Fic: Perches in the Soul
I wrote this story for the Terra Firma Beach Bash currently going on. The theme for the fanfic challenge was hope. I wasn't going to enter, then I found this poem by Emily Dickenson and it fit with my notion of what happened between Fractures and IYYY.
Title: Perches in the Soul
Rating: PG
Setting/Spoilers: Filler set between Fractures and IYYY.
Word Count: 1104
Disclaimer: I don't own Farscape or it's characters, the Jim Henson Co. does. I'm just having some fun.
Summary: Hope never ends.
Perches in the Soul
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
And sings the tune
Without the words
and never stops at all.
(Emily Dickenson)
~ * ~ * ~
John walked into the center chamber and, though the knots in his stomach had killed what little appetite he had, he knew he had to eat.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
All eyes but hers followed him as he crossed the room. No one spoke but tension filled the room just as well.
Jool sat nearest the entrance, eating quietly. Her hair was still crimson; she said it might never change again, something about continuous stress causing permanent damage.
Ain’t that the truth?
Chiana and D’Argo sat further in, each nursing a drink. He could use one-more like a dozen-the desire to drink himself into a stupor a constant presence, but he’d sworn off the stuff. He needed his head clear; his heart would just have to deal.
Rygel had his typical pile on a plate and was busy eating. The Dominar was the poster child for taking care of one’s self first. Which reminded him of why he’d come to the Center Chamber. Fuel the body.
He opened the refrigeration unit and placed a small amount of food cubes on a plate. Aeryn, sitting in the far corner by herself with an empty plate lying on the table in front of her, looked up him as he grabbed a carafe of water. His stomach leapt and twisted in further knots-at her pain and his impotence to provide her anything but more of the same.
What the hell was he thinking?
Aeryn broke their gaze, eyes downcast, and John somehow made it to the table before he collapsed into the seat next to D’Argo. He picked up the first food cube and eyed it skeptically, trying to muster the will to eat it.
Before he could take a bite, Crais entered the chamber and stood stiffly until he had everyone’s attention. “I have news. Talyn has located Scorpius’ Command Carrier.”
Chiana and Jool stood up and began talking at once.
“Already!” Jool said, panicked. “They must be close. We’ll be discovered before…”
“You contacted them?!” Chiana asked, equally shaken. “How could you contact them before…before we even…”
Crais raised his hands to quiet them, “I did not contact them and yes, the Command Carrier is relatively near our location. But, if I may point out…”
“We…we gotta StarBurst immediately.” Chiana interjected.
“As loathe as I am to agree, Chiana’s right.”
John dropped the food cube back onto the plate and pushed himself to his feet. “Relax. They’re not looking for us. We would have known before now if they were.”
“Talyn has surveillance capabilities that did not put our location at risk,” Crais added. “We are fortunate that the Carrier was located so quickly.”
“Fortunate? Only if you have a death wish. The Peacekeepers will simply kill you. It’s what they do,” Jool said. “And I for one do not have the stomach to listen to you plan your own deaths.” With that, she marched out of the Chamber.
Chiana turned her gaze at him, her head cocked to the side, her eyes wide and intent. “Do you? Do you have a death wish?”
He had a lot of wishes: galactic freedom and peace, palatable food cubes, a new captain for Talyn, but mostly he wished he had whatever it was that could bind up Aeryn’s broken heart. He certainly didn’t wish for what was most likely going to be a one way ticket to Scorpy’s lair with Aeryn and Crais.
With Aeryn.
He shook his head no and out of the corner of his eye saw Aeryn sit up straighter and look up at him as he spoke. “I don’t want to die, Chi.”
“You…you could’ve fooled me, ‘cause that’s the only thing that’s going to happen if you go.”
“Not necessarily.” Rygel hovered over to where the three of them stood in the middle of room. “Crichton is not without resources to negotiate with. We all might benefit, if properly handled.”
“You offering your services, Sparky?” John said with a hint of a smile on his face and the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind.
“I am the only one on board competent enough to deal with Scorpius. I’ve done it before.”
“How could we forget your attempt to betray us, your lowness,” D’Argo said, entering the conversation from where he sat. “Do not think that you can do so again.”
“As if you’d be worth the effort,” Rygel said dismissively. “Scorpius wants one thing. Wormholes. That is the marjol we will dangle in front of him, in the form of John Crichton. I can get you on board that Carrier, Crichton. As for the rest-”
“That’s my problem.” John put his hand on Rygel’s shoulder in thanks. He would offer his wormhole knowledge to Scorpius in exchange for the other’s pardons. Once there, he’d sabotage the wormhole project. Details didn’t matter.
“And mine,” D’Argo said.
John nodded to his friend-one more fool on board this ship-a small comfort. Chiana shook her head at them slowly then left the Chamber without a word. Pip was no one’s fool and for that he was grateful.
“I guess the next thing to do is contact the bastard,” John said, once Chi had left. He moved back to the table, where his pile of food cubes sat undisturbed.
“I have the Carrier’s frequency,” Crais said.
John stepped back towards the door; dinner would just have to wait.
“Leave that to me, Crichton,” Rygel said, moving towards to doorway as he spoke.
D’Argo stood up. “I’ll be joining you on Command, Dominar.”
“Just keep your frelling mouth shut,” Rygel snapped back before he continued out the doorway.
D’Argo and Crais followed and John eased himself back down into his seat. He shifted the food cubes around his plate with a finger, debating whether he should attempt to choke them down or join the others on Command.
Across the room, Aeryn rose silently, gliding across the room towards him, her eyes locked on his, somber, determined. His heart fluttered in time with the gyrations in his stomach as he held himself still. She broke eye contact at the cleansing unit, placing her plate inside; then she looked up again. There were no words; nothing that could be said-only the imperceptible humming of impossible dreams.
She acknowledged him with a short nod, turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
~ The End ~
Title: Perches in the Soul
Rating: PG
Setting/Spoilers: Filler set between Fractures and IYYY.
Word Count: 1104
Disclaimer: I don't own Farscape or it's characters, the Jim Henson Co. does. I'm just having some fun.
Summary: Hope never ends.
Perches in the Soul
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
And sings the tune
Without the words
and never stops at all.
(Emily Dickenson)
~ * ~ * ~
John walked into the center chamber and, though the knots in his stomach had killed what little appetite he had, he knew he had to eat.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
All eyes but hers followed him as he crossed the room. No one spoke but tension filled the room just as well.
Jool sat nearest the entrance, eating quietly. Her hair was still crimson; she said it might never change again, something about continuous stress causing permanent damage.
Ain’t that the truth?
Chiana and D’Argo sat further in, each nursing a drink. He could use one-more like a dozen-the desire to drink himself into a stupor a constant presence, but he’d sworn off the stuff. He needed his head clear; his heart would just have to deal.
Rygel had his typical pile on a plate and was busy eating. The Dominar was the poster child for taking care of one’s self first. Which reminded him of why he’d come to the Center Chamber. Fuel the body.
He opened the refrigeration unit and placed a small amount of food cubes on a plate. Aeryn, sitting in the far corner by herself with an empty plate lying on the table in front of her, looked up him as he grabbed a carafe of water. His stomach leapt and twisted in further knots-at her pain and his impotence to provide her anything but more of the same.
What the hell was he thinking?
Aeryn broke their gaze, eyes downcast, and John somehow made it to the table before he collapsed into the seat next to D’Argo. He picked up the first food cube and eyed it skeptically, trying to muster the will to eat it.
Before he could take a bite, Crais entered the chamber and stood stiffly until he had everyone’s attention. “I have news. Talyn has located Scorpius’ Command Carrier.”
Chiana and Jool stood up and began talking at once.
“Already!” Jool said, panicked. “They must be close. We’ll be discovered before…”
“You contacted them?!” Chiana asked, equally shaken. “How could you contact them before…before we even…”
Crais raised his hands to quiet them, “I did not contact them and yes, the Command Carrier is relatively near our location. But, if I may point out…”
“We…we gotta StarBurst immediately.” Chiana interjected.
“As loathe as I am to agree, Chiana’s right.”
John dropped the food cube back onto the plate and pushed himself to his feet. “Relax. They’re not looking for us. We would have known before now if they were.”
“Talyn has surveillance capabilities that did not put our location at risk,” Crais added. “We are fortunate that the Carrier was located so quickly.”
“Fortunate? Only if you have a death wish. The Peacekeepers will simply kill you. It’s what they do,” Jool said. “And I for one do not have the stomach to listen to you plan your own deaths.” With that, she marched out of the Chamber.
Chiana turned her gaze at him, her head cocked to the side, her eyes wide and intent. “Do you? Do you have a death wish?”
He had a lot of wishes: galactic freedom and peace, palatable food cubes, a new captain for Talyn, but mostly he wished he had whatever it was that could bind up Aeryn’s broken heart. He certainly didn’t wish for what was most likely going to be a one way ticket to Scorpy’s lair with Aeryn and Crais.
With Aeryn.
He shook his head no and out of the corner of his eye saw Aeryn sit up straighter and look up at him as he spoke. “I don’t want to die, Chi.”
“You…you could’ve fooled me, ‘cause that’s the only thing that’s going to happen if you go.”
“Not necessarily.” Rygel hovered over to where the three of them stood in the middle of room. “Crichton is not without resources to negotiate with. We all might benefit, if properly handled.”
“You offering your services, Sparky?” John said with a hint of a smile on his face and the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind.
“I am the only one on board competent enough to deal with Scorpius. I’ve done it before.”
“How could we forget your attempt to betray us, your lowness,” D’Argo said, entering the conversation from where he sat. “Do not think that you can do so again.”
“As if you’d be worth the effort,” Rygel said dismissively. “Scorpius wants one thing. Wormholes. That is the marjol we will dangle in front of him, in the form of John Crichton. I can get you on board that Carrier, Crichton. As for the rest-”
“That’s my problem.” John put his hand on Rygel’s shoulder in thanks. He would offer his wormhole knowledge to Scorpius in exchange for the other’s pardons. Once there, he’d sabotage the wormhole project. Details didn’t matter.
“And mine,” D’Argo said.
John nodded to his friend-one more fool on board this ship-a small comfort. Chiana shook her head at them slowly then left the Chamber without a word. Pip was no one’s fool and for that he was grateful.
“I guess the next thing to do is contact the bastard,” John said, once Chi had left. He moved back to the table, where his pile of food cubes sat undisturbed.
“I have the Carrier’s frequency,” Crais said.
John stepped back towards the door; dinner would just have to wait.
“Leave that to me, Crichton,” Rygel said, moving towards to doorway as he spoke.
D’Argo stood up. “I’ll be joining you on Command, Dominar.”
“Just keep your frelling mouth shut,” Rygel snapped back before he continued out the doorway.
D’Argo and Crais followed and John eased himself back down into his seat. He shifted the food cubes around his plate with a finger, debating whether he should attempt to choke them down or join the others on Command.
Across the room, Aeryn rose silently, gliding across the room towards him, her eyes locked on his, somber, determined. His heart fluttered in time with the gyrations in his stomach as he held himself still. She broke eye contact at the cleansing unit, placing her plate inside; then she looked up again. There were no words; nothing that could be said-only the imperceptible humming of impossible dreams.
She acknowledged him with a short nod, turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
~ The End ~