Chapter 2 – What's Up with Pilot?
Less than 300 microts later the crew were assembled in command.
"And we can't access the manual override to allow us to control where Moya is going?" Zhaan asked, frowning.
"No. We go where Pilot and Moya want us to go." D'Argo thumped the table. "Why the hezmana won't Pilot talk to us!"
"Pilot could be hurt or sick and unable to answer." Aeryn said sharply.
"No one is accusing Pilot, Aeryn. We're all as worried about him as you are. We just need to figure out what's going on here."
"John is right, Aeryn. Pilot is our friend, but something is wrong and we must find out what." Zhaan said gently.
Aeryn pressed her lips together and said nothing.
"OK, so let's think about this. If we're going to find out what's up with Pilot, we need to get into his chamber. Aeryn, you said that there was no way in?"
"No. The direct entrances are locked and the areas with tunnel access are closed off too."
Everyone took a moment to process that.
"Where are we headed?" Rygel asked.
"It's a bit early to say for sure, but it looks like we are retracing our steps." Crichton answered.
"Can we take the transport and leave?"
"Oh, why am I not surprised that your first thought is to flee, Rygel." Sneered Aeryn.
"I resent that! I am just trying to establish our options."
"Our options or your options?" D'Argo growled.
"Hey! Come on, guys. I never thought I'd see the day, but Rygel has raised a valid point. Can we operate the hanger doors and get out, or are we stuck?"
"We cannot simply abandon Pilot and Moya. We have to find out what has happened."
"I agree, Aeryn. But if we run into Scorpius or some other nasty, I, for one, would like to know whether I could jump ship if I had to." Crichton looked around at the faces in front of him. "OK. Zhaan and D'Argo. Why don't you go to the hanger and see if there is an override on the hanger doors. Rygel and Chiana, you stay in command and keep trying to contact Pilot. Try the DRDs if the com still doesn't work. Aeryn. We'll have another go at trying to get into Pilot's den."
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"So, did Pilot mention if he was feeling ill or anything?" Crichton asked, trying for a casual tone. Aeryn seemed very sensitive to any implied criticism of Pilot, excessively so. He wanted to know what she was thinking but as ever with Aeryn, he was aware that violence and/or total emotional withdrawal was only one misplaced word away.
"No. Nothing." Aeryn frowned.
They had rechecked all the possible direct entrances to Pilot's chamber and were now making their way through the corridors to the bowels of the ship to try and find an alternative way in.
"I talked to him at the beginning of my shift and he seemed fine then." There was no time for Crichton to pursue the topic further however, as Aeryn stopped by a knee high grating in the wall. "This is it?" He asked, kneeling down for a closer look at what lay beyond.
Aeryn checked the plans she held. "Yes. We should be able to follow this along to Moya's central filtering system. Once there, we can try to break through to the bottom of the chamber."
"Break through? Won't Moya be able to feel us doing that? Won't it hurt her?"
"I don't know. I don't even know, if we are successful in getting into the chamber, how we are going to climb the central column."
She sounded on edge and Crichton decided to back off. "Right. Sorry. We'll figure out how to cross those bridges when we come to them, I guess." He removed the grating and switched on his flashlight. "Doesn't look too cramped in there." He stepped aside. " Ladies first."
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D'Argo let out a roar of equal parts rage and frustration. "There does not appear to be any manual override for the doors. I cannot open them."
"Then it would appear that we are trapped." Zhaan said calmly. " We must concentrate our efforts on regaining contact with Pilot."
D'Argo activated his com. "Crichton? Zhaan and I have been unable to locate an override for the hanger doors. We are going back to command."
"OK, big guy. When you get there can you check the environmentals? Pilot controls those and if something's happened to him…."
"Understood. Where are you?"
" Somewhere near Moya's kidneys, I think. I'll let you know if we find anything."
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"Pilot?" Chiana spoke into her com. "If you can hear me, try to give me some sort of sign." She waited a little but nothing happened. "We're all really worried about you and it would be nice to know that you are OK, y'know?" She sighed. "Come on, Pilot…" She turned around to see Rygel floating into command.
"From the looks of you I am guessing that you still haven't managed to contact Pilot." He stopped at her side shoving a food cube into his mouth.
"Correct. What about you? Did you find yourself a DRD?" She said, grabbing one of his food cubes for herself.
"No. There doesn't seem to be a DRD on the whole of the ship."
"Hmm. Did you look anywhere apart from the food stores?"
"Well, of course I did! But the food stores needed to be checked and I was hungry. In times of crisis we must all make sure that we are ready to contribute. And I am at my best on a full stomach."
"So you started stuffing your face for the good of the ship, is that it?"
"Yes. Yes, I did." He nodded.
"How very noble of you." Chiana cocked her head. "But unless we need someone to eat us out of trouble your particular skills won't be needed." She stomped off to another consol.
"Well, I doubt your particular skills will be required either, girl, unless we need someone to lie on their back." Rygel muttered under his breath.
"I heard that, slug!" Chiana turned her back on the Hynerian and was about to start trying to get through to Pilot again when she stopped and turned back. "Hey, Ryg? Do you think Moya's pregnant again?"
"I'll tell you straight, Chiana. I don't know. But if she is, then the next planet we come to, I'm leaving...assuming that we ever gain control of her again, of course."
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"Do you think that the Peacekeepers could have somehow gained control of Pilot and Moya?" D'Argo asked as he and Zhaan made their way back to command.
Zhaan considered his question. "I don't know how. If they had some means of controlling Moya, why have they waited so long to use it? There has been no opportunity to put something in place since our escape, so if it is the Peacekeepers controlling her, it must have been in place since the beginning."
"So you think it unlikely?"
"Yes."
D'Argo didn't conceal his relief at her answer. "Let us hope that you are right." He told her sincerely.
"Yes." Zhaan agreed, halting them for a moment. "But tell me, sweet D'Argo, are the alternatives any more comforting?"
The Luxan looked solemn for a moment then seemed to shake himself. "You check the environmentals. I'm going to check the escape pods." He said, moving swiftly off.
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The passageway had steadily been getting narrower the further they had travelled. In contrast to Moya's main corridors, which had a comfortable regulated atmosphere, the air here was stale. And warm.
Crichton trained his torchlight on his companion. "It's getting awfully hot down here. Are you going to be OK?"
Aeryn nodded, distractedly, concentrating on reading the plans. "I can't see anywhere we can crawl or break through. Maybe we should get a laser knife to see if we can cut through to the other side of this wall. But that will alert Pilot to our intentions, if he doesn't already know, that is."
"Whoa! Rewind that!" He looked at her, frowning in confusion. "That will alert Pilot to our intentions?" The confusion quickly left his face as understanding dawned. "You don't want him to know we're coming." When he got no response he continued. "Aeryn? You don't think Pilot is sick. Do you? You think he might be up to something."
"We're getting nowhere here. Let's get some cutting equipment and come back." She started to move away.
"Aeryn." He caught her arm, forcing her to make eye contact. "Do. You think. That Pilot. Is sick?"
She sighed. "If Pilot were ill then his chamber wouldn't be sealed up. If he had collapsed then Moya wouldn't have turned around and be flying smoothly, retracing her course. Everything indicates that Pilot is still in control." She said sadly.
"So what do you think has happened?"
"I don't know."
"Peacekeepers?"
She shook her head. "If they could have done it, they would have done so before now."
"Do you think that Pilot is pulling a Rygel?"
"You mean betraying us?" She shook her head. "I can see no reason for him to do so. It's easy for him to get rid of a crew he does not like. He can just turn off the heat and air. He doesn't need to turn us over to anyone. He doesn't need money and it is hardly in his best interests to hand himself and Moya over to the people who are after us. They will refit Moya's collar."
"So you don't think he's ill. You don't think he's betraying us, and you don't think he is under the influence of the Peacekeepers. What does that leave?"
"I don't know, John. But we are not going to find any answers standing here." She wiped her brow and staggered slightly, leaning against the wall for support.
Crichton's eyes immediately narrowed. "Are you OK?" She straightened and nodded, but still kept one hand on the wall.
He looked at her more closely. "Uh-huh, that's why you can barely stand." He glared at her. "Aeryn, would it be too much to expect that when the heat delirium threatens YOU TELL ME?" He indicated the way back with his torch beam and sighed irritably. "Come on." She stood looking at him. "Oh, what? You wanna wait here until your short term memory disappears?" His voice was filled with sarcasm. "That…that's just great, Aeryn. Your old Peacekeeper pals would be proud of you. Now, come on!" He went to grab her arm but she shrugged him off and began moving back down the tunnel. "I get so sick of this badass Peacekeeper dren you pull, Aeryn." He grumbled as he followed her back to the relative cool of Moya's main corridors.
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TBC