"Apparitions"
Time: Twenty-five cycles after Fractures
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it.
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Part Nine: All My Dreams In Candlelight (Vanessa.)
I waited as patiently as I could as Lhatan finished his examination. Pilot said we'd be coming out of starburst soon, and I wanted to be ready to leave when we arrived at Acquara.
"Are you finished poking me?"
Lhatan pursed his lips but didn't look up from his scanner. "That depends, Vanessa. Are you completely recovered from the effects of the poison?"
"I think so. I still feel a little weak and my joints ache. Aside from that."
"Aside from that, you should be thanking your doctor for saving your life. I sometimes think there's a believe among you all that I can cure any disease and repair any injury."
"Lhatan, in the time you've been onboard Moya, there hasn't been a disease or injury that you couldn't handle. Can you blame us?"
He stared at me then shook his head. "If I tell you to take it easy and relax for a little while, will you listen to me?"
I put on my most sincere smile. "Of course I will, Lhatan. Don't I always follow your medical advice?" The look on his face was all the answer I got. "All right, I won't push myself for a little while."
"If only I could believe you." Lhatan switched off the scanner and set it on his worktable. "So, we may be on the verge of finding your parents. How do you feel about that?"
I shrugged and slipped off the bed. "I'm trying to remain optimistic, but there's something in the back of my mind saying this might not be the happy occasion I want it to be."
"A pessimistic optimist? Considering that it's been what, ten cycles since they disappeared, being prepared for either eventuality is prudent."
I nodded and started out of the medical bay. A pessimistic optimist? Maybe I am. Hopefully a little more optimistic than pessimistic. Hopefully.
----------------------------------------
Moya was coming out of starburst as I walked into Command. As the screen cleared, an average size, blue-green world came into view. "That's Acquara?"
"Yes, Vanessa," Pilot said from the clamshell.
"The question now becomes how to find two people out of all the inhabitants of the planet. Is the planet heavily populated, Pilot?"
"Not really, Vanessa. There are a few small tribes that your father managed to land near the first time he was here. There isn't much beyond that."
I stared at the planet a microt longer. Maybe I should try thinking like them. "Let's assume that Mom and Dad would want to remain secluded from the native Acquarans, just in case some unfriendly souls came searching for them. Have Moya start looking for isolated life signs after she's achieved orbit."
"Of course, Vanessa." Pilot watched me for a microt then returned his attention to his console.
I stared at the screen then sighed. "Pilot, I need to ask Moya a question. Can you please tell me the answer?"
Pilot's head bobbed once. "I believe I already know what you're going to ask. Moya's answer is yes, she did speak to you while you were near death. You are the first child to be born on Moya; she feels the same for you as she does for Talyn."
"That's why she let me adopt a DRD, so she could keep an eye on me. I guess I'm the luckiest woman alive; I had three mothers."
My comm buzzed. "Vanessa," Mattis said, "come down to the maintenance bay, please. I've gotten a few more of the module's systems up and running."
I felt my heart jump. "Anything interesting?"
Mattis was silent for a microt. "Think more along the lines of confirmation. I'll explain when you get down here."
I glanced at Pilot. His only reply was to tilt his head to one side. I mimicked him then spun and left the den.
----------------------------------------
Mattis was studying a holographic display when I walked into the maintenance bay. He traced something with his fingertip and nodded. To the DRDs who were working on the module, he said, "All right. Begin removing the burned out sections. Once it's clear, get going on laying down the new circuits. And make sure you stay away from the data recorder."
I stepped up next to him and leaned on the worktable. "So what're you up to?"
He glanced at me then continued studying the schematics. "Still feeling weak?"
"A little. Now, what've you found?"
Mattis rotated the schematics, checked something then tapped a control. The holo-image changed into a tactical display, dominated by the arc of a planet. A red line, representing a flight path, descended from orbit and ended while still in the upper atmosphere. "The main flight recorder was fried, but your father had installed a backup recorder. It only recorded data, not audio or video. It took some damage as well, but I was able to extract some useful data."
He made a few adjustments to the holo. As the image began to rotate, he said, "From what I've been able to determine, after the module came out of the wormhole, your parents managed to regain some degree of control. They made it to Acquara and entered the atmosphere. That's where the recording stops. And since the module made it back into space, I'd be willing to say they survived the landing." Mattis frowned at my uncertain look. "They must have, Vanessa. It's the only thing that makes sense. From what I've seen of the planet so far, no one else on Acquara could have launched it."
"You're right, of course. It's just that part of me doesn't want to get my hopes up." I looked across the bay to where Jack and Chiana were working on the phase stabilizer. "I'll be right back, Mattis." He looked at me, glanced at Jack, smiled and nodded.
Chiana looked up as I approached. "I think this thing may actually work again."
Jack nodded slowly. "A few more arns and we'll know for certain. How do you feel, Vanessa?"
"Fine, Jack. Chi, could you give us a microt, please?" She glanced at me, nodded and stepped away. "Why did you get into my head while the poison had me out?"
He continued to work. I was beginning to think he was ignoring me when he put down his tools and looked up. "I need you, Vanessa. Wormholes are part of your father's legacy, so you're the logical one to come to."
"So what happens when this is over? You just go back to wherever the frell the Ancients are living now, while the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces?"
"My people are trying to keep their existence a secret, Vanessa."
"Which is all well and good, except that you keep popping up every time someone tries to get close to your precious wormhole tech. That's not a good way to keep a low profile."
Jack stared for a moment, and I couldn't tell if he was going to ignore me or tell me to mind my own business. "There are some secrets that should remain unknown. Ask Stark what weapons based on wormholes can do."
"Yes, yes, yes Jack. I know. Dad used to call wormhole weapons doomsday devices. In the wrong hands, they could destroy the user as well as the target. And that's why the Peacekeepers have to be stopped. Once of these days, the Ancients are going to have to acknowledge that there's no way to stop progress. Someone will develop and use wormhole tech, either for good or for bad."
Jack leaned on the table and seemed to consider what I said. "The Ancients believe that if a race develops wormhole technology on its own, then."
"Don't give me that line of dren, Jack. If the Ancients really felt that way, then they wouldn't have sent you to stop the Peacekeepers. I think the Ancients just don't want people playing in their sandbox."
"I don't understand the cultural reference."
"They don't want to share their knowledge. That won't last forever, Jack."
My comm chirped, bringing the conversation to an end. "Vanessa?" It was Pilot.
"Yes, Pilot?"
"I think we've found something. Moya has found a small structure, separated from the main tribes."
"Any life signs?"
"Moya is picking up abundant life signs, but nothing she can pin down as Sebacean or human."
"Then I guess we'll have to go down and check. Thanks, Pilot. We're not finished, Jack." I quickly crossed to the module, Chiana close behind me. "Did you hear that, Chi?"
"I heard. I haven't been off Moya for a while. It'll be good to breath unfiltered air again. Give me a few microts to collect Stark."
I nodded. "I'm going to change clothes before we go down, too. Mattis, let the DRDs work on that for now. Pilot may be on to something."
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Like most people who are born, or spend most of their lives on starships, I fail to see the attraction of living on a planet. I mean, Acquara looked like a beautiful planet, a nice place to visit every once in a while, but I couldn't see myself living on it. I'd be frelling fahrbot within a weeken.
I kept a relatively high altitude while we surveyed the area around the structure. "It's pretty heavily wooded," Mattis said as he checked the sensors. "It's going to take me a few minutes to find someplace to land."
I brought the transport pod around for another swing. "Don't take too long. Remember what Pilot said about these people. Technology is beyond them. I don't want to attract any more attention than we already have."
Mattis leaned close to his sensors. "When have I ever let you down, Vanessa?"
"Do you want an honest answer? Our first night together. You were.distracted, shall we say? Your mind was elsewhere and all your various bits and pieces were tagging along."
"Well, I did have other things on my mind, Vanessa. I'd been left for dead when my escape pod's locator beacon malfunctioned. I think being distracted was a reasonable reaction."
"Since you seem to have come around and focused your attention where it should be, I'll let it go."
A few microts later, Mattis found us a small clearing to land in, not far from the structure. I made one more pass over the structure and landed in the clearing. Mattis ran one last sensor sweep before I lowered the ramp. Just as Moya did, all he picked up was extensive life signs, but nothing that could really be narrowed down. I tried to keep myself calm as I lead them down the ramp.
We cautiously approached the structure. Chiana and Stark went into the woods that surrounded it while Mattis and I went to the abode.
A quick examination of the exterior of the abode revealed nothing too strange; it was a basic structure, made of wood and mud with a thatched roof. There were no windows and a single door.
Mattis looked around and frowned. "Anyone home, do you think?"
I stepped around to one side of the abode and stopped. "What the.?"
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing. I thought I saw.nothing. Forget it." I didn't want to tell Mattis that, as I rounded the corner, I thought I saw two gravestones. I blinked several times and they faded into my paranoid subconscious. "Let's check inside."
As he followed me around to the front, Mattis glanced back into the woods. "Did you ever get the feeling you were being watched?"
"And I thought I was feeling paranoid."
There was no lock on the door. (Trusting, or weren't locks part of the society around here?) No one answered when I knocked, nor when I leaned in and called out. Taking the silence to mean it was all clear, Mattis and I went in.
The abode was divided into a few rooms. The front door opened into what must have been a sitting room, adorned with simple wooden furniture and woven mats. A second door lead to a bedroom.
I looked at the handmade mattress on the floor and cringed. "How'd you like to sleep on that every night?"
"I don't think my back would be able to take it."
I returned to the sitting room and noticed what looked like a notebook on one of the chairs. I carefully picked it up and opened to the first page. As Mattis walked up to me, I started to read. "Of course, I left my original notebook onboard Moya, which means I've had to improvise on this one. Things have been looking better, but I'll be happy when we're finally off of this rock."
Mattis leaned close and tried to read the page. "I can't understand any of it."
"It's English, Dad's language. He and Mom made sure I could read and speak both their languages before I got my translator microbes. Which means they survived the landing. But where."
"And who might you be?"
"Hey!"
I spun, drew my pulse pistol and aimed at the figure standing in the front door.
.and found myself staring at an older version.OF MY OWN FACE!
I lowered the pistol and took a cautious step forward, afraid I was hallucinating again. "Mom?"
There was disbelief on her face. "Vanessa?"
I crossed to her, not wanting to believe what I was seeing. "Mom, is it really you?" Her hair was streaked with gray, and there was a hint of wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. But her eyes were still as intense as I remembered them to be and I was willing to bet she could still fight Tashina to a stand still.
Aeryn Sun raised her hands to my face. "Vanessa, I can't believe it! You're.oh!" Her eyes began to tear up as she threw her arms around me and held me close.
As I hugged her, I could hear Chiana squealing in joy and Stark being incoherent. Then another man's voice. "Aeryn! It's okay! It's Chiana and Stark! They've found us! So.oh Christ! Vanessa!" I was barely aware of Dad running up to us and throwing his arms around the two of us.
I knew there were ten cycles of catching up to do, and business we had to worry about. But at the moment, all I could think of was making this moment last for as long as I could. The universe could wait for a little while.
I think I'm entitled.
Don't you?
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TO BE CONTINUED
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it.
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Part Nine: All My Dreams In Candlelight (Vanessa.)
I waited as patiently as I could as Lhatan finished his examination. Pilot said we'd be coming out of starburst soon, and I wanted to be ready to leave when we arrived at Acquara.
"Are you finished poking me?"
Lhatan pursed his lips but didn't look up from his scanner. "That depends, Vanessa. Are you completely recovered from the effects of the poison?"
"I think so. I still feel a little weak and my joints ache. Aside from that."
"Aside from that, you should be thanking your doctor for saving your life. I sometimes think there's a believe among you all that I can cure any disease and repair any injury."
"Lhatan, in the time you've been onboard Moya, there hasn't been a disease or injury that you couldn't handle. Can you blame us?"
He stared at me then shook his head. "If I tell you to take it easy and relax for a little while, will you listen to me?"
I put on my most sincere smile. "Of course I will, Lhatan. Don't I always follow your medical advice?" The look on his face was all the answer I got. "All right, I won't push myself for a little while."
"If only I could believe you." Lhatan switched off the scanner and set it on his worktable. "So, we may be on the verge of finding your parents. How do you feel about that?"
I shrugged and slipped off the bed. "I'm trying to remain optimistic, but there's something in the back of my mind saying this might not be the happy occasion I want it to be."
"A pessimistic optimist? Considering that it's been what, ten cycles since they disappeared, being prepared for either eventuality is prudent."
I nodded and started out of the medical bay. A pessimistic optimist? Maybe I am. Hopefully a little more optimistic than pessimistic. Hopefully.
----------------------------------------
Moya was coming out of starburst as I walked into Command. As the screen cleared, an average size, blue-green world came into view. "That's Acquara?"
"Yes, Vanessa," Pilot said from the clamshell.
"The question now becomes how to find two people out of all the inhabitants of the planet. Is the planet heavily populated, Pilot?"
"Not really, Vanessa. There are a few small tribes that your father managed to land near the first time he was here. There isn't much beyond that."
I stared at the planet a microt longer. Maybe I should try thinking like them. "Let's assume that Mom and Dad would want to remain secluded from the native Acquarans, just in case some unfriendly souls came searching for them. Have Moya start looking for isolated life signs after she's achieved orbit."
"Of course, Vanessa." Pilot watched me for a microt then returned his attention to his console.
I stared at the screen then sighed. "Pilot, I need to ask Moya a question. Can you please tell me the answer?"
Pilot's head bobbed once. "I believe I already know what you're going to ask. Moya's answer is yes, she did speak to you while you were near death. You are the first child to be born on Moya; she feels the same for you as she does for Talyn."
"That's why she let me adopt a DRD, so she could keep an eye on me. I guess I'm the luckiest woman alive; I had three mothers."
My comm buzzed. "Vanessa," Mattis said, "come down to the maintenance bay, please. I've gotten a few more of the module's systems up and running."
I felt my heart jump. "Anything interesting?"
Mattis was silent for a microt. "Think more along the lines of confirmation. I'll explain when you get down here."
I glanced at Pilot. His only reply was to tilt his head to one side. I mimicked him then spun and left the den.
----------------------------------------
Mattis was studying a holographic display when I walked into the maintenance bay. He traced something with his fingertip and nodded. To the DRDs who were working on the module, he said, "All right. Begin removing the burned out sections. Once it's clear, get going on laying down the new circuits. And make sure you stay away from the data recorder."
I stepped up next to him and leaned on the worktable. "So what're you up to?"
He glanced at me then continued studying the schematics. "Still feeling weak?"
"A little. Now, what've you found?"
Mattis rotated the schematics, checked something then tapped a control. The holo-image changed into a tactical display, dominated by the arc of a planet. A red line, representing a flight path, descended from orbit and ended while still in the upper atmosphere. "The main flight recorder was fried, but your father had installed a backup recorder. It only recorded data, not audio or video. It took some damage as well, but I was able to extract some useful data."
He made a few adjustments to the holo. As the image began to rotate, he said, "From what I've been able to determine, after the module came out of the wormhole, your parents managed to regain some degree of control. They made it to Acquara and entered the atmosphere. That's where the recording stops. And since the module made it back into space, I'd be willing to say they survived the landing." Mattis frowned at my uncertain look. "They must have, Vanessa. It's the only thing that makes sense. From what I've seen of the planet so far, no one else on Acquara could have launched it."
"You're right, of course. It's just that part of me doesn't want to get my hopes up." I looked across the bay to where Jack and Chiana were working on the phase stabilizer. "I'll be right back, Mattis." He looked at me, glanced at Jack, smiled and nodded.
Chiana looked up as I approached. "I think this thing may actually work again."
Jack nodded slowly. "A few more arns and we'll know for certain. How do you feel, Vanessa?"
"Fine, Jack. Chi, could you give us a microt, please?" She glanced at me, nodded and stepped away. "Why did you get into my head while the poison had me out?"
He continued to work. I was beginning to think he was ignoring me when he put down his tools and looked up. "I need you, Vanessa. Wormholes are part of your father's legacy, so you're the logical one to come to."
"So what happens when this is over? You just go back to wherever the frell the Ancients are living now, while the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces?"
"My people are trying to keep their existence a secret, Vanessa."
"Which is all well and good, except that you keep popping up every time someone tries to get close to your precious wormhole tech. That's not a good way to keep a low profile."
Jack stared for a moment, and I couldn't tell if he was going to ignore me or tell me to mind my own business. "There are some secrets that should remain unknown. Ask Stark what weapons based on wormholes can do."
"Yes, yes, yes Jack. I know. Dad used to call wormhole weapons doomsday devices. In the wrong hands, they could destroy the user as well as the target. And that's why the Peacekeepers have to be stopped. Once of these days, the Ancients are going to have to acknowledge that there's no way to stop progress. Someone will develop and use wormhole tech, either for good or for bad."
Jack leaned on the table and seemed to consider what I said. "The Ancients believe that if a race develops wormhole technology on its own, then."
"Don't give me that line of dren, Jack. If the Ancients really felt that way, then they wouldn't have sent you to stop the Peacekeepers. I think the Ancients just don't want people playing in their sandbox."
"I don't understand the cultural reference."
"They don't want to share their knowledge. That won't last forever, Jack."
My comm chirped, bringing the conversation to an end. "Vanessa?" It was Pilot.
"Yes, Pilot?"
"I think we've found something. Moya has found a small structure, separated from the main tribes."
"Any life signs?"
"Moya is picking up abundant life signs, but nothing she can pin down as Sebacean or human."
"Then I guess we'll have to go down and check. Thanks, Pilot. We're not finished, Jack." I quickly crossed to the module, Chiana close behind me. "Did you hear that, Chi?"
"I heard. I haven't been off Moya for a while. It'll be good to breath unfiltered air again. Give me a few microts to collect Stark."
I nodded. "I'm going to change clothes before we go down, too. Mattis, let the DRDs work on that for now. Pilot may be on to something."
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Like most people who are born, or spend most of their lives on starships, I fail to see the attraction of living on a planet. I mean, Acquara looked like a beautiful planet, a nice place to visit every once in a while, but I couldn't see myself living on it. I'd be frelling fahrbot within a weeken.
I kept a relatively high altitude while we surveyed the area around the structure. "It's pretty heavily wooded," Mattis said as he checked the sensors. "It's going to take me a few minutes to find someplace to land."
I brought the transport pod around for another swing. "Don't take too long. Remember what Pilot said about these people. Technology is beyond them. I don't want to attract any more attention than we already have."
Mattis leaned close to his sensors. "When have I ever let you down, Vanessa?"
"Do you want an honest answer? Our first night together. You were.distracted, shall we say? Your mind was elsewhere and all your various bits and pieces were tagging along."
"Well, I did have other things on my mind, Vanessa. I'd been left for dead when my escape pod's locator beacon malfunctioned. I think being distracted was a reasonable reaction."
"Since you seem to have come around and focused your attention where it should be, I'll let it go."
A few microts later, Mattis found us a small clearing to land in, not far from the structure. I made one more pass over the structure and landed in the clearing. Mattis ran one last sensor sweep before I lowered the ramp. Just as Moya did, all he picked up was extensive life signs, but nothing that could really be narrowed down. I tried to keep myself calm as I lead them down the ramp.
We cautiously approached the structure. Chiana and Stark went into the woods that surrounded it while Mattis and I went to the abode.
A quick examination of the exterior of the abode revealed nothing too strange; it was a basic structure, made of wood and mud with a thatched roof. There were no windows and a single door.
Mattis looked around and frowned. "Anyone home, do you think?"
I stepped around to one side of the abode and stopped. "What the.?"
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing. I thought I saw.nothing. Forget it." I didn't want to tell Mattis that, as I rounded the corner, I thought I saw two gravestones. I blinked several times and they faded into my paranoid subconscious. "Let's check inside."
As he followed me around to the front, Mattis glanced back into the woods. "Did you ever get the feeling you were being watched?"
"And I thought I was feeling paranoid."
There was no lock on the door. (Trusting, or weren't locks part of the society around here?) No one answered when I knocked, nor when I leaned in and called out. Taking the silence to mean it was all clear, Mattis and I went in.
The abode was divided into a few rooms. The front door opened into what must have been a sitting room, adorned with simple wooden furniture and woven mats. A second door lead to a bedroom.
I looked at the handmade mattress on the floor and cringed. "How'd you like to sleep on that every night?"
"I don't think my back would be able to take it."
I returned to the sitting room and noticed what looked like a notebook on one of the chairs. I carefully picked it up and opened to the first page. As Mattis walked up to me, I started to read. "Of course, I left my original notebook onboard Moya, which means I've had to improvise on this one. Things have been looking better, but I'll be happy when we're finally off of this rock."
Mattis leaned close and tried to read the page. "I can't understand any of it."
"It's English, Dad's language. He and Mom made sure I could read and speak both their languages before I got my translator microbes. Which means they survived the landing. But where."
"And who might you be?"
"Hey!"
I spun, drew my pulse pistol and aimed at the figure standing in the front door.
.and found myself staring at an older version.OF MY OWN FACE!
I lowered the pistol and took a cautious step forward, afraid I was hallucinating again. "Mom?"
There was disbelief on her face. "Vanessa?"
I crossed to her, not wanting to believe what I was seeing. "Mom, is it really you?" Her hair was streaked with gray, and there was a hint of wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. But her eyes were still as intense as I remembered them to be and I was willing to bet she could still fight Tashina to a stand still.
Aeryn Sun raised her hands to my face. "Vanessa, I can't believe it! You're.oh!" Her eyes began to tear up as she threw her arms around me and held me close.
As I hugged her, I could hear Chiana squealing in joy and Stark being incoherent. Then another man's voice. "Aeryn! It's okay! It's Chiana and Stark! They've found us! So.oh Christ! Vanessa!" I was barely aware of Dad running up to us and throwing his arms around the two of us.
I knew there were ten cycles of catching up to do, and business we had to worry about. But at the moment, all I could think of was making this moment last for as long as I could. The universe could wait for a little while.
I think I'm entitled.
Don't you?
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TO BE CONTINUED
