Disclaimer: Pitch Black is owned by other people. I don't make no
money off of it. And I don't have any anyway. So NYA.
The Life of Death By Shaianne K. PeriHawk
Part One
She walked down the darkened metallic halls, heart in her throat. Five years. Her footsteps echoed hollowly, in her head, and the halls. The dim light was typical for a Company-run space station. They were too cheap to fully light the place. It had been five long years since she'd seen him. She wasn't happy about the circumstances of the reunion either.
She glanced over to the miniature Amazon walking beside her. A long blond braid swished near her hips as she walked. Black armor encased her from shoulder to foot, clinging to her curves protectively. She carried a helmet under one arm. Wearing the full armor, she could be thrown into space and survive as long as it took her to break back into whatever ship had spaced her. She could use any one of the plasma weapons on her body. Or she could just hook her suit up to the computer and hack the airlock open. She was a professional. The woman truly was frightening. If Johns and she had been face to face, all bets would have gone to her getting Riddick first.
They stopped in front of a heavily armored door, with triple titanium locks. Looked like they were taking no chances with Riddick. He'd been at large for nearly five years with no one the wiser. The Company would be apologizing to Central Worlds for the next century because of that little flub. The Amazon turned to her companion.
"You ready for this, Jack?" Her voice was low and husky, rather warming, if she hadn't had that plasma pistol in her hand. Just a subtle reminder that they didn't know what Riddick was capable of, after all these years. The merc wasn't one to take any chances.
Jacqueline Richards, at least that was the name she was known by now, ran a sweaty hand through her short brown curls. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." Walking into a darkened room still gave her chills, even after all these years. "And, Aislin, thanks for getting them to let me see him first."
The mercenary woman smiled up at Jack. It was startling to see a grin in such a normally stony face. It was more likely to see those teeth bared to rip your throat out. "I've been tracking that man for nearly a year now, kid. I've seen the changes in him, and it started the moment he returned from that planet you guys found. From what you've told me, he's been to hell. He's earned his redemption. I'm happy to give him that chance." She winked.
Jack shook her head with a grin. "You're a rare breed, Aislin."
She actually laughed then. "Kid, you're the one who made it off that planet, I just shot another merc with a tranq gun." She pulled a chain out of her metal mesh shirt and moved to open the door. She stepped aside to let Jack enter.
Jack swallowed heavily and stepped slowly into the room. It was an audience cell. Normally they just moved prisoners in here for an interview. They dared not try to transport Riddick from cell to cell while he was conscious. Aislin wouldn't let them keep him drugged.
The cell was three by four meters, with a set of titanium bars one meter in the long way. Visitors were advised to stick to the back wall, even though the bars were charged with an electric shock. Riddick paced freely in the main cell, he froze when the door opened, careful to stay out of the light.
There was something familiar about the woman who stepped into the cell. Surprisingly, she let the door close behind her. Most people were uncomfortable in the dark with him. She didn't try to look at him, merely stared into the dark. Her hair, it seemed dark to him, brushed her shoulders in curls. She had a pixie-like features. She seemed almost too thin, but full of whipcord muscle, like she worked too hard.
She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants nervously. The gesture seemed familiar to Riddick, and with that thought, pain flashed through his mind. Carolyn Fry. That thought led him to another.
Jack. It was Jack standing there in front of him. He almost smiled, until his eyes re-focused on the bars between them. So, she was part of this. He felt betrayed somehow. Strange, since they hadn't spoken since they divided his bounty those five years ago.
"I suppose you wonder what I'm doing here," she said faintly.
A corner of his mouth quirked up. "The thought had occurred to me."
Jack crossed her arm over her chest and leaned back against the wall. "This wasn't my idea. It's not something I would ever want to do. I still have nightmares, you know."
Riddick pulled his aluminum chair close to the bars and sat down, resting his arms on the back. "Is this about T2?"
Jack rubbed a hand over the back of her neck. "Yeah. They want us to go back. Now."
Riddick snorted. "There ain't no fuckin' way, Jack. What do they have on you? Why are you even talking to me about this?"
She sighed heavily. "The price was right. They're not threatening me. They're offering me a reprieve." She lowered her head. "On top of the six hundred thousand credits, they've offered to get my step-father off my trail. For good. I won't have to hide anymore."
Riddick smiled ironically. "And how am I supposed to spend those creds in the Slam?"
Jack looked up, straight at the point where his voice originated. "That's just it, Riddick. They want this so bad, they'll give you a full pardon. No questions asked, and they never want to hear from you again."
"What makes you think Central Worlds will agree to something that crazy?" Riddick couldn't help the increase in his heart rate. Was that hope?
"Central Worlds stamped the contract. All they're waiting for is your signature." Jack spread her hands in front of her. "Seeing it is the only reason I agreed to talk to you."
"Why do they want us back there?" He voiced his final suspicion. What on that planet could entice the company to its barren surface?
Jack cleared her throat. "You're not going to believe me. Lights, full dim." She ordered the overhead lights to a soft glow; all Riddick would need to read the data-pad she had in her hand. She held it out, careful not to touch the bars.
She waited until he looked back up at her, total disbelief in his silver- blue eyes. She nodded. "They say there's life on the planet. Not just life, a forest more lush than the old-Earth rainforests. No shit involved. I've met the scientists who first made the scans."
The gears started turning in Riddick's head. Could he go back to that place? He had changed there, even he realized it. Could he face who he used to be? Could he face the person he was? Could he face the memory of the woman who had given him that second chance at the cost of her own life?
It was his curiosity that really scared him. He wanted to know how a planet of death could become a planet of life in five short years. It took the Company twenty years to Terraform new worlds, and that was AFTER they established an oxygen atmosphere. But still, he felt fear. Fear of the known. Fear of himself. The hand holding the data-pad shook, until he regained control over it. He stared back up at Jack.
"So?" she asked expectantly. "Is it worth the full pardon and the credits?"
End Chapter One
The Life of Death By Shaianne K. PeriHawk
Part One
She walked down the darkened metallic halls, heart in her throat. Five years. Her footsteps echoed hollowly, in her head, and the halls. The dim light was typical for a Company-run space station. They were too cheap to fully light the place. It had been five long years since she'd seen him. She wasn't happy about the circumstances of the reunion either.
She glanced over to the miniature Amazon walking beside her. A long blond braid swished near her hips as she walked. Black armor encased her from shoulder to foot, clinging to her curves protectively. She carried a helmet under one arm. Wearing the full armor, she could be thrown into space and survive as long as it took her to break back into whatever ship had spaced her. She could use any one of the plasma weapons on her body. Or she could just hook her suit up to the computer and hack the airlock open. She was a professional. The woman truly was frightening. If Johns and she had been face to face, all bets would have gone to her getting Riddick first.
They stopped in front of a heavily armored door, with triple titanium locks. Looked like they were taking no chances with Riddick. He'd been at large for nearly five years with no one the wiser. The Company would be apologizing to Central Worlds for the next century because of that little flub. The Amazon turned to her companion.
"You ready for this, Jack?" Her voice was low and husky, rather warming, if she hadn't had that plasma pistol in her hand. Just a subtle reminder that they didn't know what Riddick was capable of, after all these years. The merc wasn't one to take any chances.
Jacqueline Richards, at least that was the name she was known by now, ran a sweaty hand through her short brown curls. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." Walking into a darkened room still gave her chills, even after all these years. "And, Aislin, thanks for getting them to let me see him first."
The mercenary woman smiled up at Jack. It was startling to see a grin in such a normally stony face. It was more likely to see those teeth bared to rip your throat out. "I've been tracking that man for nearly a year now, kid. I've seen the changes in him, and it started the moment he returned from that planet you guys found. From what you've told me, he's been to hell. He's earned his redemption. I'm happy to give him that chance." She winked.
Jack shook her head with a grin. "You're a rare breed, Aislin."
She actually laughed then. "Kid, you're the one who made it off that planet, I just shot another merc with a tranq gun." She pulled a chain out of her metal mesh shirt and moved to open the door. She stepped aside to let Jack enter.
Jack swallowed heavily and stepped slowly into the room. It was an audience cell. Normally they just moved prisoners in here for an interview. They dared not try to transport Riddick from cell to cell while he was conscious. Aislin wouldn't let them keep him drugged.
The cell was three by four meters, with a set of titanium bars one meter in the long way. Visitors were advised to stick to the back wall, even though the bars were charged with an electric shock. Riddick paced freely in the main cell, he froze when the door opened, careful to stay out of the light.
There was something familiar about the woman who stepped into the cell. Surprisingly, she let the door close behind her. Most people were uncomfortable in the dark with him. She didn't try to look at him, merely stared into the dark. Her hair, it seemed dark to him, brushed her shoulders in curls. She had a pixie-like features. She seemed almost too thin, but full of whipcord muscle, like she worked too hard.
She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants nervously. The gesture seemed familiar to Riddick, and with that thought, pain flashed through his mind. Carolyn Fry. That thought led him to another.
Jack. It was Jack standing there in front of him. He almost smiled, until his eyes re-focused on the bars between them. So, she was part of this. He felt betrayed somehow. Strange, since they hadn't spoken since they divided his bounty those five years ago.
"I suppose you wonder what I'm doing here," she said faintly.
A corner of his mouth quirked up. "The thought had occurred to me."
Jack crossed her arm over her chest and leaned back against the wall. "This wasn't my idea. It's not something I would ever want to do. I still have nightmares, you know."
Riddick pulled his aluminum chair close to the bars and sat down, resting his arms on the back. "Is this about T2?"
Jack rubbed a hand over the back of her neck. "Yeah. They want us to go back. Now."
Riddick snorted. "There ain't no fuckin' way, Jack. What do they have on you? Why are you even talking to me about this?"
She sighed heavily. "The price was right. They're not threatening me. They're offering me a reprieve." She lowered her head. "On top of the six hundred thousand credits, they've offered to get my step-father off my trail. For good. I won't have to hide anymore."
Riddick smiled ironically. "And how am I supposed to spend those creds in the Slam?"
Jack looked up, straight at the point where his voice originated. "That's just it, Riddick. They want this so bad, they'll give you a full pardon. No questions asked, and they never want to hear from you again."
"What makes you think Central Worlds will agree to something that crazy?" Riddick couldn't help the increase in his heart rate. Was that hope?
"Central Worlds stamped the contract. All they're waiting for is your signature." Jack spread her hands in front of her. "Seeing it is the only reason I agreed to talk to you."
"Why do they want us back there?" He voiced his final suspicion. What on that planet could entice the company to its barren surface?
Jack cleared her throat. "You're not going to believe me. Lights, full dim." She ordered the overhead lights to a soft glow; all Riddick would need to read the data-pad she had in her hand. She held it out, careful not to touch the bars.
She waited until he looked back up at her, total disbelief in his silver- blue eyes. She nodded. "They say there's life on the planet. Not just life, a forest more lush than the old-Earth rainforests. No shit involved. I've met the scientists who first made the scans."
The gears started turning in Riddick's head. Could he go back to that place? He had changed there, even he realized it. Could he face who he used to be? Could he face the person he was? Could he face the memory of the woman who had given him that second chance at the cost of her own life?
It was his curiosity that really scared him. He wanted to know how a planet of death could become a planet of life in five short years. It took the Company twenty years to Terraform new worlds, and that was AFTER they established an oxygen atmosphere. But still, he felt fear. Fear of the known. Fear of himself. The hand holding the data-pad shook, until he regained control over it. He stared back up at Jack.
"So?" she asked expectantly. "Is it worth the full pardon and the credits?"
End Chapter One