Disclaimer: The events at the beginning of my story are the same up to a point so don't worry if you feel déjà vu. I freely borrowed from the script, but I'm not making any money off of this, so don't be pissed at my plagiarism. Please forgive all my Australian slang if it isn't right. I'm not from Australia and had to use an Australian slang dictionary off the web to make Shazza sound some-what believable.
Nighttime in Never, Never
Shazza runs desperately toward the cargo bay, but she spent too long fighting with the damn sand cat. She won't make it. She can sense the shapes above her.
She still cannot believe this situation. She'd tried to figure the probability of the ship getting hit by asteroids, crash landing on this particular planet, on the day that all three suns would set. Shazza wasn't excellent at math, but the chances, she was sure, were unbelievable. For something like this to happen, someone would have to have pissed off a god. Riddick probably had. The bastard had probably pissed off a whole pantheon.
Ahead of her, the rest of the survivors huddle in the doorway of the cargo bay. Jack's shouts encouragement to her, telling her she can make it, that it wasn't that much further.
Like a gunshot, Carolyn's voice hits her. "Get down!"
Shazza has just crested a small sand swell. She jumps, stretching her body out flat to land full length in the shadow of the rise. A second later, Riddick lands behind her. A flock of the smaller creatures swoops through the air. Their passing ruffles Shazza's hair. Shazza lies in the sand tensely as she listens to the creatures fly away. She worries about when they'll make another pass. She turns her head back to look at Riddick. Their eyes meet. Shazza's chest is heaving. He is breathing normally. The psychotic killer would be calm at a time like this. It helps, also, that he has a breather unit--her breather unit. She can't believe she let Imam guilt-trip her into giving it to Riddick in an attempt to make amends for accusing him of Zeke's murder. Guilt never helped anyone survive.
"Stay there! Stay down, Shazza, just stay down!" screams Jack. Shazza lifts her eyes to the others. She can see Paris holding Jack back. Shazza wants more than anything to dash the few yards it would take to get to Jack and the others. The light is quickly fading. Shazza can only make out the outline of the ship now. Shadows are beginning to merge together into the blanket of night. Lucky for her, the man behind her can see in the dark.
"Riddick!" Shazza hisses.
"What?" rumbles the man lying behind her.
"Can you see the creatures?" she asks.
She hears him shifting in the sand as he carefully rolls over.
"Wait," he says.
A second later the chittering flock swoops over them again. Shazza flattens her body more into the sand as she's buffeted by the creatures' passing.
"Now!" growls Riddick as he jumps up and begins running for the cargo hold. Shazza runs after him. Riddick tracks the flock with his ears. They're banking, getting ready for a third pass. They'd see the two runners in a minute.
"Move!" Riddick shouts at the other survivors. They scatter to make room for him. He leaps and flies into the cargo hold. They quickly gather back at the entrance to haul Shazza in. Jack wraps her arms around the prospector.
"Oh God, Shazza, I was so scared!" cries Jack. Shazza hugs the girl to her, rubbing her back to reassure her. There that wasn't so hard, Shazza thinks to herself wryly as she tries to calm her racing heartbeat.
"It's okay. I'm all right," she murmurs to Jack.
"Close the doors!" Johns shouts. As the others struggle to close the door, the last rays of light fade.
Flashlights flicker on as the group begins looking around.
"Are these the only lights we have? Is this everything?" demands Paris.
"No, there's a cutting torch on the floor here somewhere, I just can't find it," answers Carolyn.
"Quiet, please, everyone," Imam asks.
The strange whooping of the creatures sounds outside, close to the ship.
"Why do they do that? Make that sound?" Carolyn asks.
"Perhaps it's the way they see. With sound reflecting back," suggests Imam.
"Sonar," supplies Shazza. "Like bats or large marine mammals."
Suddenly, everyone jumps as they hear movement from elsewhere in the cargo bay. They turn their eyes to Carolyn.
"Could be a breach in the hull," she says.
"Someone should check," Imam says.
"Come on, Johns, you got the big gauge," taunts Riddick.
"I'd rather piss glass. Why don't you go fucking check?" responds Johns.
Paris panics. "I'm not staying here one more second…" He scrambles past Shazza and Jack to the cargo bay door. He struggles to release the seal.
"Where are you going? Hey, hey!" shouts Johns.
Imam and Shazza pull Paris away from the door.
"Paris! You don't know what's out there," says Carolyn.
"Well, I know what's in here!" argues Paris.
Taking the initiative, Imam opens a hatch to another compartment that's hopefully free of creatures. He ushers everyone through the hatchway. He quickly closes it and leans back with a sigh.
"Now we're trapped in a much smaller space. I hate this," quavers Paris.
Imam is about to say something reassuring to the antiques dealer when a claw stabs through the grate behind him, almost piercing him. Any reassuring words Imam might have formulated swiftly dies on the holy man's tongue as he scrambles out of the way. The only reassuring sounds Paris will get for the moment are the rapid return of Johns' gauge as the bounty hunter squeezes off rounds through the grate to scare the creature away and the hiss and pop of a torch's flame as Riddick cuts through the opposite wall to another compartment. For the moment, those sounds are enough. Paris does not fret anymore. He huddles quietly with the others for their next escape route to be ready. He makes sure to stay close to Johns and his gauge. When Riddick is finished cutting, everyone quickly climbs through the rough hole. The new compartment is bigger. It looks like they have found one of the larger storage compartments. Riddick goes off to explore.
Jack is about to follow him, but Shazza grabs her and shakes her head. "Stay with me," she says. Jack complies, but she watches where Riddick has disappeared. Fry calls to Riddick.
"Don't stop burning," he calls back. Getting suspicious, Fry hands the cutting torch to Johns and takes the flashlight from him. She moves in the direction Riddick went.
"Hassan? Where is Hassan?" asks Imam.
Shazza's hold tightens on Jack. Hassan's screams slice through the air. Riddick suddenly reappears running toward them. Fry's flashlight catches him full in the face. He barks a sharp shout in pain and ducks out of the way. A large beastie is right behind him. Johns shoots the creature. It falls in a heap at their feet.
"Is it alive?" asks Carolyn. She shines the flashlight on it and watches in astonishment as the creature's skin blisters and begins to smoke.
"It's like the light is scalding it," observes Paris.
"It hurts them. Light actually hurts them," states Carolyn.
"Well, I'm glad something does," grimaces Shazza.
They hear noise coming from further in the compartment.
"Is that Hassan?" asks Imam.
"We'll burn a candle for him later. Come on, let's get outta here," says Johns.
They gather in another compartment. This one seems secure. The torch burns in the center of their little circle like a mini-camp fire. Only the sounds outside aren't of wolves or coyotes howling but of strange light sensitive creatures that could tear their prey apart in ten seconds flat.
"So, we've got one cutting torch and two hand lights. There's got to be something we can rip out of the crash ship," says Carolyn.
"Spirits. Anything over forty-five proof burns rather well," offers Paris.
"How many bottles you got?" asks Carolyn.
"I don't know. Maybe ten," figures Paris.
"Okay, Johns, you've got some flares. So, maybe we've got enough light," says Carolyn.
"Enough for fucking what?" snaps Johns.
"We stick to the plan. We get four cells back to the skiff. We're off this rock."
"Look, I hate to kill a beautiful theory with an ugly fact, but that sand cat is solar powered. It won't run at night," says Paris.
"It's set up to run off solar power. It doesn't mean it needs to. If you give me a power cell, I can wire it to run off it," says Shazza.
Paris looks at the woman with awe. "You know, you are a beautiful woman," he says.
She smiles at the antiques dealer. "I know, and I'm a damn good mechanic too."
"Wait, do you guys mean tonight?" asks Jack looking at the grown-ups.
"Yeah, how long can this last? A few hours, a few days tops?" asks Johns.
"I had the impression from the model… the two planets were moving as one… and there would be a lasting darkness," answers Imam.
"And we have other concerns, like no food and no water. We can't last rooting long," interjects Shazza.
"One of those suns has to come up sooner or later," argues Johns.
"The sun didn't rise for those people in the coring room," states Carolyn.
Johns shakes his head and points at Jack. "We need to think about everybody now – especially the kid. How scared is this boy gonna be out there in the dark?" Shazza's arm tightens around Jack's shoulders. She looks at the girl. Jack looks up at Shazza. She gives the woman a shaky smile to show she can be brave. Shazza gives her an approving smile.
"I can do it," says Jack.
Everyone turns to the girl in surprise.
"I'm scared, but I can do it. Can you Johns?" challenges Jack. Riddick suppresses a smile.
"All right, everybody fucking shut up so I can come up with a plan that doesn't involve mass suicide," Johns exclaims.
"Waiting is what got us here in the first place," mutters Shazza.
Johns whips around to face Shazza. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She's right. If we'd taken more than one cell when we came back, we wouldn't be in this shit hole of a situation," says Carolyn.
"Are you blaming me for this fucked up situation?" shouts Johns.
"I'm just thinking that listening to you may be detrimental to our collective survival," replies Carolyn.
He raises his gun and aims it at Carolyn. "Is that right?" he says. Shazza pulls Jack back to a safe distance from the confrontation. Riddick stands up blocking Johns.
"What are you doing?" asks Johns.
Riddick lifts his goggles, looks at Johns, and taps his shiv on Johns' crotch.
"Okay…" Johns says with a grim smile and backs down.
Imam leans over to whisper to Carolyn. "Will this work?"
"The hell if I know," replies Carolyn.
They make their way back to the cargo bay doors. The creatures seem to have fallen back. Fry leads the way with the burning torch. She scans the area between the cargo hold and the rest of the ship. She looks back at the others and nods her head. As one, they begin running to the other portion of the ship. Shazza's heart starts racing again. It's too soon since her last little jaunt between these two points. Baiting fate is never a good idea. The group stops short of the entrance. Carolyn calls Riddick to the front. He peers into the ship searching for monsters.
"Looks clear," he says. Johns steps forward with his gauge raised ready to enter when one of the monster comes tearing out and leaps over them. Everyone hits the ground.
"You said clear!" shouts Johns.
"I said it looks clear," argues back Riddick, obviously not regretful for his mistake.
"Well, what's it look like now?" demands Johns.
"Looks clear," repeats Riddick with a shrug of his shoulders. Johns cautiously approaches the entrance again. When nothing jumps out at him, everyone follows him in.
As she passes by him, Shazza murmurs to Riddick, "Tell me, did it look clear when we were running for our lives?"
Riddick grins at the prospector. "No," he replies.
She shoots him a dirty look and flashes her light across his face, mildly satisfied when he winces. "Let's get those power cells," she says.
They strip the ship of all sources of light. Neon tubing is gathered. Paris tests his liquor to see if the alcohol content is high enough. Riddick brings out a power cell. Under the glow of the collected light, and with Jack standing at her shoulder with a flashlight, Shazza works to hook up a power cell to the sand cat. Carolyn and Imam string the neon lighting around the frame of the vehicle. Johns comes out with his bag of flares.
Riddick moves over by Jack to look over Shazza's shoulder.
"How we doing?" he asks.
Shazza's arms, up to her elbows, are buried in the engine of the vehicle. Oil and grease streak her arms and another streak crosses her left cheek. "Well for lack of proper tools, we're doing surprisingly well. I should have the old girl running in a few minutes."
Riddick nods. He looks around checking who is close by. He ducks his head close to Jack and keeps his voice low. "Check your cuts. These bad boys know our blood now," he says ominously.
Jack's eyes widen. Riddick disappears back into the ship to bring out the remaining power cells with Johns.
Jack tentatively taps Shazza's shoulder. "Shazza?"
"What Jack?" asks Shazza distractedly.
"Can you come into the ship? I think I know where something else we can use for light is."
"I'm a little busy, Jack."
"Please?" begs Jack.
Just then the sand cat comes to life. Shazza gives a whoop of triumph and turns a bright grin on Jack. Jack smiles back, but Shazza can see she's distressed over something. Shazza turns off the sand cat.
"All right, let's go in and find more light," she says leading the way back into the ship.
"I'm going to help Mr. Riddick and Mr. Johns," says Imam, venturing into the ship leaving Carolyn alone with the sand cat. That's not such a bright move. Carolyn looks at the prepped out sand cat and memories of her almost jettison of the cryo chambers come back to taunt her. If she hops into the sand cat, she could be half way back to the settlement and the skiff before anyone could stop her, except she doesn't have enough power cells. She sighs and rubs her face. She should not be thinking this way. They are her responsibility, but she doesn't want this burden. She sits down on the back of the sand cat extremely tired.
Johns emerges from the ship, lugging a power cell. "You give him the cells and the ship. He'll leave you all out there to die."
Carolyn jerks her head up in surprise at the comment. If it weren't for the pronouns, it would have been a perfect match for her troubling thoughts.
"Just get the cell on the cat. Nobody's leaving anybody tonight," she says.
#
In the ship, off the main corridor, Shazza stops and turns to Jack. "All right, what is it?" she asks.
Jack looks at her feet nervously. "I gotta tell you a secret, but you gotta promise not to get mad and not to tell the others," she mumbles.
Shazza rolls her eyes to the ceiling. "What is it, Jack?" she asks again.
Jack chews on her thumb nervously. "My name's not Jack," she mumbles.
"What did you say?" Shazza takes Jack's hand away from her mouth.
"My name's not Jack," she whispers.
Shazza's brow furrows. "Then what is it?" she asks.
"Aubrey," says Jack softly.
Shazza's eyebrows rise. She's happy that Jack would confide in her, but not really sure what would have prompted this confidence. "Okay, that's fine. I'm glad you told me. I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to," she says.
Jack shakes her head. "That's not all…" she mutters. "Remember what Riddick said about cuts and blood…" Realization dawns on Shazza. Shazza runs her hand through her long hair.
"Okay, I got you now. Come on, I think I have something that'll take care of it," she says going back toward the cryo chamber compartment. Jack's face cracks into a relieved smile.
#
Everyone, except Riddick, is piled into the sand cat. He's taken point five yards ahead because the lights mess with his vision. In the sand cat, Shazza's at the wheel. Johns sits shotgun, which is appropriate since he has his gauge lying across his chest. Everyone else is packed into the back with supplies.
Riddick turns and looks back at the group. "I want light on my back, but not in my eyes. Are we ready?" In answer, Shazza starts the sand cat and edges the machine forward. Riddick turns and removes his goggles. He starts leading the way. Everyone sits tensely in the sand cat. Their eyes strain to pick out the creatures in the dark, but without shine jobs, they have no way of seeing them.
Jack leans over the back of Shazza's seat. "He's like so cool, you know?" she says, indicating Riddick.
"Yes, escaped convicts are the coolest," answers Shazza dryly.
"No, I mean it," protests Jack. "I mean if he didn't have the shine job, we'd be shit out of luck, right?"
"Jack, Riddick would sooner gut you than look at you," warns Johns.
"I don't think so," argues Jack.
"Kid, you don't know what he's capable of. He's been killing since before you were born. He's a complete sociopath."
"That's funny because right now, it looks like he's leading us to safety."
Shazza sighs. "Jack, sit down."
"But, Shazza," whines Jack.
"Sit down," orders Shazza. Jack slumps back in her seat with a frown. They drive on following Riddick silently for another twenty minutes. While they travel, Shazza is continuously watching their path, trying to remain alert to any threat. An ominous foreboding settles slowly on her. She scans the area harder. Her brow furrows. "Wait a minute," whispers Shazza.
Johns hears her. "What is it?" Shazza halts the sand cat and stands in her seat to look around.
"What?" demands Johns.
"Why that drongo."
"What?" repeats Johns, growing more perturbed.
"Riddick, stop right there!" shouts Shazza. The escaped convict stops and turns back slightly to the sand cat. Shazza scans the area. "Jack, hand me a torch," she says. Jack hands her the one she's been holding. Shazza hops out of the sand cat.
"Where the hell are you going?" demands Johns, grabbing a light to follow her. Shazza takes several paces away from the sand cat and crouches down.
"Goddammit!" she cries standing up and kicking sand.
"Dammit, Shazza, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to shoot you!" threatens Johns.
Shazza reels on him. "You want to know what's going on? I'll tell you what's going on, that ocker, is leading us around in circles!" Shazza shouts pointing toward Riddick. Johns raises his gun and aims it at Riddick, who has fallen back a few paces and has put his goggles back on.
"Is that right?" he says quietly, taking closer aim on Riddick.
"I wanted to buy some time," says the convict.
From the sand cat, Carolyn calls out, "Why are we stopped?"
"Because I'm not following Riddick a step further. He's leading us around in rooting circles," says Shazza as she strides back to the sand cat. The two men trail behind her.
"Are we lost?" asks Imam.
"No," replies Riddick.
"Oh? Then what's with the circling?" asks Johns.
"The canyon's ahead. It's fucking death row. I don't know if the sand cat will make it through it."
"You think?" spits Shazza, taking a few menacing steps toward him. "Every minute we're out here, we're in danger of getting eaten by those monsters, and you decide to take the scenic route?"
"Shazza, calm down," says Carolyn. "What's wrong with the canyon?"
"The path's not clear," replies Riddick. "Someone made sure of that when she went barreling through it," he says turning to face Shazza.
Shazza's anger begins to boil over. Her fists are clenched, and her arms are shaking with barely suppressed rage. "You would have preferred I pussyfooted through there? We wouldn't have made it to the crash site by nightfall if I had. Then we would've been stranded without light or transport!"
"Yeah, but since the plan was to always get back to the ship, it would have been nice if you'd left a path clear for us," says Johns, happy to get a chance to goad the prospector. She'd been riding him since the shit hit the fan.
Shazza reels to face Johns. She looks as mad as a cut snake and ready to strike.
"Everybody quiet!" shouts Carolyn. "We need to get back to the skiff. The path can't be that bad. We clear it as we go."
"I agree. Sitting here is not a good idea," says Paris. The creatures' whoops and calls were intensifying as they gathered around the sitting sand cat.
"Shazza, get back behind the wheel. Riddick, start leading us again. When we reach a block, we get out and start clearing the path," says Carolyn. The others in the sand cat nod in agreement with the plan. Shazza gets back into the sand cat. Riddick takes up position again. Johns goes to join Riddick at the lead.
"What does he think he's doing?" asks Jack.
"Maybe he wants to become a hood ornament," says Shazza with a grim smile.
Jack reaches over and squeezes Shazza's shoulder. "You did what you had to do. We wouldn't have made it like you said."
Shazza reaches up and pats Jack's hand. "Thanks," she whispers.
Up ahead, Johns has taken point with Riddick.
"You suddenly develop night vision, Johns?" asks Riddick. He starts leading the way to the canyon. The sand cat crawls behind them.
"No, just want some air. Those two women seem to think pretty highly of themselves."
"And they think the opposite of you," replies Riddick.
Johns turns a wry smile to the convict. "Noticed, huh?" Riddick doesn't reply. He's keeping an eye on a group of the creatures that are pacing them. "I don't think they plan to stick to the deal."
"You think, huh?" replies Riddick absently.
"Yeah, look at Shazza. No, don't turn and actually look!" insists Johns when Riddick turns to glance back. "Now just listen, I think she still blames you for Zeke's death. She won't think twice about ghosting you if given the opportunity again. In fact, I think it would make her day. I get the feeling she's one cold-blooded bitch."
"Yeah, with one mean maternal streak, too," Riddick says dryly.
Johns' eyes narrow in annoyance at Riddick. "Will you shut the fuck up and let me continue?"
Riddick shrugs his shoulders in answer.
Johns' takes a deep breath to re-gather his thoughts. "Okay, now Carolyn, she wants to do the right thing. She's having some real karmic issues and turning you in will balance her out again, but if you were to get left behind or something, all the better. She wouldn't have to deal with the guilt of breaking her word, and you'd be dead. The universe would be a better place, and she could take the credit. So see, both those women will turn on you as soon as the chance arises. That's why I think we should come up with a plan to like lose them or something," Johns finishes and waits for Riddick to put two and two together and get five. Come on, a convicted killer like him has to jump to the obvious conclusion.
"Is that so?" murmurs Riddick. Johns' attempt to coerce him into killing the women for him so that the bounty hunter could have an easier time of taking him back into custody is completely laughable. These creatures on the other hand are not. The beasts are keeping their distance for the time being, but they are not losing interest.
Johns frowns, mad that he's got to spell it out to the slowwitted convict. "Yeah, if one or both of them were to get chomped by the creatures, you'd have a much better chance of staying out of slam."
They have reached the mouth of the canyon. Riddick stops to scan the area. The creatures are dense here. This is their mating ground or something he figures.
"You might be right, but you want to know what I think?" asks Riddick.
"What?"
"I think that you've still got a hard-on for my bounty because morphine ain't cheap, and as soon as you get back up in space, those S&M chains you're so fond of are going to come back out, and my ass is headed back to slam before you can say, 'But Daddy Johns, I don't like being touched there.'"
Johns face hardens. Did that damn fucker just insinuate his father molested him?
Riddick chuckles and enters the canyon of bones. Johns stays back. The sand cat pulls up beside him. He swings into the front passenger seat without a word.
"So are you two all lovey-dovey now?" asks Shazza.
Johns swings toward her and puts his finger in her face. "Don't. Just shut up," he says. Shazza looks down at the shaking finger in front of her nose and then at Johns' bloodshot eyes. She can see the sweat beading on his forehead. She smirks but doesn't comment. It wouldn't be very smart to irritate a drug addict on the brink of the shakes, especially one holding a gauge.
"Whoa!" shouts Riddick holding his hand up. They'd reached the first pile of bones blocking the path.
"All right everybody work fast and keep in the light," orders Carolyn. Everyone piles out and starts working to remove the block.
"We just need to get the real big stuff out of the way. The sand cat should be able to climb over the rest," grunts Shazza as she bends down to help Paris, Suleiman, and Imam move a large broken bone.
"Good," says Carolyn. She, Jack, Johns, and Riddick wrestle with another bone.
"Riddick, how are things looking?" asks Carolyn. Just then a large hunk of blue flesh falls down near her and sprays her and everything in an eight foot radius with blue blood. She and Jack look at the haunch in amazement.
Riddick glances at the haunch. "Like I said, this place is death row." Jack backs away in shock at the piece of meat. She looks up and in the dim glow of the lamps, catches a glimpse of the bellies of the creatures as they swoop and attack each other overhead. She stares in amazement. An ominous growl begins behind her. Jack snaps out of her daze and whirls around. She's wandered too far from the light. The creature growls louder from the darkness. Jack can't see it. The shadows are too murky. She begins backing slowly toward the sand cat.