Back to part one


Crichton and Chiana entered the area that the crew had converted into a recreation room. It held several tables and chairs. Rygel had his games spread out across one table. Zhaan had another covered with thread for tapestries. Aeryn and D'Argo pursued far more destructive hobbies and were forbidden from bringing them here. John had never seen Chiana pursue any hobbies and was curious to see what she would consider entertainment.

She approached a table and did a neat mid-air spin to arrive at a seated position facing Crichton, "So, what d'you wanna do?"

"Well," he said hesitantly, "I thought maybe we could...talk."

"Boring." She said derisively, "Let's play a game."

"A game?" he asked, "What kind of game?"

"One I think you'll like." She said with a smirk.

There was something about her expression that made warning bells go off in John's head, "One that I'd like?"

"Oh, yeah." She said with relish, "I think you'd be perfect at it."

"Perfect?" he asked, his alarm growing steadily.

She hopped off the table and stopped mere inches form him, her breath dropping to a husky whisper, "I think you have way too much on your mind and you need to just relax... and play."

"I don't think..."

"Thinking isn't required." She said heavily, "Only action is necessary."

"I..."

"Am I interrupting?" Zhaan's voice cut in.

Thank God! John thought as he released a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"No." Chiana replied huffily, "You aren't interrupting anything...yet."

"What would have I interrupted?"

John scratched his head self-consciously, "Well, uh... y'see..."

"A game of Nivrin." Chiana blurted.

"Chiana!" Zhaan scolded.

"A game of what?" Crichton asked in confusion.

"Nivrin." Zhaan answered, "It is a game operated by attaching sensors to various parts of one's body in order to detect reflexive action. The participants wear goggles that display various hazards and obstacles. The one that possesses the fastest reaction time wins the bout."

She glared at Chiana, "It is also potentially dangerous if the equipment isn't aligned to the wearer's physiology. Since your species isn't from this part of the galaxy, it is unlikely that the equipment is aligned to your system."

"He looks like a Sabbacean." Chiana protested, "He's probably built like one too."

"There are differences." Zhaan informed her in a firm tone.

"Were you aware of what she was asking?" Zhaan asked Crichton.

"No." he admitted, "I thought she was talking about..." He stopped as he realised that both women were staring at him oddly.

"Uh...that is, I thought she was talking about something simple."

"Such as?" Zhaan asked.

"Such as?" John repeated.

"Yeah," Chiana interjected, "such as?"

"Such as..." his mind reeled, "checkers. Yeah, that's it! Checkers!"

"What the frell are 'checkers'?" Chiana asked disdainfully.

"It's a game." John answered, "You have a board with two differently coloured squares. You place all your pieces one colour and move them forward, keeping them all on that colour. You capture enemy pieces by 'jumping' over them when they get in front of you. You win by capturing all your opponents pieces."

Chiana and Zhaan turned to look at one another. They both wore a stunned expression. They then turned back towards Crichton. John swore inwardly. He didn't think they'd buy it.

"And you thought I'd play that?" Chiana asked scornfully.

"Y'never know." He said with a shrug.

"John," Zhaan spoke firmly, "don't you have other business to attend to?"

"Not really."

"I think you do." Zhaan replied.

"No, I...gah!" he waved his hands in frustration and left.

Chiana started to follow, but Zhaan spoke quickly, "I would not suggest pursuing him."

"And why not?" Chiana asked, turning to face Zhaan with her hands on her hips.

"Crichton has some unfinished business with Aeryn."

"What?!" Chiana snorted, "When's he finally gonna give up on that?"

"When he is ready."

Chiana's eyes rolled so far back it pained Zhaan to watch it, "Please, he's deluded. The sooner he just gives up, the happier he'll be."

"Perhaps he thinks the quest is worth the price of pursuit."

"Yeah, right."

"I pray that you discover something of similar value some day, child. It will change you."

"'M fine the way I am." She huffed defensively.

"Certainly." Zhaan replied, choosing the better part of valour, "But remember, we always have room for change and growth. That process only ends with the coming of death."

"Whatever." Chiana mumbled.

"I suggest you seek amusement elsewhere for now." Zhaan suggested, "And you may wish Crichton luck as he seeks his proper course."

Chiana shrugged and turned away. As she left the room, she muttered under her breath, "Good luck, ya big, dumb matron-freller. You are definitely gonna need it."

Unbeknownst to Chiana, Zhaan had been able to hear her comment. I agree with in spirit, if not in verbiage. Both Aeryn and John will require luck and inner guidance to reach an accord that will satisfy them and our circumstances. I fear it will take a miracle.

*****

Barrad led Ryst to the HQ tent. Inside, his unit's Science Officer, Lt. Brun Skoda, and Ship's Astrogator, Lt. Jarin Gelt, were pouring over several charts. Gelt's situation was nearly as tenuous as Ryst's. He was charged with observing Ryst's progress and filtering those reports to Command without Barrad learning of them.

Ship's Astrogation was a position almost as scorned as a tech's. The post required a keen mind capable of operating dozens of systems, multiple calculations, and very little actual combat. It was an unpopular posting and considered the end of a career. Since this mission relied heavily upon his skills as a cartographer, he was as important to this outing as she.

"That's it." Gelt said happily, "We now have a map outlining Swarm territory."

"Really?" Ryst asked, "Can we pinpoint their homeworld?"

Not quite." Gelt answered, ignoring Barrad's angry glare, "But we can determine that they focus their activities to these eight systems."

"That would coincide with what we've learned." Ryst explained, "They are virtually unknown outside a periphery of seven sectors beyond these systems. They must require elements from those original planets in order to survive."

"That would explain their mercenary behaviour." Skoda added, "They need to venture beyond their home systems in order to acquire food."

"It also lessens the overall population, enabling the food supplies to be stretched further." Ryst theorised excitedly.

"All I want to know," Barrad interrupted, "is can we learn anything more here?"

The other three exchanged glances, then Ryst answered for all, "The only way we can obtain more data at this point is with a live specimen."

"Then our survey is complete." Barrad announced, "Place everything in storage and prepare for our return to the Special Operations Advance Base."

*****

Crichton paced back and forth in his quarters. He wondered what the proper course of action was. It had seemed so clear a few weeks ago, now it was all a jumble. He'd always known that any decisions he made regarding Aeryn would affect the rest of the crew, but he'd never realised how much it affected them until now.

Moya's baby was due any micron. They needed fresh supplies. The Peacekeepers now had a base in the Uncharted Territories and killer bugs had eaten an entire system's worth of their allies. Their troubles were increasing, but no solutions were in sight.

The last thing he needed to do was increase their difficulties by formalising a relationship with Aeryn. He cared deeply for Aeryn, he couldn't deny it. But, he rationalised, I can help her more right now by not saying anything about how I feel. There's no need to confuse things right now.

His decision calmed him. He knew it was the right one. He and Aeryn were friends, nothing more. That's the way things should be.

The problem is, why don't I believe I can live with that?

*****

The Peacekeeper Commander switched off the report from Barrad he had been viewing. A cold smile played across his lips. After living here two cycles, he was anxious for action again. It seemed the greatest action in living history now awaited him.

Captain Larraq's failure to return with the biomemetic virus was troubling, but not crippling. Barrad's report proved that the Swarm could be defeated with conventional weapons, so there was no reason to engage in another search for a similar viral agent. Lt. Rhian's capture of the Poolquens would soon yield the fruits of their "slide" technology. That would give the Peacekeepers an advantage that the Swarm could not hope to match.

Although their goals would most easily be accomplished by infecting the race with an engineered biomemetic virus, there were other ways to subdue a foe. Those ways were proven by centuries of success. Soon and very soon, Peacekeeper Command would have a very deadly weapon in its arsenal. A living weapon known as the Swarm.

Feedback