Disclaimer:  The rights to Pitch Black don't belong to me... ::grin::  I just love to use the characters... but... I'm a college student and VERY VERY broke.. don't sue...pllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease??

Notes::  I just watched this movie twice in one day.  It's just soo damned cool that I haaaaaaaaaaad to do this... not too sure where its going yet... but all hell should break loose eventually.

Survial Comes First

by: Kei-chan

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We made it.  We got off that blasted planet, and now were on our way back to... where?  Where were we going to go?  I turned as I saw someone sit down beside me at the console.

"We gotta go to New Mecca."

Johns.  What a snake of a man.  I almost wish Riddick had killed him when he had the chance... almost.

"We can't," I told him.

"What do you mean, we can't?  I gotta get Riddick back to Slam."

I glared at him.  He was such an asshole.  "Johns, Riddick saved all our lives.  If it weren't for him, we'd all be dead.  Besides," I turned back to the controls.  "There was a reason we were in cyro-sleep.  It would take us years to get there, and we're on an emergency ship with no food or water."

"Fry's right."

Imam.  For being Islamic, he definitely held his own against those creatures, even after all three of his sons were killed.

"Carolyn."  God, that man was so fucking irritating.  "I have to get him back."

I felt my anger boil over.  "Goddamn it, Johns!  I'm telling you.  We can't get there.  We have to head to the nearest city."

"Which is?"

I turned back to the controls, brought up the navigation maps.  "The closest place is Nuatra, 14 hours away."

Johns punched the console.  "Son of a bitch!"

"Hey, Johns... save it.  All you want is your fucking money anyway."

I heard a low laughter.  It started out soft, then became raucously loud.  I stood up, walked a little toward the back, where Jack was sleeping on one of the benches.  Johns strapped Riddick to the hatch with some cord.  We all knew he could break those ropes in seconds, but Riddick had yet to make his move.  He was laughing, laughing as though the whole thing was amusing.

"You are a fool, Johns," he said, still grinning sardonically.  "As soon as this ship lands, I'm gone."

I looked at Johns, whose face was bright red.  He jumped up, still holding onto the shotgun, and pointed it at Riddick's head.  "You sure about that?"

I stood in front of Riddick, staring down Johns.  "Put that thing down, Johns.  I am the captain of this ship, so you will listen to me."

Jack woke up then, ran to Imam.  He grasped the girl by the shoulders, and they watched us.  I could feel Riddick's eyes on me as well, but I kept staring at Johns, challenging him.

After a few seconds, but felt like an eternity, he lowered the gun.  "Aye-aye, captain."

"Fuck you," I spat.  "And you know what?  Take those ropes off Riddick."

"What?"

"I said, take the ropes off.  I won't have anyone strapped down on my ship."  Johns gawked at me.  He couldn't believe what I saying... hell, I couldn't believe what I was saying.

"Fry, he's an escaped serial killer.  What makes you so sure that he won't kill us all and fly this ship off somewhere?"

I looked at Riddick, who stared back at me with an incredulous look in his glowing silver eyes.  I couldn't understand it, but I trusted him more than I trusted myself, and definitely more than I trusted Johns.  "He won't," I said.  "He won't."  I repeated the words, mainly for myself than for them.

Johns dropped the shotgun, threw his arms up.  "Fine, Fry.  You wanna kill us all?  That's great.  Here."  He threw a knife at me, which I caught easily.  "Cut him loose.  See how long we live."

"The only person who has to fear for his life is you, Johns," I muttered.  I turned to Riddick.  His eyes were still on me, appraising.  I cut the ropes that tied his arms down, and knelt to get the ones on his ankles.  I stood up, and saw there was still a rope that was bolted to the hatch and wrapped around his neck.  I cut it carefully, so I didn't catch his neck.  Riddick stretched his arms, rubbed his neck.  "Why, thank you, Carolyn," he said.

Johns was sitting on the unoccupied bench, head leaned back against the wall.  "You've killed us all..." he said helplessly.

I strode passed him to the pilots chair.  Imam and Jack sat on bench opposite  Johns... which left one place left for Riddick.  I barely looked at him as he sat in the copilot's seat.  "Why did you do that?" he asked after a while.

"Because," I answered him truthfully.  "I can't stand Johns, and I thought he might try something.  He doesn't have his damned morphine now, and he's bound to get antsy and a little crazy."

"And?"

"And... if he does... then I figured you wouldn't have any objection to killing the bastard.  I know I wouldn't mind."

What the hell was I saying?  I was basically telling Riddick to go ahead and kill Johns... but I really couldn't care.  He wanted to use Jack as bait on the planet, to get us to the ship.  How could I forgive him for something like that?  Riddick, at least... even though he tried to leave us there... something stopped him.  What was it?

"What was what?"

I jumped, startled out of my thoughts.  "I'm sorry?"

Riddick was studying me.  "You just said 'What was it?' so I'm asking, what was what?"

"I said that aloud?"  Shit... Way to go Carolyn... just start speaking your thoughts.

He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

I spun the chair so it was facing him, he did the same and we were sitting there, face to face.  "What stopped you from leaving us down there?" I asked him, keeping my voice low.

He leaned in putting his face only inches from my own.  "What stopped me?  Carolyn.. I may be a murderer, but no one should die like that.  You couldn't see what happened with the others.  And you don't want to ever have to."

I sighed.  He was right... but behind those eyes of his... I knew there was another reason that he didn't leave us.  He had plenty of time after putting us in the cave to take off.  And when I stood in front of the ship, he didn't look surprised to see me.  It seemed as though he was waiting for me.  And me?  He nearly got me to just leave with him.  He had a power over me... and he knew it.  Something was there... what it was, I didn't know.  Maybe the stress of being stuck with him just messed my head all up.  I realized I was still staring at him, our faces close enough that I could hear him breathing.

I backed away quickly.  "At any rate.  We need to get our story straight."

"What story?"

"Dammit Riddick.  You saved me... you saved us... you think I'm going to let a gutless coward like Johns put you away for that?"

He leaned back in the chair, brought a knee up to rest his chin on.  "I am a murderer, Carolyn.  Saving four lives does nothing to the record of how many people I've killed."

Once again... he was right.  But... it meant something to me.  I didn't know how most people were, but I was pretty damned thankful when someone saved my life.  Even if that someone was a killer.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" I heard him whisper.

I shook my head, focused my attention on the moving space before us.  "Nevermind.  I'm still telling them that Riddick died on that planet."  Suddenly, I was very aware of how tired I truly was.  I yawned.

"Go on in the back and get some rest."

While you slice all our necks?" I asked, a wry smile forming on my face.  I was kidding, and he knew it.

"Yeah, and then I'll dump all the bodies out the trash shoot and fly to Nuatra myself."  He grinned... an actual, real grin.  "Go on."  He nodded.

The cool steel of the bench was welcome on my hot face as I lay down.  I saw that Johns was asleep, his head lolled back, resting against the wall.  On the other bench, Imam looked much the same way, with Jack's head resting on his lap.  His arm sat on the girl's side, protectively.  I guessed that since his sons were killed, he sort-of adopted Jack.  I drifted off to sleep, still thinking about Riddick and how it seemed I was the only person... besides Jack... who actually trusted him, and thinking about why.

They were after me again.  Their whooping sounds reverberated through my head, drove me crazy.  I felt the wind from the power of their wings hit me in the face.  Fear cast its icy grip on my throat, stopped my breathing.  I was in a panic, frozen.  It was dark all around... but.. there!  A light... coming my way.

"Carolyn."

Riddick!  Oh thank god!  I lurched forward into him.  His unoccupied arm went around my waist.  "It's time to go."

I froze again.  His voice had changed.  It was higher, and had taken on a southern twang.  I looked up into his face.. only, it wasn't his face.  Johns stared back at me, a sinister grin twisting his lips.

"Johns?"

He pushed me away from him.  "I'm getting off this planet, Fry.  But you... you'll never leave."  And then, he walked away, plunging me into darkness.  I felt the beasts creeping closer.  One grabbed my foot.  I screamed, ripped it out of its grasp... but it was too late.  They descended on me.  I could feel their teeth begin tearing the flesh from my body.  The pain was excruciating.  I looked up, and saw the face of one of the things, coming closer to my own face, its teeth bared.  Closer... closer... I could feel its hot, meaty breath now, dangerously close to my face.  And, when it opened its mouth to swallow me...

I came awake with a yelp, leapt up off the bench, and connected with a solid body.  Strong arms went around my waist, held me up.  I turned to look at the face, and stared into silver-hued eyes.  "Riddick," I breathed.

"You all right?" he asked, still holding me.

"Yeah... just a creepy dream about those things."

Riddick nodded.  He knew full well that I could stand on my own, yet, his arms were still around my waist.

"How long was I out?"

He shrugged.  "'Bout six hours."

"Really?"  I squirmed a little.  "You can let go of me now, Riddick."

"You sure?"

I pushed his arms away, more because if he held on a moment longer, I'd either freak out, or collapse into him.  "Of course I'm sure.  Are the others still out?"

"Yep.  Jack woke up for about ten minutes, but I told her to go back to sleep."

I made my way back up to the cockpit, slumped into the chair.  "You can crash, if you want.  You may try to look tough, but I know you're tired."

Instead of going to the back as I had intended, he crawled into the copilot seat, pushed a button so it was leaning back, rested his feet on an empty spot on the console, and put his hands behind his head.

"I think I will get some sleep."

I breathed a sigh of relief.  Truth was, I most definitely felt something for him.  In fact, when I first spoke to him when he was chained in the ship, there was something.  Fascination, perhaps, or intrigue.  And that time when I was in the emergency ship, and he had snuck in.  I nearly threw myself at him when he was so close.  He did something to me... something no man had been able to do to me for a long time.  He made me feel.

Several hours later, I was almost dozing in the seat, simply watching the stars and planets pass by, when Riddick awoke.  He sat up with a start, blinked, and rubbed his eyes.  The sound of the chair thudding back to the floor aroused the others.  Jack stood up first, came up to stand between the seats.

"How far away are we?" she asked, yawning.

"About an hour out," I replied, switching off the autopilot and taking the controls.  I pointed to a rapidly approaching dot in the distance.  "There's Nuatra."  I heard Johns and Imam coming up from behind.  Johns' breath was coming in pained gasps.  "What's wrong, Johns?  Feeling less than stellar?"

"Shut up, bitch!" he said, through clenched teeth.

"She was right, you know," Jack spoke up, glaring up at him.  "She let Riddick go and we still got here okay."

"Flight's not over yet," he mumbled, then staggered back to the bench.

"Go strap in," I instructed the others.  "This ride might get bumpy."

"Why?" Imam asked.

"We have practically no fuel."

Imam ushered Jack back to the bench, strapped her and himself in.  I threw the harness around my shoulders with one hand, but I couldn't clasp it, unless I let go of the controls, and that would send the ship spinning out of control.  I tried again, using one hand, but the damned clasp wouldn't click.  Then, I felt hands pull the harness tight around me and clasp together in the front, across my chest.

Riddick allowed his hands to linger just a tiny bit longer than he should have, and in that tiny bit, I felt electricity pouring from his fingers.  He sat down then and strapped himself in.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem."

I clicked a button, turned the radio on.  "Nuatra command.  This is Captain Carolyn Fry of the Hunger-Gratzner."

"Go ahead Captain."

The relief I felt at that voice on the other end of the radio was intense.  I felt a few tears forming in my eyes, but held them back.  "Our ship crashed on desert planet and I had to pilot this emergency ship.  Problem is... we're nearly out of fuel.  Can you assist?"

There was a few seconds of silence over the radio.

"Affirmative Captain.  Get as close as you can, we'll do the rest."

"Thank you command, Captain out."

I switched the radio off, leaned back a bit more comfortably in the chair.  "Home free," I said.

Riddick glanced over his shoulder at Johns, who stared back at him with a crazed look on his face.  "At least for some of us."

"I won't let him take you in, Riddick," I told him.  "As soon as we land, I'll hit or something and you can get away."

He said nothing, but stared at me.  "You'd do that for me?" he asked after a moment.

I nodded, avoiding his eyes.  "You saved us, Riddick.  Even after I almost killed all of you to save my own ass.  I owe you."

A snort came from him.  "You owe me?  You owe me..."  He sat in thought, and in that moment... I wished I was psychic.  "Carolyn... I don't think I'll ever understand you."

"That makes two of us."

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An hour later, four of us stood on the solid, green grass of Nuatra.  I had distracted Johns by smacking him in the head while Riddick ran out of the hatch.  By the time Johns figured out what was going on, Richard B. Riddick was gone.

"I guess it's time to go hunting," he remarked coldly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on me.

"Johns..." I strolled up to him, gazed defiantly in his eyes.  "You won't find him.  He's gone.  Move on."

He reached up and grabbed my shoulders painfully, then thrust me roughly backwards.  I landed on my ass, and watched as he stood over me.  "Oh no, Fry.  I will find him.  And when I do... well, let's just say the Slam won't have to deal with him."

"You wouldn't!" Jack yelled.

"Damn right I would.  That man is stone cold killer – "

"Who saved your life, asshole," I interrupted.  Imam pulled me up, and the three of us faced Johns.  "William Johns, I hope to never see you again."

He stood there for a moment... stumbling for words, then simply turned a walked away.  I turned to the others.  "What are you guys going to do?"

"I am still going to go to New Mecca.  I started this pilgrimage.  And I am going to end it."  Imam stood tall, confident.

Jack gazed up at him.  "Imam... can I go with you?  Can I become a Muslim?"

"Jack, what about your family?"

She looked at the ground.  "I never want to see them again."

I sighed, but Imam came to my rescue.  "That's okay, Jack.  I will teach you the ways of Islam, and we will pilgrimage together."

I gave each of them a hug, bid them good luck, and made my weary way into the city to find a hotel.

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There's nothing like hot, refreshing water blasting down your back to make you feel better.  I stood in the shower of my hotel room, cleaning away days of dirt and grime.  The horrible memories remained, however.  Nothing could wash away thoughts of those vicious bird-like monsters and how they devoured everything that had flesh... including each other.

I shivered involuntarily, decided it was time to get out of the shower.  I turned the water off and stepped out into the bathroom, dried myself off and put on the terry cloth robe the hotel left for me.

Wandering out into the bedroom, I flicked the television on.

"And the hunt continues for the escaped convicted killer Richard B. Riddick.  Rumors say that the murderer was killed on a remote planet, but authorities continue their search..."

I shook my head.  Hopefully, Riddick was long gone, and they would never find him.  "Life free..." I muttered.

"I'm trying."

I couldn't move.  I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Riddick was behind me, and yet, I couldn't turn and face him.  I stood there, body rigid.  "What are you doing here?" I whispered.

I heard him step softly up behind me, much as he did in the ship that day on the planet.  "I didn't know where to go, so I followed you."

"Why?"  My voice wasn't working well, so everything I said was barely a whisper.

He bent his head so his lips were right by my ear.  "Because, Carolyn... I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask me what?"

His hands rested lightly on my shoulders.  "Why?"

I couldn't think.  The question made no sense to me.. why what?  Why was the fucking sky blue?  "Why what, Riddick?"

"Why didn't you kill everyone on that ship as it was crashing?  What stopped you?"  My own words echoed in my head, asking him the same thing.  I could feel my self-control begin to slip away.  I couldn't tell him the truth.. but there was nothing else to say.

"Nothing."

Time froze.  Neither one of us said anything.  We stood in the middle of the bedroom, he behind me with his hands on my shoulders, me in front scarcely breathing.

"Nothing?" he echoed after a moment.

"I pulled the switch, Riddick.  I had every intention of dumping all forty passengers to save my ass.  But you know what?  There was a malfunction of some sort, and it didn't work."

I felt him smiling behind me.  "You really meant to kill us.  I like that."

The tears came out of nowhere.  They rose up and spilled down my cheeks before I even registered that they were there.  I dropped to my knees on the carpet, sobbing, finally letting the truth out.  I was no better than Riddick, I realized... worse, actually, because in the end.. he redeemed himself.  I kept crying, until I felt strong hands on my waist, lifting me.

"Carolyn.  Listen to me.  You meant to kill so you could live.  There is nothing wrong with that."  He turned me toward him, his eyes hidden behind his goggles.  "Survival comes first."

The intensity in which he said that last line brought me out of my reverie.  "What do you mean?"

"They're here."

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Dun dun dun.... To be continued!!  Muahahahaah!!!!