Summary: A wormhole appears, but is it all John hopes it will be?
Rating: PG
Spoilers: A Human Reaction
Archive: Take it if you have my stuff. Don't have my stuff? Then ask!
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* * = italics
Zhaan kept her eyes focused on the information she was receiving when she
responded. "Aeryn told me herself. They both wanted to stay until you and
Rygel returned, but they did not know how long the wormhole would remain
stable." She waited for D'Argo to respond, but he didn't answer.
Zhaan turned and began to relay the message John and Aeryn had asked her to
give him, but was interrupted by Rygel's rather loud entrance. "That lucky
bastard just left us behind. He couldn't even stay long enough to give me
his possessions. It is so fitting he'd insult me even as he left!"
Zhaan smiled weakly and walked over to where Rygel's thronesled had stopped
just inside the room. "We all miss him," she said softly.
"And Aeryn too," D'Argo said as he hung his head. "I never thought I would
say that of a Peacekeeper...even a former one." The others silently agreed.
"Where's Chiana?" his voice broke the silence.
"She's taking it quite hard. She needs some time to herself. Pilot is
having a few DRDs check in on her from time to time. This will take
sometime to get use to," Zhaan answered. The softness in her voice still
present. John and Aeryn had become family to them. While they where hopeful
and happy for the two, they where also worried about them. The alien
recreation of the worse case scenario was still fresh in their minds,
despite it happening a quarter cycle earlier. Even though Zhaan did not
experience it, the stories were enough to scare her.
"They both left messages for me to give you," Zhaan said as she faced
D'Argo. "John wanted me to tell yo--" she began, but Pilot's voice suddenly
came through their comms. "I'm reading them again. They appear to be coming
back."
All eyes focused on the visual of the wormhole. "Pilot, are you certain?"
D'Argo asked skeptically. Before Pilot could respond, a faint white speck
on appeared near the mouth of the wormhole. Rygel spoke up before anyone
else could. "Who else could it be?"
"It could be a deception..." D'Argo whispered, hoping it wasn't. They all
hoped it wasn't. Even Moya.
Pilot's image appeared. "I have informed Chiana of the pod's return. She is
on her way. Hold on." A brief pause. "There is a transmission from the
pod."
"-ot Earth.......back through......Aeryn an-......be glad.......you
guys..." Static and interference covered John's voice. It still was the
most beautiful sound Zhaan, D'Argo, and even Rygel, had ever heard.
Zhaan smiled. "Thank you, Pilot. Please let them know that we're glad as
well."
The next minute was spent by happy discussion and the occasional update on
the pod's progress from Pilot. Chiana had yet to arrive in Command. Zhaan
assumed she's fled to the deeper regions of Moya for privacy and would take
a while to get there. As suddenly as the hope flamed anew, it all came
crashing down.
Pilot's voice urgently informed them of the latest development. "The
wormhole's stability is braking down. The pod is not yet clear!"
Once again, they all focused on the visual. The spec was still visible, but
the wormhole around it was clearly breaking down. No one looked away when
Chiana entered Command. Nor did they when Chiana's squeals of joy turned to
those of pure terror. They could do nothing. They could do nothing as the
pod was pulled back into the wormhole as it closed in on itself. They could
do nothing to prevent their hope from being crushed.
"She *wanted* to go with him? After what she saw on the fake Earth?" D'Argo
yelled as he entered Command.