"Deus ex Machina" Farscape Fanfic (Part 4)
Title: Deus ex Machina
Genre: Farscape; J/A; romance/action
Rating: PG or PG 13 at most for violence and some suggestive situations; mild swearing.
Disclaimer: Please see Part 1
Author's Notes: See Part 1
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
She nodded as she turned to watch three of the Peacekeeper commandos dragging Crichton from the direction of the market and toward the secured transport pod. The human was being held firmly between two of the commandos dressed in black leathers. Crichton struggled, trying to free himself from their grip and ignoring the threats of the third commando behind him, also dressed in black leather.
John kicked out and wrenched his arms, trying to pull out of the grip of his captors. Finally, the commando following the imprisoned Crichton used his pulse pistol to hit the human viciously on the back of the head. The fierce blow was enough to stun Crichton long enough to drag him into Moya's transport pod.
"Secure him," the commando that had hit Crichton ordered.
The two that still held the human tossed him roughly to the ground next to the unconscious form of Aeryn lying half slumped against the wall.
"Aeryn," John said in a sickening mix of hope, concern, and despair.
The beautiful Sebacean woman did not stir and for one terrifying moment, John feared the worst. Then he saw her chest rise in a shallow breath. "Aeryn," he whispered.
A tall Sebacean man entered the pod as two of the commandos proceeded to secure John's hands and feet with simple rope-like ties. The man was dressed in red and black special command captain's leathers. He had dark hair and eyes, with skin the color of rich oak. His hair and goatee were neatly trimmed and he held a pulse pistol loosely in his left hand.
"Former Officer Sun is quite alive, I assure you. Grayza wants both of you alive for questioning if possible," Captain Neracc said calmly.
"Grayza," John hissed.
Captain Neracc didn't respond directly and called out for Officer Jadasa. A smaller blonde woman with very pale skin stepped forward. Like her fellow commandos of the special Retrieval squad, she wore full black fighting leathers. The color made her appear washed out and her gray eyes cold. She came forward carrying something very carefully cupped in her right hand.
When she got closer to John, he suddenly began to struggle, knowing that whatever Officer Jadasa held in her hand, he wasn't going to like it. One of her team moved forward to restrain John, and the human managed to bring his knees up just right to clip the Peacekeeper on the jaw, sending him staggering back. And immediately after, the next Peacekeeper was caught in the gut when Crichton kicked his bound feet back out. Officer Jadasa had stepped back to protect whatever she held, as more of her team moved forward to restrain the human without unduly hurting or killing him.
"Enough," Captain Neracc commanded coldly from where he had moved to come up along the other side of the still unconscious Aeryn. The Peacekeeper captain was calmly holding a pulse pistol aimed for a kill shot to Aeryn's temple. His shrewd eyes measured John's response to his threat.
"Grayza wants Officer Sun alive if possible, but it's not a part of our mission parameters. If you continue to struggle, I may not kill you, but I have no reason not to shoot her," Captain Neracc assured the struggling human.
John went very still, locking eyes with the Peackeeper threatening Aeryn. For all that Neracc's eyes were a warm brown in color, they were cold as the Nebari winds of winter. The expression on the Sebacean man's face was almost dead in it's absence of any warmth. John could very clearly see that Captain Neracc was not bluffing. Slowly and carefully, he forced himself to relax against the wall.
"Officer Jadasa," Captain Neracc said calmly, ordering her forward.
The blonde commando moved forward and knelt down next to Crichton. She opened her hand, and John could still barely see what she held, so tiny was it.
"Mind probe," she said, bringing her hand closer.
As if Captain Neracc could read John's thoughts, he said, "Don't think about knocking it from Officer Jadasa's hand Crichton. If you do, I'll kill Officer Sun."
John flicked his own blue eyes to where the captain still stood, his gun poised to shoot Aeryn. Then he turned his attention back to what Officer Jadasa held in her hand.
"Mind probe?" he asked, not really expecting much of an answer.
Officer Jadasa held it a little closer though, and John could finally make out a small round object no bigger than the tiniest spider, smaller even than a person's smallest fingernail. It was a pale sort of brown, and as John watched, it developed hair thin legs, making it resemble an insect even more.
The blonde Sebacean held her hand next to John's left ear a moment, allowing the probe to work it way off of her hand and into the human’s ear cavity. After a moment, she stepped back and nodded to Captain Neracc, who finally lowered his weapon.
At first, John felt nothing. "Well I hate to break it to ya guys, but I've had my mind frelled by worse in a bar."
That's when John felt it, like a pressure at the top of his skull.
Captain Neracc smiled smugly. "I'm certain you have, Crichton. But this will be far more effective."
John felt the pressure increase to an almost pain, then...
He was being held down by red hands.
"What the hell?" John demanded answers from his attackers dressed in their customary red-orange work clothes, their large brimmed hats tipped back on ties resting against their necks.
One of the Sykaran men hissed to his fellow, "Hybin, do it now."
"There's no time," the other Sykaran man hissed back.
The first one gave Hybin a fierce urgent look. Hybin swallowed and stepped forward with the worm. With the others holding the human down, Hybin placed the pale writhing creature on Crichton's belly. Immediately, the large pale worm dug into John's navel.
Crichton struggled, crying out in pain. Another Sykaran red hand muffled his mouth. John couldn't see who it belonged to. The hand was removed though, as soon as the worm had fully burrowed into John's flesh, as were the other restraining hands.
Still reeling from the pain, John barely registered Hybin urgently saying in a low voice, "Listen, you must tell no one of this. If they know you carry the worm, they will kill you for it. Eat and the pain will go away. Do you understand? You must eat..."
Gasping, John became aware of his present surroundings once more. He could still almost feel the sensation of the worm in his belly, so strong was the flashback to his memory. He looked down to his stomach, half expecting to see a large pale worm.
He looked over to where Captain Neracc still stood next to the prone Aeryn.
"Good," the captain said. "It appears to be working."
John took a couple of more deep breaths.
"It shouldn't kill you," the captain continued. "The probe will work it's way through your brain, and when it has the information that we require it will record it. The process shouldn't take too long, I would think."
John felt the pressure in his skull build again and he started to shake. Suddenly, a blurring flash of memory took him. Bits and pieces of times that he had been in pain or in a fight flickered through his mind's eye...
...seventh grade against a bully, the aurora chair, the Gammak Base. There did not seem to be any pattern, merely recollections of pain flashing through his thoughts...
When it had passed, John sat gasping, remembered pain echoing through his limbs. After the reaction had passed, John looked to where Captain Neracc stood. The Peacekeeper was watching him intently. The captain's face was like stone, and John could read nothing there.
Captain Neracc turned to some of his commandos. "Return to the ship. Signal the Carrier that we have Crichton and Officer Sun."
The two commandos selected, saluted their Captain and made their way out of the pod.
"Now we wait," Captain Neracc said. "Watch him," he commanded Officer Jadasa, and stepped out of the pod.
John watched as Officer Jadasa settled in to do as she had been ordered.
"Got to find a way out of here," John thought just as the pressure in his mind built up once more…
TBC
Genre: Farscape; J/A; romance/action
Rating: PG or PG 13 at most for violence and some suggestive situations; mild swearing.
Disclaimer: Please see Part 1
Author's Notes: See Part 1
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
She nodded as she turned to watch three of the Peacekeeper commandos dragging Crichton from the direction of the market and toward the secured transport pod. The human was being held firmly between two of the commandos dressed in black leathers. Crichton struggled, trying to free himself from their grip and ignoring the threats of the third commando behind him, also dressed in black leather.
John kicked out and wrenched his arms, trying to pull out of the grip of his captors. Finally, the commando following the imprisoned Crichton used his pulse pistol to hit the human viciously on the back of the head. The fierce blow was enough to stun Crichton long enough to drag him into Moya's transport pod.
"Secure him," the commando that had hit Crichton ordered.
The two that still held the human tossed him roughly to the ground next to the unconscious form of Aeryn lying half slumped against the wall.
"Aeryn," John said in a sickening mix of hope, concern, and despair.
The beautiful Sebacean woman did not stir and for one terrifying moment, John feared the worst. Then he saw her chest rise in a shallow breath. "Aeryn," he whispered.
A tall Sebacean man entered the pod as two of the commandos proceeded to secure John's hands and feet with simple rope-like ties. The man was dressed in red and black special command captain's leathers. He had dark hair and eyes, with skin the color of rich oak. His hair and goatee were neatly trimmed and he held a pulse pistol loosely in his left hand.
"Former Officer Sun is quite alive, I assure you. Grayza wants both of you alive for questioning if possible," Captain Neracc said calmly.
"Grayza," John hissed.
Captain Neracc didn't respond directly and called out for Officer Jadasa. A smaller blonde woman with very pale skin stepped forward. Like her fellow commandos of the special Retrieval squad, she wore full black fighting leathers. The color made her appear washed out and her gray eyes cold. She came forward carrying something very carefully cupped in her right hand.
When she got closer to John, he suddenly began to struggle, knowing that whatever Officer Jadasa held in her hand, he wasn't going to like it. One of her team moved forward to restrain John, and the human managed to bring his knees up just right to clip the Peacekeeper on the jaw, sending him staggering back. And immediately after, the next Peacekeeper was caught in the gut when Crichton kicked his bound feet back out. Officer Jadasa had stepped back to protect whatever she held, as more of her team moved forward to restrain the human without unduly hurting or killing him.
"Enough," Captain Neracc commanded coldly from where he had moved to come up along the other side of the still unconscious Aeryn. The Peacekeeper captain was calmly holding a pulse pistol aimed for a kill shot to Aeryn's temple. His shrewd eyes measured John's response to his threat.
"Grayza wants Officer Sun alive if possible, but it's not a part of our mission parameters. If you continue to struggle, I may not kill you, but I have no reason not to shoot her," Captain Neracc assured the struggling human.
John went very still, locking eyes with the Peackeeper threatening Aeryn. For all that Neracc's eyes were a warm brown in color, they were cold as the Nebari winds of winter. The expression on the Sebacean man's face was almost dead in it's absence of any warmth. John could very clearly see that Captain Neracc was not bluffing. Slowly and carefully, he forced himself to relax against the wall.
"Officer Jadasa," Captain Neracc said calmly, ordering her forward.
The blonde commando moved forward and knelt down next to Crichton. She opened her hand, and John could still barely see what she held, so tiny was it.
"Mind probe," she said, bringing her hand closer.
As if Captain Neracc could read John's thoughts, he said, "Don't think about knocking it from Officer Jadasa's hand Crichton. If you do, I'll kill Officer Sun."
John flicked his own blue eyes to where the captain still stood, his gun poised to shoot Aeryn. Then he turned his attention back to what Officer Jadasa held in her hand.
"Mind probe?" he asked, not really expecting much of an answer.
Officer Jadasa held it a little closer though, and John could finally make out a small round object no bigger than the tiniest spider, smaller even than a person's smallest fingernail. It was a pale sort of brown, and as John watched, it developed hair thin legs, making it resemble an insect even more.
The blonde Sebacean held her hand next to John's left ear a moment, allowing the probe to work it way off of her hand and into the human’s ear cavity. After a moment, she stepped back and nodded to Captain Neracc, who finally lowered his weapon.
At first, John felt nothing. "Well I hate to break it to ya guys, but I've had my mind frelled by worse in a bar."
That's when John felt it, like a pressure at the top of his skull.
Captain Neracc smiled smugly. "I'm certain you have, Crichton. But this will be far more effective."
John felt the pressure increase to an almost pain, then...
He was being held down by red hands.
"What the hell?" John demanded answers from his attackers dressed in their customary red-orange work clothes, their large brimmed hats tipped back on ties resting against their necks.
One of the Sykaran men hissed to his fellow, "Hybin, do it now."
"There's no time," the other Sykaran man hissed back.
The first one gave Hybin a fierce urgent look. Hybin swallowed and stepped forward with the worm. With the others holding the human down, Hybin placed the pale writhing creature on Crichton's belly. Immediately, the large pale worm dug into John's navel.
Crichton struggled, crying out in pain. Another Sykaran red hand muffled his mouth. John couldn't see who it belonged to. The hand was removed though, as soon as the worm had fully burrowed into John's flesh, as were the other restraining hands.
Still reeling from the pain, John barely registered Hybin urgently saying in a low voice, "Listen, you must tell no one of this. If they know you carry the worm, they will kill you for it. Eat and the pain will go away. Do you understand? You must eat..."
Gasping, John became aware of his present surroundings once more. He could still almost feel the sensation of the worm in his belly, so strong was the flashback to his memory. He looked down to his stomach, half expecting to see a large pale worm.
He looked over to where Captain Neracc still stood next to the prone Aeryn.
"Good," the captain said. "It appears to be working."
John took a couple of more deep breaths.
"It shouldn't kill you," the captain continued. "The probe will work it's way through your brain, and when it has the information that we require it will record it. The process shouldn't take too long, I would think."
John felt the pressure in his skull build again and he started to shake. Suddenly, a blurring flash of memory took him. Bits and pieces of times that he had been in pain or in a fight flickered through his mind's eye...
...seventh grade against a bully, the aurora chair, the Gammak Base. There did not seem to be any pattern, merely recollections of pain flashing through his thoughts...
When it had passed, John sat gasping, remembered pain echoing through his limbs. After the reaction had passed, John looked to where Captain Neracc stood. The Peacekeeper was watching him intently. The captain's face was like stone, and John could read nothing there.
Captain Neracc turned to some of his commandos. "Return to the ship. Signal the Carrier that we have Crichton and Officer Sun."
The two commandos selected, saluted their Captain and made their way out of the pod.
"Now we wait," Captain Neracc said. "Watch him," he commanded Officer Jadasa, and stepped out of the pod.
John watched as Officer Jadasa settled in to do as she had been ordered.
"Got to find a way out of here," John thought just as the pressure in his mind built up once more…
TBC