Air Date: July 14, 2001
Written by Matt Ford
Directed by Ian Barry
Transcript by Xenajules2
Edited and put on-line by Bluey
Episode 3.12 - Meltdown
PREVIOUSLY ON FARSCAPE: (the voice of Aeryn Sun) All scenes are from "Relativity"
Scene One: Rygel asks how they're supposed to defend themselves when "dear old mother comes blasting in?"
Scene Two: Scenes in the jungle, as Xhalax hunts the crew and the crew tries to lead her away from Talyn.
Scene Three: Aeryn touching her mother's scar. Little Aeryn listening to her mother. Crais says "If we don't kill Xhalax, she'll come after us again."
Scene Four: Xhalax smiles at Little Aeryn. John says: "Aeryn is not going to be the one to kill her mother."
Scene
Five: Xhalax is on the ground, waiting to die. Crais says "We must not let Xhalax live." Xhalax: "Coward! She can't kill me." Aeryn: "Good-bye mother." Xhalax: "Do it!"
Scene Six: John holds Aeryn as they hear shots fired by Crais.
AND NOW, ON FARSCAPE...
PROLOGUE
Crais appears out of a mist with a pulse pistol in his hand. He is staggering, his hair is disheveled and there is a large wound on his back. We see Xhalax Sun's face, then hear weapons fire. The jungle is lit up around her. The shooting stops. Xhalax stares calmly at Crais as he walks up and puts his hand on her throat, his face a mere inches away from hers.
Xhalax: "Go on, do it."
Crais: "Believe me. Nothing would give me greater pleasure. But I kill you, and another retrieval squad will already be on its way."
Xhalax: "Unless...I report you terminated. In which case, you free me here and now and you disappear forever."
Crais: "You forget who's in charge here!"
Crais throws Xhalax to the ground and goes to kneel over her.
Crais: "I'll tell you what's gonna happen. You go back to High Command. You tell them I can deliver Talyn and Moya. They can have the escaped prisoners. They can even have Crichton, if they want."
Xhalax: "And in return?"
Crais: "Two things. I want Aeryn."
Xhalax: "Oh, Crais! You're so predictable."
Crais: "I want Aeryn! And I want to be a Peacekeeper again!"
Crais looks up, directly into the camera, and laughs.
Crais: "Is that what you think? Is that what you think happened, Crichton?"
There is a crash and a flash of light and....
We see John standing on Talyn's bridge.
Crais: "You were there."
John: "No, actually, I was busy trying to save Aeryn and Talyn while you were cutting deals to save yourself."
Crais is well dressed, smartly groomed, and smiling.
Crais: "You know the truth. You know I'll never again be a Peacekeeper."
John: "Never say never again, double-oh seven. That's all I know."
Aeryn comes onto the bridge.
Aeryn: "Still no news of Moya?"
Crais: "Nothing resembling a Leviathan for a million metras."
Aeryn comes up to the console where John is working and stands very close to him. He stands aside to let her get to the controls.
Aeryn: "Surely the Peacekeepers will send another Retrieval Squad to come looking for us."
John: "Actually, looking for Crais."
Crais looks over at John.
John: " So you really should do the noble thing and jump ship before you get us all killed."
Crais: "They're hunting Talyn as well."
A strange, loud noise is suddenly heard. It is high pitched and seems to be hurting Crais.
Crais, putting his hands over his ears: "I... I... I can't..."
John: "You got a problem with your headgear?"
Crais: "Talyn's signals. Confused."
Rygel and Stark are in another room on Talyn. There is a jolt.
Rygel: "What the gletch is happening?"
Stark: "Happening at full speed, I can feel it."
Crais: "Talyn is fighting with himself."
John: "Crais, pull him back."
Crais: "I can't control him."
Rygel and Stark come onto the bridge.
John: "Hey guys! We are flying into a sun!"
There is a stunning visual of Talyn flying towards a huge, fiery orange ball.
END OF PROLOGUE
ACT ONE
Everyone is on Talyn's bridge, looking out at the sun they are rapidly approaching. Aeryn is at a contol console, attempting to turn Talyn. Rygel and Stark are standing as close to the others as they can get.
Stark is standing next to Aeryn, chanting: "Yaznek shaktow ailoo ailoo. Akadem..."
John grabs him and pulls him out of the way: "Knock it off pop-top. Crais, get on the headset and get us outa here!"
Crais is nearby, still holding his hands over his ears: "Talyn's doing everything he can to fight against it."
Aeryn: "Against what?"
Crais: "The sun's emitting unusual pulses of radiation, attracting Talyn and compelling him to fly directly into the sun."
John: "So uncompel him! Stop him, knock him out, disconnect him!"
Crais: "It's too late for that!"
Stark: "Yaznek shaktow..."
Rygel: "Shut up Stark!"
Crais: "We're going in!"
John: "Talyn!"
Crais: "Talyn!"
Stark & Rygel: "Talyn!"
All: "Talynnnnn!"
Talyn flies directly towards the sun for several more microts then suddenly veers and flies away from it.
Rygel: "What the frell?" Stark, who has been hiding behind him, hugging him, peeks out.
John, who has been shielding Aeryn with his body, straightens up.
Crais: "Talyn's pulled away. Saved us."
Rygel: "And we're supposed to be grateful?"
Crais: "He's now orbiting the sun. The shields are holding but, (he reaches for his transponder) there are parts of Talyn I can't see or feel."
John, to Aeryn: "We're gonna have to do a manual survey for damage."
Aeryn: "All right. Crais, you should stay up here in this section. The rest of us will divide up the ship amongst us."
Rygel: "Agh. Agh."
Everyone but Crais leaves the bridge.
We see a corridor with a DRD traveling down it. Emerging from the wall support there is a white smoke-like cloud falling towards the floor and spreading outwards.
Aeryn comms: "Crais! We're on tier two."
The DRD runs into a conduit and stops. There is smoke coming out of the conduit in several places, a bunch of broken wires on the floor, and sparks occasionally shooting out from it.
John: "I'd say that's a damaged area."
Aeryn: "The secondary control node, and it is..." She sets down her tool box to check the node: "completely blown."
John starts on the opposite side of the conduit: "You know, Talyn has got a hog of a power plant, but he's got a piss poor electrical system. He sneezes and half of his circuits fry." John is now working right beside Aeryn.
Aeryn: "He hasn't fully healed from the Retrieval Squad attack."
John: "Yeah, I know that. I still say he could use some heavy-duty wiring."
Unnoticed, in a section above their heads, a reddish mist begins to flow out of some slot like openings in the bulkhead.
Aeryn:"He's still young. He'll get much stronger as he develops."
John: "Not if he flies into any more stars he won't. How big is he gonna get, anyway. Is he gonna be Moya's size?"
Aeryn: "Well, Crais seems to think so."
There is a flash and a spark hits John on the finger.
John jumps back and shakes his hand: "Damn!"
Aeryn: "Here. Umm." She takes his hand and sticks the burned knuckle in her mouth and sucks on it. John can only stare.
Aeryn lets go of his finger: "There. Be careful." She turns back to her work, apparantly unaware of what she just did. John looks at the finger: "Yeah." and goes back to work as well.
In another part of Talyn, Stark is walking down a corridor alone. He notices something and goes over to the wall. There is a reddish mist coming out of some slot shaped openings above the wall support. Stark investigates this by looking at it and putting his hand up in it. He tries to pull some of it towards his face. He hears a voice, like a whisper or an echo: "Are you there?"
Stark turns his head, but sees no one:"Talyn. Is that you?"
The voice comes again: "Are you there? Hello?"
Stark: "Tayln?"
Stark goes off towards the sound of the voice.
Back at the secondary control node, a DRD comes down the corridor and joins John and Aeryn who are still attempting to repair the burned out circuits. Sparks keep snapping and sparking from the open areas.
John: "You know, for someone who used to look down their nose at tech work, you're pretty damn good at this."
Aeryn: "Well, perhaps people can change."
John: "Well, at least some people are smiling around here these days."
Aeryn: "Yah I know, it suits your face."
John smiles at her: "I was talkin about you."
Aeryn: "Me? I'm not smiling."
John grins: "Yes you are."
Aeryn looks at him and smiles, and half laughs: "Pay attention to your work."
John gets on his knees and faces the conduit: "Right. Focus on the work." He reaches over and grabs hold of her leg, just above the knee.
Aeryn: "And, don't do that."
John: "I'm workin here. Stop distracting me."
Aeryn: "I'm distracting you?"
John: "Yes! You are always distracting me."
Aeryn: "Well, then you are easily distracted."
John: "No I'm not."
Aeryn: "Yes, you are."
Aeryn stands up and reaches over her head to work.
John: "I'm not."
Aeryn: "Oh, really."
John looks over and finds Aeryns bare midriff right in front of him.
John: "Okay, that's a little distracting."
Aeryn: "And it's something I did?"
John: "Could be." He smiles. (Jazz music begins to play)
Aeryn: "What? Something like ..."
She turns away from him and dangles her tool from her fingers, then pointedly drops it with a clang.
Aeryn: "This?" She bends over at the waist to pick up the tool, giving John an excellent view of her leather clad behind.
John smacks her and she laughs.
John: "You said, pay attention to the work."
Aeryn takes a deep breath and sighs loudly: "You're right. I'm sorry." She has a grin on her face: "I won't distract you any further." She catches her lower lip with her teeth as she smiles. John thinks a second, then sets his tool down inside the conduit. He walks over to where Aeryn is standing, leaning against the wall. He gently runs his finger under the edge of her vest: "Do you have a problem?"
Aeryn: "No, I don't have a problem."
John: "No?"
Aeryn: "Uh un." She shakes her head, no.
John has his whole hand on her bare waist: "You're not distracted?" He holds his face as if he were going to kiss her, but doesn't. She shakes her head, yes and they begin to kiss.
As they kiss, she grabs a loop on his pants and pulls him closer to her.
Halfway breaking off the kiss, Aeryn says: "What are we doing?"
John: "Better question, why now?"
Aeryn: "Uh! Uh! " They continue to kiss enthusiastically.
John glances up and sees, over Aeryn's shoulder, the reddish mist which is still steaming out of the wall.
Aeryn: "What?" He turns her so she can see the mist too.
John: "What the hell is that?"
Crais is holding a tool up to a stream of reddish mist on the bridge as John enters.
John: "Crais, Talyn is leaking some kinda... Oh, I see you got it in here too."
Crais: "As far as I can tell, the mist is exuding from a dozen points on three tiers."
John: "You know what it is?"
Crais: "Drexim, a synaptic fluid naturally occuring in Talyn's conduits."
John: "Uh huh. Why is it steaming from the walls?"
Crais "When it becomes acidic, it can erode the seals joining the conduits."
John: "That is a beautiful design, Crais. Tell me, is this stuff affecting you?"
Crais: "No. But it seems to have made Rygel permanently hungry. Has it been affecting you or Aeryn?"
John: "What exactly does it do to Talyn?"
Crais: "When he's in danger, it increases the stimulus, increasing his response rates."
John: "Right, so it's like adrenaline."
Crais turns to look at John.
John: "Adrenaline in humans, when we get in a tight spot, it makes us fight."
John "puts his duke's up" and fakes punching, bobbing and weaving at Crais, who seems totally unimpressed.
John: "And, uh, do other things." He brings his arms up, hands still in fists, and mock dances.
John: "It's not going to affect us the same way, is it?"
Crais: "Oh, possibly. But the effects should be manageable."
John: "Should. Be. Manageable. Look Crais, before, ah, we all go crackers... (Aeryn walks in) Hey baby, how you doin? Maybe we should get some space suits, masks or somethin ?"
Aeryn walks over to stay directly in front of John, talking to him: "Already thought of that. We're too late. The Drexim's already reached the suits, and it's made all the seals dissolve."
John, leaning even closer to Aeryn: "And what're we gonna do if it increases?"
Crais: "We ignore it." He glares at John and Aeryn and starts to leave: "And we do what we have to do. Is that clear?"
John: "Oh, aye Cap'n.."
Aeryn nods: "Uhm." She starts to laugh as soon as Crais exits: "Yes, sir." to John. Their noses touch.
Stark is still following the voice: "Can you hear me?"
Stark runs up to a support which is leaking mist: "Talyn?"
Voice: "Can you hear me?"
Stark turns and sees an opening in one of the walls.
Voice: "Are you there?"
Stark bends down to look in the opening: "I know how you're feeling, Talyn."
He walks in to what turns out to be a dark corridor.
Stark: "I saw you. I felt you wanted to die."
Stark continues down the corridor, and a door opens to a lighted room. He enters the room.
Stark: "What is this Talyn?"
Voice: "Please!"
Stark jumps and holds his hands up defensively. The voice is coming from a cloud of mist that is very close to him.
Stark: "Awwww! Who are you?"
A head and arms appear in the mist.
Voice: "You can see me! I am Sierjna!"
Stark: "Back! This room, this room. I haven't seen this room before."
Sierjna: "But you can see me. And hear me."
Stark: "Yes, course I can. You're there, in front of me."
The body has continued to solidify. It is a woman with long, violet hair and eyes.
Sierjna: "I am? Reformed? Visible? (she holds her hands up and looks at them) Famasina! You can help me!"
She grabs his arm and Stark pulls away and jumps backwards.
Stark: "What, what do you want? This room, this room, this room, this room..."
Stark keeps backing up. Sierjna walks over to him.
Sierjna: "I seek the pilot.."
Stark: "I've never seen this room before."
Sierjna: "I might say the same about this ship. In part it appears Leviathan, and yet, not."
Stark: "This ship is Talyn. It is a hybrid. It is part Leviathan, part gunship."
Sierjna: "Then where is the pilot? He should be here."
Stark: "There is no pilot. There has never been a pilot."
Sierjna: "There is always a pilot. But... never one who could see..."
She walks around to face Stark.
Sierjna: "hear ... ", she puts Stark's hand on her chest and holds it there: "feel me."
Stark, breathes:"Ohhh!"
Sierjna:"til now."
Stark: "How did you get onboard this ship?"
Sierjna: "I, I kinished. You were in my zone."
Stark: "In your zone? I don't understand. How did you get onboard this ship?"
Sierjna: "Cycles ago, I came from Delfarion." She puts her hand on Stark's chest and uses it to back him up: "One microt I was on my ship, and then not. I'm trapped outside my world for so long, trying to get back. But I float here, unable to free myself. I board a Leviathan, then another, then another, only to find myself unseen, unheard by all onboard, until now.
She has backed up Stark all the way into the Pilot's den: "where at last I am given form. Finally I find those who can help me. Please! Only you can save me!"
Stark nods weakly.
Crais is inspecting a large conduit on the bridge.
Crais: "As I suspected, Talyn is overproducing Drexim due to the stress he's under. The radiation pulse is still compelling him to move towards the sun."
Aeryn:"He is resisting, barely. We're maintaining orbit and we're not getting any closer."
John: "We're not getting any further away either. How do we pry this boy loose? Can we stick cotton in his ears?"
Areyn: "Crais, is there a way to filter out these pulses?"
Crais: "His shields are linked to his sensors, to inform him of ambient conditions."
John: "So, cut the link."
Crais: "That would blind him."
John: "Get him some sunglasses, blue blockers."
Crais: "Perhaps we could recalibrate his shields, to block out that one pulse spectrum."
John has come up to stand behind Aeryn. He is nuzzling her ear.
Aeryn: "Well, we might be able to if the shield overrides were functioning." She is speaking in a low, husky voice.
Crais: "Where's the fault?" Crais half turns his head, so he doesn't have to look at what John's doing.
Aeryn: "Secondary terminate."
An alarm sounds.
Crais: "Talyn! Intruder!"
All three turn and aim their weapons at the door which appears to burst into flames. Out of the flames, a creature appears. He is tall and dressed in orange. His face appears as if it were burning coals and his head has horn shapes on top. Talyn's overhead gun swings around to target the intruder.
Intruder: "I want to help you."
John: "They all say that."
Intruder: "This unusual vessel, is it a Leviathan?"
John: "Who wants to know?"
Intruder: "I am Mu-Quillus. You are in great danger. If this is a Leviathan, you must abandon ship immediately."
Aeryn: "Why?"
Mu-Quillus: "Your ship has been caught by a siren star. Inevitably it will succumb, like the 83 Leviathans that have already died here."
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
Still on the bridge...
Aeryn: "So this sun has claimed over 80 Leviathans?"
Mu-Quillus: "Yes. Please, get to your life pods while you still can. I don't understand how this vessel has lasted this long."
Crais: "Talyn is a hybrid Leviathan, built for combat, with much tougher shielding."
Mu-Quillus: "And weapons, I see. Who built it?"
John: "How about you tell us first, how did you get here? You just beamed in."
Mu-Quillus: "I transmuted. I'm something of a hybrid myself, able to switch between a matter and an energy state. That's how I can exist in this star's corona."
John has moved over to stand behind Aeryn and puts his hand on her waist.
Aeryn: "So you (she reaches back to put her hand on John) live here?"
Mu-Quillus: "I find the unusual spectrum of the siren star quite pleasing."
John: "Or maybe you just like watching Leviathans dive in and burn up." (Aeryn is now leaning her full body back against John's)
Crais: "Perhaps you cause them to do so." He levels his gun at Mu-Quillus once again.
Mu-Quillus: "A siren star's pulse radiation is a perfectly natural phenomenon. It's not my fault that it attracts Leviathans to it. I try to warn them, as I'm warning you. But until now, they have always perished before I could do so."
Crais: "I don't believe you."
Mu-Quillus: "How severely damaged are you? How closely did you approach before it pulled away?"
Crais: "Oh, I don't like all these questions. Leave this ship."
Mu-Quillus: "I'm only trying to help."
Crais, yells: "Get off this ship, now! Talyn!"
Crais is threatening Mu-Quillus with his pistol and Talyn's ceiling mounted gun comes to bear as well.
Mu-Quillus: "You'd be wise to listen to me."
Crais and Talyn both begin firing at Mu-Quillus who quickly seems to fold into himself and disappears back the way he arrived, into a wall of flame.
John: "Damn Crais! You're gettin a bit trigger happy." (John and Aeryn are still standing back to front. His right hand is on her midriff, beginning to explore downwards. Aeryn's hand is atop his, definately not stopping him. Their left arms are out to the side and she is feeling his hand with her palm.)
Crais: "I ordered him to leave. He wouldn't obey."
Aeryn: "So you killed him? What if he was trying to help?"
John: "Cat lives in the corona of a star, Crais. You think you're gonna take him out with a couple of pulse blasts?"
Crais: "He's gone for the moment. We've bought some time. Let's use it. Get back to the conduit!"
John: "Yes, Dad."
John and Aeryn walk out past Crais. John has his hand hooked in her trouser waistband as they go by.
Talyn is flying in front of the star's corona. Sierjna and Stark are in Talyn's Pilots den.
Sierjna: "We must fly away, quickly, before he discovers I am here."
Stark: "Who?"
Sierjna: "Mu-Quillus. My savior. My captor."
Stark: "A being like yourself?"
Sierjna: "No, not like me. Another species. He inhabited the star before I came. When my Leviathan perished, he kept me from dying. He claims that he saw me and had to save me. He says that he's in love with me, but I don't love him and I never will. He murdered my ship and all its passengers!"
Stark: "He did that?"
Sierjna: "He's still doing it. That's why he's here, to lure Leviathans to their doom."
Stark: "Why?"
Sierjna: "He was contracted to, by the Partrique-ra, a race of ship builders that see Leviathans as competition. The more Leviathans disappear..."
Stark: "The more ships they can sell!"
Sierjna: "Yes!"
Stark: "That's monstrous! "
Stark pants loudly a few times, then comms: "Crais! Crais! Talyn is being lured into the sun by..."
Crais: "By a creature named Mu-Quillus. Yes, I know that Stark! What I need to know is how to break free!"
Stark turns to look to Sierjna for help.
Sierjna: "I don't know. I don't know how he's doing it!"
Stark: "Sorry, I can't help you."
Sierjna takes Stark's arm and leads him back into the den: "We must break away. You don't know what it's like to...to be trapped forever in the light of the sun. Not to be able to feel, to touch, your only companion a monster!" She grabs Stark and puts her hands on his shoulders: "Take me away from him. I want to walk on a planet again. I want to breathe its air. I want to drink its cool water. Give me back my life!"
Stark: "I can't. You've already passed beyond life."
Sierjna straightens up a bit so she can look at Stark's face.
Stark: "Sierjna, you perished with you shipmates. Mu-Quillus trapped your soul between realms."
Sierjna: "I'm...dead?"
Stark sadly nods.
Sierjna: "Oh, no. No, that's not true. I...You can see me. You can touch me!" She brings Stark's hand up to her face, to feel it.
Stark feels her face himself: "Sierjna, I am the Stykera with certain talents. I can help you cross over to the next level."
Sierjna is still holding Stark's hand against her cheek: "To death?"
Stark nods.
Sierjna pushes his hand away: "No! No, I'm alive! I'm here! I'm real again!"
Stark: "You can never be real again, in the way you wish. I can only...release you."
Sierjna: "I don't believe it! You...you, the ship...you brought me back! I'm whole again! I won't give that up!"
Stark thinks for a moment: "Come with me."
John and Aeryn are working on the secondary control node.
John: "God-like aliens. Man, do I hate god-like aliens! I'll trade a critter for a god-like alien any day!"
Aeryn shakes her head: "No. No, we'll be all right as." She stops talking to stare at John's profile. Jazz music once again starts to play: "as long as we stick together."
John: "Right. Just not too....close together, cause..."
Aeryn: "Right. Yeah. I...I know. I 'm..."
Aeryn stops in mid-sentence. She leans towards John and grabs his t-shirt sleeve in her teeth, pulling him towards her. John turns his face and their noses touch. Aeryn lets go of his shirt (which goes back with an audible "snap") so that they can kiss. Before they do, Aeryn whispers: "We're gonna... we're gonna... die. Die. die. die. die. die. die. die. " She turns her head and walks away from John: "if we don't get the conduits fixed."
John: "Yeah, right! Focus! Eyes on the task." He goes around to the other side of the conduit to work: "Remember the mist. The mist is not your friend."
Aeryn: "Right. Bad mist."
John: "Naughty mist." John smiles.
Aeryn: "Oohh."
A scene of destruction. There are crumbs and bits of food strewn about everywhere. We hear a crackling, crunching sound.
Rygel, softly: "Ooh." The rumbling of his stomach is audible. He has several plates of food in front of him and what looks like a rice krispie treat in his hand. He is wearing a multi-colored, quilted bib over his robes.
Rygel groans: "That's....that's...that's..." He belches and farts: "Ahh! Better," (his voice is now high-pitched): "but even for me, this is a bit excessive." He laughs.
Stark comes into the room.
Stark: "Rygel! Rygel, can we talk to you?"
Rygel: "Stay back unless you...." he laughs again.
Stark: "I'm back! I'm back
Rygel: "Ohhh! Whad'ya want?"
Stark: "I...we just wanted to know..."
Rygel: "We? What are you talking about? Have you gone totally fahrbot? Who's 'we'?"
Rygel looks over at Stark standing near the doorway. We can now see Sierjna standing beside him.
Stark turns to look at her: "You see? It is as I said. I'm the only one who can see you."
Rygel: "Stark! I'm too sick to witness one of your hallucinations."
Sierjna: "That can't be true! That...(she walks quickly over to Rygel) ...Sir....noble sir..."
Rygel continues eating, noticing nothing.
Stark: "Sierjna, don't! He can't hear you. He can't see you."
Rygel: "Yes, but I can see you, you crazy nitnick! Who're you talking to?"
Stark, turning to face Sierjna: "Only I can see you. Only I can hear you. Only me."
Stark puts his arm around her shoulders, to lead her away: "I will take care of you."
We see, along with Rygel, Stark walking with his arm curved, up in midair, with nothing supporting it.
Stark: "I promise."
Rygel sighs.
Rygel: "Right! That's done it. He's gone. He's totally...ahhh!" he farts again and laughs: "..insane."
Rygel takes a deep breath in and lets it out and starts eating again.
Out in the corridor, Stark is forcibly leading Sierjna away.
Sierjna: "No! Please! No, no! This can't be true!"
Stark: "I told you! You're a zy-lindron. Not alive."
There is a loud squealing noise and a mist appears. Mu-Quillus materializes out of the mist.
Mu-Quillus: "I've come to take you home."
Sierjna: "No. I won't go with you."
Mu-Quillus: "Of course you will. You can't stay here."
Sierjna: "I can. I have found someone who can help me!"
Mu-Quillus: "You know better than that! This ship is doomed. Like all the others, it will be drawn into the sun and all on board will perish. You will come back to me."
Stark: "No! Not this time!" He comes to stand in between Sierjna and Mu-Quillus.
Stark: "I can free her! I am Stykera. I have the energy." Stark puts his hand on his mask.
Mu-Quillus, in a pleading voice: "Sierjna. Please. Come with me."
Sierjna: "No. No, I remain here. With Stark."
Mu-Quillus: "If that is what you wish."
Mu-Quillus backs up and disappears into a fiery circle.
Stark reaches out to feel where Mu-Quillus has gone, then turns to Sierjna.
A red DRD, loaded with tools, is at the secondary control node. It snaps something on a wire and "whirrs" away. John and Aeryn are kneeling on opposite sides of the conduit, working. We hear that jazz music.
John: "The mist, the mist, resist the mist. Resist the mist. Are you done?"
Aeryn is working with what looks like a soldering gun, inside the node: "I'm almost done."
Aeryn: "I'm really close."
John continues to work on his side: "Close?"
The camera switches from one to the other.
Aeryn nods: "Nearly there."
And back. John is just staring over at where Aeryn would be if he could see through the conduit.
John: "God, I love you."
Aeryn: "I love you too."
John: "Tell me when you're done."
Aeryn: "I'm....nearly done."
John: "Tell me when you're finishing."
Aeryn grunts. We hear metal clacking. She's working really hard.
John: "Yah?"
John: "Yes?"
Aeryn: "Almost."
John: "Yah?"
Aeryn: "Last one."
John: "Yeah?"
Aeryn: "Finished!"
She jumps up and runs over to John and leaps into his arms, quite literally, with her legs wrapped around his waist. He backs them both up until her back is supported against a conduit ( the music swells and becomes Gershinesque). There is a loud rumble and a jolt.
Aeryn: "Frell!"
John: "Yah." He is holding her up and kissing her.
Aeryn: "No, no, no! I mean 'bad frell'" She gets away from him and starts off down the corridor.
John: "Mr. Sun still wants Talyn." He runs behind her, keeping a hand on her butt.
They run onto the bridge. Crais is there, working over a control.
John: "What's with the rumble?"
Crais: "The radiation pulses have intensified and changed."
John: "How the hell could that happen?"
Crais: "I don't know, but they have, and they're still changing."
Aeryn: "Shield over-rides are working. I'll try and block out the pulses."
There is more rumbling and another jolt.
Stark and Sierjna are in a corridor when the rumbling hits.
Sierjna: "Listen! I know that sound. He's luring your ship back to the sun!"
Stark is smiling. He takes her hand to lead her: "No."
Sierjna: "You'll all be killed. I've seen it before, over and over."
Stark: "Sierjna."
Sierjna: "Every time!"
Stark takes her hands.
Sierjna: "Mu-Quillus was right. He's all I have. I'm gonna be trapped with him forever."
Stark: "Listen to me! I won't let that happen." He drags her down the corridor.
Stark: "I have a plan."
Sierjna: "Plan?"
Stark: "Come on!" He leads her into a room.
On the bridge...
Crais: "I can't change Talyn's course. His compulsion is stronger than ever."
Aeryn: "The pulse spectrum is shifting too quickly. I can't block it out."
John: "The Pied Piper's found a new tune."
Crais: "Explain."
John: "Natural phenomenon my ass. Mu-Quillus is generating these pulses!" John is now standing next to Aeryn and he looks 'deeply' into her face.
Crais: "How?"
John: " Ahhh..(he turns towards Crais) orbiting boom box. He's, uh, whistling out his butt. How in the hell should I know? The point is, we gotta find the source and we, (he looks back at Aeryn and gets distracted momentarily) we gotta squish it." He pats her on the shoulder: "I'm on scan." He goes to another console.
Stark and Sierjna reenter the pilot's den.
Stark, quietly: "A plan, a plan. Save Talyn, A plan."
Stark goes over to the pilot's console and leans up on it.
Stark:"Talyn. I will lead you away from danger."
Sierjna: "What are you doing?"
Stark: "This is a pilot's station. Maybe I can control Talyn from here. Guide him away from the sun."
Stark crawls up into the pilot's position. As he does, cords appear and whip around his leg, pulling him in further. Stark gasps. More cords wrap around his other leg. He is wimpering and gesturing to Sierjna, while being held up in midair.
Sierjna: "Stark!"
On the bridge, John changes consoles: "Hey guys! I think maybe I just got somethin here."
There is a long, large jolt, a lot of rumbling and sparking and crashing.
Aeryn: "What the frell just happened?"
In the pilot's den, a large chord attaches itself near Starks groin and another jumps onto his chest. He is quite high up in the air now, and screaming. More chords attach themselves, a second to his chest. Stark suddenly goes quiet and his head droops. He sinks down, out of sight, behind the pilot's console.
Sierjna: "Stark!"
On the bridge, we see Crais reaching for his transponder.
John: "Who pulled the plug? Crais?"
Crais: "Talyn? My transponder's dead too. I can't hear him."
John: "Aeryn? Over-rides?"
Aeryn: "Gone. Everything's out."
Crais; "Talyn! Where are you?"
John is at a console, throwing switches. Aeryn goes over to help John.
Aeryn: "Nothing's responding. Talyn is gone."
In the pilot's den...
Sierjna: "Stark?"
Stark floats back up until he is once again in the air above the pilot's console.
Sierjna: "Stark, can you hear me?"
Stark does not respond at first. He appears to be unconscious. Suddenly his eyes open and his head comes up. He is covered up to his chest with cords. He takes a deep breath and raises his arms out to his sides, almost like he is flying.
Sierjna: "Oh!"
Stark: "Talyn... Talyn, I am part of you now. (he gasps) Ahh! I can sense all of you. I can guide you."
Sierjna: "Stark! Hurry! The sun!"
Stark: "Yes, the sun. Talyn, you will turn away. You must turn away."
Stark's eyes half close and he leans to the left, as if guiding the ship.
On the bridge, Crais is still feeling his transponder.
John: "Talyn is turning." The room grows perceptably darker.
Crais: "But how?"
Stark, from midair in the pilot's den: "Everyone! We're saved! We've done it!"
On the bridge...
Aeryn comms: "Who has done what?"
Stark: "Talyn and I, we've escaped from the sun and we've saved Sierjna from Mu-Quillus!"
We're now back in the den with Stark.
Stark: "Sierjna? Sie...Sierjna? Huh? Huh?"
Sierjna is gone. Stark is feeling around in the air for her, but can't find her.
Stark: "Oh no! We must have gone too far. She-she couldn't stay with us."
John comms: "Stark!"
The scene changes back to the bridge.
John: "What in the living hell are you talking about?"
Back in the den...Stark: "We must go back. Must find her."
Talyn turns and heads back into the sun.
The reddish light is increasing again, on the bridge.
Aeryn: "He's turning again."
Crais: "Stark. Are you controlling Talyn?"
Stark: "Yes, yes. I must, I must, I must, I must."
Talyn is getting close to the sun once again.
John: "Yo! Astro! Calm down and tell me what the hell is goin on?"
From midair...
Stark: "It's very...very simple. I am now Talyn's pilot and we are flying back into the sun."
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
On the bridge, the light is very red, hot and bright.
John: "What do you mean you're Talyn's pilot? Talyn doesn't have a pilot!"
Stark: "He does now."
A shot of the hundreds of twisted cords and cables that have attached themselves to Stark.
Stark: "I've bonded with him, formed a neural link, joined with him in the den."
Aeryn is standing very close to John.
Aeryn: "What den?"
Stark comms: "Can't speak now. Searching for Sierjna. Must find Sierjna." During this last line, the scene shifts momentarily to Stark again. He has a very determined look on his face.
Back on the bridge...
Crais: "Stark? Stark! You release control of Talyn at once!"
John, softly, to Aeryn: "Good old Stark. Count on him to jump right in and wig right out."
Aeryn: "How could he have bonded with Talyn?"
Crais: "Talyn must have developed a rudimentary pilot's den."
John: "Crais? I thought you bred out the need for a pilot in Talyn."
Crais: "We tried to. But Leviathan biology is complex. Enough linked genes must have remained for Talyn to grow vestigial pilot facilities."
John: "You mean like an appendix?"
Aeryn: "Wait. Where is this den?"
Crais: "Most likely somewhere below Tier 3. If I can't restore the over-rides, I'll go find it myself."
John takes Aeryn's hand: "Fine. You do that. Get his hands off the wheel. We're gonna do somethin else." John leads Aeryn off the bridge. She is smiling.
Stark is calling softly: "Sierjna!" He sighs when there is no answer.
John and Aeryn are in a corridor.
John: "Which one is guidance?"
Aeryn points to a conduit: "That one."
John pulls his pulse pistol and shoots the connections where Aeryn pointed.
John comms: "Hey Stark! Did you feel that?"
Stark: "No! No, I can't ...I can't manuever."
John: "That's right. You might want to hit the brakes. We just took out your steering."
Stark begins screaming and crying: "Ye ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Crais: "Talyn! You listen to me! I know you can hear me."
Crais is dashing around on the bridge, madly throwing switches on all the consoles.
Crais: "You're taking the wrong option. You will kill us, and you will kill yourself. "
Crais strides off the bridge.
John and Aeryn are still together in the corridor next to the guidance connections that he shot. John reaches out and takes Aeryn's hand. They circle each other, with forearms clasped.
John: "Come on Stark. Talk to me. We can work this out."
Stark is still in midair. He has a truly manical look on his face. He brings his hands up beside his face, in obvious concentration.
In the corridor, a DRD is approaching with its weapon drawn.
John: "Yo, Astro! ..." Aeryn, glancing over John's shoulder, notices the DRD.
"Talk to me." John unbuckles Aern's gunbelt, and it falls to the floor.
Aeryn slides her hand across John's butt and holds it there. The DRD moves closer into position.
John: "We can work it out."
Stark is concentrating so hard, his hands are shaking. He is hissing.
John comms:" Lava boy is not your friend."
John is bending over, running his hand down Aeryn's leg: "I am."
Aeryn smacks John a good one, on the butt. She reaches over, pulls his pulse pistol and shoots the DRD.
Aeryn is standing in front of John. His back is to the wall and her back is to him.
Aeryn: "You okay?"
John: "Yah. Yah... I'm, I'm alright. Thanks for watching my backside."
Aeryn: "Couldn't help myself. Stark, you listen to me now! You try anything like that again, and I will personally take you to the other side."
Stark, still hanging in midair, grinds his teeth in frustration.
Crais, pulse pistol in hand, strides down the corridor and locates the doorway to the pilots' den. He gets as far as the doorway. He runs his hand over the control to open the door. He tries it twice. It beeps, but nothing happens.
Crais: "Talyn. I'm trying to help you." He starts out in a calm voice, but it immediately begins to rise.
Crais, waving his arm around: "All the lower decks are sealed off. I can't get into the den to free you from the Banik slave. "
Inside the den, Stark is smiling: "That's it, Talyn. Bypass the primary guidance system. Yes, that's it. Careful. We don't want them finding out what we're doing."
Crais is now yelling and waving the gun: "Talyn, you listen to me! I am trying to save you! Talyn!"
Crais starts to shoot the door control, over and over again. The control beeps, but the door stays closed.
At a conduit, John comms: "Hey, Stark. Talk to me."
John and Aeryn sitting back-to-back on the floor by the conduit. They're each watching a different direction for killer DRD attacks.
John: "You gettin lonely up there? You like being alone?"
Aeryn: "Don't think he's listening."
John: "No."
Aeryn: "But it's not good to be alone."
John: " No, it's not. Maybe we should go find him."
Aeryn: "And leave these conduits unattended? He'll send another DRD to repair it all."
John: "Yeah, and lead us like a moth to the flame. "
Aeryn: "Let Stark make the first move. You know what he's like. He doesn't have much patience."
John: "Right. We have uh, all the time in the world. No need to rush.."
Aeryn gets a strange look on her face, starts to bite her lip, and that 'ol jazz begins to play.
Aeryn gets up from the floor and puts her hand on John's shoulder. She uses the hand to sort of pivot herself around his body, until she's facing him. She then proceeds to seat herself, very slowly and carefully, on his lap, where she is comfortable, but can still watch out down the corridor for those pesky DRDs. John enjoys his viewpoint as she lowers herself down.
John: "Are you comfortable?"
Aeryn: "Uh hmm." John has one hand on her waist and one hand on her butt.
John: "Aeryn, this is the mist talkin."
Aeryn: "I like what it's saying."
John is running his lips lightly up and down the inside of her arm while Aeryn is gently, slowly moving her hips...
John: "So do I, but we gotta kinda...we gotta focus."
Aeryn whispers: "I'm doing my job. Corridor is all clear."
John: "So it's just you and me."
Aeryn, while nuzzling his face with her nose: "Just you and me."
Talyn is getting ever closer to the sun.
Stark is talking and waving his arms, which also makes him sway on his tether of cords.
Stark: "Slower. Slower. Turn. That's it. Mustn't let you get too close. Just close enough."
Sierjna's voice: "Stark?"
Stark and Sierjna both start to scream in unison: "OhhhhAhhhhhhh!"
Stark: "Sierjna!"
Sierjna begins to materialize in the den's doorway.
Sierjna: "I thought you got away. You were free!"
Stark: "I came back for you!"
Sierjna: "No! No, you're risking everything!"
Stark: "Nothing else matters! I told you I would save you and I will, even if it takes my own life."
Sierjna: "Stark!"
Stark: "I will take you. I will walk you to the other side. Do you trust me?"
Sierjna: "Mu-Quillus will kill you!"
Stark: "Do you trust me?!"
Sierjna: "Yes." She nods.
Stark: "Are you ready?"
Sierjna: "I'm frightened."
Stark: "Don't be frightened, no need." He holds out both hands to her.
Stark: "Come closer."
Sierjna climbs a little way up onto the console and reaches out a hand to Stark. He takes her hand and she climbs up further, until she can touch his other hand with hers. Stark is staring into her eyes, and she into his.
Sierjna: "I'm ready. Thank you."
Stark: "Nahvah hajma. Nahvah helah. Bekatahnighis." Stark begins to lift his mask.
Sierjna: "I will find you in the next life."
Stark lifts his mask so the light from his face shines on hers. Her face begins to ripple slightly.
It shines full on her, and shines, and shines and....
Stark gets a worried look on his face and finally lowers his mask back into its normal position.
Stark: "You're still here!"
Sierjna: "I have neither moved nor changed.
Stark: "It's not working. Why is it not working?"
If it's possible, the table in front of Rygel is strewn with even more food and crumbs. Crais enters.
Rygel is making small, eating noises.
Crais: "Are you still eating?!"
Rygel: "Ohhh! Stop me Crais. Make me stop." There is a long red string of "something" hanging out of his mouth and he is both trying to pull it out and eat it. "Shoot me. Do something, Please! Here! Here! Tie my hands. Yes!"
Crais: "I need your help."
Rygel: "No, no, no, no, no. Tie my hands now, or I'm gona to explode!"
Rygels stomachs make loud, rumbling noises: "Oh! This is all your fault! This is your gunship. Peacekeepers designed it, and you can't control it.!"
Crais: "I can control you now!" Crais comes around the table and shoves his pistol into Rygel's middle.
Rygel gasps: "You press that into me and I'm gonna to vomit all over yah." Crais backs up a bit.
Crais: "Stark is a mutineer."
Rygel: "He's also out of his frelling mind. Came in here and had a conversation with that wall."
Crais: "Must be the mist making him see things. Rygel. Stark has taken control of Talyn. He must be flushed out so I can take back command."
Rygel: "Well, go ahead." He turns his back on Crais who comes back around the table to face him again.
Crais: "I need your help, slug!" Crais pushes the crumbs away from Rygel with his gun.
Rygel: "Please let me eat that little piece! Please!"
Crais: "Now you listen to me! Talyn has sealed all the entrances to his den, but maybe you, being so small, can slip through a ventilation duct."
Rygel throws his head back and laughs: "Look at me! Look at my stomachs." (he pats himself) "I'm not slipping through any ducts."
Crais: "I am your captain!"
Rygel: "You're not my captain!"
Crais: "This is a direct order!"
Rygel: "Dream on!"
Crais: "If you don't obey my orders..."
Rygel: "Yes! This mist isn't affecting you huh?"
Crais: "If you do not obey my orders right now and go into the pilot's den and flush out the Banik, I will shoot you as a mutineer!"
Rygel draws back, gasping. Then he bows: "As you wish."
He starts to leave, then comes back: "Crais. Come here."
Crais: "Why?"
Rygel: "Closer. It's a secret."
Crais bends towards Rygel, with his gun pointed at Rygel's face: "If you try anything..."
Rygel half chuckles: "Closer." As Crais bends his ear to Rygel, Rygel bites down on it hard enough to make Crais scream. We can hear carilidge crunching.
Rygel laughs manicially as he flies out of the room. Crais is holding his ear and firing wildly into the food.
Crais: "Rygel!!"
Stark: "I don't understand it. You, you...it should have worked!"
There is a familiar, loud rumbling sound.
Stark gasps and begins to float higher and back behind the console.
Out of a wall of flame, Mu-Quillus appears.
Mu-Quillus, pointing at Stark: "Let her go."
Stark: "If we try again..."
Mu-Quillus: "Nothing will happen. Why do you think she never crossed over in the first place? What do you think is keeping her between the realms? Me. My power. You had your chance to escape. You might have saved your ship, your crew, your own life, but you returned!"
Sierjna: "You have me back, Mu-Quillus. You can let them go!"
Mu-Quillus: "No. It is not for me to make that decision. My task is set. The ship will continue to the sun. Sierjna...come with me." Mu-Quillus gestures with his hands and Sierjna begins to move towards him.
Stark: "No! No!"
Mu-Quillus: "Sierjna..." He keeps gesturing.
Stark: "Don't do it!"
Mu-Quillus: "Oh, you must." Sierjna has her face turned towards Mu-Quillus and when she comes within reach of his hands, he folds he to himself.
Stark: "Wait! Sierjna! Don't go!"
They leave through a wall of fire. Sierjna almost seems to melt into a mist with him.
Stark hears the rumbling sound and he sways from the jolt. He begins to gesture to Talyn again.
Stark: "Ohh! No! No, no, Talyn please! Fight it! Fight it! Turn away! Turn away!"
Talyn is flying directly into the sun.
Stark: "Please Talyn! No! Talyn, please! Turn away!"
Crais is walking down a mist shrouded corridor: "Stark!" Crais screams.
Stark comms: "Everyone... I'm sorry. Talyn is once more being drawn into the sun."
Rygel is eating "rice krispie" treats again. He gulps, listening to Stark.
Crais is in the corridor, leaning against a support. He has his pistol up by his head, and looks as if he might cry.
Stark's voice: "The lure is stronger than ever, and Talyn can't fight it..."
Stark: "and I can't stop him, so..."
John and Aeryn are on their knees facing one another, kissing. John's vest is gone.
Stark's voice: "I suggest you prepare yourselves for peace..."
John and Aeryn stop kissing to listen.
Stark: "because I have failed you and we're all going to die."
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
John and Aeryn are lying on the floor of the corridor, kissing, covered in mist. Aeryn is on top and she now has also shed her vest, so they are both in black T's, just of sorts.
Aeryn: "All we can do now is wait."
John: "I'm not letting you go."
Aeryn: "I'm never letting you go."
As they kiss, Aeryn glances over to the side, away from John. Her eyes open up wide.
Aeryn: "Wait a microt."
John: "What?"
Aeryn: "This is wrong." She gets up off John, groaning, as does he.
John: "God, the mist! The damn mist is messing with our heads!"
Aeryn picks up her vest and puts it on:"That's why we're giving up."
John, putting on his vest: "I'm not giving up!"
Aeryn, belting on her gun: "I never give up."
John: "Okay. I'm gonna go to the bridge..." he stumbles into Aeryn. "I'm gonna tear it apart, I'm gonna find something."
Aeryn "Okay, the same with Crais and Stark." She stops in front of John and smiles up at him.
John: "You tear 'em apart, baby." John's mouth is reaching towards hers.
Aeryn's mouth is reaching back: "Alright. Listen. I don't want to lose you either. Could we definately get back to that later?"
John: "Oh God! I love you!"
Aeryn: "I love you too!"
They kiss, then break and tear off down the corridor in opposite directions, John carrying his gunbelt.
Aeryn runs into the den doorway. She can hear Crais grunting.
Aeryn: "Crais! What are you ...?"
Crais: "I can't get in! Talyn will not comply with my orders!" Crais is yelling and waving his arms around.
Crais: "And the Drexim has obviously driven him insane!" Crais is pounding against the den door with his hand and pistol.
Aeryn: "Blast your way in."
Crais: "Yes!" He holds his hand out to Aeryn: "Give me your gun!"
Aeryn: "Perhaps.. not."
Crais screams: "Do not question my decisions! I am your captain! And I order you!" Crais brings his pistol around and aims it at Aeryn. Aeryn does a move with her head and neck that 'says' "So?"
Crais: "I am your captain!"
Aeryn laughs and shakes her head. She runs off.
Crais: "I order you!" He is screaming at nothing but his own frustration. He hits the door with the gun again.
John runs onto the bridge and immediately starts throwing switches.
John: "All right phantom. New tune for the opera. "
Stark's voice: "Sierjna's gone. I've failed her...failed Talyn...failed Aeryn.... failed you Crichton."
John: "Yes! And you have failed gloriously, Stark. And I want you to fail again. I want you to give me control of the consoles. I want you to give me some contol."
Stark is floating disconsolately above the den.
Stark: "She came to me for help. Not many do, but, I could have done more. "
John: "Stark! I am coming to you for help."
Stark is listening to John and chewing on his fingernail.
John: "You are going to give me control..."
John is yelling at the console: "or I am gonna rip off the other side of your damn face!"
Stark: "There's nothing you can do, Crichton. We're gonna be lured into that sun and we're all gonna die inside there."
John is "dancing" around the bridge: "That's because the bastard is luring us in, Stark. Okay? He's got bait. And we can cut bait. We've got a mother of a cannon. So I want you to give me back control. I was zeroing in on the damn power source when you turned out the lights!"
Stark is still undecidedly chewing his nails: "You remember when we met?"
John, standing on the bridge, can't believe it: "You want to take a trip down memory lane? Stark...My side, your side, my side, your side...my side, your side!" John gestures and jumps from side-to-side through all this.
Stark is thinking distractedly: "I tried to help you then, but I failed. Scorpius put a chip in your brain. I failed."
John: "Stark! Blow the damn Aurora chair. Let's talk about the good times, huh?"
Stark looks really surprised! He's listening.
John, in a quiet voice: "You remember Zhaan, Stark?" John makes wavy moves around his head with his hands, a truly manic Zhaan impression: "Let's talk about Zhaan."
Stark:"I tried to help her, but I couldn't.."
John: "She would piss on your grave right now. You wanta know why?" The sun, outside the window, casts flames on his face.
Stark: "My soulmate."
John: "Because Aeryn is my Zhaan. She's my Zhaan in every way, I love her, and I would die for her and you know what? Stark? "
Stark looks very worried.
John: "You're killing her."
Stark:" What? Me?
John: "You're killing her. You freakazoid, psycho bastard!"
John stands outlined by flames: "You are killing my Zhaan!"
Stark has tears running down his face. He nods his head and murmers: "Yah." He concentrates and....
On the bridge, the lights start coming on until the controls are all lit up. John stands at a console in front of the window so he is totally outlined by the sun's flames. Aeryn strides in.
Aeryn: "Hi!" She jumps up into John's arms (her legs are around his waist).
John: "Hi."
They look at each other for a few seconds.
John: "I got some control back. Let me show yah."
Aeryn: "I love it when you take control."
John carries her over to the console and sits her butt on it.
John: "That' s the Drexim talkin."
Aeryn: "No, it isn't. I can manually prime the cannon."
John: "I'd love to see that."
Aeryn: "Talyn's cannon."
John: "I'm stoked, not stupid. Do it!"
Aeryn jumps down from the console and goes over to the cannon control.
Aeryn: "We've only got one chance with it John. We're too close to the star. We've got one chance."
John: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, check this out.!"
Aeryn comes over to John who shows her a holo-image with a targeting grid on it.
John: "A throbbing pulse of energy coming straight into your livingroom. I got it."
Aeryn breaks away from John to get back to the weapons control: "Stark, are you still there?"
Stark is hanging in the den, looking distant.
Stark: "You're just like Zhaan in so many ways."
Aeryn: "If you say so. I am going to manually prime the main cannon. Crichton has located a target. Please prepare Talyn to fire."
Stark looks a bit distressed: "Would Zhaan approve of this use of violence?"
Aeryn's eyes are a little wild: "She's speaking through me now. It is her wish." She looks over at John and "shrugs" her eyebrows.
Stark smiles and concentrates on preparing Talyn to fire. Suddenly, Sierjna appears.
Sierjna: "No! you're risking everything!"
Stark: "You're back!"
Sierjna: " You're too close. Don't do this for me!"
Stark: "I'm not. MuQuillus has Talyn mezmerized.."
Mu-Quillus enters the bridge. He hisses: "Stop what you're doing!"
John: "Is there some kind of stupid alien quotation book you guys use?"
Mu-Quillus: "A deal between us can be brokered."
John: "Lava boy, you are losing."
Mu-Quillus: "A compromise assures your survival."
John: "Again with the quote book. Hey, quote me on this...we're gonna blow up your fuse box!"
MuQuillus: "I'll release my hold on your vessel."
Aeryn comes towards him: "And in return?"
Mu-Quillus: "Go away!"
John, looks at Aeryn and smiles: "Wow! He's gonna give us our freedom in exchange for his!"
Mu-Quillus: "Leave us to our own."
Aeryn: "What about other Leviathan's you'll encounter?"
Mu-Quillus: "Why should that concern you?"
Aeryn gives a little laugh: "That was the wrong answer." She turns away and goes back to her station.
John: "Sorry."
Aeryn: "Stark?"
Stark: "Talyn, it is time!"
Mu-Quillus: "Power down your weapons. I can offer you better terms."
John: "Damn smokey! You can't argue with a woman!"
The cannon shoots. The pulse is visible, heading into the sn.
Mu-Quillus watches the pulse head for his power source. He shakes his head. The pulse hits and sets off what appears to be a nuclear reaction on the sun. Mu-Quillus starts to groan as if in pain. John and Aeryn turn to look at him. He has turned from red/orange to blue/white.
Mu-Quillus:"Ohh!........Sierjna!" He begins to crumble and break apart until he shatters into thousands of pieces.
Sierjna looses her balance and falls forward as she is released from Mu-Quillus. Stark takes hold of his mask and reaches out towards her with his other hand. She reaches out to touch his hand.
Stark, whispers: "Now... Navah hajma navah heenan Bekatahdenrayas."
Stark lifts his mask up so that the light from his face shines fully on Sierjna. She begins to change, deform and finally fades completely away. Stark puts his mask back on and stares after her.
END OF ACT FOUR
EPILOGUE
Talyn is flying in normal space.
Crais: "This apparatus was not designed for any species but a Pilots'. What you did was beyond foolish, Stark. Hold still."
Crais is cutting Stark loose from the thousands of cords that Talyn has used to bind the two of them together.
Stark: "Ahh! You cut me."
Crais: "You moved."
Stark is staring hard at Crais, who cuts another cord.
Stark: "Ye..ah! Gaa!"
Crais: "Talyn is now off-limits to you. All functions, all programs, all controls."
Stark: "I know!"
Crais: "You know nothing."
Stark, whispers: "I know how he feels. What he thinks....about everything. About you."
Crais chuckles: "Talyn was not of his right mind. Anything you think you experienced..." Crais holds the knife up to Starks face..."must take that into consideration."
Stark, still whispering: "I know." Crais brings the knife up ..."Even if you slit my throat, I will still know."
Crais moves the knife and goes back to cutting cords.
Rygel is on the bridge with Aeryn. She is checking on various controls and read-outs. Rygel is holding his head, in obvious distress.
Aeryn: "Most of Talyn's internal systems are back on line and his Drexim levels have returned to normal"
Rygel: "I wish my levels were returning to normal."
Aeryn: "Next commerce planet, you are restocking the galley. You ate everything."
Rygel: "I never, ever want to even look at food again."
Rygel groans: "Must go to chamber. Need sleep." He flies out of the bridge.
As he leaves, he passes John on the way in: "Out of my way!"
John: "How's it goin?"
Aeryn: "He's recovering well. It's a remarkable vessel."
John: "Speaking of...remarkable vessels." Aeryn crosses to another console without looking at John.
Aeryn: "How's the secondary control node?"
John: "I got a chain-gang of DRD's workin on it. Everything'll be up and running in a couple of days."
Aeryn: "We were very lucky." Aeryn hurries off towards yet another console. John moves to intercept her and grabs her hand. She stops.
John: "Well, I think that, uh...." Jazz music..."fates would have brought us together anyway. You know, Crais is gonna to be cutting Stark free for about an arn. Rygel's gonna take at least that long, he's got three stomachs. " Aeryn is smiling up at John and playing with his fingers. As they start to kiss, Aeryn pushes John's hand over, to the door control and uses it to close the door....
Jazz music continues.
END OF EPILOGUE
