Chapter 2

A sharp blow landed across John's face. He came awake and frowned at a glowering Aeryn kneeling over him.

"Crichton!" she yelled. "Get up!"

"What?" John scratched his head. He looked around and found that he was on the ground in the marketplace.

"What is the matter with you?" Aeryn demanded as she pulled him to his feet.

"What?" John repeated.

"That's what I'm asking?" Aeryn snapped.

"Where's Chiana?" John stared at her.

"What?" Aeryn pulled him with her. "We have to head back to the ship now."

"No!" John pulled himself out of her grip.

"We have to get off this planet now!" Aeryn insisted.

John stepped away from her. He shook his head for he knew that something was wrong.
"This isn't real," John said.

"What isn't real?" Aeryn stared at him with her head turned sideways.

"This!" John waved his hand.

Aeryn narrowed her eyes at him. "You want to know where Chiana is?"

"Yes!" John cried.

"She's on the ship," Aeryn stepped closer to him. "Are you feeling all right?"

"No!" John struggled to remain calm. "Chiana and I were just being held prisoner by members of the Delvian Security Forces."

"Crichton," Aeryn lowered her voice. "We haven't seen them in half a cycle."

"I'm not going crazy Aeryn," John insisted.

"How could you tell?" Aeryn asked.

"What?" John stared at her.

"Let's go," Aeryn repeated.

"Why are you so anxious to leave?" John asked.

Aeryn stared at him for a moment. "You're actually serious? You collapse on the ground and I can't rouse you and you think that we should stay here?"

"I just fell to the ground?" John rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes," Aeryn told him.

"That's not possible," John whispered.

"Which is more likely? You were captured and magically released or you collapsed?" Aeryn questioned. "Let's get back to Moya so that Zhaan can look at you."

"I really just collapsed," John shook his head.

"What do you think happened?" Aeryn asked.

John sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He struggled to order his thoughts. Was this some sort of trick? Was he being subjected to a false memory implanted by Khaar? It wouldn't be the first time that he had encountered such a Delvian trick. It had happened when he had been forced to into merging with Zhaan when they had encountered those Delvian missionaries.

"A trick," John said.

"What would be the point?" Aeryn asked.

John surrendered for he knew that whatever was going to happen he had to play it out.

"I can't understand why I thought I was being held captive," John shrugged.

"Zhaan will have some answers," Aeryn insisted.

"Sure," John agreed.

Aeryn turned and led the way back to where the shuttle pod was located. John was puzzled that Aeryn knew where it was and he began to question if this was reality or if the capture was reality. He felt the dull nagging throb of the headache stir behind his eyes. He blinked furiously and Aeryn stopped and stared at him.

"You're not all right," she shook her head.

"I didn't say that I was," John muttered.

She opened the shuttle pod's door and they entered. Aeryn took control of the pod while John laid his head against the back of the seat.

"Pilot," Aeryn spoke into the communications device.

"Yes Officer Sun," Pilot replied.

"We're on our way back," Aeryn said.

"Were you successful?" Pilot asked.

"No," Aeryn answered. "Something is wrong with Crichton and I think that Zhaan had better look at him. I'll come back down with D'Argo."

"I'll inform the others Officer Sun," Pilot told her.

"Good," Aeryn glanced sideways at John.

John barely heard the exchange as he kept his eyes firmly shut. He was next aware of being pulled to his feet and slung over very large shoulders.

"D'Argo," John whispered.

"Just wait until I get you to Zhaan's lab before you decide to empty the contents of your stomach," D'Argo growled.

"What happened?" Chiana's voice cut through the fog that was in John's mind.

"Delvian Security Forces," John answered.

"What?" D'Argo dumped John on the table and spun to face Aeryn.

"I didn't see anything," Aeryn argued. "We walked into the marketplace and he just collapsed. I couldn't wake him."
"Holding me and Chiana prisoner," John spoke haltingly.

"What's he going on about?" Chiana demanded. "I'm right here."

Zhaan stood in a corner and studied what was happening. She moved quickly to where John laid on the table.

"John," Zhaan called.

"Hey Zhaan," John coughed. "My head hurts. I need aspirin."

"Did you get a name John," Zhaan pressed.

"What?" John struggled to remain conscious.

"You must remain conscious John," Zhaan implored. "A name. I need a name."

"Pau Zota Khaar," John felt the room go black.

He woke with a start and saw that he was still in the cage. Chiana was sleeping with her back turned to him. John rubbed his eyes and fought to remain calm. Something wasn't right. Something was very wrong. He was on Moya. He was there. He was certain of it. But yet he was here. In this place where the Delvians had him prisoner and he was sure that this was reality. He studied Chiana and then reached forward and touched her.

"What?" Chiana became instantly alert.

"Have I left?" John asked her.

"Are you frelled in the head?" Chiana demanded.

"No," John shook his head. "At least I don't think so."

"Crichton, you're not making any sense," Chiana stared at him.

"I was here, and I was being tortured by that Khaar guy," John explained. "Then I was with Aeryn and she took me back to Moya."
"Well they say that if you feel pain, then where you feel pain it's real," Chiana said.

"Except that I've got this headache and it's been in both places," John argued.

"Well both can't be real," Chiana said.

"I know that," John sighed.

"Can Delvians do this?" Chiana questioned.

"We had come across some once," John bit his thumb. "They made me believe that I had come with someone on the mission. That we had both been trapped and Chi it was so real."

"But it wasn't," Chiana guessed.

"No," John shook his head. "They had wanted me occupied so that they could do what they wanted to with Zhaan."

"How did it end?" Chiana asked.

"It didn't end well," John glanced at the cage.

"Does that mean that this won't either?" she pressed.

"I don't know," John sat with his legs folded. "I just don't know."

"Well," Chiana sat up in the cage. "I would suggest that we figure out which is reality and which isn't."

"So that we can know how to act," John agreed.

"Not only that," Chiana shook her head. "It means that they are close to getting what they want."

"But why target me?" John asked.

"Because you and I shared memories, John," Zhaan's voice cut in.

John's eyes flew open and he sat up quickly. Zhaan's arms restrained him. "You're not strong enough to sit up that quickly," she said.

"Zhaan?" John's breath quickened.

"I will fix this," Zhaan told him.

"Hurry," John pleaded. "Please hurry."