Lost and Found

by A Damned Scientist

For 7 years, John has been stranded on Earth. He's lost his mind, but is he alone? Sequel to Picture in The Paper.

5. Chapter 5

Lost and Found, Chapter 5

Holt strode into the featureless, windowless and white-painted room where they were holding John. For once, John was not unhappy to see Holt: John had been sitting there alone for nearly an arn, his mind going over and over the strange events of the morning, trying to understand their meaning: He wanted some answers. As Holt moved uneasily into the room towards John, two stone-faced, burly bodyguards had shut the door and now stood watch over the antagonists.

A few arns before, when the unexpected alarm had gone off, a small group of very nervous and excitable agents had arrived at John's room within a minute, and had quickly bundled him away. They had taken him to, of all places, a female toilet. John had to laugh, if only inwardly, at their choice of hiding place. He wondered how many of them had ever been in the toilet before. And there they had stayed, the agents' guns drawn, in an edgy silence, for half an arn, while all sorts of excitable noises went on outside. It was definitely a peculiar experience. If there had been a fire, John was sure they would have taken him out of the building, not hidden him in the female toilet, which made him wonder what was going on. None of the agents would say. Then just as abruptly and with as little explanation, he had been rushed from the building and driven for two hours, out of the city and into the countryside. After a final half arn of being driven blindfolded, he had finally arrived at a small, secure facility. There he had been led inside and soon afterwards abandoned without ceremony in the very room where Holt had now come to see him.

Little did John know, but this was the very facility where Aeryn had been held for most of the last seven years. Indeed, she had spent many unhappy hours in this exact room, answering the endless questions of Holt and his confederates.

'What's been going on, Holt? What's with the alarms and the sudden road trip?' John demanded. 'Where's Aeryn and Deke?' Holt eyed him wordlessly. For once, it was Holt's turn to look distressed, but John didn't really care how Holt was feeling.

'Sit down Mr Crichton,' Holt replied. John ignored him.

'And why has it taken so long for someone to come and talk to me?' John rambled on, filling the silence. 'It didn't need to be you, any old flunky would have done!' Continued Crichton who, but a month before, had been a shrunken shadow. He was now all-but bouncing off the walls in agitation, whilst Holt struggled to interrupt his stream of demands. John was starting to surprise even himself by the change in his demeanour.

'We've been trying to work that out ourselves,' Holt said at last. He ran his fingers through his obviously artificially supplemented hair. 'Sit down, Mr Crichton.'

'Huh?'

'Look, just sit down, Commander, and I'll level with you. Tell you what we know.'

Crichton kicked, in agitation, at the indicated chair, before grudgingly settling onto it. It was clear that Holt was going to bide his time until he did so. Holt quickly glanced back at his guards, sat, and sighed heavily before beginning.

'The Peacekeepers have taken Officer Sun, your son and…. Your sister. Olivia.'

'Dren!' hissed John.

'Commandant Braca has contacted us. He wants you. At least that is what he has said he wants. Of course, both you and I know what he is really after.'

'And that would be?' John snarled. Holt was lying about Aeryn, Deke and Olivia. Holt was always lying, it was just another of his mind-frells, John was sure of it.

'Why don't we both stop pretending we don't know. Weapons.' Holt watched John's reactions carefully as he dropped each little bombshell: Holt couldn't deny that he was just a little curious as to which piece of news, if any, might cause the greatest response from Crichton. And he was also curious to see what those reactions might be. When John did eventually reply, the ex-astronaut was far calmer and more lucid than Holt had been expecting.

'Firstly, I can't make a wormhole weapon. Secondly, even if I could, I wouldn't give it to either you or them: No one should have that power.'

Holt sat back in his chair with a smirk and brushed an imaginary speck from the cuff of his dark suit. He had, at least, got some sort of admission from Crichton regarding the existence of wormhole weapons. He could build on that.

'So, now we're getting somewhere: There is a weapon, and it has something to do with wormholes, doesn't it Commander?'

'You…..!' Crichton made to lunge at Holt but backed down when the guards behind Holt immediately stepped forward to intervene. Holt flashed a smile at Crichton for three seconds.

'So, now we've gotten that out the way, let's talk wormhole weapons, shall we?'

'Oh, let's not.'

Holt pressed on regardless: 'Now, at present, your government cannot see the circumstances under which we would allow the Peacekeepers to have such a weapon.'

'Good, neither can I. We're done, then. Don't forget to validate your parking on the way out.'

'But we need something to help us get your family back safely, don't we Commander?' Holt reminded John.

'Which means, T.R?' John leant forward, trying to invade Holt's space and so menace him.

'Which means, that, if I were you, I'd be considering what I could give my government that might help them save my loved ones. Because we will not be handing you over.'

'Great,' sighed John, glancing to one side and brushing his thumb across his lips. 'Just peachy.'

'Something,' Holt made a mock frown and shook his head, 'Something like wormhole weapons, for instance?'

Crichton sat still and pondered deeply for a moment.

'You know, T.R., it seems to me like this just might be some sort of ploy: Maybe you're lying to me?'

'Go on?' Holt mock-frowned and shook his head again.

'Maybe the Peacekeepers have nothing. Maybe they don't have my family, and this is just a ploy to try to get me to give you what you want?'

Holt gave a smug little smile: 'Maybe?' He held up his hands. 'Maybe not. Either way, you have to make the same choice, Commander. What can you give us?'

'Are you threatening my family?' John snarled. The guards stepped forwards again.

'No, Mr Crichton. The Peacekeepers have your family. I can show you a tape of their abduction, if you like?' He raised a hand and poised his fingers ready to click them.

'Oh, I bet you can.'

'But I need your help to get them back.'

Crichton rubbed his head with both hands, leaning forwards to rest his elbows on the table between him and Holt. Scorpius, Grayza, now Holt: they all wanted wormhole weapons, and they were all willing to mess with his head to get them. But his story was the same now as it had been back in the Uncharted Territories, years before.

'You know, Bob, whatever you want to believe, I just can't make a wormhole weapon.'

'That is unfortunate…'

'Look, Holt,' John snapped back. 'You're not the first psycho who's tried to get into my head, who's tried to get me to make them a doomsday weapon. And believe me, you're a long way from being either the scariest, the ugliest or even the most fetching.'

'Then do you have anything to propose, Crichton?'

'Listen, Holt, I would do anything to protect my family, my friends. Anything,' Crichton seemed crushed at last, all the fight knocked out of him. 'But I can't give you some super-weapon.' He shrugged. 'Wish I could, I really do.'

Holt frowned, perhaps genuinely this time. 'Then, Commander, I'm not sure what we're going to do.'

And, with that, Holt stood and moved to leave the room. He paused at the door and, before leaving, added, 'Let me know if you think of anything?'

Earlier that day:

As Deke began to scream, so Aeryn dared to breath again.

'Sun? Get that….infant… to stop screaming! Now!' The lieutenant in charge commanded, gesturing first at her then at Deke with his weapon. Aeryn hobbled over to the toddler, as best she could manage considering her shackled ankles. She pulled him from under the body of Agent Smith, and shushed him quiet, her hands running over him, both to soothe and to check for injury, as best she could manage in her handcuffs. Apart from being bruised from being dropped, and generally distressed, he seemed otherwise unharmed, she noted with overwhelming relief. She was also thankful that her efforts to quiet him worked, as she didn't have to look to far into her own former life to imagine how brutal her captors might be if he had not fallen silent.

'Officer Oruff, bring the infant.' The lead Peacekeeper said curtly. The other remaining Commando nodded and took the child from her. Then, without further words, the Peacekeeper commander pulled her back to her feet and all but dragged her out into the corridor.

Alarms and smoke filled the air as Aeryn's captor hustled her down the corridor, as fast as he could manage considering her bound ankles. The lieutenant had one hand on her elbow, with the other holding his pulse pistol: He had shouldered his rifle, Aeryn imagined because it would be too ungainly now that he had to deal with her. Behind came Officer Oruff, similarly encumbered with Deke.

There was just one more turn in the corridor and twenty paces to the fire exit, which was where they seemed to be making for. Whatever their destination, Aeryn noted that they were in a rush to get there and that they were making mistakes. She imagined that was also because they were both encumbered with her and with Deke, as well as being one soldier down. What sort of training are they giving PK commandos these days, Aeryn wondered? They were acting sloppier than trainees on a simulation: She would scarcely have believed they were both Black Ghosts, the elite.

To Aeryn's disgust, her escort swung her round the next corner in the corridor without checking around the bend first. There could have been anyone there. And indeed there was: A human woman was pulling open the fire exit door. The Ghost followed Aeryn round the corner, saw the woman and immediately raised his pulse pistol. Aeryn knew she had but a moment to react to save the woman's life. Limited by her shackles, Aeryn threw her weight against her captor, her elbow digging deep into his side and causing his shot to go wide, even as she began to plead for the woman's life.

'She can carry the child, and free up your officer!' Aeryn explained hurriedly. The Ghost frowned for a moment, raising his hand to strike Aeryn. Aeryn stared him down but breathed a sigh of relief to herself when he reconsidered his blow, lowering his hand: She reckoned he was probably more annoyed at his own lapse in not checking around the corner than at her for disrupting his shot. At least, if it was her in his place, she would have been more annoyed at herself, she reasoned. Whatever, the logic of her suggestion evidently overcame his anger at her and he nodded curtly.

There seemed to be smoke everywhere, but no other sign of a fire, as Olivia struggled to find her way to a fire exit. The building was unfamiliar to her, and the few people that were around seemed to be rushing hither and thither. They evidently had more pressing concerns of their own than helping her out of the building, so Olivia ran on alone. She didn't have to go far until she saw the comforting, illuminated fire-exit sign which she hoped would lead her to safety. The door was slightly ajar, but the broken frame suggested it had been smashed open from the stairwell side rather than opened normally from the main corridor. Olivia had no time to dwell on that mystery before a loud explosion beside her head caused her instinctively to drop to the floor, her hands flung protectively over her head.

Olivia peered from under her arm to where someone had just said something urgent but incomprehensible in some strange, clicky, tonal language. Behind her, at the corner of the corridor, stood two figures, a scary-looking man, who was dressed in red and black leather and holding a gun which he was vaguely pointing in Olivia's direction, and a slim, black-haired young woman in wrist and ankle restraints. The woman was obviously pleading with the man, even as she tried to use the weight of her body to block him from taking aim at Olivia again with his pistol. The man raised his hand, as though to strike the woman, then seemed to reconsider. As Olivia watched them, another figure, armed and dressed like the man, came into view around the corner.

Then Olivia registered the mens' weapons: They looked like John's pulse pistol! A chill gripped Olivia as the three figures bore down on her. Then she realised it wasn't just the weapons which looked familiar.

'Do as I say and they won't harm you!' The woman commanded Olivia in oddly familiar, slightly accented English, before adding much more softly, 'Olivia....?'

'Aeryn...?' was all Olivia could reply, as realisation dawned on her, before one of the men thrust a bundle into her hands. Olivia looked down at the now-squirming bundle and got yet another shock.

On the bridge of the command carrier, Vilnash, Captain Nerrit stared into deep space through the black-and-red-lined semi-spherical view portal. To an observer, it might almost have seemed as though she was searching the inky depths for any signs of the Scarrans. But, of course, that would have been a foolish thing to be doing: She had the carrier's sensors for that, as well as outlying Marauder patrols, and they could see far further than her limited, organic vision.

No, Captain Nerrit was trying to isolate herself from the bustle of her bridge crew, who were checking and rechecking the carriers' systems and sensors and coordinating the many activities of the her crew. Nerrit was thinking about why they were here, wasting their time on this fools errand. They were seeking out the legendary criminal, John Crichton, whilst the rest of the fleet, and all their allies, were fighting, and losing, a desperate war against the Scarrans. It had been a long war and, although they had inflicted heavy casualties on the Scarrans, who had shown little flair for strategy, their enemies strength in numbers had proven to be overwhelming. Nerrit knew, from the intelligence she had seen, that High Command thought that the Peacekeepers and their allies would collapse within a matter of monens now, their strength too spent to maintain a single, united force. Once that happened, it would just be a matter of time before any isolated pockets of resistance were swept away by the Scarrans and their Charrid allies.

Nerrit shook her head: No, they could not afford to waste a full command carrier on this fools errand. They could not afford for the Vilnash to be out of the fray for so long, and they could not afford to risk such an important warship being lost, should it encounter a stronger Scarran battle group so far away from the support of other members of the fleet. But Nerrit was a consummate Peacekeeper captain: it was not her place to question the orders of her superiors, or of High Command. She turned back to her crew, and raised her voice to cut through the quiet buzz of the conversations of her bridge officers.

'Check every system again: I want our engines, our sensors, our weapons, our Prowlers and Marauders, everything, to be working at maximum efficiency. If anything is less than optimal, fix it, or let me know!' She commanded. Her officers set about their tasks with renewed vigour: They shared Nerrit's concerns about the war and about their own vulnerability, so far from their allies, and so didn't need any explanations as to why she gave the orders that she gave.

Aeryn sat in a cell aboard the Leviathan, trying to suppress the shakes that threatened to tear through her body, revealing her weakness. Since coming aboard, no-one had offered her any violence, but they had not offered her much comfort either. She still wore the human wrist restraints, although they had released her from the ankle restraints aboard the Marauder, whilst it had been rushing into space after their escape from the Earth facility. Olivia sat nearby, John's sister still holding Deke tightly. The boy stirred slightly, but remained silent, clinging to Olivia, sensing somehow that her arms were some sort of a safe haven amongst all of the turmoil that had come upon them.

'When did you get back?' Olivia asked, unsure what to say first after so many years without speaking to Aeryn. She barely registered that Aeryn was dressed in well-worn casual Earth clothes, rather than the Peacekeeper leathers that she had been wearing when they had last been together, in the ruins of Jack Crichton's house.

'Back?' Aeryn replied, with a frown accompanying her quick and quirky single head shake.

'Back to Earth?'

'Olivia….I... I never left.'

'But... but that doesn't make sense. You all left just after the attack on dad's house, I saw it on the TV....'

Aeryn held up her wrists. 'Look at these restraints: Are they Human or Sebacean? Your government,' she re-emphasized the point, as though to a child. 'YOUR people, they didn't want me to leave.'

'That's crazy…'

Aeryn shrugged. 'I was too valuable for them to let me go.'

Olivia sat considering this for a little while, eventually deciding that some sort of apology was in order.

'Aeryn, please, you're my friend, I would never…'

'I know, I'm sorry, it wasn't you. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that.' Said Aeryn, quickly trying to move past her own previously accusing manner. It was Holt and his kind who had imprisoned her, not John's sister.

Olivia eased across, closer to where Aeryn was sitting, and enveloped her friend in a hug. Aeryn did not resist, but rather sat there rigidly, desperately trying to process how she should respond. Eventually, Olivia released her, but remained so close that their knees were touching.

'Was it bad?' Olivia asked after a short while, breaking the silence.

'Hmm, not as bad I had had feared. But it was not pleasant, no,' Aeryn replied, brushing aside an uncharacteristic tear from her right cheek. Apart from with Deke, and in recent weekens, a few shared moments with John, it had been so long since anyone had shown her so much compassion. While once she would have hated it, now she found she was nearly overwhelmed.

Deke called from the other side of the cell, where Olivia had left him. There he was busy investigating something that he probably shouldn't.

'Olivia, could you deal with him please?' Aeryn held up her still-manacled wrists slightly in explanation.

'You're still restrained, even in here in this cell …' began Olivia as she headed over to Deke, still too shocked to know quite what to say. Aeryn nodded as Olivia picked up Deke and turned back to face her. 'But I'm not? Why?'

'I was one of them, a Peacekeeper commando,' she nodded towards the door to the cell. 'But I.... deserted. I…. ,' she paused while she considered what to tell Olivia, Smiling slightly, she continued 'That is to say, your brother and I, we have quite a reputation, with my people, for causing trouble.'

'And me?'

Aeryn smiled 'You don't look like much of a threat.'

Olivia laughed and glanced down at herself, every inch a soft, middle-aged civilian. 'I guess not.'

'They don't know who you are, I think, and you must not tell them. For your own safety.' Olivia nodded, seeming to understand. 'But you're right, you're no threat to them.' Aeryn paused before lowering her gaze to the toddler in Olivia's arms. 'Is he alright, I can't check...' she jostled her arms against her handcuffs to illustrate her point. Olivia tenderly turned the child around so mother and son could see each other. He seemed happy enough - if he was hurt or distressed, he'd surely be crying. He locked his piercing blue eyes on his mother, and struggled to the ground to make his way across to Aeryn.

'Momma!' the child said quietly, but insistently as he clung to Aeryn's knee.

'So, is she... he...?'

Aeryn swallowed, struggling to bridge the gap of years to her old friend. 'He's mine. And your brother's.'

Olivia almost fell onto the bench beside Aeryn, her jaw flapping slackly for a microt.

'But, that's not possible.... He's... what..... 18 months? Two years? How have you and John been seeing each other?' she continued, her mouth running ahead of her thoughts.

Aeryn frowned and shook her head, 'Remember, I'm not human. I was carrying Deke when we came to Earth.'

Olivia clapped her hands in glee before she abruptly remembered the dire circumstance the three of them currently found themselves in and calmed down slightly. 'I knew it! And you knew, you both knew, didn't you?'

'Yes,' Aeryn admitted quietly.

Olivia frowned. 'And you didn't say?' she admonished.

'It wasn't my place to. And your brother's intentions were not clear to me.'

'John…..' sighed Olivia. Her expression suggested her brother would be in deep trouble if she ever got to see him again. 'No, they, weren't were they. But why?'

Aeryn shook her head. 'It was complicated: You see, I wasn't sure who the father was until Deke was born.'

Olivia's jaw flapped open and closed for a few seconds, before she allowed herself the slightest, sympathetic smile. 'Ah….' she whispered. 'That would explain…. a lot…' Aeryn nearly laughed, Oh, if only you knew, Olivia, she thought, not knowing who the father was had been the least of their issues back then.

At that moment they were interrupted as Braca entered the cell. He stood over his prize for a moment, smiling in smug triumph, whilst a scattering of PK guards lurked outside to ensure Aeryn's compliance.

'Officer Bishak, take the human woman out while I talk to Sun,' began Braca, rocking triumphantly on his heels.

'Oh, let the human stay, Miklo, she won't understand us and she can entertain the infant, leave us free to talk,' Aeryn replied in Sebacean. Checking that none of the PKs could see the gesture, she turned her head slightly and winked at Olivia. 'Unless you don't want her to see what you're up to,' she finished with a tone of questioning contempt.

Braca seemed somewhat taken aback, and waved the guard away, conceding, 'The human can stay.'

'You can stay if you're quiet and look after Deke,' Aeryn deliberately told Olivia, in English, in order to maintain their subterfuge. Aeryn knew full-well that Olivia had translator microbes, as she had spent so much time in the company of the Moyans years before. Thus Olivia would get to witness whatever Braca had to say.

'Well, I must say, Officer Sun, things have worked out remarkably well today: We had planned just to secure you as leverage, but it seems we have Crichton's….. offspring… also,' Braca crowed.

'So what do you plan on doing next? Now that you have all of this… leverage?' Aeryn replied.

'If Crichton cooperates, if he gives us wormhole weapons, I have the authority from High Command to grant full pardons to you both. I give you my word that neither of you or…. ' Aeryn noted that he could barely bring himself to look upon Deke or refer to him directly. '….Your offspring… will be harmed. On the contrary, our people will owe you a debt of gratitude.'

'Very generous, Miklo. But you assume I wouldn't want to stay on Earth.'

'We know you were a prisoner here, why would you stay?'

'My place is with John now, if he stays here, so will I.' Olivia, realising she was not supposed to understand their conversation, struggled to withhold a gasp at Aeryn's words.

Braca shook his head in incomprehension. 'You were the best pilot on our carrier, Aeryn. You should have made captain by now, at least: Yet you choose the life of a criminal and whore yourself out to this alien….. Why?'

'I became more,' Aeryn replied pointedly.

'Not that I care, anymore, Aeryn, just as long as the human gives as what we want.' Said Braca, apparently not really wishing to understand.

'Whatever you might think, Miklo, I don't believe that John can make a wormhole weapon.' Olivia watched the exchange carefully: There was clearly some history between the two: She made a mental note to ask Aeryn about it later, when they were alone.

'Don't patronise me Officer Sun. We downloaded footage from Talyn, showing what happened at Dam Ba Da.' He said, pulling a holochip from his pocket, he snapped it on to show a brief clip of John's module circling a wormhole and the subsequent devastation enveloping the Scarran Dreadnought. Olivia watched in horror, starting to get the first glimpses of what had changed her brother so much. Then, her surprise was doubled when she turned to see that the short clip had inexplicably reduced Aeryn to tears.

Aeryn shuddered and sank back, deeper into her seat, at the terrible memory, trying unsuccessfully to shield her emotions from both Olivia and Braca. Olivia briefly approached her with a concerned look and an outstretched hand. Aeryn suppressed her emotions and shook her head at Olivia, hoping to signify she should not show that they were close, not in front of Braca. Olivia nodded and sat on alone and in silence. Although she had translator microbes from seven years before, because of all her dealings with the Moyans, she was now dumbstruck by these new revelations about her brother.

'Even if John could still make such a weapon, I'm not sure he could, or would regardless of the pressure you put him under,' Aeryn said, struggling to maintain control over her emotions as the memories of Dam Ba Da threatened to overwhelm her composure once more.

'Then you must persuade him, Officer Sun. I appeal to you as a Sebacean, Whatever you or Crichton may think about the Peacekeepers, you cannot imagine how desperate things have got over the last seven cycles. Your people, the Luxans, the Hynerians, the Delvians, they are all being wiped out by the Scarrans. And,' he indicated Olivia, 'If they find the humans' planet, they will surely barely pause in destroying it.'

'Commandant Braca?' came a slightly distorted voice as his comms suddenly sprung to life.

'Yes?' snapped Braca in reply, stepping away from Aeryn towards the door.

'We have a message from the Vilnash: A Scarren flotilla is converging on their position, they estimate contact in about four arns. Captain Nerrit would like to know when you will be able to return through the wormhole and if you have any other orders?'

'Tell her to hold position and await further instructions, Braca out.' he replied.

'Did you hear that, Officer Sun?' Braca turned and asked her.

'Of course. Where and what is the Vilnash?'

'It's my command carrier: It's guarding the other end of the wormhole.'

'So, what do you plan to do? Just sit out there and lead the Scarrans to Erp?'

'That depends on what the humans decide. But the wormhole opens and closes in cycles: It will reopen, and should be stable enough for Moya to traverse, in about another six arns. I doubt that the Vilnash will be able to hold off a full Scarran flotilla for that long.'

Oh deary me, things just get worse for our heroes, don't they?

But I won't keep you in suspense for more than a few days.