"Apparitions"
Time: Twenty-five cycles after Fractures
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it.
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Part One: Prologue
I was having the dream again.
I was standing in the back of Command, looking forward. Aside from myself, the only other person there was a young girl. At thirteen cycles, she already resembled her mother, with the same look of unbending determination on her face, though there was something in her intense blue eyes that shined with her father's personality.
I knew there were others there in Command, but I couldn't see them. My subconscious was playing games again; it likes to hide the people I'm dreaming about so I don't have a clue as to what's going on. Except, I've had this dream so many times I can almost predict what was next.
I looked at the viewing screen on the forward wall and winced. A wormhole twisted angrily, literally tearing a hole in the fabric of space. Even though I couldn't see it, I knew there was a small, almost primitive looking module approaching it, trying to study it, trying to see if this might lead to the right path.
D'Argo's voice came from the left, by the chart table. "John, what's your status?" There was an unmistakable edge to his voice.
Dad sounded tired, but there was a hint of excitement in his voice. "All systems are good, D."
Mom sounded like she always did when flying, completely professional and by the book. "I'm going to make a few passes so John can calibrate the sensors, then we'll get in close. Pilot?"
"The docking web will be ready should it be needed, Officer Sun." The clamshell remained blank. "However, Moya's sensors are picking up a higher than average electron diffusion along the electromagnetic range."
"Got that, Pilot. I'm also picking up a dimensional bend in the halo effect. This could be it, the yellow brick road all the way to the Emerald City."
Stark's voice came from right next to me. "Don't get your hopes up, Crichton. You've been disappointed before."
"I know, Stark, I know. Call me a cockeyed optimist if you must, but."
Static burst from the speakers, cutting Dad off. It lasted for a few microts, but when it cleared, I could hear Mom cursing, apparently at the module's controls. "Controls failing. There's a short in the linkages. Didn't you fix that?"
"We don't have the parts. It was on my shopping list for the next commerce planet." I could hear Dad throwing switches, trying to figure out what else had gone wrong. "Hetch drive is down, too. Aeryn, try the maneuvering thrusters."
I could see the girl step closer to the screen. She pressed her hands against the screen as a look of fear began to cross her face. "Mom? Dad?"
"Thrusters negative. Losing attitude control."
Chiana's anxious voice came from the main console. "Pilot.!"
"Docking web ready. We're on our way, but Moya doesn't think we'll make it in time."
I knew Moya was trying her hardest to accelerate as fast as she could, but she was such a massive ship that, despite her powerful engines, it still took time for her to build up the initial forward momentum.
She would fall just short.
The girl was pounding on the screen, screaming and crying, begging her parents to come back to her. Chiana appeared suddenly, one arm around the girl's shoulders, trying to calm her down.
Dad sounded resigned. "No good. We've got nothing but comms and life support."
I could hear anger building in D'Argo's voice. "We're coming. If you can hold on for."
From the sound of it, Mom was still fighting with the dead controls. "Impossible, D'Argo. All control systems are dead. We'll be crossing the event horizon in about a microt. Is Vanessa there?"
"I'm here, Mom." The girl tried to sound strong, but her lips were quivering and tears were running down her face.
"Be strong. You'll be all right. You're with your family. Remember what we've taught you."
She lost all control and started sobbing, holing onto Chiana in desperation. "I will, Mom."
"Vanessa, we don't have a lot of time." Dad sounded like he was tearing up, too. "We love you very much, Vanessa. We lo."
The comm went dead. On the screen, the wormhole flared then collapsed onto itself. A microt later, it was gone.
Moya past through the last known position of the module, but it wasn't there. There was no sign of it anywhere.
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With a gasp, I opened my eyes and looked around. Seeing myself in my quarters on Moya eased my shock a little. But only a little.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, rested my elbows on my knees and buried my face in my hands. "Frell," I muttered. "Just a little variation in the dream. Just once. That's all I ask." I raised my head and looked around again. My room was filled with all the clutter I'd collected in the ten cycles since Mom and Dad disappeared. One wall was covered with all the images we'd had up until that day. Aside from their belongings, they were all I had to remember them.
A hand gently touched my back. "Vanessa? Are you all right?"
I glanced to my right. Mattis was watching me. His face was calm, but I could see concern in his eyes. That's why I love this man; he can worry about me without making it obvious.
I nodded. "Yeah, fine."
"Had the dream again?"
Another nod. "You'd think that after ten cycles, it would go away. But, no. My subconscious just can't let go. I don't know why it still bothers me; I was only thirteen at the time. There wasn't a whole helluva lot I could have done."
Mattis nodded slowly. "True. But feeling like you should have done something is just what I'd expect from Vanessa Sun, daughter of John Crichton and Aeryn Sun."
I turned back to him and forced a smile onto my face. "And stating the incredibly obvious is just what I'd expect from a Peacekeeper."
"Now, wait a microt. I was just a Tech."
I smiled again, leaned close and kissed him. "Now you're splitting hairs." I stood, stretched and went to the closet for a towel. "Let me scrub down. We have to work on that transport pod today."
"Isn't that what the DRDs are for?"
"I like working with my hands."
Mattis laughed. "Don't I know it."
Something bumped into my foot. Looking down, I saw a DRD there, looking up at me. I smiled down at him then glanced up. Chiana may have stepped in when Mom and Dad disappeared, but I always knew Moya was watching over me, too. I gently touched the wall. "I'm all right, Moya. Just had the nightmare again. Everything's all right."
Was I all right? Sure, physically. Mentally was another story.
If only I could stop having the nightmare.
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TO BE CONTINUED
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it.
---------------------------------------
Part One: Prologue
I was having the dream again.
I was standing in the back of Command, looking forward. Aside from myself, the only other person there was a young girl. At thirteen cycles, she already resembled her mother, with the same look of unbending determination on her face, though there was something in her intense blue eyes that shined with her father's personality.
I knew there were others there in Command, but I couldn't see them. My subconscious was playing games again; it likes to hide the people I'm dreaming about so I don't have a clue as to what's going on. Except, I've had this dream so many times I can almost predict what was next.
I looked at the viewing screen on the forward wall and winced. A wormhole twisted angrily, literally tearing a hole in the fabric of space. Even though I couldn't see it, I knew there was a small, almost primitive looking module approaching it, trying to study it, trying to see if this might lead to the right path.
D'Argo's voice came from the left, by the chart table. "John, what's your status?" There was an unmistakable edge to his voice.
Dad sounded tired, but there was a hint of excitement in his voice. "All systems are good, D."
Mom sounded like she always did when flying, completely professional and by the book. "I'm going to make a few passes so John can calibrate the sensors, then we'll get in close. Pilot?"
"The docking web will be ready should it be needed, Officer Sun." The clamshell remained blank. "However, Moya's sensors are picking up a higher than average electron diffusion along the electromagnetic range."
"Got that, Pilot. I'm also picking up a dimensional bend in the halo effect. This could be it, the yellow brick road all the way to the Emerald City."
Stark's voice came from right next to me. "Don't get your hopes up, Crichton. You've been disappointed before."
"I know, Stark, I know. Call me a cockeyed optimist if you must, but."
Static burst from the speakers, cutting Dad off. It lasted for a few microts, but when it cleared, I could hear Mom cursing, apparently at the module's controls. "Controls failing. There's a short in the linkages. Didn't you fix that?"
"We don't have the parts. It was on my shopping list for the next commerce planet." I could hear Dad throwing switches, trying to figure out what else had gone wrong. "Hetch drive is down, too. Aeryn, try the maneuvering thrusters."
I could see the girl step closer to the screen. She pressed her hands against the screen as a look of fear began to cross her face. "Mom? Dad?"
"Thrusters negative. Losing attitude control."
Chiana's anxious voice came from the main console. "Pilot.!"
"Docking web ready. We're on our way, but Moya doesn't think we'll make it in time."
I knew Moya was trying her hardest to accelerate as fast as she could, but she was such a massive ship that, despite her powerful engines, it still took time for her to build up the initial forward momentum.
She would fall just short.
The girl was pounding on the screen, screaming and crying, begging her parents to come back to her. Chiana appeared suddenly, one arm around the girl's shoulders, trying to calm her down.
Dad sounded resigned. "No good. We've got nothing but comms and life support."
I could hear anger building in D'Argo's voice. "We're coming. If you can hold on for."
From the sound of it, Mom was still fighting with the dead controls. "Impossible, D'Argo. All control systems are dead. We'll be crossing the event horizon in about a microt. Is Vanessa there?"
"I'm here, Mom." The girl tried to sound strong, but her lips were quivering and tears were running down her face.
"Be strong. You'll be all right. You're with your family. Remember what we've taught you."
She lost all control and started sobbing, holing onto Chiana in desperation. "I will, Mom."
"Vanessa, we don't have a lot of time." Dad sounded like he was tearing up, too. "We love you very much, Vanessa. We lo."
The comm went dead. On the screen, the wormhole flared then collapsed onto itself. A microt later, it was gone.
Moya past through the last known position of the module, but it wasn't there. There was no sign of it anywhere.
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With a gasp, I opened my eyes and looked around. Seeing myself in my quarters on Moya eased my shock a little. But only a little.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, rested my elbows on my knees and buried my face in my hands. "Frell," I muttered. "Just a little variation in the dream. Just once. That's all I ask." I raised my head and looked around again. My room was filled with all the clutter I'd collected in the ten cycles since Mom and Dad disappeared. One wall was covered with all the images we'd had up until that day. Aside from their belongings, they were all I had to remember them.
A hand gently touched my back. "Vanessa? Are you all right?"
I glanced to my right. Mattis was watching me. His face was calm, but I could see concern in his eyes. That's why I love this man; he can worry about me without making it obvious.
I nodded. "Yeah, fine."
"Had the dream again?"
Another nod. "You'd think that after ten cycles, it would go away. But, no. My subconscious just can't let go. I don't know why it still bothers me; I was only thirteen at the time. There wasn't a whole helluva lot I could have done."
Mattis nodded slowly. "True. But feeling like you should have done something is just what I'd expect from Vanessa Sun, daughter of John Crichton and Aeryn Sun."
I turned back to him and forced a smile onto my face. "And stating the incredibly obvious is just what I'd expect from a Peacekeeper."
"Now, wait a microt. I was just a Tech."
I smiled again, leaned close and kissed him. "Now you're splitting hairs." I stood, stretched and went to the closet for a towel. "Let me scrub down. We have to work on that transport pod today."
"Isn't that what the DRDs are for?"
"I like working with my hands."
Mattis laughed. "Don't I know it."
Something bumped into my foot. Looking down, I saw a DRD there, looking up at me. I smiled down at him then glanced up. Chiana may have stepped in when Mom and Dad disappeared, but I always knew Moya was watching over me, too. I gently touched the wall. "I'm all right, Moya. Just had the nightmare again. Everything's all right."
Was I all right? Sure, physically. Mentally was another story.
If only I could stop having the nightmare.
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TO BE CONTINUED