Chapter 30 - A Part Of Me
Two weeks out of D2, the Bellerophon finally arrived at New Sydney. Falling into orbit around the planet, Riddick transmitted the required codes. There was always a moment of trepidation as he waited for the codes to be accepted, but finally a heavily accented voice emerged from the comm. "This is Planetary Control to cargo ship 99841-A2A, what is your destination, your business, and how long do you intend to stay?"
Riddick released the breath he'd been holding. "Celedon Port." He knew that Imam lived in a small community several kilometers outside the large spaceport city, but this was as close as he would be able to get. "I'm here for refuel and re-supply so I'll be staying twenty-four to forty-eight hours."
"Hold, CS A2A." There was silence for a moment before the voice returned. "Aye. You are cleared for landing. Adjust your heading to 84-14-62. Your ship will be berthed in hangar four. Welcome to New Sydney, Captain Carver."
"Thank you, Control." A satisfied smile on his face, Riddick set the computer to the coordinates and began preparations for landing. Once on the ground, Riddick locked down the ship and headed over to the port authority. Unlike space stations, the amount paperwork required to enter a planet was remarkably small. Fifteen minutes later, he was walking out into the city, one mission on his mind.
Celedon was much like every other port city in the known systems. It was large and busy and that was just the way Riddick liked it. The larger and the busier the city, the easier it was to blend in. Unfortunately, his goal wasn't anywhere in the city itself, but in the small community of Wallaby Bay, about a hundred kilometers west of the port city. He had been forced to leave his ship's PEV (planetary exploration vehicle) on a planet a couple of months earlier, and he hadn't had a chance to replace it. Taking public transport would be a little more conspicuous than he would like, so that left renting a vehicle of some sort. Fortunately for him, since he had a ship docked at the spaceport, renting a vehicle was a breeze. Twenty minutes after he walked into the rental company, he was driving toward Wallaby Bay.
The hovercycle handled like a dream. Top speed of 200kph (125mph), Riddick kept it at a steady 150 for most of the trip, though he could easily have topped it out. The bike's basic construction was such that it was propelled by and suspended on an electromagnetic cushion that gave it a smooth ride over virtually any terrain. And the part Riddick liked most was, it was almost completely silent. "I gotta get me one of these," he said, kicking it up another gear. Enjoying the sheer freedom of the ride, he was almost sorry to arrive in Wallaby Bay a little under an hour later.
Knowing that someone was probably watching Imam's house, Riddick found a quiet place to lay low for a while. Stashing the hovercycle, he waited patiently until nightfall. That was his time, his element; he owned the darkness. Slipping into the cover of the night, Riddick made his way to Imam's house.
The house was very much like the holy man himself. Tall and simple and serene. A two storied, stucco home with a tiny patch of green lawn in the front and a spectacular garden in the back that reminded Riddick of pictures he'd seen once of Morocco on Earth. A fountain bubbled under a curving arch that dripped with flowers that Riddick couldn't name. He could picture Jack here as a young girl, sitting in the cool shade of the trees, listening to the calming burble of water, as she did her homework, or played, or daydreamed the afternoon away. Smiling to himself, he worked his way quickly through the gardens to the back door.
The lock on the back door was easy enough to override, and the holy man didn't have any kind of alarms on the house. Why should he? Riddick didn't imagine much of anything ever happened in the quiet little community. Wouldn't the residents be in an uproar if they knew the old holy man was receiving such a notorious visitor that evening? He let himself into the kitchen and closed the door behind him, re-arming the lock before venturing into the rest of the house.
Sensing that there was no one in the house, Riddick made his way through the living area and up the stairs. He looked into each room along the long hallway, wondering which was hers. There was no mistaking when he found Jack's room, though. Posters plastered the walls, the bed was covered with stuffed animals of every variety, and the room had a distinctively feminine flavor. He chuckled as he thought about how hard it must have been for the holy man to raise Jack and still let her be her own person. It must have taken every ounce of the man's strength at times.
Stepping almost reverently into the room, Riddick took a moment to look around. One wall was covered with awards, trophies, accolades. He couldn't help the smile that touched the corners of his mouth as he saw proof of what he'd always known, she was an amazing girl. He wondered for a moment why she didn't take the awards with her, but he knew the answer. She didn't need pieces of paper to prove herself, she was confident in her abilities. That was a pretty rare gift in and of itself.
Knowing that time was short, Riddick dropped down onto the floor and reached long arms under the bed. He felt around for a few moments before his hand came in contact with the smooth surface of the box. "Bingo."
"Did you find what you were looking for, Mr. Riddick."
Imam's voice startled, Riddick. The holy man had gotten quieter as he'd gotten older, but Riddick managed to recover quickly enough. Pulling out the box, Riddick stood and dropped onto the bed in a movement that he managed to make look fluid and graceful. "Got it right here." He smiled at Imam, shielding his eyes with his hand as he activated the lights. "Lights, twenty-five percent." It took a moment for him to adjust to the new brightness. "I guess I shoulda called first?" he asked, an amused smile on his face.
Imam was frowning as he entered the room and stood opposite Riddick. "I do not find it amusing that you have broken into my home, violated my daughter's room." He indicated the box on Riddick's lap. "Although I must assume that Jacqueline told you of the box or you would not have known where to find it."
Riddick's smile faded. "Jack asked me to come get the box. It's not like I could just send a message to let you know I was coming." He scratched at the stubble on his cheek. "I guess you know what happened on Orion Station?" There was no doubt in his mind that Imam had been told something, but he wished he knew what.
A pained look crossed Imam's face. "Yes. I do." Imam said nothing for a moment and when he spoke again, his voice was quiet, hoarse. "Is Jacqueline with you here?" He didn't want to ask the question he most needed to know the answer to. Was she alive?
"No." Silence stretched between them, and Riddick found he didn't quite know what to say. Riddick and Jack weren't the only ones affected by what happened on Orion, Imam loved Jack.
Imam looked at Riddick, pain in his dark eyes. "Is it true? Is it true that Jacqueline killed a man?" He didn't want to believe the girl he'd raised as his own was capable of doing such a thing, but she had always been such an odd, strong willed child. He loved her as much as if she had been his by birth, but he would never presume to understand how her mind worked. Still, to murder another human in cold blood. No, he couldn't believe that of her.
Riddick leveled his gaze at Imam. Under most circumstances he didn't have much use for religious men like Imam, but he respected the holy man. Through everything that had happened he had never once lost his faith. Riddick might have thought it was useless, but it took a lot of courage and strength to stand by your convictions like that. He had to respect him for that, and for raising Jack without dampening her spirit, allowing her to become her own person, not even forcing his own religion on her. Riddick imagined that had taken more faith and strength than facing down the bloodthirsty aliens on that bloody rock. "Yes. She did. But it was him or her, Jack made the right choice." He wouldn't tell Imam that Jack had been holding a gun on Gordon first, there were some things he didn't need to know.
Searching Riddick's face, Imam knew that there was more to the story than the younger man was telling him, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. He did, however, want to know where his daughter was now. "Where is she, Mr. Riddick?" His voice cracked slightly. "Is she well?" He unconsciously fingered the prayer beads that always hung from his belt, sending out a silent prayer to Allah that she was all right.
Never one to mince words, Riddick didn't see a reason to start now. "That piece of shit, Carson, shot her in the back. She lost a kidney." He looked away for a moment, the pain in Imam's eyes reminding him too much of his own concerns for Jack. It had been over two weeks since he'd seen her, since he'd left her still unconscious from surgery. Doc had assured him she would be fine, but he didn't really know for certain and that uncertainty ate at him more than it should. "I left her someplace safe, with a doctor, and he told me she'd be fine."
"But you do not know for certain?" There were things that Riddick was not telling him, and he didn't like that. Not when it came to Jack's well being. Not when it came to his daughter's life.
Riddick made himself meet the holy man's eyes. "No."
Imam studied the man standing before him. There was something there, something in the silvered depths of Riddick's eyes, a pain that mirrored his own and something else. *There is much he is not saying.* And Imam understood. "You will go back to her, yes?" Riddick nodded, silently. "Take this to her from me," he took the prayer beads off his belt and pressed them into Riddick's hand. "She does not follow my faith, but it will remind her that I will always love her and I will always be here for her."
Riddick was oddly touched by the gesture. Maybe things did happen for a reason. If not for the crash on the planet, Jack's life would have probably turned out much differently. He'd seen what happened to young runaways. She could have passed herself off for a boy for another year or two tops, after that. well, after that she would have probably ended up living a very hard, very short life being used and abused. She'd lived a good life with Imam. Riddick was sorry that she'd not have that anymore, but he was grateful she'd at least had it for a while. "Is there anything else?" he asked, tucking the beads into the pocket of his pants.
"Yes, Mr. Riddick." Imam frowned at Riddick, looking him in the eye and laying a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I know you care for Jacqueline, and I know she more than cares for you. Once you charged me to keep her safe and well, now I charge you with the same. Treat her as if she is a part of yourself."
"She already is." Riddick didn't even realize the truth of it until he said it aloud. She was a part of him, maybe the best part. "And I promise to keep her as safe as I can. I would die for her if necessary."
Imam was quiet for a moment, studying him before smiling slightly and moving away toward the door. "Yes. I believe you would." He stood there for a moment. "It is not safe for you here, Mr. Riddick. You should leave immediately."
Nodding, Riddick stood up. "Just one thing." He gestured toward the myriad of stuffed animals on the bed. "Can you tell me which one of these damned bears is purple?"
Two weeks out of D2, the Bellerophon finally arrived at New Sydney. Falling into orbit around the planet, Riddick transmitted the required codes. There was always a moment of trepidation as he waited for the codes to be accepted, but finally a heavily accented voice emerged from the comm. "This is Planetary Control to cargo ship 99841-A2A, what is your destination, your business, and how long do you intend to stay?"
Riddick released the breath he'd been holding. "Celedon Port." He knew that Imam lived in a small community several kilometers outside the large spaceport city, but this was as close as he would be able to get. "I'm here for refuel and re-supply so I'll be staying twenty-four to forty-eight hours."
"Hold, CS A2A." There was silence for a moment before the voice returned. "Aye. You are cleared for landing. Adjust your heading to 84-14-62. Your ship will be berthed in hangar four. Welcome to New Sydney, Captain Carver."
"Thank you, Control." A satisfied smile on his face, Riddick set the computer to the coordinates and began preparations for landing. Once on the ground, Riddick locked down the ship and headed over to the port authority. Unlike space stations, the amount paperwork required to enter a planet was remarkably small. Fifteen minutes later, he was walking out into the city, one mission on his mind.
Celedon was much like every other port city in the known systems. It was large and busy and that was just the way Riddick liked it. The larger and the busier the city, the easier it was to blend in. Unfortunately, his goal wasn't anywhere in the city itself, but in the small community of Wallaby Bay, about a hundred kilometers west of the port city. He had been forced to leave his ship's PEV (planetary exploration vehicle) on a planet a couple of months earlier, and he hadn't had a chance to replace it. Taking public transport would be a little more conspicuous than he would like, so that left renting a vehicle of some sort. Fortunately for him, since he had a ship docked at the spaceport, renting a vehicle was a breeze. Twenty minutes after he walked into the rental company, he was driving toward Wallaby Bay.
The hovercycle handled like a dream. Top speed of 200kph (125mph), Riddick kept it at a steady 150 for most of the trip, though he could easily have topped it out. The bike's basic construction was such that it was propelled by and suspended on an electromagnetic cushion that gave it a smooth ride over virtually any terrain. And the part Riddick liked most was, it was almost completely silent. "I gotta get me one of these," he said, kicking it up another gear. Enjoying the sheer freedom of the ride, he was almost sorry to arrive in Wallaby Bay a little under an hour later.
Knowing that someone was probably watching Imam's house, Riddick found a quiet place to lay low for a while. Stashing the hovercycle, he waited patiently until nightfall. That was his time, his element; he owned the darkness. Slipping into the cover of the night, Riddick made his way to Imam's house.
The house was very much like the holy man himself. Tall and simple and serene. A two storied, stucco home with a tiny patch of green lawn in the front and a spectacular garden in the back that reminded Riddick of pictures he'd seen once of Morocco on Earth. A fountain bubbled under a curving arch that dripped with flowers that Riddick couldn't name. He could picture Jack here as a young girl, sitting in the cool shade of the trees, listening to the calming burble of water, as she did her homework, or played, or daydreamed the afternoon away. Smiling to himself, he worked his way quickly through the gardens to the back door.
The lock on the back door was easy enough to override, and the holy man didn't have any kind of alarms on the house. Why should he? Riddick didn't imagine much of anything ever happened in the quiet little community. Wouldn't the residents be in an uproar if they knew the old holy man was receiving such a notorious visitor that evening? He let himself into the kitchen and closed the door behind him, re-arming the lock before venturing into the rest of the house.
Sensing that there was no one in the house, Riddick made his way through the living area and up the stairs. He looked into each room along the long hallway, wondering which was hers. There was no mistaking when he found Jack's room, though. Posters plastered the walls, the bed was covered with stuffed animals of every variety, and the room had a distinctively feminine flavor. He chuckled as he thought about how hard it must have been for the holy man to raise Jack and still let her be her own person. It must have taken every ounce of the man's strength at times.
Stepping almost reverently into the room, Riddick took a moment to look around. One wall was covered with awards, trophies, accolades. He couldn't help the smile that touched the corners of his mouth as he saw proof of what he'd always known, she was an amazing girl. He wondered for a moment why she didn't take the awards with her, but he knew the answer. She didn't need pieces of paper to prove herself, she was confident in her abilities. That was a pretty rare gift in and of itself.
Knowing that time was short, Riddick dropped down onto the floor and reached long arms under the bed. He felt around for a few moments before his hand came in contact with the smooth surface of the box. "Bingo."
"Did you find what you were looking for, Mr. Riddick."
Imam's voice startled, Riddick. The holy man had gotten quieter as he'd gotten older, but Riddick managed to recover quickly enough. Pulling out the box, Riddick stood and dropped onto the bed in a movement that he managed to make look fluid and graceful. "Got it right here." He smiled at Imam, shielding his eyes with his hand as he activated the lights. "Lights, twenty-five percent." It took a moment for him to adjust to the new brightness. "I guess I shoulda called first?" he asked, an amused smile on his face.
Imam was frowning as he entered the room and stood opposite Riddick. "I do not find it amusing that you have broken into my home, violated my daughter's room." He indicated the box on Riddick's lap. "Although I must assume that Jacqueline told you of the box or you would not have known where to find it."
Riddick's smile faded. "Jack asked me to come get the box. It's not like I could just send a message to let you know I was coming." He scratched at the stubble on his cheek. "I guess you know what happened on Orion Station?" There was no doubt in his mind that Imam had been told something, but he wished he knew what.
A pained look crossed Imam's face. "Yes. I do." Imam said nothing for a moment and when he spoke again, his voice was quiet, hoarse. "Is Jacqueline with you here?" He didn't want to ask the question he most needed to know the answer to. Was she alive?
"No." Silence stretched between them, and Riddick found he didn't quite know what to say. Riddick and Jack weren't the only ones affected by what happened on Orion, Imam loved Jack.
Imam looked at Riddick, pain in his dark eyes. "Is it true? Is it true that Jacqueline killed a man?" He didn't want to believe the girl he'd raised as his own was capable of doing such a thing, but she had always been such an odd, strong willed child. He loved her as much as if she had been his by birth, but he would never presume to understand how her mind worked. Still, to murder another human in cold blood. No, he couldn't believe that of her.
Riddick leveled his gaze at Imam. Under most circumstances he didn't have much use for religious men like Imam, but he respected the holy man. Through everything that had happened he had never once lost his faith. Riddick might have thought it was useless, but it took a lot of courage and strength to stand by your convictions like that. He had to respect him for that, and for raising Jack without dampening her spirit, allowing her to become her own person, not even forcing his own religion on her. Riddick imagined that had taken more faith and strength than facing down the bloodthirsty aliens on that bloody rock. "Yes. She did. But it was him or her, Jack made the right choice." He wouldn't tell Imam that Jack had been holding a gun on Gordon first, there were some things he didn't need to know.
Searching Riddick's face, Imam knew that there was more to the story than the younger man was telling him, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. He did, however, want to know where his daughter was now. "Where is she, Mr. Riddick?" His voice cracked slightly. "Is she well?" He unconsciously fingered the prayer beads that always hung from his belt, sending out a silent prayer to Allah that she was all right.
Never one to mince words, Riddick didn't see a reason to start now. "That piece of shit, Carson, shot her in the back. She lost a kidney." He looked away for a moment, the pain in Imam's eyes reminding him too much of his own concerns for Jack. It had been over two weeks since he'd seen her, since he'd left her still unconscious from surgery. Doc had assured him she would be fine, but he didn't really know for certain and that uncertainty ate at him more than it should. "I left her someplace safe, with a doctor, and he told me she'd be fine."
"But you do not know for certain?" There were things that Riddick was not telling him, and he didn't like that. Not when it came to Jack's well being. Not when it came to his daughter's life.
Riddick made himself meet the holy man's eyes. "No."
Imam studied the man standing before him. There was something there, something in the silvered depths of Riddick's eyes, a pain that mirrored his own and something else. *There is much he is not saying.* And Imam understood. "You will go back to her, yes?" Riddick nodded, silently. "Take this to her from me," he took the prayer beads off his belt and pressed them into Riddick's hand. "She does not follow my faith, but it will remind her that I will always love her and I will always be here for her."
Riddick was oddly touched by the gesture. Maybe things did happen for a reason. If not for the crash on the planet, Jack's life would have probably turned out much differently. He'd seen what happened to young runaways. She could have passed herself off for a boy for another year or two tops, after that. well, after that she would have probably ended up living a very hard, very short life being used and abused. She'd lived a good life with Imam. Riddick was sorry that she'd not have that anymore, but he was grateful she'd at least had it for a while. "Is there anything else?" he asked, tucking the beads into the pocket of his pants.
"Yes, Mr. Riddick." Imam frowned at Riddick, looking him in the eye and laying a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I know you care for Jacqueline, and I know she more than cares for you. Once you charged me to keep her safe and well, now I charge you with the same. Treat her as if she is a part of yourself."
"She already is." Riddick didn't even realize the truth of it until he said it aloud. She was a part of him, maybe the best part. "And I promise to keep her as safe as I can. I would die for her if necessary."
Imam was quiet for a moment, studying him before smiling slightly and moving away toward the door. "Yes. I believe you would." He stood there for a moment. "It is not safe for you here, Mr. Riddick. You should leave immediately."
Nodding, Riddick stood up. "Just one thing." He gestured toward the myriad of stuffed animals on the bed. "Can you tell me which one of these damned bears is purple?"