TITLE: DESTINY'S CHILD...
AUTHOR: DALEQUAN
ARCHIVE: Ask First
STYLE:
CATEGORY: DRAMA/ACTION
RATING: PG-13
SCENERIO: It's been 18 years since John Crichton disappeared in the Farscape I. Now NASA is about to launch Farscape II. Follow along with the adventures that befall the daughter he didn't know he had.
DISCLAIMER: FARSCAPE AND ALL CHARACTERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIT SERIES ARE THE PROPERTY OF JIM HENSON PRODUCTIONS, HALLMARK ENTERTAINMENT, AND THE SCIFI CHANNEL AND MUCH RESPECT TO THE CREATORS OF THAT WONDERFUL SPACE OPERA I HAVE COME TO LOVE SO MUCH. ANY SIMILARITY IS INTENTIONAL HOWEVER NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED. THE CHARACTERS THAT ARE CREATED BY ME ARE MINE AND BELONG TO ME AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT PERMISSION ELSEWHERE. GIVE PROPS WHERE PROPS ARE DUE.
RATING: PG-13
Monday, 14 March of 2017.
DESTINY'S CHILD...
Jackson Crichton watched as her roommate waltzed into the dorm room. Lily staggered slightly and Jackson realized that she was drunk. Lily giggled as she wobbled over to her bunk and collapsed in a crumpled heap. She groaned and rolled over to look at Jackson who had dismissed her and had her nose buried in one of the many heavy tomes scattered about the dorm room floor.
"You are still studying for finals aren't you?" Lily asked in a disgusted tone. "I don't know why you waste your time. Jackson Crichton daughter of the famed space hero John Crichton. Child prodigy, astrophysics major, member of Who's Who in America since the 2nd grade when they moved you up to the 5th grade. Photographic memory, yada, yada, yada." Lily droned on.
Jackson tried to ignore the sarcasm in Lily's voice. Tiredly she removed her reading glasses and pinned her roommate with a probing stare. "Lily keep it up and I will give you a black eye." Jackson drawled. "Besides," Jackson continued smugly, "Your mother called, something about your grandparents flying in from England and that your cousin Cynthia is coming to visit you during spring break." Jackson snickered as Lily jumped up off the bed and ran to the bathroom. She laughed softly to herself as she listened to Lily empty the contents of her stomach in the toilet.
After several minutes Jackson walked over to the kitchenette and tore several towels from the roll and wet them and took them to the cracked bathroom door and handed them to Lily who swiftly closed the door.
Jackson cleaned up the books from the floor and waited patiently for Lily to return so she could finish relaying her mother's message.
Lily limped out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of her bed with her hands massaging her temples. "Cynthia is coming??" she asked weakly.
"Yep," Jackson answered her.
"Oh," Lily moaned, "She will ruin the entire spring break. We had planned to go to Fort Lauderdale and then on to the Kennedy Space Center to watch them launch Farscape II." Lily pouted. "Jackson can't you help me get away from that witch. She is so manipulative."
Jackson laughed, "Now isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, Lily."
Lily huffed, "Jack she is worse than me."
"Are you serious Lil?" Jackson answered interest peaked.
"Very," Lily retorted.
"Hmm, I may be able to help you. I am going to be helping my mom and Uncle D.K. during the ground testing of Farscape II. I may be able to get you on as the assistant to the assistant gofer." Jackson chuckled at the thought of Lily crawling around the hanger the module was in carrying tools and equipment for the scientist as well as running out to get them lunch and other things.
"Wow! Jackson if you can do that I'm you friend for life."
Jackson scowled at Lily, "You said that last week when I stayed up till all hours of the night helping you finish your senior term paper."
"Yeah but I didn't mean it then. I mean it know." Lily retorted unashamedly.
"Well, I have finals to study for, go to bed Lily." I will talk to my mom tomorrow after finals are over. You need to contact your parents and get permission to come stay with us over the spring break. Uncle D.K. will be here to pick me up at exactly 3:30pm so be ready to ride."
"You got it," Lily said excitedly.
Three days later at the Kennedy Space Center.
Jackson furiously typed the projectory data into the flight simulator as D.K. had instructed. She muttered about how the work was being unfairly put on her shoulders. Lily had proven to be as helpful as a sock that disappears at the Laundromat. Here she was typing in all kinds of data and running simulated diagnostics ("the experience will do you good when you finish school dear," her mother had reminded her.) while Lily was on the beach getting a tan. Jackson scoffed and hunched over and turned the page of the hastily written program.
She jumped when there was a tap on her shoulder. Whirling around furious she immediately checked herself when she saw that the culprit was her grandfather. Squealing happily she gave him a big hug and returned to typing.
"So, your mother tells me you are angry at her Jack." Jackson stopped typing and peered at her granddad.
"She wouldn't let me go to the beach with Lily and her new friends." Jackson whined.
"Really, hmm maybe because Lily just graduated from college and is 22 years old and you are only 18 Jackson." her grandfather reasoned gently.
"I know why," she paused, "it's just that I will never be old enough. "I graduate from college next year with my bachelors in Astrophysics and I will only be 19 years old." Then its off to MIT and who knows what other schools and programs to get my doctorate and I will still be too young. When do I get to have fun Granddad?"
Jack Crichton laughed and tugged on the French braid hanging down Jack's back. He hugged her still chuckling at the expression on her face. "Kitten, there are a lot of older college students who would kill to be here for their summer break helping your mom work on the Farscape II project. You get hands on experience and in a way you get to know your father and why this project drove him so."
"Do you miss him?" she asked softly.
"More than I can express in words, not a day goes by that I don't have regrets about that last day when your father disappeared. I wonder what if every time I see those beautiful blue eyes of yours. You may not be the spitting image of your father but you have his drive and his intelligence." Jack said. "Besides," he laughed, "If you looked like your father you would be one ugly grandkid."
Jackson stopped typing and laughed along with her grandfather. She had pictures of her father so she knew how handsome he was. Granddad always had a way of cheering her up. "Come on Kitten let's go get lunch," he said enthusiastically. Jackson shut down the computer and closed the notes she was working on and grabbed her backpack and trotted after her grandfather.
As they entered the parking lot Jackson looked towards the launch pad. She shielded her eyes and paused looking as the Farscape II was taxied towards the lauch pad atop its huge rocket boosters. Unlike her father's smaller craft the Farscape II was much larger. Its mission would be very different from her dad's. It did not need to be carried as payload inside the space shuttle it was attached to it's own rocket boosters. She smiled at Jack who had also stopped to look at it.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" she whispered.
"Yeah," Jack said sadly. "Come on I have to have you back to the slave drivers by 2:00pm they are going to give you the grand tour of FS II."
"So how's the garden going this year Gramps?" Jackson asked after they had reached a small seafood restaurant located near the base.
"It's going great! I installed a hydroponics nursery and I got you a couple of books to read up on so you can help me get the filter and fertilizer system up and running while you are here."
Jackson moaned and Jack laughed at the look on her face. "Hey Kitten, it's not that bad. I did most of the work myself." His laughter rang through the restaurant as Jackson's slapped her head dramatically her expression stating clearly that if her grandfathe had built it--it was a disaster waiting to happen.
Several hours later around 9:00pm...
Jackson typed the last of the simulation program into the computer and sighed happily. They would run it in the morning on the FS II's computers to see how the computer's handled the different situations they were suppose to automatically find and repair as well as alert the crew. She giggled giddily she would be onboard FS II along with Lily and her mother and several other programmers to handle any onboard computer glitches that popped up. She smiled and shut off the computers in the cramped cubicle and locked the disks in the small vault under the desk. She then made a backup disk and put it in her backpack. Satisfied that everything was secured she went to find her mother in the control room.
Alexandra watched as Jackson approached and gave her the vault key. Alex smiled and handed the key to the security control officer who then locked it inside yet another safe. Waving goodbye they left to head home. Alex looked warily at Jackson wondering if she was still angry with her. "No, mom, I'm not mad at cha anymore." Jackson said. Alex sighed audibly.
"You do understand why don't you?" she asked. Jackson nodded in answer.
Back at the space center...
The dark figure moved stealthily around the building, familiar with it's every nook and cranny. He waited silently for everyone to leave. Revenge was so close at hand he could taste it. He could taste the bile rise in his throat at the thought of that machine launching. It would go the route of its predecessor if everything worked as he had planned.
He chuckled silently to himself as he headed towards the flight simulation data processing station. Using his master key he unlocked the vault and removed the disks that the girl had left behind. They will blame her for it he reasoned, so ironic that D.K. And Alex will die the same way that fool Crichton did 16 years earlier and by his daughter's hands so evidence will say.
He turned on several of the computers in the small area and placed the disks inside and began to code in the bugs that would destroy John Crichton's dream forever. His plans for new space shuttles made from designs he had submitted would then be in the forefront of NASA's and IASA's minds. After several minutes of work he shut down the computers and placed the disks back into the vault. He then left as silently as he had appeared.
The Next Day....
Alex tried to calm the butterflies down in her stomach as they drove towards the space center. Something just did not feel right. All night she had tosses and turned visions of John's last flight haunting her memory. They still did not know what the strange blue light was that his ship had disappeared into and worse yet they did not know what factors caused it. D.K. insisted that it was the electromagnetic wave along with John's slingshot attempt that had created the phenomenon. Alex sighed and looked over at Lily and then in her rear view mirror at Jackson who was busily typing on her laptop.
D.K. paced back and forth his last conversation with John on his mind. Now he knew how John felt. Something was giving him the willies and he didn't know why. He had a sense of deja vu that just did not make sense. The launch wasn't for another six weeks. Today was just a computer simulation to get all the bugs out of the system. D.K tried to shake the specter of doom off his shoulders and prepped the space centers simulation computers. He smiled when Alex and the girls showed up. He also noticed the circles under Alex's eye and the apprehensive look on her face. She motioned to him to step outside and sent the girls to change into flight suits.
"D.K. something isn't right. I don't know how to explain it but all last night I tossed and turned. I couldn't get John or his shuttle accident off my mind." Alex finished.
"I know, Alex same thing happened to me. I still have the willies." he admitted. "But today is only a computer simulation, everything will be ok." he said. He put his arm around her shoulders and led her back into room to suit up.
*** Jackson looked down as the elevator carried them up to the modules entry hatch. She fingered her backpack nervously wishing she could eat some of the junk food inside. Her mother would have a fit if she knew how much chocolate and other goodies she had stashed in the backpack. Lily had squirmed out of more work feigning a sudden headache and had opted to stay behind with D.K. at mission command. Jackson looked at her mother and smiled nervously.
"Mom, have you ever had a feeling like something big was about to happen and you really don't want to be there when it does?" Jackson asked smiling nervously. Alexandra looked piercingly at her daughter she had put into words everything she was feeling at that very moment.
"Yes, Sweetie, I know exactly what you are talking about. Something just doesn't feel right about today." She clutched the equipment she was carrying as the elevator came to a hault, and the doors slid open. Jackson waited patiently as her mother entered the command codes that unlocked the hatch. She listened as her mother spoke softly into the headset to D.K. After several low clicks the door slid open only to reveal a small room with another hatch a few feet in front of it.
"This is new air lock D.K. Designed," her mother explained as Jackson looked around nervously. Alex entered another set of commands into the alphanumeric keypad mounted next to the second door and sighed as it too opened. She verified the locks working properly to D.K. Took a deep breath and opened the hatch and stepped inside motioning for Jackson to follow. Jackson gasped in awe as she slowly encompassed the control module. "Wow," she said as she completed a 360 degree turn. "This is so much more impressive than the mock ups and the computer simulations." Jackson exclaimed.
Jackson looked at her mom who was absently rubbing her arms and chewing worriedly on her bottom lip.
"Jack let's go honey this can wait another day. Besides we are already months ahead of shedule." Jackson nodded her head in agreement and helped her mother carry the gear to the airlock.
"Hold up mom I gotta get my bookbag."
"Okay honey I'll go ahead and start taking some of this to the elevator but hurry up ok."
"O.K" Jackson smiled and walked back inside the module she picked up the bag and swung around as the door slid shut behind her and began to lock itself. "What the......!!!" she exclaimed dropping the bag and running over to the inner airlock. She pressed on the communication's switch sighing in relief as her mother answered her buzz.
"I'm on it honey the doors apparently have a mind of their own today."
"Ummm baby they aren't responding to my command codes D.K. Is on sending one of the technicians with and override key to open it just hang tight."
"I guess this is what happens when you try to skip out of work eh mom." Alex chuckled on the exterior com panel, "Yes, I guess it is." Jackson jumped as she heard a deafening roar. She looked at the airlock and saw her mother beating wildly on the outer door.
She watched as smoke and heat began to rise around her mother and then she could see nothing else. "Momma!!!!!" Jackson screamed when her mother disappeared from view. All around her the module was coming to life. Lights began to flicker as the computer systems booted up and began doing their numerous functions. Dazed and confused Jackson sat down in one of the research workstation chairs. She jumped when D.K.'s image suddenly flickered to life on a nearby monitor. D.K. motioned for her to put on a head set. She fumbled around the workstation until she found one and quickly plugged it in.
"Jackson, something is wrong. The damn computer model has somehow activated an actual launch. We are trying everything we can to stop it.
"That's not possible Uncle D.K. The algorithms we coded had no way of accessing the gated protocols for real time launch sequences. They are harmless computer games to find errors in the software, not initiate a real time lauch." she finished lamely.
"I know that Jackson and you know that but something has gone wrong with the program."
"It couldn't have gone bad between last night and this morning." Jackson reasoned. I have a copy with me in my backpack. Let's compare it to the program that is running now and quickly that stupid computer just said T-30 minutes and counting," she screeched as she dumped the contents of her bookbag onto the floor and grabbed the disk case.
She inserted it into the cdrom of the workstation computer and downloaded the program to D.K.'s station in mission control. He and several techs looked back and forth at the programs comparing every keystroke. D.K. paled visiably as did a few of the other programmers.
"Jack," he said, swallowling several times before he could continue. "Honey, someone altered the program . They also booby trapped the systems. If we try to stop the launch or tamper with the access hatch command codes the module will serperate from the booster and crash to the ground."
Jackson, watched as the programmers worked furiously at the remote stations searching for answers. She sat quietly afraid to think, move or speak for fear that the situation could get worse. "T-15 minutes and counting," the computer spurted. Jackson whirled around and fixed the loudspeaker with and outraged look asking aloud what happened to 29-16. Jackson jumped from the seat and began to pick up all the candy and other items she had dumped earlier and stuffed them inside the bag and closed it tightly. She then placed it inside a small cabinet and shut the door. She walked around the cabin locking down the computers and other unsecured gear just incase. Having a mother for an astronaut has its advantages she mumbled as she remembered everything she could from going to space camp year after year after year since she was 8 years old. D.K. and Alex listened in horror as the computer speeded up it's countdown. "It completely skipped 29-16 minutes," Alex whispered in horror. "I know," D.K. said miserably. Alex felt numb as she watched Jackson pace around the module looking for anything that might become unsecured and securing it. They jumped when the command center doors burst open and several senior technicians and scientists scrambled into the room and took over at their stations.
"D.K., Alex, what the hell have you two done?" Wilson growled.
"We, didn't do anything, someone broke into the building and hacked our computer models. We, are trying to figure a way around the booby traps to stop the countdown and get Jackson out." Alex informed Wilson.
"How is it that she came to be on board?" Wilson asked in a miffed tone. Alex hesitated confused by his attitude and shook it off to be nerves and explained the days events hurriedly. "Damn!!" Wilson cursed under his breath. "It wasn't suppose to happen like this," he muttered to himself.
Jackson sat quietly in the module watching the chaos inside of mission control from her monitor. She began to pray silently sensing that her prayers would go unanswered. Something big was going to happen-she had had that feeling all day and now she knew that this was it. Either she would die today or she would get to do what other sixteen year olds could only imagine, fly in space.
The loud shouting over the headset made her jump and pay closer attention to the monitor.
"What the hell did you mean by that!" D.K. yelled as he grabbed Wilson by the collar.
"Get your hands off of me!!" Wilson shrieked.
"No!", D.K. continued, "what did you mean it wasn't suppose to happen like this! Answer me, damn you.!"
"I do not have to answer any of your questions!! Wilson shouted back.
"I'm afraid you do," the senior security officer interjected from his workstation as he rose and headed for Wilson. "According to the video from the security cameras in the computer area, you were the last person entering data at the station assigned to Jackson. You are also the only other person besides D.K. and myself to have keys to access the storage safe for the data disks."
"Why did you do it?" Alexandra whispered, looking quickly over at the monitor with Jackson's attentive image looking back at the melee before her.
"What do you mean why?" Wilson smirked smugly. "Even if you can prove I am the one that did this you can't save your daughter. It was suppose to be Alex and you trapped in there D.K., not that stupid girl of Crichton's. With all of you and the Farscape module gone my designs were a sure bet for NASA's make up mission to go to Mars. Now that dumb girl has ruined..." Wilson doubled over in pain as Alex fist connected with his jaw.
"I will kill you," she hissed attempting to hit him again only to be held back by D.K.
"No, no, calm down Alex. This jerk is the only way we can get Jack off that shuttle."
"Apparently you did not hear me the first time! I will speak slower and enunciate. She can't be saved. The program can't be stopped. Any attempt to stop it will result in her immediate death." Wilson began laughing at them and was shoved down in a chair by the security officer and hancuffed to it.
Jackson listened shocked, angered, and finally saddened beyond belief. "Can you call Grandpa Jack." she asked into the headset. "I want to tell him goodbye," she whispered as fresh tears slid down her face.
"He is on his way, sweetheart," Alex sobbed. D.K. cursed and tried to get a grip on his emotions.
"T-minus 8 minutes and counting." Jackson chewed on her quivering lip and watched as security removed Wilson from the control center. She saw the defeated tilt of their heads and drooped shoulders as they continued to work fruitlessly on the program that Wilson had written.
Alex sat quietly in a chair and looked at the monitor, memorizing every feature of her daughter's face. She jumped when the door slammed open and Jack strode into the room. She read the disbelief in his face and the accusations in his eyes as he focused on the monitor image of his granddaughter. "Grandpa," Jackson touched the monitor as if to caress her granfather's face.
"I had to, Pumpkin." he said, his voice filled with grief. "Well it would seem you have gotten yourself into quite some fix sweepea." He said trying to cheer her up.
"Well, you always said I was a handful." she smiled back.
"T-6 minutes and counting."
"Granddad, I'm scared. I don't want to die." Jackson sobbed as the dam broke and she could no longer control her fears.
"You will be fine, we will get you home. I won't lose you to that damn spaceship too!" he said forcefully. "Now, calm down. You are a Crichton and you have space in your blood. You need to get ready for the launch, Sweetpea, we do not have much time left."
The last five minutes of life as Jackson knew it were spent securing tools and gear aboard the module. She equipped one of the stored space suits with her mother's identification on it and locked the helmet in place. She returned to the captain's chair, strapped the restraints in place and waited for the last 2 minutes to roll by.
"You will do fine, baby," Alexandra sobbed . "We are getting the Atlantis ready for immediate launch to recover the module. D.K. and I will be on board to bring you home."
"T-one minute and counting."
"Thanks for everything, Mom. I love all of you and D.K., stop wasting time and go ahead and marry my mom. 16 years is a long time to wait to let someone know how you feel about them. Anything can happen, and you will have regrets forever." Jackson added. "Grandpa, I'm a Crichton I have space in my blood," she said proudly. Then, as the rockets initiated and the booster began to launch the shuttle, they heard her say in a sad low voice, "I'll tell my Dad "hi" for all of you, and that you miss him and that you love him."
"Mom, Grandpa, D.K., I love you, never forget that!!!" Jackson yelled over the din of the engines, as the boosters lifted the shuttle into the air.
"We love you too," Jack Crichton replied as the craft zoomed from sight. Alexandra collapsed into a chair as sobs wracked her body. D.K. stood helplessly by afraid to touch her in such a fragile state. Jack continued talking to Jackson even though he knew that until she broke through the radio dead zone of the upper atmosphere she couldn't hear him.
Jackson watched as the various layers of atmosphere flew by the view screen. She marveled at the way the pressure from the g-forces created by the steep climb took her breath away. Every nerve in her body was tingling as if they would explode, only to have the sudden feeling of weightlessness replace the once crushing pressure.
Jackson took several deep breaths to calm her nerves as the last of the secondary rockets detached and fell back to earth. She felt more tears slip down her face and then float around her helmet away as she realized that she was in space. She was startled by the crackling of the radio receiver as communication was restored audibly and a few seconds later visually as well.
She looked at her grandfather as he engaged in a fairly animated discussion with several members of the original mission . She also knew, by the way he threw one of the monitors off of its perch, that whatever they were talking about wasn't what her grandfather wanted to hear .
Jack ran his hands through his hair several times before he realized that one of the techs was talking to Jackson. He hurriedly attempted to control his temper. According to the programmers and other techs, by the time they got the shuttle Atlantis ready for launch, Wilson's program would have already been carried out and Jackson would either be stranded somewhere between earth and the moon or ..... he refused to consider the other alternative.
He carefully replaced the headset he had removed when the techs had come into the room. He took several more breaths and then turned to face the monitor. Before him was an image he had thanked God for on many days. His only grandchild by his MIA son, John Crichton. Before him was the possibility of loosing the only link he had left to John and he didn't know if he could handle another loss.
"Granddad, " Jackson said nervously.
"I'm here sweetpea," he answered.
"What's going on," she began only to be interrupted by the roar of engines as the Farscape II module's engines sprang to life.
"What the hell... ," Jack began, shocked by the realization that the next few minutes would probably change his life, and the lives of everyone in the room, forever.
"I think that this is it," Jackson yelled. "The engines just came on and I'm beginning to accelerate in a parabolic trajectory." "We are tracking you, Jackson," D.K. assured her.
"Sir, the Kennedy Weather Service just issued a warning. There is a large electromagnetic disturbance heading for the module," one of the techs alerted.
"Oh, God !! This can't be happening again." D.K. moaned. "Jackson, hold on. Your ride is about to get very bumpy!!" D.K. yelled into the headset. They watched the module being tossed and jerked about from the internal and external cameras mounted on her. "How long is this suppose to las......" was the last transmission they received from Jackson, as the video and audio came to a sudden halt, and the space center was filled with the agonizing eerie silence that it had experienced 16 years earlier when another Crichton was lost.
"Mom, Granddad, D.K., if you can hear me I'm in some sort of tunnel. It, it's beautiful," she yelled into the headset as the turbulence inside the tunnel began to increase as her velocity increased. "I must be dead and this is that light everyone talks about from those near death experiences," she rationalized. She watched the kaleidoscope of colors as the module passed "into the light," amazed and saddened at the same time.
After several moments she could see what appeared to be open space near the end and then a large explosion and what looked like a planet burning up. "Oh no it's Hell!!" she screamed. Realizing that the module was no longer accelerating she looked around and saw that the computers were shutting down one by one. She breathed a sigh of relief when the engines went dead. "Okay, devil if you want me you have to leave your fiery home and get me." Jackson muttered releasing the restraints and floating towards the engine controls.
John watched in amazement as the wormhole opened up and spit out what appeared to be an space shuttle sized version of his ship. "Oh no, I'm hallucinating." He took a deep breath and realized that his oxygen supply was doing fine. "Well, if I'm not hallucinating then what and who the hell is that." he stammered.
"What the frell are you talking about John?" Aeryn asked over the com link between them. "Aeryn, about 10 metras from our current position tell me what you see." John instructed.
"There are several prowlers and..... how did that get there?" she asked confused. "That's not your ship, John, its much larger." she told him. "I know that now, Aeryn. If only I could get the attention of whoever is inside." he lamented.
Jackson watched the strange space ships zooming around her and listened to the clicking noises and garbled speech coming through her headset. Fear began to eat at her insides as she realized that she wasn't dead and that this might indeed be someone's idea of hell.
"John if it is from your world they won't understand what any of us are saying." Aeryn reasoned. "However, this might work." she said as she hurriedly rigged a link between the strange vessel and John's headset. "John you can talk to them now, I've set up a com link using the frequency your module works on. John if they are from your world they may be able to get to D' argo and yourself. Ask them to pick you up. I still can't get to you with all these prowlers around and ....hold up; I'm monitoring a communicae from the command carrier. Scorpious has seen the other ship and has ordered it captured and it's pilot brought to him alive. Hurry John!!"
"Well, he will be very disappointed." John told her. Jackson listened and almost fainted when she heard a human voice speaking as if in answer to the strange tongue. Excitedly she spoke over the headset.
"Hello, hi , umm youuuuuuu hoooooooooo can anyone out there hear me?"
"Pilot of the Earth vessel. I will make this short, sweet and to the point. My name is John Crichton and I need a ride for me and my bud floating out here. So can you mosey on over and pick us up."
"Sure umm, no problem, just tell me what to do." Jackson answered as she realized that she was talking to her actual father. What are the odds. Her mind swam with formulas. She wished she didn't have on the heavy gloves because her hands were sweating big time.
"What do you mean tell you how?...." John asked confused. "Just how hard did you hit your head coming through that wormhole?"
"Technically I'm not suppose to be flying this mission." Jackson answered.
"Do you have any flight training at all?" John asked as hope for D'Argo's survival slipped further and further away.
"Yeah, I can fly my granddad's Cessna." she answered him. "Well, just hold that stick like you are flying the Cessna," John told her.
"And get your ass over here pronto," he added.
"I'll do my best." she replied taking several deep breaths and timidly maneuvering the craft closer to two forms floating by the burning planet. After she got closer she searched for the controls to the outer air lock and opened it she watched as the strange man floated inside dragging another unsuited alien with him. Jackson closed the airlock and pressurized the chamber as she had seen her mother do before the mishap. Once the light on the door turned green she opened it to allow the strangers into the main cabin.
"Could you help me with him please??" John asked her.
"What is he?" Jackson asked scared by the many tentacles hanging from the aliens head.
"He has a name, and it's D'Argo." John told her scathingly.
"We have to get him breathing again. Do you know CPR?" he asked. "Yeah it's part of space camp training," she supplied.
"Well you breathe and I'll do compression's. It's ok, he doesn't bite and your germs would probably kill him before his did anything to you." he reassured her.
"K..." Jackson answered as she knelt down beside the ice cold alien and pushed the tentacles away from his face. Carefully she gripped his jaw line and tilted his head back to open his airway. Nodding that she was ready to John she gave the alien two full breaths and waited for John to finish the compressions. They continued the CPR silently for several minutes before the large alien rolled over on his side and began to cough and wheeze as his lungs reinflated and his heart started.
"Ok, help me out of this space suit so I can get us the frell out of here." John demanded. "Find some blankets for him and wrap him up anything you got up here to get him warm, ok?" John looked around the cabin quickly assessing the controls and various computers. "Well, I'll be damned," he said as he came across some taped up pictures of Alexandra and the girl, and of Alexandra, his father and the girl. Waves of emotions and homesickness washed over him as questions that needed to be answered also popped into his head. How did she know Alexandra and his father? How did she end up alone on board a large replica of his ship? But right now he needed to get them to safety, away from the converging prowlers and the approaching command carrier.
"Aeryn," he said over the com line. "Follow me into the asteroid field and make it look good."
"Understood," Aeryn replied. "How is D'Argo?" she asked hesitantly.
"Alive for now," John replied. "Okay, let's go," he said. John began to evade the approaching prowlers and maneuvered the ship into the asteroid field dodging and ducking behind the large rocks, using them as shields between him and the prowlers.
After several minutes of cat and mouse, and after the peacekeepers lost several ships to his mad maneuvers, Scorpious ordered the remainder back to the command carrier as the crazy "human" continued deeper into the asteroid field. They didn't notice the lone prowler shadowing his every move as it too vanished from view.
Jackson sat back laughing as D'Argo played rock, paper, scissors by himself. He looked up at her, smiled and returned to the game he was sure he could beat himself at. Sighing in boredom she walked over towards her father who was lost in thought reading some of the manuals that he had taken from FS2.
Jackson hesitated still not sure what to call the man that had sired her. He had given her no clues as to what he preferred or wanted her to call him. She stood awkwardly peering over his shoulder before shrugging and returning to her seat near D'Argo.
"When will she be back D'? She's been gone a long time."
"I'm not sure, Jackson. Aeryn will return. She must make sure she is not followed or spotted -- remember she is trying to locate food and water on other asteroids."
"It's just so boring here. There's nothing to do and my cd player batteries are dead. You guys ate most of my chocolate I had stashed and I only had one romance novel on me. Man I gotta get out of here before I loose it!"
"And go where?" Aeryn said as she lowered herself down a ladder. "There's nothing out there but asteroid after asteroid and Scorpius. He would love to get his hands on you!"
"Aeryn, cool it." John admonished.
"I only stated the obvious, John."
"I'm going to the FS2, if you need me you know where I am." Jackson told the disinterested adults as she nimbly climbed the ladder and disappeared from sight. Jackson entered the module and flounced down in the pilot's chair. "She thinks I'm just a kid -- that I'm in their way, Grandpa," she told the smiling picture taped to the console. Jackson stroked the images of her mother and grandfather and poked the image of D.K. in the stomach before resting her head on her arms to hide the tears slipping from her eyes.
**** Jackson heard the prowler's engines fire up and wondered why Aeryn was leaving again so soon. When Aeryn didn't return after an hour Jackson left the FS2 and went back underground stopping short when all she saw was D'Argo and an unconscious Aeryn Sun.
"Don't ask!" D'Argo growled. "Help me get all the supplies down here back aboard your ship. We will be leaving this dump soon. Your father has located Moya."
"Everybody I would like to introduce to you the newest member of our menagerie, Jackson Crichton." John said proudly.
"Another mouth to feed, hmph." Rygel moved the hover chair closer -- inspecting Jackson as she inspected him.
"I take it you're Rygel. Nice to meet you, your Ignorance." Jackson sneered sarcastically at Rygel who frowned and backed his hover chair away from her.
"Your kinswoman needs manners, Crichton, she has no respect for her elders." Rygel replied in a pompous guruff.
"I like her, she's not afraid to say what's on her mind. Yeahhhhh, I think we will get along just fine." Chiana purred walking over and shaking Jackson's hand.
"Yes, I find it refreshing to have a youth on board. Chiana, take Jackson and show her around the ship and introduce her to Pilot -- help her secure quarters for herself. While we discuss what to do about Crais and Talyn." Zhaan added.
******
"Do they always do that, Chiana?" Jackson asked as Chiana gave her the grand tour.
"Yeah. Get used to it. At least I'm not the youngest anymore."
"Back on earth, I didn't live as a kid." Jackson spat. I was in college working on my degree in astrophysics. He hasn't even asked me about anything."
"Who, Crichton?"
Jackson stopped, placing her hand on Chiana to stop her forward motion.
"Chiana -- he is my father."
"Who, Crichton?" Chiana looked at Jackson dumbfounded.
"Yes, Crichton. He's my father."
"I don't get it. He told us you were a relative not his kid. He hasn't been gone from Earth long enough to have a kid your age. Unless you Earth kids grow really fast." Chiana laughed.
"I think that when I went through the wormhole it took me backwards in time. From everything that D'Argo has told me, my dad has only been here a little over a half cycle. Chiana please don't tell him."
"Why? He has a right to know the truth Jack."
"I'm going to tell him. When we find a quiet moment and I feel more comfortable around him. He's been dead to me all of my life. I want to learn more about him first. See if the man is as real as the myth."
"Crichton is the most honorable person I have ever met Jack and that's a big compliment coming from me. You can trust him with you life...tell him as soon as you get a chance...and I promise I won't say anything."
"Thanks. I really appreciate it Chiana."
"We are going to have some interesting times ahead I think. Hmmm. Come on let's go and introduce you to Pilot and Moya and find you somewhere to store your gear. There is an empty room near mine..."
**** Several weekins later...
"Where the hell is she?" John bellowed over the com.
"I don't know, Crichton. Moya and I are searching for her." A flustered Pilot informed him.
"Calm down, John. We will find her." Zhaan told him.
"What the hell did you -- listen to me you green bastard. What did you say to her!"
"Nothing, I simply informed her that she had procured the wrong rations for herself. Then the little ingrate threw the food cubes at me and told me to 'kick rocks' whatever that means, and stomped out of the galley. How was I to know she was going to leave the ship."
"Food! You! Rygel! If Scorpius finds her before we do -- gets his hands on her -- I'll kill you." John said between clenched teeth.
"And I will help him." D'Argo added.
Rygel tried to slump even lower in the hover throne as a wave of shame washed over him.
*************
Jackson maneuvered the FS2 away from Moya, her father, and the others. She was hungry, pissed, and just plain upset. That fat toad had the nerve! She wiped the tears away and laughed at herself.
"I always seem to be crying, Gramps." She looked up at the picture wishing it could answer her. "They don't even know I'm gone. Aeryn says I'm always in her way, my da... John avoids me and everyone else has their own thing to do. D'Argo is always sharpening his sword or playing that thing... he made. Pilot -- well Pilot is Pilot. I wish there was a way for me to talk to Moya. She is probably just as lonely as I am."
Jackson sighed and began to maneuver the module back in the direction she had just come.
Jackson re-initiated communications with Moya but refused to talk to John or the others. She landed the FS2 carefully in the maintenance bay and left to face the others. As soon as she disembarked John grabbed her by the arm and shoved her roughly against the wall.
"Listen little girl. We don't have the time or the resources for childish games out here. Scorpius is always on our tails as well as other races that we have pissed off like the Sheyang and the Zenetian pirates. Don't leave this ship like that again!"
Jackson had had about all she could take. She easily broke John's hold on her with several swift tae kwan do moves and assumed a fighting stance. He cursed and wiped a drop of blood from his lip where she had hit him. Enraged that a child with his families blood had the nerve to strike an elder he started towards her menancingly.
It was then that he looked at her eyes, really looked for the first time. John stopped dead in his tracks, his face lost all color and became ashen. Oh no. No. She can't be. But some part of him recognized what he had been trying to avoid since he saw those pictures of her with Alex and his father. Jackson was his child.
John's voice was a deadly whisper. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Jackson looked at him in confusion and refused to relax her stance. Her blue eyes blazed furiously at him. The tone of his voice only made her angrier. "Tell you what?" She screamed at him.
John closed his eyes against the anguish in her voice. He couldn't blame her. Her own father had lived aboard the same ship with her now for over almost two monen and had not known she was his child. But how? How was it possible for a child that he didn't even know he had conceived to be here now? There was a lot he had to learn he realized rubbing his chin where her martial arts skills had left a small cut. He smiled crookedly his kid could kick ass.
"I'm your father," he stated quietly. "Why didn't you tell me."
Jackson's harsh laugh echoed around the deserted bay. She was surprised the others weren't down here berating her as well. She eased her stance and eyed him thoughtfully. Her pulse began to race and a sudden fear and queasiness filled her chilling her to the bone. Her voice was quiet, sad and resigned. "I wanted to wait for a time when I felt you would believe me--but it never seemed to be the right time. You were always too busy fixing something, or fighting something, so I just gave up trying. Chiana said I should..."
John closed his eyes against the truth and pain in her words. They snapped back open at the mention of Chiana..."Whoah. Stop right there. You mean to tell me you told Pip but you couldn't tell me?" John was at a lost for words. The fact that Chiana had kept Jackson's secret for this long was beyond his comprehension. He smiled ruefully. Her name had been a dead give away. She was named after his father.
"Look--I'm really hungry and I'm tired. I'm glad you know now but...I don't know strange...I always expected that meeting you and getting a chance to know you would be a dream come true but...after seeing how much you work around here I have to wonder if it would have been any different if you had been there while I was growing up.
Jackson lowered her head sadly and walked stiffly away shrugging off his hand when he tried to stop her. John stood by helplessly as Jackson rebuffed him. He blinked furiously and headed towards the FS2 to be alone and to look at the pictures of his father and friends while he tried to figure out a way to get his child back home to her time where she would be safe.
****** Jackson groaned as her stomach cramped up begging for food. She swallowed against the bile in her throat. She had never been hungry before in her life and if this was any indication of how her father had been surviving then she owed him an apology for her attitude. She rushed to a refuse bin as her stomach rebelled at its emptiness and she threw up. Wiping the bile from her mouth she removed the dentic from it's container and let it clean her teeth and mouth leaving a minty taste behind.
She made her way to the hanger and boarded the FS2 module and sat down on the floor in a corner. Tears began to slide down her face and she curled up in a ball and try to ignore the hunger pains. Everyone was keeping busy. There had to be something she could do to contribute. Moya was huge...there had to be a ... Jackson sat up quickly as an idea began to form. She raced from the module and back to her room and pulled out the unopened hydroponics books her granfather had given her. She smiled happily and tore them from their plastic wrappings. Now to find out some stuff from Pilot and borrow some tools, supplies, and drd's, have a little chat with Zhaan...
***** Pilot appeared on the monitor in the tier he and Moya had 'assigned' to Jackson for her project. Pilot had told her Moya was very pleased with the thought of having a garden on board to help nourish the crew and wished her much success. They had even discussed filtering some of the bio-matter such as hair particles to the hydroponics room to be broken down in a contained composter. She was on her way to speak to Zhaan about what plants would be the most nourishing and the easiest to grow aboard the vessal when Pilot's image popped up on a viewscreen. "Moya has located a small habitable planet about four arn from our present location. There is no sign of Peacekeepers or other aggressive races in the vicinity."
Great. Maybe they would let her go down on the planet and she and Zhaan could locate some plants they could use. Jackson walked exitedly towards Zhaan's quarters and found the Delvian meditating on the floor. She sighed and started to walk away when Zhaan called her back.
"I was finishing up my session Jackson. What do you need?" Zhaan's eyes grew curious as she saw the strange texts in Jackson's hands. Jackson walked excitedly over to her a big smile on her face and opened up one of the books. Zhaan looked at the images and listened to Jackson as she explained her plan and told her that Moya and Pilot had already assigned her a tier for the project.
Jackson waited quietly for Zhaan to speak. She followed Zhaan when she motioned for her to follow as they walked along the corridors to a stairwell. They climbed until they reached the seventh tier that she had been assigned and Zhaan walked around deeply in thought. The tier was large and open and perfect for Jackson's needs. She smiled and clasped Jackson's free hand in hers. "It is a wonderful idea. Thank the Goddess because at times like this when planets are few and far in between being able to grow our own food and herbs will become a blessing. Come we will make a list of the things we need and when I go down to the planet I will try to barter for some of them."
Jackson and Zhaan left the tier and began to scavange along with the drd's for tubing, and piping and various mechanical parts she would be able to convert into a generator. Her main problem would be lighting...she needed to be able to produce several different frequencies of ultraviolet light. She was so deep in thought as they searched that she forgot about her hunger and everything else that had happened.
She was dragging several heavy ropes of tubing up the ladder when familiar hands took them from her and hauled them up much easier than she could have.
Apparently everyone was up there. She could hear their voices as they argued about where to place various scavanged parts in places Zhaan suggested around the tier.
John watched Jackson warily. It was obvious she didn't feel comfortable around him. He cursed and left the tier after her when instead of climbing the rest of the way up she began to descend the ladder rapidly.
He was almost out of breath when he caught up with her. Damn the young. "Jackson wait. We need to talk. I don't want you running away from me everytime we have to be in the same room together."
He grabbed her arm and jerked her to a hault stepping back hastily as he remembered what had happened the last time he had tried to play parent.
"I...It's not that I don't feel comfortable. It's just...I don't know how to explain it." Jackson played with her fingers nervously as she waited for him to speak.
"Come here," John told her in a quiet resigned voice. She allowed him to pull her into the warmth and security of his arms. He shuddered and she realized that it was as hard for him to accept the fact that he had an eighteen year old child as it was for her to come face to face with a man who had been her idol all of her life.
Something in Jackson broke down. All of the what ifs and I wonders of her life about her missing father began to fall into place. Tears she had kept hidden for most of her life began to fall as she accpeted that here holding her was the one thing she had always wished for...her father. Her lithe body shook as sobs soon followed. She felt her father flinch and then his arms tightened around her.
John blinked rapidly as he tried to hold back the tears. Here in his arms was his own flesh and blood. His child. He had missed so much. Her birth, her first steps...there was so much he didn't know about Jackson so much he should know. He sighed and drew her closer. Now was the time to start learning he realized. Anything could happen out here and he may not get another chance. He wanted her to know that simply by being his child gave her his unconditional love.
John released her regretfully they needed to talk in private. "Pilot. How far are we from that planet?"
"A half an arn commander."
"Great...Jackson and I are going to be doing a little father-daughter catching up. Let me know when we achieve orbit and the others are ready okay?
"Of course commander," came Pilot's dry response.
John took Jackson's hand and led her towards the maintenance bay and the FS2. They boarded and he sealed them in. "Now. We have roughly thirty minutes for you to give me the condensed version of your life. Just the hightlights okay?" John smiled encouragingly at her. She nodded and chose to sit on the floor crosslegged. Groaning he sank down across from her. The young....
Jackson told John about how her mother found out she was pregnant three weeks after he had disappeared and officially been declared MIA by the government. She saw the pain in his eyes as she described skipping several grades and the way the older students had ridiculed her every chance they got until her mother had been forced to put her in a private school for gifted children. John would smile from time to time, mostly when she would mention things that D.K. or her grandfather had done. She finished with an abbreviated decription of her trip through the wormhole and Wilson's betrayl.
Silence filled the cabin for several minutes and they gauged each other awkardly. Jackson rubbed the back of her neck and waited for him to say something or ask her something.
When he did speak his voice was very quiet and trembled with emotion. "I want you to know that," he paused and closed his eyes briefly, "if I had known about you--if I had been there for you..." John's voice trailed off and he closed his eyes but couldn't prevent the tears that slid unashamedly down his face. His eyes widened in surprise when Jackson held up her splayed fingers. He pressed his palm to hers and they closed their fingers locking their hands together in an unspoken vow of understanding and mutual respect and love.
"I know," she whispered emotionally, "you're my dad."
John drew her against him in a tight hug and kissed her brow and rested his forehead against hers. "So what's my dad's ah--your grandfather's pet name for you?"
"Kitten," Jackson told him shyly smiling when he chuckled. She leaned away from him as waves of despair replaced the happiness she had had briefly. "I miss them. It's not fair. They lost you and now me. Grandpa...I'm afraid for him. I know Uncle D.K. will take care of my mom but who's gonna take care of Grandpa Jack?"
John's voice was filled with conviction and pride. "Your grandfather's a tough old bird. He won't give up hope so neither should we. Come on. Our time's up and I need to go down with the others." John unsealed the module and opened the door and pressed in the keycode for the outter door.
"Great--I have my list with me of stuff I need for the hydroponics farm. Granddad dabbles in stuff like that now and..."
"Whoah," John interrupted her. He smiled gently when she stared at him in confusion. "You aren't going down there with us."
"Why not? I'll be nineteen soon. Chiana's not much older than I am and she gets to go down to the planets we stop at. I haven't been off of Moya since we were on that asteroid hiding from the Peacekeepers."
"Chiana has lived in space and with the concept of space travel all of her life. You haven't. Chiana is also a free agent. You aren't. You are my responsibility and I won't risk..."
He told her opening the outerrdoor."You didn't listen to anything I told you! I can take care of myself! Just because you are my father doesn't mean you know what's best for me. For Christ's sake!" Jackson yelled at him. Shoving him aside she stormed off of the module and ran past the others unaware that they had just learned who she really was.
On the Commerce planet..."Look Rygel. I'm only going to explain this to you one more time." John gritted his teeth as the urge to kill the bothersome Hynerian grew. "Jackson is from my future okay. If I went back to earth exactly a cycle from the day I came through the wormhole she would be a baby."
Aeryn snorted in disgust. "You mean to tell me you didn't know this...Alex was pregnant before you left earth. You never explained to me who she was anyway. Who is she Crichton, your female? Your wife maybe?"
"It's not like that at all Aeryn. Alex and I were very good friends. We would get together occasionally that's all." John swore when she walked away from him a look of disgust on her face.
"Crichton. At least you have a chance to get to know your children. My cousin probably slaughtered all of my offspring and my wives that had young. And if you look at Jackson you will realize that she isn't a child so much as a young adult who might need guidance from time to time." Rygel told him sadly before hovering away.
John stared at Rygel's departing figure suddenly realizing he had learned one more painful facet about the small stately figure. He shook his head at the horror of having the knowledge that thousands of your offspring may have been slaughtered by someone you use to love and trust. Shuddering he hurried about his tasks of procuring items for Jackson's Hydroponics Tier so that he could apologize to her for his high handedness.
Jackson chewed the sweet bread like root slowly as Zhaan had instructed. She was so hungry she wanted to stuff them one after the other into her mouth but knew if she did she would have painful cramps from her shrunken stomach's inability to compensate after several days of no food at all. She moaned and swallowed her throat constricting tightly around the small morsel begging for more. She sketched the intitial design down on some parchment Rygel had gotten for her.
She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes as John's head poked up over the ladder opening to tier. Swallowing another small morsel of the root she waited for him to enter the tier completely.
"Good. I had hoped I'd find you up here." He stood and walked over to where she was sitting and slid down beside her resting his back against the wall. Jackson felt some of her animosity drain as she realized how tired he was. She offered him one of the roots and explained how to eat them. He smiled wryly and took a small bite and began to chew. He waited until he had eaten the entire root before trying to explain his actions.
"I'm sorry about earlier Jack. I'll try not to let it happen again but...this father thing is new to me and I'm bound to make mistakes after all...it's not everyday that you get a daughter from the future to take care of and protect." He waited for her reaction accepting another of the sweet roots.
"We both have a lot to learn about each other. I want to go home just as badly as you do...but a part of me doesn't because you won't be there when I get back." Jackson sighed defeatedly.
"I'll promise you this Jack. If we find a way to get us back home to our times...I'll be there when you get back. I promise. In fact--technically you would have never shown up here to begin with. There wouldn't have been a need for a FS2 when you were nineteen it would have already been built when you were a small child."
Jackson thought about what he was saying and agreed that logically that was a possibility. Smiling she held up her hand in "vulcan" fashion illicting a roaring laugh from him. John held his hand his fingers splayed...Jackson spread her fingers and laced them with his and rested her forehead against him as he drew her into a comforting hug.
"I'll hold you to that promise...after all--I'm John Crichton's daughter," she whispered into his ear.
End
If you liked this story and would like to see more adventures written about Jackson Crichton exploring the Uncharted Territories please send the author an email. Dalequan@poohka.com
|
|
Disclaimer: Farscape is the property of the Jim Henson Muppet Company, The Nine Network of Australia, Hallmark Entertainment and Scifi.com. This site is for fans by fans and does not mean to infringe on any rights held by these companies.