Crossroads—Part II
The afternoon before John was to blast off he found himself in that familiar place where he was several years ago before his first flight. Sitting on the hood of his rebuilt blue convertible mustang staring at the spaceship but this time his dad was sitting beside him. John was soaking in the warmth of the sun and the smell of the wild flowers floating in the heavy, humid air. Jack was staring at his only son trying to take in the memory of his face. John looked toward his dad out of the corner of his eye.
John: "Something wrong, Dad?"
Jack: "No, I was just wondering what you're thinking."
John took a deep breath and let it out.
John: "I was thinking how fortunate I am. How many men get to live their dreams twice in a lifetime?"
Jack: "There are very few men who can say that they have had the privilege to soar above the planet and travel with the stars."
John looked up at the clear blue sky. Jack stared at him.
Jack: "You have a look of calm and peace like I haven't seen since your first few weeks back on Earth."
John looked back toward the spaceship.
John: "I wish I could explain it Dad. I wish I could explain this overwhelming need I have to get back out there. I wish I could explain it to myself. With all I went through out there, you would think it is the last place I would ever want to be but it feels like something is pulling me back. It is this uncontrollable feeling, urge, desire, call it what you want, I need to be back on Moya."
Jack grinned and shook his head. John looked at him.
John: "What?"
Jack: "You said the same thing when you were trying to convince me and your mother to let you go away to space camp with DK when you were a little boy."
John smiled.
John: "And look how well that turned out."
They looked at each other and shared a humorous father/son moment. Jack slipped off the hood of the car.
Jack: "We better get you back to pre-fly check or they are going to have your hyde."
John: "A couple more minutes, okay?"
Jack looked into his baby blues. He sat back down.
Jack: "Okay."
John, too, wanted to take in this moment with his father because he wasn't sure when they would see each other again.
******
With John's knowledge of wormholes he was able to calculate the conditions for which he could create another wormhole using his slingshot maneuver. He sat in his module after a clean, effortless lift up and set his controls. After he got through the wormhole he would activate his com so that Moya would be able to hone in on his position. The spaceship released his module into space.
John: "This is Farscape I and I am free and flying."
Jack stood beside DK watching his progress. Jack had a sad look in his eyes. DK touched Jack's shoulder. Jack looked over at him and grinned slightly.
DK: "Okay John. You are clear to start the maneuver."
John: "Thanks man for everything."
DK: "See you in the funny papers, Space man."
John: "Goodbye Dad."
Jack: "Goodbye Son. Till we see each other again whether here on earth or amongst the stars."
John: "I love yo…"
John's communication was cut off by the electrical disturbance he had been calculated would occur. John began the sling shot maneuver.
John: "Okay Sweetheart, it is time to hang 10 all the way home."
The wormhole appeared. John used his instruments to check the stability. He smiled.
John: "Once more into the breach dear friends…Whoa!!!"
He headed his module into the heart of the wormhole.
******
D'Argo and Chiana were in command when Pilot's image appeared in the clamshell.
Pilot: "Ka D'Argo, Moya has picked up a disturbance about two arns from our current position."
D'Argo: "Is it?"
Pilot: "I am showing the same readings as I did when Commander Crichton left."
D'Argo: "Have Moya set an intercept course with those readings?"
Chiana: "D'Argo, what about Aeryn? I don't think she is going to react well if Crichton just shows up again like this. I think we have to tell her."
D'Argo: "There is nothing to tell her yet, Chiana. We don't even know if Crichton made it back. Besides she is down on the commerce planet with Jack and Rygel. She won't be back for several arns."
Chiana: "You know how she feels about being ambushed."
Chiana had a bad feeling about the way this was being handled.
D'Argo: "If we told Aeryn she might leave Moya and take Jack with her."
Chiana: "We don't know that."
D'Argo: "Aeryn is a warrior. A good soldier but a boy needs his father to show him how to be an honorable man."
Chiana looked at him.
Chiana: "Is this about John and Jack or is this about you and Jothee?"
D'Argo looked at her.
D'Argo: "It is about fathers and sons. Pilot, let me know when we are approaching the site of the disturbance and contact Aeryn and Rygel. Let them know that we are checking out some strange readings on our scanners, encase they decide to leave the surface sooner than expected."
Pilot: "Doing it now."
D'Argo: "Have the DRDs prepare my transport we don't know what kind of condition the module or John will be in once we reach him?"
D'Argo walked out of command. Chiana turned back toward the view screen.
*****
Aeryn accompanied Rygel down to the planet so he could do some trading. She also wanted to get Jack off the ship for a while. He hadn't been off of Moya for nearly four monens and she wanted him to have some solid ground under his feet. Although Jack is very young he has shown an awareness that is not often seen in human children, however expected in Sebecean children. If Aeryn were still a peacekeeper, Jack would all ready be in PK training on some ship. She wanted the kind of life for him that John used to talk about. Fishing, playing outside in the fresh air, and having grass between his toes.
The commerce planet was very much like the Royal Planet in that it had the kind of atmosphere that allowed its dwellers to be outside and not in some doom. So while Rygel was haggling in the city, Aeryn took Jack outside of the city.
She sat by the water's edge watching Jack kneeling by the water with his bare feet just at the water's edge. He would laugh every time the tide rolled in over his feet. He turned to look at his mother and the light hit his face just right. There he was, the man she loved, in her son's face. It brought sadness to her that John would never know this boy. This boy who brought things alive in her that she never knew existed. Sitting in this serene place and imaging the life she could have had, if John had wanted to take her to earth with him, was difficult. She stared out at the water just taking in the view trying to imagine what John was doing down on earth.
******
D'Argo, Chiana, and Jool were standing in command looking out of the view screen. They could see John's module but were getting no response when they tried to hale him on the com. Pilot was bringing the module in with the docking web.
D'Argo: "Pilot bring him in near the medical chamber, he may be hurt."
D'Argo, Chiana and Jool ran to the chamber.
When they got there the module was being lowered onto the pad, they stood there for a few microts holding their collective breaths. D'Argo was about to approach the module when the lid opened. John stuck his head up and smiled.
John: "I guess I took the right turn at Albuquerque."
The three of them look at each other. John smiled and shook his head as he climbed out of the module.
John: "Just a Bugs Bunny reference."
Chiana and Jool went over and hugged him.
Jool: "We were trying to contact you, why didn't you answer?"
John: "Got a little banged around my com must have been damaged."
Chiana: "Welcome back old man."
John: "Thanks Chi."
Jool stared in his face.
Jool: "I guess you don't look that much older."
John looked at Jool with one eyebrow raised.
John: "Thanks I think."
He walked over to D'Argo. D'Argo held out his hand.
D'Argo: "Welcome back my friend."
John smiled and shook his hand.
John: "Thanks 'D'."
John looked around.
John: "Where is everybody else?"
D'Argo: "Aeryn and Rygel are down on Nutarsis. They are getting supplies."
John lowered his eyes. He was disappointed. He wanted Aeryn to be the first thing he saw when he boarded Moya. D'Argo touched his shoulder.
D'Argo: "We need to talk Crichton before we pick up Aeryn and Rygel."
Chiana and Jool looked at each other.
John: "Sounds serious. Let me put my stuff in my chambers and I will meet you in command in 60 microts."
D'Argo: "Okay."
John grabbed his bag out of the module. Chiana walked with him to his chambers chattering away about all of the adventures they had since he left Moya. John couldn't get a word in edge wise. He slipped his arm around her neck and kissed her forehead. She looked at him.
Chiana: "What was that for?"
John: "I missed you Pip."
Before going to meet D'Argo, John went to the den.
Pilot: "Commander, Moya and I are pleased that you have returned safe and sound."
John: "Thanks for being here to pick me up."
Pilot: "It seems your plan worked out as you wished."
John spoke softly.
John: "Almost."
John leaned against Pilot's switchboard as he had done often in the past.
Pilot: "Clearly you wish to ask me something Commander."
John looked up at Pilot.
John: "Why wasn't Aeryn here to meet me? Didn't she want to see me again?"
Pilot: "Officer Sun is not aware that you were returning to Moya."
John: "What? I don't understand."
Before Pilot could say anything or John could ask another question, D'Argo commed in.
D'Argo: "John, could you come to command?"
John: "On my way D'Argo, we will talk about this later Pilot."
John headed to command.
The afternoon before John was to blast off he found himself in that familiar place where he was several years ago before his first flight. Sitting on the hood of his rebuilt blue convertible mustang staring at the spaceship but this time his dad was sitting beside him. John was soaking in the warmth of the sun and the smell of the wild flowers floating in the heavy, humid air. Jack was staring at his only son trying to take in the memory of his face. John looked toward his dad out of the corner of his eye.
John: "Something wrong, Dad?"
Jack: "No, I was just wondering what you're thinking."
John took a deep breath and let it out.
John: "I was thinking how fortunate I am. How many men get to live their dreams twice in a lifetime?"
Jack: "There are very few men who can say that they have had the privilege to soar above the planet and travel with the stars."
John looked up at the clear blue sky. Jack stared at him.
Jack: "You have a look of calm and peace like I haven't seen since your first few weeks back on Earth."
John looked back toward the spaceship.
John: "I wish I could explain it Dad. I wish I could explain this overwhelming need I have to get back out there. I wish I could explain it to myself. With all I went through out there, you would think it is the last place I would ever want to be but it feels like something is pulling me back. It is this uncontrollable feeling, urge, desire, call it what you want, I need to be back on Moya."
Jack grinned and shook his head. John looked at him.
John: "What?"
Jack: "You said the same thing when you were trying to convince me and your mother to let you go away to space camp with DK when you were a little boy."
John smiled.
John: "And look how well that turned out."
They looked at each other and shared a humorous father/son moment. Jack slipped off the hood of the car.
Jack: "We better get you back to pre-fly check or they are going to have your hyde."
John: "A couple more minutes, okay?"
Jack looked into his baby blues. He sat back down.
Jack: "Okay."
John, too, wanted to take in this moment with his father because he wasn't sure when they would see each other again.
******
With John's knowledge of wormholes he was able to calculate the conditions for which he could create another wormhole using his slingshot maneuver. He sat in his module after a clean, effortless lift up and set his controls. After he got through the wormhole he would activate his com so that Moya would be able to hone in on his position. The spaceship released his module into space.
John: "This is Farscape I and I am free and flying."
Jack stood beside DK watching his progress. Jack had a sad look in his eyes. DK touched Jack's shoulder. Jack looked over at him and grinned slightly.
DK: "Okay John. You are clear to start the maneuver."
John: "Thanks man for everything."
DK: "See you in the funny papers, Space man."
John: "Goodbye Dad."
Jack: "Goodbye Son. Till we see each other again whether here on earth or amongst the stars."
John: "I love yo…"
John's communication was cut off by the electrical disturbance he had been calculated would occur. John began the sling shot maneuver.
John: "Okay Sweetheart, it is time to hang 10 all the way home."
The wormhole appeared. John used his instruments to check the stability. He smiled.
John: "Once more into the breach dear friends…Whoa!!!"
He headed his module into the heart of the wormhole.
******
D'Argo and Chiana were in command when Pilot's image appeared in the clamshell.
Pilot: "Ka D'Argo, Moya has picked up a disturbance about two arns from our current position."
D'Argo: "Is it?"
Pilot: "I am showing the same readings as I did when Commander Crichton left."
D'Argo: "Have Moya set an intercept course with those readings?"
Chiana: "D'Argo, what about Aeryn? I don't think she is going to react well if Crichton just shows up again like this. I think we have to tell her."
D'Argo: "There is nothing to tell her yet, Chiana. We don't even know if Crichton made it back. Besides she is down on the commerce planet with Jack and Rygel. She won't be back for several arns."
Chiana: "You know how she feels about being ambushed."
Chiana had a bad feeling about the way this was being handled.
D'Argo: "If we told Aeryn she might leave Moya and take Jack with her."
Chiana: "We don't know that."
D'Argo: "Aeryn is a warrior. A good soldier but a boy needs his father to show him how to be an honorable man."
Chiana looked at him.
Chiana: "Is this about John and Jack or is this about you and Jothee?"
D'Argo looked at her.
D'Argo: "It is about fathers and sons. Pilot, let me know when we are approaching the site of the disturbance and contact Aeryn and Rygel. Let them know that we are checking out some strange readings on our scanners, encase they decide to leave the surface sooner than expected."
Pilot: "Doing it now."
D'Argo: "Have the DRDs prepare my transport we don't know what kind of condition the module or John will be in once we reach him?"
D'Argo walked out of command. Chiana turned back toward the view screen.
*****
Aeryn accompanied Rygel down to the planet so he could do some trading. She also wanted to get Jack off the ship for a while. He hadn't been off of Moya for nearly four monens and she wanted him to have some solid ground under his feet. Although Jack is very young he has shown an awareness that is not often seen in human children, however expected in Sebecean children. If Aeryn were still a peacekeeper, Jack would all ready be in PK training on some ship. She wanted the kind of life for him that John used to talk about. Fishing, playing outside in the fresh air, and having grass between his toes.
The commerce planet was very much like the Royal Planet in that it had the kind of atmosphere that allowed its dwellers to be outside and not in some doom. So while Rygel was haggling in the city, Aeryn took Jack outside of the city.
She sat by the water's edge watching Jack kneeling by the water with his bare feet just at the water's edge. He would laugh every time the tide rolled in over his feet. He turned to look at his mother and the light hit his face just right. There he was, the man she loved, in her son's face. It brought sadness to her that John would never know this boy. This boy who brought things alive in her that she never knew existed. Sitting in this serene place and imaging the life she could have had, if John had wanted to take her to earth with him, was difficult. She stared out at the water just taking in the view trying to imagine what John was doing down on earth.
******
D'Argo, Chiana, and Jool were standing in command looking out of the view screen. They could see John's module but were getting no response when they tried to hale him on the com. Pilot was bringing the module in with the docking web.
D'Argo: "Pilot bring him in near the medical chamber, he may be hurt."
D'Argo, Chiana and Jool ran to the chamber.
When they got there the module was being lowered onto the pad, they stood there for a few microts holding their collective breaths. D'Argo was about to approach the module when the lid opened. John stuck his head up and smiled.
John: "I guess I took the right turn at Albuquerque."
The three of them look at each other. John smiled and shook his head as he climbed out of the module.
John: "Just a Bugs Bunny reference."
Chiana and Jool went over and hugged him.
Jool: "We were trying to contact you, why didn't you answer?"
John: "Got a little banged around my com must have been damaged."
Chiana: "Welcome back old man."
John: "Thanks Chi."
Jool stared in his face.
Jool: "I guess you don't look that much older."
John looked at Jool with one eyebrow raised.
John: "Thanks I think."
He walked over to D'Argo. D'Argo held out his hand.
D'Argo: "Welcome back my friend."
John smiled and shook his hand.
John: "Thanks 'D'."
John looked around.
John: "Where is everybody else?"
D'Argo: "Aeryn and Rygel are down on Nutarsis. They are getting supplies."
John lowered his eyes. He was disappointed. He wanted Aeryn to be the first thing he saw when he boarded Moya. D'Argo touched his shoulder.
D'Argo: "We need to talk Crichton before we pick up Aeryn and Rygel."
Chiana and Jool looked at each other.
John: "Sounds serious. Let me put my stuff in my chambers and I will meet you in command in 60 microts."
D'Argo: "Okay."
John grabbed his bag out of the module. Chiana walked with him to his chambers chattering away about all of the adventures they had since he left Moya. John couldn't get a word in edge wise. He slipped his arm around her neck and kissed her forehead. She looked at him.
Chiana: "What was that for?"
John: "I missed you Pip."
Before going to meet D'Argo, John went to the den.
Pilot: "Commander, Moya and I are pleased that you have returned safe and sound."
John: "Thanks for being here to pick me up."
Pilot: "It seems your plan worked out as you wished."
John spoke softly.
John: "Almost."
John leaned against Pilot's switchboard as he had done often in the past.
Pilot: "Clearly you wish to ask me something Commander."
John looked up at Pilot.
John: "Why wasn't Aeryn here to meet me? Didn't she want to see me again?"
Pilot: "Officer Sun is not aware that you were returning to Moya."
John: "What? I don't understand."
Before Pilot could say anything or John could ask another question, D'Argo commed in.
D'Argo: "John, could you come to command?"
John: "On my way D'Argo, we will talk about this later Pilot."
John headed to command.