Chapter six

Riddick wandered from side to side in a daze rubbing his shoulders on the bulkheads as he made his way to the command deck. He sat in the command chair and entered some coordinates; they were headed he'd decided, to Solaris Prime.

Imam sat with Karla on the floor of the med bay. A long silence had drifted over them like a blanket yet it offered no comfort or protection.

"When my sons were taken" Imam began "I had emptiness inside of me that I could not comprehend. I could not put a name to what I felt. I did not want to sleep for fear of dreaming of them and I did not want to wake when I slept because the dreams were so real they were still alive and I knew that were I to wake I would feel the devastation of loosing them all over again" he let out a heavy sigh. "I wish I could take your pain Karla Dawn. You mourn your home world as you should, but do not let it consume you, do not let yourself be driven by hate and revenge, they are the devils play things. You are strong child and no matter how much you despise your father you have some of him in you."
"That's what I'm afraid of Imam" she whispered.

"Just because someone body says its true does not mean it has to be so" he offered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's nothing that says you have to be like your father just because he's your father. This is news that has just been given to you after twenty five years of living your life your way, don't let him change that and you've won half the battle."

Karla raised her head and nodded.

"Where do I go Imam?" she asked in a whispered breath "I have nothing to fight for now."

Imam put his hand against her heart "Fight for what's in here Karla as for where to go…the universe is your playground my dear, go play."

Karla sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "I think you were a fantastic father Imam; I only wish you were given the chance to see it through to fulfilment."

She didn't need to see to know that he was smiling down at her.

He helped her to stand and guided her to a bed ordering her to rest.

"You need your strength Karla." He insisted.

"Will you stay?" she asked "just until I'm asleep"

She heard him pull up a chair as she lay down sinking into the comfort and warmth of the bed. Imam began to gently hum a song from New Mecca, he remembered using it to ease the nightmares and troubles of his youngest child.

Karla allowed herself to be swept away with the notes of his song. The gentle melody fell over her and soaked through her skin to touch her heart. Soon, exhaustion took over and she fell into a deep sleep.

Imam pulled a sheet over her sleeping form before leaving her to rest. He found Riddick in the galley satisfying his hunger.

"Karla is…resting" he said.

There was a long pause as Riddick finished his drink of Aldarhan ale.

"Riddick, I said.."
"I heard you the first time" Riddick answered. "I was just thinking." He set his glass down and pushed his chair back to put both his feet up in the table and cradle his head in his hands. "If it came to it, who would you choose me or her?"

"Choose?" Imam questioned.

"Yeah, who would you choose?"

Imam shrugged "I can't say that I've given the matter much thought. Why?"

"Do you like her?"

"She has a wonderful spirit"

"That aint what I asked"

"Yes I do like her, she has many layers." Imam sat by the Furian trying to gauge his mood. "Do you…like her?"

Riddick allowed a smile to play across his face; something Imam had rarely if ever witnessed in earnest.

"I thought that was obvious" he replied.

"You mock me sir" Imam huffed "What is obvious to me is that you choose violence over peace, hate over love. I'm not even sure you understand the concept of like or love. You treat her worse than you would a diseased animal and yet you fear her presence, why is that?"

"Without hate there can be no love holy man, without violence there is no peace.."
"Without woman there is no man" Imam quipped sitting proudly thinking he had got one over on Riddick.

Riddick shrugged "Do you know what I do with women Imam? Let me fill in the blanks. I use women for pleasure, I abuse their trust and when I'm through with them I leave and don't look back. I can be an animal with them they don't give a shit, they crave the beast in me and who am I to argue?"

"That is not you using them sir, it is them using you. Has Karla ever used you in that way?"

"No"

"So, she is different. Do you find it amusing or is it that she has you feeling frustrated?"

"She doesn't work like the others."

Imam threw his head back and howled with hearty laughter. "She is not a toy Riddick; one cannot merely flip a switch to turn her on or off. She has a complex nature instilled in her since birth."

"Now who is mocking whom?" Riddick argued a look of fury flashed across face, the holy man was making fun of his honesty. "I am an animal Imam whether they ask it of me or not. I am the epitome of darkness and they welcome it."

"But there eyes are always closed and their souls already tainted by that same ugliness that you bestow upon them!" Imam banged his fist on the table making Riddick jump at his sudden outburst, this was not like Imam, not at all. "Without night there can be no day Riddick." Imam finished staring into the Furians deep pools of silver

"Meaning?" he demanded, his temper growing shorter by the second.

"Meaning that Karla is the day to your night and that is what you're afraid of, that is why you push her away, that is why you fight with her and eventually it will be the reason you will loose her. Larendaron will keep coming each time harder and faster than the last so, Furian, the question is really who would you choose Karla or me?"

Riddick rubbed his bottom lip with the index finger of his right hand.

"I hope we never have to find out." Was all he had to offer in answer to the holy mans question.

Imam paused for a moment. "Where are we heading?" he glanced out the window watching the bright stars fly past.

"Solaris Prime" Riddick muttered.

"Solaris Prime!" Imam repeated unsure that he had heard correctly. "Why would you wish to drag us to that god forsaken hell hole?"

"I have contacts there Imam. We can lay low for a coupla days, we need to rest and I need to get laid."

Imam had long since ceased to be shocked by Riddicks attitude. He frequently escorted young ladies home after an evening of entertainment at chez Riddick. They were all similar in style and grace, no manners, no names, they didn't speak much and they did whatever he wanted them to and so they were like robots, compliant drones employed to satisfy his animal urge.

"There's one other reason Imam." Riddicks expression changed from stone to vulnerable, he was unsure, not certain of this other reason and so Imam gestured for him to continue.

"I know a guy who can give Karla her sight back, repair her eyes."

"That is wonderful Riddick, does she know? Have you approached her? I'm sure she would be only too…"

"Wait" Riddick help up his hand signalling Imam for be silent. "That's not all of it" Riddick sucked in a deep breath and stared at an imaginary blemish on the table. "She'll need her eyes shined" he looked up and stared into Imams eyes "like mine"

Imam sat back in his chair and thought carefully over what information he had just been handed.

"You have to speak with her."

Riddick's eyebrows raised in doubt, "She hates me Imam; why the hell would she trust me or want to become like me?"

"Having shined eyes does not make you like anybody, you would share a rare element of course; and besides you know how she feels about being blind, it's frustrating and makes her feel vulnerable and…well…blind. Speak with her Riddick, she does not hate you, of course you have not helped matters but she would fall on her sword for you surely you know that and so your point about trust is obsolete. And don't give me anymore of that bullshit about "not for you", why the hell not for you Riddick? There are larger monsters in this universe than you so stop being such an asshole and speak with her…nicely."

Riddick was shocked by Imams outburst, first banging tables and now this verbal assault.

"You're changing old man" he smiled "Keep it up and you'll be a bad ass just like me"

"There are not enough moons in my lifetime left that will permit me to do such." Imam chuckled "but I have to admit putting you in your place every once in a while feels rather exhilarating."

Karla stirred knowing that someone was in the room watching her. Whomever it was sat to her right on a chair less than three feet away from the bed on which she rested. The person smelled of sweat and blood and as she roused from her dreaming she found the smell mildly arousing, it reminded her of the battles she had fought and won, the strength she had felt, the pride at being lifted by her comrades through the tunnels in slam, paraded like a warmonger. And then the more she stirred the more familiar the stench became and a knot tied tight in her stomach.

"You alright?" the deep rumbling voice asked.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked

"A day give or take" the voice replied. "You alright?" it repeated.

"Yeah, I guess." She replied. "How long have you been here?"

"A while…five, six hours maybe"

"Doing what?"

"Watching you"

"Watching me?"

"Watching over you kitten. Making sure you didn't get any more dumb ideas into that thick head of yours about ending your life prematurely."

"I thought you would have welcomed the opportunity to help Riddick" she spat his name.

"Then you don't know me"

"Don't I?" she scoffed "Don't fucking talk to me, you don't come near me, don't touch me, don't even look in my direction. You do and I'll ghost you before you can say Daddy." She quoted him perfectly making him wince inwardly.

"I was in shock Karla."
"Yeah, how did it feel Riddick, cuz let me tell you whatever was goin' on in that head of your, multiply it by a million and you might be half way to where I was at."

"I'm sorry" Damn, a small word that took such a lot of strength to say.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to find out that the one thing you despise, the one thing you hate, the one thing you wish dead, was half of yourself."

"I'm sorry" he repeated softly.

"He took everything I had Riddick I don't even have a father now because of him. All this time in slam all the beatings the floggings the humiliation in the name of entertainment everything I am I owe to him, I hate him, now I find that I am part him."

"Damn it Karla how many time do you want me to say I'm sorry?"

"I don't know barbarian why don't you say it the fuck again."

Her words stung him like he never thought possible. When she spat the word barbarian at him he was crushed, is that how she saw him? Of course it was, he mocked himself inwardly; and after his behaviour who could blame her. But that was who he was and if she couldn't accept it he argued, then she can dump her own ass out the air lock or on the next hunk of rock they pass. But he didn't want that, the little time she had spent on the ship had already made a huge impact even if he wasn't prepared to admit it outwardly yet.

He rose slowly unsure about what he was going to do. When he saw her struggling to maintain her composure he reached down with a hand gently lifting her face to his. She flinched and he gripped her gently showing her not to be scared of him. He leaned down to her ear and whispered "I'm sorry he hurt you Karla. I'm sorry I hurt you" he placed a soft kiss on her dampened cheek before releasing her from his grip.

Taking his seat again he wondered what she was thinking. She sat on the bed unmoving, her eyes open, he wondered if when she felt his lips against her skin if she had kept her eyes open or was Imam right, did all the women close their eyes? Not that it mattered much, she was in perpetual darkness.

"We're heading to Solaris Prime" he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh" she answered "and what's on Solaris Prime?"

"Not a great deal, unless you know here to look" he sounded almost arrogant in his reply.

"And, I take it you do" she stated flatly.

"I have some contacts there; we can lay low, rest up a bit." He left out the part about getting himself laid deliberately. "There's this guy I know." He paused, they should he shouldn't he debate taking an equal stance over each shoulder depicted as the angel and devil respectively.

"And" she prompted and the angel shot the devil across Riddicks back.

"He can fix your eyes" he said the words quickly.

"What?" she asked "It sounded as though you said he could fix my eyes"

There was a brief silence.

"Riddick?" she asked thinking he had disappeared.

"You heard right, he can fix it so you can see again"

He had never see a smile so fucking brilliant. If he had a heart it was that that had just leapt into his throat.

"I thought I would be blind forever" she said allowing several delinquent tears to roam her cheeks. "I thought this was it" she couldn't stop smiling. "Why would you do this for me?"

"There's more" he continued. "It would mean that your eyes would be different, they would look different…they would be like mine." He waited for her reaction.

Her expression was difficult to read and if there was one thing Riddick was good at it was reading expressions.

"You would do this…for me?" she asked just to double check over everything that he had said.

"If you want it, it's yours" he replied.

"And I'd be able to see again?"

"Yeah."

She held out her hand and he took it, she squeezed it tightly and he could feel her trembling.

"Thank you" she whispered.

Imam weighed their options, they were headed for Solaris Prime whether he wanted to go or not and if there was one place Imam never wanted to see again it was the very planet they were racing towards.

Solaris Prime was a sprawling metropolis of beggars, thieves, pirates and murderers not to mention diseased vagrants exiled from their home world.

On the outside Imam was the picture of peace. On T2 when his children were mutilated and dumped to fester in the heat he remained calm. To the others it seemed as natural as taking a piss but to Imam it had taken years of practise and meditation. There was a time, years ago, when Imam was a very different man and he went by a different name. To look at him now you could not draw the comparison between cold blooded killer and pilgrim and yet as a killer, he was driven by an insatiable compulsion to cause hurt and harm.

Solaris Prime held many memories for Imam and he wondered if his demons still lurked in the shadows awaiting his return eagerly.

His stomach churned and turned over, his mouth salivated at the prospect of returning home, returning where the enemy was born and killed, he wondered if it would rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Could he stop it, would he stop it, should he stop it? He could be free, free of his constraints, sever the ties that had him bound to sanity, married to compliance.

"And we're here because?" Karla asked as Riddick sat her down at a table in the galley.

"You've hardly eaten a thing, you're skinny and wouldn't last ten seconds in a fist fight. If we're going to Solaris Prime you need to eat, build your strength, you will need it" she wasn't sure if his tone was meant to be friendly or to sound like a warning. Which ever way she looked at it, she was starving and he was right, she was weak and pathetic and she didn't want to rely on him any more than she had to, she had to know that in a fight she could hold her own because you just never know who it is you're fighting; one day it's mercs, the next Laren then Riddick she had fought them all some better than others. Being blind made her feel vulnerable enough she didn't need to feel like a wimp.

"Okay just, go easy on me alright? I remember what happened the last time" she was referring to her vomiting episode. Years of eating grey sludge and now being able to have her pick of any delicacy from the entire universe…where should she start? Again she was stuck; the tales she had heard on planet slam left her bewildered, just what was a hot dog? And what was the point of iced tea? And if it was from long Island why was that better? All of these questions made her feel like a child.

She remembered the drink she had on Mara and wracked her brains trying to remember what it was called.

"Riddick, can I have a Tharmolean Twist?"

"I see you've been out with the Holy man" Riddick smirked standing by the food replicator and requesting her beverage of choice.

"Looks fuckin' weird to me" he passed it to her while waiting for his ale to materialise.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked

She shrugged and he tutted at her.

"Hey, been stuck in slam eating grey shit for twenty years. I have no idea of what to have except apples and, while they're very nice, they don't fill me up."

Riddick smiled a new concept for him over the last few days but he was beginning to like how it felt on occasion.

"Okay, strawberry cheesecake" he said to the machine which promptly made the usual whirring, buzzing noises.

Karla inhaled deeply the sweet smell as the dessert was placed in front of her.

Riddick pushed a fork under her hand which she eagerly picked up. Since she couldn't see she missed the cake with her fork several times before Riddick took it from her. He stuck the fork into the dessert and hoisted up a huge piece.

"Open" he ordered.

She opened her mouth a little.

"Wider" he demanded.

Puzzled as to what she was about to have placed in her mouth she complied and opened her mouth wider.

The sensation was amazing. Her eyes closed as she slowly, methodically worked the piece of sweet food around the most sensitive parts of her mouth.

"MMmmmmmm" the base of her throat vibrated as she made content noises.

Riddick took a piece for himself and stuck the fork in again before guiding her hand to the protruding end of the fork.

"That was divine; damn I never tasted anything so good."

Riddick took her hand and guided it to the handle of the fork.

"More?" she asked lifting the fork to her mouth. Her eyes closed before the cake had even touched her lips, the anticipation was so great. She licked her lips setting the fork to one side. She didn't want to swallow, wasn't ready for the sensation to end. Riddick watched her intently growing increasingly aroused by her innocence. He'd had plenty of women, more than he could remember and they had all been well versed in the art of pleasing their male companion but Karla, Karla was different. She was well versed in agony and torture and what he saw on her face right at this moment was pure unadulterated ecstasy. He wondered if she would ever look that way towards him then as soon as the thought entered his head he pushed it as far away as he could and filed it under the "You've got to be fuckin stupid" heading. Nevertheless, she had no warning of his embrace it was sudden yet gentle. Leaning forward as she set the fork back down on the table he found her lips with his. He just wanted to see how cheesecake tasted on her lips, in her mouth, on her tongue but she forbade him entry pulling away.

He reluctantly sat back down in his chair and watched as Karla felt for the fork with one hand and the cake with the other. Scooping a forkful she touched his shoulder, followed his muscles up to his neck and then to his face until she rested on his lips, she had her vanishing point, her point to aim at. Slowly she brought the fork to his lips.

"Open" she whispered.

Unsure and unarmed he obeyed and she guided the fork laden with sweet pleasure into his waiting mouth. She traced his closed lips with her thumb while setting the fork down on the table. Her head followed the line of her arm to his face and leaned close to where her thumb nestled to find his lips with hers.

Riddick snaked a hand up her back to the back of her head gently pulling her head forward closer to his mouth wanting to, needing to taste her. Karla responded by licking his bottom lip with her tongue. Riddick grasped a fistful of hair and pulled her head back trailing stolen kissed down her throat to the bass of her neck, feeling her moan there he returned to her mouth, the source of his pleasure.

His mouth was open for her to explore, she did so tentatively stroking the roof of his mouth with her tongue tasting their shared sweetness. Karla reached up with one hand and grabbed onto his arm tightly as though he were the last thing between her and a chasm of fire.

She pulled away and felt for her drink shooting the liquid down her throat in one go.

"I'm sorry" she said slowly. "I shouldn't have done that."

Riddick stuffed more food into his mouth.

"Did you want to?" he asked.

Karla shrugged "All my life I have never kissed any man because I wanted to, men in slam took and kept taking whether I wanted to or not."

"What about now? You're not in slam anymore"

"Aren't I?" she countered. "The location may have moved but I am still not free Furian."

"Are we ever any of us really free?" he spoke aloud although it was more a spoken thought than a question. "We are, all of us, bound by the mistakes of our forefathers. I am condemned to a life of running from crimes I had no choice in committing."

"You are what you are Riddick" she said flatly "I am what I am and that includes being part Larendaron, what does your future hold for me? Answer me please Riddick because right now I see only death and destruction and fresh wounds of past hurt. Laren used the weapon on my home world; he will use it on yours unless we deal him the same hand he has dealt on others."

"My point exactly Karla; you would kill your own father and in so doing become just like him."

"He may have helped in my conception Riddick, that's just biology, he may have dragged me from my home to slam but that's just geography I am Seleka of Aldarha unique, individual and now the last of my kind. Rather than destroy, I would pay homage to my people, my forefathers by exterminating this miscreation."

Riddick considered her words for a moment.

"What does it mean, Seleka?" he asked.

"Gentle Spirit" she replied.

Riddick fetched two more drinks.

"I'll never be free" Riddick whispered.

"I think you will be, one day; you just have no faith" Karla answered offering him a smile. "The question is - do you want to be?"

He didn't answer, he wasn't sure. His life and all the ugliness that ensued was all he knew and for a time he thought it was all he would ever know. Now she was telling him he had a choice and suddenly he wasn't sure. Could he turn off his predatory instinct, deny his animal side, bury the mental anguish? Or would he go insane trying.

"I'm tired" he said flatly rising from his chair. "You be alright here?"

Karla nodded.

Riddick went straight to his room and sat on the edge of his bed, his hands shook slightly, and the beast was restless. Slowly stripping off his clothes he stepped into a scalding hot shower lifting his head to the water he opened his mouth, allowed some water to enter before spitting it out. He turned and allowed the water to run down his spine, he sucked in a breath as the water burned across his wound. Blood pooled at his feet as the bandage absorbed water. He lifted both hands to his head, in one hand he held his shiv, and slowly he began to scrape the stubble skin. Setting the shiv aside he ran his hands over his head feeling for imperfections, there were none. His hands moved expertly down to his shoulders crossing at his chest, he rubbed at his skin washing the grease and dried blood, one hand moved across his chest and over each breast flipping the nipple ring in his left nipple. Damn he had an itch that needed scratching. He exhaled heavily as a shiver ran down his spine. He turned the water off and grabbed a towel wrapping it around his waist before stepping of the shower.

He lay on his bed and drifted in and out of light sleep resting his head in his hands and enjoying the feel of cotton sheets on his naked back.

Imam found Karla tucking into the rest of the cheesecake.

"There's a dish from my home world. I think you'd like it" he said. Leaning over the replicator he ordered. "Menash" he said.

A peculiar aroma filled the room, sweet and yet an underlying something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Please, try it." Imam said setting the dish in front of her.

"What is it?" she asked inhaling the aroma deeply.

"It's a hot dish of spiced vegetables, lots of goodness in it; it will help you in your recovery."

Karla gingerly found the dish with one hand while lifting the fork with the other. Opening her mouth she placed a small amount of food on her tongue. The taste was immediately sweet and her fear of the unknown lessened, but then an odd sensation overwhelmed her mouth, her tongue felt like it was on fire. Quickly she spat out the food and reached for her drink swallowing it down. She gasped putting a hand around her throat and sticking her tongue out. Imam laughed and passed her another drink which once more she downed in one.

"What the fuck was that?" she asked.

Imam laughed even louder. "I'm sorry Karla. I forgot to mention that to the untrained palette this dish could seem a little spicy."

"Spicy" she repeated "You call that spicy, damn I call that a full on blow torch in my mouth damn it Imam."

Eventually she stopped gasping for air and relaxed in her chair. The food, although spicy, was delicious and she ate the dish slowly taking sips of her drink in between mouthfuls.

"I kissed him" she said breaking the silence.

"Kissed who, Riddick?" Imam sounded surprised.

Karla nodded "Yeah, I dunno what came over me, one minute he's feeding me this sweet thing and the next I couldn't help myself."

She heard Imam chuckle.

"Don't laugh at me Imam, it's not fair. I feel like such an infant, a dumb fuckin' stupid kid and you're not helping".

"I'm sorry Karla but in some ways you are very much a child but in other very much a woman, a beautiful one at that." He confessed to her gently allowing his feelings to be finally known. She felt his hand on hers and paused.

"Did you like kissing him?"

"I'm not sure; it felt strange, like it wasn't me"

"Sweet foods can do that to a person especially when they're not accustomed to it. In some worlds there is a food that can take away pain; it's called the Moldassa root. The world where that food came from was called Earth, on Earth they had this food called sugar, a lot of it can arouse the senses, all of the senses Karla, even the sense of desire."

"Imam stop!" she felt her cheeks flush red and warm.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about" Imam whispered. "You have a lot to learn. But the most important thing to remember is that you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"You're a good man Imam" she reached up and touched his face offering him a gentle smile before slowly standing. "I think I'd like to go to my room" she told him.

Imam felt very alone sitting in the galley by himself. Karla never left his thoughts, she was beautiful, strong and vibrant, her spirit had been stifled in slam but he could see it resurfacing and watched as she opened herself to new experiences.

Throughout the ship an alarm rang, the lights dimmed and the ship jolted hard to part sending Riddick flying out of bed. Karla fell through an open doorway into the engine room and was tossed against the far bulkhead. Imam grasped the doorframe of the galley and pulled himself along to the command deck. The screen showed why the ship had suddenly jolted, it was caught in the gravitational pull of a worm hole. The brilliant silver blue tunnel spread out before the ship. The ship was on a tilt leaning into the pull allowing the worm hole to slowly suck it into it's mouth.

Riddick pulled on a pair of pants and ran to the command deck.

"Imam!" he yelled.

"Wormhole Riddick" Imam yelled back.

"Shit" Riddick spat strapping himself into the command chair lifting the piloting controls towards him.

Parts of the ships ceiling split and fell around them, wires hung dangerously sparking and misfiring. Karla was trapped in the engine room by a spider web of loose live wires. She reached out a hand to plot a way through but every time she was fought back by burning heat and wires touching her skin sending shocks down her body.

She backed up to the bulkhead pushing herself as far as she could hearing the wires buzz and spit by her face and arms.

Riddick took the manual controls and tried to pilot the ship but the computer would not disengage.

"I can't get control Imam, what's happening?"

Imam looked quickly down at his panel and pressed a few buttons "The computer system is malfunctioning, trying to override" he pressed more buttons frantically as the ship tilted even further. Imam strapped himself down to his seat so that he wouldn't tumble out.

Karla felt her palms slipping against the slick surface of the bulkhead, her body was sliding.

The ship was being pulled further into the worm hole; it was getting almost too late to recover.

"No way" Riddick said through gritted teeth "there is no way I'm gonna get eaten by a wormhole" he wrestled with the controls.

Imams hands flew over the control her was trying everything he could to override the computer so that Riddick could take control.

"Imam!" Riddick yelled knowing that time was growing shirt "Imam!"

"What?" Imam yelled back.

"I need the controls, NOW!"

With a few more key pressed the light on Imams panel switched from red to green

"Go!" he yelled at Riddick.

The ship jolted upright as Riddick took control of the ship, Pulling hard to starboard the ship groaned in a battle between forces, the worm hole was pulling left, Riddick was pulling right. Imam felt sure the ship would simply break in half. It groaned louder and more support beams fell clattering to the floor, more wires broke free and spat at the floor. But then with one last push Riddick steered the ship out of danger. Sweat poured from his forehead and he slumped back in his chair heaving a huge sigh before surveying the damage to the command deck.

"Imam, system check" Riddick ordered.

"Environmental system is off line, life support is hanging on secondary power. Primary power has been severed. No hull breaches."

"Where's Karla?" he asked

"She left the galley to retire for the night."

Riddick rose from his chair. "I want a full diagnostic Imam, I wanna know why the computer stuttered."

Imam nodded.

"I'm going to make sure Karla is alright".

Riddick wandered the corridor kicking debris out of the way as he walked.

"Hold together baby, we're almost there" he touched the side of the ship and spoke softly. He lowered is goggles over his eyes as the sparks from the cables hurt them. Pausing he tilted his head to the side feeling sure he'd heard a voice.

"Hello!" It was Karlas voice he heard calling from engineering. "Imam, Riddick, hello!" she called again.

Picking his way carefully through the myriad of live wires he went into the engine room.

"Karla!" he called above the din of the hissing wires.

"Over here" she raised her hand and waved.

"Don't move" Riddick ordered.

"Yeah, got that already" she answered.

Riddick moved the wires being careful to touch only the casing not the live parts until he reached her position. He touched her arm.

"I'm here" he said "Now, grab my hand and don't let go, stay close, I mean real close." She moved close to him and felt his hand reach around to her butt with a pull he pulled her even closer so that her hips were touching his butt.

"Now is not the time to be shy kitten" he said sarcastically.

"Just get me outta here Riddick you prick."

"You didn't say please" he mocked.

Nearby a live wire touched her calf sending a shock through their bodies.

"Okay okay, please get me outta here?"

She felt him move and she followed, he occasionally stopped to pull her closer. Eventually they were out of the engine room.

Karla slapped his arm hard "Don't ever fuck with me like that again." She yelled clearly pissed at him.

"We're you scared kitten?" he mocked

Karla bowed her head "Just don't do it again" she whispered.

"Sometimes you are just no fun" he smiled at her knowing how intimidating he could be.

"Fun" she scoffed not lifting her head. "It was fun for Larendaron when he used electro shock therapy to get me to conform. A real blast Riddick thanks for reminding me." She began to stumble away but he grabbed her by her right arm and pulled her back. Although he knew she was blind and couldn't see, he lifted her face up so he could see her features. Then in the softest of voices he whispered "I'm sorry" before brushing his lips against hers. He pushed her against the bulkhead before blocking her in with an arm placed strategically either side of her. Her breathing quickened; her hands and arms felt awkward so she hooked her thumbs into the belt hooks of her pants. She lowered her head again; Riddick followed her with his eyes noting the slight burn marks on her collar bone and bare shoulders.

"One day, you'll be able to forget what he did to you" Riddick offered. "I will serve his still beating heart to you while he watches from a bloody grave. I'll do anything you ask Karla; just don't, ever, walk away from me again."

Karla was stunned; this was surely madness pouring from the lips of this animal. Riddick, the one she knew, could not be tender, or gentle, or considerate. The Riddick she knew was violent and selfish and demanding.

"You're delusional friend" she whispered.

"Why?"

"I know you Riddick, I know you and the animal you keep under lock and key until that is you decide to let it loose. Don't talk to me about walking away, I was never with you to." Tough words that she knew she didn't mean, she said them as a means of protection not knowing if Riddick was playing with her or not, not knowing if this was part of some twisted little game to get her to fold on him. Christ, she figured he'd been in space for several days he's bound to be getting a little sexually frustrated, men like him, monsters like him don't neglect the animal instinct to procreate, it is a means of survival. Karlas stomach churned at the thought of how many hundreds of mini Dicks would be roaming the universe. Sincerity was not in his vocabulary, couldn't possibly be.

"You think you know me" Riddick countered.

"Ha!" Karla laughed aloud "You don't think I know you, I've been recipient to the Riddick charm since I was brought onboard. And if you ask me, the whole bad ass routine is getting a little boring."

"Really?" he questioned

"Yeah, really" she responded.

"Interesting" he whispered lowering his head to her right ear and sticking his tongue out to lick her lobe.

"Don't….do….that" she stammered.

"Mmmm why?" he asked sucking the side of her neck, leaving his mark on her.

Karla felt her head tilt backwards resting on the bulkhead. "Because I like it too much" she replied in little more that a hushed whisper feeling her face grow warmer the harder he sucked her skin.

Riddick sucked a little harder causing her to moan aloud. Pleased that he had achieved the desired response he pulled away admiring the purple mark he had left on her neck.

"I marked you, you belong to me now" he said in a low rumbling voice.

"I belong to no one Riddick, least of all you" she replied.

With that she felt her way under his arm blockade and along the wall to her room and entered.

Riddick pounded the bulkhead with the palm of his right hand. Damn it, he was trying really hard to be nice, he thought. Bullshit, the angel, appeared on his shoulder and hollered in his ear, you don't have to try and be nice around her Riddick all you have to do is let go and allow yourself, allow your heart to feel. Letting go was something Riddick was never fond of; it usually meant that he'd turned psycho and all rational thought had fled sprinting for the hills to hide.

He stomped back to the command deck, Imam thought to ask if he was alright but seeing his facial expression was one of wishing to exert pain on others he decided to remain quiet.

"Is the diagnostic finished?" Riddick asked slumping in his chair.

"Almost, but so far there is no reason why the computer failed to release the autopilot. If I might offer a suggestion?" he asked pausing waiting for the reply.

Riddick grunted and offered a brief nod.

"The radiation from the sun may have temporarily damaged external censors. We saw the worm hole but the computer did not, it was, in effect, blinded."

Riddick threw up his hands "Well everything seems to be following that trend now doesn't it Imam" Riddicks question was rhetorical. "First our guest and now the fuckin ship is blind Halleluiah!" Riddicks sarcasm was overstated and didn't impress Imam who simply exhaled loudly to express his discontent and turned around to watch the view screen.

Karla closed the door to her room then turned and rested heavily against it.

Riddick, she couldn't get him out of her head, the way he spoke, the way his hips felt as the pressed lightly against hers, his lips how soft they felt and how sweet his mouth tasted. Earlier in the galley she had kissed him because it was the right thing, she thought, to do. It was expected, she thought, for her to copy him regardless of whether she wanted to or not and at that point she truly was blind in every sense except smell. He had his own aroma and she found it intoxicating;

Feeling the power in his arms as he barricaded her against the bulkhead, the strength in his lips as they pulled the flimsy flesh at her neck, and the thrill of knowing that he had marked her. She touched the spot on her neck lightly; it felt tender and slightly raised. A smile crossed her lips as she clasped her hand over the mark as she remembered his words "You're mine". Never had she wanted to be owned by a man as much as she wanted to be owned by him. To this man she could give freely herself and everything that followed. She could not let her hand tip early though, she was still unsure about his motives; still so uncertain about his moods and mannerisms she wanted to be sure that when she gave herself to him, he would reciprocate in kind.

She lay on her bed allowing the blanket to swallow her. For the first time since she had arrived on this ship she began to feel warm. Loneliness was a cold harsh reality and in her world prior to her escape, the cold was welcomed for if you felt the cold you were still alive, if you were still alive there was still hope.

Allowing sleep to take a gentle hold on her weary body she slipped into a peaceful slumber.

Riddick worked to secure the spitting wires that dangled throughout the ship, Imam completed the full diagnostic on all of the computer systems. The environmental controls were still off line and pretty soon the ship would be as cold as if they were in space. The controls would freeze and they would freeze to death slowly and painfully.

"How long until we reach Solaris Prime?" Imam asked.

"We get there when we get there" Riddick answered his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, if we don't get there in under five hours you might wish to make peace with your soul." Imam muttered forgetting that with Riddicks heightened senses he could pick out every word.

"Meaning?" he demanded.

"I cannot bring the environmental controls back on line. If we don't land soon the internal atmosphere will be as cold as if we were out there" he pointed to the screen which displayed the vast inky black coldness of space.

"I guess we got a whole five hours to work on it" Riddick shrugged and answered calmly.

Imam threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

Karla woke from her nap aware that someone was in her room.

"You know Riddick your approach isn't entirely original" she offered proud that she had managed not to display her shock.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked.

Karla inhaled through her nose noisily "Mmmm let me see, you sweat like a pig, smell like a troll and breathe like a Farmacian Barceval with a cold."

"Farmacian Barceval?" Riddick asked.

"Yeah y'know big, hairy, four legs, huge mouth lotsa teeth." She paused. "What's wrong?"

"Imam wondered if you knew anything about environmental controls" he asked not really sure why he was doing the holy mans bidding regardless of the fact that it allowed him to gain access to her room.

"Injection systems I know, I could disassemble your engine and reassemble it with one hand tied behind my back, environmentals I don't know. If I had my eyes I could maybe figure something out."

"We don't have that long" Riddick butted in.

"How long do we have?" she asked allowing her voice to betray the anxiety she was feeling.

"Not that long" he replied.

"How long Riddick?" she was beginning to panic, she knew what would happen if the environmental controls failed.

"Imam estimated five hours, that was about an hour ago." Riddick spoke calmly with no sense of urgency even though he felt it.

"How far to Solaris Prime?" she asked with a hint of dread in her voice, dread that Solaris Prime was still too far away.

"Eleven hours" he replied.

Her fears were confirmed "That's not close enough" she whispered, lowering her head.

"Are you sure Karla?"

She nodded "I'm positive. If Imam is right we're looking at being dead in nine hours less if we're not careful. Life support is tied into the environmental controls Riddick, we'll freeze or suffocate."

She heard Riddick leave, followed his heavy footfalls with her ears until he was out of earshot. Stunned she couldn't believe they had travelled this far and overcome so many obstacles and now they were destined to spend eternity with a hulking metal bucket of bolts for a floating tomb. It was not going to happen, she had the rest of her life to live and she intended to live it.

"Imam if we don't come up with something and soon we're all fucking dead!" she followed Riddicks bellowing voice through the corridor.

"Would you get up off your fuckin' knees and quit praying!" he yelled. She heard a scuffle.

"Now, Holy man you stay at that fucking computer and do not move until you have us a solution to this fucked up problem. I am not going to die on this ship do you hear me!"

Karla felt the door frame and leaned against it.

"No point getting worked up Riddick" she said calmly "don't waste you energy."

"Waste my energy!" he yelled at her "I'm the only one here doing anything to save our asses!" she could feel him near her and shrank back into the door frame, she recognised the voice, the beast was raging and he was loosing the battle to suppress it.

"I only meant that.."

"I know what you meant you fucking waste of space."

"Riddick" Imam said in a warning tone.

"No Imam she is a waste of space, she can't fuckin' see, what use is she to us answer me that? None. She's here using up vital oxygen depleting our resources we don't need this shit, we don't need her shit." He grabbed her by the shoulders, she gasped as the shock and sudden pain, his grip was rough, unrelenting. She could feel herself being dragged backwards through the ship.

"W..w..Riddick what are you doing?" she yelled as he dragged her through he ship.

"What I should have done a long time ago – dump your pathetic sorry ass out the air lock."

"What? NO!" she yelled and began to struggle with his grip. "No! I won't let you do it." He tossed her against a bulkhead, her head snapped back, he pressed his hands to her shoulders and pushed her back into the bulkhead.

"You don't gotta say, my ship, my rules." His voice was cold, harsh, if it were a blade it could have cut her to the bone.

"Wanna know what I think, huh Riddick!" she yelled in panic "I think you're a pussy." She nodded her head slowly. "Why dump me out the air lock when you could kill me right here?" she had angered the beast. "C'mon pussy, shiv me" she pulled her shirt down at the neck exposing the whole of her neck "C'mon pussy boy, right here"

She heard the lean sliding sound of metal against metal as he slowly unsheathed his shiv.

She nodded agreement "Yeah c'mon Riddick, do it" her tone was almost taunting the beast, tapping the glass of the caged animal was never a good idea. She paused to catch her breath.

"Kill me and you're a dead man walking" she managed before the shiv pressed against her throat. She closed her eyes not wanting him to see the fear she could feel in them. She waited for the fatal slice that would end her life unsure of whether she would welcome it or not.

The shiv held steady against her skin.

"What did you say" he growled in her ear.

"If you kill me, you might as well sign your own death certificate. I came to the command deck to help you. I have an idea."

"Go on" he rumbled.

"Get that fucking thing away from my neck first"

Riddick thought hard, was she lying, trapping him waiting for him to make a mistake?

She already told him that she knew nothing about environmental controls. Could he trust her?

Keeping a firm hold on her neck with one hand he sheathed his shiv.

"Now" he ordered "You talk."