Chance Encounters (2/?)
Disclaimer: All characters pertaining to Pitch Black belong to USA Films.
Feedback: YES, PLEASE! I'd love to know what you REALLY think, so please be honest (but let's not be brutal, okay?)
Summary: Alternate Universe : The premise of this story is that Riddick and Fry had already met prior to the events in the film, Pitch Black.
Setting: Years and years before the events in "Pitch Black". Just before Riddick gets sent to The Slam
Note: Characters' backgrounds are not based on the book, "Pitch Black" or that TV thingy, "Into Pitch Black". So this really IS my universe. Oh, the power to manipulate.
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Riddick sat in his bunk, eyes closed and head leaning against the cold wall. His body was still, breathing slow and steady, but his mind was working overtime. In his head, he was going over several ways of escape; to avoid the destiny that awaited him at The Slam. There was no chance in hell they were taking him there. One thing was certain though, he couldn't break out of the Orion. There were too many guards and of course, there was Harris. There were the other inmates to factor in. Complications could abound…
Riddick cleared his head. Bad time to be distracted , he reminded himself. After a few more moments, a thought occurred to him. Still with his eyes closed, the corners of his mouth slowly lifted in a wicked smile.
I'll make my move on the transport ship, he thought.
He didn't have a clear plan. YET. But he knew it HAD to be there. The minutes were ticking by and he was quickly running out of options. Desperate times called for desperate action. Besides, he could pilot a juiced-up ship, no problem. And by the time authorities realize he had hijacked the ship, he'd be long gone by then. Riddick's mind relaxed, content at the decision he had just made.
He opened his eyes when he heard movements just outside his cell and saw that the chief stood just a couple of feet away from the bars. Seemed like the transport ship had arrived and the chief was waiting to meet the crew. He was barking out orders as the jail guards scurried up and down the hallway. After a few more minutes, Riddick heard the familiar buzzer go off. The metal doors of the ward swished open, then slammed shut. Just by listening to the footsteps, he calculated there to be five people striding down the corridor towards Harris. He also heard several low whistles and a couple of catcalls. He smiled knowingly.
A woman , he thought.
Riddick swung his legs over the side of his bunk. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Now would be the perfect time to size up the crew and get an idea of what he was up against. Harris already had his hand outstretched; an unusually warm and engaging smile on his face as the visitors approached him.
From the shadows of the cell where he sat, he could see that two jail guards accompanied the crew, which consisted of two men and a woman. It was clear to him who the leader of the gig was. He had the fanciest uniform and the most insignias on his collar. Not only was he the eldest, but years of experience were etched into this man's features, and he exuded an aura of natural authority and control. Riddick new his old age was not to be underestimated. His looked like eyes that had pretty much seen it all.
Well he ain't seen nothing yet , he thought.
"Ah, Captain Gallagher. It's an honor to have you here at The Orion," Harris said, shaking his hand firmly. Gallagher nodded then gestured to his companions and said, "This is the rest of my crew. Meet Commander Noah Delaney and Lt. Carolyn Fry."
Harris glanced at them uninterestedly before returning his full attention back to Gallagher. Fry gave Delaney a meaningful look and rolled her eyes. Delaney smirked back at her.
Meanwhile, Riddick had shifted his gaze onto the man beside the Captain.
THIS one is a piece of cake , Riddick thought, smirking. He could smell his fear from way over where he sat. He noticed that despite trying to keep up a brave face, he kept wiping at his forehead and glancing nervously around him; as if one of the prisoners would tear through the bars and jump on them.
Yup. Big gun, no balls. He won't be any trouble, Riddick concluded, mentally dismissing Delaney.
Now the woman.
Previously, the captain had stood between her and his cell in such a way that blocked Riddick's view of her. But now that Gallagher had stepped forward to have a private word with Harris, he could finally see the female crewmate as clearly as if she were right in front of him.
"Interesting." he said under his breath, when the woman finally came into view.
Now this, THIS might be a problem , he thought, frowning. He'd never had qualms about killing women. Hell, he had done it before when he needed to. There had been no hesitations and no regrets. Then again, he'd never had to kill anyone as attractive as this woman who was standing just a few feet from his cell. The woman was of average height and slender build. She had short, tousled dirty blond hair that barely touched the collar of her uniform, but brushed her forehead just above her aquamarine eyes. Just by looking at her, he could tell she was not to be underrated as quickly. Her sleeveless top revealed toned arms and her black leather pants hinted of strong, lithe legs. She also had a somewhat quiet dignity about her. And around this galaxy, you didn't get to be Lt. on looks alone. He noticed that she was calmly looking around her, taking everything in. Riddick caught himself and shook his head, as if to shake out his very thoughts.
I've been in this bitch of a cell for too long , he rationalized. He shook his head again. Ah, who was he kidding? He knew that under any circumstance, he would have still found her attractive.
"Too bad I'll have to ghost her," he told himself.
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Unaware that the Capt. and Delaney had moved on and that Riddick was silently watching her every move, Fry stood where she was and surveyed Section G. She had never been to a maximum-security ward before. After all, this wasn't the type of mission she normally got sent on, so she had to admit she was interested. She had glanced curiously into almost all the cells nearby like she would if she were in a zoo looking at caged animals. Except for this one closest to her, she noticed. She turned her head and squinted to get a better look. She saw its occupant for the first time, and the sight that greeted her made her pulse race.
The man she saw was sitting in his bunk, and he had positioned himself just partly in the light. Carolyn could see his right half, but the other half remained in the shadows. As if reading her mind, the man moved his head an inch to the side. That was all it took for Fry to see his face fully, and she realized that he was staring back at her. She met his gaze dead-on and for some insane reason, couldn't bring herself to look away.
This guy has DANGEROUS written all over him , she thought to herself, somewhat awed.
THIS prisoner certainly looked like he belonged in maximum security. He was a massive man with a shaved head and bronzed complexion. She noticed that his tan regulation overalls were unbuttoned down to his waist, as Fry's eyes drifted to the beads of moisture that glistened on his smooth, wide chest. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal strong, muscled arms. This man is ripped, she thought absently. She quickly brought her eyes back up to his face and found that he continued to hold his gaze.
"Look away," a small part of her brain commanded her. But another part, certainly the stronger part, said, "But this guy has the most mesmerizing pair of brown eyes this side of the univer…"
"Fry!!"
Her head jerked back like she was snapped out of a hypnotic trance. The captain must have called her more than once because he had a concerned yet suspicious look on his face. Without looking back at the cell or the man in it, Fry jogged to where the captain and Delaney were standing.
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Riddick couldn't believe he let the woman catch him staring at her like that. That was certainly NOT part of the plan. To look away quickly would have been too obvious, he felt. Besides, that wasn't his style. So he just held his gaze; and he wasn't disappointed. Not at all. For as long as he could remember, people looked at him with either fear or distrust. But this woman…there was no censure in his eyes; she had regarded him simply with open curiosity. Sure she had looked frightened at first, but she had quickly regained her composure and had stared back at him almost defiantly. The way she looked into his eyes…it was like she was peering into his soul. And as difficult as it was for Riddick to admit, he hadn't minded that at all. Fact of the matter was, he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers even if he wanted to.
Riddick tilted his head to the side, as if trying to recall something.
Now what did he say her name was? , he thought.
Fry, he remembered. Lt. Carolyn Fry.
"Carolyn Fry," he said to the empty cell, feeling the way her name rolled off his tongue. Riddick allowed himself a small smile before moving back into the shadows.
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"Okay, Chief. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? What have you got for us?", Gallagher asked him.
"Well," the warden said, flipping open his record book. "You've got yourself a handful this time…"
"What happened to YOU?," Delaney murmured to Fry as soon as she rejoined them, while Harris rambled on. He noticed that Fry was flushed and short of breath.
"Oh, nothing." she replied hurriedly, turning her attention to Harris, pretending to be engrossed with whatever he was saying. Delaney gave her a suspicious look before doing the same.
"…so let me introduce you to the lucky bastards," Harris said.
Fry swore she heard Delaney gulp.
"Hey," she murmured, nudging him. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he muttered. "I'm perfect." He wiped at his brow for what could possibly be the hundredth time before turning his back on her. Fry just shrugged and walked towards where the Capt. and the warden were. They were standing beside a cell and Harris was enumerating the history of offenses of a certain convict named Mick Towne.
"…raped two old ladies back at the Astarte Zone and molested more than 8 kids in The Valkyries-Explorer."
Fry peered over the captain's shoulder to get a glimpse of the man. He had a gaunt face and long stringy black hair that reached to his chin. His overalls were loose around his gangly body, and his arms were long and bony. Not the best looking guy this side of the solar system, that was for sure. When he caught Fry looking at him from behind the captain, he grinned lasciviously and gave her a wink. She cringed when she saw that all his teeth were gold-plated.
The warden led them 2 cells down from the serial rapist. In this next cell, they found the prisoner lying on his bunk. He was on his back and his eyes were closed. His hands folded behind his head and his legs were crossed at the ankles.
"And over here," Harris said, gesturing to the "sleeping" man, "is Prisoner PT1834. Colter Hyde, master thief. You remember that high-security vault at the…"
Fry tuned Harris out and looked at the man in the cell more closely. She had to admit the man intrigued her. He didn't look like your average run-of-the-mill convict. Actually, he didn't look like a convict at all. Carolyn thought he could even be quite attractive, not that he was her type really. He had sandy brown hair that was parted in the middle, reaching almost to his ears, and thick long eyelashes. High cheekbones emphasized the patrician look of his features. Carolyn had to suppress a smile when Gallagher glanced at her reproachfully.
The warden, meanwhile, held onto the bars and rattled them.
"Ready for your big move?" he taunted Hyde.
Without opening his eyes, Hyde raised his right fist in the air and flipped them all the bird. Harris dismissed the gesture with a wave of his hand. He turned to the crew and clapped his hands together, a glint in his eye.
"And last, but most certainly never the least, there's Prisoner GF3106. Follow me."
Without another word, he turned away and started walking down the corridor. Delaney and Fry looked at each other quizzically, wondering what the mysterious introduction was all about, before following the warden. Captain Gallagher, however, had been nonchalant the whole time; like nothing he had been shown ever since they arrived impressed or surprised him. Fry's eyes widened once she realized whose cell Harris was headed.
"No way," she whispered.
When Harris indeed stopped in front of the cell where she saw THAT man, the man partly hidden in the shadows, a rush of sensations surged through Fry. She felt apprehensive, embarrassed and excited all at the same time. She was honestly surprised at how strong her reactions were, especially since they were towards someone she didn't even know.
"Now THIS guy you gotta keep your eye on," Harris said. "Richard B. Riddick. MURDERER." He said it dramatically, as if expecting that last word to strike terror in their hearts. It seemed to do just that for Delaney, seeing as how he took a few step backwards to put some distance between him and the cell. Fry, in the meantime, found herself straining her ears to catch his name.
So I'm curious, so what?, she thought defensively.
Up until then, Fry had looked everywhere else except directly at Riddick, but she couldn't help herself. She darted a quick glance at him and was relieved to find that he was silently looking at the Captain. She had to wonder if he was doing the same thing, avoiding eye contact with her. He was half-lying down on his bunk, leaning back onto his big arms, which were propped behind him for support. For someone who was about to be sent to the Slam, he looked too damn comfortable, she observed. While Harris rambled on, he kept silent. The Captain, however, was not the least bit interested. For him, Riddick was cargo he had to unload. He turned to the warden.
"Alright, Harris, if that's all, my crew and I will go ahead and prep the ship. We expect these prisoners chained and ready to be loaded in 15 minutes by the docking ramp," he informed him, all business and no nonsense.
Once Gallagher spoke, Fry automatically shifted her attention to him and listened attentively. Unbeknownst to her, the very second she averted her eyes from Riddick and onto the Captain, Riddick had swung his gaze onto her.
"Of course, Captain," Harris replied, then looked over his shoulder and signaled to one of the prison guards. The prison guard nodded and spoke into his radio. Seconds later, an alarm rang and the doors to Section G slid open. Fry and Delaney swung around and saw a team of what she assumed to be special guards assigned to escort the prisoners to be transported. They wore what looked something like riot gear; complete with mask, pads, armor and gauge. They positioned themselves in a neat formation, waiting for Harris' instructions.
Delaney let out a low whistle. Fry didn't know what it was, but something compelled her to look back at Riddick. He seemed to be looking at the special squad with mostly disinterest and mild amusement. He, in the meantime, noticed Fry looking back at him, and saw her wearing an anxious and troubled expression. She quickly looked away and strode to the Captain's side, who was bent over a desk signing some papers Harris was handing him.
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Riddick frowned, wondering if he had read her face right. Was she actually worried FOR him, he asked himself incredulously. No, that couldn't be right, he reasoned out. Then what was…
His attention was quickly brought back to the matter at hand, when the door to his cell slid open. He looked up to see an armed and heavily armored special guard looming over him.
"It's time," he told Riddick.
to be continued...
I've started on the 3rd chapter already, but finishing it is proving to be not so easy a feat. So, wish me luck!
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