"Apparitions"
Time: Twenty-five cycles after Dog With Two Bones
Rated: PG
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 18: A Little Knowledge.
Abetan stepped into the office and looked around. The room was meticulously neat, though the walls were covered with an array of calculations, figures and charts. A second door opened into the office's back room. He could hear someone moving around in there.
He sighed in resignation. Talking to our Chief Scientist is always an adventure, he thought.
"Hello," he said.
"Yes, Captain. What do you need?" The woman's voice sounded young and her tone was more than a little condescending.
"We've hat no contact with the Ancient since he told us of Moya's departure for Acquara. I think it would be safe to assume that he's been found out and killed."
"A very logical assumption, Captain. What about Furlow?"
"Still nothing. I can only assume that she's still on Moya."
"Another logical assumption, Captain. I'm impressed. Do you know what they were looking for on Acquara?"
"The Ancient didn't say. All his last communication said was that they were going to Acquara to possibly retrieve a valuable resource."
"A valuable resource? Could it be? Could it be he's resurfaced after all these cycles?"
"Who's resurfaced?" Abetan thought quickly. "You think it was Crichton they went to get?"
"Three logical assumptions in one conversation. Keep improving and one day we'll be able to have an intelligent conversation."
The Captain bit back his initial reply to the insult, a long string of curses that would not have helped. "Why is Crichton so important?"
The woman growled, slammed something down on a table and said something in a language Abetan's translator microbes couldn't identify. "Don't limit yourself to such a narrow perspective, Captain. Think! Why do you think Scorpius would invest so many resources pursuing Crichton?"
"Crichton knew about wormholes."
Another frustrated growl. "Crichton could sense wormholes before they opened. He knew how to safely travel through wormholes. He would be infinitely more useful than Furlow ever could be. Have your agents found the location of Co-Kura Strappa?"
"A report came in a few arns ago. The search teams have found his grave. So he's not going to be of any use to us."
"Your grasp of the incredibly obvious is impressive, Captain. When Crichton and the others arrive, take them alive and bring them to me. Your aide interrogated two members of Moya's crew, correct?"
"Yes, she did."
"And she has the recordings from the Aurora Chair?"
"She didn't mention it in her report, but I'd be surprised if she lost it."
"Send her to me. I wish to examine the information she collected."
Abetan nodded and started from the office. He stopped before he reached the door and looked back. "What was that you said before?"
"What?"
"You said something in a language my microbes couldn't translate. What did you say?"
She sighed. "Nothing. Just commenting on how unfair the universe is."
"What language was it?"
"It was.pilot."
"Pilot? As in, a Leviathan pilot?"
"Don't concern yourself with it, Captain. Just send Lieutenant Katsur to me immediately, and prepare for Crichton's arrival. That will be all."
Abetan stared for a microt, waiting for more of an answer. When nothing came, he growled in frustration and left the office.
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"Really, Mattis. I'm fine. I have an headache, but I'm otherwise fine."
Vanessa looked up from the examination table at the concerned faces that watched her. She turned to Lhatan, who was still studying his equipment. "Lhatan, tell them."
Lhatan didn't answer for a microt. He just continued to stare at his scanner. "Well," he finally said. "She is right. There is nothing physically wrong with her. There is some indication of minor trauma, but as Vanessa said, it's just a headache."
"Are you sure, Lhatan? She collapsed into a twitching mess on the floor." Mattis looked uncertain and waved a hand at one of the medical bay's doors. "That Ancient said something about someone else knowing.something. Then Vanessa collapsed. She obviously did something."
"Wait a microt. Xhalax said that?" Aeryn frowned and started to pace. "Frell, you don't think she."
John looked concerned. "God, I hope not. Vanessa, free associate. What's running through your mind right now?"
Vanessa closed her eyes. "Facts, figures. If you travel down a wormhole and bring about an unrealized reality, you have to travel back to before the first change and correct that. That will lead you to correcting the entire timeline." Her eyes snapped open. "Oh frell."
"What does that prove," Chiana asked. "John must've told you that."
"No, I didn't." John sounded grim.
"He's right, he didn't. All he or anyone else told me about wormholes was that they're real dangerous and that taking a wrong turn down them could rewrite reality."
"Well, now we have another expert in wormholes," Tashina said. "All the better when we make our move."
"I don't know about being an expert, Tashina," John said. "It took me the better part of a cycle to figure it all out. Xhalax didn't say anything before she did this?"
"All she said was that someone else must know." Vanessa sat up and slipped off the table. "So, what're we up to now?"
"We're on our way to Brellan to get the partanium. Then we'll head to Bia'thera and put a stop to this." Mattis watched Vanessa stand still for a microt, as if waiting for her equilibrium to return. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Just a headache. Lhatan?"
"I'll give you something for the headache. Now, get back on the table so I can finish my exam."
Vanessa started to protest, but stopped, realizing it was pointless. "All right, all right." She climbed back onto the bed and forced herself to lay still.
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Lhatan stopped inside the terrace door and stared into the half-lit chamber. At the front of the terrace stood Tashina, looking out at the star field.
"Tashina? Is everything all right?"
Without turning, she said, "I was just thinking about the past, Lhatan, and the mistakes that brought us here."
Lhatan swallowed once and walked to his wife's side. He knew what Tashina was referring to, but decided to play ignorant. "What Group Leader Tashina, what could you be talking about?"
Tashina glanced at him then returned her attention to the stars. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Lhatan. The mistake that ended my career, the secret I've kept from Vanessa these past few cycles."
"I see. Why are you thinking about this now? It was not your fault. Not entirely, anyway."
"It's not the incident that's bothering me, Lhatan. I've reconciled myself with that before we ever arrived here on Moya. I'm.concerned about how Vanessa will react, should she find out about it."
Lhatan stepped in front of Tashina and caressed her cheek. "Are you afraid she'll tell us to leave? Because of a miscalculation brought about by a bad intelligence report?" He shook his head slowly. "I doubt she'd overreact like that. She's quiet intelligent and accepting, for someone with Sebacean blood in her."
Tashina sighed, closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "I hope you're right, Lhatan. But what if the Peacekeepers take whatever information they gleaned through the Aurora Chair, do enough research."
"When did you start finding things to worry about? Tashina, it was three cycles ago. If it hasn't surfaced now, then it may never."
Tashina wiped her eyes and stepped closer to Lhatan. She slipped her arms around his shoulders and leaned forward until her forehead was touching Lhatan's. "Is that why I pursued you? For your optimistic outlook?"
"Well, someone has to balance your world-is-ending attitude. Now, come. We should get some rest before things get hectic."
Tashina's mouth opened slightly and she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. "Rest? Do you really want to rest?" Her voice was a seductive whisper.
Lhatan's smile grew slightly. "Well, we'll get some rest later."
As they walked from the terrace, arm in arm, Tashina couldn't keep herself from worrying about her buried secrets.
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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 18: A Little Knowledge.
Abetan stepped into the office and looked around. The room was meticulously neat, though the walls were covered with an array of calculations, figures and charts. A second door opened into the office's back room. He could hear someone moving around in there.
He sighed in resignation. Talking to our Chief Scientist is always an adventure, he thought.
"Hello," he said.
"Yes, Captain. What do you need?" The woman's voice sounded young and her tone was more than a little condescending.
"We've hat no contact with the Ancient since he told us of Moya's departure for Acquara. I think it would be safe to assume that he's been found out and killed."
"A very logical assumption, Captain. What about Furlow?"
"Still nothing. I can only assume that she's still on Moya."
"Another logical assumption, Captain. I'm impressed. Do you know what they were looking for on Acquara?"
"The Ancient didn't say. All his last communication said was that they were going to Acquara to possibly retrieve a valuable resource."
"A valuable resource? Could it be? Could it be he's resurfaced after all these cycles?"
"Who's resurfaced?" Abetan thought quickly. "You think it was Crichton they went to get?"
"Three logical assumptions in one conversation. Keep improving and one day we'll be able to have an intelligent conversation."
The Captain bit back his initial reply to the insult, a long string of curses that would not have helped. "Why is Crichton so important?"
The woman growled, slammed something down on a table and said something in a language Abetan's translator microbes couldn't identify. "Don't limit yourself to such a narrow perspective, Captain. Think! Why do you think Scorpius would invest so many resources pursuing Crichton?"
"Crichton knew about wormholes."
Another frustrated growl. "Crichton could sense wormholes before they opened. He knew how to safely travel through wormholes. He would be infinitely more useful than Furlow ever could be. Have your agents found the location of Co-Kura Strappa?"
"A report came in a few arns ago. The search teams have found his grave. So he's not going to be of any use to us."
"Your grasp of the incredibly obvious is impressive, Captain. When Crichton and the others arrive, take them alive and bring them to me. Your aide interrogated two members of Moya's crew, correct?"
"Yes, she did."
"And she has the recordings from the Aurora Chair?"
"She didn't mention it in her report, but I'd be surprised if she lost it."
"Send her to me. I wish to examine the information she collected."
Abetan nodded and started from the office. He stopped before he reached the door and looked back. "What was that you said before?"
"What?"
"You said something in a language my microbes couldn't translate. What did you say?"
She sighed. "Nothing. Just commenting on how unfair the universe is."
"What language was it?"
"It was.pilot."
"Pilot? As in, a Leviathan pilot?"
"Don't concern yourself with it, Captain. Just send Lieutenant Katsur to me immediately, and prepare for Crichton's arrival. That will be all."
Abetan stared for a microt, waiting for more of an answer. When nothing came, he growled in frustration and left the office.
---------------------------------------
"Really, Mattis. I'm fine. I have an headache, but I'm otherwise fine."
Vanessa looked up from the examination table at the concerned faces that watched her. She turned to Lhatan, who was still studying his equipment. "Lhatan, tell them."
Lhatan didn't answer for a microt. He just continued to stare at his scanner. "Well," he finally said. "She is right. There is nothing physically wrong with her. There is some indication of minor trauma, but as Vanessa said, it's just a headache."
"Are you sure, Lhatan? She collapsed into a twitching mess on the floor." Mattis looked uncertain and waved a hand at one of the medical bay's doors. "That Ancient said something about someone else knowing.something. Then Vanessa collapsed. She obviously did something."
"Wait a microt. Xhalax said that?" Aeryn frowned and started to pace. "Frell, you don't think she."
John looked concerned. "God, I hope not. Vanessa, free associate. What's running through your mind right now?"
Vanessa closed her eyes. "Facts, figures. If you travel down a wormhole and bring about an unrealized reality, you have to travel back to before the first change and correct that. That will lead you to correcting the entire timeline." Her eyes snapped open. "Oh frell."
"What does that prove," Chiana asked. "John must've told you that."
"No, I didn't." John sounded grim.
"He's right, he didn't. All he or anyone else told me about wormholes was that they're real dangerous and that taking a wrong turn down them could rewrite reality."
"Well, now we have another expert in wormholes," Tashina said. "All the better when we make our move."
"I don't know about being an expert, Tashina," John said. "It took me the better part of a cycle to figure it all out. Xhalax didn't say anything before she did this?"
"All she said was that someone else must know." Vanessa sat up and slipped off the table. "So, what're we up to now?"
"We're on our way to Brellan to get the partanium. Then we'll head to Bia'thera and put a stop to this." Mattis watched Vanessa stand still for a microt, as if waiting for her equilibrium to return. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Just a headache. Lhatan?"
"I'll give you something for the headache. Now, get back on the table so I can finish my exam."
Vanessa started to protest, but stopped, realizing it was pointless. "All right, all right." She climbed back onto the bed and forced herself to lay still.
---------------------------------------
Lhatan stopped inside the terrace door and stared into the half-lit chamber. At the front of the terrace stood Tashina, looking out at the star field.
"Tashina? Is everything all right?"
Without turning, she said, "I was just thinking about the past, Lhatan, and the mistakes that brought us here."
Lhatan swallowed once and walked to his wife's side. He knew what Tashina was referring to, but decided to play ignorant. "What Group Leader Tashina, what could you be talking about?"
Tashina glanced at him then returned her attention to the stars. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Lhatan. The mistake that ended my career, the secret I've kept from Vanessa these past few cycles."
"I see. Why are you thinking about this now? It was not your fault. Not entirely, anyway."
"It's not the incident that's bothering me, Lhatan. I've reconciled myself with that before we ever arrived here on Moya. I'm.concerned about how Vanessa will react, should she find out about it."
Lhatan stepped in front of Tashina and caressed her cheek. "Are you afraid she'll tell us to leave? Because of a miscalculation brought about by a bad intelligence report?" He shook his head slowly. "I doubt she'd overreact like that. She's quiet intelligent and accepting, for someone with Sebacean blood in her."
Tashina sighed, closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "I hope you're right, Lhatan. But what if the Peacekeepers take whatever information they gleaned through the Aurora Chair, do enough research."
"When did you start finding things to worry about? Tashina, it was three cycles ago. If it hasn't surfaced now, then it may never."
Tashina wiped her eyes and stepped closer to Lhatan. She slipped her arms around his shoulders and leaned forward until her forehead was touching Lhatan's. "Is that why I pursued you? For your optimistic outlook?"
"Well, someone has to balance your world-is-ending attitude. Now, come. We should get some rest before things get hectic."
Tashina's mouth opened slightly and she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. "Rest? Do you really want to rest?" Her voice was a seductive whisper.
Lhatan's smile grew slightly. "Well, we'll get some rest later."
As they walked from the terrace, arm in arm, Tashina couldn't keep herself from worrying about her buried secrets.
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TO BE CONTINUED
