Tom Wells stared up at the stars. Or how many stars you could see on a hazy evening in Los Angeles. He wanted so much to see those stars up close. The dream of a little boy long gone that had not left. He looked at the glasses in his hands. Without them he could hardly see anything. A permanent reminder that he was stuck on this planet forever. When humanity finally did venture out into that infinite blackness, he would watch it on television. So here he was, on the roof of his apartment building. He was twenty now. A grown man with an impossible wish. An empty notepad lay in front of him. If he couldn't go to the stars, they would come to him. In his mind at least. He shook his head, frustrated. There would be no writing tonight. He stood to leave when out of the corner of his eye, something flashed. The brightest light in the sky had gotten bigger. He watched, partly with fascination and also fear. It continued to grow until his view of downtown had disappeared completely. Panicking, he thrust himself towards the fire escape. As he grabbed onto it's metal rails, the structure gave way and he tumbled over the side. Tom Wells never hit the ground.

<<<<>>>>

John Crichton felt content for the first time in too many months. He sat quietly against the wall in the maintenance bay humming softly to himself. Aeryn Sun, his love, worked diligently at the workbench in front of him. After the destruction of her prowler, they had gone to great lengths to find another one. It was a horrid thing. The hull was burnt and misused. The paint eroded away. But she loved the hunk of metal more than life itself. He would find her each day, toiling over it like a mother with her child. She noticed his gaze upon her and looked up. "What are you staring at?" He grinned. "You know what I'm staring at." She blushed lightly and went back to work. Crichton stood up quickly and moved towards her. Reaching her side, he pulled his head in next to hers. "Not now John. I need to finish this." She said the words without looking up. "Just one," he begged. She looked up at him, smiling warily. "Alright, but then I have to get back to work." He kissed her softly. She returned his affection, the tool in her hand falling to the floor. "Crichton!" Pilot's shrill voice suddenly filled the room. John groaned as he stepped back. "What is it Pilot?" His words were tainted with annoyance. "Forgive me for interrupting but Talyn is here. And Crais wants to talk to you." John looked at Aeryn, puzzled looks on both their faces. "Me?"

When they arrived at the hanger doors, Talyn had already connected with Moya. D'Argo and Chiana had arrived as well. "Looks like the gangs all here." John looked fondly at his shipmates. "Where's sparky and Zhaan?" D'Argo grunted, "They're on their way." The doors began to slide slowly open and Bialar Crais appeared at the entrance. Dressed in his peackeeper captain's uniform, the man cut a menacing figure. The crew watched him carefully as he stepped inside. Ignoring their icy glares, he walked forward to meet them. "Hello all." His greeting was met by simple nods and Luxan growls. "I should have known not to expect a warm welcome. But nevertheless-." John cut him off. "What do you want Crais?" The ex-peackeeper nodded. "I've brought you something John. Something, I suspect, will be of great interest to you." D'Argo's patience gave out. "Why would we accept anything from you!" Crais ignored the outburst. "I do not expect warm welcomes. Yet I do remember certain instances where-." Aeryn opened her mouth for the first time. "What did you bring him?" "To the point as always Aeryn. Yes." He motioned towards the open hanger doors. A young man walked in. To Crichton, he seemed to be no more than nineteen or twenty. He stepped forward cautiously. Every step seemed to be carefully planned. They all eyed him with great interest, Crichton especially. The man was wearing a black peackeeper flight suit but under it, a dark blue sweatshirt could be seen. Printed on its front, were the letters U.S.C. John ran up quickly. The man did not back away. "What do those letters mean?" The other looked at him, a confused look on his face. "University of Southern California." John could not speak. All the color drained from his face as he stared at the man. "You're human?"

A table had been set up in the central chamber. Six pairs of uneasy eyes stared back at him. The two in the middle, Crichton and Aeryn, watched him closely. His every gesture and movement was met with careful analysis. A grin spread slowly on John's face. "So many things I want to ask." He leaned heavily against the table. The most trivial questions kept floating to the top. "Who won the superbowl this year?" The young man looked amused. "You've been out here for over three years and you want to know who won the superbowl?" Noticing Crichton's stunned face he answered. "The Ravens." Shocked, John stammered. "Baltimore?" Both of them laughed at the absurdity of the situation. The others held blank expressions. Unable to hold back the emotion, John lunged forward and hugged the frightened man. He held him there for what seemed like hours. Finally pushing away, a new question filled his mind. "How did you get here?"

>>>>>>

He awoke suddenly inside a dark cylinder-like chamber. The walls around him beeped and chirped as lights flickered on and off. A large window opened up in front of him and he realized for the first time where he was. Millions of stars shown brightly in front of him. Attempting to find a familiar constellation, the fact dawned on him that these stars were different. A small video screen burst to life as he moved himself around. It was a cockpit. The screen was instantly filled with the face of a stern looking man. "Follow my instructions exactly or you're ship will be detonated." Panicking, he searched frantically for a way out. On each side of him he saw hundreds of other crafts like his. "I'm flying an airplane." The voice reacted to his words. "A prowler to be exact." What looked like a rifle scope appeared on the window's surface. It locked onto a larger vessel that floated in front of him. "Destroy the designated craft and you will remain alive. Fail and we will detonate your ship." The same threat as before. The other prowlers began to move towards the target. He noticed what looked like a joystick in front of him. Grabbing onto on of the handles, the ship responded immediately. His view suddenly turned upside down as the prowler rolled to the left. The video screen popped up again. "Destroy the-." He shook his head in frustration. "I get the point."

The controls were astonishingly easy to learn. After a few more flips and rolls, he had the hang of it. Moving towards the target vessel in front of him, he realized that it was firing back. Wave after wave of prowlers were destroyed as they attempted to attack. He noticed gun turrets were positioned along the ship's roof. Pulling the prowler into a dive, he shot straight up at the enemy. "How do I shoot?" A red button on the console in front of him began blinking. He pressed down on it several times. Instantly, four torpedo-like objects shot from below him. He watched in astonishment as they closed in on their target. Suddenly two of the rockets exploded in mid-flight. Another gun turret had appeared from the bottom. Unfortunately, it could not handle four shots at once. The second two rockets impacted with the moving gun and it erupted in flames. The fire spread quickly upward and within moments the entire vessel detonated. Fascinated, he did not know whether to cheer or cry out. What had he just done. He did not have much time to ponder this. The view around him began to fragment and disappear.

The man from the screen stood before him. He felt an unnatural weight on his shoulders. A large black collar was wrapped around his neck. "Well done. Very good move for a first try." He stared up, frightened by the dungeon-like look of the room. The collar contained miniature screens like the one on the ship. "That didn't just happen?" The man smiled at him. "It did indeed. You were controlling the prowler via the collar but the mission was in fact completed." He shook his head. "I destroyed that ship?" The man nodded. "And the attack regiment it contained. You saved us a great deal of time." He motioned to two guards that stood rigid against the wall. They came forward and picked up the confused pilot. "Everything will be explained in time."

"Heard you hit em good!" The soldier eyed him with keen interest. "Where am I?" They did not answer him. As the trio rounded another corner, a vast hall came into view. He could see hundreds of men and women like the soldiers. As well as many strange and grotesque looking creatures. The soldiers put him down in a stool. "Eat while you still can." Those were their last words before they turned on their heels and left. He sat there confused for several moments as everyone around him voraciously downed their meals. A bowl of colorful cubes was placed in front of him. Picking one up, he popped it into his mouth. It tasted good. Surveying his surroundings, it occurred to him that he wasn't wearing glasses. Turning to the nearest human-looking person, he asked, "is there something on my eyes?" The woman, annoyed at being interrupted, gave him a funny look. "What color are they supposed to be?" Confused, he said "Brown." She laughed. "Nope. They're grey now. Must have fitted you with new ones." She turned back to her food. Stunned, he lifted a finger to his right eye. It felt the same. "New ones?"

He felt rough hands grip his shoulders. He turned to find a new set of soldiers standing behind him. "Time for debriefing." They did not bother to say more as he was dragged from his plate of food.

<<<<

"You were actually abducted from Earth?" Crichton' hopes of finding his home resurfaced. The young man nodded. "Right off the roof of my house." Aeryn had a question now. "High Command makes the decision to randomly recruit only in emergency situations. Why were you abducted. He looked at her. She reminded him of those soldiers on the ship. "You were a peacekeeper?" She nodded slowly. "Not anymore." Her manner did not seem like that of the soldiers. There was a more relaxed way about her. "This is what they told me at the debriefing. A convoy of three command carriers was sent to put down a rebellion in the solar system where we were orbiting. The Auriga, the Daggoth, and the Hyperion." Recognition flashed on Aeryn's face. "I know those ships. I dreamed of serving on the Hyperion as a young girl." He continued. "Apparently, the Auriga was ordered to destroy the resisting colony. But the captain, a man named Draculic that I never met, refused. He turned the ship around towards deep space but the other two ships cut him off." Aeryn cut in. "He disobeyed orders?" He nodded. "Because of it, the other two ships were ordered to destroy him and his entire escort. Most of the original crew resisted their captain's choice and surrendered. They were all slaughtered. Out of capable pilots, Draculic sent out probes in all directions. I was taken by one of these probes. I was forced to protect his ship from the Hyperion and the Daggoth.

Everyone listened attentively as he told the story. Even D'Argo seemed to calm down. The human had been a prisoner of the peackeepers. Just like him. John held up his hands. "Ok, lets back up here a minute. With all this confusion, we didn't ask what your name was." The young man stared at him blankly. He slowly pulled up his sleeve to reveal a large black tattoo. The numbers 0377 were printed there. Aeryn looked at Crichton. "That code sequence is for prisoners of war." They looked to 0377 for an explanation. He nodded.

>>>>

The ice cold metal chair was very uncomfortable. In front of him, the stern looking man eyed him with great interest. "My name is Lt. Zasz. You are the last of the test pilots to arrive. There is not much time to explain what has happened to you. All that you need to know now is that you will fight or die. Do as you are told and perhaps you will live to see your home again." Thoughts of home circled through his head. How he had wished to be among the stars. Now all he wanted was to see L.A. again. The stern man continued to speak. Some sort of battle was going to take place. He was going to fight in this battle. Seeing his lack of attention, the man stepped forward and smacked him hard. The sting of the blow sent immense pain through his face. "I'm going to die."

The march had been brief. He stood now in what appeared to be a large hanger. Hundreds of planes like the one he had used were lined up. As the soldiers pushed him forward, he saw the same beings that had been in the mess hall. Had they all been taken like him? Arriving at his designated Prowler, he was ordered inside. The cockpit was familiar to him now and orienting himself took little time. As he snapped the restraints into their locks, a wall on the far side of the hanger began to rise. Billions of stars greeted him as the door to outer space was opened. One by one, each prowler before him blasted out into the darkness. When his turn came, he accelerated forward and out.

The incredible sense of freedom and excitement did not last long. Before him, the scene was a frightening one. Two massive spaceships loomed just within view. He noticed what seemed like thousands of smaller crafts floating around them. The same video screen appeared with the stern man once again giving orders. "Destroy everything you see before you. You must not allow any harm to come to the Auriga or you will be detonated. 'Fight or die huh." He steered his ship towards the fray and prayed to God.

Laser blasts were being fired in all directions. He hardly had time to maneuver around one when another appeared. He watched in awe as the two opposing battleships sent wave after wave of blasts. It was a losing fight. He could see the number of pilots dwindling. The prowlers were destroying each other while the three largest ships remained dormant. Heading away from the main attack area, he flew unopposed towards the Daggoth. Its enormity was spellbinding. It filled his entire window. Firing multiple shots at its hull, he watched as the rockets did little more than light up the area around the ship. He couldn't do this alone. A large explosion jolted him from his mission. He turned to see the Auriga in terrible shape. A direct hit from the Hyperion had crippled its left side and the massive craft was steering itself towards the prowlers. Plowing through the field, it destroyed as many of its own fighters as of the others.

Turning back to the Daggoth, he searched for anything that might be susceptible to his attacks. How could he possibly make a difference in this fight if he didn't know where anything was? The video screen flickered for the final time. Stern man's face was bloody and shout could be heard behind him. "Direct your craft towards the Hyperion now!" Frightened by the man's wild shouts, he cried out "What?" The prowler suddenly jerked and changed direction. Frantically, he tried to regain control of the vessel. It was now pointed at the Hyperion. This was the largest of the three ships and it was fully engaged with the Auriga. A flash of light cut across space and closed around him. He felt the prowler change directions again. The Daggoth had caught him in a tractor beam. Using all the force that his small ship could muster, he managed to pull away from the tractor beam. Looking down at his screen he saw strange symbols flashing. It did not take much thinking to figure out what was going on. A countdown had been activated. He searched frantically for some sort of stop button. Finally, in frustration he yelled out "Eject!"

Nothing happened at first. Then with a soft whine, he heard movement below him. The seat exploded upward and smashed through the windshield. He managed to click his helmet into place seconds before his body was floating in outer space. He watched in amazement as his prowler hurtled aimlessly in front of him. A large box-like container was attached to the ship's bottom. Smashing against the Daggoth's hull, the prowler exploded and its pieces were dispersed. But something was still there. The container had attached itself to the larger ship. A bright flash of light filled the area around him. The Daggoth exploded in a gigantic fireball that extended in all directions. He looked on in horror as the Auriga also exploded. The two ships sent chunks of debris catapulting through space. He was almost hit by shards of metal and mangled corpses. Bile shot up through his throat as he recognized the stern man floating alongside him. A hideous stare fixed on his face.

Slowly but surely, he could feel a force moving him towards the Hyperion. He watched in fear as it's massive hanger doors opened to welcome him.

>>>>

A harsh shaking snapped him back into the moment. Crichton and Aeryn sat motionless in front of him. "You destroyed the ship?" Aeryn's face was fixed in disbelief. 0377 nodded his head slightly. The guilt returned without mercy to torture him again. "I didn't realize...." His voice trailed off as he lowered his head. "You should get some rest." John was concerned for this poor man. He knew from personal experience that being torn from your home and forced into a strange situation could be very difficult. "Aeryn, let's go find him a cell." She nodded and they helped the stranger up from the table. Finding an empty room nearby, they laid him down and turned the lights down low. "Thank you," he whispered as they left.

The gun appeared from nowhere and fired into him. He could see the blood gushing from the wound as his body was racked with pain. "Ahhhhhhh!" 0377 awoke suddenly from the dream. He was lying on the floor of what looked like a cell. His body was covered in soft orange blankets that shined with the light in the room. He stood up cautiously to survey his surroundings. Something laying next to him on the floor caught his eye. A small metal device in a sort of rounded shape. He picked it up and shook it. Nothing happened. Tapping it lightly with his finger, a humming sound began emanating. "Yes?" Pilot's voice came out of the comm, causing him to jump back. "Hello?" He could think of nothing to say. "Is there something you wanted?" Pilot's voice seemed slightly amused. "Um yes. Is there somewhere that I could wash my clothes?" He sniffed himself quickly and decided it was a good idea.

0377 walked silently into the room that Pilot had indicated. There was a large fountain in the middle of it with filled with water. Believing that he was alone, he walked quickly up to it. He was stopped short when he saw the grey woman kneeling in the water. He could not help but stop for a moment and take in her comely form. The others had called her Chiana. "Enjoying the view?" Crichton appeared behind him and slapped his back softly. The grin on his face was infectious and 0377 could not help but laugh. Aeryn Sun came in behind John but said nothing. She walked across the room and sat down. He could see her angrily attempting to wash something from her vest. At this point, Chiana realized that she had company. Turning to face 0377, she winked at the confused human. The devilish look on her face was disconcerting. He smiled back. "Can I wash my clothes here?" She stepped out of the water and came towards him. Inches from his face she stopped. "Let me get those for you." She purred the words more than she spoke them. He stood frozen as she took them from his hands and walked slowly back to the fountain.

"Don't worry about it." John shook his head as he said the words. "Its always nice to have someone." 0377 looked at him, a painful expression on his face. "What?" Intrigued, both Aeryn and Chiana were now paying close attention.

<<<<

His arms and legs were firmly chained to the wall. He was standing up straight, unable to move. In front of him he could see several men in black and red uniforms discussing something of great importance. Finally one turned to him. "My name is Lt. Sargas. You have been captured by the command carrier Hyperion. "Why?" The question seemed silly. He was perfectly aware of what he had done. "You destroyed the Daggoth young one. Killing over two thousand soldiers in the process. Not to mention that you were working with the traitor Draculic." The Lt. looked him over carefully. "It is lucky for you that we cannot yet identify your species. Otherwise you would probably be dead by now." Sargas smiled at the look of fear on the young man's face. "You have not ident chips that name you. Consider 0377 your new name. You are now a prisoner of the Peacekeepers." With those words the Lt. walked quickly out of the room. Two men dressed in what looked it black mechanics uniforms stepped up to him. They began applying small electrodes to his body. "Is this going to hurt?" 0377 was sweating now. One of them looked him coldly in the eye. "Yes."

Lt. Sargas returned a short while later. Standing close to 0377 he spoke. "I will ask you a question. If you fail to answer, the teks will blast you with energy. If you respond, perhaps we will let you live." He stepped back a safe distance from the wall. The two teks began flipping switches on the large machine that had been brought in. It started to hum ominously. "We can take a sample of your blood and match it to a species. But perhaps you will save us the trouble. What species are you?" 0377 remembered what the man had said earlier. If he wanted to live for now he would have to keep quiet. "What species are you!" He said nothing. "Very well." Sargas motioned to the teks. A red electrical charge burst out the machine and hit him. He felt a strange tingle throughout his body but no pain. Looking at Sargas, he realized that this was supposed to hurt. Doing his very best acting, he began to convulse and scream. "Ahhhhh. Please no more!" The Lt. waved his hands and the blast stopped. "What species are you?" 0377 snarled, "Go to hell!" The electricity shot out again. It was more powerful than before but still painless. He fought to keep from laughing as the tickles ran through his body. "Noooooooo!"

"You are stronger than you look 0377." Sargas watched him closely. What could have been a look of admiration crossed his face. "Take him to the holding cells. He cannot resist forever. A pair of soldiers entered and unhooked him from the wall. They carried him down into the deepest parts of the ship. A chamber the size of a prison on Earth was waiting for him. Everything was written in strange symbols. He could not make out any of the words. The small convoy finally reached a large black desk. A large man in a red uniform sat behind it. "Number!" The voice was cruel and unnerving. "0377 sir." The man nodded his head and pointed to the left. "Cell 1028. Last one on the left." He went back to his work as they passed silently.

The metal bars slammed shut in front of him and he flinched involuntarily. Realizing for the first time just how bad his predicament was, he shouted back to the guards. "Please you've made a mistake!" Stupid words really. He could not think of anything that could get him out of this mess. Surprisingly, one of the soldiers turned and came back. He grinned horridly and smashed the butt of his rifle into 0377's jaw. Falling back hard against the cell's floor. He lost consciousness.

Sometime later he woke up. Groggily, he opened his eyes and realized that someone was kneeling over him. It was a woman. "Good. I thought for a moment that they had put a corpse in here with me." She leaned back from him and sat against the wall. His eyes adjusted to the light enough so that he could see her clearly. She was beautiful. Shoulder-length black hair that cascaded down her face and clear green eyes that.... She slapped him hard across the cheek. "What the frell do you think you're doing. I will not be looked at like that by the likes of you." Her voice was angry but the look on her face seemed perfectly calm. "I'm sorry but I-." She shook her head. "You're not sebacean are you." He groaned softly. "No, I'm human." She looked confused. "I do not know that species." He could see scars on her arms and face. "What did they do to you?" She eyed him cautiously. "Torture. I disobeyed a direct order from command. It is the customary punishment." Shocked, he inquired more. "That doesn't bother you?" "I disobeyed orders. The punishment fits the crime." She backed off into a dark corner of the room where he could not see her. "Now leave me alone. I was trying to sleep."

Despite her words, it was she who instigated the conversation a few minutes later. "Why are you here?" He looked up from his thoughts. She was still in the darkness. "I destroyed a command carrier." Her face appeared out the shadows. "You?" She said the words almost laughing. "How could you have possibly-." Noting the look in his eyes she stopped. He had his head in his lap and his hands over his eyes now. "What's wrong with you?" He glanced over at her. Tears had formed in his eyes. "I killed over two thousand people." She smirked, "You couldn't have done it all by yourself." He shook his head. "I crashed my ship into the Daggoth. There was a bomb strapped to it and the whole thing exploded. I had no choice." Standing up now, she said, "They were your enemies. Would have done the same to you. So why feel bad about it?" He smiled. "Its called remorse. You feel bad for doing something wrong even if you didn't mean to." "I am not familiar with that." Confusion settled on her face. "A human emotion?" "Something like that." He raised his hand to her. "What's your name?" She ignored the hand but responded. "Meryl. Yours?" He frowned. "0377."

He fell asleep not long after that. Later, when he woke up again she was gone. Meryl. He let himself imagine just for a moment what it would be like to touch her skin. Shaking his head, he growled to himself. "You have seen way too many movies man." She was obviously a soldier and he was nothing but a frail human prisoner. He let the thought leave him and concentrated on something more important. How the hell was he going to get out of here.

He was awake when they brought her back. The two guards tossed her in harshly. If not for him, she would have hit the ground hard. Holding her up, he realized that she had new scars. "What did they do to you?" Her face was soft for a moment. "Punishment fits the crime." She whispered the words without much conviction. "That lines starting to get old," he whispered back. He placed her in the dark spot on her side of the cell and returned to his. They both fell asleep without saying another word.

A loud mechanical roar woke them both up a few hours later. Massive generators lined up against the wall began whirring and dispersing warm air. "What's happening?" Meryl sat up, tilting her head to see out the window. "Different species are affected by different temperatures. They change from hot to cold periodically to wear us down." He stood up and walked to the door. "What affects sebaceans?" She groaned. "The heat." As the hot air filled the room, they both began to sweat. 0377 could see that she was beginning to look sick. "Are you going to be alright?" She looked up at him. "No."

Meryl was visibly shaking now. The sweat poured down her face and into her eyes. He was concerned now but stayed away. "At least take off the jacket." She was wearing prison issue overalls and a jacket. He stepped towards her. "No. I can do it myself." She struggled with the jacket but could not manage to pry it off. "Here, I got it." He grabbed the edge of her sleeve and pulled it slowly from her. As the jacket came off, he pulled at the collar. Attempting to remove it completely, his hand accidentally brushed her uncovered shoulder. She looked up at him in alarm. They stayed that way for what seemed like hours. Just staring at each other. He felt the texture of her skin for just a moment before she pulled away and knocked his hand off. "Thank you." She said nothing else.

He sat back against the wall. Something had happened there. He knew it. There had been no intention on his part to do it but something had happened. 0377 smiled to himself for a moment before closing his eyes.

The situation changed drastically within the next several hours. The heaters had stopped and the air had returned to normal. Meryl had quickly reached for her jacket and retreated into the darkness. Without him asking her, she said "Its called heat delirium." He nodded. "Does it hurt much?" "It is incredibly painful but the affects dissipate as quickly as they arrive." 0377 felt a small chill run through his body. The air was getting colder. Within minutes he was shivering uncontrollably. "The cold is bad for humans?" she asked. He nodded. Meryl removed her jacket quietly and tossed it to him. He looked at her, the same stare as when they first met. "Is this an act of friendship?" Her eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted into a frown. "Ok, I'll consider it pity then." She nodded slowly. "Yes, pity."

She disappeared again as he slept. But this time she did not return when he woke up.

>>>>

"Wow." Crichton stared amazed at the man in front of him. All the feelings he held inside gushed to the surface as he examined what had just been said. He had felt something like that with Aeryn. Not at first, but it had happened. He turned towards her but she was busy with her vest. "I know how you feel." 0377 spoke the words as softly as he could. The look in John's eyes told him that they were both thinking the same things. Looking up at Aeryn Sun, he realized that it must have been just as difficult with her.

"Frell, what is it with humans and peacekeeper gals?" Chiana's comment broke the heavy silence that had settled on the room. Everyone turned to look at her but said nothing. Aeryn's eyes narrowed as she watched both John and 0377. They seemed to get along rather well. There was a certain comfort between the two of them. This scared her but she didn't know why. "Well, thank you Chiana." 0377 stood and walked out of the room. "I have some things I have to do." His words came out hollow. Disappearing out the door, he left three bewildered crew members.

He dropped onto the makeshift bed. Feeling the cold metal against his skin he closed his eyes. She was there in his mind. That face. John and Aeryn gave him a slight glimmer of hope. Perhaps if they could work it out, so could... He pushed the thought out of his head. "I should have said something more." A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Aeryn Sun was standing in his doorway. An uncertain look plastered on her face. "May I come in?" He nodded quickly. The woman made him nervous. She was beautiful but that wasn't the only reason. Meryl had the same black hair. The same harsh expression. He could see it in Aeryn and it brought back painful memories. It had felt good to tell his story to someone else.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Stop it!" Her face turned angry as she shouted. 0377 backed up against the wall and shielded his face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!" She shook her head. "I am with Crichton." She muttered the words a few more times. "Yes, I know." Aeryn was confused. "Then why did you look at me like that? John looks at me like that." He smiled despite the hurt. "Its just that you remind me her." Her face softened a bit. "Meryl?" "Yes. Your face, it has much in common with hers. I didn't mean it that way. On earth, when we think someone is beautiful, we let them know. It doesn't automatically mean that we want to be with them." She laughed and he could definitely understand what Crichton saw in her. "You go around staring at every woman like that?" "Not all."

Aeryn spotted something on him. "Blood?" 0377 looked down at his pants. There was in fact a small stain of blood. "Yes...."

<<<<

She had come back two days later. The waiting and wondering had almost driven him mad. To meet someone like that and then just have them disappear. The guards brought her in as before. Her body seemed limp and weak. He set her down gently on the ground and touched her hair lightly. She shuddered a bit but did not push him away. She smiled for just a moment and then her face settled into sleep. He watched her like that for a while, not wanting to upset the look on her face. His eyes soon too began to shut. The world went black again.

Sirens were blaring throughout the chamber. Red emergency lights turned the cell into an eery storm of noise. Meryl was fully awake now. She seemed very agitated by what was happening. 0377 stood up and walked to the bars. "What's happening?" His question went unanswered. Then the man from the front desk came on over the loudspeakers. "Escaped prisoner! Send reinforcements now!" His heart began racing. The blood in his face drained as he realized that this might actually be his chance for escape. Meryl joined him at the door. "They'll never get out alive." Her words were grim and her expression serious. Loud footsteps could be heard charging down the hall.

"Over here!" 0377 shouted as hard as he could over the sirens. The frenzied man had passed by quickly. His face was riddled with scars and his hair appeared to have been burned. He was wearing the same prison uniform as Meryl. The escapee didn't seem to hear 0377 at first but then turned. "We don't have much time!" 0377 could hardly respond. "Please, just get me out." The man looked at him for a moment. His eyes glowed for a moment and then he shouted back. "Alright, stand back." He pulled a small grey card key from his pocket and inserted it into the door. Suddenly a pistol was against his head. "Hands in the air!" 0377 turned in shock to see Meryl holding the gun. She whipped him hard in the face with it and he went careening into the cell. The other man stood frozen. "Its y-yo-you?" Her face turned angry as she slammed her foot in his crotch. "Yes, its me." 0377 could not believe what he was seeing. Who was she? Meryl looked down at him for a moment. "Why?" She kicked him hard and he lost consciousness.

Lt. Sargas looked down at the sleeping human with interest. "Did you get everything you wanted from him captain?" Raynor shook her head. "No. The escaped prisoner interrupted the process. He knows what I am now." Sargas frowned. "Shall we try other methods?" She smiled. "Nothing else is necessary. These humans are gullible creatures. All I need is some time alone with him." He nodded and left her chamber quickly.

He stirred slightly. The pain was almost gone now but his jaw was still sore. 0377 opened his eyes and found himself somewhere new. The cell was replaced by a large chamber with massive black and red banners draped across the walls. In the middle sat a large throne-like chair. Meryl was sitting there, watching him. "You're awake now?" He groaned loudly. "Did you have to hit me twice?" She laughed at this. Getting up from her chair, she moved quickly across the room and helped him up. He looked briefly into her eyes. They were cold now. The softness had disappeared. "Meryl, why did you do that?" She showed no signs of emotion. "You will address me as Captain Raynor from now on. Is that understood?" He nodded. 'You didn't answer my question." Even her voice seemed harsher now. "I did what I had to do. You were not responding to conventional methods." 0377 blinked rapidly. "The scars, they're gone." Her hand shot involuntarily to her face. "They were not real." He stepped back. She could see the hurt in his eyes. Something about that look bothered her. "No, I won't believe that. You can't just fake what happened in there." Her eyes narrowed. "Can you honestly say that you felt nothing?" His directness made her nervous. This puny figure in front of her was challenging her word. "I did what I had to do." 0377 stepped towards her. "You said that already." He grabbed her hand and she did not push him away. In the harsh light of the room he could finally take in how amazing she looked. That cold stare disappeared for a moment and he thought he could see something warm. Something deeper. "I am a Captain. You can't just come in here and expect me to give that up for a simple attraction." He could not contain the smile. She had said attraction. "Is that all it was for you?" She looked confused again. "I, I - ."

"Captain Raynor!" Lt. Sargas burst through the door. "We are under attack!" She pushed past 0377 and ran to him. "I want visuals now!" The human watched in awe as one of the walls disappeared to reveal a view of the space outside. An enormous black and red ship was destroying the smaller prowlers protecting the Hyperion. It rushed past the escort fleet and came in beside the command carrier. "We have the pilot online captain." Sargas looked at Raynor. He turned to look at the confused prisoner for a moment before returning his attention to the screen. Raynor growled angrily at him. "Well connect us Lt." She motioned for 0377 to keep back. A cruel looking man wearing a captains uniform appeared on the screen. His black hair was pulled back into a tail behind him. His face looked grim. "Order your ships to cease their attack or I will be forced to fire on you directly." His stare betrayed no sign of weakness or fear. "It is a bit presumptuous of you to order me Crais." Raynor matched his confident tone. "Ah, Captain Raynor. I see they've given you your own command carrier now. I applaud you. I seem to remember you being the youngest captain to date." His voice reeked of condescension. "I hope you are not mistaking youth for inexperience Bialar. I will fire on you if necessary." That was all that 0377 saw of the conversation before the guards dragged him out of the room. This was beginning to become annoyingly repetitive.

>>>>

"We never got to finish that talk." He looked at Aeryn. The sympathy in her face made him feel a bit better. "Perhaps you will someday. We can change you know. I am living proof of that." She was surprised at how easily the reassuring words came. She recognized herself less and less these days. "Peackeepers you mean?" She smiled. "Yes." The comm on her vest came to life. "Aeryn? Where are you? I need your help with something." She frowned. "I'll be right there John." Turning back to 0377, she said "Humans seem so soft and weak. When you tell me of all the things that have happened to you and everything that John has gone through. . John's been tortured for so long. I don't know how he kept going." 0377 patted her softly on the back. He knew. "It was you." She stared back at him. The words burned deeply into her. That this man who had been with them for a few short arns could tell her such intimate things was perplexing. "It's the way he acts around you. Can't you see it?" She smiled broadly. "I think I can." He pulled something from his sweatshirt pocket. "I had forgotten that this was here." It was a small box with black material running through it. It reminded her of the tapes that John used to talk to his father. "I want you to give this to Crichton."

John Crichton was in the maintenance bay. Old prowler parts were strewn across the table and he was hard at work with one of them. He did not hear her enter. Aeryn walked slowly up to him. He looked up as she stopped. The kiss was warm and unexpected. They both smiled as they drew back. Sitting down next to him, she pulled the tape from her pocket and placed it on the table. "What was that for?" She grinned sheepishly. "Does there have to be a reason?" John laughed. "No, I suppose not." She pushed the tape towards him. His face filled with surprise. "Is that what I think it is?" She shrugged. "I don't know myself." He pulled the old tape recorder from his toolbox and snapped the cassette into place. He looked at her, a little boy's smile spread across his face. John clicked the play button.

"I thought that you'd be loving me. I thought you'd be the one who'd stay forever.... But now forever's come and gone and I'm still here alone."

It was music. John laughed loudly. "Oh man that is music!" Aeryn covered her ears. "It sounds like noise to me." Her face was twisted into a frown. "No that is definitely Earth music. Not exactly my favorite song but it will do!" He turned the volume up louder and stood up. "Aeryn Sun, may I have this dance?" She looked up at him. Either with joy or skepticism, he couldn't tell. "I couldn't possibly dance to th..." He took her hand and dragged her from the chair. They fumbled for a moment before joining together. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his own around her waist. "You're doing great." She smiled despite the uncertainty. Keeping from stepping on his toes was becoming an endurance challenge. Aeryn put her head on his shoulder and they moved slowly to the melody.

0377 watched them quietly from outside the room. The wonderful scene in front of him filled him with hope. There seemed to be something inherently right about what was happening. Those two were meant for each other. He could not keep his thoughts from drifting to Meryl....

<<<<

It was a different cell this time. He had been moved to a new wing of the prison. The guard threw him in roughly. The cold sting of the floor smacked against his skin. A rustling sound came from the corner. "Who's in here?" The question came out in a weak gasp. 0377 picked himself up and sat against the wall. "I am." A short man covered in blood stains appeared from the darkness. "You're the guy that escaped!" It was the man that Meryl had captured. He was badly bruised and beaten. "Yes, that was me." Something flashed in 0377's memory. "Why did you help me? What was that thing you did with your eyes?" The beaten man nodded. "My race, the Nyid, are blessed with the ability to see truth. When my eyes flashed, I was able to see that your plea was sincere. Unfortunately I did not see your companion." "I am sorry about that. I didn't know." The man moved quickly over next to him. He displayed an agility that did not fit an injured person. "My name is Bob. And yours?" "All I know is 0377. That is the only name I have now." Bob laughed. "How would you like to get out of here?" He pulled a small grey chip from below his coat. "I always carry a spare."

The sirens were blaring again as the guards reached cell 05. The bars were hanging open and the prisoners were gone. Down the hall, Bob and 0377 were running for their lives. "Which way is the hanger?" 0377's frantic question was almost lost in the noise. "To the left. Hurry!" They raced forward as fast they could. Mobilizing guards were everywhere. "In here!" Bob pointed to a large set of doors. He pushed his card into the slot and after a moment of tense fear, the doors swished open. Row after row of prowlers was waiting for them. "There's a ship out there. If we can get to it, the captain might help us." Bob nodded quickly. "whatever you say."

The lone prowler burst from the hanger into open space. All around them, other ships were battling frantically to escape the enormous vessel. "Try hailing it on the radio." Bob tossed the microphone towards 0377. "Captain of the large black and red ship! We have escaped the command carrier. Can you assist us? Please!" Their plea was met with silence. It had been a mistake. The man on the video screen looked just like the peacekeepers. Why would he help them? The radio sputtered to life, jolting them from the scene outside. "This is captain Bialar Crais. I will inform you only once that Talyn will fire if you attempt to attack us." The voice was calm. No trace of anxiety or fear. "We have no intention of harming you. We need help! They'll kill us!" Crais's face appeared on the monitor. He seemed to be considering the request. "Why would I trust you?" Bob thrust himself forward. "Trust me. Any worthy captain knows that Nyids do not lie." Crais nodded. "Very well, but I warn you, Talyn will be watching you closely."

"What the frell just happened?" Captain Raynor shouted down at her Lt. Sargas looked up at his angry superior officer. "Two prisoners have escaped captain. We believe they have entered the Leviathon. "Why would Crais help them?" She ignored his answer and ran out of the room. "Where are you going?" Sargas followed close behind her. She did not bother to turn around. "Protocol dictates that all escaped prisoners be captured and executed." He nodded. "Yes, but why are you going? We could easily send a regiment in to do the job. Or just destroy the ship. " She stopped and slammed him against the wall. "Never question me."

A lone marauder shot out of the hanger doors and towards the Leviathon. Deterred by the intensity of the other ships, Talyn failed to notice the tiny vessel approaching.

0377 and Bob stepped slowly into the massive craft. The walls looked similar to the command carrier but something was different. They seemed alive. "Do not move." Crais's cold voice could be heard before they saw him. He stepped slowly forward with weapon in hand. "We aren't carrying any weapons." 0377's assurance went unanswered. Crais came forward and inspected the two odd-looking men. "Get inside quickly." He turned and walked back to into the ship's main area. 0377 could not help but think that the man was still watching every move they made. On the ceiling, strange looking objects followed them as well. Something else was keeping a close watch on them. Bob ran forward to meet Crais but 0377 stood quietly. Talyn was amazing to behold. He touched the walls and felt a warmth emanating from inside.

Sargas had insisted on bringing a small contingent of soldiers. They stood ready to enter the ship at her command. She did not motion to them. Finally she turned. "I will go in alone. Come inside only if I instruct you." Sargas was confused. "But captain.." She was already outside the ship.

"0377!" He turned at the sound of his number. She was standing there. Meryl was standing there. She held her weapon at shoulder height, pointed directly at him. "Come to me now." He obeyed quickly and stepped forward. As he reached the end of her gun, she lowered it. Surprised, he looked quizzically at her. "I'm not going to hurt you." He wanted to believe her but his guard was still up. "Are all humans like you?" The question was odd and it threw him for a moment. "No. There are many different forms." She smiled. "If I let you go, will you promise to make me feel this way again?" Now he was really confused. "How...?" She did not wait for him to finish. Meryl wrapped her arms around 0377 and kissed him. The warmth of her lips on his made his body go limp. The emotions swirling inside both of them were intense. She fired the gun point blank into his chest. It was set on low, meant to stun not kill. He crumpled into her arms and she threw him into Talyn's waiting hanger. She next turned the gun on herself. Blood burst from the impacted area and she fell quickly to the ground. Dragging herself back towards the marauder, she pressed the comm button. "Sargas! Get in here!"

As the startled unit of soldiers dragged their captain back into the ship, Talyn severed the connection and starbursted away. Lt. Sargas looked down at his wounded captain. "Captain Raynor, are you alright?" She frowned at him. "Frelling humans are stronger than they look." He nodded, though he could not help but question what had just happened.

Crais looked down at the pathetic form. "She didn't kill you?" 0377 opened his eyes wearily. "Not this time." The confused ex-peacekeeper looked back to where Raynor had been. He could not believe that the same woman that had previously threatened to kill him had just now spared this thing. "Why?" 0377 waved his hand. He did not want to talk about it now. Crais reached for his gun. Suspicion had taken over. "Please, I'm a human. I can't hurt you." This startled Crais even more. "Human you say. I think I know someone who can help you."

>>>>

0377 walked slowly back to his room. He examined with infinite wonder the gargantuan creature that he was moving through. Something swelled inside of him. He felt hope again. Truly a human emotion.

Lt. Sargas watched her wake up slowly in the bed. "Captain, it is good to see you recovering so quickly." She scowled at him. "Thank you for your concern Lt." He could not shake the feeling that something was wrong with her. She had not been acting normally lately. Ever since the human had arrived. "It may not be my place to say so captain, but I had noticed that you have not been yourself lately. Perhaps the human has abilities we have not yet learned of." Anger spread across her face. "You are correct Lt. Sargas. It is not your place to say so." He nodded. There was nothing more he could do here. "Whatever it was, I'm sure it will go away soon." She ignored the comment and signaled for him to leave. He bowed slightly and retreated, letting the door slam loudly as he exited. Meryl Raynor looked down at her leg. It was healing quickly. Yet the wound held a deeper threat. By creating it she had made a choice. She looked back at the door as it slammed. "I don't want it go away."

IF YOU'VE GOTTEN THIS FAR AND LIKED IT:
please note that Meryl's further developement(if i ever write about her again) will differ greatly from Aeryn's. she is not a rip-off. just a different possibility for a similar person.

i will have to come up with a new name for 0377. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. something peacekeeper-like but not like the ones we have already seen

THANK YOU!!!!!