Chapter 10

tabula rasa [ˈˌtäb(y)o͝olə ˈräzə]

NOUN

-an absence of preconceived ideas or predetermined goals; a clean slate.

-the human mind, especially at birth, viewed as having no innate ideas.

A shower, which despite what he said would have been so much better with her than without, and he went back to wake her up, only to find her climbing out of his bed already. "Thought I told you I'd wake you?"

"Woke when I heard you come out of the shower," She shrugged and stood. She'd braided her hair despite the fact that she'd have to unbraid it to shower.

"We get back into the Black we can go back to sleep," He kept his frown to himself and began to pick up the fancy clothing from where he'd thrown it last night.

"Sounds like a good plan," River nodded as she headed towards the bathroom. "I'll make us something to eat that's fast."

"Thanks," Riddick watched her carefully as she walked but no limp, no stiffness, nothing to indicate that she was hurting from everything they'd done the night before. Good. Rare that he got to be as dominant as he liked with a woman sexually. Rare he found a woman who could take it. But that didn't mean he didn't take the responsibility seriously. He considered the aftercare of his partner just as important as pleasuring her. Stroking, petting, praising and cleaning her up after, salves and creams and lotions to pamper her. He'd made sure to stock up on anything he'd need when he bought the toys he thought she'd enjoy. Primal didn't mean careless after all.

No pain in her scent as she walked, so he'd taken proper care of her. The door to the head closed behind that luscious ass and he forced his mind to the business at hand.

Time to get to work.

He'd gotten her clothes hung up and the rest of her things put away, though the ripped lace panties would stay in his possession. The toys had been cleaned and put away, and he'd pulled on a pair of shorts and cargo pants. River came out of the shower, hair damp and braided loosely down her back and he grinned. "Never gonna get tired of seeing that view," He informed her as he took another look at their supplies.

"Enjoying the view he presents as well," She grinned at him as she headed to her room. Five minutes later she emerged, her hair wound back into its coil, pants and a shirt she was still buttoning over something lacy against her skin.

Riddick sat and watched her as she began to cook, "Had the idea that after Pelorum we could go into cryo and drop out at Helion Prime. Need to deliver some more supplies and pick up another load of cargo. Then cryo again while we head to Lupus Prime. Dock there, check for jobs…"

"And finalize the searches for the mercenaries we're hunting?" River turned to look at him and he nodded.

"Yeah," He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Had an idea regarding that," She brought the pan over to the table and began to spoon out the egg and spiced protein mix onto the plates. "You said they put her under contract?"

Riddick nodded, frowning as he recalled, "That's why she got thrown in Crematoria. They hadn't done anything she didn't agree to legally." He watched as she sat down, "What sort of idea?"

"Bait and switch?" River smiled. "I look young, and I'm small, I can pass as a teenager. If we can find the place they hang out between jobs…"

"You want to draw them out," He realized. He couldn't be sure how he felt about that. Sure, River was damn capable, with blades or guns, but that didn't mean he wanted her assuming all the risk.

"Make inquiries, about apprenticeship, learning the trade, ask to speak somewhere quieter," She smirked.

"Somewhere quieter, like a hotel room," He smirked back. "Or a cargo bay?"

"Cargo bay," River nodded. "Explain the Captain of the boat doesn't mind me using the bay to talk so long as I don't leave the boat open."

"Let me lock it down from the bridge," Riddick was starting to find a lot to like in this plan.

"And then…" She smirked evilly and damn if he didn't love that expression on her face more and more.

"Come down the steps and go to work," He smiled. "Could even get your night vision lenses and go lights out. Really freak 'em out."

"Nice embellishment," She drawled. "I've gotten the search results back. We should have the name of the clan by the time we reach Helion Prime."

"Hopefully they don't move around a lot while we're traveling," Riddick mused. "I can set the boat to burn pretty hard, but you never know with mercs."

"How long in cryo?" She asked with a half-smile.

"We can go from five months down to three weeks in cryo," He did the calculations in his head and nodded. "Can also set it to burn a week at a time, take a two day break from cryo, each time, double check the results, give the power cells a break while we drift forward and start over again."

"Like that plan," River nodded. "Feels a little more normal."

"Yeah, cryo's handy but it feels odd after a while," Riddick agreed. He leered at her playfully, "And it'll be a helluva lot of fun to have a couple days at a time to play with you."

"Very wicked man," She giggled at him.

"Only thing you might not like," He hadn't mentioned this before and now he had no idea how she'd feel about it. The test run hadn't been with him in the bed with her. And damned if he'd move things around unless it really upset her. "I don't have cryo set up for any room but mine."

"Why is that a problem?" Those dark eyes regarded him curiously.

"Wasn't sure if you'd be uncomfortable sharing a bed for a week at a time," He shrugged.

"I don't see it being an insurmountable difficulty," River shook her head. "Before we leave White Sun completely I do need to send a wave to Simon." Riddick gave her a quizzical look and she elaborated, "We so rarely go beyond the Rim, I'd rather let him know that we'll be incommunicado for six to seven weeks than have him start to send out search parties."

"You think he would?" That'd make life a touch more interesting, people on the lookout for them because someone was worried about River instead of wanting to arrest either of them.

"You underestimate his tendency to worry," He was informed dryly.

"Well better get to doing that before we leave the system," Riddick kissed her forehead and began to gather up the dirty dishes. "I'll start getting the cryo cuffs set up."

River finally disconnected the wave and leaned back with a groan. "Gave you a hard time," Riddick's voice asked from the doorway to the bridge. Thankfully she could usually sense his presence so she didn't startle but she turned in her chair and looked at him.

"Sometimes reassuring him that I'm fine on my own requires so much repetition that I doubt the assessed numeric value of his intelligence quotient," She shook her head as she stood up.

That got a bark of laughter from her lover, "I'm told families are like that."

"Not all of them," She sighed and then smiled when Riddick didn't let her slip past him, catching her by the hips in the doorway and rubbing against her teasingly before taking her lips in a kiss.

"Not the worst thing in the 'verse," He reminded her.

"No, you're right," River draped her arms around his neck. "Need to get the course programmed for Helion Prime?"

"Yeah, and the ship switched to cryo mode," Riddick nodded. "You'll want to wear something comfortable to sleep in." He grinned down at her, "Or don't wear anything."

River giggled up at him, "Oh?"

Oh those gorgeous, tarnished silver eyes, gleaming down at her, exhausted, barely any sleep, and she wanted to climb up his body and rub against him. "Yeah," He grinned like he was the Reader and could tell what she was thinking. "I have this idea about how I'd like to wake you up."

"Seriously Riddick, won't we be cold," Practicalities asserted themselves in her mind, much as she'd like to ignore them.

"I can get us set up so we're under the quilts, just like a regular night," He assured her. "All you have to do is find a set of clothes you want to wear when we wake up, get ready for bed like a normal night and climb in."

"You're certain?" She'd never been in cryo long term before, not since she'd been sane. The test run had only been for a night.

"I've been doing this a long time, got it down to a science," He smiled and cupped her jaw in his huge hand. "You're already tired, just go get in the bed and settle in. Sleep. I'll likely wake you up putting the cryo cuff on but we'll both be asleep again five minutes after."

"All right," River turned her head and kissed his palm, giving him a smile she was sure went from affectionate to adoring, and hoped she wasn't being too forward. "See you in a bit."

Since he'd specifically requested it, she thought the appropriate sleep apparel could be set aside for nudity. So long as she kept her hair braided the proprieties would be kept. Bad enough he'd seen her with her hair down coming out of the shower several times. Her mother had been extremely blunt (for her at least). She didn't disapprove of Richard, so long as River was happy, but unless River intended to marry him, and by that she meant until Richard proposed, she expected her daughter to keep at least the barest minimum of proper behavior.

Bad enough that while River had been insane she'd resisted any attempt to braid or bind her hair back. Simon had explained to their mother when they'd returned and it had been dismissed as a temporary aberration. She'd been like a child and the faux pas could be overlooked. But sane, awake to social expectations and etiquette, for anyone to see her hair loose and unbraided who wasn't a close relative or to whom she was married… She wasn't a Companion (which was at least a respected profession) and she wasn't engaged. For her to wear her hair down, loose, without even a braid or ribbon to control or bind it… It was as good as saying she didn't care about society's rules or familial expectations. She might as well have 'immoral woman' or 'pòxié' tattooed on her forehead.

Brushing her hair out and pulling it into a loose braid comfortable for sleeping was automatic. Grabbing underthings and clothing, along with her guns and blades, that took a little more thought, but if something happened and they had to come out of cryo early for an emergency, she wouldn't want to waste time running for her weapons. Riddick had guns in his room but most of them were too big for her hands to shoot easily.

The ship lights dimmed as she went back into Riddick's room and straightened the sheets and quilt, pulling off the shirt and shorts she'd worn to cook in before climbing into the huge bed. The movement of the ship changed subtly; the change of the engine over to the power cells shifting the rhythm of the vibrations as she pulled the quilt up to her shoulders. Riddick's scent lingered on the sheets and she inhaled with a smile. Safe… his bed felt so safe.

Big hands, gentle, lifting her arm and she startled awake. Silver eyes gleamed down at her and she saw the cryo cuff circling her forearm. "Just getting you set up for cryo," Warm lips on her forehead.

"You're staying with me," River blinked at him. Fatigue made her mind go fuzzy; was she asking a question or making a statement.

"Damn right," Those big hands fixed the cuff around her arm and she saw the drugs begin to drip down the tube.

The mattress dipped and his huge body pressed against hers, the quilts pulled over them. Dimly she saw the cuff around his bicep, felt his huge arm wrap around her body, his knee between her thighs and her spine pressed back to his chest.

The drugs began to take effect and she could feel herself falling into that strange deep sleep.

Dreams.

They were…and weren't…

May come as a surprise to you but I didn't ghost your son.

He seemed set on killing himself.

Rain.

Dust.

Escape artist huh?

Rage.

Pain.

I said between the fourth and fifth…that's the fifth and sixth…

It's always the punch you don't see coming that puts you down.

Silk.

Skin.

Heartbreak.

You killed everything I know.

Dark hair…pale skin…marks on the exposed sides of her neck…big eyes… 'I was always with you'.

Death.

Fury. Blue waves of it erupting through the air. Men flying backwards.

Death.

Serenity.

Peace.

Mal watching her, 'just a child'.

Reavers.

These are just a few of the images we've recorded…

Where are you hiding…little girl.

You know, you ain't quite right.

Sly? No. I lean towards womenfolk.

I'll go to Hell before I watch you turn and bite us for the favor

This ain't no wobbly-headed doll caper.

Oh, this is a fine fàng zòng fēng kuáng de jié but I don't have time to unwind it.

Just once I'd like things to go according to the gorram plan.

Ship like this, be with ya 'til the day you die.

It's a real burden being right so often.

You're welcome on my boat, God ain't.

We're out of the woods.

Furyans. Defiant to the end.

Sister, they don't know what to do with just one of me.

You said it's all circling the drain...the whole universe.

Wonder if she'll be there.

So now it's back to all the brightness...and everything I hate.

Can only end bad when you let someone get too close.

You made three mistakes.

Cold.

Blinding white.

White rooms.

Pain.

The minds behind every diplomatic, military and covert operation in the galaxy, and you put them in a room with a psychic.

Steel tables.

Miranda.

Needles and drugs and scalpels.

Secrets.

Key members of Parliament.

Key.

Cards.

They are an army unlike any other...crusading across the stars

Heat.

Light.

Derision.

Now we speak of the balance of opposites.

She thought of you as her older brother.

She worshipped you.

She never forgave you...for leaving just when she needed you most.

Would I still be allowed to dance?

I'm not progressing…

I would like to see my brother.

It's the Pax.

No one will give me a mission.

You lost the first one.

You cut too deep, he died on the table.

I am trying to protect my spine.

My movement hasn't been dictated yet, but I am not here for nothing.

I would like to request a transfer.

I can see you.

When I say goodbye, it's forever.

They say... hope begins in the dark.

But most just flail around in the blackness searching for their destiny.

The darkness, for me, is where I shine.

In the end, everybody bleeds the same...

Hell's messenger.

The body is willing... The mind is controlled.

This unholy fusion between flesh and technology...

Now the monsters have something to fear...

The dead... should stay dead.

Simon says I was born with the third eye.

He hates when I can tell which girls he likes.

Your brother, he's a doctor, right?

He's a trauma surgeon in Capital City.

Quite a family.

Simon's a genius. I could never do what he does.

I think you could do whatever you put your mind to.

That's what the Alliance needs.

That's what this institute is all about.

Your mind, letting it do everything it could.

Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?

All right. Now you have my attention.

You're not putting me on a pedestal.

Ain't what I'd call living.

Lady, your taste sucks.

I've been called a lot of things in my day.

That ain't one of'em.

I get outta there alive, you'll see it again...this close.

When we meet again, I'm gonna bury this in your eye.

It's me you're after.

You want a shot at the title?

I told you that was coming.

And you like school?

I do. It's... Sometimes things move a little slowly for me.

I imagine they do. What's your favorite subject?

I'm finding physics a challenge.

You're in the graduate program already.

They call me "Little Mouse".

Do you think they're jealous because you're so young?

Volger is, a little. He plans to become very important.

Did he tell you he was jealous?

Oh, no. I just...

You feel it.

People tell you things all the time without talking.

The way they move, the way they aren't talking.

You're very intuitive.

Slow and soft… Everything hazy.

Callused palms sliding up her thighs.

Sleep still holding her down.

Pressing her spine to the mattress…

Warm weight, gentle…holding her firmly… And…oooohh…

Liquid heat. Blue flames licking at her.

Heart beginning to race…burning the drugs out of her blood.

The languid weight of sleep leaving her limbs finally…hips twitching…

Male groans of hunger and pleasure between her thighs, vibrating against her sensitive yīn dì.

Moaning…

Hers.

That heat…rising…

Hair, soft, curling, under her hands, a masculine rumble of satisfaction as she hears herself beg for more.

Implacable. Measured. Methodical.

Lapping at her like a determined cat.

Moans…louder…rising…

A match struck…

Dropped in slow motion…

To a pool of kerosene…

Exploding through her body…

Igniting every nerve.

Screams.

Begging.

Riddick.

Over her, filling her, taking her mouth and body and throwing her into a pit of fire again.

She'd die of it.

She couldn't…

Don't stop…

Oh…god…Riddick!

That huge body of his balanced over hers, sensual mouth nuzzling her neck as she shivered under him. "Woman…that is the best way to come out of cryo… Feeling you against me…"

She finally could think and speak, mostly, "Like how you wake me up."

"Been thinking about that for a while," Riddick admitted and she smiled.

"Odd…to feel hair under my hands, only your tongue on me… Good…but different…"

"Yeah, didn't want to take the time to shave but last thing I wanted was for you to get beard burn on your pretty pussy. 'Specially since it's so bare and soft," His mouth found the sensitive skin below her ear. "Think I might need to get up and shave, so you don't think some strange man is fucking you."

"Strange man is fucking me," River giggled. "I just know him."

"Zìzuòcōngmíng little witch," He grinned at her. "Stay right here and relax. And I'll be right back. It'll take a bit before we have an appetite so we've got an hour or two to kill before you'll even want to cook."

With a reluctance she could feel through his skin Riddick lifted his body off and out of hers, tucking the discarded covers around her before straightening up, completely nude and unconcerned about it before he went to the head to shave.

Cryo hadn't been as difficult as she recalled from Simon's big blue box. But the dreams it brought…pieces of what she surmised were Riddick's past as well as her own. Memories she'd put away. She'd dealt with them, dealt with her past. Odd to have everything come back in dreams when they never had before.

Riddick padded back into his bedroom, clean shaven and looking much more like himself, climbing into bed beside her and drawing her into his arms. "You all right," A testimony to his character that despite his physical arousal he didn't immediately begin to seduce her.

"Dreams…" She offered him a half smile, turning into his embrace. "Saw my past…think I saw yours too. 'When I say goodbye its forever'?"

"Nǐ tā mā de tiān xià suǒ yǒu de rén dōu gāi sǐ," Riddick swore. "We're not far out from Helion Prime. You want to lay in supplies and take the rest of this in short hops between systems?"

"I don't think so…" River slid her hands over his chest and began to press her mouth to his skin. "Your mind, your dreams, they might be horrifying but I'm not flooded with every mind in the 'verse. I can deal with your demons Riddick. And I think five months of travel would grow a bit tedious, not to mention expensive."

"If you're sure," One of those wide palms slid from the small of her back up to her nape, wrapping her braid around his fist. "Got a day before we're due to hit dirt." The look in those silver eyes set her heart pounding. "What should I do with you until we're hungry?"

"Whatever you want," She wrapped her hand around his jī ba and stroked upwards.

"Dangerous offer woman. And I'm gonna take you up on it." That mouth took hers ruthlessly, conquering and River shuddered. How this man knew what she needed, knew so well how far he could take her, how much she could take…

She was in for a heart stopping couple of hours until other appetites woke.

Bottles of water before they went much further screwing around, because damned if he'd be careless enough about hydration that River got an adverse reaction to cryo.

And then a very satisfying couple of hours showing her how much he could make her scream with pleasure in his bed. He'd never get tired of that. When his stomach began to protest River laughed softly and pulled away, throwing on her clothes to go and cook.

He pulled on a pair of shorts and double-checked their position relative to Helion Prime while she got a meal put together. They were right on track to hit Helion Prime in a day and a half, which would give them time to work out all the kinks. He'd been so used to coming out of cryo and needing to hit the ground running in order to escape some slam or other hellified situation. When he'd been able to hydrate and have a meal, fully slough off the drugs he'd been amazed at the difference it had made in how he felt. He could still deal with cryo the hard way if he had to. But on his own boat, no slam, no one (more than usual) hunting him, he enjoyed employing the conventional methods of dealing with it. With a twist or two of his own considering present company.

"Smells really good," He praised as he came down the steps to the galley. "Anything we need to pick up while we're dirtside?"

"Rice, or barley, flour maybe," River shrugged as she drained the noodles. "We're not doing too badly for food." Strong slender arms, white skin, that dark hair wound into a braided knot as she moved around the kitchen. Smelled like one of her beef and noodle dishes with a broth swimming in vegetables to dunk it all in. Hearty but still easy on the stomach.

"Have to check the market and see what they've got," Riddick pulled down bowls and plates. "Chopsticks and spoons?"

"Please," She nodded. "I'd like to accompany you this time please."

"To the market, sure if you want," He shrugged as he set out the utensils.

"No, to the place you went that made you so rú gěng zài hóu," River rolled her eyes at him. "What would you have done if I hadn't offered to spar with you?"

He sat and rubbed the back of his neck, "Probably hauled the sandbag out from its spot and beat it until I needed a new one."

"I would like to go with you," She informed him firmly. "You could use someone to watch your back."

Riddick eyed her and wondered if he could change her mind between now and when they hit dirt. There was a reason he hated the damn rock but he still kept going back to it.

"Back to the brightness and everything I hate," River murmured quietly and he realized that she might have reasons besides supporting him to want to stay close. If she saw the dreams he'd had in cryo, context or at least something to give them perspective might help.

"Wish I had some better dreams for you," He admitted. There wasn't much he could do about his past and he wouldn't apologize for all the killing she'd seen him do. But he could regret that she had to see it. On top of whatever fucked up shit she had in her past.

"Learned long ago that dreams won't hurt me," She assured him. "Might not be the most comfortable in the world but I've seen far worse. Had worse done to me."

"Yeah, I guess you would have," He nodded. One of these days, out of curiosity if nothing else, they' have to compare notes on their various 'educations' at the hands of the Parliament. Riddick looked into those dark eyes, curious as to her motives still, "You really want to come with me?"

"I do," River nodded firmly. "A situation which invokes so much…feeling. I would feel more at ease, were you not alone." He would have argued the point a bit more but she added, "No more than you would let me go to Osiris by myself."

Put like that any argument he could make was pointless. "If you're that set on it. All right."

Author's Note: This week has been insane on so many levels. Posting early because I need to feel like I accomplished something good.

I pulled dialogue from the movies, the series, the transcript of the R. Tam Sessions and the video games to get the stuff River sees/dreams while she's in cryo. It makes for a smaller word count but thirteen pages in Word so I figured I'd stop there.

Curious as to how you think this thing on Helion Prime is going to go

Chinese Translations:

pòxié (broken shoes / worn-out footwear / loose woman / slut)

fàng zòng fēng kuáng de jié (knot of self-indulgent lunacy/indulge in crazy knots)

yīn dì (clitoris)

Zìzuòcōngmíng (smart ass / to think oneself clever (idiom))

Nǐ tā mā de tiān xià suǒ yǒu de rén dōu gāi sǐ, (Fuck everyone in the universe to death.)

jī ba (dick / penis)

rú gěng zài hóu (lit. as if having a fish bone stuck in one's throat (idiom) / fig. very upset and needing to express one's displeasure)