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Written by: LeatherGirl
Archive: 9 July 2001
Summary: This is way too big to summarize. Read it and be entertained! And if you're familiar with my writing style, the title is more than enough to summarize this fanfic!
Rating: R for mainly strong language, a little sexual content, and some violence
Category: Drama/Action/Adventure
Spoilers: Everything up to Eat Me, S3.
Disclaimer: I wrote this fanfic purely for entertainment with no intentions of making a profit off of Farscape, Jim Henson Productions, Channel 9, and the amazing creators of this show or anybody else involved. When you have fun creating, money is no object. Ka'ru is a fictional character of my own creation. As for the many scientific impossibilities found in this fanfic, frell them because this is science FICTION after all!
Author's Note: This fanfic has to be the largest writing project I have ever challenged myself into producing. I actually felt further away from Farscape than I have been in the past when writing fan fiction, thus making it even more difficult to breathe life into the well-known characters. Real life issues also strayed me away from this fanfic, many of the issues dealing with inner struggle. I bring the final piece to you as my heart and soul. Please read it as a whole and respond with feedback. Even though completion and joy of writing is satisfying by itself, feedback is the ultimate satisfaction in order for me to truly see if my efforts paid off.
Thanks to the following beta-readers for helping me out: pkbarb, jilacosa, and johryn.
Special thanks to the creators of Farscape for a unique look into the world of a universe we may never know.
This story was somewhat inspired by Stephen King's latest novel, Dreamcatcher. If you loved The Stand, this one is even better!
"Remember, Talyn. There must be no mention to Moya as to where we have been. She does not need to know anything of Scorpius' new Gammak Base." Crais spoke to his ship. Numerous bleeping and flashing lights illuminated the interior cabin of the adolescent gunship Crais was commandeering.
Talyn was not too happy with this request. Moya was his mother and he wanted to impress her with his travels and achievements. Unfortunately, Moya would not approve of most of his adventures. This was because Talyn had a harsh PeaceKeeper side to him that allowed for fighting in battles and rushing into situations without much thought. On the other hand, his Leviathan qualities included loyalty, trust, and friendship. He could be a caring little hybrid...when he wanted to be.
"Talyn, please. You must trust me. It is for Moya's own benefit." Crais persuaded.
He smiled as Talyn's bleeping commenced. He had been joined, via a neural transponder, with Talyn a cycle ago. He understood the gunship's every emotion, every thought, every impulse. Crais stepped forward to view Talyn's mother out the view screen. They were already approaching the area where Talyn would dock so Crais could travel in a transport pod over to Moya. The enormous Leviathan looked somewhat stressed, under the incredible gravitational chaos occurring throughout the present field of black holes Talyn was entering.
"You must remain quiet about the secrecy of this base. The human, John Crichton especially must not know of Scorpius' existence or his work at the base. Can you promise me this?" Crais asked and paused, awaiting an answer. The ship bleeped once. Crais smiled even more brilliantly and stood at attention, awaiting their arrival to Moya.
Fifteen microns later a transport pod carrying Crais landed in the Docking Bay with a gentle thud. The Docking Bay doors closed behind the pod. All preparations to make the atmosphere breathable were completed. Crais emerged from the ship and approached Aeryn, the only one of the crew standing in the Docking Bay at the moment. He smiled, both glad to see that Aeryn had come to greet him and that she was alone. Aeryn's harsh expression softened slightly. Crais knew it was because she was close to Talyn once again. He wanted to believe, however, that it was because she had feelings for him.
"Crais." Aeryn acknowledged him, her eyes displaying no emotion.
"Aeryn." Crais stated, masking his smile.
"What are you doing here, Crais? Why haven't you or Talyn been affected by those black holes as Crichton calls them? If you know anything at all about these things, tell me now." Aeryn ordered in a cold voice.
"I know nothing of these "black holes". Talyn and I are just as intrigued by them as you must be. We bring you some urgent information. However, I have a much more pressing matter for you alone to consider." Crais stated and did not wait for a reaction from Aeryn. "I have in my possession, a chip. A chip containing information about your past."
Aeryn's eyes widened in surprise. She quickly recovered, growing cautious. Her past had always been mysterious...especially the exact identity of her parents. She peered at Crais in question, urging him to continue.
"Never mind how I got it; I know that's what you must be wondering. What matters is what's on this chip. It is of extreme importance." Crais continued.
"Where is it?" Aeryn demanded to know.
"Somewhere safe." Crais teased.
"No games, Crais. Give me the chip. I must know what is on that chip!" Aeryn argued. She stepped forward, her anger emulating. Aeryn thought of everything she was struggling with since coming back from the dead. She realized her future was uncertain now. Her life had been changing from the moment she encountered Moya, John, and everything they had struggled with from then until now. Before hand, she had been living a life engraved with set ways from birth to death. Aeryn almost didn't know what to do with herself.
Crais knew he would have to divert her attention quickly. Aeryn's past had always been shadowed and any chance to reveal its secrets was at the top of her list of priorities. Crais chuckled to himself and looked Aeryn in the eyes. He loved those dark eyes. They complimented her flowing black hair.
"More important things first." Crais stated, fully in control of the situation. He walked towards the center of the Docking Bay. Aeryn turned to face him.
"I demand you hand over that chip." Aeryn raged.
"Talyn and I have discovered very important information regarding everyone's immediate future. I will discuss this further with the rest of the crew...where are they?" Crais said. Aeryn stepped forward, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She knew Crais would not give her what she wanted...not without the right price. She coldly walked past him.
"We'll talk in Command." Aeryn stated and headed out of the Docking Bay. Crais smiled to himself and quickly followed.
The rest of the crew was waiting impatiently in Command by the time Aeryn and Crais entered. John eyed Aeryn but she ignored him and headed over to the opposite side of Command, near the clamshell displaying Pilot's image. Crais nodded a greeting to them all and came to a stop before them.
"Talyn and I have discovered quite a few things that will pique your interests since our last encounter. We felt it was of extreme importance that once we located your position, we notify you of the danger you are in. And by the look of things, I see we may be a little too late." Crais joked, looking out the view screen at the swirling black holes before them. Not a single being before Crais was smiling, however. John glared at Crais, gaining eye contact with the ex-captain for a microt. Crais looked away.
"We don't have much time if you haven't noticed." Chiana remarked. She stood beside D'Argo, who was glaring at Crais just as sternly as John was.
"On with it, Crais. I'm getting hungry." Rygel stated in a dull voice. He hovered near the doorway, with Jool close to his side. She was unsure of what to make of this Crais and knew she didn't care to stay around and find out. Stark stood nearby as well, his eye narrowed in suspicion towards Crais.
"I'll get right to the point. The Scarrans have been to blame for the recent slaying of a high-ranking officer in High Command. The Scarrans are strategically killing PeaceKeeper officers of high status. This has lead to evidence of covert operations on PeaceKeeper Colonies and Command Carriers as well. A rebellious Command Carrier retaliated against several known Scarran spies near the border of the Uncharted Territories earlier this monen. They were...unsuccessful. From what I can gather, the Scarrans are seeking knowledge." Crais informed the crew. He paused and looked straight to John, relishing in the uneasiness seeping onto the human's face.
"Knowledge? What kind of knowledge?" D'Argo demanded an answer. The tension in the room was growing stronger by the micron.
"Wormholes." Crais stated. Nearly everyone turned to look to John, with almost annoyed expressions. They were shocked only to a point. John raised his chin and remained quiet.
"Unfortunately, that is not the worst of the news I bring you today." Crais continued. The crew turned to look to Crais once again, their faces showing concern. "The Scarrans are searching. Obviously everything they are doing leads to the wormhole technology. And while they cannot seem to find Scorpius, they do know the one true source of all this information. And they will do whatever it takes to get it. I'm sorry, Crichton, but it seems that you are being hunted by an even more insane species than my own or even Scorpius."
John clenched his teeth as Crais looked to him with his most sincere expression. He knew deep down that Crais was exhilarated by this news.
"Tell 'em to get in line." John growled.
"Why should we trust you?" Stark asked Crais, eyeing the ex-peacekeeper captain with distrust.
Crais glanced over his shoulder at the Banik slave.
"I do not ask for your trust. Talyn and I both are concerned for Moya and those who inhabit her." Crais glanced at Aeryn briefly.
"We'll take into regard everything you have told us." Aeryn stated.
The crew began to separate, heading out of Command to be away from Crais and the new information they did not want to believe. Crais watched Aeryn leave, smirking at her the entire time. Aeryn glared back, showing Crais she could be as cold as him. She then left Command, leaving Crais to stare out at the black holes before them. Crais smiled. Everything had played exactly to his expectations.
*****
After the intense conversation between Crais and the others, John had decided to return to the maintenance bay to inspect the work he had completed arns earlier. As he worked his fingers into the tangled mess of nerves, John was struck with a strong flash of images from his past once again.
The grass was greener than ever under the clearing blue skies above. The morning rainstorm had passed quickly, allowing the sun to break through the heavy clouds and warm up the day. Lines upon lines of gray granite tombstones stood like dominoes against the grass. A few large oak trees shaded the wet paved path twisting throughout Memorial Cemetery. A line of black Cadillacs following a Hearse inched their way through the cemetery. Each vehicle boasted small American flags secured onto either end of the front of the vehicles. The flags whipped around in the remaining wind of the storm. Distant thunder quieted nearby chirping birds. The day appeared the same as any other. Yet something was slightly off.
A crowd of mourning souls stood around an open gravesite. The skies had completely cleared by now and the wind had died down to a whisper. Nearly every person at the gravesite had tears in their eyes. A shimmering gray casket was settled onto brackets stationed above the open grave, waiting to rest six feet down for the rest of time. The disease that had struck the soul within the casket had been painful and slow. Nothing could have prevented it and nothing could have stopped it. The only remorse for those closest to the deceased woman was the fact that her death had finally come.
Oh God, the funeral. How could he have forgotten such a miserable day?
The priest overseeing the funeral said little. His words were of no comfort to the immediate family. The death had seemed sudden, because the cancer had revealed itself only four months earlier. Four months to let the deceased know how much she had been loved and appreciated. Four months to relish her humor, her love, and most of all, her life. Four months was like a blink of an eye.
Jack Crichton stood alone at the grave site after the rest of the relatives, friends, and acquaintances had paid their respects and returned home to their own fulfilled lives. He had been allowed to stay with his wife one last time alone. For a half hour anyway.
He hadn't seen it at first. Leslie would come home from work looking completely exhausted. She would skip dinner and go straight to bed. He had been busy, working on training for the next lunar mission at IASA. He figured she was just putting in more hours, working harder for that promotion. The one Sunday afternoon he had decided to go to the office to go over a few things was when everything changed. Leslie had collapsed in the backyard, while working in the garden. The neighbors had discovered her. His two daughters had left after the morning picnic and John had been with Alex in Maine. By the time he had gotten to the hospital, Leslie had already been admitted for observation. The doctors had said there was a tumor. She immediately had it removed but weeks later another one surfaced...this one inoperable. Leslie was given four months. Jack spent every waking moment with his dying wife, caring for her. He argued with the doctors, just knowing they had to be wrong, there had to be another way. But as each week drew closer to the end of his wife's life, Jack could see in her eyes that this was it. Not even the dangers that he faced as an astronaut scared him more.
A sound behind Jack disrupted his thoughts. He smiled at his son, dressed in a tuxedo identical to his own. John was a handsome man with the heart of his mother and the bravery of his father. John flashed a brief smile at his dad. John saw the tears in his father's eyes and felt his heart tear.
John was confused more than ever now. He realized that this flash of disjointed memories were not entirely his own. He was beginning to wonder if his mind wasn't just making things up at this point. He didn't dismiss the Scorpy clone hard at work, either.
The day had been rough. Throughout the funeral ceremony, John was dying inside. Outside, John was strong and supportive. He felt he had to be. His father and two sisters, even DK were falling apart. They needed him to make it through the day. John would smile and laugh, trying to keep their minds at ease. But meanwhile, his heart would ache, his mind would be plagued with guilt, and his eyes would carry a dull look of shock.
John stepped forward to stand at his father's side. The two stared down at the casket for several minutes in silence. Finally, Jack placed his left arm around John's shoulders and brought him close for a hug. John welcomed his father's embrace and patted him on the back. Jack looked into John's eyes, studying them for a moment. John felt uneasy and glanced down. Jack rubbed John's shoulder and turned to head back to the vehicle waiting to take them back. John stood alone, staring at the cold gray tombstone engraved with his mother's name. Half of the tombstone was blank, awaiting the name of his father to be added someday in the future. John shivered despite the heat that was warming up the afternoon.
"Although I am quite intrigued by this show of customary worship of the dead, I do wish we could get to the point, John." The all too familiar voice that ran chills down John's spine stated. John looked over to his right to see Scorpius standing beside his mother's casket. Intense rage filled within John. He leapt for Scorpius, his hands outreached to grasp the creature's throat. Scorpius vanished instantly, causing John to stumble and spin around.
"What are you doing in my memories?" John raged into the air. He stepped forward and saw Scorpius appear on the opposite side of the casket.
"Are these really your memories?" Scorpius riddled. John only glared back.
"Why do you feel such incredible guilt? Did you end this woman's life?" Scorpius inquired. He was puzzled by this memory that had surfaced in the human's mind.
"This is one place I will not allow you to be, Scorpius. Leave now." John ordered with his teeth clenched together. His face was growing more flush by the minute.
"What is so important about this memory that you are trying to hide it from me?" Scorpius pushed on, baring his deteriorating teeth.
"I'm not hiding anything from you, Scorpius! There are certain things in a person's past that are meant to be buried and to stay buried. Leave this memory." John spat. He felt protective of his mother, as if Scorpius was really there or as if any of this was even happening at this moment. "Not everything in my brain contains information about wormholes, Scorpius. Leave. Now."
"John, John, John. Don't you realize? You have the power here. You can get rid of me at any time. You called me here. I had no concerns with this memory. It is you who brought me here and you who can make me disappear." Scorpius stated twisted things around.
John shook his head, nearly laughing at the absurdity of the situation. So many intense emotions had been swirling within him in this memory. As he was mentally experiencing the entire memory all over again, his physical body was suffering as well. He tried to relax his posture.
"Forget it, Harvey. You're dead." John grinned. He closed his right hand into a fist, extending only his index finger and thumb like a gun. He pointed his hand to Scorpius and lowered his thumb. A pulse, much like that of one exiting a pulse pistol, raced from his finger to Scorpius' mid section. The evil soul immediately vanished. And so did the memory.
*****
His mother's death had scarred him. Guilt burned in his stomach for a long time, and though he did not realize it at the moment, the guilt would last a lifetime. It would even haunt him from time to time. John was seated on the shimmering Harley Davidson his father once owned. He had parked the motorcycle on a lonely country road in Florida. Eight extremely long months had passed since his mother's death. The Farscape Project was in its first stages of gaining funding and support from the government and IASA. In fact, earlier that day, John had been turned down once again for government funding. Both he and his partner, DK, had been discouraged. With all these stresses, John had decided taking a ride to the Everglades to get away for a while.
Why am I still stuck in the past? These memories were growing more frequent and intense by the arn. And just as strange as the last memories John had experienced, this one took another leap into the bizarre by skipping instead of playing straight through.
He was on the wrong side of the highway, looking over at Bobby, a co-worker from IASA who often antagonized John. Bobby was seated in his convertible, grinning at John and pumping the accelerator with excitement. It was a challenge that John was in no mood for addressing.
John suddenly realized that this memory had always been sketchy. He allowed the memory to progress.
Smoke swirled into the midnight air, filtering past the taillights of the racing vehicles as they sped down the dark highway. Their roaring engines drowned out the sound of croaking frogs and hooting owls. A turn came up in the relatively flat road. Bobby took a sudden swerve towards John, traveling against the curve. To the best of John's knowledge, there had been a deer. He remembered seeing its frightened eyes in someone's headlights. Had the deer been in his path or Bobby's?
A horrible screeching noise overcame the drone of the roaring engines. John barely remembered rolling over and over until he was so dizzy he couldn't determine up from down. He remembered staring up at those stars, cold and confused. Sensing glaring red lights flashing his way and feeling completely numb. Watching a falling star and remembering that the concept of Farscape One was not a complete disaster if he just tried a little harder.
The remainder of this memory was not as clear, just as it hadn't been originally. John knew he had called DK to pick him up at the hospital. But how long he had been there or why his father hadn't been notified, he could not discern. John did know he had been the only one at the accident scene and there had been no sign of the phantom deer. His bike had been completely destroyed. Dad wouldn't be too happy about that. John had escaped serious injury with only two broken ribs, a sprained wrist, and one hell of a concussion. John remembered telling DK to keep the entire thing quiet. Somehow, he didn't realize at the time that his father would definitely notice the bike missing as well as the bandages John sported.
What's the purpose of this memory? John pondered. The fact that he was witnessing this recent string of flashbacks from life on Earth was puzzling enough. John had tried to connect them in some way, struggling to see if they had meaning. If only Zhaan were here. John felt a twinge of sadness. Zhaan's death was almost as devastating as his mother's. Especially since he felt partially responsible.
John noticed one last thing before falling asleep in his quarters on Moya. How did I get here from Command anyway? And why am I so tired? His mind wandered for a brief microt. Back to the point... Scorpius had been absent from this memory. That along with all else that was really happening complicated everything tenfold.
*****
"Crichton! Wake up, Crichton!" An urgent voice demanded. John felt a hand shaking his shoulder as he slept on his side. Another voice was low with sarcasm. "Why the frell would anyone sleep at a time like this anyway?"
John opened his eyes, immediately squinting in the brightened light of his quarters. Rygel was pushing on John while Jool stood further back with her arms crossed and her face set in a pout.
"What is it?" John grumbled, pulling his body up to sit on the edge of the bed. He rubbed his eyes and looked from Rygel to Jool.
"Everyone's in Command. Something's going on out there and I don't think we should be here anymore. Ugh! Why the frell did I not die like my cousin? It would have been so much easier!" Jool cried.
John shook his head and stood. He felt extremely tired and these two creatures were the last he wanted to be with at the moment. His patience was running thin as well. Rygel grunted.
"Yotz! Not even my thronesled moves that slowly. Let's go!" Rygel demanded.
John gave Rygel a look and headed out of his quarters with Jool and Rygel following close behind.
Their walk to Command was a silent one. Not even Rygel spoke. This alone made John's stomach churn. What could possibly be going on for the crew to not be able to figure out a solution on their own? John turned the corner leading into Command and instantly came to a stop before the opened doorway. He could already see what was going on through the view screen. Rygel and Jool came to his side. John looked to them both and then to the crew standing near the view screen. They turned to look at him as he rushed forward, his jaw opened in shock. A sickening feeling burned deep within.
John came to Aeryn's side, not noticing the slightly panicked look in her eyes. D'Argo had his arm around Chiana and Crais was standing as if at attention. John didn't even take notice that Crais was still here, and not back on Talyn. Stark was cowering behind one of the consoles. Pilot's frightened image was displayed on the clamshell to John's left. John broke away from his shipmates to stand alone in front of the view screen. The silence within Command was deafening.
Before Moya, nearly a hundred metras away, was a swirling blue mass gaining in intensity and speed by the microt. The semi-transparent mass was transforming into an upside-down twister shape with sparks of explosive energy flashing from within. Moya was already beginning to feel the violent pressure being exerted from this phenomenon. The crew could feel her beginning to move involuntarily towards the mass.
None of the crew, even John, had seen anything like it in their entire lives. The swirling mass was both exhilarating and frightening in the same instance.
At that moment, the entire crew realized the same thing. They had to do something immediately or they would not survive this latest encounter. Aeryn, John, and Crais rushed to the manual maneuvering console while D'Argo and Chiana rushed to aid Pilot in his den. Stark, Jool, and Rygel all raced for the furthest corner from the view screen in Command. The fear on their faces was paralleled with the rest of the crew. But before any of the crewmembers made it to their destinations, the unimaginable happened.
Blinding blue flashes of light lit Command to the point where everything within was masked in a blue glow. The frightened eyes of every soul were illuminated. Pilot's image temporarily dissipated. The incredible pull on Moya grew stronger than ever. As the light began to diminish, the swirling twister out the view screen collapsed in on itself with such intensity that Moya began to shake. The crew was sent ferociously crashing into any stationary object in their direct path.
A split micron later everything lay still. Then there was an extreme pulling force on the ship and its inhabitants. The pressure on Moya was almost painful. John was the first to stand up, with the aid of a nearby console to support him in the shaky environment. Aeryn followed suit with Crais. The others clambered up and all stared out the view screen once again. The phenomenon that had caught their attention was now closer to them than ever, filling up the entire view screen. Pilot was already madly trying to get Moya prepared for reverse Starburst.
A few heartbeats and the blink of an eye later, the crew realized they were staring at the face of a massive wormhole. Unstable as it was, the wormhole was strong enough to be pulling them into its jaws. The darkened center leading into an unknown destination resembled an eye, carrying the message of death. The swirling blue and gray matter blending into the darkness of the center was beautiful even if deadly.
However this wormhole had been created, the crew was certain the creators were nearby. And that meant they were the test dummies. Moya began picking up speed towards the wormhole.
"Pilot, get us out of here NOW!" John screamed. Crais motioned to alert Talyn as well.
Moya's exterior lit up with the identical blue light of the wormhole before her. A spark of energy grew at her tail. She unwillingly drew closer to the mouth of the wormhole.
The inhabitants within Moya raced to anything stationary to embrace themselves. They had experienced the inner twisting tunnels of a wormhole before and did not wish the experience even upon their worst enemy. Crais on the other hand, stared at the abyss with awe. He had never experienced such power and chaos.
The energy Moya was producing was exerting her vital nutrients quickly. She grew weaker by the microt, almost as quickly as she was being pulled forward. A tearing hole appeared in one side of the wormhole.
The words John had spoken of the black holes resulting from failed wormholes passed through everyone's minds. This wormhole wasn't meant to last very long. This fact amongst the best moments of their lives passed through their minds. The crew could feel the extreme pull from Moya struggling to reverse. The uphill battle was being lost faster than the wormhole had appeared.
"Talyn! Do you read me! Talyn, we need your assistance!" Crais charged over his comms linked to his gunship.
Talyn was far behind, unbeknownst to the crew. Observing in shock and fear, Talyn witnessed his mother veering straight into the fiery wormhole. Talyn also observed a large Scarran battle ship fast approaching. The ship was smooth and cylindrical in design, concealing any external weapons from view. Talyn prepared to fire and destroy the ship in a race to save his mother.
On Moya, the crew suddenly noticed she was beginning to retreat from the pull of the wormhole. Another tear opened in the wormhole's failing sides. Moya was winning the battle, barely. The brightness of the massive wormhole began to fade. The center began to teeter, causing the outer walls to tremble.
John's heart was racing. His knuckles were drained of color, clenching onto the edge of a console to station his body. John looked at his crewmates to see relief playing onto their faces. Moya pushed even further backwards, increasing her speed. The wormhole began to appear smaller as they moved further away.
Pilot's image appeared on the clamshell, after a brief disappearance, to announce they were out of danger. His mouth opened and the crew turned to look at him. Another blinding flash commenced. Moya shook fiercely, sending everyone to the floor. Before anyone could discern what had happened, the unlucky Leviathan was spiraling downward into the mouth of a newly re-energized wormhole. They had no clue that Talyn and the Scarran battle ship had been pulled in behind them.
To make matters worse, the wormhole began to tear once again. The churning tunnel the ships cascaded through began to collapse in on itself. Flashing blue lights of electrical explosions illuminated the darkened tunnel. An explosion rocketed the surrounding space. The mysterious wormhole collapsed completely and dissipated.
Moya was spiraling with such intensity that a centered gravity was created. The inhabitants within were pinned to the ceiling, unable to move.
A gentle swirling mass below them captured their confused attentions. A mystical figure the crew had known and loved appeared within this mass, smiling at them warmly. Zhaan.
Even though the encounter lasted no longer than a microt, every soul on board Moya had been touched. Time seemed to cease. Zhaan had spoken to them all, through their minds. Her message had been clear and soothing.
Suddenly, Moya tumbled, violently throwing the crew around like salt in a shaker. She began to slow in speed and became slightly stabilized. Moya turned upright and began to sail steadily forward. The crew fell harshly to the floor. Not a single being on the ship was conscious.
The tumbling trio of ships caught in the chaos rolled into a small cluster of asteroids. The asteroids were small, pounding into the sides of the ships like hailstones on an aluminum surface. The ships slowed and came to a silent halt, hovering in a new space, further away than any of the shaken inhabitants within could ever imagine.
*****