Part 3
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"Hey," Aeric addressed the two legs sticking out from underneath the antique craft.
Crichton's head appeared and he smiled in delight. "Hey."
"Mother said you needed some help."
Crichton's smile faded slightly in disappointment, but he recovered quickly. "Yes, I do. Tean said you were pretty handy with the transport."
Aeric shrugged, climbing down beside his father on the floor. "All I did was follow instructions."
"Well, grab that phase modulator and come here."
"Why do you keep this thing?" Aeric asked.
"My module and I have been through too much together for me to scrap her."
"Her?"
"Every beautiful piece of equipment is a she."
Aeric rolled his eyes and began working the necessary adjustments. For the next arn they worked companionably together until Crichton threw down a tool and turned to his son.
"That does it. Want to take her out?"
Aeric's eyes grew wide. "You mean it? You'll take me out in your module?"
"I'll even do better than that. I'll let you drive."
Aeric scrambled from beneath the craft, ready to leave. "Is she ready?"
"She's all fueled and we just finished with her maintenance. There's no better time."
Aeric knew his smile was ridiculously wide, but he couldn't seem to control it as he climbed into the cockpit and settled while John crawled in behind him. The fit was a bit close, but for once proximity didn't matter. John was letting him fly his prized module.
"All right, first you start by pushing this, this and this button, and flipping this switch." Aeric followed every command with intense concentration, determined not to get anything wrong. "Pilot," John commed. "Aeric and I are going for a spin. We'll be gone several arns if anyone asks."
"Yes, Commander Crichton," Pilot answered. "Enjoy your... spin."
"Thanks. Now, Aeric, push her-make sure your right foot is halfway depressed and on the pedal. Got it? Now, slightly pull back."
The module lifted slightly and they were hovering over the floor. The young boy could hardly contain his excitement. He was doing it! He was flying!
"Ok, now- turn slightly. Depress the lever a little further and push forward. Gently."
Aeric waited for Crichton to grab the controls, but he let him maneuver his way through the docking ramps on his own. It took a while, he wasn't breaking any speed records. But he wasn't breaking John's module either, and that was what he was concerned with.
Slowly, they drifted through Moya until finally, they were clear and space surrounded them on all sides. "All right Aeric, let 'er rip!"
"Let her what?"
"Pick up the speed. My grandma drives faster than this. There's nothin' around here for you to hit. Experiment. Open up, have fun."
Aeric threw the module in to a nosedive, then a spin that Crichton had to reach around and recover them from. But since he was laughing, Aeric figured he wasn't mad, especially since he relinquished the controls as soon as they were stable.
Aeric had to try six times before he was able to complete a loop, with John encouraging him the entire time.
They were no longer near Moya and Aeric was taking a moment to ponder his next experiment when a strange feeling snaked through him. It started as tingling in his fingers and toes and shortly added immense pressure behind his eyes until he was afraid they would be pushed out of their sockets.
"John, something is out there."
"All readings are normal, Aeric. You're still in the clear."
The tingling grew and the pressure built and a sense of panic curled through his stomach. "Dad, I'm telling you, there's something strange happening."
Crichton became very still, as if listening to some inner voice and then "Frell! Aeric, get us away from here, now!"
Before Aeric could respond a giant blue swirling mass opened in front of them, sucking them in. He was scared and every command he gave the module seemed ineffective. "What's happening?!" Aeric yelled.
"Don't panic, you can handle this. Turn on your rear thrusters and back out."
"It's not working!" The ship began to shake and he felt like it was going to be ripped apart.
"Frell. Aeric, you're going to have to fly into it, but you'll have to follow my instructions exactly. Can you do that?"
"Yes," was the simple response.
"Full thrusters. Forward... NOW!"
Aeric shot forward and they were immersed in the swirling mass, being pulled as if by an outside force on a ride that made his earlier experiments seem tame.
"Aeric, gain control!" John ordered, grabbing the flight controls around him, covering the boy's hands with his own. With his father's help he was able to calm down enough to follow the instructions. "Right!" John ordered and without hesitation they turned the craft. "Up... left... up... down... right..." With each command, Aeric began to pick up the resounding rhythm. It was almost music, the blue mass was the melody and John was calling the harmony. The pattern was there and that thought calmed enough to let him begin to feel the rhythm himself.
Finally, the tingling lessened and they shot from the mass into open space once again. The music had stopped and all was silent. "We made it."
"Yeah," John agreed. "The only problem is, where did we make it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, it's been twenty two cycles since I've had to navigate one of those things. I was trying to pull a 'U'ey, but I'm not positive we came out the same way we went in."
"And that is bad?"
"Yes, son, that's very bad. Let's go find Moya and see if everyone is who they should be."
Confused, Aeric set the module on a trajectory to the last known location of the leviathan.
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John waited until their course was set before he began to speak. "That thing we just flew through was called a wormhole. It's a bridge through space, and if your not careful, through time as well. Set the wrong course and you could end up in a completely wrong reality."
"I don't understand."
"Hopefully, you won't have to. I spent four cycles learning everything I could about them and I just touched the tip of the iceberg. I was obsessed. The knowledge that I gained is what make me, and by extension you and Brennik, unique on this side of the universe. A lot of people want my wormhole knowledge for weaponry. If they can't get it from me, they're pretty sure they could extract it from my offspring."
"But nobody knows about me yet."
"Don't be so sure. Whoever high-jacked your mother knew about me and was probably keeping close tabs on her."
"You think it was your fault she was taken?"
Crichton grew silent for a moment, trying to control his emotions. "It wouldn't be the first time. Brennik was nearly dissected by the Scarrens before she was even born."
Aeric silently digested this information. He had witnessed how protective John was towards his family, he could only imagine what the man had done in that circumstance. Trying to distract his father from what must be an awful painful memory, he asked "What are some of the other possibilities?"
"It could be as simple as an enterprising group stealing people and selling them into slavery for profit."
"But you do not believe that."
"Not really. We were all there that day. They could have taken all of us."
"So what else?"
Crichton paused again, choosing his words carefully. "We went through a rough time. Your mother left for a while to join a group of mercenaries. When she got back, she'd promised not to betray whoever she'd been with. Couldn't pry it outta her with a crow bar. But we found out fast that, wherever she'd been, she'd really pissed off at least one planetful of people 'cause they came after her. So, knowing your mom's sweet and subtle nature," Aeric heard a smile creep into John's voice, "she probably pissed off a few more while she was gone. Unless her memory returns, we'll never really know."
Aeric was surprised John was being so candid. This was obviously difficult to re-live. "She never told you about what happened and you were all right with that?"
"It didn't matter if I was ok with it or not. I love your mom too much to let it get in the way."
It was that precise moment that Aeric no longer thought of him as "John, my mother's husband." All jealousy, resentment, animosity, and distrust disappeared, almost as if it had never been. He felt suddenly lighter and he wasn't quite as scared as he had been mere microts before. "Dad?"
"Yeah, son?" John's hand patted his shoulder with a quick squeeze and he knew his father was restraining his happiness over the familiarized greeting.
"What are we going to find when we get to Moya?"
"Hopefully, Sundance storming through the corridors trying to remember something, Brennik in the training room getting beaten up by Chiana while D'Argo throws out 'helpful' tips and Noranti stewing slop in the Center Chamber."
"But you don't think we will."
"Do you hear that subtle hum in the back of your mind?"
"Yes, I thought it was an aftereffect of the wormhole."
"In a sense it is. It probably means we're at the wrong campground."
"So why not just turn around and go back?"
"Because I'm not positive."
"I thought you said you were the expert."
"No, I said I know more than anyone else. There's a difference."
As Crichton was talking, Aeric finally caught a glimpse of Moya ahead. "What is that thing strapped across the Front of Moya? She can't be comfortable with that on."
"It's a control collar, and you're right. She's not comfortable. Turn around, we'll try the ride again. I'm pretty sure I know where I made the wrong turn."
"I can't turn around. Your module isn't responding."
"Frell, they grabbed us with the docking web. There are Peacekeepers controlling the ship. Some things may look familiar, but are drastically different. Stay with me and we'll try to get out of this as quickly as possible. Whatever you do, you are not a Crichton.
You're the son of a liberated slave. Got that?"
"Yes, sir."
The module was brought on board and gently landed in front of a group of heavily armed, black suited soldiers. "Mother!" Aeric exclaimed excitedly, recognizing one soldier in front with a pulse rife
aimed directly at him.
"That is not your mother. That is Aeryn Sun, Icarian Company, Pleisar Regiment, Special Peacekeeper commando."
"Exit the ship," They were commanded.
John pushed a button and the canopy flew open. Together, they climbed out and stood side by side before the soldiers. Aeryn handed her rifle to the soldier to her right as she stalked over to John. "What is your name and rank, and why are you out of uniform?" she demanded.
"Oh, great, here we go again." John mumbled. "Hello Aeryn," he said aloud. "It's none of your damn business why I'm out of uniform. Get Crais down here."
Aeryn's arm flashed out, but Crichton caught it before contact was made. She tried the other arm, but he blocked that as well. Her attack became stronger, faster and Crichton blocked all her advances until she caught him off guard with a foot sweep, sending him flying to his back. She sat on his chest, knees on either side of his head, pinning him to the floor. "What is your name, rank, and why are you out of uniform?"
"You know, baby, that dance gets better every time we do it. Maybe I keep losing just to have the pleasure of having you sitting on my chest." Her hand snaked out, cupping Crichton's chin when a man walked up behind her. "Officer Sun, what is happening?"
"We have an intruder, who claims to know me."
"Intruder?" John interrupted. "Hell, I was flying past, minding my own business when your docking web shanghaied me. I'll leave all of you to your Peacekeeper business if you let us go."
After a moment of silence, the man spoke again. "Officer Sun, let the man up."
Reluctantly, Aeryn crawled off his chest to stand at attention and John stood to face his rescuer. "Thank you, I'm sure we could discuss this ration..." he had lifted his eyes and what he saw left him speechless for a microt before he blurted, "Damn. Velorek, no offense, but you are one man I never wanted the pleasure of meeting."
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John and Aeric were shackled, walking through the familiar corridors, escorted by two soldiers.
"Sundance is sleeping with that guy, isn't she?"
Crichton cast a side glance at his son. "You're adjusting well, I see."
"She looks at him almost the same way she looks at you, only not quite as intense. And then there's the fact that you hated him before you even met him."
"I do not hate Velorek. And if you want to know about your moth... um, Sundance's sex life, ask her."
"It's not about the sex, it's about the relationships. And I can't. She doesn't remember, remember?" He was silent for a moment before switching gears. "So, what is your plan for getting us out of here?"
"Me? I thought that was your area, you mean you haven't come up with a plan yet?"
Aeric gave him a 'yeah, very funny' smirk as they were shoved into a cell. Their restraints were removed and their door locked. "Ahhh, home sweet home. Do you recognize where we're at?"
The boy looked around, adjusting his perceptions for furniture differences. "This is your room, isn't it?"
John smiled and when the guards disappeared, he let Aeric in on his triumph. "We have allies aboard; they just don't know it yet. And convincing them is going to be a... delicate operation."
"How are we supposed to do that locked in here?"
Crichton smiled at him. "Oh, ye of little faith. Trust me."
It was the "trust me" that made Aeric so nervous.
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Aeric watched as John removed his vest, folding it neatly before laying on the ground and using it as a pillow. "Listen boy, you might want to get all the rest you can. You never know what's going to happen when you're in Peacekeeper custody."
"Yes, sir." Aeric lay on the floor a small distance from his father, cupping his hands behind his head. An object flew through the air and landed on his face. Plucking it off, he realized it was John's vest.
"If you want to remain my employee, you'll have to start paying more attention to my comforts. It's your job to take care of the excess luggage, not mine."
"Yes, sir," Aeric responded again as he refolded the vest and placed it under his head. He wanted to throw it back, show his father he didn't need to be coddled, but if they were being watched it would ruin the deception. So he kept the vest and tried not to be grateful, or comfortable. He settled back, imitating John with his eyes closed, seemingly relaxed.
They were waiting for something. He wasn't sure what, but one thing he knew about John Crichton, he was a man of action and to lay around napping wasn't his style.
He realized he needed to use the facilities. All time had distorted itself as they lay on that cold floor, and he wasn't sure how long they'd been waiting. But he needed the facilities soon. Just when he decided to quickly relieve himself, he heard a small noise coming from the wall directly beside their heads.
Fractionally opening his eyes, he saw a connector slowly turning. Sneaking a peek at John, he realized the old man had the slightest trace of a grin adorning his mouth, but remained silent, eyes closed, apparently asleep. Aeric hoped he knew what he was doing and mimicked his father, trying not to fidget with the ever increasing pressure on his bladder.
Slowly, each connector turned until- plunk, it fell to the floor. When roughly six had dropped, the wall began to move. Whoever was behind the wall had incredible patience, for the piece moved so slowly, Aeric wasn't sure if he was imagining it to keep himself amused. But the dark void slowly grew until a space widened to let a Hynerion through.
Aeric realized he was looking through closed eyelashes, but even allowing for the squint, this was the scruffiest, ugliest Hynerion he's ever seen. Putting aside for the moment he was blue, his eyebrows, mustache, and beard were scraggly, unwashed and overgrown. And he smelled. Not that Hynerian ever smelt pleasant, but this one was particularly revolting.
The little slug-like creature peered into the room cautiously, keeping a keen eye on Crichton, dismissing the boy as unimportant. Gathering his prison rags around him as if they were robes of royalty, he quietly shuffled closer, stopping every few steps to assure himself that the old man was still sleeping.
His patience and diligence paid off when he reached the sleeping form undiscovered. Apparently pleased with himself, he reached a tiny blue hand toward the pocket of Crichton's leather pants. The startled Hynerian never realized what hit him when a hand snatched him by the throat and placed him in a headlock under John's other arm, who was now kneeling on the floor.
"Buckwheat!" John exclaimed joyously. "Guido! I knew I could count on you! It took you a little longer than I thought, you must have gotten better with practice. Man! It's good to see you, even if you are blue. John was rambling, holding the squirming Hynerion close to his side.
The creature was scared but fought with bravado. "Put me down you idiot. I am Dominar..."
"Rygel the IVX, ruler of over eight billion subjects, yeah, I know. Old news. But right now you are only ruler of your cell and a few dust bunnies. Really man, you've got to work on your snurching techniques. I heard you coming from halfway across Moya."
"I wasn't snurching. I came to see if there was anything I could do to make your stay more comfortable."
"Yeah, well, we'll let you stick to that story. Don't change it. It nearly sounds genuine. But I'm glad you showed up. I have a few questions I know you can answer."
The little Hynerian sniffed and Aeric was impressed at how he managed to pull off "Haughty disdain" while being held sideways under an armpit. "I have no reason to help you, you're nothing but a common..."
"Oh guard!" John yelled. "The neighbor kid came out to play!"
"All right, all right! Shut up you fool. How do I know you won't betray me once I answer your questions?"
"You don't. But you're not in a position to barter, are you? Relax, they're nothing big."
"It appears I have no choice."
"That would be correct. Now, question number one. Is the current pilot male or female?"
"How would I know that? I have been locked in a cell for..."
"Is that the guard I see coming?"
"Female."
"Question number two. Where was my pulse pistol taken?"
"Back to that female Peacekeeper's quarters. The one you were trying unsuccessfully to charm."
Aeric saw his father wince and shrugged it off. So they had to leave his pistol behind. There were plenty more where that came from.
"Question number three. Which quarters are hers?"
"Tier fourteen, the fifth one from the washing chamber. Are we done?"
"Absolutely Ryge." He placed a giant kiss noisily on the Dominar's forehead. "You'd better hurry, the patrols are due by your cell any microt now. No, don't worry about the door, we'll handle it.
The little man shuffled out, somehow managing to look dignified, even in his haste. John turned to Aeric with a smile. "Phase one complete. Actually, it went a lot smoother than I thought it would. But if there's one thing you can always bank on, it's Rygel's greed."
"You're not planning on chasing after moth, uh, Aeryn are you?"
"Of course not. I'm going after Winona."
"Winona?"
"My pulse pistol. It's the most reliable pistol that ever managed to fall off the Peacekeeper assembly line. I don't leave without her."
"It's a pulse pistol."
"It's Winona. She's been sleeping with me longer than your m... longer than anyone."
Aeric rolled his eyes. This man and his obsessions were going to get them killed. "So, are you letting me know the plan, or do I just follow you around and hope I don't mess anything up."
"Follow me and watch my cues," was the old man's reply, which left Aeric with the nasty suspicion his father didn't really have any plan at all, but was simply making it up as he went.
John began to disappear into the wall. "Sir!" Aeric hissed. John ducked his head out to see the boy shifting from one foot to the other. "Wait a microt, I have to pee."
"Hold it, we're in a hurry."
"I have been holding it, since we were doing maintenance on your module. I can't wait any longer."
He could tell John was frustrated, but the man stepped back into the room, loosely fitting the wall piece back into place. "Make it quick. We're on a timetable."
"Where? There's no waste conduit in here."
"See that hole in the wall near the door?"
"No way."
"Yes way. I installed decent plumbing myself."
"That is too tall, even for you."
"It was meant for Luxans, I think. I aim up."
"I don't think I can aim that high."
"Then find a corner and let's get on with it."
Aeric's face showed the horror he felt at the prospect of urinating on the floor. "I haven't done that since I was three cycles old."
"Look, the DRD's will clean it up. Now is not the time to be squeamish. Either aim high, or aim low, but get it over with."
Aeric briefly wondered how John had learned the DRD's would know to clean the mess, but quickly decided that he really didn't want to know. "Give me a boost."
"Oh, for the love of..." Crichton knelt on one leg, the other knee raised, forming a ledge. "If it'll hurry you up. You'd better aim straight, cause if you pee on my leg, I'll tie that thing in a knot."
Aeric, holding onto the wall, stepped onto the leather ledge and balanced himself enough to begin. The awful pressure began to recede and he sighed gratefully. At that moment, a black suited soldier walked through the corridor, pulse rifle ready to subdue any threat. The form nearly passed the cell, but abruptly stopped, taking two steps backwards and facing them. Aeric and John froze, the boy still perched on Johns leg with his fly opened, pointed at the wall. They stared at the faceless black helmet, both with innocent looks an their faces, as if it was and everyday occurrence, and what was the big deal? The helmet shook side to side a few times before the soldier continued on, disappearing from view.
"Great timing Aeric."
"Shut up... sir."
"You do realize I wouldn't do this for anyone else in the universe, right?"
"I can't imagine you ever having to."
"Well, yes, you're right. Nobody else would ask. Are you done yet?"
"Almost."
"That must be your Sebacean half, cause I don't think humans could hold so much. The term 'race horse' comes to mind."
"Yeah, well, now you know what my problem was." Aeric fastened his pants and jumped down. "Ok, I'm ready. We can go now." He assisted John off the floor and then followed him into the dark, small tunnel behind the wall.
There was little light, especially after John replaced the wall piece, hiding the method of their escape. Aeric followed the sound of breathing as they crawled. His knees began to hurt, but he refused to complain.
"Boy, this is pretty hard on the knees, isn't it?" He heard the old man whisper.
"I'm fine." Aeric lied. "Do you even know where we are going?"
"Mostly. I'm sure a few tunnels are different, but so far they've been precise."
"You know your way around pretty well."
"I've had a few occasions that called for stealth." Aeric wondered what those occasions were, and they lapsed into silence as they crawled through endless corridors. Sometimes they were climbing, sometimes sliding downward, but most of the trip was hands and knees. Abruptly Aeric bumped into John. "We're here," his father whispered directly in his ear, so softly he barely heard. They were looking through a metal screen to a room below.
Aeryn was sitting in bed covers wrapped around her, obviously wearing nothing underneath. Velorek was laying beside her talking softly. John sat back, closing his eyes. "Thank you Aeric, for the delay." The words were uttered softly, sincerely, and the boy wasn't sure he'd heard correctly, but he understood the sentiment. He looked away also as the two dressed and then left.
"They're gone." Aeric said. John nodded and immediately went into action.
"We have to hurry, we're running out of time. Wait here." He removed the vent cover and lowered himself into the room. Wasting no time, he searched for Winona and found her quickly, also taking another pistol. He had to move a table under the vent to be able to reach high enough to lift himself inside. After replacing the grate, he hurried forward, intent on reaching his goal in time.
"What's the rush?" Aeric asked.
"Right now they are without a pilot and Moya is drugged. Theoretically, easy escape and no docking web. In a few moments a new pilot will be installed, and it gets nearly impossible to leave undetected."
Without further encouragement Aeric picked up his pace, staying as close to his father as space would allow. When he saw a light seeping through another vent, he knew they were close to their goal. Together they peered into the maintenance bay.
John's module was nearest the hanger door, parked near four prowlers. Only seven guards were present, two of which were in a corner playing a game.
"How quickly can you run?"
"Fast enough. What's the plan?"
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Aeric stood in the corridor, scared with what he was about to do, with only the assurance of Crichton that the man was a good enough shot to cover him. He took a deep breath, pushing his fear aside and waved his hand in front of the control panel, palming the door open.
It swung wide and the two closest soldiers turned to see him standing in the doorway. "Oops, I must have taken a wrong turn." He ran as hard as he could down the abandoned corridor, hoping no soldiers would emerge in front of him. He heard pulse blasts around him, but only stopped running when the hall grew silent. Slowly, cautiously, he creeped back, unsure of what lay waiting for him.
He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of John tugging on one of the uniforms, the door to the hanger closed. Aeric was grateful for the conditioning of the guards, not abandoning their post over trivial weapon fire for a small boy. "Have more faith in your old man. I've been through this a time or two. Or sixty." Together, they pulled the two men into an empty room just down the corridor, and Aeric waited while John disappeared into the hanger in full uniform.
Whatever Crichton had said resulted in the remaining five guards running from the room in formation, hurrying around the corner and out of sight. Aeric snuck into the docking bay to find his father already sitting in his module with a large smile. "Some of my plans do work. Remember that when D'Argo tells you different."
Aeric climbed in behind his father and it only too a few microts before they were in open space once again. Just as they left, all power in Moya began to fluctuate and the Leviathan almost appeared to shudder. "What is happening?" Aeric asked in horror, the faint impression of screaming in the back of his mind.
"They are torturing her into accepting the new pilot."
Aeric had nothing to say after that, and the rest of the flight to the wormhole was traveled in silence. When the blue swirling mass opened before them John unhesitatingly and confidently flew his module into its heart. Aeric paid close attention to the rhythms, the melody and harmony, correlating each with the maneuvers John was faultlessly executing. It wasn't long before Aeric began to predict each move his father would make. All the twists, turns and speed grew increasingly inconsequential the more he engrossed himself in the navigation.
Finally, they burst from the ride, the wormhole disappearing behind them. "We're home." John said with certainty, and Aeric knew he was right. It had nothing to do with the incessant hum being gone, it was beyond that. It was simply a pure knowledge they had come to the right place.
"I wonder how long we've been gone."
"Your mother is probably worried. She's gonna kick my ass for keeping you away so long. Speaking of your mother," John hesitated briefly. "I don't want you to lie to her. If she asks, tell her the truth."
"Yes, dad." Aeric unconsciously mimicked Brennik. "If she asks, be sure to give her all pertinent information."
"Exactly... all PERTINENT information."
With their new understanding, they headed home to Moya.
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"Hey," Aeric addressed the two legs sticking out from underneath the antique craft.
Crichton's head appeared and he smiled in delight. "Hey."
"Mother said you needed some help."
Crichton's smile faded slightly in disappointment, but he recovered quickly. "Yes, I do. Tean said you were pretty handy with the transport."
Aeric shrugged, climbing down beside his father on the floor. "All I did was follow instructions."
"Well, grab that phase modulator and come here."
"Why do you keep this thing?" Aeric asked.
"My module and I have been through too much together for me to scrap her."
"Her?"
"Every beautiful piece of equipment is a she."
Aeric rolled his eyes and began working the necessary adjustments. For the next arn they worked companionably together until Crichton threw down a tool and turned to his son.
"That does it. Want to take her out?"
Aeric's eyes grew wide. "You mean it? You'll take me out in your module?"
"I'll even do better than that. I'll let you drive."
Aeric scrambled from beneath the craft, ready to leave. "Is she ready?"
"She's all fueled and we just finished with her maintenance. There's no better time."
Aeric knew his smile was ridiculously wide, but he couldn't seem to control it as he climbed into the cockpit and settled while John crawled in behind him. The fit was a bit close, but for once proximity didn't matter. John was letting him fly his prized module.
"All right, first you start by pushing this, this and this button, and flipping this switch." Aeric followed every command with intense concentration, determined not to get anything wrong. "Pilot," John commed. "Aeric and I are going for a spin. We'll be gone several arns if anyone asks."
"Yes, Commander Crichton," Pilot answered. "Enjoy your... spin."
"Thanks. Now, Aeric, push her-make sure your right foot is halfway depressed and on the pedal. Got it? Now, slightly pull back."
The module lifted slightly and they were hovering over the floor. The young boy could hardly contain his excitement. He was doing it! He was flying!
"Ok, now- turn slightly. Depress the lever a little further and push forward. Gently."
Aeric waited for Crichton to grab the controls, but he let him maneuver his way through the docking ramps on his own. It took a while, he wasn't breaking any speed records. But he wasn't breaking John's module either, and that was what he was concerned with.
Slowly, they drifted through Moya until finally, they were clear and space surrounded them on all sides. "All right Aeric, let 'er rip!"
"Let her what?"
"Pick up the speed. My grandma drives faster than this. There's nothin' around here for you to hit. Experiment. Open up, have fun."
Aeric threw the module in to a nosedive, then a spin that Crichton had to reach around and recover them from. But since he was laughing, Aeric figured he wasn't mad, especially since he relinquished the controls as soon as they were stable.
Aeric had to try six times before he was able to complete a loop, with John encouraging him the entire time.
They were no longer near Moya and Aeric was taking a moment to ponder his next experiment when a strange feeling snaked through him. It started as tingling in his fingers and toes and shortly added immense pressure behind his eyes until he was afraid they would be pushed out of their sockets.
"John, something is out there."
"All readings are normal, Aeric. You're still in the clear."
The tingling grew and the pressure built and a sense of panic curled through his stomach. "Dad, I'm telling you, there's something strange happening."
Crichton became very still, as if listening to some inner voice and then "Frell! Aeric, get us away from here, now!"
Before Aeric could respond a giant blue swirling mass opened in front of them, sucking them in. He was scared and every command he gave the module seemed ineffective. "What's happening?!" Aeric yelled.
"Don't panic, you can handle this. Turn on your rear thrusters and back out."
"It's not working!" The ship began to shake and he felt like it was going to be ripped apart.
"Frell. Aeric, you're going to have to fly into it, but you'll have to follow my instructions exactly. Can you do that?"
"Yes," was the simple response.
"Full thrusters. Forward... NOW!"
Aeric shot forward and they were immersed in the swirling mass, being pulled as if by an outside force on a ride that made his earlier experiments seem tame.
"Aeric, gain control!" John ordered, grabbing the flight controls around him, covering the boy's hands with his own. With his father's help he was able to calm down enough to follow the instructions. "Right!" John ordered and without hesitation they turned the craft. "Up... left... up... down... right..." With each command, Aeric began to pick up the resounding rhythm. It was almost music, the blue mass was the melody and John was calling the harmony. The pattern was there and that thought calmed enough to let him begin to feel the rhythm himself.
Finally, the tingling lessened and they shot from the mass into open space once again. The music had stopped and all was silent. "We made it."
"Yeah," John agreed. "The only problem is, where did we make it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, it's been twenty two cycles since I've had to navigate one of those things. I was trying to pull a 'U'ey, but I'm not positive we came out the same way we went in."
"And that is bad?"
"Yes, son, that's very bad. Let's go find Moya and see if everyone is who they should be."
Confused, Aeric set the module on a trajectory to the last known location of the leviathan.
--------------------------
John waited until their course was set before he began to speak. "That thing we just flew through was called a wormhole. It's a bridge through space, and if your not careful, through time as well. Set the wrong course and you could end up in a completely wrong reality."
"I don't understand."
"Hopefully, you won't have to. I spent four cycles learning everything I could about them and I just touched the tip of the iceberg. I was obsessed. The knowledge that I gained is what make me, and by extension you and Brennik, unique on this side of the universe. A lot of people want my wormhole knowledge for weaponry. If they can't get it from me, they're pretty sure they could extract it from my offspring."
"But nobody knows about me yet."
"Don't be so sure. Whoever high-jacked your mother knew about me and was probably keeping close tabs on her."
"You think it was your fault she was taken?"
Crichton grew silent for a moment, trying to control his emotions. "It wouldn't be the first time. Brennik was nearly dissected by the Scarrens before she was even born."
Aeric silently digested this information. He had witnessed how protective John was towards his family, he could only imagine what the man had done in that circumstance. Trying to distract his father from what must be an awful painful memory, he asked "What are some of the other possibilities?"
"It could be as simple as an enterprising group stealing people and selling them into slavery for profit."
"But you do not believe that."
"Not really. We were all there that day. They could have taken all of us."
"So what else?"
Crichton paused again, choosing his words carefully. "We went through a rough time. Your mother left for a while to join a group of mercenaries. When she got back, she'd promised not to betray whoever she'd been with. Couldn't pry it outta her with a crow bar. But we found out fast that, wherever she'd been, she'd really pissed off at least one planetful of people 'cause they came after her. So, knowing your mom's sweet and subtle nature," Aeric heard a smile creep into John's voice, "she probably pissed off a few more while she was gone. Unless her memory returns, we'll never really know."
Aeric was surprised John was being so candid. This was obviously difficult to re-live. "She never told you about what happened and you were all right with that?"
"It didn't matter if I was ok with it or not. I love your mom too much to let it get in the way."
It was that precise moment that Aeric no longer thought of him as "John, my mother's husband." All jealousy, resentment, animosity, and distrust disappeared, almost as if it had never been. He felt suddenly lighter and he wasn't quite as scared as he had been mere microts before. "Dad?"
"Yeah, son?" John's hand patted his shoulder with a quick squeeze and he knew his father was restraining his happiness over the familiarized greeting.
"What are we going to find when we get to Moya?"
"Hopefully, Sundance storming through the corridors trying to remember something, Brennik in the training room getting beaten up by Chiana while D'Argo throws out 'helpful' tips and Noranti stewing slop in the Center Chamber."
"But you don't think we will."
"Do you hear that subtle hum in the back of your mind?"
"Yes, I thought it was an aftereffect of the wormhole."
"In a sense it is. It probably means we're at the wrong campground."
"So why not just turn around and go back?"
"Because I'm not positive."
"I thought you said you were the expert."
"No, I said I know more than anyone else. There's a difference."
As Crichton was talking, Aeric finally caught a glimpse of Moya ahead. "What is that thing strapped across the Front of Moya? She can't be comfortable with that on."
"It's a control collar, and you're right. She's not comfortable. Turn around, we'll try the ride again. I'm pretty sure I know where I made the wrong turn."
"I can't turn around. Your module isn't responding."
"Frell, they grabbed us with the docking web. There are Peacekeepers controlling the ship. Some things may look familiar, but are drastically different. Stay with me and we'll try to get out of this as quickly as possible. Whatever you do, you are not a Crichton.
You're the son of a liberated slave. Got that?"
"Yes, sir."
The module was brought on board and gently landed in front of a group of heavily armed, black suited soldiers. "Mother!" Aeric exclaimed excitedly, recognizing one soldier in front with a pulse rife
aimed directly at him.
"That is not your mother. That is Aeryn Sun, Icarian Company, Pleisar Regiment, Special Peacekeeper commando."
"Exit the ship," They were commanded.
John pushed a button and the canopy flew open. Together, they climbed out and stood side by side before the soldiers. Aeryn handed her rifle to the soldier to her right as she stalked over to John. "What is your name and rank, and why are you out of uniform?" she demanded.
"Oh, great, here we go again." John mumbled. "Hello Aeryn," he said aloud. "It's none of your damn business why I'm out of uniform. Get Crais down here."
Aeryn's arm flashed out, but Crichton caught it before contact was made. She tried the other arm, but he blocked that as well. Her attack became stronger, faster and Crichton blocked all her advances until she caught him off guard with a foot sweep, sending him flying to his back. She sat on his chest, knees on either side of his head, pinning him to the floor. "What is your name, rank, and why are you out of uniform?"
"You know, baby, that dance gets better every time we do it. Maybe I keep losing just to have the pleasure of having you sitting on my chest." Her hand snaked out, cupping Crichton's chin when a man walked up behind her. "Officer Sun, what is happening?"
"We have an intruder, who claims to know me."
"Intruder?" John interrupted. "Hell, I was flying past, minding my own business when your docking web shanghaied me. I'll leave all of you to your Peacekeeper business if you let us go."
After a moment of silence, the man spoke again. "Officer Sun, let the man up."
Reluctantly, Aeryn crawled off his chest to stand at attention and John stood to face his rescuer. "Thank you, I'm sure we could discuss this ration..." he had lifted his eyes and what he saw left him speechless for a microt before he blurted, "Damn. Velorek, no offense, but you are one man I never wanted the pleasure of meeting."
-----------------------
John and Aeric were shackled, walking through the familiar corridors, escorted by two soldiers.
"Sundance is sleeping with that guy, isn't she?"
Crichton cast a side glance at his son. "You're adjusting well, I see."
"She looks at him almost the same way she looks at you, only not quite as intense. And then there's the fact that you hated him before you even met him."
"I do not hate Velorek. And if you want to know about your moth... um, Sundance's sex life, ask her."
"It's not about the sex, it's about the relationships. And I can't. She doesn't remember, remember?" He was silent for a moment before switching gears. "So, what is your plan for getting us out of here?"
"Me? I thought that was your area, you mean you haven't come up with a plan yet?"
Aeric gave him a 'yeah, very funny' smirk as they were shoved into a cell. Their restraints were removed and their door locked. "Ahhh, home sweet home. Do you recognize where we're at?"
The boy looked around, adjusting his perceptions for furniture differences. "This is your room, isn't it?"
John smiled and when the guards disappeared, he let Aeric in on his triumph. "We have allies aboard; they just don't know it yet. And convincing them is going to be a... delicate operation."
"How are we supposed to do that locked in here?"
Crichton smiled at him. "Oh, ye of little faith. Trust me."
It was the "trust me" that made Aeric so nervous.
--------------
Aeric watched as John removed his vest, folding it neatly before laying on the ground and using it as a pillow. "Listen boy, you might want to get all the rest you can. You never know what's going to happen when you're in Peacekeeper custody."
"Yes, sir." Aeric lay on the floor a small distance from his father, cupping his hands behind his head. An object flew through the air and landed on his face. Plucking it off, he realized it was John's vest.
"If you want to remain my employee, you'll have to start paying more attention to my comforts. It's your job to take care of the excess luggage, not mine."
"Yes, sir," Aeric responded again as he refolded the vest and placed it under his head. He wanted to throw it back, show his father he didn't need to be coddled, but if they were being watched it would ruin the deception. So he kept the vest and tried not to be grateful, or comfortable. He settled back, imitating John with his eyes closed, seemingly relaxed.
They were waiting for something. He wasn't sure what, but one thing he knew about John Crichton, he was a man of action and to lay around napping wasn't his style.
He realized he needed to use the facilities. All time had distorted itself as they lay on that cold floor, and he wasn't sure how long they'd been waiting. But he needed the facilities soon. Just when he decided to quickly relieve himself, he heard a small noise coming from the wall directly beside their heads.
Fractionally opening his eyes, he saw a connector slowly turning. Sneaking a peek at John, he realized the old man had the slightest trace of a grin adorning his mouth, but remained silent, eyes closed, apparently asleep. Aeric hoped he knew what he was doing and mimicked his father, trying not to fidget with the ever increasing pressure on his bladder.
Slowly, each connector turned until- plunk, it fell to the floor. When roughly six had dropped, the wall began to move. Whoever was behind the wall had incredible patience, for the piece moved so slowly, Aeric wasn't sure if he was imagining it to keep himself amused. But the dark void slowly grew until a space widened to let a Hynerion through.
Aeric realized he was looking through closed eyelashes, but even allowing for the squint, this was the scruffiest, ugliest Hynerion he's ever seen. Putting aside for the moment he was blue, his eyebrows, mustache, and beard were scraggly, unwashed and overgrown. And he smelled. Not that Hynerian ever smelt pleasant, but this one was particularly revolting.
The little slug-like creature peered into the room cautiously, keeping a keen eye on Crichton, dismissing the boy as unimportant. Gathering his prison rags around him as if they were robes of royalty, he quietly shuffled closer, stopping every few steps to assure himself that the old man was still sleeping.
His patience and diligence paid off when he reached the sleeping form undiscovered. Apparently pleased with himself, he reached a tiny blue hand toward the pocket of Crichton's leather pants. The startled Hynerian never realized what hit him when a hand snatched him by the throat and placed him in a headlock under John's other arm, who was now kneeling on the floor.
"Buckwheat!" John exclaimed joyously. "Guido! I knew I could count on you! It took you a little longer than I thought, you must have gotten better with practice. Man! It's good to see you, even if you are blue. John was rambling, holding the squirming Hynerion close to his side.
The creature was scared but fought with bravado. "Put me down you idiot. I am Dominar..."
"Rygel the IVX, ruler of over eight billion subjects, yeah, I know. Old news. But right now you are only ruler of your cell and a few dust bunnies. Really man, you've got to work on your snurching techniques. I heard you coming from halfway across Moya."
"I wasn't snurching. I came to see if there was anything I could do to make your stay more comfortable."
"Yeah, well, we'll let you stick to that story. Don't change it. It nearly sounds genuine. But I'm glad you showed up. I have a few questions I know you can answer."
The little Hynerian sniffed and Aeric was impressed at how he managed to pull off "Haughty disdain" while being held sideways under an armpit. "I have no reason to help you, you're nothing but a common..."
"Oh guard!" John yelled. "The neighbor kid came out to play!"
"All right, all right! Shut up you fool. How do I know you won't betray me once I answer your questions?"
"You don't. But you're not in a position to barter, are you? Relax, they're nothing big."
"It appears I have no choice."
"That would be correct. Now, question number one. Is the current pilot male or female?"
"How would I know that? I have been locked in a cell for..."
"Is that the guard I see coming?"
"Female."
"Question number two. Where was my pulse pistol taken?"
"Back to that female Peacekeeper's quarters. The one you were trying unsuccessfully to charm."
Aeric saw his father wince and shrugged it off. So they had to leave his pistol behind. There were plenty more where that came from.
"Question number three. Which quarters are hers?"
"Tier fourteen, the fifth one from the washing chamber. Are we done?"
"Absolutely Ryge." He placed a giant kiss noisily on the Dominar's forehead. "You'd better hurry, the patrols are due by your cell any microt now. No, don't worry about the door, we'll handle it.
The little man shuffled out, somehow managing to look dignified, even in his haste. John turned to Aeric with a smile. "Phase one complete. Actually, it went a lot smoother than I thought it would. But if there's one thing you can always bank on, it's Rygel's greed."
"You're not planning on chasing after moth, uh, Aeryn are you?"
"Of course not. I'm going after Winona."
"Winona?"
"My pulse pistol. It's the most reliable pistol that ever managed to fall off the Peacekeeper assembly line. I don't leave without her."
"It's a pulse pistol."
"It's Winona. She's been sleeping with me longer than your m... longer than anyone."
Aeric rolled his eyes. This man and his obsessions were going to get them killed. "So, are you letting me know the plan, or do I just follow you around and hope I don't mess anything up."
"Follow me and watch my cues," was the old man's reply, which left Aeric with the nasty suspicion his father didn't really have any plan at all, but was simply making it up as he went.
John began to disappear into the wall. "Sir!" Aeric hissed. John ducked his head out to see the boy shifting from one foot to the other. "Wait a microt, I have to pee."
"Hold it, we're in a hurry."
"I have been holding it, since we were doing maintenance on your module. I can't wait any longer."
He could tell John was frustrated, but the man stepped back into the room, loosely fitting the wall piece back into place. "Make it quick. We're on a timetable."
"Where? There's no waste conduit in here."
"See that hole in the wall near the door?"
"No way."
"Yes way. I installed decent plumbing myself."
"That is too tall, even for you."
"It was meant for Luxans, I think. I aim up."
"I don't think I can aim that high."
"Then find a corner and let's get on with it."
Aeric's face showed the horror he felt at the prospect of urinating on the floor. "I haven't done that since I was three cycles old."
"Look, the DRD's will clean it up. Now is not the time to be squeamish. Either aim high, or aim low, but get it over with."
Aeric briefly wondered how John had learned the DRD's would know to clean the mess, but quickly decided that he really didn't want to know. "Give me a boost."
"Oh, for the love of..." Crichton knelt on one leg, the other knee raised, forming a ledge. "If it'll hurry you up. You'd better aim straight, cause if you pee on my leg, I'll tie that thing in a knot."
Aeric, holding onto the wall, stepped onto the leather ledge and balanced himself enough to begin. The awful pressure began to recede and he sighed gratefully. At that moment, a black suited soldier walked through the corridor, pulse rifle ready to subdue any threat. The form nearly passed the cell, but abruptly stopped, taking two steps backwards and facing them. Aeric and John froze, the boy still perched on Johns leg with his fly opened, pointed at the wall. They stared at the faceless black helmet, both with innocent looks an their faces, as if it was and everyday occurrence, and what was the big deal? The helmet shook side to side a few times before the soldier continued on, disappearing from view.
"Great timing Aeric."
"Shut up... sir."
"You do realize I wouldn't do this for anyone else in the universe, right?"
"I can't imagine you ever having to."
"Well, yes, you're right. Nobody else would ask. Are you done yet?"
"Almost."
"That must be your Sebacean half, cause I don't think humans could hold so much. The term 'race horse' comes to mind."
"Yeah, well, now you know what my problem was." Aeric fastened his pants and jumped down. "Ok, I'm ready. We can go now." He assisted John off the floor and then followed him into the dark, small tunnel behind the wall.
There was little light, especially after John replaced the wall piece, hiding the method of their escape. Aeric followed the sound of breathing as they crawled. His knees began to hurt, but he refused to complain.
"Boy, this is pretty hard on the knees, isn't it?" He heard the old man whisper.
"I'm fine." Aeric lied. "Do you even know where we are going?"
"Mostly. I'm sure a few tunnels are different, but so far they've been precise."
"You know your way around pretty well."
"I've had a few occasions that called for stealth." Aeric wondered what those occasions were, and they lapsed into silence as they crawled through endless corridors. Sometimes they were climbing, sometimes sliding downward, but most of the trip was hands and knees. Abruptly Aeric bumped into John. "We're here," his father whispered directly in his ear, so softly he barely heard. They were looking through a metal screen to a room below.
Aeryn was sitting in bed covers wrapped around her, obviously wearing nothing underneath. Velorek was laying beside her talking softly. John sat back, closing his eyes. "Thank you Aeric, for the delay." The words were uttered softly, sincerely, and the boy wasn't sure he'd heard correctly, but he understood the sentiment. He looked away also as the two dressed and then left.
"They're gone." Aeric said. John nodded and immediately went into action.
"We have to hurry, we're running out of time. Wait here." He removed the vent cover and lowered himself into the room. Wasting no time, he searched for Winona and found her quickly, also taking another pistol. He had to move a table under the vent to be able to reach high enough to lift himself inside. After replacing the grate, he hurried forward, intent on reaching his goal in time.
"What's the rush?" Aeric asked.
"Right now they are without a pilot and Moya is drugged. Theoretically, easy escape and no docking web. In a few moments a new pilot will be installed, and it gets nearly impossible to leave undetected."
Without further encouragement Aeric picked up his pace, staying as close to his father as space would allow. When he saw a light seeping through another vent, he knew they were close to their goal. Together they peered into the maintenance bay.
John's module was nearest the hanger door, parked near four prowlers. Only seven guards were present, two of which were in a corner playing a game.
"How quickly can you run?"
"Fast enough. What's the plan?"
----------------------------------
Aeric stood in the corridor, scared with what he was about to do, with only the assurance of Crichton that the man was a good enough shot to cover him. He took a deep breath, pushing his fear aside and waved his hand in front of the control panel, palming the door open.
It swung wide and the two closest soldiers turned to see him standing in the doorway. "Oops, I must have taken a wrong turn." He ran as hard as he could down the abandoned corridor, hoping no soldiers would emerge in front of him. He heard pulse blasts around him, but only stopped running when the hall grew silent. Slowly, cautiously, he creeped back, unsure of what lay waiting for him.
He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of John tugging on one of the uniforms, the door to the hanger closed. Aeric was grateful for the conditioning of the guards, not abandoning their post over trivial weapon fire for a small boy. "Have more faith in your old man. I've been through this a time or two. Or sixty." Together, they pulled the two men into an empty room just down the corridor, and Aeric waited while John disappeared into the hanger in full uniform.
Whatever Crichton had said resulted in the remaining five guards running from the room in formation, hurrying around the corner and out of sight. Aeric snuck into the docking bay to find his father already sitting in his module with a large smile. "Some of my plans do work. Remember that when D'Argo tells you different."
Aeric climbed in behind his father and it only too a few microts before they were in open space once again. Just as they left, all power in Moya began to fluctuate and the Leviathan almost appeared to shudder. "What is happening?" Aeric asked in horror, the faint impression of screaming in the back of his mind.
"They are torturing her into accepting the new pilot."
Aeric had nothing to say after that, and the rest of the flight to the wormhole was traveled in silence. When the blue swirling mass opened before them John unhesitatingly and confidently flew his module into its heart. Aeric paid close attention to the rhythms, the melody and harmony, correlating each with the maneuvers John was faultlessly executing. It wasn't long before Aeric began to predict each move his father would make. All the twists, turns and speed grew increasingly inconsequential the more he engrossed himself in the navigation.
Finally, they burst from the ride, the wormhole disappearing behind them. "We're home." John said with certainty, and Aeric knew he was right. It had nothing to do with the incessant hum being gone, it was beyond that. It was simply a pure knowledge they had come to the right place.
"I wonder how long we've been gone."
"Your mother is probably worried. She's gonna kick my ass for keeping you away so long. Speaking of your mother," John hesitated briefly. "I don't want you to lie to her. If she asks, tell her the truth."
"Yes, dad." Aeric unconsciously mimicked Brennik. "If she asks, be sure to give her all pertinent information."
"Exactly... all PERTINENT information."
With their new understanding, they headed home to Moya.