Lexx 502 Butterfly

by ApocalexxNow

Stanley finds himself in the future with his daughter and two other crewmembers on an important mission

Lexx 5

Lexx 5.2 - "Butterfly"
Starring: Brian Downey, Xenia Seeberg, Nigel Bennett, Eva Habermann

Stanley stood on the bridge in boredom. The screen quickly changed images of the different areas of the Little Lexx, it could see, searching for the protein regenerator parts. 790 was on the floor, looking at the screen. Stanley yawned at said to 790:
- I'm going to get some sleep.
- Let me be your pillow, captain! - 790 answered.
- I have a pillow, 790. Keep working. Xev has no time! - Stanley yelled and went in the passage way.
- But I'm bored here! - 790 shouted. Noone heard him. He knit his brows and looked at the screen again. He produced some electronic sounds, meaning he had done something. The screen stopped showing areas of the ship and showed the space. - Sorry, love slut, but you're an obstacle for my love! - 790 said to himself.

Stan went in a misty room with blue walls, as were most of the walls on the Little Lexx. At the centre there was something, looking like a butterfly, lying on the ground. Its wings were opened and showed their many beautiful colours. Where the body of the butterfly should be, there was a bed with brown sheets. Stanley took his boots off and unzipped his red uniform. He lied on his new bed, covered himself with the sheets and closed his eyes.

Xev also lied on her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She was in pain and she felt her cluster lizard part was gaining power, stealing it from her human half. She had tears in her eyes. She started humming "If this should be our final stand" and closed her eyes, to dream about Kai. She was now realising she should had tried harder before. She had lost precious time flirting with losers, when she could had had him. She shouldn't had let him go. She should had gone in the asteroid, and he should live. All was lost now and she just hoped she would die painlessly.

Stan was almost asleep. He turned in his captain bed.

790 still looked at the screen. Suddenly he enlarged his eyes in surprise and horror of what suddenly appeared on the screen. He disappeared. Xev also disappeared, without any movement, still with the tears in her eyes.

Stanley woke up. There was a young girl lying in his bed, right next to him. He knit his brows in disbelief. He rose up to see her face. She was indeed young and beautiful. Stan looked away, trying to remember when did this girl come to his bed. He didn't like what he remembered. He pushed her, to make her wake up, but he actually hit her weakly. He introduced more strength the second time, but it didn't work out at all. He felt weak for some reason. He pushed the girl's shoulder again. She slowly woke up and turned to look him in the eyes. She smiled.
- Good morning – she nicely said.
- Good morning – he answered with uncertainty.
- What's wrong, father? – the girl asked.
- Well, for starters, I don't know who you… - he stopped for a moment, than he jumped out of the bed. For some reason his legs didn't hold him, so he fell.
- Are you alright, Pa? – the girl asked scared.
- Pa?! – Stanley asked, without paying attention to the pain he felt. – Pa?! I'm your Pa?! – he shouted.
- Ray, come here quickly – the girl shouted.
- You are my daughter?! – Stan asked once more, before he fainted away.

Stanley slowly opened his eyes. A 30-40-year-old man was slapping him gently enough not to hurt him, but strong enough to make him wake up. He saw the man and hurried to say:
- Woah, hands down, kid!
- Quickly, Stan, give self control to the Lexx! – the man answered with a loud and worried voice.
- What? Who are you? – Stan kept asking. He felt most of his mind still asleep. He couldn't think clearly.
- There's no time, Stan! Tell the Lexx, that you're giving him self control now!
Stan looked around him. He was sat on a wheel chair and he was placed between the control pedestal and the screen. The ground was shaking again. His daughter stood next to him. She was also worried. She looked him urgently:
- Do, what Ray asked you to, Pa. Please.
Stanley didn't know where he was or what to do, but he decided to trust his daughter.
- Little Lexx, I'm givin' you self control now. Act on your own.
- Thank you, Stan – the ship's voice was heard. It sounded deeper than usual.
The three people on the bridge looked at the screen. There were ships shooting at them. Little Lexx'es spheres opened outside and its blue dots did their job. The girl kissed Stan's cheek.
- You saved us, Pa! – she sad.
- I did? But who are you? – Stan asked.
- Pa? What's wrong with you?
- Nothing's wrong with me, except that my whole body's achin', and I have no idea, who you are!
The man took out something out of his pocket, it looked like a small torch. He pointed it at Stan's eyes and asked:
- Do you know, who you are?
Stan blinked from the light in his eyes and waved his hand to try to push the torch away, but he couldn't even lift it high enough.
- I'm Stanley H. Tweedle, captain of the Le… Little Lexx, the most powerful weapon of destruction in the two u… in the universe.
- Do you know, who I am? – the man asked.
- No! Maybe that's why I asked you, who you are, but I got no answer! – Stan reproached the man.
- I'm Xev, Pa. This is Ray. I'm your daughter, he's your friend. Did you remember now?
- I… remember… but it's too unclear. I… How did you get here?
Xev gave Ray a worried look.
- I don't know – he said. – I'm not a doctor. Perhaps he got some kind of amnesia, when he fell from the bed.
- I don't know – Xev said. – He didn't know, who I was, when we woke up.
- Well, he's old. It's usual for old people to take them time to remember in the morning, when they wake up.
- Hey, I'm not that old! – Stanley offended answered.
Xev looked at him with worry and took a mirror out of her pocket. She gave it to Stan. He looked at his image in the mirror and screamed. He was old indeed. His face was wrinkled and his hands had brown stains. He looked at his daughter again, horrified, and fainted again.

A round spaceship flew through the space. It was flying to a yellow desert planed. Small lakes could be seen shattered chaotically on its surface.
Somewhere on the planet, in a village, a boy stopped on the street. He and all the villagers, walking around, were dressed in brown animal skins, their houses were wooden with straw roofs. The boy rose his hand, pointed at the sky, shouted and ran to one of the houses. The round spaceship flew down from the sky. The boy exited the house, catching an old woman's hand, probably his mother, and led her to a cart. They jumped in it. He took a crop, which was lying in the cart, and hit the horses.
The space ship flew to the centre of the village and froze above it. It's middle opened a circle, which spread green light and coloured the village's centre in green. People were running with no directions, they just wanted to be as far away from the light, as they could. Suddenly grey dots came out of the circle. They flew slowly to the ground and set themselves into the form of three grey humanoid aliens with blue suits and weapons in their hands. One of them aimed at the closest person and shot him. His weapon produced a green laser, which burned the man's back. He fell dead on the ground. The other two aliens too found themselves targets and they began killing everyone they met in the village. As soon as they moved out of the light, other three aliens appeared. The villagers ran around in panic, the aliens continued shooting, without any intentions to stop or have mercy on the doomed people.

Once again Stanley opened his eyes. He was lying on his butterfly bed and his daughter was mopping his face with a wet cold towel.
- I… - he tried to say.
- Shh – daughter-Xev calmed him. – Don't speak. Save your strength. Oh, father, why did you have to get sick right now… - she sadly asked.
- I'm not sick. I just don't know, what's happening – he silently said. He couldn't speak louder.
- I'm Xev, Pa. Your daughter. We're here in space with a mission.
- But you don't look like Xev at all!
- It's me, Pa, Xev, your vision is blurry.
- No, no, no, I'll take you to Xev. You are not her – he put all his strength in getting up. – Push the wheel chair a little closer, would ya?
- No, father, you are weak! You have to rest! We can't afford losing you.
Stanley stretched his hand, reached the wheel chair and pulled it closer to the butterfly bed. He put a lot of efforts to sit in it, but he managed to do it.
- Yeah, I'll show you, who Xev is, and she'll explain me everything – he said. He imagined, that after meeting his friend from the Cluster, everything would be normal again. He tried to move the wheels with his arms, but he was too weak. – Push me to where I tell you, could ya? – he asked as nicely as his voice allowed him.
- Fine, father, but then you're going back to your bed! – the girl unwillingly agreed.
- Whatever, push me ahead.

A man was lying on Xev's bed. There were shelves on the wall with various weapons on them. The daughter-Xev pushed Stan's chair into the room. The man looked surprised at them.
- Why did you lead me to Tahb's room? – she asked.
- No! This is Xev's room! – Stanley insisted.
- I have no room here, Pa, I sleep in your bed! – Xev began losing her temper.
- But… I don't understand anything!
Tahb hogged and looked at them with jeering look.
- Is your daddy lost, Xev? – he mockingly asked.
- Shut up, Tahb! – Xev answered. – I don't have time.
- Why, does daddy need a massage right now?? – he asked again.
- Dad, are you gonna show me anything in this room, because I don't wanna stay here a second more! It smells of feet here!
Tahb made an unhappy face, lifted his socks from the floor and sniffed them. Xev pushed the wheel chair away from his quarters. Stan didn't pay attention to their quarrel, he just looked sad ahead, in one point.
- I don't understand… She was here. She was dying… - he was speaking to himself.
Suddenly an image of Karina appeared in front of him.
- I'm coming for you, Stanley! – she said and then disappeared in thin air, leaving an orange silhouette on the spot, where she just was.
Stanley shouted.

As soon as Karina's image disappeared, Stanley shouted. Xev immediately forgot her argument with Tahb, she went in front of Stanley's chair, squat so his and her eyes were on the same level and asked him with worried tone:
- What's wrong, Pa?!
- That was Zev! – Stan answered.
Xev looked behind her, but saw noone.
- Where?
- There! – Stanley pointed ahead of him. – She was just there!
Xev sighed.
- Oh, Father, I'm really worried about you! Something very wrong is happening to you!
- Yeah, indeed – he answered.

Stanley was lying in a cryopod and Ray and Xev were examining him.
- I thought there was no protein regenerator – he said.
Ray and Xev didn't answer.
- His body and brain appear normal. Nothing seems to be wrong – Ray explained.
- There is something wrong. Why is all that amnesia? – Xev asked.
- Yes, there is something wrong! I'm old! – Stanley shouted.
- Stan, what is the last thing, you remember, before today? – Ray asked.
- Well… actually I remember many things. But they... are unclear… I… - Stanley began mumbling.
- Do you remember what you did yesterday – Ray interrupted him.
- Well, yes. Xev and I found a planet with ecological disaster, destroyed it, Xev got poisoned with some injection-stiff and I and 790 looked for the protein regenerator parts and the hospital, so we could help Xev, I got bored, went to bed, fell asleep and the next thing that I remember is waking up next to… Xev.
- You're saying that Xev got poisoned by an injection? – Ray asked.
- Not me. He keeps talking about a woman, named Xev. He said she just appeared in front of him, when we were exiting Tahb's room.
- Yeah, she did! She was there! – Stan confirmed.
- Xev, would you excuse us for a moment? – Ray asked. – I have to ask him something private.
- Well, fine, ok. I'll be on the bridge – Xev answered and left the room.
As soon as her steps faded away Ray went closer to Stanley and silently asked him:
- Stan, are you referring to the other Xev? The Cluster lizard Xev?
- Yeees! So you know her! – Stanley cheered up and smiled from the fact that someone actually understood him.
Ray moved one step back, looking away from Stan, thinking.
- So? Where is she? – Stan asked.
Ray didn't answer. He gave Stan a sad look.
- What's wrong? – Stan asked worried. He was almost beginning to make the things in his head make sense. But it was so difficult to think with a tired brain.
- Stan, when you said Xev appeared to you… was it the Xev I knew? Or was it Karina?
Stan's face darkened.
- Who is Karina? – he asked.
- She looks the way Xev looked before she died and was revived by Lyekka.
- Yeah, I didn't pay attention to this! It was the old Zev! What does that mean?
- I'm not sure. She's an evil woman – Ray answered.
- She is? Anyway, how do you know all this?
- We lived through it. Together. And about Lyekka and the way Xev looked before – you have told me.
- I think I need to be alone for a while – Stanley said. – Leave me.
- Ok. I'll come back later, to see if you remember anything more. And we have to talk about other things.
- Yeah, yeah, fine. Leave me – Stanley said. He had something on his mind, but he needed some time in private to solve it.

Xev stood on the bridge looking at the screen. A message was playing. Ray came in through the left corridor. He saw a boy on the screen and his mother's corpse behind him. They were on a cart.
The corpse had the typical burn on her back. The boy spoke:
- …They came suddenly and shot everyone. I barely managed to escape. I couldn't protect my mother. I doubt there is anyone left in the village. I know sending messages is dangerous, but I don't care too much. They destroyed everyone and everything I ever knew and lived for – a tear showed itself in his eye. – I don't know what to do now, I hope someone will come and rescue me, before they find me by my signal, but I want one thing. I want all of their race extinguished! They deserve the harshest punishment! You must go to war against them. Otherwise the same would happen to all human life in the universe. That's all for now, here are my coordinates. Please hurry if you think my life makes a difference.
The image disappeared. Xev and Ray watched silently.
- I'll go and tell Pa to set course to that planet.
- What about our mission? – Ray asked.
- We'll delay it! – Xev insisted.
- Ok! I'll go and get him – Ray said.

Stan sat on the cryopod's bottom and thought. He had very confusing memories. He barely remembered a woman, he loved, Xev's mother, remembered the planet, he had settled on, there he finally had found a simple life, but something had happened, so he went on a mission with his mighty ship, unused for 30 years… But all was clouded. He knew this had happened a long time ago, but his mind was weak. He remembered nothing of Xev or the time he spent with her. It was too long ago.
Ray came in.
- Are you ready, captain? We have work to do – he enthusiastically said.
- I'm in the future – Stan silently mumbled.
- What? – Ray didn't hear.
- I'm in the future! – Stan said.
- I don't get it. You're here, now – he said.
- How old are you? – Stan asked. For the first time he was addressing someone else except his daughter, concentrating on the conversation with him and not thinking of something else, like what had happened to him.
- 45 – Ray answered.
- You must have joined the crew about your… 15th birthday.
- I was 14. Why?
- I remember that… But I don't remember what happened to Xev… the Cluster lizard Xev.
- Well, I don't think you want to be reminded.
- Yes, I do! Tell me – Stanley insisted.
- No. It's better that you have forgotten. I don't want you in pain.
- Tell me! – Stan shouted in desperation. – Did she die?!
Ray didn't return his look and didn't want to answer. However the sympathy to Stan, the man, who he had accepted as a father was stronger and he opened his mouth to speak.
But suddenly the Little Lexx lurched. He fell on his right side, and Stanley hit the cryopod's wall. They were hit by something, but this time it was bigger than the ships the same morning.

Stan tried as hard as he could to get back on his wheel chair, which had rolled near him.
- Stan, there is again something shooting at me. Can I have self control now, please? – the Little Lexx'es voice rang out.
- What? No! I'm your captain! – Stan replied.
- Listen to it, Stan! Give Lexx self control now! – Ray shouted.
- Ok, fine. You have self control – Stan replied as he looked at how concerned Ray was.

A large round ship like the one in the village was above the Little Lexx. It was shooting large green bolts of light from its centre at the Little Lexx and was moving with it, so the Little Lexx couldn't escape. Xev had put her arms round the control pedestal, so that she didn't fall from the bridge's edge. The screen changed and a grey alien appeared. It produced some sounds, but she didn't speak their language.
Suddenly the Little Lexx stopped trying to get away from the ship, it opened its spheres and shot a large amount of dots upwards. It was enough to produce a big explosion on the round ship. It went away with flames coming out of it.
Ray rolled the wheel chair with Stanley on it to the bridge.
- Do you remember, who those are? – he asked the old man.
- No. But I remember many other things. It's blurry.
- Stan, concentrate! Those are the creatures we're fighting against! – Ray shouted.
Tahb came to the bridge too.
- Is everything alright? – he asked. – My weapons fell from the shelves, and I had to repair some of them.
- Everything is alright and everyone too – Xev replied with a stress on "everyone". - You don't care about the second part much though. Sometimes I really wonder what you are doing here.
- I'm here to save your asses! Go check if precious Pa is ok! – he tartly said and left.
Xev ran to her father.
- Did you give self control to the ship? You saved us again, Pa! Thanks! – she kissed his cheek.
- Yeah, no problem – he smiled. Than he looked her eyes – You're beautiful! – he added.
- Thanks, Pa. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Let's go get the boy – she said. – Father, tell the Lexx to go to where the signal before the last one came from.
- What last one? – Stan showed how uninformed he was. It often happens to old people not to pay much attention to what happens around them.
- The one with the aliens. There was another one with a boy before that – Xev patiently explained. She obviously had spent much time taking care of him.
- You're beautiful, did I tell you that? – Stan once again adored his daughter. He was glad that something that pure and fair had come out of him.
- Yes, father, let's rescue the boy.
- Yeah – Stan once again smiled at her nobility.

Stan woke up once again. He had fallen asleep in his wheel chair. The screen showed a yellow planet. Ray, Tahb and Xev had gone to it, to save some boy or whatever. He once again had time to think about what had happened to him. The others didn't spend much time for it, they obviously didn't notice anything too unusual. He was old, it was normal for him to fail to remember some things. He had many memories in his head. He still didn't remember what had happened to the Xev he knew, neither anything about that Karina woman. But he remembered his Xev's mother. She was beautiful. They left her on the planet. She cried when they separated. Xev wasn't supposed to come with him, but she loved her father and she wanted to take care of him. He now remembered – the aliens destroyed everything for fun. They and the planet he lived on, he didn't remember its name, were in peace with them. Since the people there were peaceful, he wondered how the aliens weren't destroying them. Maybe when he came with the Little Lexx, he tipped the scales and made the aliens fear him. But the Little Lexx rested unused for 30 years and the aliens weren't afraid anymore. Those were 30 wonderful years, in which he had lived happily with his wife and daughter. He remembered how happy he was, when she was born, all the games they played together, her first experiences with life… He had been a wonderful father. Maybe that's why she adored him so much. He had grown a great child. He was proud of himself.
But there were other concerning points. How did he go this far in the future. He remembered Cluster lizard Xev's poisoning so clear, it really was yesterday. Maybe they had gone through a time portal or something. He didn't and couldn't know.
He smiled. At least now most of it was clear to him, he knew the situation he was in. His mind got clearer and he calmed down.
Suddenly something very disturbing appeared in front of him. He didn't recognize the person immediately, but he remembered who he was very fast. The man, who appeared out of nowhere said to him:
- You're running out of time, Stanley… And you are finally going to be… mine! – Prince said and disappeared.

- Prince! Prince! – Stanley shouted.
Prince had disappeared.
- Why did you appear to me? What do you want?!
Of coarse Stanley knew the answer, but he was unwilling to accept it. Anyway he had little time.
- Lexx! – he shouted.
- Yes, Stan? – the Little Lexx innocently asked.
- Contact Xev, my daughter! Now!
- As you command, Stan.
The screen changed a little and it showed a brown wall. There was noone.
- Xev? – Stan shouted.
A noise was heard and Xev appeared.
- Father, we've just landed. What's wrong? – she asked.
- Nothing. A lot. Come back onboard! – Stan decisively said.
- But why? Father, what's wrong with you today?
- Nothing. A lot. Please, Xev, come back now.
- What about Ray and Tahb?
- I don't know. Leave them if you like. Or ask Ray, he might wanna come too.
- Fine – Xev pushed a button and broke the connection.
- Now what? – Tahb asked after the conversation.
- Ray, come with me, I think dad is in trouble – Xev explained.
- What? Am I supposed to rescue the boy on my own?? – Tahb tartly asked.
- You keep bragging with your skills and guns, why don't you prove them now? – Xev said.
Ray approached her.
- Do you think it's serious?
- Yes.
- Let's go then – Ray said.

Stan sat on his wheel chair alone in worries. Was he really dying? Who was Karina? He remembered her image, that he had seen her a long time before, but nothing more. But she wasn't better than Prince, he was sure of that. He rolled his wheel chair to Tahb's room, where he gathered enough strength to stand up and lie on the round bed. He wasn't sleepy, but he felt comfortable there. It was the only place he felt really normal and safe – the old Xev's bed.

Tahb walked into a forest. The trees were long dry, brown and with no leaves. He heard someone crying.
- Boy? Is that you? We received your message – he shouted.
He saw the boy's back in front of him, he was shaking in tears. Tahb got closer and pointed his rifle away.
- Relax, you're rescued, I'm here to help – he said.
The boy turned around. His face was in tears.
- It's a trap. I'm sorry.
The same second a laser passed through his body, coming from upwards. The boy fell on the ground lifeless. Tahb looked upwards and saw an alien on one of the trees. The green laser, it's weapon produced, was the last thing he saw in his life. Seeing Tahb's death, the alien produced noises, which resembled laughter.

Stan heard Xev and Ray shouting his name.
- I'm here! – he shouted with his old man's voice.
They came in the room running. Stan looked somewhat peaceful.
- What is it? – Xev immediately asked.
- It's ok, children – Stan said. – It's just… you see… I'm dying.
- What? – Xev shouted.
- That's why you saw Karina – Ray noticed.
- Prince too – Stan said.
- No, this can't be real! – Xev burst in tears.
- It is… But calm down. I've had a great life! You made it so.
- No! No! There could be another reason they visited you! Don't give up! – Xev didn't want to accept her father's faith either. Ray just stood aside, unknowing what to say.
- You look so much like the one I named you after – Stan smilingly said.
- Stop it, father! You're not dying!
- I am. It's my time! I'm… what? 100 years old?
- 93 – Xev corrected him.
- Well, that's more than enough! And I'm satisfied. I made my life sensible. I made you.
- Oh, Father – Xev said through tears.
- Relax, child, relax.
Ray looked upwards. He had tears in his eyes too.
- I wonder… I mean… You haven't seen any old people on the planets of the dead, right? So only the people who died before their natural end went there. What happens to the other, those who die of natural death? – He asked.
- I don't know – Stan calmly said. – But I'm soon going to find out.
- Don't say that! – Xev said, but then threw herself on Stan, hugging him and crying.
- Whatever, you're not dead yet and we have work to do! – decisively said Ray. – We have an enemy planet to destroy.
- Yeah, I nearly forgot – Stan said and smiled.
Xev looked at him with reproach for the stupid joke. Ray took a squaker out oh his pocket. He lifted it to his mouth, pushed a button and said:
- Tahb, where are you? Did you find the boy?
There was no answer.
- Tahb, where are you?
Suddenly strange noises were heard from the squaker. Xev and Ray recognized them - the alien language.
- They… they have killed him – Xev said. She suddenly felt sorry for all the insults she said to him. – We shouldn't have left him alone.
- It doesn't matter now – Ray placed his had on her shoulder. – Stan, tell the Lexx to continue on his previous course.
Stan smiled.
- Yeah! Let's kick some alien butt, before I go in peace!

Little Lexx was flying through space as fast as it could. Stan and Ray were on the bridge. Xev was taking a shower.
- So, you're dying – Ray began expressing a thought – that's why you saw Karina and Prince, and that's what bothered you today, but only partly. That doesn't explain why you behaved so strangely today. What was that amnesia?
- I think I told you – Stan answered. – I think I'm in the future. It does make sense in a certain way. That's why I remember so little. But I think I remembered most of it now. We took the Little Lexx on a mission to destroy the planet of the evil aliens, who just destroy everything they see for pleasure.
- That's right, but did you remember… the answer to that question, you asked me before? – Ray delicately asked.
Stan looked aside, thinking. Than he gave Ray a sad look.
- No, I don't. Tell me. What happened to the first Xev?
In the same moment Xev's voice was heard.
- Someone give me my towel, please!
- I'm gonna give her the towel… - Ray hurried to run away.
- But… - Stan began, but he realized he wasn't going to get an answer. He was alone on the bridge now. Suddenly the screen changed. Prince appeared.
- Hello, Stanley – he evilly greeted.
- Hello – Stan calmly answered. – Is my time close?
- Closer, than you think, Stanley. You know, I missed you all that time. I've been existing in the same form since the time began, but 30 years of waiting for someone to die have never been that long for me.
- I should be somewhat… flattered perhaps? – Stan asked.
- Your feelings are your job, not mine. However your soul will be mine very, very soon! Cheery bye… for now!
Saying that, Prince disappeared. The screen showed a grey planet.
- We're here, Stan – Little Lexx said.
- Thank you, Little Lexx.
Ray and Xev came on the bridge.
- You ready? – Stan asked.
- Yeah. Do it – Ray replied.
- Do it, father. Avenge Tahb's murderers.
The young people stood behind the wheel chair and looked at the screen with satisfaction.
- Little Lexx – Stan began – blow that planet ahead of us to tiny bits! Give it everything, you've got!
- As you command, Stan.
Little Lexx opened its spheres, probably for the last time with this captain. All available dots came out of their lairs, formed a big blue line in front of the ship, which headed to the centre of the planet. Soon the planet seized to exist.
Stan, Ray and Xev smiled.
- Mission accomplished, captain – Ray joyfully said.
Suddenly the Little Lexx shook hard. The lights faded away. A large alien round ship had sneaked from behind and had hit the bug ship with a strong green bolt of energy.
- Pa! Pa! – Xev's shout was heard.
- I'm fine, child – Stan answered. They couldn't see each other in the darkness. – Ray?
- I'm fine too – his voice was heard. – What was that?
- Little Lexx, what was that?
There was no reply from the bug ship.
- Little Lexx?
There was no answer again.
- Maybe he's dead – Xev said. – And maybe that's why Prince and Karina were here! For the Lexx, not for you! You will live!
- No, honey – Stan calmly said. He was touched by her hopes and it was recognizable in his voice. – They came for me, I know it.
Xev's sad face couldn't be seen in the darkness. However her quiet weeping could be caught in the silence. The Little Lexx began shaking again, but this time it resembled more a small earthquake. A big ray of light appeared in front of them and lightened some of the bridge's floor. 3 aliens appeared in it. They had guns. Seeing the crew's hopeless position, they made their evil smiles

The aliens pointed the guns at them and shot red bolts of light. The first one to be shot was Ray. He fell on the floor. Stan looked calmly aside, expecting his end. Xev shouted "No" and ran to the group of murderers, in a desperate attempt to stop them, but she was hit too. Stan looked at his killers and smiled. He was shot too.

Stan woke up, lying on a cold stone floor. He saw Ray and Xev doing something on a hole in the wall, probably trying to make it bigger, so they could escape. They were in a cell.
- I can't do it anymore! It's hopeless! Why don't they just kill us? - Xev said, giving up and sliding down. She noticed her father was awake. - Father! You're not dead!
Stan smiled. Ray quickly stopped digging the hole and looked at Stan.
- Not yet, honey. But my final hour is near.
- No! You survived the red bolts, we're digging a hole and we'll escape! - Xev said. She took her stone piece and began digging again.
- Stan, are you alright? - Ray asked, noticing Stan's expression on his face.
- No - he replied. I'm in pain. And I think... I'm dying...
Xev burst in tears again. She threw herself on Stan, hugging him.
- Stan, - Ray got closer, - before you die, I just want to tell you... things I've never had chance to tell you.
- Stop, Ray, I know - Stan interrupted him.
- No, I want to say it. Through all these years, you've been my friend, my... step-father. You took me with you, away from my horrible planet, gave me a life, introduced me to so many people, you made me, what I am, Stan!
Stan smiled. A tear broke his eye too.
- Oh, father! - Xev said through her tears.
- Now listen, children - Stan began - I want to thank you too. You... you changed me a lot - Stan coughed and then continued. - You made me a good person, someone I've always wanted to be, you made my life sensible.
- Father - Xev said - you've always been a good person, I know it!
- Just you've never had chance to prove yourself - Ray added.
Stan coughed. His hand began glowing in blue. The key was ready to leave the body.
- Ray, come on, I want you to have it - Stan said, pointing his hand with his eyes.
- No, let Xev have it. I can't accept.
- Don't waste more time, Ray. Come here.
Xev was crying with her head on Stan's chest.
- We aren't going to survive anyway - Ray said. - They will interrogate us and then kill us.
- You will escape, Ray.
Stan made a lot of effort to raise his hand. Ray rose his hand too and grabbed Stan's one. Xev was holding Stan's other hand.
- And when you escape - Stan continued with effort - you will marry.
- What - Xev rose her head.
- Oh, come on, children! I've noticed the way you look at each other. You're in love, and that's great! I've felt real normal human love only with your mother, Xev. I know the feeling, and it's great. Marry.
- Thank you, Stan - Ray said. His tear finally broke and leaked out of his eye.
Their hands glowed. The key was being transferred.
- One thing left, Ray - Stan said. - Tell me... tell me - he coughed - what... what happened... with... cluster... X...
The key was now transferred. Stan remained with his eyes opened even in death looking at his daughter and his best friend, the best he had achieved in his long and interesting life.

Stan felt his soul in his body. He still looked through his body's eyes, but he wasn't able to control his body. He couldn't finish his last sentence, but still he had that feeling of completion. He was happy and in peace.
He still looked through his former body's eyes. His vision got blurry. When it cleared again, he saw Prince and Karina in a beach. He wasn't clear enough about Karina, but somehow he knew it wouldn't matter for him. He felt regaining consciousness again and clearing his mind. He woke up. He rose up, looked around him. He was in his butterfly bed, with the blue walls around him and the misty floor, but he saw no wheel chair near him. He looked at his hands and his body - they were normal again.
- I'm not old! - he shouted in happiness. - I'm not old! Not old! I'm not old!
He heard steps approaching him. Xev, the cluster lizard one, wiped her eye from the tears, which were just pouring down and looked at Stan with a worried expression.
- Xev! You're here! And I'm not old!
Xev knit her brows and looked untrustfully at Stan.
- Stan, sorry to disturb you, but actually... you are old!
Stan's smile froze on his face in disbelief, but then he realized, what Xev had in mind.
- Well, yeah, maybe just a little! Anyway...
Xev left the room. Stan smiled again and went to the bridge. He saw 790 still checking for protein regenerator parts.
- Did you find anything?
- Not yet, captain of my heart.
- Anything interesting on the screen?
- Uhmmm... not really... there was something, but... nothing of importance.
- Ok, keep looking - Stan said leaving the bridge.

04.07.2005 - 17.08.2005