Immunity
Warnings: None really. Language. Mild sex. Mild Violence. No Spoilers
Summary: Riddick gets a second chance.
Disclaimers: Don't own any of them. Not getting a penny.
The panel beeped, bringing Ailis O'Neill out of her reverie. It beeped again. Reaching forward to the control panel, she depressed the annoying button. It immediately sprang to life.
"This is Space Station Indigo. Identify yourself."
'Here we go.' "This is Embassador Ailis O'Neill. Id number AO042559547. Request permission to dock." This was always the tedious part. Next would be the thermal scan that they would do of her and her ship to find out exactly how many bodies were on the ship. It didn't hurt, but left an unnatural silence for minutes at a time. Time for her to be shot out of space if someone was so inclined. And someone was. Marcus. Marcus was a merc that she had a very nasty run in with. Not something she wanted to repeat. She shook her head to get that unpleasant thought out of her brain.
The communicator sprang to life again. "Welcome to Space Station Indigo, Embassador O'Neill. After docking, please report to Infirmary for DC." DC being 'disease control.' Everyone reported to the local doc and had their DNA scanned. It was to read whatever nasty creepy crawly you might be carrying. It also served to identify you in case you 'borrowed' an ID number. Ailis didn't have to. Diplomatic immunity was a wonderful thing.
The comm shut off suddenly and Ailis could feel her Undercutter being towed into a docking bay. She only felt the slight bump as her craft was secured to the dock. Ailis liked the Undercutter. Mostly for its speed and maneuverability. She could out run most ships with this beauty. The cloaking devise on board was one she had especially installed. No one was going to find it unless she wanted them to. And as she mostly traveled alone, against the wishes of her peers mind you, she needed speed and stealth.
0o0o0o
Making her way to Infirmary, Ailis didn't fail to notice the cramped walkway. There weren't many people walking around, it was just narrow. And it smelled. Smelled like big, sweaty men. Men who hadn't taken a good shower in weeks, perhaps months. It actually smelled like some prisons she worked in. Ailis grinned, thinking that it was perhaps true.
The door opened for her automatically, reading her presence. Giving a nod to the secretary, she sat down in one of the many, available chairs. Apparently, it was a slow night. Or day. It was hard to guess when you didn't get to see the sun. Her internal clock was saying night. That and the fact that she was tired. She was too damn tired.
The nurse caught her attention and motioned her to come inside the office. It was a painless procedure. Blood was taken and tested. All there was to it. After taking her blood, the nurse, told her to wait until the doctor could come and give her results. DNA reading never took that long. Five minutes at most. Unlike Earth, which took hours, if not days. Laying her head against the wall, Ailis let her eyes close. Boy, she was more tired than she thought.
"Ahem." Ailis didn't respond at first. Oh, she heard the man come in, but, hell, she was tired. "Ahem." Was heard again. 'Damn. Must wake up now.' She lifted her head and looked at the doc.
"Hello, Ailis. What brings you to my neck of space?" Doctor Steven Daus asked.
"Hi, Steven. Just business." Ailis knew Dr. Daus. As an Embassador, she had many an occasion to visit prisons and penal planets. Most of the inmates would try to get out of their lot in life by trying to barter their way out. Or lie. That's when she was called in. Do research on that particular inmate, then decide what the best course of action was. In most cases, the criminal was just that, a criminal.
She met Steven at Tangiers Penal Colony. A nasty sort of place. He had been the resident doc. And that's what he was then, a resident. Right out of school, most new doc's were placed at these facilities to gain experience. Mostly because the older doctors wouldn't be caught dead in places like that. With the fighting and the many diseases they encountered, a new doctor soon learned his job. But, Steven seemed to enjoy it. He had been at Tangiers for five years by the time she met him. She had seen first hand at the repair jobs he had done on many undeserving men. She couldn't quite remember what led them to become friends, they just were.
"You know what I found, didn't you?" He had a look of...disappointment on his handsome face.
"How could you?" Doctor Steven Daus was a few years older than her, 38. He was roughly 5'9" with blonde hair and incredibly light blue eyes. If they had been any lighter, they would blend into the whites. He was the best damn physician she had ever came across out here in space.
Ailis looked him in the eye and snerked. "If you were in my shoes and the occasion presented it's self, would you pass it up?" Goading Steven was one the things she enjoyed doing. Mostly because he gave it back.
"But...but...? Oh, I suppose you're right. I knew it was bound to happen. How long ago?" He sat at a desk and propped his feet up. This was going to be good. He had often wondered how long it would take those two.
"About a month before he was captured by John's." Ailis shrugged her shoulders.
Steven dropped his feet and sat up. This was interesting. "Almost two years ago? How in perdition could that be?" Maybe all the speculation was true. Richard Riddick had finally found his mate.
"I dunno, Steven. I was hoping you could tell me."
Steven thought for a bit. Pinching his chin in thought. Ailis smiled, he always did that while thinking. "After two years, his DNA marker is still in your body. Musta been some night."
"And day, and night, and day. Need I go on?" Ailis was laughing now.
He couldn't help but laugh along with her. She had one of those infectious laughs. It sounded like music. "No. No. I get the point. Must have been something. I'll check it out and get back to you." He sat back in his chair. His look had suddenly gone serious. "You're not here looking for him are you?"
"No. I'm not. I'm looking for someone else. And I have some stuff for Embassador Gaius." Ailis dropped her head. "Besides, I heard about that crash. They say Rid died in that crash." There was a noticeable hint of sadness in her voice.
Steven leaned forward and placed his hand on Ailis' for comfort. "I'm not sure what to say about that. Anyway, who are you looking for? Maybe I can help."
"A Muslim holy man who goes by the name Imam." She pulled a picture out of the briefcase she was carrying. "He was supposed to meet people on Helion Prime, in New Mecca. And didn't show. His family and friends have done everything they can and have exhausted their resources. They asked me to help. So here I am. Asking at every place I stop at."
He took the photo and looked at it. "I'll see what I can do to help." He stood up and so did Ailis. "Tell you what. It's late. Get settled in and take care of your business. We'll meet for coffee tomorrow morning. Around ten. Go get some sleep."
Ailis nodded and gave her friend a hug. He was one of the few friends she had that didn't lecture her on her past 'activities.' And she knew that he was one of the few people that Riddick considered a friend. If she couldn't be with him, she may as well be with his friends. She had to take comfort where she could find it.
0o0o0o
After Ailis left, Dr. Steven Daus immediately punched his comm unit. Finally locating who he was looking for, he waited for the man to respond.
"What do you want Daus? I'm kinda busy here." Came the deep voice of Richard B. Riddick.
"Nice to talk to you too, Riddick. Get your ass over here. I've got something to tell you."
"Can it wait?" He did not sound happy. But then again, he never really sounded happy anymore.
"No. It's important. I'll see you in a few." He closed the connection.
Steven sat back in the chair looking over the results of Ailis' DNA scan. He still couldn't believe what he saw. It shouldn't be. Not after two years. Though he wasn't sure how his friend would take it, he had to let Riddick know she was here. Better to let him know and be prepared, than have it be a surprise. Riddick didn't do well with surprises. Not anymore. He had known there was a connection between the two, but Riddick wasn't talking. Now the cat was out of the bag. And hell, he was going to help his friend. Both of them.
A/N: Forgot I had this. Been nearly a year now. Saw 'Chronicles' last night. If I get a positive response to this, I'll post the rest. So let me know.
