Disclaimer: I own no part of Farscape or its characters.
Setting: Anything up to and including Season 4.
Author's note: Just because Farscape has taken a "temporary" hiatus doesn't mean our imaginations have to go on hiatus as well.
John, Rygel and D'Argo had been off of Moya for two solar days flying what John called a recon mission. Since Scorpius was aboard when they obtained the last map from the traders, they all thought it best to seek out other traders and obtain new maps. Now that John had managed to shut down the Scarrans path to Earth, it would be a matter of time before Scorpy began tracking them again, so John believed. He wasn't taking any chances especially now with the life inside of Aeryn growing.
He wanted to find a safe haven for his family, if such a thing existed.
Rygel: Where the yotz is Moya? She was supposed to be here, wasn't she?
D'Argo: Will you shut the frell up!
John: Go to your happy place, Dee. (Turning toward Rygel.) Look Sparky, we are all tired of sharing this little space and breathing the same stale air. Pilot's last transmission said that they had to change the rendezvous point because of some readings Moya had on her long range scan. We will reach them soon. So do us all a favor and give it a rest.
Rygel: I am hungry. I haven't eaten in 12 arns.
John: We are all hungry Sparky. You are starting to look like a cheeseburger but you don't hear me complaining.
Rygel: You don't have three stomachs.
D'Argo: Shut up both of you!
D'Argo tried the coms again.
D'Argo: Pilot, we have reached the optimal point for communication. Can you read me?
There was silence for 10 microts.
Stark: We hear you.
John: Stark?
Stark: Yes, Crichton. We are sending you the coordinates to our destination.
D'Argo: Where is Pilot?
Pilot: I am here Captain D'Argo.
John: Is there a problem Pilot?
Pilot: There was a slight problem in Moya's neural cluster but Aeryn and Chiana are working on it.
John: Aeryn?
There was no answer.
D'Argo: What is the problem with the coms?
Again there was no answer.
Rygel: What the frell is going on?
John: Pilot? Pilot?!
D'Argo: Lola has received Moya's coordinates.
John: My spidey sense is tingling.
As Lola approached Moya, D'Argo again tried to raise Pilot on the coms. For a couple of microts there was silence. John was sitting forward in his seat.
Aeryn: D'Argo, its Aeryn.
John: Aeryn! Is everything okay?
Aeryn: It is fine now. We lost all coms for a while. Moya's systems need some rewiring. There are parts of her that still haven't healed well from the Scarran attack. Chiana and I are patching as many systems as we can.
Rygel: May be you have done more harm than good.
John looked back at him.
John: We will be there in 60 microts to help.
Aeryn: The only door Pilot could open is docking bay 5 with so many systems offline.
D'Argo: Got it.
D'Argo landed Lola. Chiana met them in the docking bay.
Chiana: Hey fellas. What is the word on the maps?
D'Argo: We have gotten some information on traders who may be interested in doing business with us. They are at least eight days travel from here.
John: Chi, where is Aeryn?
Chiana: She is in the den with Pilot helping to reroute systems to give him more control until Moya's rewiring is done.
John: Thanks.
John hurried out.
Rygel: I am going to find sustenance. Let me know when we have made contact with the traders.
D'Argo: So how are Moya and Pilot?
Chiana: Pilot still has some blind spots but Aeryn and Stark are working on that. We are trying to do as much manually as we can to give her a chance to save her strength.
D'Argo: We better get to command and do what we can.
******** Aeryn was standing by the far wall in the neural cluster. She was waiting while Pilot ran a systems check on some wiring she just completed. There were DRDs milling around in the cluster helping with the rewiring.
John walked in the den. Stark was sitting on the side of the console babbling as usual.
John: Pilot?
Pilot: Welcome back Commander.
John: Thanks. How are you and Moya doing?
Pilot: Better thanks to Aeryn.
Stark: And me. And me. And me.
Pilot sighed.
Pilot: And Stark.
John: Where is Aeryn?
Pilot: She is in the neural cluster.
John climbed down the stairs below Pilot's den. Aeryn was talking to the DRDs. She didn't notice John. He stood there for a moment just staring at her profile. Her usually flat stomach had a gentle roundness to it. Every time he thought about how close he came to losing them to the Scarrans and that neutralizer ray, he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
John: Hey.
She looked over. A sweet smile came to her face.
Aeryn: Hey.
He walked toward her.
John: How is it going?
Aeryn: Slowly.
He laid his hand on her back. They greeted each other with a kiss.
John: Need a hand.
Aeryn: I'll take two.
John: Where do you want me?
She grinned and bit her lower lip. He smiled.
John: Hold that thought.
She pointed to the panel on the other wall.
Aeryn: The DRDs are doing what they can but that panel is going to need substantial rewiring.
John: I will get started.
John bent down at her feet and got a couple of tools out of the box. When he stood up he laid his hand on her stomach.
John: How is Shorty?
Aeryn: Sleeping finally.
He smiled at her and headed over to the panel.
Aeryn: Frell.
John: What?
Aeryn: Pilot, do you know what this is?
Pilot: Moya is.
Before he could finish his sentence a panel in the neural cluster exploded. John was thrown head first into the panel he was working on and knocked out.
D'Argo: Pilot, what the hezzamana was that?
Pilot: There was a surge of energy in the neural cluster. I cannot get a response from Officer Sun and Commander Crichton.
D'Argo and Chiana left command on a full run. They entered the den. Stark was sitting beside Pilot with his hands covering his face screaming. Rygel flew in behind Noranti.
Rygel: Shut the frell up Stark!
Chiana: Pilot anything from Aeryn or John?
Pilot: No. The DRDs are not responding either.
D'Argo went down the stairs with Chiana and Noranti. The cluster was filled with smoke. Sparks were coming out of one of the panels. Chiana spotted John first.
Chiana: Over there.
D'Argo went to him.
D'Argo: John?
John lifted his head.
D'Argo: Are you okay?
John: What the hell happened?
D'Argo: Energy surge.
It took Crichton's mind a microt to clear.
John: Oh god, Aeryn. Aeryn was by the cluster when it.
D'Argo looked around while helping John. John's eyes couldn't focus through the smoke and sparks.
John: Aeryn!
He sat up quickly. The room was spinning.
John: Aeryn!
Noranti was kneeling beside a pile of debris.
Noranti: She is here.
D'Argo helped John get to his feet. They moved over to Aeryn. They carefully removed the debris off of her. She was in a fetal position with her arms wrapped around her mid section in a protective manner. John touched her cheek.
John: Aeryn?
She didn't respond.
John: Honey, can you hear me?
Her eyes popped open. She started coughing.
Aeryn: John. What happened?
She started to uncoil her body.
John: You don't remember?
Aeryn: I detected an anomaly in the circuits and then.
She thought for a microt.
Aeryn: Nothing.
John: It was an energy surge.
Aeryn: Is Moya all right?
John: Let D'Argo and the others worry about Moya. We need to make sure you and the baby are all right.
She saw the trickle of blood on his temple.
Aeryn: Are you okay?
John: Let's just concentrate on you two right now.
D'Argo: We should get her to the med chamber and do a scan to make sure there is no damage.
Chiana: Can you move?
Aeryn moved her arms and legs gingerly.
Aeryn: I think so.
John and D'Argo helped her to her feet. They took the long way out of the neural cluster so she didn't have to climb the stairs. John carried Aeryn a majority of the way.
Chiana got the scanner revved up.
Chiana: Ready.
D'Argo: Do you know what you are doing with that?
Chiana: I should. Zhann used it on me often enough.
John reached for it.
John: If you don't mind.
She handed it to him. Aeryn laid back on the table. John started at her head and worked his way down. He knew her legs were okay because she did manage to stand and walk with little assistance. When he got to her midsection all eyes were on the image that appeared.
John: (speaking just above a whisper) Oh god. Look at that. It is Shorty.
D'Argo: Sometimes you forget that something so tiny is actually another person.
Chiana moved closer to the image.
Chiana: Wow. Hey, what is that? Multiple arms like Pilot.
She pointed to what appeared to be another appendage. John smiled.
John: No, two arms, two legs and one.(His voice cracked with emotion.) Shorty is a boy.
He looked down at Aeryn. She had a smile on her face. She laid her hand on top of his.
Noranti: He looks fine.
John: Yes he does.
Everyone was just staring at the image. Rygel's voice came over the coms.
Rygel: Captain, Pilot says that he has made contact with the traders. We are making arrangements for a rendezvous.
D'Argo: I am on my way.
D'Argo looked at Aeryn. She nodded. He headed for command. Chiana was mesmerized by the image of the baby. She turned back toward Aeryn. She was staring at her belly.
Chiana: May I?
Aeryn nodded.
Chiana laid her hand on Aeryn's stomach and looked back at the image of the baby. She saw the baby's fingers move slightly then she felt pressure against her hand. The baby had moved his foot. She smiled and looked at John.
John: His way of saying hello.
D'Argo: (voice over the coms) We will be meeting up with the traders in two arns.
John turned off the scanner and looked down at Aeryn.
John: I want you to rest for a while.
Aeryn: I feel fine. A little sore but otherwise.
She sat up slowly. He supported her.
John: Aeryn, you will rest in here or in our chambers but you are going to rest for a while.
She saw the look in his eyes and knew there was no need to argue.
Aeryn: I choose chambers.
John: Chiana, I will meet you in command after I get Aeryn settled in.
Chiana: Okay.
She scurried out. John turned toward Noranti and nodded at her. She blew dust into Aeryn's face. Aeryn looked at John with a dazed look in her eyes. He scooped her up into his arms.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead softly.
John: Come on little mommy. Junior needs some rest and so do you.
Setting: Anything up to and including Season 4.
Author's note: Just because Farscape has taken a "temporary" hiatus doesn't mean our imaginations have to go on hiatus as well.
John, Rygel and D'Argo had been off of Moya for two solar days flying what John called a recon mission. Since Scorpius was aboard when they obtained the last map from the traders, they all thought it best to seek out other traders and obtain new maps. Now that John had managed to shut down the Scarrans path to Earth, it would be a matter of time before Scorpy began tracking them again, so John believed. He wasn't taking any chances especially now with the life inside of Aeryn growing.
He wanted to find a safe haven for his family, if such a thing existed.
Rygel: Where the yotz is Moya? She was supposed to be here, wasn't she?
D'Argo: Will you shut the frell up!
John: Go to your happy place, Dee. (Turning toward Rygel.) Look Sparky, we are all tired of sharing this little space and breathing the same stale air. Pilot's last transmission said that they had to change the rendezvous point because of some readings Moya had on her long range scan. We will reach them soon. So do us all a favor and give it a rest.
Rygel: I am hungry. I haven't eaten in 12 arns.
John: We are all hungry Sparky. You are starting to look like a cheeseburger but you don't hear me complaining.
Rygel: You don't have three stomachs.
D'Argo: Shut up both of you!
D'Argo tried the coms again.
D'Argo: Pilot, we have reached the optimal point for communication. Can you read me?
There was silence for 10 microts.
Stark: We hear you.
John: Stark?
Stark: Yes, Crichton. We are sending you the coordinates to our destination.
D'Argo: Where is Pilot?
Pilot: I am here Captain D'Argo.
John: Is there a problem Pilot?
Pilot: There was a slight problem in Moya's neural cluster but Aeryn and Chiana are working on it.
John: Aeryn?
There was no answer.
D'Argo: What is the problem with the coms?
Again there was no answer.
Rygel: What the frell is going on?
John: Pilot? Pilot?!
D'Argo: Lola has received Moya's coordinates.
John: My spidey sense is tingling.
As Lola approached Moya, D'Argo again tried to raise Pilot on the coms. For a couple of microts there was silence. John was sitting forward in his seat.
Aeryn: D'Argo, its Aeryn.
John: Aeryn! Is everything okay?
Aeryn: It is fine now. We lost all coms for a while. Moya's systems need some rewiring. There are parts of her that still haven't healed well from the Scarran attack. Chiana and I are patching as many systems as we can.
Rygel: May be you have done more harm than good.
John looked back at him.
John: We will be there in 60 microts to help.
Aeryn: The only door Pilot could open is docking bay 5 with so many systems offline.
D'Argo: Got it.
D'Argo landed Lola. Chiana met them in the docking bay.
Chiana: Hey fellas. What is the word on the maps?
D'Argo: We have gotten some information on traders who may be interested in doing business with us. They are at least eight days travel from here.
John: Chi, where is Aeryn?
Chiana: She is in the den with Pilot helping to reroute systems to give him more control until Moya's rewiring is done.
John: Thanks.
John hurried out.
Rygel: I am going to find sustenance. Let me know when we have made contact with the traders.
D'Argo: So how are Moya and Pilot?
Chiana: Pilot still has some blind spots but Aeryn and Stark are working on that. We are trying to do as much manually as we can to give her a chance to save her strength.
D'Argo: We better get to command and do what we can.
******** Aeryn was standing by the far wall in the neural cluster. She was waiting while Pilot ran a systems check on some wiring she just completed. There were DRDs milling around in the cluster helping with the rewiring.
John walked in the den. Stark was sitting on the side of the console babbling as usual.
John: Pilot?
Pilot: Welcome back Commander.
John: Thanks. How are you and Moya doing?
Pilot: Better thanks to Aeryn.
Stark: And me. And me. And me.
Pilot sighed.
Pilot: And Stark.
John: Where is Aeryn?
Pilot: She is in the neural cluster.
John climbed down the stairs below Pilot's den. Aeryn was talking to the DRDs. She didn't notice John. He stood there for a moment just staring at her profile. Her usually flat stomach had a gentle roundness to it. Every time he thought about how close he came to losing them to the Scarrans and that neutralizer ray, he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
John: Hey.
She looked over. A sweet smile came to her face.
Aeryn: Hey.
He walked toward her.
John: How is it going?
Aeryn: Slowly.
He laid his hand on her back. They greeted each other with a kiss.
John: Need a hand.
Aeryn: I'll take two.
John: Where do you want me?
She grinned and bit her lower lip. He smiled.
John: Hold that thought.
She pointed to the panel on the other wall.
Aeryn: The DRDs are doing what they can but that panel is going to need substantial rewiring.
John: I will get started.
John bent down at her feet and got a couple of tools out of the box. When he stood up he laid his hand on her stomach.
John: How is Shorty?
Aeryn: Sleeping finally.
He smiled at her and headed over to the panel.
Aeryn: Frell.
John: What?
Aeryn: Pilot, do you know what this is?
Pilot: Moya is.
Before he could finish his sentence a panel in the neural cluster exploded. John was thrown head first into the panel he was working on and knocked out.
D'Argo: Pilot, what the hezzamana was that?
Pilot: There was a surge of energy in the neural cluster. I cannot get a response from Officer Sun and Commander Crichton.
D'Argo and Chiana left command on a full run. They entered the den. Stark was sitting beside Pilot with his hands covering his face screaming. Rygel flew in behind Noranti.
Rygel: Shut the frell up Stark!
Chiana: Pilot anything from Aeryn or John?
Pilot: No. The DRDs are not responding either.
D'Argo went down the stairs with Chiana and Noranti. The cluster was filled with smoke. Sparks were coming out of one of the panels. Chiana spotted John first.
Chiana: Over there.
D'Argo went to him.
D'Argo: John?
John lifted his head.
D'Argo: Are you okay?
John: What the hell happened?
D'Argo: Energy surge.
It took Crichton's mind a microt to clear.
John: Oh god, Aeryn. Aeryn was by the cluster when it.
D'Argo looked around while helping John. John's eyes couldn't focus through the smoke and sparks.
John: Aeryn!
He sat up quickly. The room was spinning.
John: Aeryn!
Noranti was kneeling beside a pile of debris.
Noranti: She is here.
D'Argo helped John get to his feet. They moved over to Aeryn. They carefully removed the debris off of her. She was in a fetal position with her arms wrapped around her mid section in a protective manner. John touched her cheek.
John: Aeryn?
She didn't respond.
John: Honey, can you hear me?
Her eyes popped open. She started coughing.
Aeryn: John. What happened?
She started to uncoil her body.
John: You don't remember?
Aeryn: I detected an anomaly in the circuits and then.
She thought for a microt.
Aeryn: Nothing.
John: It was an energy surge.
Aeryn: Is Moya all right?
John: Let D'Argo and the others worry about Moya. We need to make sure you and the baby are all right.
She saw the trickle of blood on his temple.
Aeryn: Are you okay?
John: Let's just concentrate on you two right now.
D'Argo: We should get her to the med chamber and do a scan to make sure there is no damage.
Chiana: Can you move?
Aeryn moved her arms and legs gingerly.
Aeryn: I think so.
John and D'Argo helped her to her feet. They took the long way out of the neural cluster so she didn't have to climb the stairs. John carried Aeryn a majority of the way.
Chiana got the scanner revved up.
Chiana: Ready.
D'Argo: Do you know what you are doing with that?
Chiana: I should. Zhann used it on me often enough.
John reached for it.
John: If you don't mind.
She handed it to him. Aeryn laid back on the table. John started at her head and worked his way down. He knew her legs were okay because she did manage to stand and walk with little assistance. When he got to her midsection all eyes were on the image that appeared.
John: (speaking just above a whisper) Oh god. Look at that. It is Shorty.
D'Argo: Sometimes you forget that something so tiny is actually another person.
Chiana moved closer to the image.
Chiana: Wow. Hey, what is that? Multiple arms like Pilot.
She pointed to what appeared to be another appendage. John smiled.
John: No, two arms, two legs and one.(His voice cracked with emotion.) Shorty is a boy.
He looked down at Aeryn. She had a smile on her face. She laid her hand on top of his.
Noranti: He looks fine.
John: Yes he does.
Everyone was just staring at the image. Rygel's voice came over the coms.
Rygel: Captain, Pilot says that he has made contact with the traders. We are making arrangements for a rendezvous.
D'Argo: I am on my way.
D'Argo looked at Aeryn. She nodded. He headed for command. Chiana was mesmerized by the image of the baby. She turned back toward Aeryn. She was staring at her belly.
Chiana: May I?
Aeryn nodded.
Chiana laid her hand on Aeryn's stomach and looked back at the image of the baby. She saw the baby's fingers move slightly then she felt pressure against her hand. The baby had moved his foot. She smiled and looked at John.
John: His way of saying hello.
D'Argo: (voice over the coms) We will be meeting up with the traders in two arns.
John turned off the scanner and looked down at Aeryn.
John: I want you to rest for a while.
Aeryn: I feel fine. A little sore but otherwise.
She sat up slowly. He supported her.
John: Aeryn, you will rest in here or in our chambers but you are going to rest for a while.
She saw the look in his eyes and knew there was no need to argue.
Aeryn: I choose chambers.
John: Chiana, I will meet you in command after I get Aeryn settled in.
Chiana: Okay.
She scurried out. John turned toward Noranti and nodded at her. She blew dust into Aeryn's face. Aeryn looked at John with a dazed look in her eyes. He scooped her up into his arms.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead softly.
John: Come on little mommy. Junior needs some rest and so do you.