Nothing's Quite The Same

Story by: Neuroscpr and Can Pt 29 by: Can Setting: After DWTB, spoilers up until that episode Rating: R Summary: John and the other displaced members of the crew embark on their own missions as Moya heads into unknown territory



They stood in silence just staring at the sight before their eyes, Moya in all her beauty. Each of them had been worried that they would never see her again, especially John. All of them, except for him had been able to bid her goodbye. He had been the one who watched helplessly as Moya was sucked through the wormhole.

John went to the console and opened the communication channel between the two ships. "Pilot, this is Crichton, do you read me?" John asked, holding his breath.

"Commander it is so good to hear your voice again. We thought we had lost you," Pilot replied with a feeling of relief. "Are any of the others with you?"

"Oh yeah Pilot! D'Argo, Aeryn and Rygel are all here," John replied, feeling overjoyed that they would soon be together. 'Just like the old days.'

D'Argo came rushing back into the cruiser, moving to the console, pushing John out of the way.

"Hey easy there big guy!" John exclaimed as he felt himself being forced away.

"Pilot did Chiana make it to Moya?"

"Yes Ka D'Argo. Chiana and Jool are both here, but we seem to have a problem."

John jumped in. "What's the problem on Moya?"

"I still haven't been able to restore all of her systems, and it seems a strange species has boarded Moya."

xxxxx



"Are we just going to keep pointing these at each other or are we going to help them?" Jool asked, suddenly tired of the soldiers.

Jool dropped hers first leaning over Chiana. She was trying to calm her so she could get a better look at the problem.

Watching her warily, Havermeyer motioned to the other soldiers to attend to Dunbar who was still writhing on the ground. The men tried talking to the Captain, but were getting no response from him."

"How is he?" Jool asked, without raising her eyes.

"He's not responsive to anything at all."

"Neither is Chiana," Jool replied with worry in her voice. "Lets get them to my medical bay where I can check them better."

As the guards lifted both of them, Havermeyer held up his hand, halting his men. "How do I know you don't plan to kill Captain Dunbar in your supposed plan to help him."

Jool looked him in the eyes and stated. "You don't. I suppose you'll just have to trust me."

He stood rigid as she walked around him, the men following with Dunbar and Chiana.

xxxxx



Aeryn looked at John puzzled, sure she had heard him wrong. "You want to repeat that again, Pilot?"

"What part did you not understand Aeryn? The mechanical problems or the species?"

John answered for her watching the stunned expression on her face. "We got it Pilot!"

"What species Pilot? Are Chiana and Jool all right?" D'Argo asked in a hurried voice.

"Not more dren!" Aeryn said mostly to herself. 'Why did everything have to be so hard?'

"It seems so, except for Chiana. She seems sick. Jool is attending to her now, along with a Captain Dunbar?"

John was taken aback by the common name. It was too normal. "Pilot do they look like me? Have they told you who they are yet?"

D'Argo stared at John like he had lost his mind. "Don't let yourself think that Crichton. You know it's not possible."

"Why not? I'm here aren't I?" John spat back at him. He was tired of all the dren. All he wanted to do was get back to Moya where he belonged.

Aeryn stepped in before the conversation got out of hand. "Pilot are they like Crichton?"

"They appear to be Aeryn."

John took off running towards D'Argo's ship. "Come on my man. Let's get your ship powered up and get off this tub!"

xxxxx



As they flew through the wormhole in the Luxan vessel, the crew was quiet, each lost in their own thoughts over this new development. D'Argo's ship navigated better than the Nebari cruiser had so they were traveling at a much higher speed than before.

Aeryn looked at John wondering what was going through his mind. He seemed preoccupied even as Rygel spoke.

"So what are we going to do with these frelnicks once we get back to Moya? Welcome them too?" The disgust was clear in his voice as he looked at the human.

Aeryn looked at him sharply. "Shut up, Rygel!"

Behind her she heard D'Argo. "He's got a point Aeryn. We need to decide how we are going to handle them. For all we know they aren't like John."

Hearing his name, he finally roused from his daydream. "What? Did you say something D?"

D'Argo shook his head, snorting slightly. "Talk to him Aeryn."

Aeryn was hesitant on how to proceed. She knew there was a possibility these were his people, but they would still have to go in ready to protect themselves.

"John, we have to be prepared to protect us and Moya. We don't know what is wrong with Chiana, and we don't know it's not because of them. All we really know is they act like you," Aeryn stated clearly, wanting to make sure he heard each word.

As his eyes met hers, she saw a deep sadness in them. "Don't you think I know that? I haven't completely lost it yet!" He was angry as he rose to his feet, lashing out at her now. "Can't I at least hope? Or is that only for others?"

"Frell you!" She shouted as she stood before him.

He chuckled now as he went to sit next to D'Argo, "Why not, isn't that what everyone else wants to do?"

xxxxx

They were only microts from Moya now, not sure what they were about to encounter.

John was talking to Pilot as D'Argo was maneuvering the ship to join with the docking web. "Ok Pilot. Talk to me. How many and their location?"

"Commander, they are all in the medical lab with Jool still. I didn't tell her about our communication. I felt it would be safer that way."

"Brilliant Pilot. I could kiss you right now," he said laughing. "So the coast is clear?"

"Yes, John."

"Ok D'Argo lets do it! On our way in Pilot."

The ship landed without incident. The three quickly exited the ship, their weapons ready for any movement. Seeing no one, D'Argo called to Rygel.

"You can come out now your highness!"

They were already headed to the med lab, as Rygel rose out of the vessel. Seeing them exit the bay he shouted at them, "Who's going to protect me?"

xxxxx

They listened at the doors, trying to get a feel for what was actually going on. It sounded to them as if only one of the intruders was really hostile.

"You said you would know what was wrong by using your equipment on them, but still you don't have an answer. Some doctor you are!"

"I never said I was what ever you call it! The one thing I do know is they are in some kind of comatose state. What will break it, I don't know yet!"

John motioned for the others to back away from the door, as he led the way, turning down a different corridor. "Ok, here's what we do. Man this is too easy! There are three of them and three of us, plus Jool. Let's just take them," he said grinning. "Besides, they don't even know we are here."

Aeryn and D'Argo nodded in agreement as they backtracked to the med bay. John decided to enter first, feeling a familiar face might be less threatening.

He entered the bay with his weapon ready, and flanked by Aeryn and D'Argo. The soldiers quickly pulled up their arms, the Sergeant grabbing Jool.

John held out his hand hoping to steady him. "Hold on guys. We don't want any trouble; we just want our ship back. And let her go!"

The Sergeant was staring in disbelief at the faces in front of him, particularly the Luxans. Finally finding his tongue he questioned, "Who the hell are you?"

John could not back down as he remembered this kind of soldier. "I should be asking the questions! This is our ship that you boarded!"

The Sergeant clutched Jool's throat tighter. "Crichton please answer him before he takes my frelling neck off!"

John nodded. "I am Commander John Crichton of the IASA, this is Aeryn Sun and Ka D'Argo.

"Crichton I've had enough of this! Lets just blow the other two to hezmana, and then take care of that one!"

"I agree with D'Argo, Crichton. That one will be easy to take care of," Aeryn stated in her peacekeeper mode.

John waved them all off trying to think. In that microt Chiana's voice came to life.

The Sergeant's eyes focused on her and in that single microt Jool took advantage of the distraction. She slammed her foot down on his and felt satisfaction in hearing him cry out. She flung herself to the side and sat there with a smug look on her face as the others trained their weapons on them.

John quickly sped into action. "Jool take care of Chiana. The rest of you just drop the weapons!"

The soldiers did as they were told, knowing they didn't have any leverage now. Aeryn collected their arms and stood beside John.

"Now that we have the situation under control, how about we talk. Me first. Who are you and where did you come from?" John asked almost afraid to hear the answer.

The Sergeant hesitated until Aeryn held her weapon against his head. "Answer him!"

"I am Sergeant Havermeyer and these are my men. Captain Dunbar is the one who is sick. We are from a planet called Earth," Havermeyer finished quickly.

John grinned. "Well hot damn, so am I! Welcome to the unchartered territories! But don't do anything stupid!"

"I don't intend to," Havermeyer said, seeing the gun still on him.

John heard Chiana calling his name. "Aeryn, keep these guys under control for a microt," John said as he went to Chiana's bedside and took her hand in his.

She looked up at him with her shining eyes. "Hey old man, I see you made it back."

"Yeah Pip. You can always count on me. How are you feeling?" John asked. "Anymore pain?"

Chiana moved around, checking all her movable parts. Feeling nothing she started to rise. Jool jumped from Dunbar to her.

"Just stop right there! You aren't ready! I don't know yet what caused it and until I do you are my patient!" Jool was emphatic about this.

"Stow it, Jool. I'm fine now," Chiana said rising from her bed. "I think Dunbar needs your help more than I do."

John saw the bantering that was going to start so he reassured her. "She'll be with me Jool. I promise I'll let you know if anything happens."

Jool nodded, satisfied for the moment.

John backed up, focusing on the soldiers. "Aeryn, D'Argo, you want to back me up while we talk to these guys?"

"Since they are from your world John, I suppose we can give them a chance," D'Argo replied, never wavering with his qualta blade.

xxxxx

They led the soldiers to the galley where they picked at the food cubes.

As they listened to him, all that John had encountered in space astounded them. He had only told them part of his encounters but it was enough to set them back a notch or two, especially the Sergeant.

"So let me get this right Crichton. You have been gone for four years with no way to get back." The Sergeant said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"That's about right. I could never recreate the wormhole that brought me here."

"Then why haven't I heard of you before? If this is all true, I should know your name at least."

John laughed. "How the hell do I know? Maybe I'm the best kept secret on Earth now!"

His laughter stopped. He was tired of explaining himself. "Ask Dunbar. I'll bet he knows the answer."

The Sergeant studied him closely, knowing he was telling the truth. He noticed how much he had aged in four years. It looked to him that this universe had taken its toll on the Crichton he remembered.

"That won't be necessary Commander Crichton. I remember you well, but I had to be sure," the Sergeant, stated holding his hand out across the table.

John stared at the hand as new emotions overcame him. He slowly reached out and embraced it, the custom feeling strange for a moment.

Letting go of the soldier's hand, John felt homesick again. Aeryn took over the conversation seeing the emotions in John.

"Tell us why you are here. What is your mission?"

"We have been trying to duplicate the wormhole that took the Commander four years ago. It has taken this long but we finally succeeded," the Sergeant stated in his military manner. "The plan was for us to come through it, but also to return with our report."

"So why haven't you gone back?" D'Argo asked, wishing he had never laid his eyes on them.

The Sergeant hesitated before answering, "We've.um.been delayed."