Chiana and the Question...

Chiana

We have a touch of business with Chiana, Agent 7 smiles a little, sending the thought to our minds, You know. . . .the Champion question thing. . . .

"But of course," Sigin says softly, smiling a little bit.

During the session, all you need do to come out well ahead in the game is to be truthful and nothing but truthful, he says to me, in my mind (causing me to shiver slightly despite myself in delight as his thoughts brush mine). They don't take well to lying, I fear.

"But that's the BEST thing I do!" I protest a touch angrily, flaring up the injustice of such a thing.

Chuckling slightly, Sigin then turns and waving my friends. . . .and associates to calm (amazing he actually MANAGE that with some of them. . . .but then again he does have this. . . ..air of command that even that frog Rygel is effected by when my love. . . .frell. . . .when Sigin puts for the effort). Amazing, but true! Well, they are put off at asking what the Yotz is going on here? At least for the time being, anyway.

Sigin then seems to wait, expecting something to happen to himself, but blinks a little in surprise

The others about me freeze solid, as if flash frozen and I get the utterly strange and eerie feeling that these two newcomers are responsible for that! That. . . .calls for some rather, shall we say, CARFEFUL handling.

"What the yotz is going on?" I ask myself, asking the very question I know that the others would have. "Sigin?"

Despite myself, though I try to keep a brave front, I find myself edging over towards Sigin a little bit in nervousness. Despite these two looking ordinary enough, this Rule and Agent whoever or whatever.

They're giving me a woody. . . . as John would say. Oh, wrong! I mean these two beings before me (despite one looking something like my species with his slate grey skin and the other looking Sebecian enough). . . .they give me the WILLIES. Willies, that's what I meant.

Have to ask John what he meant that one other time when he. . . .

I feel Sigin come up behind me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I. . . .calm. Yes, he. . . .helps. . . .

I shake my head a little bit and crank up the attitude towards this frelling situation, saying to myself that I am not scared (what a frelling lie!), knowing that fear could well be the end of. . . .

"We are not here to harm you," the one short slate gray man called Rule 7 interrupts my train of thought, ""Tis only a formality, after all. If you say yeah or nay, despite what you said earlier about wishing to stay with Sigin forevermore, no prejudice shall befall you."

"After all," the one more Sebacean looking man (dress in leather clothing of a decidedly non-PK cut), "It isn't like one can fake the true love that comes from 'Eye meets Eye."

I tilt my head a little and stare at them, trying to gather my thoughts and figure out just what that one meant. What their angle is here.

How I could. . . ..profit from it.

I. . . .think I know what they're. . . .offering. I seem to be getting the exact meaning, words behind words (as frelling weird as that sounds)! But the thought I have is not only. . . .. No, it can't be! It's. . . .fahrbot. Magra-fahrbot, but. . . ..

They mean what. . . .they say. . . ..

Somehow, I just know they mean what they say. . .

"You are offering me a chance to live as long as a dragon?" I ask, not quiet still able to believe it. "In exchange for what, exactly?"

This one I just GOT to hear! Nobody in this universe. . . .well. . . .almost nobody in this universe does anything without expecting something in return.

. . . ..

Crichton, for one. . . .did. . . .save my life and doesn't seem. . . ..

I'm almost like a sister to him, I feel.

It still. . .confuses me. . . .

"To be a Champion would solve that," Agent 7 smiles slightly, "I believe that Sigin can best explain just what that means."

"Ah, that explains it," he says behind me.

What? They usually "interview" a potential "Champion" (whatever the frell that means, exactly) is done in private? 

"Well?" I ask him, hands on hips.

Love of mine or not, I want answers!

And. . .he tells me calmly and clearly. . . .

And I just have to stare at him, knowing that I must make quiet a sight, staring with those amber eyes I now have!

I shake my head, trying to clear it.

"Say that again?" I finally manage. "Champions live HOW long? Forever?!"

I almost call him. . . .something I would regret. But then I look into his eyes and feel myself fall into them. . . ..deeper and deeper.

He's not lying to me. He cannot hurt me any more than I can him. . .and would never lie to me because. . . .

. . . .because. . . ..

. . . .lies hurt him and thus he thinks that lies will hurt. . . .me?

. . . ..

What kind of. . . ..?

I look again at Sigin and. . .know that this. . . .dragon. . . .is definitely from a different place than what I've become used to in the Uncharted Territories!

Very different. And he's mine. . . .and I'm. . . .his. . . .

W. . .what did he see in me? My soul?

What did. . . .

"One last thing," he whispers after. . . .a kiss that jolts me like I've never. . . .felt before.

Makes all those other times. . . .

. . . .look like a dren fest by comparison. THAT is how. . . .rich and sweet it is. . . .

Makes me almost fearful how it's going to be like to finally GET him. . . .well. . . .you know. . . .

Would have done it already but the guy insists. . . .on being married?!

. . . .

Wait. Why not? Maybe a quick ceremony by Zhaan will do it.

Frell. This is. . .too weird. . . .

. . . ..

Chiana! Concentrate on what the powerful Entities behind you are offering here and snap OUT of it!!

"One last thing," he whispers to me as he hugs me gently, "I know it is. . . .hard to. . . .adjust to it all, but let me suggest one thing when they offer one 'wish' as compensation for becoming a Champion and such. . . ."

He tells me that a few times others in my situation have become Champions through loving a Champion (and accepting the call), that they'd been so nervous that they'd not bothered to ask for a boon from their new "bosses".

Good job, from what I see now. Lots of adventure and. . . .companionship. Friends and. . . .Sigin. . .

Hrmph, back to business! Got sidetracked.

I visibly gather myself and get down to this "interview" and a bit later. . . .

Ah, but let me tell you the results!

Actually I got two wishes, technically. One was a "gimme" as Agent 7 puts it. Seems that they knew that I'd want it because of what Eye meets Eye demands of somebody in my situation.

Sigin actually supplied the image and I'd fallen in love with it instantly.

His dream dragon mate. . . ..

Must say I rather. . . .loved it when I got transformed into that lovely amethyst scaled dragonness I saw him show me from his dreams.

Will have to show you sometime what I look like in that form!

As for my human "seeming" I chose my old gray skinned form. Kind of. . . .have grown up in it. Born to it, you might say. Rather. . . .liked it before and do think I still look GREAT in it.

But "seeming" aside I find that my senses (dragon or human seeming). . . ..it's like being fully awake, now.

Don't ever want to go back!

Sigh.

Well, at least the other wish makes not ever being able to see my brother (frellin' unlikely I'll get the chance to see him again before Sigin's "quest" with John is done) will pay dividends in compensation! Have to leave this universe to "Homebase" out of Terra Prime, never to return, but at least that. . . .damn Establishment got hit up and GOOD!

I HATE the Establishment.

See, it's the reason why I am a fugitive to my own people. The Establishment is the ruling body of my homeworld and keeps in power by making my people happy and obedient through "Cleansing". It's mind control, you see and if John had not saved me before I'd been hauled off back home. . . .I'd be "cleansed" of all independent thought and feelings. A nice and compliant slave, all ready to serve the greater good and all that dren!

Would have joined the resistence if. . .I hadn't instead ran off for freedom and adventure. . . .

But that's now behind me and moot.

See, the thing is that Agent 7 has caused the "cleansing" to no longer be effective on not only my race. . .but anyone!

. . . ..

You know, I believe I will get to like these Celestrial guys. Not bad folks, when you get down to it. That Rule is a bit stuffy, but. . . .there is something likable about him as well. . .

That and I feel. . . ..really GOOD about it. Bigger than myself, almost, really. Oh, but it was for myself and only myself, but when I think of all those others. . . .

Weird. Will have to. . . .think over it and. . . .stuff. . .

Ah, but here's the "kicker" as Crichton would put it. Seems that the other Champions' unofficial "quest" has now been kicked up into the "official" status by Rules and Agents. The Rules and Agents want the wormhole problem fixed. Me? They want that to be my. . . .."validation" quest, sanctifying my official Champion position.

Sounds. . . .fun. . . .somehow, despite the danger.

Yep, adventure aplenty. . . .

Well, after the others unfreeze and the Rules, Agents, and Inquirer explain exactly to the others what is going on (takes a LONG. . . .long. . . ..long. . .loooong. . . .time), the Rules and Agents pop out of existence and let the Champions do their duty.

Of course, that means the Doctor explains about what the problems we're facing with the Tyrells and such. What with how D'Argo just can't (despite learning about his son) run off and rescue him. Betty's information from that "TV" show can be iffy, sometimes. Besides, Jothee won't be at that particular slave block auction for over an cycle and then some before those events would have happened.

Which will change now things have changes, but before D'Argo can blow up Inquirer sharply points out that why wait or why go forward into time? The TARDIS can travel backwards into time. . . .

Inquirer

". . . .and you can snatch him before anything like that might happen," I finish up. "Snatch him before he can be scarred by all that hatred I fear he'll be exposed to before and during his slavery years."

D'Argo, who'd I'd bodily had to block before he'd gone running off to Creator knows where to try some hare brained scheme on rescuing his son who we're not sure WHERE is, coordinate wise even with Betty's knowledge. A doubly stupid idea, after you remember that those events HAVE not happened yet!!

Ah, but it's understandable and forgivable. Big guy wants his son back!

Still and all, he's not the easiest of people to block. Hate to have to try that trick again if I'd been ordinary flesh and blood!

As it is, he's fist must have hurt after he'd slugged me, trying to get me out of the way. After all, hitting me IS rather like hitting a wall, folks.

Keeps shaking it slightly. . . .

Anyway, he now seems to be just. . .looking at me. . . ..

"You can do that?" he finally asks, looking not at me but at the Doctor.

"Can and will," he says simply. "Since we don't know for sure that it hasn't happened already. . . ."

Once a Timelord knows for certain a certain event will take place in his own future, it becomes damn hard to avoid (if not impossible). Right now we have. . . .wiggle room.

"By the Goddess. . . .he can do that," Zhaan whispers to herself, reverently.

She believes the Doctor about time travel, having taken a hop inside the TARDIS.

A tour inside the very large inside (but small outside) TARDIS convinces D'Argo as well. How nice.

That's a bit later, though

Me? Already know all about that stuff. Been doing it for a bit over thirteen years, folks.

"Besides," I add, "Makes perfect sense, strategy wise. One less potential hostage acting like a dagger at Crichton's throat."

So we make plans on going off here soon to nab Jothee back in his childhood (just after he got handed off to others to take care of whilst the D'Argo of that time got in trouble for the crime of murdering his wife. A crime he didn't commit, by the way).

I later learn just how desperate some of these people are to get home from Betty. Point in fact, so are they desperate at one time they even cut off a limb from Pilot's body to pay for information home. Well, despite Pilot being able to regenerate such limbs. . . .shit.

Would say, somehow, that it almost seems like cosmic justice of a sort that the dealer double dealed them. Almost. . . ..karma. . .

Nice company Crichton keeps.

Well, desperation can be. . . ..so cruel. Remember some things we Military folks did in more than a few desperate hours during the Enemy/Alliance war. Can't look down my nose (too much) at that. They all worked it out after it all and such, so I'm not going to rake them over the coals for that. . . .especially when the other "desperadoes" (except for a "small" exception) let loyalty to John keep them around for awhile longer.

No danger of daggers at the throat, except for Rygel.

More on that later. . . .

Anyway, finish off by telling the folks about what we'll be facing down in the Torg reality. Crichton seems to look like he's thinking he's losing his marbles a few times, but adapts.

Has to be able to do that to have kept sane out here for so long, away from Earth, I figure.

We round it up by suggesting that we leave a "care package" for Crais, the military PK commander who'd been hounding John and the others for so long throughout the Uncharted Territories.

The package? Ah, nothing but the best for our boy, Crais! Just a little something for his chain of command (as well as his boss back at HQ) showing his deriliction of duty. Ignoring orders. Killing his own second in command to continue his vendetta against John despite orders to return to HQ. Stuff like that.

Where do we get it? The evidence? Why, the copies of Betty and Ragan's DVD collection, of course! Run the images through some of the more high tech gear I have and we have something even the experts would have trouble telling the difference. . . .at least in this reality, I'm sure.

This gets Crais off our back (and his super sized star destroyer kind of ship out of possible use by the Tyrells). See, the ship is large and powerful, but with a transporter (and no scrupples), you beam all the resistence off and into space. . . .and bingo. . . .the ship is yours. Too big of asset to let the Tyrells get a hand on, let me tell you!

Do that because the Tyrells do have "TV knowledge" and such. If they'd faked a message to the Command Carrier and brought Crais running for John. . . ..

Well, have fun watching from the shadows as Craise runs for his life. Oh, he manages an escape (daring. . .give him that), but. . . .not much of a threat now as he was before, eh?

D'Argo would have like to beat on him a bit before he left, but settled on this revenge instead. Especially after he now is within arms reach of getting his son back, eh?

Can be magnanimous, D'Argo, when the time calls for it.

Well, "framing" Crais for a crime he actually committed beats the alternative I could have thrown. I do have the SCV (dissected but still viable once put together). SCV, by the way, is the "Scott Chen Virus". Most lethal and powerful computer virus the Military has ever come across. Will destroy any computer system. Cybernetic entities like myself would use it. . . .and run out of the computer network before it caught them! Only way to stop it from spreading is to severe the grid the infection was at. . .and let the grid burn to the ground.

Would have been a long walk home for the PK if I'd done that. Without the computer system, a spaceship is useless. Only in the Robot universe would you find a spaceship without a computer equipped helm and such.

. . . ..

Computers. Don't leave home without it!

. . . ..

Well, the little froggy muppet named Rygel makes such a whining pain in our ears we let him off first at his homeworld.

Damn, love it when I'm right. Guy comes screaming back for us to help him, Tyrells in hot pursuit (dressed as PKs, but us Golems can smell them a mile away).

Least that cured our little guy of wanting to go home early, eh? At least until this business is done. . .he knows now he's not safe!

Wonder how they came upon him so quickly. Isn't like one of us is broadcasting some kind of signal that can be traced, eh?

Well, will look into that later, maybe.

Next stop, a few "cycles" ago on a planet far. . . ..far. . . .

. . . ..

Well, D'Argo's home we are now on, via TARDIS (Moya, Junior, and Pilot being the exception for obvious reasons).

Speaking of D'Argo, at least the Doctor talked him out of trying to rescue his wife before she was murdered. The Timelord's tales on the dangers of such actions are very much akin to a high tech tale of the "Monkey's Paw". Oh, D'Argo might have gotten what he wished for if he'd tried to save his wife. . . .but gotten something worse in the bargain than what he'd be able to take.

Don't make me tell you the tales the Doctor tells. Can turn your hair white!

Night now. . . . Yeah, now we've just got to go and grab the kid without a trace. That, of course, falls to ME and the elves, natch. . . .and D'Argo (who can be quiet and stealthy, surprisingly enough, when he feels like it).

1. Yeah, now we've just got to go and grab the kid without a trace. That, of course, falls to ME and the elves, natch....and D'Argo (who can be quiet and stealthy, surprisingly enough, when he feels like it).

Go Back