Part 3: Fixed?
~~~
Several arns later, Zhaan wiped an arm across her eyes exhaustedly. She had done it; she had managed to successfully repair Crichton's head with Chiana's help. It had been an arduous process, but she had managed.
She turned to Chiana, who was wearing a translucent smock similar to her own. "We are finished," she said, simply.
Chiana nodded tiredly, looking down at Crichton. Her smock was spattered in places with is blood. "How're you feeling?" she asked.
Crichton looked up at her, and then slowly raised his fist and extended the thumb.
"Good? Good," she said, pasting a smile on her face. She turned and left the laboratory.
"John, I'm going to give you a sedative now. It should help you sleep, and speed the healing antibodies I've injected into your bloodstream. Will you be alright?" Zhaan removed her gloves, and took his hand, squeezing it.
John nodded slowly, and squeezed Zhaan's hand in return. Zhaan placed the injector against his neck and pressed the trigger. A few microts later, he was sleeping soundly. Zhaan turned to face D'Argo, Stark, and Jothee.
After Zhaan had begun the operation, Jothee had returned to Moya in the transport pod to tell the others. D'Argo had initially been incensed to discover that Chiana had gone against his wishes. However, his concern for John's condition had overridden his anger, and he had quickly made his way to the planet.
"How is he, Zhaan?" he asked softly.
"Not well, I'm afraid," she answered. "I had to enter Unity with him again."
Stark moved to her side quickly, helping her out of her smock. "Was that wise, Zhaan?" he asked.
"I had no other choice. The chip had been removed, so it was relatively safe. He is at war with himself. He is so incredibly angry. I had never sensed that John could be capable of so much rage," she said sadly.
"Scorpius," D'Argo snarled. "That bastard did this to him."
Jothee laid a hand on his father's forearm. "Dad, calm down."
"No! I will not calm down. John has suffered at the mercy of that frelling chip for well over a cycle. And when he needed my help, I failed him. It is all I can do now to avenge him."
"D'Argo!" Zhaan admonished sharply. "Now is not the time for such talk. It has been a long day. We have all suffered greatly, and Crichton has suffered the worst. I suggest we retire, and wait for what tomorrow brings."
"She's right, D'Argo," Stark agreed. "Crichton must heal first. Then we can worry about Scorpius."
Chiana reentered the lab, her smock gone. "Have you been able to contact Crais yet?" she asked.
"No. I've been coming him for the past four arns, and Pilot says that Talyn won't respond either," Rygel said, maneuvering his thronesled towards the group. He had remained outside of the laboratory for the majority of the operation, claiming that such things were below a personage of his power. However, Zhaan suspected that Rygel had a weak stomach when it came to such matters.
"And how is Moya?" D'Argo asked.
"Pilot says she's doing better. Well, at least, that's what he said when the effect of the drugs wore off for me to understand him."
"Was Pilot able to detect the Peacekeeper ships, Rygel?" Stark asked.
"No. He says that because of the drugs, he was unable to detect their presence in the area. Did anyone find Groundslip?"
Stark shook his head. "No, there is no sign of him. I suspect he left or was taken with the Peacekeepers."
Rygel muttered to himself, heading towards the door of the laboratory. "I'll be waiting in the transport pod."
Zhaan sighed heavily. Such a tragic day, indeed. "Who will stay with Crichton tonight? I would, but I am tired, and I need rest. And now that Tocot is dead, and Greenslick is missing, I also have to attend to Moya's injuries."
"I will stay with him," D'Argo said, placing a hand on Crichton's shoulder. "Zhaan, is it necessary to keep him in restraints?"
"For the moment. I do not know if the operation will have any side effects. It is best to keep him secured, so he cannot injure himself."
D'Argo nodded, and then pulled a seat over to the table. "Go. I will be with him. If there is a change, I will call for you."
"Thank you, sweet D'Argo," Zhaan said with a smile.
The others turned to leave, slowly filtering out of the room. D'Argo looked up, and then softly called, "Chiana?"
She paused, and then walked to his side, looking nervous.
"Yeah, D'Argo?" It was clear that she feared recrimination for her
actions.
"You were right to worry. I was wrong, Chiana. I am sorry."
Chiana smiled at him and took his hand. "It's okay, D'Argo. Look, I'm gonna back to Moya with the others, okay? I'm tired, too."
D'Argo nodded. "All right. I will see you in the morning."
~~~
Crais stood on Talyn's command, trying to calm the ship. "Yes, Talyn, I know your mother has been trying to contact us," Crais said again. "Do not respond!"
Talyn beeped in a manner that sounded almost indignant.
Crais paused a second. "Talyn, I ordered you not to speak with Moya!" He went to continue, when Talyn beeped again, interrupting him. "What? Talyn, open a comm line to Pilot."
Crais paced impatiently in the microts it took for Talyn to establish a link. When Pilot appeared on his screen, Crais stopped, facing the huge creature.
"Crais. We have been attempting to contact you for the past four arns," Pilot said. "There has been a situation on the planet."
"Yes, Talyn has told me as much. What has happened?"
"Scorpius. He was on the planet, and he attacked Crichton. Scorpius now has the wormhole technology," Pilot stated simply.
Crais tried to hide his surprise. Talyn had told him of no Peacekeeper vessels in the area – but then, he supposed it was possible that they had come in on a stealth trajectory. "And Crichton?" he asked, his voice tight.
"I'm not… sure. The chip has been removed, but Zhaan has been unable to determine the side effects as of yet. All we know is that he cannot speak."
Crais nodded sharply. "Thank you, Pilot."
"Crais? Moya and I wish to express our gratitude. If not for Talyn, she would most likely have died from the injuries she has sustained."
Crais looked up at the image of Pilot. "Thank Talyn," he said flatly, cutting the comm link. Without a backward glance, he left command, heading towards his quarters.
~~~
"So?" Rygel asked as he pushed his emptied plate away from him. "What do we do now?"
The crew had gathered in the center chamber for a morning meal, however, it seemed that Rygel was the only one with an appetite. As they ate, Pilot told them of his conversation with Crais.
"We go back down to the planet, and check on D'Argo and Crichton," Chiana said, clearing her place. She prepared a small bundle of food cubes to take down for John and D'Argo, not doubting that they would be hungry.
"Yes, yes. But what do we do about Crais?"
Zhaan looked up from her tray, where the great majority of her meal still sat. "For now, nothing. We have more pressing concerns." She smiled briefly as Stark took her hand and squeezed it in comfort.
"Well, let's go then. I don't like this place; not while there's Peacekeepers in the area," Jothee remarked. He stood and walked swiftly from the central chamber.
The others watched him go. "So much like his father," Zhaan remarked.
"Yeah. Just don't tell him that," Chiana said.
~~~
The transport pod landed on the deserted planet, and the crew followed their footsteps back to the medical lab. There the found D'Argo, sitting in a position almost identical to the one in which they'd left him. As the entered, he reached for his pulse rifle, momentarily alarmed.
"D'Argo, how is he?" Zhaan asked, moving to Crichton's side.
"Still asleep. He has not done well these past few arns."
"How so?"
"I believe he has been having nightmares," D'Argo said. "He tried to get free, but I managed to subdue him."
"That is understandable under these circumstances. Chiana has brought some food for you. You should rest," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder.
D'Argo stood, slinging the rifle over his shoulder. He walked from the room, leaving for the transport pod. Chiana followed him, and Rygel and Jothee left together, claiming to want to explore their surroundings further for any clues or information. Zhaan and Stark were left alone to tend to Crichton.
Zhaan sighed as she ran the scanner over his body, studying his readings.
"Zhaan?" Stark inquired, reading her saddened expression.
"He appears to be healing, physically. The antibodies I gave him have speeded the healing process. With luck, we'll be able to leave this forsaken place within a solar day or two. However, mentally… John will never be the same. Part of him has died – the better part – with Aeryn."
"She really meant that much to him, didn't she?"
"More than you could know, Stark. I felt it when I shared Unity with him. His pain over her death…" Zhaan trailed off. "He did nothing to deserve what this universe has given him. He was so innocent when he first came aboard Moya. Can you believe he refused to carry a weapon – he didn't even know how to fire a pulse rifle. We – this life – have ruined an innocent soul."
"People change, Zhaan," Stark offered.
"Yes, but Crichton has been changed for the worse. Aeryn was his anchor. Scorpius and his frelling chip have removed her from his life. Without her, John will be lost." Zhaan slammed the scanner down on the table. Stark came to her, holding her, as she shed quiet tears of anger and sorrow for her friend.
~~~
Rygel and Jothee traveled slowly through the large complex, looking at the endless rows of frozen bodies. The sight was awe-inspiring, and they kept their voices low, as if in reverence.
"So many bodies," Jothee murmured. "What could they possibly need all of them for?"
"You'd be surprised how much criminals will pay," Rygel answered. "People like Grunchlk have no qualms about dealing with criminals. Which is why they probably dealt with us so willingly."
Suddenly, they realized where their wanderings had taken them. They were back in the row where Aeryn's body had been stored. Rygel shifted uncomfortably.
"Rygel, what were you imprisoned for? I mean, I know most of what the others have done – or have been accused of doing – but I haven't heard about you yet," Jothee said.
The Hynerian snorted. "Figures. I was the dominar of Hyneria. Rightfully, too. And then my probacto of a cousin, Bishan, contacted the Peacekeepers and – yotz!"
Jothee turned to Rygel in surprise. Rygel was facing an empty section in the row. It wasn't what he saw, but what he didn't see that had upset him. On the ground lay a Qualta blade, and a medallion of some sort.
"She's gone!" Rygel gasped.
~~~
John's eyes snapped open suddenly, as he came out of his drug-induced sleep. He looked around his surroundings, first noticing the cold. Then, the sterility. Medical lab. He was in a medical facility on the icy planet where everything had changed for the worse.
He heard the shifting sounds of someone beside him. Zhaan. He could recognize the swish of her robes.
"John, can you hear me?"
He nodded silently. He didn't dare speak – he feared what would come out. Instead, he pulled himself up and looked at Zhaan. She brought a cup of cool water to him, and he drank thirstily. After a few microts, she spoke. "I know you can't speak. But Chiana came up with a way for you to communicate with us."
John raised his eyebrows questioningly. A moment later, Zhaan produced an object that resembled a pen, and some of the transparent printouts that usually held blueprints of Moya. John took the stylus, and began writing immediately.
"Good idea. How are the others? Did the surgery go well? When can we leave?"
He handed the sheet to Zhaan, who looked it over. "Thank you. The others are doing as well as they can. As for the surgery, you are up, and coherent. I assume that means that I did the best job that I could. And we are almost ready to leave as I speak. You've been out for nearly two solar days, healing." She handed the sheet back to him.
"Fine, let's go. I don't want to be here any longer than we need to," he wrote.
"Yes, John. First, I want to scan you again, to make sure that there isn't any complications that I may have missed," she said, as she stood and moved to push him back down. She ran the scanner over him several times, noting the readings, until she was satisfied.
"D'Argo," she called into her comm. "John is awake. Are you prepared to leave?"
"We are nearly finished loading the transport pod with supplies," his gruff voice answered. "Have you told him yet?"
Zhaan hesitated. Behind her, John made a garbled attempt at speech. Although she could not understand the words, the intent was quite obvious. She closed her eyes and mentally cursed D'Argo for his bad timing. "No, D'Argo. I was just about to."
John spoke again, the same tone in his voice. Zhaan turned to him. "John, this will not be easy for you to take," she warned. "Scorpius took the chip and left; this much you already know. When he left, he also apparently took Grensock. We don't know if he is alive or dead. He also took Aeryn's body."
John's eyes widened for a moment as he looked at her. Then, slowly, he buried his face in his hands. Zhaan came to him as his shoulders began to shake, pulling him into an embrace. At first, he fought her, but he was soon overcome with his grief and gave in.
After a few dozen microts, he pulled himself away, wiping at his eyes. He took the stylus and a printout. "I want to get that frelling bastard, Zhaan," he wrote. "I need to kill him, for Aeryn."
~~~