The Elephant Ep2.10: Things Have Changed: Here's To Goodbye

"I'm sorry sir. They aren't answering." The tek shut off the comm and turned back to his captain. Grisham stared at him with a grim expression on his face. The fifth and final gammek base had neglected to answer their desperate calls. "Did you pick up any life signs?" The man's eyes betrayed his stern look. "We caught a few ships fleeing the scene but no one left on the base itself." The captain cursed himself for being so stupid. He had shown those locations to only one person since arriving in this sector. Only one woman knew exactly where each one was. "Zelaya!"

She heard his shouts of anger before they came within view of each other. The Ferrian smiled innocently and tried to hide her disdain for the man. "Is there a problem captain?" Grisham grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her back against the wall. "You did this didn't you?" Zelaya made a hurt expression. "I've been here with you all this time. How could I possibly destroy five gammek bases." She cursed under her breath. He hadn't said what the tantrum was about. Grisham realized this too. "I don't know who you're working for but I want you off my ship." Zelaya shook her head calmly. "I'm afraid it's not that simple captain."

Lt. Ness pulled out his pulse pistol and approached the two of them. Sticking the gun in between, he entered himself into the argument. "If the captain says you have to go, that's it." Zelaya turned to him and frowned. This man was not to be toyed with so easily. She got the distinct impression that he would shoot her right here if necessary. "I can handle this Lt. Please move along." Ness stared at his captain in shock. "Forgive me sir, but you're wrong." The words hung in the air for several moments as both men took them in. Finally, Grisham backed away and nodded. "Put her in a cell."

Watching the captain walk down the hall, both Ness and Zelaya sighed. He turned to her with glaring eyes that showed no compassion. "Your business is finished here Ferrian." She listened to the cold words but was not affected by them. Turning to face him directly, she smiled. The rows of jagged teeth did not faze him either. "My business with your people is far from over Lt." Ness raised his gun a little closer to her face. "Cut the mystery act. I know a subversive when I see one." He led the way to detention and neither of them said another word.

<<<<<>>>>>>

Reconnecting the brown module to its larger owner had been a simple process. The computer had run John through the steps without any major difficulties. In fact, it had insisted on doing the job automatically. "No, I want to learn as much as I can about this thing." Truthfully, he just wanted to get his mind off what had happened in the past few hours. As they entered the wormhole, John looked back one final time at the blue planet he was leaving behind. Somewhere down there his father was waving up at him. "Bye Dad."

Tom smiled as he heard his friend mouth the parting words through the porthole. He glanced over at the woman that now sat beside him. Rachel Wells had not moved from her spot in the middle of the ship. She refused to even look out the window. "There will be plenty of time to see all that." The nervous look in her eye revealed much more of what she was really feeling. How could he blame her? Tom had embraced this new world after arriving in it. His mother did not have that luxury. "Thank you Mom."

Rachel turned to her son and gave him a questioning look. "For what?" He smiled and moved over next to her. Pointing back the way they had come, he tried to say something eloquent. "For giving up your life. For coming with me." She almost laughed. Seeing the confused expression on his face, Rachel explained. "What life? The only one I knew ended the day you disappeared. My place is here now." Fighting to keep from getting sentimental, Tom gave up and embraced his mother.

John slid over to the main computer screen and brought up the search program that he had used earlier to find Earth. Entering Moya's frequency and last location, he waited for something to appear. "Please hold." The machine's robotic voice was familiar and somehow comforting. "Thanks. I'll just wait here." Tom came up behind him and looked at the monitor. "Found anything yet?" He shook his head. "Your buddy's checking as we speak." A loud beeping sound erupted from the computer. Rachel jumped in her seat. "What was that?" John smiled broadly. "We're going home."

<<<<<>>>>>>

D'Argo waved his flashlight around the dark room and nearly stumbled over an empty drum on the ground. "Pilot, which conduit is it?" The creature responded immediately from his den. "The fifth one on your right. It should not be hard to locate." Just as the words were spoken, a spark shot out from one of the cables. "Frelling. Found it." Pulling a tool from the bag on the floor, the Luxan began the repairs. "Whatcha doin?" Chiana's high-spirited voice came from the hallway behind him. D'Argo turned to her and pointed at the conduit. "What does it look like?"

The Nebari ignored his rude comment and strolled into the darkness to get a better look. Seeing his look of exasperation, Chiana moved in closer and helped steady the tool with her hand. "Thank you." She nodded simply and said nothing. Surprised, D'Argo stopped working and turned to her. "What?" She appeared shocked by the accusation. "Can't I help you without some sinister ulterior motive?" He sneered. "No." Chiana shrugged and let go the cable. It slid back into place and sparked again. D'Argo jumped back as some hit his coat and sizzled.

"No more games." She slid in closer to him and grabbed the edges of his shirt. The unusually agitated Luxan tried to back away but found himself trapped against the wall. "You've been avoiding me." He nodded slightly. "Yes, what of it?" Chiana wasn't going to let him sneak out of it this time. They would finish it here for better or worse. "That letter, it said things." D'Argo raised his hand and covered her mouth. "It also said I needed time." She was about to launch into an argument when Pilot's voice halted the conversation. "There is a ship approaching. You better get up here."

<<<<<>>>>>>

"Is that not the most beautiful sight you have ever seen?" John smiled as he moved away from the window. His two companions moved up next to him to get a better view of Moya. Her golden skin radiated in the darkness of space and created a mesmerizing sight. "That's your ship?" Rachel found herself holding her breath as she gazed upon it. It was the biggest thing she had ever seen. She turned to her sun and waited for an answer. He ignored her and never took his eyes off the window. "I said-." Tom nodded slowly. "Yes Mom, that's our ship."

"Pilot, can you hear me?" The three of them waited anxiously over the comm for the creature to answer back. A faint voice came through the static and asked a very simple question. "Is that you Crichton?" Rachel from one man to another. "What did he just say?" John smiled at her. "He asked if it was me." Pressing down on the respond button, he said hello to his friend. "Yes Pilot. It's John. Would you mind opening the doors for us?" Pilot was confused. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" The hanger doors slid open and revealed the leviathan's insides. Navigating smoothly, John took them in.

Rygel was the first to arrive at the landing area. Looking up into the outer hanger, he saw the tips of a brown ship speeding in. The long craft hovered over him and slowly touched ground. "Took your sweet time didn't you?" There was no one to answer him back. The Hynerion watched in amazement as the hatch slid open to reveal three humans sitting at a console. "That you Rygel?" John stepped out and glanced around the room. He took in breath of re-circulated air and grinned. "Oh, that feels good." Without warning, John raced forward and picked Rygel off his throne. "It's good to see you again too Crichton."

D'Argo and Chiana had to put the conversation away for another time. Running as fast as they could towards the hanger, both could hardly contain their excitement. Two friends were home again. The Luxan entered first and saw the hug between Human and Hynerion. "You took longer than I would have thought." John looked up into the eyes of a relieved warrior and shook his head. "I'm here aren't I?" D'Argo laughed and ran forward. They embraced with enough strength to stop John's breathing. It didn't matter. He was excited to care.

Tom walked out of the ship and watched the situation unfold. Hearing the familiar sound of the throne sled, he turned to find Rygel standing beside him. "Hello Rygel." The Hynerion backed away slightly as if expecting an attack. When none came, he relaxed. "Welcome back Tom." A high pitched shout from the door beyond caught both Tom and John's attention. Chiana crossed the room in seconds and took them in her arms. "I knew you'd come back." The two men looked at each other and smiled. "Pip, you have no idea how much I've missed you."

Rachel was a little frightened to come out at first. The sound of several alien languages followed by English unnerved her a bit. "Tom! Can you come in here please?" Her son turned from his friends and walked back into the ship. Seeing her there, he frowned. "It's not as bad as it sounds. You'll be able to talk to them soon." She shook her head stubbornly. "You're not injecting me with anything." Tom didn't feel like arguing about it now. He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the chair.

The three alien creatures stopped and looked at her strangely as she exited the brown ship. Rachel tried to turn back but her son wouldn't have it. "Just say hello. They'll understand you." Summoning up all her courage, she stepped forward and reached out her hand. "My name is Rachel Wells. Hello." D'Argo was the first to react. Understanding her fear and the intention of the gesture, he raised his hand and took hers. "She doesn't have the microbes yet?" Tom shook his head. The Luxan turned back to her and nodded politely. Chiana wasn't quite so tactful. She jumped forward and hugged the confused woman. Rachel looked at Tom. "Is this her?" He almost choked. "No, no. She's just a friend."

It was at this point that John noticed the absence of two very important people. Looking around the room, he saw that both the prowler and transport pod were missing. "They had to leave the prowler behind." D'Argo walked up to him and explained. "The transport pod is down on the commerce planet. They went to buy some, um, things." He decided not to say anything just yet. Tom went over to them and left his mother with Rygel and Chiana. "Where are they?" D'Argo repeated the explanation.

"I don't want to stay here alone." Rachel continued but Tom would not have any of it. He began to follow John back into the brown ship when she grabbed onto his shoulder. "You'd just leave me here with them?" Tom shook his head. "Believe me Mom. It'll be much worse down there. And you won't be alone anyway." She turned to see D'Argo and Chiana smiling back at her. "Great." Leaving her standing there, Tom stepped into the ship and let the hatch close down between them. "Don't be long." Rachel watched the ship take off nervously.

<<<<<>>>>>

Meryl was seriously considering pulling out her gun. The merchant behind the counter was becoming increasingly unreasonable. "You just said they'd be forty ingots." He shook his head cheerily. "Yes, but larger sizes are more expensive. Eighty ingots." She growled angrily and started to shout. "Just pay him. We have plenty of money." Aeryn walked up behind her and lifted the bags of food she had already bought. "Is this enough." Meryl shook her head wearily. "No, more." She turned back and paid the man. "You got lucky this time." He smiled.

Aeryn left her there and walked slowly down the maze of stands with the bags of food hanging at her side. The man had been following them for some time now. She hadn't said anything to Meryl about it. Better not to worry her now. Dressed in peacekeeper uniform, he was a sad sight to see. The clothes were shredded everywhere and covered in dried blood. She wondered what possibly could have happened to him. "You want these? Five ingots each." Aeryn nodded at the female vendor and opened one of the bags.

The ship touched down just outside the marketplace as a crowd of onlookers formed around the area. Most of these people had never seen as ship of this nature before. John watched them through the monitor and sighed. "You feel like answering questions?" Tom shook his head and headed for the door. "Just plow through them." The computer's robotic voice came online. "Shall I initiate lock-down procedures?" The two men looked at each other and nodded. Better to be safe now. "Sure." The door slid open and Tom stepped out into the cool mid-morning air.

Meryl placed the new set of clothes into her bag and checked the surrounding area. Her companion had apparently wandered off somewhere. "Aeryn!" There was no reply. Looking around the crowded street, she suddenly felt tired. Too much activity going on at once. Moving slowly, she headed down the line of stands while searching for a familiar face.

Pushing through the crowd, the two humans reached the entrance to the marketplace and walked inside. At this time of day the area was filled with shoppers and sellers alike. John stood on the tips of his toes and looked around. Somewhere up ahead he caught a glimpse of black leather. "Come on. This way." Tom followed close behind as they made their way down the street. Finally stopping at a crossroads, John raised his hand and pointed forward. "You recognize her?"

Tom followed his gaze and instantly his breath disappeared. Everything seemed to slow to a snail's pace as he took in the beautiful form in front of him. Meryl was walking away from them ahead as she looked over all the merchandise. Inexperienced in such things, he did not see what John saw. The older man shook his head in confusion and then finally smiled. "You notice anything different about her?" Tom turned to him. "A little tired maybe." John stopped him. "She has a kind of glow about her." Tom had seen way too many movies to let a statement like that get past him. He took off down the street.

Meryl heard the sound of footsteps smacking against dirt and turned around to see what all the commotion was about. Due to the awkward way she moved, her shirt slipped up a little. "Frelling." She dropped the bag of clothes and ran forwards. Tom was standing directly ahead of her. The look of shock on his face was more than enough to rattle her. "You're, you're preg, pregnant? Meryl smiled sheepishly. Tom felt his legs give out and fell to the floor.

She was beside him in an instant. Kneeling down, Meryl looked him straight in the eyes. The range of emotions crossing his face would not let her determine how he felt. Tom stared up at her for a moment. "It is mine right?" She narrowed her eyes at him and nodded. He lowered his head slightly and started to laugh. A smile spread across his lips and he stood up gradually. Standing face to face in the middle of the road, they both grinned nervously. Without the slightest indication, Tom sped forward and took her in his arms. "Oh God, I love you." He kissed her gently and then more passionately. She kissed him back with even more force.

A little ways down the road, John stood happily watching the scene unfold. He had never expected this to happen but they both seemed to be dealing with it well. Just as he was about to go to them, a clicking sound made him freeze. The cold end of a pulse pistol touched the back of his head. "You said you'd be right back." John stammered a bit. "And you said you'd wait." He turned and found Aeryn Sun standing behind him with the beginnings of a grand smile on her face. "I'm sorry." She ignored the statement and pounced forward. The strength of her attack threw him to the ground and she fell along with him. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" Aeryn pressed her mouth over his and smiled.

Shoppers and merchants watched the two pairs act out their reunion and laughed at the absurdity of it all. Among them, another peacekeeper saw the confirmation that he had been hoping for. Ex-officer Benner pulled a data chip from his pocket and stumbled over to the woman that it belonged to. With each step his wounds shrieked painfully. Several internal ones that heralded his death were aggravated too. It didn't matter to Benner. He had a job to complete and would do so at any cost to himself. Reaching the happy couple, he coughed to signal his presence.

Meryl pulled away from Tom and looked at the wreck of a man that stood beside them. Instantly, her hand went down to the gun on her belt. That proved to be unnecessary. "Meryl Raynor?" Even as he said the words, his strength gave out. Benner dropped to the floor in a heap. Leaning down to check him, Meryl gasped. "He's dead." Tom called out to the others. "What happened?" Aeryn checked the fallen man over and shook her head. "I saw him in the marketplace earlier." A small object in his hands glistened in the sunlight. Picking it up, the ex-captain glanced around.

One of the stalls nearby was selling pk products that had been recovered from a crash in the area. Meryl had seen it earlier when she was looking for new pants. She remembered seeing old wanted beacon viewers on the table. Most of the time, those things were erased and reused. "Can I help you with something?" The man behind the counter smiled at her. She ignored the gesture and pointed to one of the objects. "That. How much?" He looked at her and then the viewer. "Fifty ingots." Meryl pulled the money out of her pocket and tossed it to him.

The four of them stepped into a nearby restaurant and sat down at a dimly lighted table in the back. Meryl slipped the chip into its place and waited for the screen to come up. Somehow a feeling of dread was passing through her. As the video began, she felt something else. Tom had been holding her hand the entire time. She smiled at him and looked back at the screen that popped up. A man's face appeared there and began to speak. Meryl recognized it, but she couldn't tell from where. "Hello Meryl. I'm sure you must be very confused right now."

The voice sparked something inside her. A memory that didn't seem to fit in with the others. As the fog in her mind began to dissipate, the man continued. "I want you to know first off that I don't blame you for what happened. It was as much my fault as it was yours." The solemn look on his face matched hers. "By sending this message, I put myself in considerable risk. But you needed to be warned." Meryl started to feel light-headed. This all made no sense. "It's your mother. She found you the same way I did. Very soon there won't be many places for you to hide. I suggest you start looking now." The screen went black.

Tom replayed the message in his mind with more than a little confusion to go along with it. He looked at Meryl and saw the same expression amplified a million times over. "I thought you said your parents were dead." She wiped a lone tear from her cheek and looked up at him. Frowning, she pulled the chip from its place and snapped it in two. "Things change."