Moya, The Bottom of the Water Planet's Ocean
Stark's chant of "no no no no" echoed behind him as he ran through Moya's corridors but there was noone near enough to hear it. He stopped finally in the lower maintenance bay, having run out of room to run. He didn't want to turn back now and it was quiet here, far away from the others.
It wasn't fair, this attack on the Eidelons just as he had finally cleared his head enough to be able to help, to do what Yondalao ought to have been able to do. And even as he thought this, Stark was ashamed of himself. There were people out there dying. The remains of an entire race might be dying above him on the planet's surface and that was far more important. And as long as he was going to be feeling ashamed, running like this was hardly something to be proud of. Hiding wouldn't help anyone. If there were survivors he needed to be up on land with them. He needed to finish what had been started. And he needed to get Yondalao's knowledge out of his head, or at least a large portion of it. He needed to not be hiding in a darkened corner while he could hear his shipmates searching somewhat frantically for him.
"Stark," John said over comms, "I know what you're feeling. You got something in your head that everybody wants. Something that...never should've been there in the first place. I promise you, we'll get it out. We damn well better get it out."
He should be answering them on comms, Stark knew. He should especially answer Crichton who did at least understand having things forced into your head, instead of cowering here in the dark. Of course, knowing this and acting on it were two different things and it might take a few more minutes to work himself up to going back to where he needed to be. The rising water levels and the ominous creaks and groans of Moya as she reacted to the water pressing down on her certainly didn't help Stark's mental state. Luckily, D'Argo entering the maintenance bay saved Stark from having to actually force himself through his panic.
"Stark! Stark!" the Luxan called out, shining his flashlight around the room.
"Hello D'Argo," Stark answered quietly from the corner he had been crouching in.
"I found him," D'Argo commed to the others. "He's in the lower maintenance bay."
"I'm sorry I ran like I did. It was mindless of me."
"Are you okay?"
"Fine actually," Stark answered, eyeing the creaking ceiling warily. "Remarkably fine given the responsibility that now resides within me."
"So it worked? It's inside you?" D'Argo asked, approaching the Banik slowly and carefully, afraid he might run again and not relishing the prospect of having to chase him through the waterlogged ship.
"Yondalao's knowledge," Stark confirmed, repressing an urge to explain that it had been inside him since the moment Yondalao had crossed over and left it there, he just hadn't been able to deal with it or anything else at first because it was simply too overwhelming.
"Stark, we really have to get outta here."
"We're in awfully deep, aren't we D'Argo?" Stark asked.
"Please, Stark. We have to go,"
"Water," Stark stated.
"Yeah," D'Argo said patiently, taking a few more careful steps forward. "There's lots of water."
"More water." No sooner had the words left Stark's mouth than Moya's hull was breached and a geyser of water sent both he and D'Argo flying.
Above them, in his Den, Pilot called out frantically. "Hull breach on the lower tiers where D'Argo and Stark are!" His cries sent Crichton and Chiana running, from opposite directions, towards the bay, calling out the names of their friends.
"Here! Over here," Crichton yelled for Chiana, pointing her towards D'Argo's prone form. "Look after him. Stark! Stark!"
He found the Banik, his masked knocked off, floating face down in the water, his face glowing like a purple beacon. Fishing both Banik and mask out of the water, Crichton held tightly to Stark and held the mask back to his face and he immediately started gasping for air. "Thank you," he managed to say, clutching at Crichton's hand on his mask.
"Your light," Crichton said, still holding the mask to Stark's face as he held him above the water, "it's not your regular brand."
"Eidelon," Stark said, still gasping. "Crichton, I'm not afraid anymore." Stark was somewhat surprised to hear himself say that, still more so to find that it was true. Perhaps nearly drowning had done him some good.
"Hold that thought, cause we're going to the surface," Crichton replied, hauling Stark up to his feet and dragging him out of the maintenance bay.
[I do so love transcripts. We're nearly done. Nearly.]