Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the original characters, the rest in the story are mine.
Prologue:
Crais opened his eyes, the sound in his head was deafening. Talyn was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He thought initiating starburst in the bay of the command carrier would have surely killed them both, but, surprisingly he was still alive, only injured. Talyn was near death. The stars and planets outside his window were frighteningly unfamiliar. He closed his eyes again. Calling to Talyn, do not be afraid. I am still here with you. He could sense the pain in the young Leviathan. Most of his tails were missing and portions of his underside. "Talyn," he said quietly. "Shut down the pain receptors in the missing sections." Talyn did so and some of the pain and disorientation dissipated. "Good. Now scan for any transmissions from the planets and moons."
"This is Captain Billy Bob with morning traffic." He heard, it sounded familiar. "Talyn locate the source of the transmission."
Chapter 1:
Sam stretched when Radar stuck his warm, wet nose against her eyelid for the third time. She rolled over to look at the dog standing next to her bed. He wagged his tail when she opened one eye. "Alright pooch. You do know it's Saturday, right?"
Radar cocked his shaggy head and backed up when she swung her legs off the edge of the large four poster bed. She ran her fingers through her short blond hair and stumbled into the bathroom. Radar stood in the doorway looking at her.
"Give me a minute, I got business too…" Ever since Paul left she found herself talking to the pets more and more. She finished and grabbed her robe and glasses. She let Radar out and went to sit on the broad porch to wait. She listened to the birds in the trees and the chipmunks fighting beneath her. She stretched her legs out in front of her, wiggling her toes in the warm sun. Radar returned and plopped something at her feet. It was a small lump of melted metal.
"What've you got now?" she asked grabbing the porch broom to poke the object; nothing moved or seemed out of place. Could it possibly be a car part? Since she moved in she had yet to look over the entire property. "Dumb dog, where do you find this junk? This was supposed to be 300 acres of mountainside with nothing but nature and this house. I will never understand you." She left the lump on the porch and dragged the reluctant Radar back inside. As soon as she walked into the huge country kitchen Bogart appeared, right on schedule, meowing for breakfast. Sam pulled out the can of cat food and put it on the dish on the counter. Bogart brushed past her, rubbing his head on her arm in gratitude. She poured Radar a scoop of food and made a pot of coffee. After she finished with breakfast she put the dishes in the sink and headed upstairs.
"Guess this Saturday is as good as any to go see what's out there. Come on Radar." Radar followed her back upstairs into the master bedroom. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, the scars on her face, neck and shoulder seemed lighter. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. Oh well, on with life. Soon she was showered and dressed in a pair of khaki walking shorts, a white sport top and white short sleeve oxford shirt. With a pair of socks in hand she went downstairs to find her hiking boots. She grabbed her walking stick and a bottle of water on her way out the door, Radar ran off in front. She locked the door and slipped the keys in her pocket. Even sitting on 300 acres of fenced land, she was still a city girl at heart.
Sam and Radar had been walking for about thirty minutes when she heard him barking off to her left, down in the ravine. "Radar knock if off, leave the poor animal alone." Radar was quiet for a moment before beginning to bark again. "Dumb dog." She veered off the path and down into the ravine. She stopped when she saw the huge can shaped object. From her vantage point it looked like a strange shaped tractor trailer, with legs instead of wheels. Could someone be dumping on her property? She started forward again, now holding the walking stick like a weapon. Radar was standing near a dark lump at the front, barking and whining. She moved closer, it was a man. He was lying on his side and appeared unconscious. She poked him in the shoulder with her stick. He did not move. She bent down to check his pulse. He was cool to the touch but seemed to have a steady pulse. As she stood up to go back to the house and call the police he grabbed her wrist. He mumbled something in a language she did not understand and pulled her on the ground next to him. She tried to scream but he put his hand over her mouth. Radar ran off whimpering and the man turned his gaze back to her. She started to have a panic attack. The assault was coming back to her. She tried to struggle and get away but dragged her into the trailer. She could see lights and controls but she did not understand the symbols. He shoved her into a chair and tied her to it with what seemed like cable. She was shaking in fear, he tied her legs and stepped away. A small round robot type bug raced up to her and stuck her in the ankle with something, it stung like a needle. She yelped and the man turned around. His face was pale, it was then she noticed a large burn on his arm and he looked as if he was ill. He said something to her again and she actually recognized a few words: I, here, where? He stopped talking and moved closer.
"I…will…not…hurt…you." Slowly kneeling in front of her with his hands clasped in front of him.
"Who are you?" Sam said firmly, regaining some of her nerve. Never let them see your fear her grandmother said years ago. "What are you doing on my property?"
"I am Bialar Crais…What is the name of this planet?"
"Oh God…" Sam mumbled a space cadet. Of all the backwoods places, she had a nut case living on her property and did not even know it. "You don't know? Where have you been?"
"The Uncharted Territories." He said plainly. "Now answer my question!"
"Look I don't know what you want or who you are but get off my piece of planet earth. I bought this large farm to get a way from nutcases like you." He stood up. She thought she upset him. She was afraid he would kill her for mouthing off. Her big mouth always seemed to get her into trouble. No one would find her body for years possibly, the tears began to flow. The man put his hand on her shoulder. Sam flinched.
"Do not fear. I promise I will not hurt you." He looked sincere but she was not taking any chances. He sat in the chair next to hers. "Did you say Earth?"
Sam decided to play along; maybe she could get out of this with her life. "Yes Earth. E-A-R-T-H, Earth."
"Crichton said he was from Earth."
"Crichton?"
"An acquaintance. From your planet, a space traveler."
"Wait I remember an astronaut who disappeared a few years ago. His name was Crichton. Joe, Jim, Jeff…"
"John." The man said "John Crichton, Commander John Crichton. He disappeared into a wormhole three cycles ago in his Farscape module." He paused to take a breath. "He was trying some sort of maneuver and just disappeared."
"So you are from earth. Everybody knows that John Crichton disappeared. It is assumed that he is dead."
"No he is not dead and I am not from Earth, I am from the Uncharted Territories. I have met John Crichton."
"He disappeared 3 years ago. You are saying you met him recently or years ago."
"I saw him just 1 solar day ago. I originally encountered him three cycles ago. When he first slipped into the Uncharted Territories." He moved away. He picked up a small chip and placed it into the slot in front of him. An image of a man popped up. "Crais, where is Wynona?" Sam was amazed. It looked like the Astronaut John Crichton, though he looked a little different the voice was the same. She had seen a television interview before he went on his mission. They had played it regularly when he first disappeared. She remembered watching it on TV when she was having lunch at her old office, before the attack. He showed her another clip of Crichton showing Aeryn the star charts and trying to explain his. Sam shook her head.
"I must be dreaming," Sam closed her eyes
"No I believe you are awake." She heard him moving closer, "I believe I am not dead, though I thought I would be."
"What?" Sam opened her eyes and looked at him again, he seemed paler. "What do you mean?"
Crais explained the short version of what had happened aboard the Peacekeeper Command Carrier and surmised that there must have been another wormhole opened when he and Talyn starbursted and that is how he ended up on Earth. Sam just stared at him.
"Maybe I am crazy too but I am beginning to believe you. I need more proof. This could all be an elaborate ruse."
"Please let me show you before the power is gone from this pod." Crais pulled up some of his journals and other videos of interactions with John and Aeryn and the others. He then pulled up the signal from the local television station that he locked onto earlier. They were showing pictures of something sitting on the moon. Sam recognized it from the video's that the stranger had just shown her.
"That is Talyn. He is dying."
"He?"
"He is a Leviathan. A space vessel, part living sentient being, part mechanical craft. Like Moya, his mother. I will die too if I can not get this off my neck." He turned raising his ponytail. Sam could see the hand of friendship.
"What is that?"
"It is a neural link to Talyn. He will not let me touch it. Perhaps you could help. If I release you do you promise not to run?"
"I promise." For some reason she began to trust him. Crais released her. She noticed he was getting paler and beginning to sweat more. He closed his eyes, she could see him gritting his teeth in pain.
"It has to come off soon. I will bleed at first. Do not be frightened."
"I used to be a doctor. I think I can handle a little blood." Sam smiled finally. Crais knelt on the floor in front of her. His breathing was becoming labored.
"When I give you the signal, grab it and pull quickly, straight back."
"Okay."
"Now." He whispered. "Good bye Talyn. You have died a valiant death. A hero in the end."
Sam grabbed the hand of friendship and pulled it from Crais' neck. Blood began running down his neck as he keeled over unconscious on the floor. Sam took her outer shirt off and poured some of her water on it before placing it on the wound. She knew she needed to get him back to the house but could not figure out how to do it. He was much to large to carry and she could not get her Navigator down into the ravine. Paul had taken the 4 wheeler when he left.
"Damn" she said quietly to herself. She checked the wound on his neck again. The bleeding had slowed. His respiration also slowed. Sam just sat there. She did not want to leave him now that he was unconscious. She crouched beside him, she raised her hand to her face and studied his blood, it was red like hers but smelled somehow different. She walked around in the transport pod. "What if he is from somewhere else, what am I going to do with him. How do I explain him." She looked at some of the writing. She was beginning to understand the symbols. She heard a groan behind her. Crais had rolled to his side and was mumbling something.
"Talyn, Talyn, Talyn," he was saying. Sam walked back over and touched his shoulder. He grabbed her wrist as he was opening his eyes.
"Sir." Sam said quietly.
"Please call me Crais." He replied as he released her.
"Crais. Can you walk? I need to get you back to my house and look at your wound closer. But I have no vehicle that will make it down into the ravine."
"You trust me enough to let me in your home."
"Yes. For now. Though if you try anything I will call the police."
"Police?"
"They protect people, capture criminals."
"I will not harm you."
"Okay. Let's get you up." She extended her hand and helped him to his feet. "Before we go let me check your wound one more time." She stood on tiptoe to check the back of his neck. It was still oozing blood and fluid. She tied the oxford shirt around his neck. "This should keep it clean."
Crais just watched her. He was feeling woozy and lost. It had been so long since he was the only one in his head, he found he missed Talyn greatly. More than almost anyone or anything other than his parents and brother. What a strange twist of fate. He was on Earth where John wanted to be and John was somewhere in the Uncharted Territories with Aeryn where Crais wanted to be. He shook his head and followed Sam. He noticed the scars on her arms, legs and neck as he followed behind. He also noticed the scar on her face. She walked slowly, occasionally turning to see if he was still following. When he leaned against a tree to rest she came back to check on the wound. She did not say anything. When she was finished she just stood quietly waiting. Crais straightened up and they began again. Just before they reached the clearing where the house stood Sam whistled and the creature that ran off whimpering earlier came to greet her.
"Radar, you big coward." Sam replied.
She touched the creature and it seemed to wag a strange appendage on its hindquarters. Crais stopped and looked at the large animal. He had never seen anything like it. Sam turned and smiled at him.
"He won't hurt you, his bark is bigger than his bite."
"What is it?" Crais asked.
"You really don't know do you?" Sam replied. "It is called a dog. He is a pet, a companion animal." Sam patted the dog on the head. "He was a stray mutt I adopted from the pound." She grabbed the dog's collar. "I'll put him in the basement when we get in the house while I attend to your wound. He won't mind. Follow me."
Sam led Crais to the large Victorian house in the clearing. She unlocked the door and opened it. Crais follwed her into the large airy kitchen and Sam motioned to him to sit in one of the chairs. She disappeared down the back hall with Radar. She returned shortly without the dog, carrying a black bag.
"I was a doctor, technically I still am a doctor. Now let me look at the wound again."
Crais said nothing as he untied her shirt from his neck and held his hair out of the way. The wound had finally stopped bleeding. Sam took betadine solution from her bag and put it on gauze. She cleaned the wound as best she could without causing it to begin bleeding again. Crais was gritting his teeth and perspiring. Sam put some antibiotic cream on before bandaging it. When she was done with his neck she cleaned and bandaged the wound on his arm as well. "Hopefully there will be no infection. Now follow me. You need some fluids and some rest. I will warn you now. I still do not fully trust you and I have a weapon in my home and know how to use it."
"Please, I will not harm you, just let me rest." He quietly followed her up the stairs into the spare room. She showed him where the bathroom was and told him she would be back up in a minute with some fluids and some other clothing to change into. Sam told him she once shared the home with a man and he left some of his clothing when he moved away. She thought the clothing would fit him well enough.
When Sam returned a few minutes later Crais was sound asleep on the bed dressed only in a pair of shorts. She could see the bruises on his ribs and the small scars. She placed her hand lightly on his forehead and he opened his eyes. He was still cool to the touch.
"I'm sorry. I was just checking to see if you had a fever." She reached over and grabbed a glass of water. "Drink this and rest. I will check on you later."
Sam walked into the den across the hall and turned on the TV, the news was doing a report on the object on the surface of the moon.
Crais awoke in a dark room, for a moment he dreamt he was still on Talyn, but instead of the constant hum of his leviathan, he heard snuffling near his head. He turned to see Radar looking at him, his front paws on the bed. The creature tipped his head looking at Crais. He heard footsteps outside of the room. Sam entered the room with her black bag and a tray with food.
"Radar, down." The dog plopped back down, wagging his tail. Sam set the tray on the bedside table and dropped her bag on the floor. "How are you feeling?"
"I can not describe it." Crais stared up at the ceiling. "I have not been alone in my own mind for two cycles, Talyn was a constant presence."
"Like another person? Like voices?"
"No, like a constant never ending conversation."
"This Talyn, you say he was sentient?"
"Yes."
"IASA is assembling a team to go to the moon and look at your ship." If that's really yours, though it explains a lot.
"Talyn is dead, I felt him die. There is nothing they can do now."
"They will pick him apart if they can." She moved to the window, she pulled up the blind to gaze at the full moon. "Humans are barbaric."
"You are a human."
"Yes, I know but I have seen the worst that they can do. I have experienced some of it myself." She returned to the bedside. "Sorry, you don't need to hear about my pitiful little life." She picked up the bag. "Please roll to your side, I would like to check your wound again."
Sam removed the bandage, the wound was weeping fluid but looked as if it had been healing for days, not a few hours. She cleaned it with some betadine solution, put more antibiotic on it and re-bandaged it. She had never seen a wound heal that quickly.
"How does it look?" he quizzed.
"Amazing, it has healed more than I have ever seen."
Crais rolled back to her. "Sebaceans heal quickly, part of life as a soldier."
"Se…what?"
"Sebacean, my species. You are human like Crichton."
"Yes. You look human."
"Crichton believes we are related species." he held out his arm and she unwrapped the bandage, the burn was almost completely gone, it looked like a strange shape sun burn, "our body types are similar." He grimaced and sat up. "Sebaceans seem to be an evolved version of human."
"Really?" she smirked. He was either completely bonkers or really was alien, it would explain the healing capability. Crais stood and pulled off the shorts. Sam quickly looked away blushing. "Whoa, TMI, TMI."
"TMI?"
"Too much information, please put the shorts back on."
"Is nudity a taboo in your species?"
"No, but we just don't drop our clothes around strangers"
"You said you were a doctor, a healer, which means you know some science." She heard him moving around again. "I have replaced my shorts."
Sam turned around, "Sorry, I am in the medical field, it's just I…"
"What is your name?"
"Samantha, but most just call me Sam."
"Samantha." pointing at Radar. "And that thing, the dog?"
"Radar."
Bogart used that moment to come into the room and jump up on the bed. He sat just out of reach looking at Crais.
"Is that a dog as well?"
"No…that is a cat, his name is Bogart and you have just insulted him."
"What?"
"Cats believe they are superior to dogs." she smiled, "well we think they think they do. They are more intelligent. We have a saying on Earth…dogs have owners, cats have staff."
"Humans have some of the strangest sayings."
"Yeah." She led him into the adjoining bathroom. "You will probably feel better after cleaning up." She turned the water on in the shower, he followed her to look at what she was pointing out. "This handle is the hot water, this one is the cold water, make your own mix. I put some clothes that I think will fit on the dresser. I will be downstairs in the kitchen when you are finished." She finished showing him where the towels, soap, etc were then she went downstairs.
