Title: Deus ex Machina
Genre: Farscape; J/A; romance/action
Rating: PG or PG 13 at most for violence and some suggestive situations; mild swearing.
Disclaimer: Please see Part 1
Author's Notes: See Part 1


Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4



The sacred flame of the temple alcove warmed the air and the scent of flowers seemed to be everywhere. John knelt in front of Zhann, his forehead pressed gently to hers.

"What-what's happening? What-what's happening to me?"

"There is something else, John. Do not absorb any of my rage," Zhann said in warning.

"All right. All right," John said pausing a moment as he focused, "All right."

"We must separate now, John. I don't know how much longer I can protect you," Zhann said, her mind's voice rich with concern for the human.

"No," John insisted. "There's something in me that you need to see," he explained.
"Look at yourself as I see you," John directed. "Gentle; giving; that's you, Zhaan. Tahleen can't take that, and she didn't. You're still that Pa'u. Follow me, Zhaan. See what I see. Build on that peace. Be pure again"

After a moment, John and Zhann separated. Zhann crouched a small distance from John, her eyes red with the madness that she was experiencing. John watched as the Delvian priestess struggled to contain the rage and darkness that threatened to consume her.

"Zhaan! Zhaan! Fight it. Fight all the things that betray you," John urged.

Zhann looked to John, her eyes menacing.

"Zhaan!"

Slowly, Zhann gained control of the rage that had filled her and was driving her mad. And slowly, her eyes faded from the red ones of a stranger, back to the blue eyes of John's friend. Wearily, the Delvian priestess made her way over to John and settled her head in his lap, taking strength from her friend...


John broke free of the memory with a gasp. "Zhann," he whispered.

Quickly, he sought the sight of Aeryn, memories of Zhann's sacrifice bright in his thoughts after the experience of remembering his lost friend. Aeryn was still unconscious and John worried about how long she had been so.

"What did you do to her?" John asked Officer Jadasa.

The Peacekeeper turned cold gray eyes first in Aeryn's direction and then back to John's.

"She fought," the officer answered simply. Then quietly, she added, a hint of respect in her voice, "She fought well."

"She should come to eventually," Officer Jadasa stated, her voice saying that she didn't want to answer any more questions. "Besides, I would worry more about yourself than Officer Sun."

John opened his mouth to say something when another quick flash of memory overtook him...


John and D’Argo sat side by side in Lo’La, the Luxan warrior’s ship. Outside the main viewing portal, Moya floated quietly in space, covered with the strange blue-gray growth of the invading plant.

Suddenly, D’Argo looked up from Lo’La’s weapon sight and addressed John in apparent seriousness.

“John, I’m going to tell you something I’ve never actually put into words before.”

John looked up and over to his friend with an expression of interest.

“I love shooting things.”

D’Argo turned his attention back to the weapon sight as John half grinned, amused…


John struggled, finding his way to consciousness, only to be dragged, without hope of resisting, back into another memory burst…


John entered the trashed living room of the abandoned house that they had been hiding out in. Carefully he made his way around the couch to find a spot and sat down next to Rygel.

The Hynerian sat with a large orange pumpkin nearly half his size. In his hand he had a large carving knife with which he was stabbing the vegetable. Rygel continued to stab at the pumpkin as John filled him in on the progress of the plan.

"Well, I've arranged it with Kim. I'm gonna meet my young self at the canal tomorrow."

John sighed then looked over at Rygel once more. Gently, he put his hand on the Dominar's head, noticing the frantic way that Rygel was still stabbing the pumpkin. The Hynerian's wide eyes also held a strange sort of crazed look.

"What're you doin‘?"

"Cutting. Just cutting. Make them scaaary you said. Scary. Uhh!" Rygel replied, his voice holding an unusual manic tone that contrasted sharply with his normally pompous one.

Gingerly, John picked out a piece of chocolate from the pile of candy and wrappers piled about the Dominar

"Well, somebody's got a sugar high. You been stealin' candy, Mr. Burroughs?"

"Ohh, Crichton! How illegal is this dren? You've got to get me more! I don't care what it costs!" Rygel said, his voice as frantic as any junkie's.

"Buckwheat, breathe. Breathe," John replied, taking the knife gently out of Rygel's hand, a little concerned over the state that the Hynerian was in.

John wished that he had known that sugar would have such an effect on the small Dominar. He noticed that Rygel continued to make stabbing motions with his left hand, even without the knife.

"Get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow," John said, patting Rygel on the head and hoping that the sugar high would wear off soon.

John rose from the couch as Rygel said, "Okay. Okay. Good idea," still shaking in the throes of his sugar overload...


It was easier this time coming back from the memory. He looked around cautiously, trying to determine how many Peacekeeper commandos there were. He knew there were at least five, the three that had caught him in the marketplace, Officer Jadasa, and Captain Neracc.

Suddenly, John heard Aeryn's soft moan as she regained consciousness. He looked in her direction anxiously.

"John?" Aeryn asked softly, her voice sounding groggy and disorientated.

"Right here, Aeryn. I'm right here," he whispered next to her.

"Retrieval squad," she said, her voice still fuzzy as she continued to find her way back to awareness.

"Yeah, yeah, they shanghaied me in the market," John replied quietly, trying to not let any of the commandos hear. "I count at least five."

"There are eight," Aeryn answered, "I eliminated four before they knocked me unconscious."

"Are you ok?" John asked, his voice full of quiet concern.

"I think so, they wanted me alive," Aeryn replied.

"Captain Neracc says that Grayza wants us alive. She wants to deal with us personally."

"Grayza?" Aeryn asked quietly.

"Yeah, and there's a Command Carrier near. Neracc sent someone to let them know that they have us."

"We have to get back to, Moya, John; warn them. We need to starburst out of here immediately," Aeryn said, her voice low and concerned for Moya and her crew.

"You have a plan?" John asked, also keeping his voice low. But before Aeryn could answer, one of the Peacekeeper commandos grabbed her, lifting her to her feet.

"Well, look who's awake," he drawled.

Suddenly, Aeryn brought her knees up, twisting to make contact with the commando's exposed stomach. He groaned and dropped her hard. She landed with an thud next to John. For his part, John tilted to his side and swung his bound legs along the ground, taking the stunned commando's feet out from under him.

Then the other members of the squad were moving, two grabbed Aeryn and another held John down.

"Hold her still," Officer Jadasa said crisply as she moved forward from where she had been preparing the hypodermic in her hand.

"Aeryn," John called, struggling with his captor.

Officer Jadasa quickly held the hypodermic to Aeryn's neck, and almost instantly, the beautiful Sebacean woman slumped in her opponents' arms. Her head dropped forward and her unbound hair cascaded down to cover her face.

"Aeryn," John gasped, concerned.

"Take her to the back of the pod," Officer Jadasa ordered.

The blonde Sebacean looked to where one of the squad continued to restrain John.

"She's fine, for now," she said significantly.

John stilled and Officer Jadasa signaled for the other commando to release him.

Suddenly, John felt the pressure in his skull build. He groaned as another flash of memory took him...


John and Chiana stood facing the Interion holding the pulse rifle when Jool came running up with D'Argo. The red haired girl called out, "Wait! Tarnat, stop!"

D'Argo laughed joyfully and hugged John, practically lifting him from the ground.

"D'Argo! Ah, you're breaking my back," John gasped. "Let go!"

As John embraced his friend, Jool rushed forward to hug Chiana.

"It's you!" Jool said, excited to be reunited with the Nebari and the human.

"Yeah, it's really me, Princess," Chiana replied good naturedly, even if she was somewhat surprised by Jool's reaction.

"Chiana," Jool said, trying to embrace Chiana once more, before the Nebari girl shoved her away.

"Look at you," D'Argo addressed John, pleased as well to have his friends back.

The Interion man, impatient with all of it ground out his question, "Who is this Peacekeeper and why is he with the tralk?"

John and Chiana answered simultaneously, "She's not a tralk."

"He's not a Peacekeeper."

"Forgive Tarnat," Jool said, stepping in front of him. "He's new security here and he's just a little gung ho about protecting the dig."

"You've been warned," Tarnat practically growled. "There are races who would kill for what we've discovered," he said, eyeing the new arrivals significantly.

"Tarnat, these are my friends," Jool replied patiently.

D'Argo ignored the belligerent Interion and asked John, "So, are Aeryn and Rygel with you?

"Rygel, yeah. Aeryn we haven't heard from." John couldn't keep the hopeful tone out of his voice as he asked, "Has she contacted you?"

"No, not yet. But, uh, you know, she will," D'Argo said, trying to give his friend something to cling to.

"Right," John replied, trying to keep his voice level. He reloaded his pistol and started to walk away.

Jool, Chiana and D'Argo followed, Tarnat behind them, his expression closed off and angry.

"Is Moya here? We didn't detect her when we came aboard," Chiana asked quietly.

"No," answered Jool carefully.

As John walked up to one of the walls being excavated he touched it gingerly. Tarnat behind him raised his pulse rifle as if to shoot it.

"Tarnat, just put it back in your pants and calm down," Jool ordered, exasperated.

John looked back to Tarnat once before he moved into the ancient building.

"Aeryn," he thought sadly, an ache lodging itself in his heart as he thought of the woman that he loved and missed.

Seeing his friend's dour face, D'Argo stepped up along side him. "Cheer up, John. I have a lot to tell you about my travels," D'Argo said lightly, trying to distract the human from his dark thoughts.

"Can you believe it, we're here. We're here and we're alive and no one is trying to kill us. Come on!" Jool was vibrant with her joy as she lead her friends further into the building. "We've got so much to show you..."


John barely had enough time to register that the memory flash had passed, when another one took his awareness once more...


John entered the gathering chamber slowly, his eyes watching Chiana where she was poised precariously at the edge of the cliff. Below lay one of the diving stones and Chiana was focused entirely on the stone below, even as she spoke to John.

"Hey, old man."

"Chiana," he began.

"Don't come any closer."

John paused and stood still where he was. "I won't," he assured the strangely distant Nebari.

"The clans voted?" Chiana asked in reference to John trying to help the other young people on the royal cemetery planet.

"Yeah."

"And they're gonna stop jumping?"

John sat wearily, feeling sad, and tired, and a little old. He watched Chiana where she continued to contemplate the pit, still not looking at him. She had become as close as any sister to him, and it hurt to see her in so much silent pain now. He had become used to the vibrancy of the young Nebari's spirit, and it was strange to see her so withdrawn. He wanted to reach out to the girl. He wished that there was something that he could say that would pull her back from the ledge, both literally and figuratively.

"No," he finally answered. "They voted to keep jumping. They want to die. I just can't believe that you want to die."

"I never had any courage. As a kid, Nerri gave me everything. I just...I just followed him," Chiana said quietly, her voice still holding a strange calm borne of despair.

"You've shown me courage plenty of times," John said, willing Chiana to hear the truth in his words.

Finally Chiana looked up, meeting John's eyes. "I've just gotta do this, Crichton."

"And if you die?"

Chiana broke eye contact and began to hum a deep tone that reverberated through the chamber. As the tone gained in strength, Chiana poised at the very edge of the pit, her back to the fatal drop. John watched helplessly, his face a mask of dread and fear.

Suddenly, Chiana dropped over the edge of the pit, her arms held wide. John leapt to the edge to see Chiana falling and falling, endlessly. The humming grew louder until John could feel it in his bones and knew that it was the sound that he would always associate with Chiana falling away from him.

Chiana fell rapidly as the ground rose up the meet her. Jagged cold stone reached for the young Nebari, wanting to break her. Almost, she hit the stone floor, when, at the last instant, the vibrations of the stone held her. Chiana rebounded and landed gracefully on her feet.

Above, John watched in terror and wild relief.

"Chiana! You did it!"

He leaned as far as he could over the cliff edge, needing to see her safe. He was almost giddy with relief at seeing the small gray girl alive and whole. He raised his clenched fist, cheering.

"Woo hoo-hoo-hoo!"

"I did it?" Chiana asked, amazed to be alive.

"Woo!" John continued to cheer from above.

Both John and Chiana began to laugh wildly as John cheered her. Finally, John took a chance to breathe and clasped a hand over his chest near his heart. Shuddering with relief, he exhaled slowly and lowered his head to the cold stone.

"I did it!" Chiana cheered from below, purged of the despair that had been consuming her...

TBC