Setting: Takes place after the events of Fractures and somewhere in the final four episodes. John and the others have already attacked Scorpy’s command carrier.

Fic: No More Dying

The prison cell’s metal floor felt cool and familiar against Aeryn Sun’s battered face. Just the slightest movement on her part caused each bruise to erupt in pain. “How did I ever let you talk me into this John?” She laughed at her own words. As if he had anything to do with her coming on this suicide mission. Well, John Crichton was responsible. Just not this one. Aeryn could hear movement from outside the door. It sounded like a shift change. She allowed herself a brief smile. The old routines. They still came naturally after all this time.

One of the groups of footsteps stopped outside of her cell. Low voices came through in short bursts. They were arguing about something. Before Aeryn could make anything out, the door slid open with an electronic buzz. She covered her eyes and backed away. The lamp light from the corridor burned them. Black formless shapes walked across her field of vision, two in particular stood out among the rest. Scorpius and his stooge Braca were standing in the doorway. Each taking a moment of pleasure in her submission. Aeryn had never felt so angry.

Her long black hair, usually held back, was now ragged. It hung around her shoulders in bloody clumps and knots. The smell of blood didn’t bother her so much. Aeryn was used to it by now. But it had never been quite so close. Her blood had flown everywhere when they had come in to have some fun. A purple ring covered her right eye wherever red couldn’t be seen. “Are we up for another round Officer Sun?” Scorpius took a step into the room and breathed happily through his horrid teeth. He surveyed her figure and shook his head disapprovingly. “Braca, see that some prison uniforms are brought in. No, this won’t do at all.”

Aeryn looked down at her green shirt and leather pants. Neither had survived the assault intact. The green cover was torn to shreds and just barely held itself together. A silent thank you had already been said for the black tee-shirt she wore under it. Last minute idea. The leather pants had faired slightly better. Everything was fine down to the knees. That’s where soldiers had kicked the material off with their boots. “Bring them if you want. I won’t wear them.” Aeryn’s eyes burned into her captor’s. Scorpius shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

The hybrid stood slowly and turned to leave the room. As he went, something crunched under his boot. “What’s this?” Scorpius knelt down again and picked up the tiny item. A tooth fragment sat in his gloved hand. He looked down at Aeryn. “Yours or his?” She didn’t reply. The two of them held the stare for several microts. The ex-peacekeeper thought she saw something flash in Scorpius’s eyes. As if some idea had occurred to him. “Crichton fought valiantly against my Aurora Chair. He lost of course.” Aeryn sensed what was coming.

Scorpius made a sign to his men outside and they rushed off. Moments later, one came back with a stool. The hybrid took it and sat down in front of her. Aeryn stiffened and balled her hands into fists. “I’ve seen some strange things in my time. But I can imagine nothing worse than two John Crichtons.” Each word was followed by a crooked smile. Aeryn lunged forward but was cut short by the chains around her wrists. Scorpius shook his head. “I see this is a sensitive matter.” He showed no indication of stopping.

“You do what you have to. But I’m not saying a word.” Aeryn leaned back against the wall and gave her chilliest expression. The seething anger underneath was just barely contained. Scorpius nodded his head in what appeared to be understanding. “I only wish to talk, Officer Sun. If you’d prefer, we can do this in the Chair.” He got no reply. Aeryn gave up her mental attack and closed her eyes. She saw John behind her eyelids. Better to leave them open. “I owe a debt of gratitude to this Kaarvoc. I wouldn’t want Crichton dying just yet.”

Despite her best efforts, Aeryn Sun felt a tear slide down her cheek. It came from her one currently good eye. She couldn’t fight the despair any longer. Here with this monster while the man she loved lay in the ground. It was too much. Scorpius appeared to be quite surprised by her show of emotion. He stood and took the stool in his hands. “You’ve done more damage than I can ever do. I apologize for wasting time.”

Aeryn bit her lip and watched him go. In the doorway, Scorpius stopped. “If I may give you one piece of advice, Officer Sun. You’ve lost one Crichton and the other may not have much time left. Use it wisely.” The door slammed shut behind him as he left. Outside, Braca stared at his superior in confusion. “Sir, we’re not putting her in the Aurora Chair?” Scorpius grinned. “No, I’ve had my fun.”

<<<<>>>>

John Crichton sat limp in the chair, eyes fixed on his shiny black boots. Well, they had been shiny. Now the snug-fitting things were caked with blood and something else he couldn’t identify. What was the point? Nothing mattered anymore. He was dead to Aeryn, dead to his friends, and very soon he would be dead to Scorpy. “Try to stay alive Crichton.” The words caught him off guard. The woman at the controls. He’d seen a whole lot of em pass by already. Red hair, blue hair, and so on.

“What the frell do you care?” Of course, the words didn’t actually come out like that. John wasn’t sure what she caught. A drop of saliva landed on his pants. “I don’t. But Scorpius does very much. And he’ll take it out on me.” A smile formed on the human’s lips. He tried to laugh but all that came out were coughs. Blood hit the ground in front of the chair. The woman understood. “Let’s try again.”

As the chair began to spin, John saw a door slide open on the left side of the room. Scorpius himself walked confidently in with his usual entourage just behind. Two soldiers in the back were dragging something along with them. “Aeryn!” He screamed out her name with all the force he could muster. Everything went silent for a moment. Aeryn looked up from where she was and managed a thin smile. “You look like dren Crichton.” John smiled back. “So do you.”

Scorpius ignored the exchange and walked up to his most important prisoner. “Have you told your secrets yet John? It would be much simpler for everyone.” He could see that John wasn’t going to respond. “Increase power! I want this over with.” The control woman nodded and set to work. “Show it to me John. I’ll let her go if you do.” Something about John’s demeanor changed at the threat. Scorpius growled. “Sir, something’s coming up!”

The Aurora Chair’s monitor burst to life at the operator’s words. Blue rippling wormholes filled the screen. Scorpius nodded his head in approval. “I knew you’d do it J-.” The hybrid stopped short as the image began to change. The wormholes began to fade as a view of space permeated through. Thousands of stars began covering the old picture. One in particular stood out among the rest. “It’s a block. Break it now!”

Aeryn heard the angry words and looked up from her place on the ground. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as the scene became clear to her. John was writhing with agony in the chair. Beside him, the video screen broadcast a very familiar image. Aeryn searched back in her memory and found Crichton’s star charts. The ones he had shared with her on Talyn. She started to cry again. “John, fight it!”

John’s eyes turned away from Scorpius and moved over to the woman on the floor. She looked like her old self again and yet not. Something else was in her eyes. Aeryn tried to stand but was knocked back down by a guard. “Fight him!” Crichton felt tears rush down his face. “I...I can’t.” Aeryn’s resolve didn’t waver. “I love you damn it! Now fight it!”

Scorpius heard the words and turned around. It had been a mistake bringing her here. “Shut her up!” Just as he spoke, an explosion of sparks erupted behind him. The Aurora Chair’s power center burst out of its casing and crashed onto the floor. The chair stopped spinning. All the overhead lights flickered out. The operator’s voice came out of the darkness. “Sir! He beat the machine.” Scorpius let out a Scarren-like growl. “Thank you for that enlightening piece of information.”

<<<<>>>>

John didn’t know how he’d done it. It seemed wrong to him that they had both made it out of the room alive. Not bad, just outside the realm of possibility. “Don’t shoot him!” The words still rang in his ear. Scorpius had probably saved both his and Aeryn’s life with that order. With an impossible burst of strength, John had arisen from the Aurora Chair for a second time and walked across the room. Aeryn was lying face up on the ground. “John, is that you?” He hadn’t answered. There was no need to. Crichton had just picked her up and ran out of the room. She was heavier than she looked.

Aeryn opened her eyes and recognized the cramped space of a utility closet. She didn’t know how they had gotten there. She didn’t care as long as they were both safe. Something moved in front of her. “Are you awake?” It was John’s voice, worn out but firm. “I’ll survive. Though my pride-.” He put a finger to her lips and stopped the reply. Aeryn suddenly remembered what she had said.