was able to resist the chair so well. The only information she was able to find after an arn of probing was his hundreds of conquests of the female persuasion. When she stopped the chair to make adjustments John went limp; only the straps held him up. He drifted in and out of consciousness while she methodically adjusted a bank of knobs, backing off some and increasing others. She heard him softly moan when she examined the scope, her back to him. She turned away from the scope and bent to look directly into his eyes only to see them closed. She pried one open with her fingers and then the other one. The pupils were not dilated to the same diameter. * Frell! * She thought, * I’ve damaged his brain. * Aeryn slapped John to bring him out. Nothing. She slapped him again, harder. His head wobbled and his eyes opened. The pupils were the same size! * That was close. * She thought.
“Baby, Baby! What beautiful eyes you have.” John slurred his words. He forgot where he was until he tried to reach for Aeryn’s hair. His arms were strapped down. He couldn’t move. The day’s events came back to him. “What is this thing?” John’s words were no longer slurred.
* Humph, humans recover fast. * Aeryn thought. “You are in the Aurora chair. Any resistance brings pain and possible brain damage. My main function is to lead a squad of pilots. I am the lead pilot in Brownfinger’s employ. This is a secondary function that falls upon us all from time to time. I am not an expert at it. It makes it more likely that I’ll damage your brain instead of getting the information. In fact, I thought I did damage your brain.” Aeryn looked intently at John’s eye pupils once again. They looked normal.
“Aeryn, I really don’t know what he is looking for. All I did was fill in for Nebishil at his regular golf game. I guess I made the mistake of winning. Brownfinger did not look pleased. Then I got lost. I honestly don’t know how I got here.
“I’m really thirsty. They kept me in a stuffy room for over eight arns. I’ve had nothing to drink. In spite of the chill in this room I’m sweating like a pig. Please, can I have some water.” John was sincere about his thirst.
Aeryn brought a glass of water back to John and held it to his lips. “What’s a pig?”
“Umm, thanks. A pig is an Earth animal. It’s just an expression. It’s supposed to mean excess. Do you mind? I really could use another glass.” John blinked at Aeryn, hoping to charm her with his baby blues. “Listen, I don’t think I have the information that Brownfinger wants. Why don’t you free me and I’ll provide something to satisfy your job?” John flashed Aeryn his most winning smile.
Aeryn paused for a moment. She walked to the chair, folded her arms, and looked at John. “Why do you think Brownfinger will believe me?”
“Because I’ll force the thought while you turn this on at its lowest power.” John said.
“Right. That may work. It’s worth the chance. We are not getting anywhere as it is and I’m afraid I’ll cause permanent brain damage. Then Brownfinger won’t get any information.” Aeryn walked to the controls. She nodded to John when she was about to engage the chair once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I think this will do it, John. The next task is to get you out of here. That won’t be easy.” Aeryn handed John his coat.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll figure a way out. I’m still missing my gun.” John was looking around for his weapon. * God, she’s beautiful! I wonder if… Stop it John! This is hardly the time. * John was having difficulty controlling his thoughts. This was not unusual.
“They put the gun in this locker. I’ll get it for you.” Aeryn retrieved the gun and brought it to John while he was donning his coat. As she handed Betsy to him their eyes locked. John put his arms around her and they kissed. Aeryn felt more passion than she had ever experienced. “Oh! John!”
Once outside, John engaged the “throne sled” mode of his coat and escaped to his module.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Good job Aeryn. I don’t think he suspects.” Brownfinger said.
“It was nearly too convincing. I thought I damaged his brain. However, he appears quite normal. I’ll get my squadron ready and follow him. The tracer we planted will make it easy to find him.” Aeryn Sun turned smartly to her right and set out on her mission.
