This is a story I started writing almost a year ago. I've been working on it all this time and
it's still not done(about 300 pages and counting so far). If you're interested in seeing the rest,
please let me know and I'll start posting. Thanks.
thanks to unohoo, macsun, and can for their help
The Elephant Ep1
Tom Wells stared up at the stars. Or how many stars you could see on a hazy evening in
Los Angeles. He wanted so much to see those stars up close. The dream of a little boy long gone
that had not left. He looked at the glasses in his hands. Without them he could hardly see
anything. A permanent reminder that he was stuck on this planet forever. When humanity finally
did venture out into that infinite blackness, he would watch it on television. So here he was, on
the roof of his apartment building. He was twenty now. A grown man with an impossible wish.
An empty notepad lay in front of him. If he couldn't go to the stars, they would come to him. In
his mind at least. He shook his head, frustrated. There would be no writing tonight. He stood to
leave when out of the corner of his eye, something flashed. The brightest light in the sky had
gotten bigger. He watched, partly with fascination and also fear. It continued to grow until his
view of downtown had disappeared completely. Panicking, he thrust himself towards the fire
escape. As he grabbed onto it's metal rails, the structure gave way and he tumbled over the side.
Tom Wells never hit the ground.
John Crichton felt content for the first time in too many months. He sat quietly against the
wall in the maintenance bay humming softly to himself. Aeryn Sun, his love, worked diligently at
the workbench in front of him. After the destruction of her prowler, they had gone to great
lengths to find another one. It was a horrid thing. The hull was burnt and misused. The paint
eroded away. But she loved the hunk of metal more than life itself. He would find her each day,
toiling over it like a mother with her child. She noticed his gaze upon her and looked up. "What
are you staring at?" He grinned. "You know what I'm staring at." She blushed lightly and went
back to work. Crichton stood up quickly and moved towards her. Reaching her side, he pulled
his head in next to hers. "Not now John. I need to finish this." She said the words without
looking up. "Just one," he begged. She looked up at him, smiling warily. "Alright, but then I
have to get back to work." He kissed her softly. She returned his affection, the tool in her hand
falling to the floor. "Crichton!" Pilot's shrill voice suddenly filled the room. John groaned as he
stepped back. "What is it Pilot?" His words were tainted with annoyance. "Forgive me for
interrupting but Talyn is here. And Crais wants to talk to you." John looked at Aeryn, puzzled
looks on both their faces. "Me?"
When they arrived at the hanger doors, Talyn had already connected with Moya. D'Argo
and Chiana had arrived as well. "Looks like the gangs all here." John looked fondly at his
shipmates. "Where's sparky and Zhaan?" D'Argo grunted, "They're on their way." The doors
began to slide slowly open and Bialar Crais appeared at the entrance. Dressed in his peackeeper
captain's uniform, the man cut a menacing figure. The crew watched him carefully as he stepped
inside. Ignoring their icy glares, he walked forward to meet them. "Hello all." His greeting was
met by simple nods and Luxan growls. "I should have known not to expect a warm welcome.
But nevertheless-." John cut him off. "What do you want Crais?" The ex-peackeeper nodded.
"I've brought you something John. Something, I suspect, will be of great interest to you."
D'Argo's patience gave out. "Why would we accept anything from you!" Crais ignored the
outburst. "I do not expect warm welcomes. Yet I do remember certain instances where-."
Aeryn opened her mouth for the first time. "What did you bring him?" "To the point as always
Aeryn. Yes." He motioned towards the open hanger doors. A young man walked in. To
Crichton, he seemed to be no more than nineteen or twenty. He stepped forward cautiously.
Every step seemed to be carefully planned. They all eyed him with great interest, Crichton
especially. The man was wearing a black peackeeper flight suit but under it, a dark blue
sweatshirt could be seen. Printed on its front, were the letters U.S.C. John ran up quickly. The
man did not back away. "What do those letters mean?" The other looked at him, a confused look
on his face. "University of Southern California." John could not speak. All the color drained
from his face as he stared at the man. "You're human?"
A table had been set up in the central chamber. Six pairs of uneasy eyes stared back at
him. The two in the middle, Crichton and Aeryn, watched him closely. His every gesture and
movement was met with careful analysis. A grin spread slowly on John's face. "So many things I
want to ask." He leaned heavily against the table. The most trivial questions kept floating to the
top. "Who won the superbowl this year?" The young man looked amused. "You've been out
here for over three years and you want to know who won the superbowl?" Noticing Crichton's
stunned face he answered. "The Ravens." Shocked, John stammered. "Baltimore?" Both of
them laughed at the absurdity of the situation. The others held blank expressions. Unable to hold
back the emotion, John lunged forward and hugged the frightened man. He held him there for
what seemed like hours. Finally pushing away, a new question filled his mind. "How did you get
here?"
He awoke suddenly inside a dark cylinder-like chamber. The walls around him beeped and
chirped as lights flickered on and off. A large window opened up in front of him and he realized
for the first time where he was. Millions of stars shown brightly in front of him. Attempting to
find a familiar constellation, the fact dawned on him that these stars were different. A small video
screen burst to life as he moved himself around. It was a cockpit. The screen was instantly filled
with the face of a stern looking man. "Follow my instructions exactly or you're ship will be
detonated." Panicking, he searched frantically for a way out. On each side of him he saw
hundreds of other crafts like his. "I'm flying an airplane." The voice reacted to his words. "A
prowler to be exact." What looked like a rifle scope appeared on the window's surface. It locked
onto a larger vessel that floated in front of him. "Destroy the designated craft and you will remain
alive. Fail and we will detonate your ship." The same threat as before. The other prowlers began
to move towards the target. He noticed what looked like a joystick in front of him. Grabbing
onto on of the handles, the ship responded immediately. His view suddenly turned upside down
as the prowler rolled to the left. The video screen popped up again. "Destroy the-." He shook his
head in frustration. "I get the point."
The controls were astonishingly easy to learn. After a few more flips and rolls, he had the
hang of it. Moving towards the target vessel in front of him, he realized that it was firing back.
Wave after wave of prowlers were destroyed as they attempted to attack. He noticed gun turrets
were positioned along the ship's roof. Pulling the prowler into a dive, he shot straight up at the
enemy. "How do I shoot?" A red button on the console in front of him began blinking. He
pressed down on it several times. Instantly, four torpedo-like objects shot from below him. He
watched in astonishment as they closed in on their target. Suddenly two of the rockets exploded
in mid-flight. Another gun turret had appeared from the bottom. Unfortunately, it could not
handle four shots at once. The second two rockets impacted with the moving gun and it erupted
in flames. The fire spread quickly upward and within moments the entire vessel detonated.
Fascinated, he did not know whether to cheer or cry out. What had he just done. He did not
have much time to ponder this. The view around him began to fragment and disappear.
The man from the screen stood before him. He felt an unnatural weight on his shoulders.
A large black collar was wrapped around his neck. "Well done. Very good move for a first try."
He stared up, frightened by the dungeon-like look of the room. The collar contained miniature
screens like the one on the ship. "That didn't just happen?" The man smiled at him. "It did
indeed. You were controlling the prowler via the collar but the mission was in fact completed."
He shook his head. "I destroyed that ship?" The man nodded. "And the attack regiment it
contained. You saved us a great deal of time." He motioned to two guards that stood rigid
against the wall. They came forward and picked up the confused pilot. "Everything will be
explained in time."
"Heard you hit em good!" The soldier eyed him with keen interest. "Where am I?" They
did not answer him. As the trio rounded another corner, a vast hall came into view. He could see
hundreds of men and women like the soldiers. As well as many strange and grotesque looking
creatures. The soldiers put him down in a stool. "Eat while you still can." Those were their last
words before they turned on their heels and left. He sat there confused for several moments as
everyone around him voraciously downed their meals. A bowl of colorful cubes was placed in
front of him. Picking one up, he popped it into his mouth. It tasted good. Surveying his
surroundings, it occurred to him that he wasn't wearing glasses. Turning to the nearest human-
looking person, he asked, "is there something on my eyes?" The woman, annoyed at being
interrupted, gave him a funny look. "What color are they supposed to be?" Confused, he said
"Brown." She laughed. "Nope. They're grey now. Must have fitted you with new ones." She
turned back to her food. Stunned, he lifted a finger to his right eye. It felt the same. "New
ones?"
He felt rough hands grip his shoulders. He turned to find a new set of soldiers standing
behind him. "Time for debriefing." They did not bother to say more as he was dragged from his
plate of food.
The ice cold metal chair was very uncomfortable. In front of him, the stern looking man
eyed him with great interest. "My name is Lt. Zasz. You are the last of the test pilots to arrive.
There is not much time to explain what has happened to you. All that you need to know now is
that you will fight or die. Do as you are told and perhaps you will live to see your home again."
Thoughts of home circled through his head. How he had wished to be among the stars. Now all
he wanted was to see L.A. again. The stern man continued to speak. Some sort of battle was
going to take place. He was going to fight in this battle. Seeing his lack of attention, the man
stepped forward and smacked him hard. The sting of the blow sent immense pain through his
face. "I'm going to die."
The march had been brief. He stood now in what appeared to be a large hanger.
Hundreds of planes like the one he had used were lined up. As the soldiers pushed him forward,
he saw the same beings that had been in the mess hall. Had they all been taken like him? Arriving
at his designated Prowler, he was ordered inside. The cockpit was familiar to him now and
orienting himself took little time. As he snapped the restraints into their locks, a wall on the far
side of the hanger began to rise. Billions of stars greeted him as the door to outer space was
opened. One by one, each prowler before him blasted out into the darkness. When his turn came,
he accelerated forward and out.
The incredible sense of freedom and excitement did not last long. Before him, the scene
was a frightening one. Two massive spaceships loomed just within view. He noticed what
seemed like thousands of smaller crafts floating around them. The same video screen appeared
with the stern man once again giving orders. "Destroy everything you see before you. You must
not allow any harm to come to the Auriga or you will be detonated. 'Fight or die huh." He
steered his ship towards the fray and prayed to God.
Laser blasts were being fired in all directions. He hardly had time to maneuver around one
when another appeared. He watched in awe as the two opposing battleships sent wave after wave
of blasts. It was a losing fight. He could see the number of pilots dwindling. The prowlers were
destroying each other while the three largest ships remained dormant. Heading away from the
main attack area, he flew unopposed towards the Daggoth. Its enormity was spellbinding. It
filled his entire window. Firing multiple shots at its hull, he watched as the rockets did little more
than light up the area around the ship. He couldn't do this alone. A large explosion jolted him
from his mission. He turned to see the Auriga in terrible shape. A direct hit from the Hyperion
had crippled its left side and the massive craft was steering itself towards the prowlers. Plowing
through the field, it destroyed as many of its own fighters as of the others.
Turning back to the Daggoth, he searched for anything that might be susceptible to his
attacks. How could he possibly make a difference in this fight if he didn't know where anything
was? The video screen flickered for the final time. Stern man's face was bloody and shout could
be heard behind him. "Direct your craft towards the Hyperion now!" Frightened by the man's
wild shouts, he cried out "What?" The prowler suddenly jerked and changed direction.
Frantically, he tried to regain control of the vessel. It was now pointed at the Hyperion. This was
the largest of the three ships and it was fully engaged with the Auriga. A flash of light cut across
space and closed around him. He felt the prowler change directions again. The Daggoth had
caught him in a tractor beam. Using all the force that his small ship could muster, he managed to
pull away from the tractor beam. Looking down at his screen he saw strange symbols flashing. It
did not take much thinking to figure out what was going on. A countdown had been activated.
He searched frantically for some sort of stop button. Finally, in frustration he yelled out "Eject!"
Nothing happened at first. Then with a soft whine, he heard movement below him. The
seat exploded upward and smashed through the windshield. He managed to click his helmet into
place seconds before his body was floating in outer space. He watched in amazement as his
prowler hurtled aimlessly in front of him. A large box-like container was attached to the ship's
bottom. Smashing against the Daggoth's hull, the prowler exploded and its pieces were
dispersed. But something was still there. The container had attached itself to the larger ship. A
bright flash of light filled the area around him. The Daggoth exploded in a gigantic fireball that
extended in all directions. He looked on in horror as the Auriga also exploded. The two ships
sent chunks of debris catapulting through space. He was almost hit by shards of metal and
mangled corpses. Bile shot up through his throat as he recognized the stern man floating
alongside him. A hideous stare fixed on his face.
Slowly but surely, he could feel a force moving him towards the Hyperion. He watched in
fear as it's massive hanger doors opened to welcome him.
A harsh shaking snapped him back into the moment. Crichton and Aeryn sat motionless in
front of him. "You destroyed the ship?" Aeryn's face was fixed in disbelief. 0377 nodded his
head slightly. The guilt returned without mercy to torture him again. "I didn't realize...." His
voice trailed off as he lowered his head. "You should get some rest." John was concerned for
this poor man. He knew from personal experience that being torn from your home and forced
into a strange situation could be very difficult. "Aeryn, let's go find him a cell." She nodded and
they helped the stranger up from the table. Finding an empty room nearby, they laid him down
and turned the lights down low. "Thank you," he whispered as they left.
The gun appeared from nowhere and fired into him. He could see the blood gushing from
the wound as his body was racked with pain. "Ahhhhhhh!" 0377 awoke suddenly from the
dream. He was lying on the floor of what looked like a cell. His body was covered in soft orange
blankets that shined with the light in the room. He stood up cautiously to survey his
surroundings. Something laying next to him on the floor caught his eye. A small metal device in
a sort of rounded shape. He picked it up and shook it. Nothing happened. Tapping it lightly
with his finger, a humming sound began emanating. "Yes?" Pilot's voice came out of the comm,
causing him to jump back. "Hello?" He could think of nothing to say. "Is there something you
wanted?" Pilot's voice seemed slightly amused. "Um yes. Is there somewhere that I could wash
my clothes?" He sniffed himself quickly and decided it was a good idea.
0377 walked silently into the room that Pilot had indicated. There was a large fountain in
the middle of it with filled with water. Believing that he was alone, he walked quickly up to it.
He was stopped short when he saw the grey woman kneeling in the water. He could not help but
stop for a moment and take in her comely form. The others had called her Chiana. "Enjoying the
view?" Crichton appeared behind him and slapped his back softly. The grin on his face was
infectious and 0377 could not help but laugh. Aeryn Sun came in behind John but said nothing.
She walked across the room and sat down. He could see her angrily attempting to wash
something from her vest. At this point, Chiana realized that she had company. Turning to face
0377, she winked at the confused human. The devilish look on her face was disconcerting. He
smiled back. "Can I wash my clothes here?" She stepped out of the water and came towards
him. Inches from his face she stopped. "Let me get those for you." She purred the words more
than she spoke them. He stood frozen as she took them from his hands and walked slowly back
to the fountain.
"Don't worry about it." John shook his head as he said the words. "Its always nice to
have someone." 0377 looked at him, a painful expression on his face. "What?" Intrigued, both
Aeryn and Chiana were now paying close attention.
"Wow." Crichton stared amazed at the man in front of him. All the feelings he held inside
gushed to the surface as he examined what had just been said. He had felt something like that
with Aeryn. Not at first, but it had happened. He turned towards her but she was busy with her
vest. "I know how you feel." 0377 spoke the words as softly as he could. The look in John's
eyes told him that they were both thinking the same things. Looking up at Aeryn Sun, he realized
that it must have been just as difficult with her.
"Frell, what is it with humans and peacekeeper gals?" Chiana's comment broke the heavy
silence that had settled on the room. Everyone turned to look at her but said nothing. Aeryn's
eyes narrowed as she watched both John and 0377. They seemed to get along rather well. There
was a certain comfort between the two of them. This scared her but she didn't know why. "Well,
thank you Chiana." 0377 stood and walked out of the room. "I have some things I have to do."
His words came out hollow. Disappearing out the door, he left three bewildered crew members.
He dropped onto the makeshift bed. Feeling the cold metal against his skin he closed his
eyes. She was there in his mind. That face. John and Aeryn gave him a slight glimmer of hope.
Perhaps if they could work it out, so could... He pushed the thought out of his head. "I should
have said something more." A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Aeryn Sun was
standing in his doorway. An uncertain look plastered on her face. "May I come in?" He nodded
quickly. The woman made him nervous. She was beautiful but that wasn't the only reason.
Meryl had the same black hair. The same harsh expression. He could see it in Aeryn and it
brought back painful memories. It had felt good to tell his story to someone else.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Stop it!" Her face turned angry as she shouted.
0377 backed up against the wall and shielded his face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!" She shook her
head. "I am with Crichton." She muttered the words a few more times. "Yes, I know." Aeryn
was confused. "Then why did you look at me like that? John looks at me like that." He smiled
despite the hurt. "Its just that you remind me her." Her face softened a bit. "Meryl?" "Yes.
Your face, it has much in common with hers. I didn't mean it that way. On earth, when we think
someone is beautiful, we let them know. It doesn't automatically mean that we want to be with
them." She laughed and he could definitely understand what Crichton saw in her. "You go
around staring at every woman like that?" "Not all."
Aeryn spotted something on him. "Blood?" 0377 looked down at his pants. There was
in fact a small stain of blood. "Yes...."
"We never got to finish that talk." He looked at Aeryn. The sympathy in her face made
him feel a bit better. "Perhaps you will someday. We can change you know. I am living proof of
that." She was surprised at how easily the reassuring words came. She recognized herself less
and less these days. "Peackeepers you mean?" She smiled. "Yes." The comm on her vest came
to life. "Aeryn? Where are you? I need your help with something." She frowned. "I'll be right
there John." Turning back to 0377, she said "Humans seem so soft and weak. When you tell me
of all the things that have happened to you and everything that John has gone through. . John's
been tortured for so long. I don't know how he kept going." 0377 patted her softly on the back.
He knew. "It was you." She stared back at him. The words burned deeply into her. That this
man who had been with them for a few short arns could tell her such intimate things was
perplexing. "It's the way he acts around you. Can't you see it?" She smiled broadly. "I think I
can." He pulled something from his sweatshirt pocket. "I had forgotten that this was here." It
was a small box with black material running through it. It reminded her of the tapes that John
used to talk to his father. "I want you to give this to Crichton."
John Crichton was in the maintenance bay. Old prowler parts were strewn across the table
and he was hard at work with one of them. He did not hear her enter. Aeryn walked slowly up to
him. He looked up as she stopped. The kiss was warm and unexpected. They both smiled as
they drew back. Sitting down next to him, she pulled the tape from her pocket and placed it on
the table. "What was that for?" She grinned sheepishly. "Does there have to be a reason?" John
laughed. "No, I suppose not." She pushed the tape towards him. His face filled with surprise.
"Is that what I think it is?" She shrugged. "I don't know myself." He pulled the old tape
recorder from his toolbox and snapped the cassette into place. He looked at her, a little boy's
smile spread across his face. John clicked the play button.
"I thought that you'd be loving me. I thought you'd be the one who'd stay forever.... But now
forever's come and gone and I'm still here alone."
It was music. John laughed loudly. "Oh man that is music!" Aeryn covered her ears. "It
sounds like noise to me." Her face was twisted into a frown. "No that is definitely Earth music.
Not exactly my favorite song but it will do!" He turned the volume up louder and stood up.
"Aeryn Sun, may I have this dance?" She looked up at him. Either with joy or skepticism, he
couldn't tell. "I couldn't possibly dance to th..." He took her hand and dragged her from the
chair. They fumbled for a moment before joining together. Her arms were wrapped around his
neck and his own around her waist. "You're doing great." She smiled despite the uncertainty.
Keeping from stepping on his toes was becoming an endurance challenge. Aeryn put her head on
his shoulder and they moved slowly to the melody.
0377 watched them quietly from outside the room. The wonderful scene in front of him
filled him with hope. There seemed to be something inherently right about what was happening.
Those two were meant for each other. He could not keep his thoughts from drifting to Meryl....
0377 walked slowly back to his room. He examined with infinite wonder the gargantuan
creature that he was moving through. Something swelled inside of him. He felt hope again.
Truly a human emotion.
Lt. Sargas watched her wake up slowly in the bed. "Captain, it is good to see you
recovering so quickly." She scowled at him. "Thank you for your concern Lt." He could not
shake the feeling that something was wrong with her. She had not been acting normally lately.
Ever since the human had arrived. "It may not be my place to say so captain, but I had noticed
that you have not been yourself lately. Perhaps the human has abilities we have not yet learned
of." Anger spread across her face. "You are correct Lt. Sargas. It is not your place to say so."
He nodded. There was nothing more he could do here. "Whatever it was, I'm sure it will go
away soon." She ignored the comment and signaled for him to leave. He bowed slightly and
retreated, letting the door slam loudly as he exited. Meryl Raynor looked down at her leg. It was
healing quickly. Yet the wound held a deeper threat. By creating it she had made a choice. She
looked back at the door as it slammed. "I don't want it go away."
it's still not done(about 300 pages and counting so far). If you're interested in seeing the rest,
please let me know and I'll start posting. Thanks.
thanks to unohoo, macsun, and can for their help
The Elephant Ep1
Tom Wells stared up at the stars. Or how many stars you could see on a hazy evening in
Los Angeles. He wanted so much to see those stars up close. The dream of a little boy long gone
that had not left. He looked at the glasses in his hands. Without them he could hardly see
anything. A permanent reminder that he was stuck on this planet forever. When humanity finally
did venture out into that infinite blackness, he would watch it on television. So here he was, on
the roof of his apartment building. He was twenty now. A grown man with an impossible wish.
An empty notepad lay in front of him. If he couldn't go to the stars, they would come to him. In
his mind at least. He shook his head, frustrated. There would be no writing tonight. He stood to
leave when out of the corner of his eye, something flashed. The brightest light in the sky had
gotten bigger. He watched, partly with fascination and also fear. It continued to grow until his
view of downtown had disappeared completely. Panicking, he thrust himself towards the fire
escape. As he grabbed onto it's metal rails, the structure gave way and he tumbled over the side.
Tom Wells never hit the ground.
John Crichton felt content for the first time in too many months. He sat quietly against the
wall in the maintenance bay humming softly to himself. Aeryn Sun, his love, worked diligently at
the workbench in front of him. After the destruction of her prowler, they had gone to great
lengths to find another one. It was a horrid thing. The hull was burnt and misused. The paint
eroded away. But she loved the hunk of metal more than life itself. He would find her each day,
toiling over it like a mother with her child. She noticed his gaze upon her and looked up. "What
are you staring at?" He grinned. "You know what I'm staring at." She blushed lightly and went
back to work. Crichton stood up quickly and moved towards her. Reaching her side, he pulled
his head in next to hers. "Not now John. I need to finish this." She said the words without
looking up. "Just one," he begged. She looked up at him, smiling warily. "Alright, but then I
have to get back to work." He kissed her softly. She returned his affection, the tool in her hand
falling to the floor. "Crichton!" Pilot's shrill voice suddenly filled the room. John groaned as he
stepped back. "What is it Pilot?" His words were tainted with annoyance. "Forgive me for
interrupting but Talyn is here. And Crais wants to talk to you." John looked at Aeryn, puzzled
looks on both their faces. "Me?"
When they arrived at the hanger doors, Talyn had already connected with Moya. D'Argo
and Chiana had arrived as well. "Looks like the gangs all here." John looked fondly at his
shipmates. "Where's sparky and Zhaan?" D'Argo grunted, "They're on their way." The doors
began to slide slowly open and Bialar Crais appeared at the entrance. Dressed in his peackeeper
captain's uniform, the man cut a menacing figure. The crew watched him carefully as he stepped
inside. Ignoring their icy glares, he walked forward to meet them. "Hello all." His greeting was
met by simple nods and Luxan growls. "I should have known not to expect a warm welcome.
But nevertheless-." John cut him off. "What do you want Crais?" The ex-peackeeper nodded.
"I've brought you something John. Something, I suspect, will be of great interest to you."
D'Argo's patience gave out. "Why would we accept anything from you!" Crais ignored the
outburst. "I do not expect warm welcomes. Yet I do remember certain instances where-."
Aeryn opened her mouth for the first time. "What did you bring him?" "To the point as always
Aeryn. Yes." He motioned towards the open hanger doors. A young man walked in. To
Crichton, he seemed to be no more than nineteen or twenty. He stepped forward cautiously.
Every step seemed to be carefully planned. They all eyed him with great interest, Crichton
especially. The man was wearing a black peackeeper flight suit but under it, a dark blue
sweatshirt could be seen. Printed on its front, were the letters U.S.C. John ran up quickly. The
man did not back away. "What do those letters mean?" The other looked at him, a confused look
on his face. "University of Southern California." John could not speak. All the color drained
from his face as he stared at the man. "You're human?"
A table had been set up in the central chamber. Six pairs of uneasy eyes stared back at
him. The two in the middle, Crichton and Aeryn, watched him closely. His every gesture and
movement was met with careful analysis. A grin spread slowly on John's face. "So many things I
want to ask." He leaned heavily against the table. The most trivial questions kept floating to the
top. "Who won the superbowl this year?" The young man looked amused. "You've been out
here for over three years and you want to know who won the superbowl?" Noticing Crichton's
stunned face he answered. "The Ravens." Shocked, John stammered. "Baltimore?" Both of
them laughed at the absurdity of the situation. The others held blank expressions. Unable to hold
back the emotion, John lunged forward and hugged the frightened man. He held him there for
what seemed like hours. Finally pushing away, a new question filled his mind. "How did you get
here?"
He awoke suddenly inside a dark cylinder-like chamber. The walls around him beeped and
chirped as lights flickered on and off. A large window opened up in front of him and he realized
for the first time where he was. Millions of stars shown brightly in front of him. Attempting to
find a familiar constellation, the fact dawned on him that these stars were different. A small video
screen burst to life as he moved himself around. It was a cockpit. The screen was instantly filled
with the face of a stern looking man. "Follow my instructions exactly or you're ship will be
detonated." Panicking, he searched frantically for a way out. On each side of him he saw
hundreds of other crafts like his. "I'm flying an airplane." The voice reacted to his words. "A
prowler to be exact." What looked like a rifle scope appeared on the window's surface. It locked
onto a larger vessel that floated in front of him. "Destroy the designated craft and you will remain
alive. Fail and we will detonate your ship." The same threat as before. The other prowlers began
to move towards the target. He noticed what looked like a joystick in front of him. Grabbing
onto on of the handles, the ship responded immediately. His view suddenly turned upside down
as the prowler rolled to the left. The video screen popped up again. "Destroy the-." He shook his
head in frustration. "I get the point."
The controls were astonishingly easy to learn. After a few more flips and rolls, he had the
hang of it. Moving towards the target vessel in front of him, he realized that it was firing back.
Wave after wave of prowlers were destroyed as they attempted to attack. He noticed gun turrets
were positioned along the ship's roof. Pulling the prowler into a dive, he shot straight up at the
enemy. "How do I shoot?" A red button on the console in front of him began blinking. He
pressed down on it several times. Instantly, four torpedo-like objects shot from below him. He
watched in astonishment as they closed in on their target. Suddenly two of the rockets exploded
in mid-flight. Another gun turret had appeared from the bottom. Unfortunately, it could not
handle four shots at once. The second two rockets impacted with the moving gun and it erupted
in flames. The fire spread quickly upward and within moments the entire vessel detonated.
Fascinated, he did not know whether to cheer or cry out. What had he just done. He did not
have much time to ponder this. The view around him began to fragment and disappear.
The man from the screen stood before him. He felt an unnatural weight on his shoulders.
A large black collar was wrapped around his neck. "Well done. Very good move for a first try."
He stared up, frightened by the dungeon-like look of the room. The collar contained miniature
screens like the one on the ship. "That didn't just happen?" The man smiled at him. "It did
indeed. You were controlling the prowler via the collar but the mission was in fact completed."
He shook his head. "I destroyed that ship?" The man nodded. "And the attack regiment it
contained. You saved us a great deal of time." He motioned to two guards that stood rigid
against the wall. They came forward and picked up the confused pilot. "Everything will be
explained in time."
"Heard you hit em good!" The soldier eyed him with keen interest. "Where am I?" They
did not answer him. As the trio rounded another corner, a vast hall came into view. He could see
hundreds of men and women like the soldiers. As well as many strange and grotesque looking
creatures. The soldiers put him down in a stool. "Eat while you still can." Those were their last
words before they turned on their heels and left. He sat there confused for several moments as
everyone around him voraciously downed their meals. A bowl of colorful cubes was placed in
front of him. Picking one up, he popped it into his mouth. It tasted good. Surveying his
surroundings, it occurred to him that he wasn't wearing glasses. Turning to the nearest human-
looking person, he asked, "is there something on my eyes?" The woman, annoyed at being
interrupted, gave him a funny look. "What color are they supposed to be?" Confused, he said
"Brown." She laughed. "Nope. They're grey now. Must have fitted you with new ones." She
turned back to her food. Stunned, he lifted a finger to his right eye. It felt the same. "New
ones?"
He felt rough hands grip his shoulders. He turned to find a new set of soldiers standing
behind him. "Time for debriefing." They did not bother to say more as he was dragged from his
plate of food.
The ice cold metal chair was very uncomfortable. In front of him, the stern looking man
eyed him with great interest. "My name is Lt. Zasz. You are the last of the test pilots to arrive.
There is not much time to explain what has happened to you. All that you need to know now is
that you will fight or die. Do as you are told and perhaps you will live to see your home again."
Thoughts of home circled through his head. How he had wished to be among the stars. Now all
he wanted was to see L.A. again. The stern man continued to speak. Some sort of battle was
going to take place. He was going to fight in this battle. Seeing his lack of attention, the man
stepped forward and smacked him hard. The sting of the blow sent immense pain through his
face. "I'm going to die."
The march had been brief. He stood now in what appeared to be a large hanger.
Hundreds of planes like the one he had used were lined up. As the soldiers pushed him forward,
he saw the same beings that had been in the mess hall. Had they all been taken like him? Arriving
at his designated Prowler, he was ordered inside. The cockpit was familiar to him now and
orienting himself took little time. As he snapped the restraints into their locks, a wall on the far
side of the hanger began to rise. Billions of stars greeted him as the door to outer space was
opened. One by one, each prowler before him blasted out into the darkness. When his turn came,
he accelerated forward and out.
The incredible sense of freedom and excitement did not last long. Before him, the scene
was a frightening one. Two massive spaceships loomed just within view. He noticed what
seemed like thousands of smaller crafts floating around them. The same video screen appeared
with the stern man once again giving orders. "Destroy everything you see before you. You must
not allow any harm to come to the Auriga or you will be detonated. 'Fight or die huh." He
steered his ship towards the fray and prayed to God.
Laser blasts were being fired in all directions. He hardly had time to maneuver around one
when another appeared. He watched in awe as the two opposing battleships sent wave after wave
of blasts. It was a losing fight. He could see the number of pilots dwindling. The prowlers were
destroying each other while the three largest ships remained dormant. Heading away from the
main attack area, he flew unopposed towards the Daggoth. Its enormity was spellbinding. It
filled his entire window. Firing multiple shots at its hull, he watched as the rockets did little more
than light up the area around the ship. He couldn't do this alone. A large explosion jolted him
from his mission. He turned to see the Auriga in terrible shape. A direct hit from the Hyperion
had crippled its left side and the massive craft was steering itself towards the prowlers. Plowing
through the field, it destroyed as many of its own fighters as of the others.
Turning back to the Daggoth, he searched for anything that might be susceptible to his
attacks. How could he possibly make a difference in this fight if he didn't know where anything
was? The video screen flickered for the final time. Stern man's face was bloody and shout could
be heard behind him. "Direct your craft towards the Hyperion now!" Frightened by the man's
wild shouts, he cried out "What?" The prowler suddenly jerked and changed direction.
Frantically, he tried to regain control of the vessel. It was now pointed at the Hyperion. This was
the largest of the three ships and it was fully engaged with the Auriga. A flash of light cut across
space and closed around him. He felt the prowler change directions again. The Daggoth had
caught him in a tractor beam. Using all the force that his small ship could muster, he managed to
pull away from the tractor beam. Looking down at his screen he saw strange symbols flashing. It
did not take much thinking to figure out what was going on. A countdown had been activated.
He searched frantically for some sort of stop button. Finally, in frustration he yelled out "Eject!"
Nothing happened at first. Then with a soft whine, he heard movement below him. The
seat exploded upward and smashed through the windshield. He managed to click his helmet into
place seconds before his body was floating in outer space. He watched in amazement as his
prowler hurtled aimlessly in front of him. A large box-like container was attached to the ship's
bottom. Smashing against the Daggoth's hull, the prowler exploded and its pieces were
dispersed. But something was still there. The container had attached itself to the larger ship. A
bright flash of light filled the area around him. The Daggoth exploded in a gigantic fireball that
extended in all directions. He looked on in horror as the Auriga also exploded. The two ships
sent chunks of debris catapulting through space. He was almost hit by shards of metal and
mangled corpses. Bile shot up through his throat as he recognized the stern man floating
alongside him. A hideous stare fixed on his face.
Slowly but surely, he could feel a force moving him towards the Hyperion. He watched in
fear as it's massive hanger doors opened to welcome him.
A harsh shaking snapped him back into the moment. Crichton and Aeryn sat motionless in
front of him. "You destroyed the ship?" Aeryn's face was fixed in disbelief. 0377 nodded his
head slightly. The guilt returned without mercy to torture him again. "I didn't realize...." His
voice trailed off as he lowered his head. "You should get some rest." John was concerned for
this poor man. He knew from personal experience that being torn from your home and forced
into a strange situation could be very difficult. "Aeryn, let's go find him a cell." She nodded and
they helped the stranger up from the table. Finding an empty room nearby, they laid him down
and turned the lights down low. "Thank you," he whispered as they left.
The gun appeared from nowhere and fired into him. He could see the blood gushing from
the wound as his body was racked with pain. "Ahhhhhhh!" 0377 awoke suddenly from the
dream. He was lying on the floor of what looked like a cell. His body was covered in soft orange
blankets that shined with the light in the room. He stood up cautiously to survey his
surroundings. Something laying next to him on the floor caught his eye. A small metal device in
a sort of rounded shape. He picked it up and shook it. Nothing happened. Tapping it lightly
with his finger, a humming sound began emanating. "Yes?" Pilot's voice came out of the comm,
causing him to jump back. "Hello?" He could think of nothing to say. "Is there something you
wanted?" Pilot's voice seemed slightly amused. "Um yes. Is there somewhere that I could wash
my clothes?" He sniffed himself quickly and decided it was a good idea.
0377 walked silently into the room that Pilot had indicated. There was a large fountain in
the middle of it with filled with water. Believing that he was alone, he walked quickly up to it.
He was stopped short when he saw the grey woman kneeling in the water. He could not help but
stop for a moment and take in her comely form. The others had called her Chiana. "Enjoying the
view?" Crichton appeared behind him and slapped his back softly. The grin on his face was
infectious and 0377 could not help but laugh. Aeryn Sun came in behind John but said nothing.
She walked across the room and sat down. He could see her angrily attempting to wash
something from her vest. At this point, Chiana realized that she had company. Turning to face
0377, she winked at the confused human. The devilish look on her face was disconcerting. He
smiled back. "Can I wash my clothes here?" She stepped out of the water and came towards
him. Inches from his face she stopped. "Let me get those for you." She purred the words more
than she spoke them. He stood frozen as she took them from his hands and walked slowly back
to the fountain.
"Don't worry about it." John shook his head as he said the words. "Its always nice to
have someone." 0377 looked at him, a painful expression on his face. "What?" Intrigued, both
Aeryn and Chiana were now paying close attention.
"Wow." Crichton stared amazed at the man in front of him. All the feelings he held inside
gushed to the surface as he examined what had just been said. He had felt something like that
with Aeryn. Not at first, but it had happened. He turned towards her but she was busy with her
vest. "I know how you feel." 0377 spoke the words as softly as he could. The look in John's
eyes told him that they were both thinking the same things. Looking up at Aeryn Sun, he realized
that it must have been just as difficult with her.
"Frell, what is it with humans and peacekeeper gals?" Chiana's comment broke the heavy
silence that had settled on the room. Everyone turned to look at her but said nothing. Aeryn's
eyes narrowed as she watched both John and 0377. They seemed to get along rather well. There
was a certain comfort between the two of them. This scared her but she didn't know why. "Well,
thank you Chiana." 0377 stood and walked out of the room. "I have some things I have to do."
His words came out hollow. Disappearing out the door, he left three bewildered crew members.
He dropped onto the makeshift bed. Feeling the cold metal against his skin he closed his
eyes. She was there in his mind. That face. John and Aeryn gave him a slight glimmer of hope.
Perhaps if they could work it out, so could... He pushed the thought out of his head. "I should
have said something more." A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Aeryn Sun was
standing in his doorway. An uncertain look plastered on her face. "May I come in?" He nodded
quickly. The woman made him nervous. She was beautiful but that wasn't the only reason.
Meryl had the same black hair. The same harsh expression. He could see it in Aeryn and it
brought back painful memories. It had felt good to tell his story to someone else.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Stop it!" Her face turned angry as she shouted.
0377 backed up against the wall and shielded his face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!" She shook her
head. "I am with Crichton." She muttered the words a few more times. "Yes, I know." Aeryn
was confused. "Then why did you look at me like that? John looks at me like that." He smiled
despite the hurt. "Its just that you remind me her." Her face softened a bit. "Meryl?" "Yes.
Your face, it has much in common with hers. I didn't mean it that way. On earth, when we think
someone is beautiful, we let them know. It doesn't automatically mean that we want to be with
them." She laughed and he could definitely understand what Crichton saw in her. "You go
around staring at every woman like that?" "Not all."
Aeryn spotted something on him. "Blood?" 0377 looked down at his pants. There was
in fact a small stain of blood. "Yes...."
"We never got to finish that talk." He looked at Aeryn. The sympathy in her face made
him feel a bit better. "Perhaps you will someday. We can change you know. I am living proof of
that." She was surprised at how easily the reassuring words came. She recognized herself less
and less these days. "Peackeepers you mean?" She smiled. "Yes." The comm on her vest came
to life. "Aeryn? Where are you? I need your help with something." She frowned. "I'll be right
there John." Turning back to 0377, she said "Humans seem so soft and weak. When you tell me
of all the things that have happened to you and everything that John has gone through. . John's
been tortured for so long. I don't know how he kept going." 0377 patted her softly on the back.
He knew. "It was you." She stared back at him. The words burned deeply into her. That this
man who had been with them for a few short arns could tell her such intimate things was
perplexing. "It's the way he acts around you. Can't you see it?" She smiled broadly. "I think I
can." He pulled something from his sweatshirt pocket. "I had forgotten that this was here." It
was a small box with black material running through it. It reminded her of the tapes that John
used to talk to his father. "I want you to give this to Crichton."
John Crichton was in the maintenance bay. Old prowler parts were strewn across the table
and he was hard at work with one of them. He did not hear her enter. Aeryn walked slowly up to
him. He looked up as she stopped. The kiss was warm and unexpected. They both smiled as
they drew back. Sitting down next to him, she pulled the tape from her pocket and placed it on
the table. "What was that for?" She grinned sheepishly. "Does there have to be a reason?" John
laughed. "No, I suppose not." She pushed the tape towards him. His face filled with surprise.
"Is that what I think it is?" She shrugged. "I don't know myself." He pulled the old tape
recorder from his toolbox and snapped the cassette into place. He looked at her, a little boy's
smile spread across his face. John clicked the play button.
"I thought that you'd be loving me. I thought you'd be the one who'd stay forever.... But now
forever's come and gone and I'm still here alone."
It was music. John laughed loudly. "Oh man that is music!" Aeryn covered her ears. "It
sounds like noise to me." Her face was twisted into a frown. "No that is definitely Earth music.
Not exactly my favorite song but it will do!" He turned the volume up louder and stood up.
"Aeryn Sun, may I have this dance?" She looked up at him. Either with joy or skepticism, he
couldn't tell. "I couldn't possibly dance to th..." He took her hand and dragged her from the
chair. They fumbled for a moment before joining together. Her arms were wrapped around his
neck and his own around her waist. "You're doing great." She smiled despite the uncertainty.
Keeping from stepping on his toes was becoming an endurance challenge. Aeryn put her head on
his shoulder and they moved slowly to the melody.
0377 watched them quietly from outside the room. The wonderful scene in front of him
filled him with hope. There seemed to be something inherently right about what was happening.
Those two were meant for each other. He could not keep his thoughts from drifting to Meryl....
0377 walked slowly back to his room. He examined with infinite wonder the gargantuan
creature that he was moving through. Something swelled inside of him. He felt hope again.
Truly a human emotion.
Lt. Sargas watched her wake up slowly in the bed. "Captain, it is good to see you
recovering so quickly." She scowled at him. "Thank you for your concern Lt." He could not
shake the feeling that something was wrong with her. She had not been acting normally lately.
Ever since the human had arrived. "It may not be my place to say so captain, but I had noticed
that you have not been yourself lately. Perhaps the human has abilities we have not yet learned
of." Anger spread across her face. "You are correct Lt. Sargas. It is not your place to say so."
He nodded. There was nothing more he could do here. "Whatever it was, I'm sure it will go
away soon." She ignored the comment and signaled for him to leave. He bowed slightly and
retreated, letting the door slam loudly as he exited. Meryl Raynor looked down at her leg. It was
healing quickly. Yet the wound held a deeper threat. By creating it she had made a choice. She
looked back at the door as it slammed. "I don't want it go away."