Ranger Findell stood on the bridge of his white star, staring down at the
planet below, Alpha Pegasi 9, a desolate, lonely planet, rampant with crime
and poverty.
He thought of the people down there, living, dying, or somewhere in between, struggling to make it through each day...no, he mustn't dwell on such things. It saddened him to no end, but he couldn't dwell on things he couldn't change, not now anyways.
Still, this wasn't the worst place in the universe to be, far away from anything else, it was a relatively quiet patrol.
That is, until the communications officer approached him with a bow, and a problem.
"Sir," he said in Minbari, "we are receiving a transmission from the planet below."
"What kind of signal?"
"I am not sure," he answered carefully, "I think it would be best for you to hear the message."
Findell nodded, and sat at the consul to hear the message, which was being repeated over and over. His eyes widened when he heard it...
Anne was loading the syringe with one of the bottles, and shaking her head, muttering, "I don't like it, this is a bad idea."
Lennier rolled up his sleeve and sat down on one of the examination tables. On the one next to him, Pris was still unconscious and strapped down. Her skin was starting to turn a sickly, greyish-green and tough. She was changing into a creature like the one that had attacked them and had been, until recently, a doctor Kynes.
"This maybe our only chance of reaching her," he said.
"Or we could end up losing you in the same way," she pointed out.
"That is definitely a possibility," he said, "however, I feel it is worth the risk. Besides, if I should fail, we have a failsafe," he looked at her pointedly, "you know what to do?"
She nodded nervously, "yeah, I know," and then she looked guilty, "look, I am sorry I got you both into this."
He stared at her for a moment before answering, "There is no need for apology, you did not know of this."
She nodded, and then injected him with the needle. He then lay back and stared at Pris, and then back to the idol sitting between them...
The room was dark, save for a circle of light surrounding him. There was also a slight clicking, all around him, a whispering, a barely audible muttering beyond the range of his hearing.
"Who's there?" he asked loudly.
The whispering became louder briefly, and then softened again quickly. He couldn't discern a language, or anything really.
Then it stopped, there was no sound, nothing. He tried to move his head so he could see anything, but the room was too dark to see much of anything.
He saw it then, a shadow, in the darkness, just beyond his circle of light. He couldn't give it a size or distinct shape, but it was there, hovering near him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
A voice growled in return, "Many things," it whispered. A chill went through Lennier's body as it spoke.
"I am older than old, greater than the pathetic 'First Ones' who denied me and my kind. They feared us, hunted us, and destroyed my brethren. Now I awaken and find that they are gone, they have abandoned their children, gone beyond your reach. Now I will have dominion, I will awaken my surviving family, and we will feed off the lesser races, and be what we were always meant to be...their gods."
It moved closer, hovering inches from Lennier's face, but he still couldn't see it clearly, and was probably the better for it. It's breath was cold and sickly, and when it touched him he felt as if death itself was standing next to him.
"You," it said, touching him with a ghostly hand, sending near convulsions down his spine, "you are interesting. Betrayer."
He couldn't see it, but he could feel that it was grinning.
"I have looked into many minds, full of petty desires and passions. You are different, you have a good mind, one full of knowledge and potential. I could use you."
"No!" Lennier managed to exclaim.
"But I can make everything better, I can give you your old position, by her side, everything the way it was before he came along."
"It's all a lie."
"Isn't everything a lie? What I offer you is a better lie than what you have now. How long before Pris abandons you too? When she's found out what you did, do you really think she will stay? You are a betrayer, you tried to murder someone you owed allegiance to."
The light around him grew, slowly illuminating the other being. It was cloaked in flowing black robes and a large hood, which obscured its face.
"Your betrayal, your guilt, it feeds me, like honey after a long famine. Much sweeter than Pris' distrust and regret, more than that fool Kyne's ambition, and more than the girl's fear."
A hand came from its cloak and wrapped itself around his neck. He felt the warmth drain from his body the second it touched his skin.
It moved closer to him, it's mouth close to his ear, and is whispered, but instead of a cold whisper, it was Pris' voice.
"I know why you came here, you want her free, back whole and free. I am willing to make a trade."
Lennier swallowed hard, his heart was pounding against his ribs. Fear welled up in him, and though he tried to push it back down, he still felt its grip.
It chuckled softly and pulled back, releasing its grip. The cowl had fallen back to reveal Pris' face, her eyes blackened cavernous pits, and her lips curled in a cruel smile.
"Give me your body," it said, still in her voice, "become my servant, and I will let her and the other one go free."
Lennier stared back into its eyes, and felt the fear melt away slowly. He was now determined.
"Agreed," he said.
He thought of the people down there, living, dying, or somewhere in between, struggling to make it through each day...no, he mustn't dwell on such things. It saddened him to no end, but he couldn't dwell on things he couldn't change, not now anyways.
Still, this wasn't the worst place in the universe to be, far away from anything else, it was a relatively quiet patrol.
That is, until the communications officer approached him with a bow, and a problem.
"Sir," he said in Minbari, "we are receiving a transmission from the planet below."
"What kind of signal?"
"I am not sure," he answered carefully, "I think it would be best for you to hear the message."
Findell nodded, and sat at the consul to hear the message, which was being repeated over and over. His eyes widened when he heard it...
Anne was loading the syringe with one of the bottles, and shaking her head, muttering, "I don't like it, this is a bad idea."
Lennier rolled up his sleeve and sat down on one of the examination tables. On the one next to him, Pris was still unconscious and strapped down. Her skin was starting to turn a sickly, greyish-green and tough. She was changing into a creature like the one that had attacked them and had been, until recently, a doctor Kynes.
"This maybe our only chance of reaching her," he said.
"Or we could end up losing you in the same way," she pointed out.
"That is definitely a possibility," he said, "however, I feel it is worth the risk. Besides, if I should fail, we have a failsafe," he looked at her pointedly, "you know what to do?"
She nodded nervously, "yeah, I know," and then she looked guilty, "look, I am sorry I got you both into this."
He stared at her for a moment before answering, "There is no need for apology, you did not know of this."
She nodded, and then injected him with the needle. He then lay back and stared at Pris, and then back to the idol sitting between them...
The room was dark, save for a circle of light surrounding him. There was also a slight clicking, all around him, a whispering, a barely audible muttering beyond the range of his hearing.
"Who's there?" he asked loudly.
The whispering became louder briefly, and then softened again quickly. He couldn't discern a language, or anything really.
Then it stopped, there was no sound, nothing. He tried to move his head so he could see anything, but the room was too dark to see much of anything.
He saw it then, a shadow, in the darkness, just beyond his circle of light. He couldn't give it a size or distinct shape, but it was there, hovering near him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
A voice growled in return, "Many things," it whispered. A chill went through Lennier's body as it spoke.
"I am older than old, greater than the pathetic 'First Ones' who denied me and my kind. They feared us, hunted us, and destroyed my brethren. Now I awaken and find that they are gone, they have abandoned their children, gone beyond your reach. Now I will have dominion, I will awaken my surviving family, and we will feed off the lesser races, and be what we were always meant to be...their gods."
It moved closer, hovering inches from Lennier's face, but he still couldn't see it clearly, and was probably the better for it. It's breath was cold and sickly, and when it touched him he felt as if death itself was standing next to him.
"You," it said, touching him with a ghostly hand, sending near convulsions down his spine, "you are interesting. Betrayer."
He couldn't see it, but he could feel that it was grinning.
"I have looked into many minds, full of petty desires and passions. You are different, you have a good mind, one full of knowledge and potential. I could use you."
"No!" Lennier managed to exclaim.
"But I can make everything better, I can give you your old position, by her side, everything the way it was before he came along."
"It's all a lie."
"Isn't everything a lie? What I offer you is a better lie than what you have now. How long before Pris abandons you too? When she's found out what you did, do you really think she will stay? You are a betrayer, you tried to murder someone you owed allegiance to."
The light around him grew, slowly illuminating the other being. It was cloaked in flowing black robes and a large hood, which obscured its face.
"Your betrayal, your guilt, it feeds me, like honey after a long famine. Much sweeter than Pris' distrust and regret, more than that fool Kyne's ambition, and more than the girl's fear."
A hand came from its cloak and wrapped itself around his neck. He felt the warmth drain from his body the second it touched his skin.
It moved closer to him, it's mouth close to his ear, and is whispered, but instead of a cold whisper, it was Pris' voice.
"I know why you came here, you want her free, back whole and free. I am willing to make a trade."
Lennier swallowed hard, his heart was pounding against his ribs. Fear welled up in him, and though he tried to push it back down, he still felt its grip.
It chuckled softly and pulled back, releasing its grip. The cowl had fallen back to reveal Pris' face, her eyes blackened cavernous pits, and her lips curled in a cruel smile.
"Give me your body," it said, still in her voice, "become my servant, and I will let her and the other one go free."
Lennier stared back into its eyes, and felt the fear melt away slowly. He was now determined.
"Agreed," he said.