Air Date: April 21, 2001
Written by Peter Neale
Directed by Andrew Prowse
Transcript by Xenajules2
Edited and put on-line by Bluey
Episode 2.06 - Picture If You Will
PROLOGUE
There is a strange collection of multifaceted, interconnected objects floating in space. They make up some sort of unique ship or space station. Inside one of the objects, Chiana is looking at a painting that has a three dimensional cube inside it. The painting itself consists of three triangular panels, one each of yellow, green and blue. The shopkeeper, an older woman with her hair piled on top of her head comes up behind Chiana. She has a scarf tied around her hair like a gypsy.
Shopkeeper: "There's no rush. Browse all you like." She comes right up to Chiana as she is looking at the painting.
Shopkeeper: "Do you like that?"
Chiana looks at her and quickly moves away. "I don't care much for room decorations." She goes to a shelf with jewelry and knick-knacks on it. "I, uh... I prefer to decorate myself." She picks up a piece of jewelry and looks at it. "Mmm. Like this for instance."
From where he is browsing, at another shelf, Rygel interjects: "Synthetic kamin stone. Worthless."
Chiana: "Synthetic?"
Rygel: "Um hm."
Chiana throws the piece back amongst the others on the shelf.
Shopkeeper: "If you like it, what difference does it make?"
Chiana: "If it's not worth anything, I don't like it."
Shopkeeper: "Oh! So young, and yet so mercenary."
Chiana wanders away from the shopkeeper and finds herself once again in front of the painting. Now, however, there is a picture of Chiana herself near the center where the three triangles meet.
The shopkeeper comes to stand at Chiana's shoulder.
Shopkeeper: "That portrait is one of me own works. Resembles you, don't you think?
Chiana: "Not really." She turns away from the painting.
Rygel: "Ahh! Look... at this." He has something in his hand.
Shopkeeper: "Umm. Hynerian Royal Tiara from the Neltoth era."
Rygel: "Authentic Neltoth? Nonsense. It's a cheap copy. And I should know. I gave 'em to all my wives."
The shopkeeper laughs.
Aeryn, who has been standing off to the side, watching, quickly comes over to Rygel and grabs him.
Aeryn, quietly: "If you don't want it, Rygel, put it back and we can all get out of here."
Rygel: "What's your rush? Is there anything remotely exciting happening back on Moya?"
Aeryn: "Minding you two on a shopping expedition is even less exciting."
Rygel: "Nobody asked
you to come."
Shopkeeper: "You should have that tiara... as a keepsake of your homeworld."
Rygel: "A fake keepsake?" He laughs.
Aeryn watches Chiana who is starring at the painting which seems to have changed again. She has her hand out, just touching the face of the painting.
Rygel: "... I'll give you a single foodcube for it..."
Shopkeeper: "Ahh..."
Rygel: "... and that's generous."
Shopkeeper: "Done."
Aeryn bends over Rygel again: "We're low on food cubes and you gave one away for that?"
Rygel whispers: "It's a good enough copy to fool the next trader we run across."
Aeryn slaps him on the back of the head: "Fine. Can we go?"
Rygel: "Yes. Now that
I'm finished."
Aeryn: "Wonderful. Chiana?"
The shopkeeper has joined Chiana in front of the painting again. She puts her face right next to Chiana's.
Aeryn: "Are you done?"
Chiana straightens up, looking in the shopkeeper's face: "Guess so." She turns and walks away.
Shopkeeper: "Don't go empty handed. I want to give you this." She gestures towards the painting.
Chiana stares at the painting as the shopkeeper picks it up and brings it to her.
Shopkeeper: "Now, that's a better image, don't you think?"
She holds the painting so Chiana can see herself in the center of it.
Chiana: "Did you just work on that? I didn't see you do it."
The shopkeeper smiles.
Chiana points to something on the painting: "Hey. That's my favorite neck lace. I lost that half a cycle ago."
Shopkeeper: "Now you can enjoy that once more."
Chiana stares into the shopkeeper's face: "What, you're... you're just giving it to me?"
Shopkeeper: "Well, you haven't been given much in your life, have you? Hmm? Take it."
Chiana looks down at the picture. The shopkeeper puts it in her hands.
Shopkeeper: "Perhaps it'll help you... get a better understanding of the true value of art."
Chiana looks back up at her, puzzled: "Which is what?"
Shopkeeper: "Well, in this case, it's a window on time."
The shopkeeper walks away, as does Aeryn, leaving Chiana holding the picture and looking at it.
Moya flies through a hazy area of space...
In the maintenance bay, D'Argo takes a piece of wire out of a pile of stuff. He walks towards John with it. John is working on a piece of equipment that has wires sticking out all over it. A DRD sits on top of it, also working.
John: "This defense screen is pretty much fried. I'm not even sure if it's worth fixing." He puts the handle of a tool in his mouth.
D'Argo: "There's no harm in trying."
Suddenly sparks fly out of the equipment John is working on. D'Argo dodges back, to avoid being hit. John ducks down behind the equipment.
John stands back up: "You were saying?"
D'Argo: "Just watch what you're doing." He walks away.
John comms: "Pilot? I thought the juice was supposed to be turned off down here."
Pilot: "It is. But Moya's been experiencing a number of minor power anomalies. I'm trying to isolate them."
D'Argo: "Keep trying, and get us some more DRD's."
Pilot: "I have no more to spare."
John: "What about the ones workin on Aeryn's prowler? Aren't they just doin routine maintenance?"
Pilot: "Scheduled maintenance... which is overdue. She would not be pleased to postpone it further."
John: "Give us four of em. Aeryn doesn't have to know."
Pilot: "She just returned."
Chiana walks down a corridor, carrying the picture the shopkeeper gave her. She is looking at the picture as she walks, turning it this way and that. A DRD passes her, going in the opposite direction. It has a necklace held in one of its tools.
Chiana stops and looks back at the DRD: "Hey. Hey!"
The DRD stops moving. It squeaks and squawks a couple of times, then backs up towards Chiana.
Chiana: "Is that mine?" She sets down the painting and walks over to the DRD. She bends down to get a better look at the necklace.
Chiana reaches out and touches the necklace: "I've been looking for that forever."
The DRD squeaks.
Chiana: "Where'd you find it?" She takes the necklace.
The DRD squeaks again, several times and zooms closer to Chiana.
Chiana looks back at the picture. It now shows her with her left leg cut off from her body.
Chiana: "And how did
she know you'd find it?" She stands up, staring at the painting. She continues to stare at the painting as she starts to walk towards it. The DRD starts forwards as well and Chiana trips over it. She falls to the floor and screams. She screams again and again, staring at the painting that shows her severed leg.
END OF PROLOGUE
ACT ONE
Chiana has the necklace in her hand, shaking it, in front of the picture. John's hand is holding the picture upright, by the corner.
Chiana: "Well first, it didn't even look like me at all. Then it showed me with a necklace, then it showed me with a broken leg, okay? You know what I think? I... I think it can predict the future."
John: "My Aunt Ruth can do that, cept she uses tea leaves." He crouches in the corridor, behind the picture. Zhaan is kneeling nearby.
Chiana: "Oh, okay. Then, how do you explain this? And this?" She holds up the necklace, then points to her broken leg.
John: "Have you eaten, drunk, smoked, sniffed anything weird lately?"
Chiana: "No. Have you?"
Zhaan injects something into her arm and Chiana leans back against the corridor wall.
John: "Nothing?"
Chiana: "Look... ask Aeryn and Rygel. They saw it when it showed me the necklace."
John: "They saw it change too?"
Chiana: "No... but that doesn't mean..."
Zhaan puts her hand on Chiana's arm and interrupts her: "Could Aeryn and Rygel have switched it for another, or tampered with it somehow?"
Chiana groans: "No. No. No."
John: "So you think maybe one of them's messin with Chi?"
Zhaan: "I'm... I'm... I'm only exploring possibilities."
John: "Aeryn's not exactly the joking type, and Rygel, I can... I can see him pullin her leg but not exactly breaking it."
Zhaan: "You said you tripped over a DRD that found your necklace."
Chiana breathes: "Yah."
John comms: "Pilot? Is anything weird gonin on with the DRD's?"
Pilot comms back: "No. All DRD's are functioning normally and performing as I ordered."
Zhaan: "Pilot... did you assign a DRD to look for Chiana's lost necklace?"
Pilot: "Yes... some time ago. At her request."
John stands there and shakes his head. He takes a step closer to Zhaan and Chiana: "Well, there we have it. Coincidence... bad luck... maybe a bit of power of suggestion thrown in." He crouches next to Chiana.
Chiana: "Yah, yah. Except it
did change."
John: "Well, I don't know what to tell ya."
Zhaan: "I'd like to run some tests on that portrait, if you don't mind."
Chiana: "Yah, I do mind. What if you screw it up somehow... ?"
Zhaan raises her voice: "I'm not going to harm it!"
Chiana: "Nope. Sorry. It's stayin here." She looks at Zhaan, then back at the picture.
Chiana: "What if ya... I mean... I wanta see... I wanta see what it's gonna show me next."
John: "Zhaan... how about if you take... like a tiny little chip off someplace where it doesn't show? Would that work for you?"
Zhaan: "Better than nothing."
Chiana protests: "It's mine! I don't see why I should let her..."
John: "Pip! She just fixed your damn leg."
Chiana closes her eyes and shakes her head. She looks up at John: "A very... little... piece."
Rygel is in Zhaan's lab, sniffing something.
Rygel: "Definately it. I never forget an aroma."
He takes the vial he is holding and sprinkles something from it onto the tiara he purchased from the merchant. There is a sizzling sound.
Rygel whispers: "What? Genuine? Not possible. Not..."
Zhaan has come into the lab and stands quietly behind him. She reaches down and grabs Rygel by the ear.
Rygel: "Ooh!"
Zhaan: "I'm surprised you're using my possessions without my consent, Rygel. Especially after what I did to you the last time."
Rygel moans and groans as Zhaan pinches his ear.
Rygel groans: "Let go! I'll replace what I've used... "
Zhaan lets go of his ear, with a final little pinch.
Rygel: "... I'll buy you an entire vat of Pelvoth oil. This tiara is authentic!" He chortles.
Zhaan: "I thought you said it was a copy?"
Rygel: "Well it's not. And that fool Kyvan sold it for a single food cube. Hah! Silly old woman had no idea what she had." He comms: "Pilot! Reverse course."
Pilot: "Huh?"
Rygel: "Find that trader woman's ship."
Pilot gasps.
Zhaan closes her eyes and sighs: "Ignore him, Pilot. Moya has better things to do than search for Kyvan's vessel."
Pilot: "Agreed."
Rygel turns to Zhaan: "What the yotz are you talking about? We have a chance to turn a tidy profit here. Have you any idea what this is worth?"
Zhaan bends down slowly and speaks directly in Rygel's face: "We are not returning to that ship, Rygel. Now, get out!"
Rygel: "I'll take this up with the others."
Zhaan: "Please do."
Rygel zooms away.
D'Argo stands, leaning against a door support, looking at Chiana. His hands are crossed in front of him. She is lying on her side, looking at the painting.
Chiana: "Isn't this something? Wonder what it'll show me next?" She gets up on her elbow, still looking at the painting which shows her with her broken leg.
D'Argo: "Suppose it's not just predicting events but actually... causing them?"
Chiana: "It brought me back my necklace and then it turned around and broke my leg. Why would it do that?"
D'Argo: "I don't know."
Chiana: "Well, why not just believe it's what the old woman says it is? A window into time."
D'Argo straightens up and walks over to Chiana: "Assuming all that is true, do you really... want to know what the future holds?" He sits down on the edge of the bed.
Chiana scoots back a bit and looks at him: "Of course I do. Come on D'Argo, don't you wanta know if you're ever gonna find your son?"
D'Argo: "No. If it's bad news then... uh... I don't want to lose all hope."
Chiana: "Well it might keep you from... from spending your whole life searching for something that's never gonna happen."
D'Argo: "If I don't try, it will
definately never happen. Now... I want you to get rid of that." He points to the painting.
Chiana sits up and leans toward D'Argo: "I think you're just being a superstitious Luxan."
D'Argo: "I am being a concerned Luxan."
Chiana smiles and nods: "Oh. Aren't you sweet. Oh, you really care about what happens to me?"
D'Argo exhales: "Shouldn't I?"
Chiana: "Of course you should. I'm glad you do."
D'Argo laughs quietly.
Chiana: "Wonder if the portrait will show both of us next? Give us a glimpse of
our future."
D'Argo: "I'm not sure I wanta know about that either."
Chiana: "Why? Cause of what it might not show ? Or what it might?" She smiles up into his eyes.
D'Argo whispers: "Listen to me... I do care about you. That's why I want you to start being sensible and get rid of that."
Chiana: "Oh... okay, so I'm not being sensible now? Well, I'm so
sorry to disappoint you, but I'm keeping it!" She glares at him: "I need to rest now." She moves back, away from D'Argo and lays back down. She lifts her head up momentarily: "Alone." She turns her head to the side.
There is the sound of footsteps and D'Argo's shadow crosses the room.
John peers into a food compartment in the galley.
Aeryn is sitting behind him, gnawing on something: "Even if the object did change, It's still just a trick. I've seen con artists on many planets pull off bigger frauds than that."
John: "Yah, well she got it for free, so it's not much of a score if it's a con." He wanders around the galley, stopping at a ledge in front of the window.
Aeryn: "Chiana insulted Kyvan's artwork. Maybe Kyvan wanted revenge or something." She swallows, then takes a drink out of cup.
John: "So, what? You think that she rigged the painting so that Chiana would be spooked into breaking her leg? That's a bit of a stretch."
Aeryn: "What's your theory? That it can predict the future?" She glances sideways at John as she puts another bite in her mouth.
John: "No. I don't have a theory... just a hypothesis. We should've steered clear of Kyvan's ship." He climbs over a table and comes back towards the food compartments. He takes a container off a shelf.
Aeryn: "And, as usual, we have Rygel and Chiana to thank for that. There isn't a single, flying junk dealer in the Uncharted Territories that they'd pass up."
John is standing on a bench, near Aeryn: "Well, you know what I say... I say we lock all of Moya's doors... we don't let anybody in... we don't let anybody out... "
He opens another container and sniffs it: " ...that way we get no alien critters, no shape-shifting bugs, no ... " He sniffs again loudly, puts the top back on the container and ets it down: "... mind-altering viruses, no freaky-deaky artifacts." He picks up another container.
Aeryn shakes her head: "If I had my way, I'd throw Rygel off the ship. Chiana too, maybe."
John sits down, looking in yet another container: "Huh? Rygel I can sort of understand, but Chiana?"
Aeryn: "She gets us into nearly as much trouble as Rygel does."
John half-laughs: "Yah, but... she means well. Sometimes."
Aeryn: "That's not the point."
John: "Then, what
is the point? You know, even Rygel has his moments, once in a while."
Aeryn: "Once in a great while. On balance, we'd probably be better off without them."
John: "Oh, yah? Well... what about Zhaan? You want to throw her off the ship."
Aeryn: "Possibly." She takes another bite.
John: "D'Argo?"
Aeryn thinks.
John: "Me?"
Aeryn turns and looks at him.
John stands up: "Pilot. Let's get rid of Pilot. That'd be good. Then you can have the whole ship to yourself." He starts to walk away.
Aeryn: "Hmm... is that an offer?"
John continues to walk: "Well, let's start with the shrimp, see how it goes."
Aeryn watches him go, mouth open, half smiling.
Inside Zhaan's lab, there are quiet, whispery noises. Zhaan is bent over, examining something. She straightens up with a jerk when she hears the noises, looking around. Finally, she bends back down to her work.
John calls from behind her: "Zhaan!"
Zhaan gasps and whirls around. She drops what she was holding and it shatters on the floor.
John holds his hands up: "Whoa! Hey, sorry. I didn't... mean to startle you. Is everything okay?"
Zhaan: "No, it isn't." She turns back to her workbench.
John: "No." He walks over to stand beside her. "Well, you wanta tell me?"
Zhaan looks up at him: "How can I tell you what I don't know? Every test I try finds nothing unusual in... in the material of Chiana's portrait."
John: "So if... that junk dealer's fakin us out with a magic trick, you can't figure out how."
Zhaan nods.
John: "Look, don't worry about it, okay, you know? The painting probably never changed. Chiana was hallucinating. It's all in her mind." John points to his forehead and starts to leave. Zhaan grabs his arm and stops him: "No, John. Believe me. This is not in Chiana's mind. She's in danger."
John: "From what?"
Zhaan looks away and swallows.
John: "Zhaan... tell me."
Zhaan: "I can't tell you yet. All I have are suspicions. But, if I'm right... " She looks down again, then back at John's face: "John... soon there may come a time when I need you... and everyone to do
exactly as I say. Quickly, and without question. Do you have enough faith in me to obey?"
John looks at her for a microt: "Okay... Zhaan. Whatever you're doin... takin a flyer, playin a hunch... I'm in. Can't speak for the others, but when the time comes for you to make your move... I'll back you up."
Zhaan: "Thank you, John."
He nods and turns to leave.
Zhaan calls after him: "I want you to bring me Chiana's portrait."
John stops and turns around towards her: "Yah, it'll look nice in here."
Zhaan: "I don't want to look at it. I want to destroy it."
John: "One portrait, comin up." He turns around and walks away.
The painting shows Chiana with a part of her leg broken off. She is standing on a floor that is bordered by a row of windows or arches. The painting begins to shift and change. The figure of Chiana washes away to become just her face, surrounded by flames.
John walks quickly past a junction in the corridor. D'Argo walks towards him from the other direction.
D'Argo: "Crichton!" He moves into the adjacent corridor, following John. "I've decided we must take that painting away from Chiana. It's no good for her."
John stops and waits for D'Argo to catch up.
John: "Zhaan's way ahead of you there. Whatever it is has got her good and..."
They both turn and look down the corridor as they hear Chiana scream.
John: "... freaked."
John and D'Argo both take off running towards Chiana's room.
Chiana: "D'Argo! Help!" She screams again.
John runs into her room, followed by D'Argo.
John: "What happened?"
Chiana: "It changed!"
D'Argo: "When did it change?"
Chiana: "Just now. I looked away for no more than a microt."
She gets up off her bed and begins to hop towards the door. John grabs her as she goes past him.
John: "Where are you goin?"
Chiana:
"I'm gettin outta here. Let's go!" She hops away from
John. As she does, she stumbles and falls forward. D'Argo
catches her before she hits the floor. Chiana looks up at him and
pulls herself up on his arms. She is crying.
Chiana: "Help me. Please take me somewhere safe."
D'Argo: "I will, I will." He looks over at John: "You deal with that!" He picks Chiana up.
John reaches over and grabs the painting: "Yah, no problem. But Zhaan wants to do the honors."
Aeryn hurries up: "What is going on? I heard screaming."
Chiana: "I'm gonna die, Aeryn. The portrait told me."
Aeryn hurries along behind D'Argo as he carries Chiana. John runs past, carrying the painting.
Aeryn: "Told you what?"
D'Argo: "It changed again. This time it shows her on fire."
Aeryn: "This is a load of dren!"
Chiana: "It's real! I'm burnin up!" She gasps.
Aeryn reaches up and puts a hand on Chiana's shoulder: "Chiana, you're fine. You don't even feel hot."
Chiana gasps again: "I'm burnin up!"
John runs into Zhaan's lab, still carrying the painting.
John: "Zhaan... it happened again. Chiana said it happened in the blink of an eye." He hands the painting to Zhaan.
Zhaan examines it: "Where is she?"
John: "She's in the cargo bay with D'Argo and Aeryn."
Zhaan: "Go. I'll see what I can do here."
John: "Right." He leaves.
Zhaan stares at the painting. She gasps and leans over a bench, setting the painting down on it. She places both her hands over the portrait of Chiana's face, on the painting, and holds them there. There is a hissing sound and Zhaan jerks her hands away.
D'Argo hurries into the cargo bay, carrying Chiana. Aeryn runs after them.
Chiana points: "Put me in there."
D'Argo: "I'm going."
Aeryn: "What? In... in the freezer, Chiana?"
Chiana gasps and cries. She passes her hand over a control on the wall.
A small, triangular door opens and D'Argo puts Chiana in a small room.
Aeryn looks in at her: "Chiana... listen to me. It's all in your head!"
Chiana cries and whimpers. She reaches out and activates the control, closing the door.
D'Argo puts his hand on Aeryn's arm, turning her away.
D'Argo: "Leave her alone." He hustles her away from the freezer wall.
Aeryn: "Are you completely out of your mind? If she doesn't freeze to death in there, she will suffocate."
John comes into the cargo bay, behind them. He comms: "Pilot? How long can Chiana last in there?" He strides over to the others.
Pilot: "Indefinately... if I raise the temperature and maintain airflow."
John: "Do it!" He heads towards the freezer.
Aeryn steps in his way and stops him: "Don't tell me you're going along with this nonsense too."
John: "I don't see any danger in playing it safe."
Aeryn points emphatically at the freezer: "You cater to her fears, you make 'em worse."
Zhaan stares intently at the painting. She pulls back, looking alarmed. She gathers herself and takes a deep breath, closing her eyes to meditate. Suddenly, she gasps and shivers, taking a step backwards to maintain her balance. There are strange noises in the lab, like whispers or echoes. Zhaan looks around, steadying herself by holding the edge of the bench, but there is no one there.
Chiana is inside the freezer, crying. She has her hand on the door panel. She whimpers and pounds on the door. There is a bright, yellow light behind her.
D'Argo looks over towards Chiana: "John."
John looks towards the freezer: "What the hell?" He and Aeryn step closer to the freezer.
Chiana is still gasping and crying. D'Argo tries to open the door.
Their faces are all illumiated by an orange glow.
John: "Pilot? What's goin on in there?"
Pilot comms back: "I don't know. Nothing should be combustible."
Chiana hits at the door panel. There are orange flames in the freezer, behind her.
D'Argo: "Pilot... this door is jammed. Open it!" He slams his hand against the door, trying to open it.
Pilot: "The door controls aren't responding."
Chiana screams and slumps down in front of the door.
Aeryn: "Stand back."
D'Argo grunts as he tries the door again.
Aeryn: "Stand back!" She draws her pulse pistol and points it at the freezer door. D'Argo hurries to stand behind her as she fires at the door control.
Inside the freezer, Chiana screams. She is outlined in orange flames as she screams again.
John and D'Argo both rush to the door and try to force it open. Chiana continues to scream as the flames climb higher around her. They are now both in front of her and behind her. D'Argo picks up a bar to bash the door with.
There is a brilliant flash and the flames disappear along with the sound of Chiana's screams.
D'Argo stands, facing the door, holding up the bar: "Chiana!"
Aeryn and John turn to look at him.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
Pilot raises his eyebrows: "The door lock's responding now. I think I can open it."
The door to the freezer compartment raises. There is a smear of soot near the bottom, as though a bit of the fire had burned through. The compartment is full of smoke. On the floor, directly inside the door, Chiana's necklace sits atop a small pile of still smoldering ash. John leans against the doorway, looking in. Aeryn peers in over his shoulder.
Pilot comms: "Crichton... is Chiana... ?"
John: "She's gone, Pilot."
Pilot sighs. A tear drops from his eye.
In her lab, Zhaan chants: "Shaneeya myah kosa. Eeyah neeya myah kosa. Kylaan. Kylaan."
She sits with her hands in her lap.
Zhaan: "Shaneeya myah kosa. Eeyah neeya myah kosa. Kylin..."
Rygel flies in on his throne sled and interrupts her: "It's true then. Chiana's dead."
Zhaan finishes her chant: "...kylin. It's true, Rygel."
Rygel: "She died... that way?" He nods towards the painting of Chiana's face surrounded by flames.
Zhaan whispers: "Yes."
Rygel: "Then why couldn't you save her? You had warning. You could have done something!"
Zhaan: "At least we tried. Which is more than I can say for you! Where were you when she died? Sleeping? Eating?"
Rygel sags down on his sled: "Had anyone seen fit to inform me, I could've..."
Zhaan hisses: "Get out!"
D'Argo walks up and stands behind Rygel. Zhaan looks up at him and begins to cry.
Zhaan: "I should have gone down to the ship with them. I should have stopped
her from bringing it back."
John walks in, behind D'Argo.
D'Argo: "No. I should have taken it away from her earlier."
John: "There are a number of things we all should have done. And we can do one of 'em right now. Zhaan, how do we dispose of this piece of junk?"
Zhaan takes a deep breath: "Fire would be a fitting end." She stands up and picks up the painting. She carries it to her workbench and lays it down. Picking up a copper jar, she pours a pile of green slime on it. She lights a torch and sets the green goo on fire. It burns and bubbles on top of the painting. As the others watch, Zhaan steps back and begins to chant: "Kylaan, kylaan, eeytah myah kosa. Kylaan. Kylaan."
The flames shoot up and reflect in D'Argo's eyes as he watches it burn. Tears run down Zhaan's face: "eejah neeyah myah kosa."
Aeryn stands in front of Pilot's console, talking to him.
Pilot: "There was no reason for it."
Aeryn: "There has to be!" She holds her arm out towards Pilot: "Wh... what about a defective... power doubler in the freezer?"
Pilot: "All its components check out fine."
Aeryn: "Ah... all right, we said that Moya had um... some energy surges and other anomalies that you couldn't isolate. Maybe this is related to it."
Pilot: "There was nothing wrong with the freezer."
Aeryn: "Why couldn't you get the door open in time then?"
John comes in the door of the den, behind her.
Pilot: "Chiana must have jammed it when she closed it."
Aeryn (still gesturing): "All right. Could she have damaged the conduit when she pulled it shut?"
Pilot: "I've told you... no malfunction of Moya's caused that fire. Nor was it an error of control on my part."
Aeryn rubs the back of her head, then pats her hand on Pilot's console: "All right, I'm not, I'm not blaming you, Pilot, but something had to cause it..."
John interrupts her: "Aeryn! Knock it off."
She turns around and watches as he walks towards her.
John: "It's not your fault."
Aeryn's eyes get very big: "Who said it was?"
John: "Well, you're grillin Pilot lookin for a reason. You're not the reason."
Aeryn: "No, I'm not. Why would I be?"
John: "You wanted her off the ship."
Aeryn: "I never said I wanted her dead, Crichton."
John: "Fine. Now... are you
always gonna do this?"
Aeryn: "Do what?"
John: "Keep the entire world at a distance? Keep everybody... away. Is that ever gonna change?"
D'Argo's comm interrupts Aeryn answering him.
D'Argo: "Crichton."
John: "Yes, D'Argo?"
D'Argo: "Come to the center chamber. We have a problem."
John and Aeryn both look up.
John: "Pilot?"
Pilot: "No idea."
Aeryn and John both leave the den.
The painting now shows D'Argo standing on the slated floor. His back is arched and his head is thrown back, chest pushed forwards. The line where the glass joins crosses D'Argo's chest.
John: "What's the problem?"
D'Argo: "This is." He is looking at the painting.
John: "Another one."
Aeryn gets down, close to the painting, and looks at it.
John: "It can't be the same one. We burned it up."
Zhaan hurries over to the painting: "Kylaan help us."
Aeryn: "Looks like you, D'Argo."
D'Argo looks at Aeryn and laughs: "Yes, it does."
Zhaan: "It appears unfinished... still in flux."
John: "I vote we don't wait around for it to develop."
D'Argo reaches over and picks up the painting: "I agree." He lifts it back, over his head, and smashes it onto the floor. It breaks into many small shards with a loud crashing sound.
Zhaan walks over and looks down at the pieces: "It repaired itself once. It may do so again."
D'Argo: "Then it shall do so in space. Pilot, where is the nearest access shaft? I want to get this thing as far away from Moya as I can." He kneels on the floor to gather up the broken pieces.
Pilot: "Tier 3, Hamman side."
John: "Zhaan, you cool with that?"
Zhaan: "Yes. Get rid of it."
Aeryn starts to walk away: "I'll go find that trader and get some answers. Pilot, is my prowler ready?"
Pilot: "No. It's still undergoing maintenance."
John looks up from the floor where he is kneeling beside D'Argo: "Take my module."
Aeryn mutters: "Bucket of dren."
John and D'Argo look at each other, then go back to gathering up pieces of the painting. Zhaan watches them, breathing heavily.
D'Argo pulls a small, triangular cover from the side of one of Moya's walls. John kneels down and shoves the pieces of the painting through the hole. They fall with a loud crash.
John: "Go for it, Pilot!"
Pilot comms: "Expelling now."
He presses a control and the pieces of the painting float free of Moya, off into space.
Pilot: "I am tracking the fragments. We are moving away from them at hetch-six velocity."
John: "Works for me. I don't know art, but I know what I don't like."
He and D'Argo walk away from the access hatch.
Zhaan joins them in the corridor: "Are you certain it's gone?"
John: "Far behind us and off the radar."
D'Argo: "Once Aeryn returns, we should do a starburst or two to make sure."
John: "Yep. The more distance between us and that thing, the better."
There are some strange noises in the corridor. Zhaan stops and listens.
John walks past her, then stops and turns back.
John: "What's the matter?"
Zhaan: "I thought I heard something."
A voice whispers:
"Zhaan" Zhaan hurries towards the sound. She slows down when she reaches a junction point. The voice comes again:
"Zhaan" It seems to be laughing as it says her name.
John: "Zhaan?" He comes back down the corridor to the junction.
The voice now seems to be whispering:
"P'au Zhaan" over and over.
Zhaan slowly walks down the corridor, one step at a time while the voice whispers:
"P'au Zhaan. P'au Zhaan. P'au Zhaan."
The Farscape One module flies out of Moya's docking bay and heads off into space.
At the controls, Aeryn pushes the nose down and puts the module into a dive. Behind her, Rygel cries out: "Ohh! Ohh!" He bumps into the back of Aeryn's seat.
Without looking, Aeryn pulls her pulse pistol and points it behind her, over her shoulder.
Rygel: "Ahh! Ahh! Don't shoot! It's me." He gets between Aeryn and the bulkhead.
Aeryn: "Reason enough to pull the trigger. What are you doing here?"
Rygel: "Don't you think that I have a score to settle with this Kyvan, just as you do?"
Aeryn: "Score to settle or profit to make?"
Rygel: "Can't I accomplish both at once? Chiana was given a dangerous product. Kyvan, therefore, owes us restitution."
Aeryn: "Chiana's dead and all you're concerned about is getting compensation."
Rygel: "Punitive damages... that's what Chiana would have wanted. She was quite a lot like me, you know. She had spirit... ambition... ha! Large appetites. She would have made an excellent Hynerian. I'm... actually going to miss her." He hangs his head.
Aeryn: "One way or another, Kyvan will make restitution."
She reaches overhead and moves some switches.
The painting appears. It now shows D'Argo standing, his head thrown back and his chest out. There is a pointed object, like a spear or harpoon, sticking out of his chest, from his back.
Zhaan: "D'Argo?"
D'Argo is just standing, not saying anything.
Zhaan: "By the Goddess, no!" She rushes over to look at the painting.
John comes up behind Zhaan: "What do we have to do to ditch this thing? Drop it in a black hole?"
D'Argo: "John... we've lost. If this is my fate, I will accept it."
John: "No. We're not accepting anything. We fight this."
Zhaan bends over, in pain: "We can't keep fighting!"
John: "Zhaan... "
Zhaan: "It's stronger than all of us!"
John: "Zhaan! All right, kids. Time to think. First off... what the hell is that supposed to be?" He points to the object that protrudes from D'Argo's chest in the painting.
D'Argo: "It signifies a Qualta blade." He slowly draws his blade and hands it to Zhaan.
John: "Zhaan... take this and lock it away in the farthest tier you can find."
Zhaan nods and leaves with the Qualta blade held firmly in both hands.
John picks up the painting and carries it across the bay, past Aeryn's prowler: "Next... we get you into a big, open space..." He sets the painting down behind a barrel. "... as far away from any pointy objects as possible."
D'Argo follows him: "John..." He walks in front of the prowler's harpoon.
John runs his hand over a door control and turns to D'Argo.
D'Argo: "... you've been a good friend. Whatever happens, it's been a pleasure to know you."
John nods: "D'Argo... shut UP! Have you never heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy?"
There is a hissing noise from behind D'Argo.
D'Argo spins around and sees sparks coming from the front of the prowler. John starts towards it, but D'Argo grabs him and flings him aside. Steam gushes from the prowler engines and the harpoon swings around.
John looks up from the barrel he has landed against: "Nooo!"
The prowler's harpoon impales D'Argo through the chest. He cries out and shatters into a thousand pieces. John stares, in disbelief.
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
D'Argo screams: "John!" and flails his arms, trying to gain his balance. He is standing on the wooden corridor floor, inside the painting. The wall to his left has keyhole shaped openings in it, at regular intervals. The whole room appears to be shimmering or shaking. As the room steadies, he reaches down and feels his chest. There is nothing wrong with it. No harpoon sticking through it and no wound. D'Argo takes a deep breath and sighs. He takes a few panting breaths while looking around.
Chiana calls: "Anybody?"
D'Argo whirls around at the sound of her voice."
Chiana: "Please?" Her voice echoes.
D'Argo twists and turns, trying to find where Chiana's voice is coming from. The air appears ripply around him. D'Argo takes a step towards one of the keyholes.
D'Argo: "Chiana... Chiana... Chiana..." His voice echoes too.
Chiana: "D'Argo... Argo... Argo...?"
D'Argo steps through one of the keyholes and finds himself in the dark. The geometric shape that sits on the painting is suspended near him. He looks this way and that, finding nothing. He goes back through the keyhole and then past a couple more, looking in towards the dark place.
Chiana: "D'Argo?"
D'Argo laughs. Chiana's head and torso are suspended in front of him, filling up one of the keyhole openings. She is upside down.
D'Argo: "You're alive."
Chiana: "I am?"
D'Argo: "Where are we?"
Chiana looks around: "Uh... I uh... I think... I think we're in the portrait."
D'Argo hurries around the keyhole and tries to get through. He stops and screams angrily: "Arrhh!"
John walks up and down by the prowler's harpoon, running his hand along its edge. Zhaan stands behind him, looking over his shoulder.
John: "It punched... right through him... and then he disappeared. No blood, no guts, no nothin. Where'd he go? We gotta get him back. He... look... he cannot just vanish, Zhaan!"
Zhaan walks closer to the harpoon. She looks past it and starts to walk away.
Zhaan speaks quietly: "John..."
John waves his arms: "He may not even be dead. Either way, we gotta know."
Zhaan bends over, peering at the painting.
John: "What?"
Zhaan swallows loudly and takes a step back from the painting.
John: "Great. I'm next."
The portrait shows him with his arms out to his sides, with waves of something like electricity striking him in the chest.
John: "Batter up. Is this great, Zhaan?" He laughs: "This thing is pickin us off like flies and nobody even knows what it is."
Zhaan keeps staring at the painting.
John: "Zhaan... I'm ready. Just... give me your plan... please."
Zhaan continues to examine the painting.
John: "Come on... Zhaan! This magical, mystery crap is
your speciality, not mine, you just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!" His voice gets louder as he speaks.
Zhaan: "There is nothing I
can tell you."
John shakes his head.
The oddly made space station is floating in space.
Kyvan: "Ahh, welcome back. Now, what can I interest you in this time?"
She walks quickly away from the ladder that Aeryn uses to enter the station. Aeryn follows her.
Aeryn: "Only interested in one thing, and that's the thing you gave Chiana."
Kyvan: "Ohh, well I hope she's enjoying that portrait."
Aeryn grabs the old woman and turns her around roughly. Kyvan gasps. There is a loud crash and clatter from things being knocked around.
Aeryn: "Don't frell around with me. You know exactly what happened, don't you?"
Rygel: "It's a very bad idea to annoy her when she's in this sort of mood." He is floating by the ladder.
Aeryn takes her arm and sweeps some merchandise off the table onto the floor, with a loud clatter.
Rygel: "See what I mean?"
Kyvan: "Ahh!"
Rygel: "If I were you, I'd tell her everything."
Kyvan: "But, I... I don't know anything!"
Aeryn shouts: "Well, that's unfortunate for you, isn't it? Because if you had something to tell me, I'd have a reason not to shoot you, but since you're not telling me anything..." She brings up her pulse pistol in a two-handed grasp, pointing it at Kyvan.
Kyvan gasps and throws her hands up in the air.
Kyvan: "I... I had no choice. Um... I was... I was forced to create that portrait!"
Aeryn: "By whom?"
Kyvan: "Wh... he made me do it!"
Aeryn still has the gun pointed at Kyvan: "Who?"
Kyvan: "The person..."
Aeryn: "Who?"
Kyvan: "I didn't want to do it!"
Aeryn: "Who?"
Kyvan: "He threatened me."
Aeryn screams: "Who?!"
There is complete silence for a microt.
Kyvan: "Maldis."
Aeryn slowly lowers the pistol, staring wide-eyed at Kyvan.
Standing in her lab, Zhaan stares: "Maldis?"
Aeryn comms: "That's what she said."
John: "Can't be Maldis. We destroyed 'im."
Zhaan walks over to John: "We only dispersed him. I knew he'd coalesce again someday. I never dreamt it would be this soon."
John: "Okay Zhaan... so what do we do?"
Zhaan puts her hands up, palms towards her face, and begins to pray.
John glances up and sees her. He stands up.
John: "Zhaan, what do we... ? Are you hearing me? Zhaan?!"
Aeryn comms from the space station: "Crichton... what's the matter?"
John comms: "Zhaan just bugged out on us. Praying or catatonic, I don't know."
Kyvan is sitting on the floor between a couple of barrels. She picks up her head and listens as John speaks.
Aeryn watches Kyvan: "I'll leave straightaway." She walks towards Kyvan.
John comms: "No, no, don't do that. Stay there. We need all the information we can get."
Aeryn makes a face, but stops walking.
Aeryn comms: "Right."
She takes a couple of steps towards Kyvan and puts her right foot up on a step. Her holster with the pulse pistol in it are next to her hand.
Aeryn: "So... start talking."
Kyvan keeps her head down and her face averted: "Nothing that I can tell you will do any good. Maldis is too powerful."
Aeryn rests her hand on her pulse pistol. She nods her head: "Start talking."
Kyvan glances up at her.
John: "Zhaan... " He stands up and grabs Zhaan's wrists, forcing her hands away from her face. "Zhaan! Stop buggin out." He turns her around to face him, staring into her eyes. "We beat Maldis before, we can do it again. Don't go chicken on me here."
Zhaan suddening grabs John's head with her hands over his ears. She leans her head forward and puts her forehead against John's. There is a sort of ringing noise...
Zhaan: "John... I speak to you by the bond of unity we shared. Now is the time to trust me. I have a plan. You must focus Maldis' attention on you
for as long as possible. Ignore what I say next."Zhaan releases John and sinks to the floor with a groan. John staggers back a step and gasps.
Zhaan: "Maldis cannot be defeated. He's already taken Chiana... and D'Argo. He's gonna take you next, then the rest of us... one by one."
John: "Zhaan, we can beat him."
Zhaan: "No we can't. All we can do is surrender. Shorten our pain."
John begins to back away from Zhaan, watching her all the while: "Well, I"m not giving up."
Zhaan looks up at John. She steps towards him and touches his face with her hand. She whispers: "I am." She screws up her face as if to cry and shoves John in the chest. He falls backwards onto some equipment and a DRD. He is surrounded by sparks and shatters in many sharp fragments. The DRD squeaks and squawks. Zhaan looks down at them. She hears a voice calling.
Maldis: "P'au Zhaan..."Zhaan walks slowly around the painting as the voice continues to call...
Maldis: "P'au Zhaan..."The painting now shows Zhaan's face. It is surrounded by shards like the one's left from John.
Maldis: "P'au Zhaan. P'au Zhaan." He laughs.The voice calls over and over: "P'au Zhaan. P'au Zhaan." He laughs again, louder.
There is a shimmering, shattering sound. John cries out as he lands on a hard surface. He looks around and sees many moving, geometric shapes. One looks like it is from the center of the portrait. The space around him continues to move and spin.
John: "Whoa. That first step."
The movement around John slows.
D'Argo calls out: "John!"
John: "D'Argo!" He looks around. There is a line of archways beside him. Through one, he sees D'Argo, large and suspended in midair at a 90 degree angle to John's point of view. John hurries over to the arches and steps into one.
D'Argo: "No, wait. Don't come through!" His voice echoes.
John stops in mid stride. He hangs onto the archway with his hand to stop himself. Beyond the arch, it is dark and there is only a reflection of the room behind.
John: "Wh... what the hell? D'Argo?" His call echoes in the reflecting room. John pulls himself back into the lighted hallway.
John: "Where the hell did you go?"
D'Argo still appears to be suspended in midair, seen through an archway.
D'Argo: "I haven't moved; it's these archways. They lead... elsewhere."
John swivels his neck to look at the archways: "Have you seen Chiana?"
D'Argo: "Yes, but I couldn't get to her. I tried other archways but I lost her entirely."
John: "Great. It's not just a painting, it's a maze." He laughs and steps away from the arches. "Terrific. And, I know who built it." He calls out: "Maldis! Come on down!" His voice echoes.
D'Argo: "Maldis?"
John: "None other than. Doesn't that just make your day?"
John begins to walk down the corridor, calling: "Mal... dis! Mal... dis? Come on, you old bastard, show me your ugly face!"
John looks around the corridor, talking to himself: "Haven't you read the supervillans handbook? This is where you're supposed ta twirl your mustache and gloat."
While John's back is turned, Maldis appears behind him. He is dressed in a black robe, with a high, ruffled collar.
Maldis: "I don't have a mustache, John."
John grins. He straightens his face and turns around to Maldis: "How you doin, old man? You're lookin kinda pale. You gettin enough sun?"
Maldis: "Irreverent as ever. I missed that."
John: "Yah. It's been a while, huh? Tell me, whatcha been doin all this time? Puttin yourself back together? And, what's it like being... dispersed?"
Maldis: "Less than pleasant. I sustained myself by concentrating... on revenge."
John: "Well, here I am, dude. Revenge away."
Maldis: "Please. You're not even a player." There is a splashing sound and Maldis appears in a different place, near the geometric shape. John whirls around to face him.
Maldis: "I'm saving my revenge for one who deserves it... P'au Zhaan."
John steps towards where Maldis now appears: "Oh. I'm crushed. And here I was thinkin we'd both kicked your ass last time."
Maldis: "No, she kicked my ass... and saved yours. As you say, this "Magical Mystery Crap's" not your thing. Why do you think... that I took you and your two friends first?"
John: "Because you were lonely?"
Maldis: "Because I wanted Zhaan to see her shipmates die."
In Moya's galley, Zhaan hears Maldis' voice...
Maldis: "P'au Zhaan!"She stands up straight and listens, then looks around the room.
Maldis: "P'au Zhaan."The galley is empty except for Zhaan. She looks up and calls out: "No!"
Maldis' voice echoes: "P'au Zhaan!"Zhaan sobs and puts her hands over her ears: "No!"
The echoes continue: "P'au Zhaan!"Zhaan: "No!"
The echo gets louder as it continues: "P'au Zhaan!"Zhaan looks upwards, holding her hands over her ears: "No! No! No!" Her cries echo in the empty room.
Maldis: "Have you forgotten? Fear makes me stronger. Fear and the terror of helplessness. These are a few of my favorite things."
John: "Oh. Could you do that "Farewell, Good-bye" song the kids sing? It's one of my favorites."
Maldis screams: "I don't do requests!" His voice echoes. He glares at John: "You're convinced that Zhaan will pull some Delvian fast one and save the day. Johnny-O... your mind, to me, is an open book... full of big print and lots of pictures!"
John: "Then read this..." He closes his eyes and puts two fingers up to his temple: "Kiss... " He points to Maldis: "I'm betting on her... not you."
Maldis: "Bad bet."
Zhaan stands in front of Pilot's console, leaning towards him: "Do you understand, Pilot?"
Pilot: "Frankly, no. But I will do exactly as you've asked."
Zhaan reaches out and holds one of Pilot's claws.
Pilot: "I wish you luck... for all our sakes."
The echo returns: "P'au Zhaan..."Zhaan spins around, looking for the source of the voice.
Pilot: "Zhaan. What is it?"
Zhaan looks at Pilot: "It's Maldis. Can't you hear him?" She turns back around.
Pilot shakes his head: "I don't hear anything."
Maldis: "Johnny..."Maldis: "... last bout, she had help. Cost the poor fellow his life, didn't it? This time, she's alone. You might not be afraid, but she is... and that's why I'll destroy her. Excuse me, while I remind her how much I care."
Maldis turns his back on John and screams: "P'au Zhaan!"
Zhaan hears the echo...
Maldis: "P'au Zhaan!"She sobs and turns back towards Pilot. Stepping back, her heel catches on the edge of the catwalk and she staggers backwards, falling into the abyss. She cries out as she falls.
Pilot: "Zhaan!"
Zhaan twirls in midair and lands with a cry on the floor of the corridor, near John. She raises her head and gasps.
Maldis looks in at John and Zhaan from the other side of the arches. His face is huge.
Maldis: "So much for that plan!" He looks towards John: "Any more bets?"
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
John hurries over to Zhaan. She is lying on the floor of the hallway, gasping. Maldis is standing behind them, watching. John kneels beside Zhaan and puts a hand on her shoulder.
Zhaan whispers: "I failed. Too weak." She gasps again.
John: "Zhaan. Don't give up. You never give up."
Maldis calls from down the corridor: "What a wreck!" He walks towards them: "She begged me to put her out of her misery. Unfortunately... I want to enjoy her misery a little longer."
Zhaan twists her head around to glance behind, at Maldis, then she looks back at John.
Maldis: "But there's no reason why she should suffer on her own."
He turns towards one of the archways and blows air at it. Chiana appears in the archway. She is large enough to completely fill it. She looks around, up and down, and out at Maldis. He blows at another archway and a very large D'Argo appears in it.
Chiana: "D'Argo?" She breathes loudly: "Where are you?"
D'Argo gasps: "Chiana."
She turns her head towards his voice: "You're here?" She looks out of the arch and sees John and Zhaan together, huddled on the floor of the corridor.
Chiana: "Oh, frell." She turns her head towards Maldis: "Who's the ugly old man?"
Maldis swirls his robe and turns to look at Chiana.
John: "His name is Maldis. He's your basic evil vampire."
D'Argo: "He sucks the life-force out of people."
John: "He just plain sucks. Listen up, everybody. This joker feeds on fear... so we're gonna stay calm." He looks down at the still gasping Zhaan.
Maldis: "Zhaan's not listening to you, John."
John: "Zhaan... " She lifts her head to look at him. "... we keep our cool, we starve him out."
Maldis laughs quietly: "Bravado to the end. I have to admire that. Even though, deep down of course, you are quaking in your boots."
John looks up at Maldis: "Dream on."
Maldis: "Stop! You want fear? I'll give you some." He turns and blows air at an empty archway that is in between Chiana and D'Argo. John is now looking into the corridor from behind this arch. He is large like the others. John looks up and around.
Maldis: "Picture if you will, me standing on your home planet. Six billion creatures like you... heavy breeders. Your species would have kept me fed for a long time."
John: "You stay the hell away from Earth."
Maldis: "You see? Everyone has a panic button, just waiting to be pushed. Even the Luxan!" He strides over to look at D'Argo.
Maldis: "Your son... Jothee. How old is he? I can't wait to run across him."
D'Argo spits and snarls, then roars at Maldis.
Maldis backs away, down the corridor, past John.
Maldis: "Didn't you tell him, John, that that sort of thing doesn't work?" He turns to face Chiana: "And the runaway Nebari. How would you like a free trip home to your planet? You woudn't?" He backs away a bit: "Ahh hah... scared that you'd be mentally cleansed by your countrymen? Well, don't worry. Because none of your will leave this place!"
"... this place... place... place..."Chiana: "You don't scare me. You're all mouth. Bigger the talk... smaller the action."
Maldis: "Little girl, I'll show you action... and this is it. I leave... you don't. This realm dissolves and you with it. Except of course for your essence. Your life force... your spirit. Whatever you like to call it. I call it lunch."
".... lunch... lunch... lunch..."Maldis walks up behind Zhaan: "Time for choir practice, priest?"
Zhaan looks back over her shoulder at him: "Maldis... please...!"
Maldis begins to walk up Zhaan's back, starting with her ankles. He is wearing hard, black shoes. There is a crunching noise each time he takes a step.
Zhaan: "... I beg you!" Zhaan screams as Maldis continues walking up her spine.
Maldis: "Aww! You beg me. I like that."
D'Argo yells: "Maldis!" He growls and hits at the archway.
John: "D'Argo... down. You'll just make it worse."
Zhaan continues to scream.
Maldis: "Now, now. When all the atoms in your body are ripped apart and I consume what's left... then you'll know what pain is." He smiles and looks down as he walks across the back of Zhaan's head.
Maldis: "And all this will happen one hundred microts from now... if you like a countdown."
Maldis raises his arms and the wall in front of him dissolves to show the inside of Moya where the portrait is sitting.
A DRD is sitting in the bay, near the portrait. Suddenly, the wall behind the painting dissolves into the corridor from the painting itself. The DRD waves its eye stalks and it's gun.
Pilot comms: "Officer Sun... Priority message from Zhaan."
Aeryn, still waiting on the space station, stands up and touches her comms badge: "What is it, Pilot?"
Pilot comms: "Kill Kyvan and get out of there fast."
Aeryn pulls her pulse pistol: "Acknowledged."
Kyvan stands up, watching Aeryn.
Aeryn turns and shoots Kyvan who explodes into many shards of colored glass.
Rygel gasps.
Aeryn: "Out... now." She picks up Rygel and carries him bodily up the ladder, out of the space station. Rygel cries out as he is lifted up.
Outside the space station, Aeryn flies rapidly away. As she exits the plane where the space station hung, it explodes behind her, into huge shards of dark glass. Inside one of the shards, Maldis falls, yelling and lands on the corridor in the portrait, next to Zhaan.
Rygel watches the station explode behind them, out the window of the module.
Rygel: "How did you know all that would happen?"
Aeryn: "I didn't"
Rygel: "And you shot Kyvan anyway?"
Aeryn: "Crichton said I should follow Zhaan's instructions without question."
Rygel: "Did he? Well, he didn't bother to tell me."
Aeryn: "Course not. When have you ever followed instructions?"
Inside the portrait, Maldis pulls himself up off the floor of the corridor and struggles to his feet.
Maldis: "Was that your doing? Well... it won't help you... because I'm much stronger than you think."
Zhaan glares up at him from the floor and hisses: "So am I!" She jumps to her feet with a spin kick, then hits Maldis in the face, knocking him backwards. She hits him again and he falls to the floor. Zhaan rights herself and gets in a defensive stance. Maldis growls as he picks himself up off the floor. He turns towards Zhaan who runs at him and pushes him backwards with both hands, knocking him through an arch which falls into shards of glass. Maldis screams as he falls out of the painting. Zhaan lies on the floor, panting. John steps into the corridor through an arch. Zhaan waves him forward.
Zhaan: "Go! Hurry!"
Chiana climbs through an archway behind Zhaan. John stops and looks around as D'Argo steps out of his archway.
Zhaan keeps waving: "Hurry!"
D'Argo: "Chiana!" He runs over to Chiana and takes her hand. He leads her quickly towards the end of the corridor where the hanger bay appeared.
John: "Get up!"
Zhaan: "Leave me."
John: "Come on."
D'Argo yells as he sticks one hand and arm through the painting and into Moya's hanger bay. Slowly he manages to pull himself, bit by bit, through the viscous wall of the portrait. Once his feet are planted he pulls hard with his other arm, dragging Chiana slowly onto Moya with him. Finally she breaks free with a pop and D'Argo falls backwards onto the floor of the bay. Chiana falls forward and lands, face down on top of D'Argo. They lie there, staring at each other.
Inside the painting, John pulls on Zhaan's arm.
Zhaan: "Leave me here!"
John: "Get up." He pulls her to her feet. Zhaan continues to struggle with John.
Zhaan: "Leave me here."
John: "No!" He picks her up in a fireman's carry and starts towards the end of the corridor. As they hit the edge of the painting it makes a noise.
D'Argo hears the noise and rolls Chiana off him. He jumps up off the floor and hurries over to the portrait and helps pull Zhaan into Moya. She lands on the floor with a grunt. D'Argo releases her and turns to help pull John through. John pops through and lands on the floor on his knees, beside Zhaan.
John lifts up his head and looks around: "Home sweet home."
From inside the portrait, Maldis grimaces and reaches through the wall into Moya. What comes through is a giant hand in a black glove. The hand reaches for Zhaan and John but misses them. They yell and roll out of the way. John grabs a DRD that is sitting nearby and points it at the glove. Meanwhile, he uses one hand to help Zhaan scramble further out of reach.
John: "Fire one!" The DRD fires its gun at the gloved hand and hits it several times. The hand makes a grab for Chiana.
Chiana: "D'Argo!"
D'Argo grabs Chiana and they duck behind a bulkhead for cover.
John: "Take it." He hands the DRD to Zhaan who holds it up so it can fire into the hand.
Inside the painting, Maldis is yelling.
John runs over to the parked prowler and points its weapons at the hand.
John: "Fire two!" He shoots the hand with the prowler's cannons. The explosions light the bay up bright orange.
Maldis screams as the prowler cannons and the DRD's gun keep firing directly into his hand. Zhaan holds onto the DRD and backs away from the portrait, still firing at the hand.
Maldis' screaming almost seems to wind down in pitch as gradually the hand begins to retreat through the painting. As it passes through the wall, the painting pulls back into itself then shatters into multi-colored shards of glass which are swept away by a wind and disappear. The rest of Moya's hangar bay becomes visible again. Zhaan watches this happen, still holding onto the DRD. John climbs away from the prowler cockpit where he had been leaning. D'Argo and Chiana sit up. Chiana sighs and breathes loudly.
Chiana: "Whoa."
Zhaan lets out an audible breath.
John: "That was your plan?"
Zhaan leans back on her elbow and sighs: "Yes. Like it?"
John: "Well, what's not to like?"
Zhaan laughs and closes her eyes. She sighs.
END OF ACT FOUR
EPILOGUE
Chiana and Rygel are in Moya's galley, eating.
Chiana takes a bite and gestures with a cracker in her hand: "Explain this to me, froggy. Crichton comes back, he's not really electrocuted. Okay, D'Argo comes back, not a scratch on him." She shakes her head: "I come back, nothing burnt, but I still got a busted leg. Why is that?"
Rygel: "Why ask me? I'm still trying to figure out the whole Maldis and Kyvan thing."
Chiana: "Oh, no, no, no, look. Zhaan laid that bit out for me. Okay... when Maldis recorporealized..."
Rygel: "Re-what?"
Chiana: "Well, put himself back together... he couldn't yet break through to our physical plane so he had to manipulate matter to form Kyvan and her ship and create the painting which would not only bridge both realms but also allow... well, play on our fears which would allow him to capture us and grow even stronger. Clear?"
Rygel inhales, then sighs.
Chiana hurries on: "Then, when Aeryn blasted Kyvan which was actually just a temporary extension of Maldis, it weakened Maldis enough for Zhaan to make her move. Simple." She turns her head and takes another bite of cracker.
Rygel: "But why? I mean, how did Zhaan... ?" Rygel stops and laughs: "Best not ponder questions like these. They'll only make your head hurt."
Chiana: "Forget about it. Sit back and enjoy the happy ending."
Rygel: "What happy ending? My priceless Hynerian tiara is gone. Vanished, just like Kyvan and her ship."
Chiana: "Aww. Well, we can't have everything, Ryg."
Rygel: "
I can't have anything."
Chiana laughs and throws her cracker at Rygel, bouncing it off the top of his head where it breaks and showers him with crumbs.
Rygel: "Ohh!"
Chiana laughs louder.
Zhaan is sitting in her quarters, meticulously placing colored stones next to a large, blue bell. John is out in the corridor, leaning against the doorway.
John: "So, what'dya think, Zhaan? That sum-bitch gone for good this time?"
Zhaan: "With a being like Maldis we can never be entirely certain."
John: "Zhaan... this woulda been a
really good opportunity to lie to me." John enters Zhaan's quarters. He goes over to a wall and sits, leaning against it: "You know... 'Sure John, he's toast.'"
Zhaan glances up at him and smiles.
John: "'Strike him off your Christmas list. Stick a fork in him, he's done. He's over. The fat lady is singing.' It does not have to be true, Zhaan, but I certainly would have slept better."
Zhaan: "I'm sorry John. I'm not a very good liar."
John: "Yeah, right." He laughs. "Now, I know you couldn't tell me the truth about your, ah, plan. Maldis would have picked it out of my brain, but you had us all fooled with that Scared Nellie routine." He grins and nods at her.
Zhaan: "My fear wasn't an act, John."
John: "You were really that scared?"
Zhaan: "I've never been more scared in my life."
END OF EPILOGUE
