This
story came to me after I reread “24 Arns” The Moya crew get an unexpected
Christmas present
An Unexpected Christmas
present
by GitonCrais
John
Crichton stood in front of the view-port of the Observation Deck.
A
large blue planet filled half of the vista.
He
sighed. The planet reminded him of Earth, his home planet. Unfortunately it
wasn’t, although it could quite easily have been so.
The
similarities were striking. The planet was called Erithea. It had 6 large
continents surrounded by even larger bodies of water. The overall climate, due
to its position relative to the sun, was mild. And that’s where the resemblance
ended.
The
main population was Sebacean. It was probably the largest Sebacean-colonized
planet in the Uncharted Territories, and it had a scattering of other species,
none of them humans.
Crichton
turned away from the view-port. It would have been nice, if this had been
Earth. Another sigh escaped his lips.
“This planet
reminds you of home?” the soft female voice asked behind him. It almost sounded
more like a statement rather than a question.
Crichton
nodded sadly, “Yes, Aeryn. This planet, more than any other planet we have
visited so far, reminds me of Earth, especially now.”
“Oh, yes,
soon it will be Krsm’s time,” nodded Aeryn.
She
encircled his body from behind and rested her head on his shoulder, “Don’t lose
hope, John. One day you will find your planet. Maybe just not today.”
Crichton
nodded and brought his hands up to place them over her hands, which wrapped
around his chest. “Maybe not today,” he echoed quietly.
They were
about to leave the Observation Deck when the frantic voice of Pilot came over
the comms, “Wormhole opening, right in front of us. Moya will move away, so she
doesn’t get sucked into it. A large body is coming through.”
Crichton ran
back to the view-port, Aeryn close on his heels.
They watched
in awe as the maw of the wormhole opened wide.
Even after
seeing these anomalies so many times, they still stared in wonder at the scene.
At the other
end of the ‘tunnel’, they could make out a large red planet.
Suddenly,
the center of the wormhole was dominated by the image of a spacecraft, its size
rapidly increasing until it finally came hurtling right through the opening. It
was moving very quickly but from what little they could make out, it appeared
to be a Leviathan. Aeryn and Crichton looked at each other, both suddenly
speechless. Could it possibly be Talyn?
Pilot
confirmed that unspoken question as Moya banked away precipitously to let Talyn
fly past her, “Moya says it is Talyn! We will assume position to intercept.”
The scene
from the view-port changed as Moya came about.
The
stationary figure of Talyn dominated the screen. He was oddly quiet.
“Moya is
concerned about Talyn. Neither he nor Crais seem to answer the comms. Will you
and Commander Crichton go over there and see of they are all right?” Even
though Pilot tried to keep the worry from his voice, it was obvious that he and
Moya were both deeply concerned.
“We’re going
over there now,” Aeryn reassured Pilot.
Aeryn and
Crichton took the pod over to Talyn, wearing environmental suits, just in case…
“Talyn, can
you open the Bay door,” Aeryn asked. When she received no reply, she looked
worriedly at Crichton. The Bay door stayed closed.
She tried
again, “Talyn, please… open the door.” The door stayed firmly shut.
“Pilot,” she
called over the comms, “is there another way we can open the door?”
“Moya and I
will use the frequenzer. We should be able to override the controls. Stand by.”
They waited
impatiently.
Several
anxious moments later, the door slowly opened and Aeryn guided the pod in. The
door closed just as slowly behind them.
After
shutdown, they stepped onto Talyn’s deck.
Aeryn
frowned inside her helmet as she beheld the devastation. The lights on the
Hangar Deck were low, although after testing the environmental data in their
helmets, they took their helmets off. The air was thin but breathable. Talyn
still remained strangely silent.
“This
doesn’t look good, John,” said Aeryn with a worried frown.
“I know what
you mean, Aeryn. Let’s go find Captain Crunch, he’ll have the answers. He’ll
most probably be in Command.”
They made
their way carefully through Talyn. Flickering and sparking wires and collapsed
conduits made it necessary for them to tread carefully. They found one small
DRD, but even that was silent. Its stalks hardly moved. Still, it proved to
them that Talyn was not yet dead, although probably severely injured.
They found
Crais in Command, as Crichton had predicted.
He was lying unconscious, face down on the deck. He was wearing his
Captain’s greatcoat.
“That man
should really get some fashion tips. Doesn’t he know that greatcoats are out?”
“John!”
Aeryn cuffed him, “This is serious!”
“I know,”
replied Crichton a bit ruefully, “just can’t help myself sometimes.”
Aeryn turned
Crais over gently. The back of his coat was damp and as soon as she brought her
hand back up toward her face, she could not help seeing that it was stained
red, “It is not only Talyn who is injured.”
“Is it bad?”
”I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good at all.”
Crais lay
limply in her arms, a gash near his hairline showing where he must have struck
the deck, “We have to get him to Moya. We can’t treat him here.”
Gently they
lifted him off the deck. Crais was completely unresponsive.
While Aeryn
tended to Crais in Medical, Crichton asked Pilot what they could do for Talyn.
“Moya has
already started a nutrient feed,” replied Pilot. “Talyn will need a hand with
repairs for the damage is great. Moya believes that part of Crais’ and Talyn’s
injuries are linked, but she can’t say for certain to what extent. Once the
feed has had a chance to do its work, she should know more.”
“Thank you,
Pilot. I’ll go over there shortly and see what we can do.”
“Moya thanks
you, Commander.”
“You’re
welcome Pilot.”
When
Crichton entered Medical, Aeryn was already in the process of taking Crais’
coat off. It was not an easy task, since Crais lay limp as a rag-doll in her
arms. Crichton moved over to help her. Together they managed to get his coat
off. Next was his black undershirt.
Aeryn saw
the damage to Crais’ back first.
Crichton heard the deep intake of her breath.
“That bad?”
asked Crichton, now worried too.
Aeryn
nodded, “I don’t know what happened, but it looks severe. What I don’t
understand is that there are no marks on his clothes and yet the injuries are
very fresh.”
“Pilot
mentioned that Moya believes that part of Crais’ and Talyn’s injuries are
linked. Maybe it was Talyn who sustained these injuries but they physically
manifested themselves on Crais too. Could that mean that if we heal the one,
the other will be healed too?”
“I don’t
know, John, it could be.”
She had
eased Crais back on the bed again, this time face down.
Three long,
deep gashes showed on his back, still running with blood. When Aeryn ran the
scanner over his body, it indicated multiple internal injuries. It showed a
deep gash on his leg as well. The theory, that the injuries could be present in
Crais as in Talyn, seemed more and more likely to be correct.
Aeryn asked
Pilot if he and Moya had been able to assess Talyn’s condition. Pilot answered
that Talyn had suffered deep gashes on his hull and was also missing a tailfin.
Aeryn looked
at Crais’ legs and breathed a sigh of relief; at least both of Crais’ legs were
still attached to his body.
Moya
continued adjusting the nutrient feeds to Talyn.
Aeryn set
about ‘repairing’ Crais.
It was
several arns later before Crais finally regained consciousness. A moan escaped
his lips as he moved.
The gashes
on his back were beginning to close, but it would be a while before Aeryn let
him up.
His eyes
flitted open. He realised that he was lying on a med bed, that his injuries had
been treated and that he had most probably been given a strong sedative. But
the room was out of focus and he could only perceive shapes where light met
dark. He had no idea where he was or how much time had passed.
He linked up
with Talyn and could barely feel the youngster. Talyn’s thoughts were sluggish
but at least he was nearby.
Crichton had
been watching the man on the bed, but he was startled when he heard the moan.
He watched
Crais’ eyes open, but they seemed to roam somewhat randomly around the room and
were unfocused.
After giving
Crais sufficient time to regain his senses, Crichton approached the bed.
Crais turned
his head to him but could only make out Crichton’s blurred shape, “Who’s
there?”
“Yo, Crais,”
Concerned by Crais’ question, Crichton moved his hand in front of Crais’ eyes.
Crais took
hold of Crichton’s hand after a slight delay, “Crichton?”
Crichton
grinned, “The one and only. Well…in this universe anyway. What happened to you?
We thought that you and Talyn died.”
Crais tried
to push himself up from the bed but lay back with a moan, asking hoarsely,
“How’s Talyn?”
“Moya is
feeding him. He was gravely injured when we found you, as were you. So, what
happened?”
Crais wetted
his lips as Crichton helped him drink.
When Crais
finally spoke, his voice was a bit less hoarse, “Talyn and I powered up in the
Hangar…”
“Crais! You
are awake…good!” Aeryn had just entered Medical, “What happened to you and
Talyn?”
“He was just
coming to that,” replied Crichton, “Ah, well, now he only has to tell his tale
once.”
Aeryn moved
over and picked up the scanner, “After I have checked him.” She ran the scanner
up and down his body, “The wounds on your back and your leg appear to be
closing, although I would suggest some additional rest. Your internal injuries
seem to be healing too. There,” she put down the scanner and gave him some more
water to drink, “Now you can tell us what happened.”
Crais
started again, “Talyn built up power in the Command Carrier…
After Crais
had delivered his farewell speech, he closed his eyes and told Talyn to
StarBurst.
A calm
settled on his mind. There was a brief surge of panic in Talyn’s mind but then
he became resigned as well. Their minds were as one.
Talyn built
up the power for their last StarBurst. There was a touch of regret for ending
their lives so soon, which was quickly replaced by a deep sense of conviction.
They had had a good run together, and now their last act would benefit the
universe; it was a comforting thought.
They
wouldn’t be alone in their last moments but together, as they had been since
they first joined.
For a moment
they felt the sadness, but also the pride of Moya on the perimeters of their
consciousnesses. Her thoughts were surrounding them both like a warm blanket.
Then Talyn
brought his tailfins together. He wished his mother a safe journey and surged
forwards. The reaction was involuntary and they felt resistance from the hull
of the Command Carrier.
Energy
crackled in Command. Crais could feel the power build, could feel the sense of
confinement as the Hangar Bay hemmed them in, as the tendrils of Talyn’s energy
touched the walls. It felt oppressive. Talyn moved forward.
Crais knew
that the energy would not be released, and braced for the pain that was to
come. He only hoped the end would be swift.
The interior
walls of the Hangar Bay were already collapsing around them. Nothing, no one,
no thing inside that Hangar Bay itself stood a chance of survival. By Crais’
estimate, the rest of the Command Carrier would slowly start breaking down once
the hull integrity of the Carrier was breached, the damage continuing to
accelerate until the final moments. But
most of the rest on board the carrier would still have a chance to escape.
Crais
smiled, despite the situation. There would be enough time to escape for many
Peacekeepers and anyone else on board, but there would never be enough time,
power or even inclination to send messages, and most importantly, data files
from the Wormhole project. Even downloading a project of that magnitude would
require time, time they no longer had.
The pressure
of the energy and the resistance inside the Hangar Bay continued to be felt
more and more strongly. Crais leaned on the navigation-console when the
pressure settled on his chest and nearly brought him to his knees. Talyn cried
out in pain. The power build-up caused some of his systems to go into overload.
Wires and conduits tore lose from the interior. Crais could feel nerves snap
inside him/Talyn. Crais could feel Talyn’s consciousness waver and he almost
lost control himself. They had accepted the theoretical possibility but had not
fully comprehended that reality would be this painful.
Then, to
their surprise and relief, they could feel themselves break free!
Talyn had
broken through the closed doors in the aft section.
There was a
sharp pain as the jagged edges of the Hangar Bay ripped into one of Talyn’s
tailfins, severing that part. Crais hung unto the console as he felt his leg go
numb. It became difficult to control Talyn. More gashes appeared on the top of
his hull. Crais held on for both of them. He spared a silent thought for the
lifeless bodies he could see drifting past Talyn as they were sucked into the
vacuum of space. Then space opened wide in front of them.
Their relief
proved to be short-lived as they watched
the maw of the Wormhole gaping open in front of them. The suction of the
closing Wormhole was tremendous. There was no escape for them; they lacked the
strength to do so. Talyn panicked and tried to steer clear but with the ripped
off tailfin, manoeuvrability and some control had been lost. They tumbled
straight into the Wormhole.
Rather than
slow down, Crais urged Talyn to maintain their speed
Crais could
feel Talyn’s concentration slipping, and his own was wavering too.
Talyn
bounced off the walls of the corridors of the Wormhole.
Somehow
Crais had expected the walls to be insubstantial but now found that they
weren’t.
He switched
to manual override and steered them through as best he could.
The lights
moved past them at fluctuating speeds.
Their own
erratic movements, due to the loss of Talyn’s tailfin, made them flit past and
through offshoot corridors.
Crais could
feel how the ride damaged Talyn even further. As Talyn screamed in pain, Crais
hung on to a tenuous control. He realised that should he let go, they either
weren’t going to make it at all, or they would be lost forever.
They had no
idea how long the ride lasted or how far they had been dragged along.
Microns...half an arn…?
Talyn lost
consciousness.
Crais was
close to losing his when he saw the end of the corridor, or at least one of the
corridors. He didn’t know where they would exit and just hoped it would not be
into the middle of Peacekeepers. Whatever they found on the other side, he knew
they couldn’t continue to traverse the corridors for much longer if they hoped
to survive.
He steered
towards it and just before they shot through, he hit the brakes. Then he
slumped to the deck, unconscious.
Their
momentum dragged them through the open maw.
Crais rested
his head on the pillow once more. He breathed deeply, gathering his strength,
before finally asking in a hoarse voice, “Did everyone make it out? Have…have
we succeeded in destroying the wormhole technology on the Command Carrier?” his
face was pale with fatigue and he struggled just to stay conscious.
For a moment
Aeryn was tempted to remain silent so that Crais might rest for a while before
she broke the news about the new situation. But Crais needed to know; she could
tell that by the way he fought to cling to awareness, from the tension on his
face, and the way his fists gripped the sheets. Well, maybe not the full truth yet.
She laid a
comforting hand on his shoulder, “Yes, Crais, we all made it through, and the
wormhole technology is safe. We destroyed the Command Carrier completely. You
rest now, we will talk later.”
Crais
relaxed under her touch and drifted off to sleep.
Crichton
looked down at Crais’ sleeping form, “I guess it will be time enough later to
tell him how much time has passed.”
Aeryn
nodded, “He’s under enough stress as it is.”
Crais slept
for a full solar day.
In that
time, Moya had finished feeding Talyn the nutrients he needed most critically
and the youngster had even regained consciousness. His main concern when he
first woke up had been for Crais and, like Crais, his second thought had been
for the safety of the others, and the destruction of the wormhole technology.
Moya was
glad that she could settle his mind on all counts.
She was
pleased to notice that Talyn was calmer now. His mind showed deep concern for
Crais, which was to be expected, but the old underlying anxiety that had always
haunted him seemed to be absent now.
He was in a
great deal of pain due to the ripped-off tailfin, and withdrew in order not to burden his mother or her Pilot with
it too much.
Moya was
concerned about her son and asked Pilot to scan for possible locations where
they could find more expert help for him.
Crais woke
up. His pain had only diminished a little, and his vision was still blurry, but
at least he could sense Talyn’s presence again, and he soon relaxed.
~Crais, you
are awake!~ Talyn still sounded very sluggish, but he was also clearly happy to
have Crais’ presence again in his mind.
“Yes, Talyn,
I am. How are you?”
~I am…fine~
Crais
smiled; he recognised that Talyn was using one of his own phrases. It also
meant that Talyn wasn’t feeling very well after all. He opened his mind to
determine Talyn’s state of health and could feel how Talyn was blocking this.
“That bad, my friend?” he asked gently.
~About as
bad as your condition, Crais. Moya and Pilot are looking for locations that
particularly need repair. I… We should
be feeling much better then~
“I agree,
Talyn,” conceded Crais.
For a moment
there was a comfortable silence, then Crais said, “ You have been very brave
and courageous, Talyn.”
~It was the
only solution~
“Still, not
many warriors have faced death so bravely as you have done. I’m very proud of
you.”
Talyn was
very pleased with the praise and couldn’t hide it.
“And so you
should be,” said Crais.
“He should
be what,” asked Aeryn from his right-hand side.
Crais had
not noticed that she had walked in.
Crais turned
his head towards her voice, “Talyn should be proud of what he has done.”
Aeryn
smiled, “You are right. So he should be. We are in his debt. Will you tell
him?”
“He already
knows,” said Crais with a smile, “and it pleases him, even though he insists
that it was the only course open to us.”
“As does a
certain Captain we know,” said Aeryn, the smile never leaving her face. “How
are you feeling?”
“Better,”
replied Crais.
She ran the
scanner over him and looked worriedly at the readings, “You might think you
are, but this scanner disagrees with you.”
“I didn’t
say I was healed, I only said I felt better. There is no lie in that,” replied
Crais calmly.
“Still
trying to be evasive, Crais?”
He closed
his eyes.
She wondered
if she should tell him now; he would know soon enough, “Crais, there is
something I have to tell you.”
He opened
his eyes again.
Aeryn sat on
the chair next to the bed and leaned towards him, “You might find it difficult
to believe.”
Crais stayed
silent.
She took a
deep breath, “When you went through the Wormhole, you were, somehow…don’t ask
me how…moved into the future.”
Crais’ jaws
clenched, “How far?”
“A full
cycle.”
Crais closed
his eyes for a brief moment. His voice was soft, “That was one of the
possibilities I believed the corridor, or should I now say corridors, to be
capable of. I just had hoped otherwise.”
She looked
at him in surprise and worry, “You don’t sound surprised.”
“In the
unlikely event we survived, it was one conceivable outcome.” He rested his head
on the pillow, “I will rest some more.”
Aeryn stood
up; she knew a dismissal when she heard one, “You rest some more, Crais.”
Talyn waited
until she had left the room ~A whole cycle?~
“Apparently
so, Talyn.”
~What
happened in that cycle?~
“I don’t
know, Talyn. We will find out after we have rested some more.”
~I will ask
Moya~
Crais had
already drifted off to sleep again.
Moya filled
her son in on the missing cycle but was reluctant to tell him about Scorpius’
stay on board.
Talyn picked
up on the missing information ~There is something you are keeping from me~
~Only things
that are not relevant~
~No, you
think I might get upset about whatever it is that you are not telling me~
~Then I will
tell you when you are stronger~
For a moment
it looked as if Talyn’s temper was going to flare up but he settled down ~Very
well, when I am stronger~
Crais and
Talyn slept for another entire solar day.
When Crais
woke up, he was alone in Medical. He sat up and winced as his injuries
protested the sudden movement. He could feel them healing, could feel Talyn
healing. They just had to be patient.
He had the
urge to go to the refresher; his bladder was full and he needed relief.
He swung his
legs over the side of the bed, then closed his eyes as the room began to spin
in front of them.
He opened
his eyes gingerly and waited for the room to settle. Then he got up, and nearly
went down again. He sat on the edge of the bed for a short time, testing his
limbs. His right leg was numb; he had no feeling in it. For a few moments,
anxiety began to build up. Then he remembered what they had said about Talyn’s
injuries and his missing tailfin. This must be a side effect of the link.
He wondered
how he would get to the refresher. He couldn’t put any weight on his leg and he
knew he wasn’t strong enough to hop that far on one leg either. Suddenly the
pressure on his bladder seemed even worse.
He looked at
the chair near the bed. If he could reach that, he might be able to use it as a
crutch. He lurched for it and almost made it, but then he suddenly crashed to
the deck, taking the chair with him. He slowly pushed himself up from the deck,
catching his breath, furious with himself for being this weak.
He was about
to start the humiliating crawl to the refresher when Crichton’s voice reached
him, “Attacking chairs now, Crais?” Crais hung his head.
Crichton was
next to him, helping him up. He moved him over to the bed.
“No,” Crais
said with a scowl.
“You need to
rest, Crais.”
“No,” more
forcefully, “I need to go to the refresher!”
“You don’t
smell that bad and the trimming of your beard can wait for a little while
longer.”
Feeling weak
always made Crais grumpier, “I need to relieve myself, Crichton!”
“Ah,” said Crichton,
realisation dawning, “Let me help you.”
Silently
Crais accepted his assistance and was glad when Crichton waited outside while
he relieved himself. It made him feel at least a little better. He accepted
Crichton’s help again in getting back to the bed.
When Crais
was settled down once more, Crichton asked him how he felt.
“Better. At
least I can see reasonably clearly again.”
“Still not
perfect 20/20?”
Crais looked
at him in confusion.
“Perfect
sight,” Crichton explained.
Crais shook
his head, “Still a little blurry, but it will be better.”
“Sure,
Crais. How are the rest of your injuries?”
“My leg is
numb, I guess that it is because of Talyn. The wounds on my back seem to be
closing and my insides are mending. I should be up and about soon.”
“Right you
are, Superman.”
Crais
thought it best not to ask after those strange Erp-names; now more than ever,
he didn’t feel up to it.
He tried
closing his eyes.
“Hey,
Crais!”
Wearily
Crais opened his eyes again, “Yes, Crichton?”
“I thought
you said you couldn’t StarBurst out of the Command Carrier?”
“We were
lucky, we shouldn’t have been able to,” he replied tiredly.
“Sure you
didn’t calculate that into the equation?”
“Crichton,
Talyn and I did not expect to survive. We were resigned to it.”
“But you
did.”
“Yes,” Crais
sighed, “We did.”
“Sure you…”
“Crichton…I
am trying to rest!”
“Sure.”
Crichton
stayed silent while Crais closed his eyes again. But he opened them once more
when he felt Crichton still watching him. He looked at the Human with
sleep-filled eyes.
“I don’t get
it, Crais. Why would a man like you risk dying?”
“There was
no other option.”
“That’s what
you said, yet you are here.”
“As I said
before…”
“Yeah, yeah,
you didn’t expect to survive, I heard you. But you must have thought that there
was a chance.” Crichton looked at him with suspicion.
Crais
sighed, “No, Crichton, I didn’t, and neither did Talyn.”
“Are you
sure?”
Crais grew
annoyed, “No, we didn’t! Maybe it was Talyn’s unique physiology, maybe it was
luck, I don’t know. All I know is that we did survive, barely.”
“Yeah, it
was lucky that we found you.”
“We are
indebted. Although I take it that you
regret every microt of it,” said Crais with a sneer.
Crichton
smiled, “Now I know you’re getting better, now that your scowl is back.”
Crais closed
his eyes and ignored the other man. Crichton left the room.
Aeryn
dropped by later in the day. “How’re you feeling Crais?” she asked when she saw
he was awake. She ran the scanner over him.
“You are in
a better position to tell than I am,” answered Crais.
“Well, you
are healing. We can’t do much for your leg. I guess it will mend as Talyn’s
tailfin heals too. The same goes for the gashes on your back. The nerves inside
your body are frelled and need time to heal. Overall, you keep taking your
rest, and you should be all right eventually.”
Crais let
out a deep rumble of relief, “I have had worse diagnoses explained to me.”
Aeryn put
the scanner down, “What are you going to do now?”
Crais raised
an eyebrow, “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far.”
She laid a comforting
hand on his shoulder, “You don’t have to decide immediately.”
Crais said
thoughtfully, “It is doubtful that we could leave immediately if we wanted to.
Talyn can’t manoeuvre sufficiently with his tailfin missing. He will likely
need Moya’s guidance for a while. He needs sufficient time to heal, and without
guns he has no means to defend himself. He doesn’t have the energy for
StarBurst either.”
“And what
about you, Crais,” she asked gently.
Crais was
surprised by her tone of voice, “I will go back to Talyn as soon as possible.
He needs me.”
“You need to
heal too.”
“I
will…soon.”
”You can stay here in the mean time.”
Crais shook
his head, “There is no place here for me on Moya.”
“Don’t be
such a frellnik. Of course there is!”
“Is there,
Aeryn?”
Two days
later, Crais was able to move about without any other support then the crutches
they had made for him. Any exertion still left him quite breathless, and the
others had taken to avoiding him whenever they saw him struggling to get
around. His mood swung from being annoyed with himself to being grumpy with the
others as he was still trying to catch his breath.
He let his
beard grow on his jaw line too, to hide the small scar right on the edge. All
other obvious outward injuries seemed to have healed. Only his haggard face and
sunken cheeks spoke of pain-filled, sleepless nights, although he steadfastly
refused to own up to them.
Aeryn knew
better. Regular checks showed that he wasn’t healing as fast as he should be,
and she wondered why.
Aeryn, John
and Ka D’Argo had been busy repairing most of Talyn’s wires and conduits, but
it seemed that Talyn had the same problems as Crais. His self-repair mechanism
seemed to be somehow lacking. Bringing DRDs over from Moya had not helped solve
the problem any more quickly.
“I have to
go over to Talyn,” said Crais on the fifth day.
“Crais, you
are not up to it, and neither is Talyn,” said Aeryn, “His wires are still all
over the place. It almost looks as if new problems arise the microt we fix any
of the old ones.”
“Talyn needs
me,” said Crais stubbornly, “I can’t just lie here.”
“You are not
just ‘lying here”, you are resting and healing, just as Talyn is.”
Crais shook
his head, “We are not.”
Crichton
turned around, “Crais, Aeryn is right. You need to heal first.”
Crais flared
his nostrils and looked at him in annoyance, “I have to go to Talyn. With or
without your help.”
Crichton
took a deep breath, “All right, if that will make you happy and put a smile on
your face, and if you promise to stop biting our heads off…”
Crais
growled deeply. But whether he admitted
aloud it or not, he saw the truth in that.
Aeryn and
Crichton took him to Talyn.
When Crais
stepped onto the deck, they saw him wince in pain as he viewed the ravages
still evident all over Talyn. His grip on the crutches turned almost white with
suppressed anger and grief for his friend. They feared that he might collapse
on the deck.
They moved
to the Command Centre. Crais was careful to dodge the wires and cables that
still seemed to sizzle in the corridors. He walked with dogged determination as
he silently communicated with Talyn. Both tried to suppress the pain that
seeped through the link. They were happy to be reunited but at the same time,
the renewed close link was clearly putting a great strain on them.
They reached
Command.
Aeryn looked
worriedly at Crais.
The short
walk through the corridors seemed to have drained most of his energy, and his
steps were faltering. She wasn’t sure whether it had been such a good idea to
bring him over to Talyn.
Crais
hobbled over to the console and while leaning against it, he placed the
crutches on the top. He began activating consoles, but almost immediately
sparks were flying everywhere. Had Crichton not caught him when he
involuntarily moved back, he would have crashed to the deck.
When Crais
turned his face towards them, he almost seemed lost. Sadness, hurt and
confusion danced over his features.
“Crais,
there just isn’t much you can do at the moment. Come back with us to Moya.
Talyn and you both need time to heal,” Aeryn coaxed him gently. Crichton was
surprised at the gentleness in her voice.
Crais shook
his head, “I need to be here, with Talyn. We will heal together.” He took the
crutches from the top of the console and moved to the recliner.
Crichton
sighed. The man could be so…stubborn! Couldn’t he see that his exertions
weren’t doing either him or Talyn any good? “Crais, Aeryn is right. Come back
to Moya.”
Crais lay
down on the recliner, “No, I will stay here.”
Crichton
rolled his eyes in exasperation at Aeryn, “Do you know…I haven’t missed his
annoying little habits, and most definitely not his stubbornness.”
Aeryn turned
to Crais but found that he had closed his eyes and seemed to be resting. She
took Crichton’s arm, “Come on, we can let Pilot and Moya keep an eye on them.”
She filled a
container of water for Crais and placed that next to the recliner before they
left.
Crais did
not appear for evening repast nor did he appear for breakfast.
Aeryn walked
into Pilot’s Den and asked worriedly, “How are they doing, Pilot?”
“Moya and I
can’t be sure,” said Pilot, “but Crais and Talyn being reunited seems to have
had beneficial effects for both of them. We won’t know for certain for a while,
but the healing does finally seem to be progressing.”
Aeryn raised
an eyebrow but before she could question Pilot further, Crichton joined them.
“Hey, Pilot,
while you are looking for a planet where we can get help to fix Talyn, do we
still have time to go down to this planet and get some extra supplies?”
“Yes,
Commander, there is still enough time,” replied Pilot calmly.
“You want to
come down with me, Aeryn?”
“Why, John?”
“To get the
Christmas stuff, of course,” Crichton gave her a big grin.
Aeryn
smiled. She saw the joy on Crichton’s face; how could she deny him? “Of course
I’ll come. Maybe some of the others might want to come down too.”
“I already
asked and they’re all coming along.”
“But this
time…no tree!”
“All right,
no tree.”
Neither
noticed the look of relief on Pilot’s face.
Everyone
returned in a good mood and they were carrying small boxes and sacks with them.
The strange Erp-custom seemed to be lifting everyone’s spirits and Pilot could
see them scuttle to their rooms or, if they shared, to empty rooms to prepare
their presents once they had finished bringing the food and other supplies to
the galley.
Pilot was
happy with the hustle and bustle on Moya and left them all to their privacy.
Pilot looked
in on Crais and Talyn. They seemed to be doing nothing more than resting, but
through his link with Moya, Pilot could feel how the pair were busy repairing
Talyn.
Moya’s DRDs
now moved with purpose over Talyn’s surfaces, their repairs coordinated,
guided. Pilot and Moya could feel how Crais’ and Talyn’s presence “moved”
through the conduits, cables and wires while the little DRDs, existing in the
real world, made repairs as ordered and instructed.
Although
Crais and Talyn’s minds worked swiftly, dividing the tasks, guiding the DRDs,
merging their efforts where needed (and more quickly than any normal biped Tech
could do) the task was still arduous, painstaking and a drain on both
participants.
Aeryn and
Crichton had dropped in after their foray to the planet to see how Crais was
doing.
Crais had
hardly acknowledged their presence, not wanting to break his concentration on the
repairs.
Aeryn had
brought the portable scanner. Crais’ bio-readings seemed to be low, but his
injuries also seemed to be healing better than they had when he was still on
Moya.
Although she
noticed that he had hardly touched the water, she still refreshed the supply
silently.
They left
him and returned to Moya to start the preparations for Christmas. There were
still two days to go.
The night
before Christmas, Crichton and Aeryn went over to Talyn to pick up Crais.
They were
surprised to find him awake.
Aeryn had
brought some stew and light refreshment.
“Hey, Crais,
how are you feeling?” asked Crichton jovially.
“I’m fine,
Crichton,” he answered in a raspy voice.
“And Wonder
boy?”
“Talyn feels
much better now.”
Crichton let
it go; he was almost getting used to Crais’ fragments of information. His
response might have meant anything from “We’re barely alive” to “We’re ready to
StarBurst in five microts”.
Aeryn moved
over to the recliner, “Ready to go to Moya, Crais?” She helped him to sit up
and eat.
He was very
pale and his cheeks had filled up, more with beard than just stubble now;
strangely enough, it transformed his whole face. If Crais ever needed a good
disguise, this was it.
Aeryn had
noticed how his hand shook as he brought the food to his mouth. Silently she
took the utensils from him and fed him. Crais ate slowly. He rejected the
second plate but readily accepted the glass of cool water
Crais lay
back, “No, I will not be going to Moya. There is still too much to repair on
Talyn.”
Crichton
grinned, “No…we’re not ‘asking’ you to come. You ARE coming to Moya. There will
be no discussion on this. You need a break.”
“My breaks
have already mended, Crichton, I do not need any more.”
Crichton
looked at him with the beginnings of a scowl, but that changed as soon as he
saw the flicker of amusement pass briefly over Crais’ features. He grinned,
“Starting to understand my Earth-expressions, Crais?”
Crais
nodded.
“Then you
are coming with us to Moya?”
Crais shook
his head, “I was serious when I said that Talyn was in need of further repair.”
“And we were
being serious when we said you are coming with us to Moya. The scanner shows
that your bio-readings are still dangerously low. You have only eaten a few
mouthfuls in the last couple of days; that probably goes for drink too. You
need the nourishment. I don’t think you have moved away from the recliner,
other than maybe to relieve yourself, much less seen the inside of a refresher
since you got here. To be honest, Crais, you look like dren!”
“Are you
quite finished, Crichton?” said Crais in annoyance now.
“Not really.
Get your eema in gear, Crais, we’re taking you back with us.”
Aeryn
stepped closer, “Pilot tells us that Talyn needs a little time to get all his
repaired systems settled and so, apparently, do you. You don’t have to do a
lot. Just come to back to Moya, use the refresher, rest, and let us look after
you for a couple of days.”
A doubtful
expression flitted across Crais’ features.
Crichton
smiled, “Don’t look so suspicious, Crais, there’s nothing to worry about. Just
a couple of days of being looked after by friends. Then you can come back to
Talyn, ready and rarin’ to go again.”
It was
finally Aeryn’s smile that won him over.
Crais rose
from the recliner and used his crutches to follow them to the Hangar Bay.
The wires
and cables, which had seemed so determined two days ago not to be repaired,
were now either cleared and back in Talyn’s bulkhead, or at the very least,
well on their way to being fixed.
“Doing a
nice job here, Crais.”
Crais nodded
curtly. “Still needs Tech repair as well,” he gasped. He stopped speaking until
they reached the pod. It was with obvious relief that he sank down in the seat
behind the Navigation-console. He closed his eyes wearily for the short trip to
Moya.
Crichton
looked with worry at Aeryn but she shook his head and mouthed, “He’ll be fine.”
Crichton
wondered if that was a standard Peacekeeper expression.
They moved
Crais to medical.
By the way
he breathed, they realised that he must have been concentrating fully just on
getting there. At least he sounded a bit better than he had three days ago.
Once there,
Aeryn helped him take his shirt off, and then instructed him to lie face down
on the bed. The gashes on his back were mending and were now closed by a thin
film of skin.
His internal
injuries had begun the healing process, although Aeryn was sure that some would
continue to trouble him from time to time.
His leg was
still numb too, and he had very little feeling in it, even with the healing
tissue. They could see no obvious reason why it should still be numb other than
Pilot’s earlier explanation that it might be an effect of the symbiosis Crais
and Talyn shared.
While Aeryn
was busy with Crais, Crichton had gone to the cell Crais used whenever he
stayed on Moya. He retrieved a set of clothes that had been left behind before
going to the Command Carrier, along with some shaving gear and cleaning oils.
Wondering what fragrances Crais preferred, he let his curiosity get the better
of him, and opened a small container. He took a whiff and smelled…nothing. He
looked at the container again. Yes, standard container, no smell though. Ah,
well, as long as Crais thought it was all right; each to his own.
When he
re-entered medical, Aeryn had just finished with Crais.
“So, how’s
my boy Crais?”
Crais looked
at him in annoyance, “I am all right, Crichton. Still mending, but I should be
all right soon, according to Aeryn.”
Crais sat up
and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
Despite the
show of confidence, Crichton could see how Crais’ arms trembled with the effort
to keep himself upright. He asked, “Need a hand to the refresher?”
“I can
manage by myself,” growled Crais.
“Sure. You
want to shave first?”
Crais
nodded, sat back on the bed and accepted the razor. It was clear that he couldn’t
shave himself, at least not without cutting himself, or maybe even slitting his
own throat.
Crichton
looked at Crais, “You trust me enough to let me shave you? I promise, I will
not touch the spots underneath your mouth; don’t want to muck up the shape.”
There was a
brief moment’s hesitation but then Crais passed the razor over to Crichton.
Crichton was
surprised that Crais trusted him that much. Or was it his overwhelming need to
look good and in command? He looked at the razor, “Crais, tell me, how is it
that in a universe which has all but eradicated disease, you still use a razor
to shave yourself like one my grandfather probably used?”
“I prefer it
that way.”
“Figures.”
He looked at
the beard that had now filled up Crais’ cheeks, “You sure you don’t want to
keep some of that? You look like a pirate now.”
Crais
sighed, “No, I don’t want a full beard.
If you can shave along this line, it will be appreciated.” He motioned
which parts he wanted to be shaved.
“All right,
have it your way. It would make for a good disguise though. I don’t think many
people would recognise you with a full beard.” He set about lathering Crais’
cheeks and neck, and then carefully began to use the razor.
“I’ll think
about it,” said Crais, as Crichton continued to lather him.
When it was
done, Crais ran his hand over the shaven parts; a smile was Crichton’s reward,
“Under the circumstances, well done, Crichton.”
“My
pleasure…I guess,” said Crichton.
Crais
started to undo his clothes.
“What do you
think you are doing, Crais,” asked Crichton, confused.
Crais raised
an eyebrow, “What does it look like, Crichton?”
“You are
undressing yourself!”
“Yes.” Now
there was confusion on Crais’ face, “How else would I use the refresher?”
“But Aeryn…”
“I’m not
using the refresher, Crais is.” She threw him a puzzled frown.
Crais found
it difficult to get his breeches off by himself and Aeryn bent down to help
him.
They came
off easily enough, leaving Crais sitting on the bed naked.
When Aeryn
moved forward to help him up, it was just too much for Crichton and he stepped
forward. “Aeryn, out!” he ordered her.
Her brows
knitted dangerously over the bridge of her nose, “I don’t take orders.”
It dawned on
Crais, then, and he turned to Aeryn, “Crichton has different outlooks on
things, Aeryn. If he’s willing to help me get under the refresher and then
dressed again, it might be wiser for you to leave for the moment, to keep the
peace. I assume his kind is not used to seeing each other in a state of undress
without thinking recreational thoughts…Am I right in assuming that, Crichton?”
he turned to watch Crichton.
“Well…”
Crais
continued, “As soldiers, we are used to this. It would be counterproductive
were we not able to look on each other without thoughts of that nature.”
Aeryn had
crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the two men. Now that Crichton
had pointed out Crais’ state of undress, she began to take a different
interest.
Crais was
quite powerfully built. Deep chested, flat abdomen, broad shoulders. His muscle
tone wasn’t highly defined but she could see the taut skin over his muscles,
not one iota of fat…not a man to be trifled with. His hairless chest, almost a
golden tan, only enhanced the impression of power.
Her eyes
moved downward and she couldn’t suppress a small murmur of pleasure. No wonder he was so sought after on the
Carrier. The rumours were true; he was well endowed, even, as now, when he was
at rest.
Crichton had
taken that moment to turn back to Aeryn and saw the look of delight that
flitted across her face. A quick glance over at Crais and he immediately
understood why. A twinge of envy entered his thoughts.
Crais looked
at them calmly, but gave a mental sigh.
Crichton
tried to manoeuvre himself in front of Crais, blocking Aeryn’s view.
She now
played the game to the hilt, much to Crais’ embarrassment, trying to catch a
glimpse of the seated man.
“Aeryn,”
Crichton asked in a plaintive voice, “Could you leave the room?”
She smiled
provocatively, “I can understand how Erp-people can be so easily distracted,
especially if the sight is so becoming.”
Crais
crossed his left leg over his right, while Crichton looked aggrieved.
With an
open-throated laugh, she left the room.
After this
exchange, it surprised Crais that Crichton handled him gently in getting him
into the refresher, helping him to wash up, and then finally getting him
dressed.
Crichton
left him to his rest.
Shortly
after that, Chiana bounced happily into the room and sat on the edge of his
bed. Her face was aglow with excitement, “Looking forward to it, Crais?”
Crais looked
at her in puzzlement, “Looking forward to what, Chiana?”
She looked
guilty, “Oops. See you later…uhm…I forgot something.”
Before Crais
could ask further, she had dashed out of the room.
He wondered
what she had meant, “Pilot, is there something planned that I have to ‘look
forward’ to?”
“Something
is planned, but I have strict instructions to keep it a surprise from you.”
“Pilot, I
don’t like surprises.” The scowl was immediately evident in Crais’ voice.
“Sorry, but
I cannot enlighten you, Captain.”
Crais asked
Talyn but Talyn was kept as much in the dark as he was.
Crais
scowled one last time. He lay back; but he was still so weary that he fell
asleep almost instantly.
Crichton
peeked around the door into Medical. A grin spread across his face as he found
Crais so thoroughly deep in slumber. He pulled back into the corridor and asked
softly, “Pilot, how deeply is he sleeping?”
“I can not
be sure, Commander, but I think his sleep is very deep. Is there something
wrong?”
“Nope, not
at all,” Crichton grinned broadly.
Crichton
looked at the others behind him and nodded.
Silently,
but with grinning faces, they crept into the room, where they busied themselves
for the next twenty microns decorating the room with colourful streamers and
cloths in white and green. They moved silently as not to awaken Crais
prematurely.
When one of
the streamers Rygel was hanging from the ceiling threatened to brush Crais’
sleeping form, Chiana dived forward and caught it in time. Everyone breathed a
sigh of relief and continued working.
Finally,
they were done and they looked around with great satisfaction. Medical had been
transformed into a very colourful room.
They
gathered around the bed and looked at the sleeping form of Crais.
It wasn’t
long before Crais stirred.
His sixth
sense, or whatever it was that normally made him aware when something wasn’t as
it should be, finally kicked in, and slowly his eyes opened.
For a brief
moment his eyes opened and closed, not fully comprehending what he was seeing.
His eyes
then opened wide in panic as he saw all the colours around, while the others
called out “Surprise!” simultaneously.
Crais sat up
bolt upright in the bed, his heart hammering in his chest. “What’s the meaning
of this?” His arms trembled with the strain of keeping himself upright.
“Merry
Christmas, Crais!”
The panic
didn’t leave Crais’ face, it only seemed to be enhanced by that remark.
Memories of burning trees flooded his mind, and of a stomach that had felt too
full for days.
Crichton
grinned, “Don’t look so panicky, Crais. Nothing bad is going to happen this
time. We didn’t even get a tree;
therefore, voila, the streamers.”
Crais
relaxed only marginally. He remembered the prerequisite of the festival and
disguised his panic by pointing this out, “I don’t have any presents.”
Crichton
grinned, the others started grinning too; it made Crais uncomfortable.
“No need to
worry about that,” said Crichton, “Are you ready to get up and join us?”
Crais’ first
instinct was to lie down again and feign weakness, but then they would probably
hold it here in Medical. Or perhaps he should flee from Moya entirely and
return to Talyn. Instead, he reluctantly nodded and got up. At least they let
him make his own way to the Observation Deck.
To Crais’
relief, there was no tree, no burning candles.
The table
was already laid. A huge cooked bird rested on the table and a huge stack of
presents was piled to one side. Crichton directed Crais to a chair near it.
Crais sat
down carefully. He threw a quick glance at the tags. Someone had written the
names in Sebacean, probably Aeryn. Despite himself, he smiled.
When all
were seated, Crichton turned to Crais, “Crais, once again you are appointed to
be Santa’s helper. We didn’t think you would ever be with us again.” Crichton
looked around the table and saw the nodding heads, then turned back to Crais,
“I think I speak for all of us when I tell you what a pleasant surprise it is
that you can join us again.”
Crais looked
around the table. He had expected to see sneering faces after Crichton’s remark
and was surprised when he saw none. He was embarrassed when he didn’t see the
expected hostility, “Uhm…yes…I had not expected to celebrate this with you
again. Are you sure you want me to hand out the presents? I…”
“Oh, Crais,
get on with it. We want to open the presents,” Chiana said excitedly. “Let’s
save the serious talk for later.”
Crais read
off the names and passed the presents along.
He was not
surprised that as the pile dwindled down, he had not come across any that had
his own name on it. After all, they could not have expected him to turn up.
Finally the
pile was gone, and everyone seemed happy with his or her presents. Discarded
cloths and paper were littering the table.
Crichton
cleared the table, and took it to a part of the room behind Crais.
No one was
paying any attention to Crais.
Crais looked
at the empty space in front of him, his hands placed gently on top of one
another. Although he told himself that he had not expected to get any presents,
he now felt strangely left out. It was an odd sensation.
Crichton
stood behind him and the others looked up. Crais began to wonder what was
happening behind his back as he noticed their smiling faces. He was about to
turn around, when Crichton said, “Crais, I want you to close your eyes.”
Crais frowned,
“Why Crichton?” Panic began to well up in him.
“Just do it,
Crais. You’ll like it, I promise…and no peeking until I tell you to open your
eyes.”
Reluctantly
Crais closed his eyes; he could hear Crichton put something on the table. He
resisted the urge to open his eyes, but his body began to tense up.
Crichton
stood next to Crais and let the suspense linger for just a little bit longer.
The entire
room was silent now as everyone looked in anticipation at Crichton and Crais.
Little
twitches on Crais’ deceptively calm face showed that he was becoming more and
more uncomfortable with the silence.
Crichton
finally grinned and ended Crais’ torture, “Okay, Crais, you can open your eyes
now.”
Crais opened
his eyes and was surprised to find another stack of presents in front of him.
He turned to Crichton, “What…”
“Just read
the tags, Crais,” Crichton’s grin broadened.
Crais turned
back and did as he was told. He received another surprise; all the presents had
his name on it. He looked at the presents in confusion, “I don’t understand…”
“Just open
your presents,” Chiana nearly jumped up from her chair wriggled impatiently.
“Yeah, just open your presents, Crais.”
As Crais
opened his presents, he noticed that his hands were shaking slightly.
Most had a
variety of clothes in them. Shirts, undershirts, breeches, a new tunic, socks,
all in his preferred colour, black. But there were also scenting oils and a
pouch with baubles and credits.
He looked up
and saw the grinning faces around the table. There was a catch in his voice,
“Thank you. I don’t know what to say. I… (he swallowed once to ease the dryness
in his throat) I…” Unfamiliar emotions began to overwhelm him and the weakness
of his body made him sway in his chair, all colour drained from his face.
Crichton
moved forward to steady him, “Whoa, Craisyboy, don’t faint on us.”
Crais
brought himself under control, “I have nothing to give to you. It is…”
Crichton
grinned, “Nothing to give us? Crais, you virtually came back from the dead. You
and Talyn gave us the universe with your sacrifice. Moya is happy that her son
didn’t perish. We all thought we’d see you again. Yet, here you are. You didn’t
plan that, did you?”
A frown of
annoyance settled over the bridge of Crais’ nose, “Crichton, I told you
before…”
Crichton
grinned, “I know, and we accept that. Now, will you accept your gifts, just
like we’ve accepted yours and Talyn’s?”
After a
small pause, Crais nodded.
“Good! Now
let’s eat.”
After
dinner, Aeryn came over to sit with Crais. She had noticed that he still hadn’t
even finished his first plate, “Food all right?”
Crais nodded
as he pushed the plate away. “Just not very hungry.”
“Not to
worry. There will still be plenty left if you want to eat some more later.”
Silence.
“Missed your
show of carving the bird, though.”
“I couldn’t
have done it credit,” replied Crais and lifted his hands off the table; there
was still a tremor in them.
She placed
her hand over his, “Don’t worry, you’ll get your strength back. Will you stay
with us for a while?
Crais
sighed, “I don’t seem to have much of a choice. Talyn needs Moya to help him
recover, and to travel. We had discussed StarBurst during repairs. Moya will
tuck him in close when she StarBursts, and he will ride on her drag. He’s not
very…comfortable with the thought. I will stay on board Talyn as we go through
StarBurst.”
“It is
understandable. His last StarBurst caused him a lot of pain…and you too.”
“I’ll
manage. I have been wounded on campaigns before.”
“But never
to this extent.”
Crais smiled
wryly, “Once to this extent.”
She looked
at him in surprise and with a little admiration, “I didn’t know.”
“Even Tauvo
didn’t know.”
She looked
at her hands on the table, “So, you will stay?”
Crais
nodded.
“Good.”
They sat
together a little while longer, enjoying a comfortable silence.
The
conversations were amicable all around, as Crichton jumped up and announced,
“Lets sing!” He looked over at Crais.
Crais
swallowed, “I’m sorry, Crichton, but I don’t think I would do justice to your
song right now.” He had noticed that during his conversation with Aeryn, he
breath caught now and again. He was tired. His singing would probably end in a
coughing fit.
For a moment
Crichton looked crestfallen. He had hoped that Crais would sing again but when
he looked over at Crais he saw that the man was right. Crais’ face was still
very pale and now he noticed that he could already hear the Captain’s laboured
breathing.
“It’s all
right, Crais, I understand,” he tried to hide his disappointment.
Crichton was
not the only one who tried not to look disappointed, least of all, Crais.
Crais heard
how Talyn wanted to join in too but knew he would have the same problem. Crais
looked up, “I could try.”
Crichton
shook his head, “No, Crais, I appreciate your offer but I don’t want you to
spend longer in Medical because of it.”
Crais
frowned guiltily, aware that his weakness was written on his face as plainly as
the rest of his body reflected it.
Pilot’s
voice broke the uncomfortable silence, “I think I have a solution to the
problem.”
“How’s that,
Pilot?”
“I will let
you know in a micron, Commander.”
Crichton
looked around and saw the same puzzlement on everyone else’s faces.
Suddenly the
sound of Moya’s singing filled the Observation Deck and was joined by Talyn’s.
Crichton turned to Crais, “Did Talyn…”
Crais shook
his head, “No, Talyn is still too weak to…”
Then Crais’
voice was added to the two Leviathans’.
Crichton
looked at Crais, but he wasn’t singing. It was a recording!
A smile
transformed everyone’s faces.
“Silent
night…”
Later, much
later, Crais lay on his bed in Medical. The regenerator was placed once more
over him, to ease some of his discomfort.
He conversed
with Talyn and could feel that the youngster was very happy.
~I’m feeling
much better~
“I know, and
so do I.”
~Strange
that we have to encounter them now, Crais, at this specific time~
“It was most
unexpected, Talyn, but very fortunate.”
~Yes~
There was a
moment of silence.
~Merry
Krsm’s Crais~
“Merry
Krsm’s Talyn.”
The End