"There's no rush." "Browse all you like." "Do you like that?" "I don't care much for room decorations." "I uh" " I prefer to decorate my self." "Oh, like this for instance." "Synthetic Camon stone." "Worthless." "Synthetic?" "If you like it, what difference does it make?" "If it's not worth anything, I don't like it." "Oh!" "So young, and yet so mercenary!" "That portrait is one of me own works." "Resembles you, don't you think?" "Not really." "Ah!" "Look at this." "Mm." "Hynerian royal tiara from the Neltoth era." "Authentic Neltoth?" "Nonsense." "It's a cheap copy." "And I should know," "I gave them to all my wives!" "If you don't want it, but it back Rygel and we can all get out of here." "What's your rush?" "Is there anything remotely exciting happening back on Moya?" "Minding you two on a shopping expedition is even less exciting." "Nobody asked you to come!" "You should have that tiara." "As a keepsake of your home world." "A fake keepsake?" "I'll give you a single food cube for it." "Oh!" "And that's generous!" "Done." "We're low on food cubes and you gave one away for that?" "It's a good enough copy to fool the next trader we run across." "Fine!" "Can we go?" "Yes." "Now that I'm finished." "Wonderful!" "Chiana, are you done?" "Guess so." "Don't go empty handed." "want to give you this." "Now, that's a better image, don't you think?" "You just work on that?" "I didn't see you do it." "Hey." "Th -- that's my favorite necklace!" "I lost that half a cycle ago!" "Now you can enjoy that once more." "What, you're... you're just giving it to me?" "Well, you haven't been given uch in your life, have you?" "Hm?" "Take it" "Perhaps it will help you." "Get a better understanding of the true value of art." "Which is what?" "Well, in this case, it's a window in time." "This defense screen is pretty much fried," "I'm not even sure if it's worth fixing." "There's no harm in trying." "You were saying?" "Just watch what you're doing." "Pilot" "I thought the juice was supposed to be turned off, down here." "It is, but Moya has been experiencing number of minor power anomalies." "I'm trying to isolate them" "Then keep trying, and get us some more DRD's!" "I have no more to spare." "What about the ones working on Aeryn's Prowler?" "Aren't they just doing routine maintenance?" "Scheduled maintenance, which is overdue." "She would not be pleased to post- pone it further." "Give us four of'em." "Aeryn doesn't have to know." "She's just returned" "Is that mine?" "I've been looking for that forever." "Where'd you find it?" "And how did she know you'd - you'd find it?" "My name is John Crichton... an astronaut... radiation wave hit me..." "I got shot through a wormhole... lost in some distant part of the universe... on a ship a living ship full of strange alien life- forms... help..." "Listen please..." "Is anybody out there who can hear me?" "I'm Being hunted by an insane military commander..." "Doing everything I can..." "I'm just looking for a way home." "Well first, it didn't even look like me at all." "Then it showed me with a necklace, nd then it showed me with a broken leg." "Okay?" "You know what I think?" "I" " I think it can predict the future!" "My Aunt Ruth can do that, xcept she uses tea leaves." "Oh, okay." "Then how do you explain this?" "And this?" "Have you eaten, drunk, smoked, sniffed anything weird lately?" "No." "Have you?" "Not lately." "Look, ask Aeryn and Rygel." "They - they saw it when it showed me the necklace." "They saw it change, too?" "No, but that doesn't mean..." "Could Aeryn and Rygel have switched it for another, r tampered with it, somehow?" "So you think maybe one of'em's messin' with Chi?" "I'm only exploring possibilities." "Nah, Aeryn's not exactly the joking type and Rygel, I can" " I can see him pullin' her leg, ut not exactly breaking it." "You said you tripped over a DRD that found your necklace?" "Yeah" "Pilot, is there anything weird goin' on with the DRD's?" "No" "All DRDs are functioning normally and performing as I ordered." "Pilot, did you assign a DRD to look for Chiana's lost necklace?" "Yes." "Some time ago, at her request." "Well, there we have it." "Coincidence, bad luck, aybe a bit of power of suggestion thrown in" "Yeah, yeah, yeah... xcept it did change." "Well, I don't know what to tell ya." "I'd like to run some tests on that portrait, if you don't mind." "Yeah, I do mind!" "What if you screw it up somehow?" "I'm not going to harm it!" "I'm not!" "Sorry, it's stayin' here." "What if" " I mean, wanna see" " I wanna see what it's gonna show me next." "Zhaan how about if you take, take a tiny little chip off someplace where it doesn't show?" "That work for you?" "Better than nothing." "But it's mine!" "I" " I don't see why I should let her..." "Pip!" "She just fixed your damn leg." "A very." "Little." "Piece." "Definitely it!" "never forget an aroma." "What?" "Genuine!" "Not possible!" "No..." "I'm surprised you're using my possessions ithout my consent, Rygel." "Especially after what I did to you the last time." "Let go!" "I'll replace what I've used!" "I'll buy you an entire vat of Elboth Oil." "This tiara, is authentic!" "I thought you said it was a copy." "Well, it's not!" "And that fool Kyvan sold it for a single food cube!" "Ha!" "Silly old woman had no idea what she had!" "Pilot, reverse course!" "Find that trader woman's ship." "Ignore him, Pilot." "Moya has better things to do han to search for Kyvan's vessel." "Agreed" "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?" "We are not returning..." "o that ship, Rygel." "Now, get out!" "I'll take this up with the others." "Please do." "Isn't it something?" "Wonder what it'll show me next." "Suppose it's not just predicting events, ut actually causing them." "It brought me back my necklace, and then it turned around and broke my leg." "Why would it do that?" "I don't know." "Then why not just believe it's what the old woman says it is?" "A window into time." "Assuming all of that is true, o you really want to know what the future holds?" "Well, of course I do." "Come on, D'argo. on't you wanna know if you're ever gonna find your son?" "No" "If it's bad news, then uh, don't want to lose all hope." "Or it might keep you from- from spending your whole life earching for something that's never gonna happen." "If I don't try, it will definitely never happen." "Now..." "I want you to get rid of that." "I think you're just being superstitious Luxan" "I am being a concerned Luxan." "Oh." "Aren't you sweet." "Do you really care about what happens to me?" "Shouldn't I?" "Of course you should" "I'm glad you do." "I wonder if the portrait ill show both of us, next?" "Give us a glimpse of our future." "I'm not sure I wanna know about that, either." "Why?" "Cause of what it might not show?" "Or what it might?" "Listen to me." "I do care about you." "That's why I want you to start being sensible nd get rid of that." "Oh, okay, so I'm not being sensible now?" "Well, I'm so sorry to disappoint you, but I'm keeping it." "I need to rest now." "Alone." "Even if the object did change, t's still just a trick." "I've seen con- artists on many planets ull off bigger frauds than that" "Yeah, well, she got it for free, o it's not much of a score, if it's a con." "Chiana insulted Kyvan's artwork. aybe Kyvan wanted revenge or something." "So, what, you think that she rigged the painting o that Chiana would be spooked into breaking her leg?" "hat's a bit of a stretch." "What's your theory?" "hat it can predict the future?" "No, I don't have a theory, just a hypothesis." "We should have steered clear of Kyvan's ship" "And as usual, we have Rygel nd Chiana to thank for that." "There isn't a single flying junk dealer in the Uncharted Territories, hat they'd pass up." "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." "That way we get no alien critters, no shape- shifting bugs, no mind altering viruses, no freaky- deaky artifacts." "If I had my way, I'd throw Rygel off the ship." "Chiana too, maybe." "Huh?" "Well, Rygel I can sort of understand, but Chiana?" "She gets us into nearly as much trouble as Rygel does." "Yeah." "Butshe means well." "Sometimes." "That's not the point!" "Then what is the point?" "You know, even Rygel has his moments once in awhile." "Once in a great while. n balance, we'd probably be better off without him." "Oh yeah?" "Well, what about Zhaan?" "You wanna throw her off the ship?" "Possibly" "D'argo?" "Me?" "Pilot." "Let's get rid of Pilot." "That'd be good. hen you could have the whole ship to yourself." "Mm." "Is that an offer?" "Well, let's start with this room, see how it goes." "Zhaan" "Whoa!" "Hey." "Sorry, I didn't..mean to startle you" "Is everything okay?" "No, it isn't." "No" "Well, you wanna tell me?" "How can I tell you what I don't know?" "Every test I try finds nothing unusual n - in the material of Chiana's portrait." "So, if that junk dealers fakin' us out with a magic trick, you can't figure out how?" "Look, don't worry about it, okay?" "You know, painting probably never changed." "Chiana was hallucinating." "It's all in her mind." "No, John" "B- believe me." "This is not in Chiana's mind." "She's in danger." "From what?" "Zhaan" "Tell me." "I can't tell you yet." "All I have are suspicions." "But if I'm right" "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?" "Okay, Zhaan." "Whatever you're doing, taking a flier, laying a hunch, I'm in." "Can't speak for the others, ut when the time comes for you to make your move," "I'll back you up" "Thank you, John." "I want you to bring me Chiana's portrait." "Yeah, it'll look nice in here." "I don't want to look at it." "I want to destroy it." "One portrait, comin' up" "Crichton," "I've decided we must take that painting away from Chiana." "It's no good for her." "Zhaan's way ahead of you, there." "hatever it is, it's got her good and freaked" "What happend?" "It changed!" "When did it change?" "Just now!" "I" " I looked away for no more than a microt." "Where are you goin'?" "I'm getting out of here, et go!" "Help me." "Please take me somewhere safe." "I will, I will. ou deal with that!" "Yeah, no problem. ut Zhaan wants to do the honors." "What is going on?" "heard screaming." "I'm gonna die here, he portrait told me." "Told you what?" "It changed again. his time it shows her on fire." "This is a load of dren!" "It's real!" "'m burnin' up!" "Chiana, you're fine, ou don't even feel hot!" "I'm burnin up!" "Zhaan, it happened again!" "Chiana said it happened in the blink of an eye." "Where is she?" "She's in the cargo bay with D'argo and Aeryn." "Go, I'll see what I can do here." "Right" "Put me in there!" "I'm going!" "What, i- in the freezer, Chiana?" "Chiana," "Listen to me, it's all in your head!" "Leave her alone!" "Are you completely out of your mind?" "f she doesn't freeze to death in there, she will suffocate!" "Pilot, how long can Chiana last in there?" "Indefinitely" "If I raise the temperature and maintain air flow." "Do it!" "Don't tell me you're going along with this nonsense, too?" "I don't see any danger in playing it safe!" "If you cater to her fears, ou'll make them worse!" "John" "What the hell?" "Pilot, what's goin' on in there?" "I don't know." "Nothing should be combustible." "Pilot, this door is jammed." "Open it!" "The door controls aren't responding!" "Stand back.!" "Stand back.!" "Chiana!" "The door lock's responding now" "Ithink I can open it." "Crichton is Chiana?" "She's gone, Pilot." "It's true then?" "Chiana's dead." "It's true, Rygel." "She died, that way?" "Yes" "Then why couldn't you save her?" "You had warning!" "You could have done something!" "At least we tried!" "Which is more than I can say for you!" "Where were you when she died?" "Sleeping?" "Eating?" "If anyone had seen fit to inform me, would have..." "Get out!" "I should have gone down to the ship with them." "I should have stopped her from bringing it back." "No, I should have taken it away from her earlier" "There are a number of things we all should have done." "And we can do one of them now." "Zhaan, how do we dispose of this piece of junk?" "Fire would be a fitting end!" "There was no reason for it." "There has to be." "Wh- what about a defective power doubler in the freezer?" "All it's components check out fine." "Al- alright, well you said that Moya had some uh, energy surges and other anomalies that you couldn't isolate maybe this is related to it." "There was nothing wrong with the freezer." "Why couldn't you get the door open in time, then?" "Chiana must have jammed it when she closed it." "Alright could she have damaged the conduit when she pulled it shut?" "I've told you, no malfunction of Moya's, caused that fire" "Nor was it an error of control on my part." "Alright, I'm" " I'm not blaming you Pilot, ut something had to cause it!" "Knock it off." "It's not your fault." "Who said it was?" "Well, you're grillin' Pilot looking for a reason, you're not the reason." "I know I'm not, why would I be?" "You wanted her off the ship." "I never said I wanted her dead, Crichton." "Fine" "No" "Are you always gonna do this?" "Do what?" "Keep the entire world at a distance!" "eep everybody away!" "Is that ever gonna change?" "Crichton." "Yes, D'argo." "Come to the center chamber, e have a problem." "Pilot?" "No idea." "What's the problem?" "This is" "Another one?" "It can't be the same one, e burned it up!" "Kahaylin help us!" "Looks like you, D'argo" "Yes it does." "It appears unfinished." "Still in flux." "I vote we don't wait around for it to develop." "I agree!" "It repaired itself once, t may do so again." "Then it shall do so in space." "Pilot, where's the nearest access shaft?" "I want to get this thing as far away from Moya as I can." "Tier three." "Hammond side." "Zhaan, you cool with that?" "Yes, get rid of it." "I'm going to go and ind the trader and get some answers" "Pilot, is my Prowler ready?" "No, it's still undergoing maintenance." "Take my module." "Bucket of dren." "Go for it, Pilot!" "Expelling now." "I am tracking the fragments." "We are moving away from them at hetch six velocity." "Works for me." "I don't know art, but I know what I don't like." "Are you certain it's gone?" "Far behind us, and off the radar." "Once Aeryn returns, e should do a Starburst or two, to make sure." "Yup, the more distance between us and that thing, the better." "What's the matter?" "I thought I heard something" "Zhaan?" "Oh, oh!" "Ah!" "Don't shoot, it's me!" "Reason enough to pull the trigger. hat are you doing here?" "Don't you think that I have a score to settle with this Kyvan?" "ust as you do?" "Score to settle, or a profit to make?" "Can't I accomplish both at once?" "Chiana was given a dangerous product" "Kyvan therefore owes us restitution." "Chiana's dead and all you're concerned bout is getting compensation." "Punitive damages." "She was quite a lot like me, you know." "Ella se parecía bastante a mí, lo sabes" "She had spirit, ambition, hah, large appetites!" "She would have made an excellent Hynerian." "I'mactually going to miss her." "One way or another, yvan will make restitution." "D'argo?" "By the Goddess, no!" "What do we have to do to ditch this thing?" "rop it in a black hole?" "John," "We've lost" "If this is my fate, will accept it." "No, we're not accepting anything!" "e fight this." "We can't keep fighting!" "Zhaan" "It's stronger than all of us!" "¡Zhaan!" "Alright kids, time to think." "First off, what the hell is that supposed to be?" "It signifies a Qualta blade." "Zhaan, take this and lock it away in the farthest tier you can find." "Next, we get you into a big open space." "As far away from any pointy objects as possible" "John," "You've been a good friend." "Whatever happens, t's been a pleasure to know you" "D'Argo" "Shut up!" "Have you never heard of a self- fulfilling prophecy?" "No!" "Anybody?" "Please?" "Chiana?" "D'argo?" "D'argo!" "You're alive." "I am?" "Where are we?" "I think..." "I think we're in the portrait." "It punched... right through him, and then he disappeared" "No blood, no guts, no nothin'." "Where'd he go?" "We gotta get him back!" "e - look, he could not just vanish, Zhaan!" "John" "He may not even be dead!" "ither way, we gotta know!" "What?" "Great." "I'm next." "Batter up" "This is great, Zhaan." "This thing is picking us off like flies, nd nobody even knows what it is." "Zhaan, I'm ready." "Just gimme your plan." "Please?" "Come on." "Zhaan." "This magical mystery crap is your specialty, ot mine, you just tell me what to do, nd I'll do it!" "There is nothing I can tell you." "Ah, welcome back!" "Now what can I interest you in, this time?" "Only interested in one thing, nd that's the thing you gave Chiana." "Oh, well I hope she's enjoying' that portrait... ." "Don't frell around with me, ou know exactly what happened, don't you?" "It's a very bad idea to annoy her, when she's in this sort of mood" "See what I mean?" "If I were you, I'd tell her everything." "But, I" " I don't know anything!" "Well, that's unfortunate for you, isn't it?" "Because if you had something to tell me, 'd have a reason not to shoot you, but since you're not telling me anything... ." "I" " I had no choice!" "I" " I" " I was" " I was forced to create that portrait!" "By whom?" "W- well he made me do it!" "Who?" "I didn't want to!" ".." "Who?" "He trick- ted me!" "Who?" "Maldis" "Maldis" "That's what she said." "It can't be Maldis, e destroyed'im." "We only dispersed him." "I knew he'd coalesce again someday." "I never dreamt it would be this soon." "Okay Zhaan, so what do we do?" "Zhaan," "What do we..." "Are you hearing me?" "Zhaan!" "Crichton, what's the matter?" "Zhaan just bugged out on us." "raying or catatonic, I don't know" "I'll leave straight away." "No- no." "Don't do that." "Stay there. e need all the information we can get." "Right." "So..." "Start talking." "Nothing that I can tell ou will do any good." "Maldis is too powerful." "Start talking." "Zhaan" "Stop bugging out!" "If we beat Maldis before, e can do it again!" "Don't go chicken on me, here!" "John," "I speak to you via 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." "Maldis cannot be defeated!" "He's already taken Chiana!" "And D'argo!" "He's going to take you next." "Then the rest of us!" "One by one!" "Zhaan, we can beat'im." "No, we can't" "All we can do is surrender." "Shorten our pain." "Well, I'm not giving up." "I am." "Whoa." "That first step." "John!" "D'Argo!" "No, wait, don't come through!" "What the hell?" "D'Argo?" "Where the hell did you go?" "I haven't moved. t's these archways." "They lead." "elsewhere." "You seen Chiana?" "Yes, but I couldn't get to her. tried other archways but I lost her entirely." "Great." "It's not just a painting, t's a maze." "Terrific." "And I know who built it." "Maldis!" "Come on down!" "Maldis?" "None other than. oesn't that just make your day?" "Maaaldiiiiis!" "Maldis!" "Come on you old bastard, how me your ugly face!" "Haven't you read the super villain's handbook?" "This is where you're supposed to twirl your mustache and gloat." "I don't have a mustache, John." "How you doin' old man?" "You're lookin' kinda pale, ou getting enough sun?" "Irreverent as ever." "I missed that." "Yeah, it's been awhile, huh?" "Tell me, what you been doing all this time?" "putting yourself back together?" "And what's it like being dispersed?" "Less than pleasant" "I sustained myself by concentrating... ." "on revenge" "Well here I am, dude." "Revenge away." "Please!" "You're not even a player" "I'm saving my revenge for one who deserves it... ." "Pa" " U Zhaan." "I'm crushed." "And here I was thinking e both kicked your ass, last time." "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 nd your two friends, first?" "Because you were lonely." "Because I wanted Zhaan o see her shipmates die." "Have you forgotten?" "Fear makes me stronger." "Fear and the terror of helplessness." "These are a few of my favorite things." "Oh, could you do that "Farewell, Goodbye" song the kids sing?" "It's one of my favorites" "I don't do requests!" "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!" "Then read this." "Kiss" "I'm betting on her." "Not you." "Bad bet." "Do you understand, Pilot?" "Frankly, no." "But I will do exactly as you've asked." "I wish you luck" "For all our sakes" "Zhaan," "What is it?" "It's Maldis, can't you hear him?" "I don't hear anything." "Johnny, last bought, she had some 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, hile I remind her how much I care." "Pa'u Zhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" "Zhaan!" "So much for that plan!" "Anymore bets?" "I failed." "Too weak." "Zhaan," "Don't give up" "You never give up" "What a wreck!" "She begged me to put her out of her misery." "Unfortunately, want to enjoy her misery a little longer." "But there's no reason hy she should suffer on her own." "D'Argo?" "Where are you?" "Chiana" "You're here?" "Oh, frell" "Who's the ugly old man?" "His name is Maldis. e's your basic evil vampire." "He sucks the life force out of people." "He just plain sucks. isten up everybody, this joker feeds on fear." "So we're gonna stay calm." "Zhaan's not listening to you, John." "Zhaan, we keep our cool, we starve him out." "Bravado to the end, have to admire that." "Even though deep down, f course you are quaking in your boots." "Dream on." "Stop!" "You want fear?" "I'll give you some!" "Picture if you will, me standing on your home planet" "Six billion creatures like you, eavy breeders. ," "Your species would kept me well fed for a long time" "You stay the hell away from Earth." "You see?" "Everyone has a panic button just waiting to be pushed!" "Even the Luxan!" "Your son, Jothee" "How old is he?" "I can't wait to run across him." "Didn't you tell him John, hat that sort of thing doesn't work?" "And the runaway Nebari" "How would you like a free trip home o your planet?" "You wouldn't?" "Oh ho, scared that you'd be mentally leansed by your countrymen?" "Well, don't worry." "Because none of you will leave this place!" "You don't scare me!" "You're all mouth." "Bigger the talk, smaller the action!" "Little girl, I'll show you action!" "And this is it!" "I leave, you don't." "This realm dissolves, nd you with it." "Except of course, for your essence." "Your life force, your spirit." "Whatever you like to call it." "I call it lunch." "Time for choir practice, Priest." "Maldis," "Please!" "I beg you!" "Oh, you beg me?" "I like that." "Maldis!" "No!" "D'argo don't. ou'll just make it worse." "When all the atoms in your body are ripped apart and I consume what's left then you'll know what pain is." "And all this... will happen, n one hundred microts from now" "If you like a count down." "Officer Sun." "Priority message from Zhaan." "What is it, Pilot?" "Kill Kyvan, and get out of there fast" "Acknowledged." "Out!" "Now!" "How did you know all that would happen." "I didn't." "And you shot Kyvan anyway?" "Crichton said I should follow haan's instructions without question." "Did he?" "Well he didn't bother to tell me!" "Of course not. hen have you ever followed instructions?" "Was that your doing?" "Well, it won't help you!" "Because I'm much stronger than you think!" "So am I!" "Go!" "Hurry!" "Hurry!" "Chiana!" "Get up!" "Leave me." "Come on!" "Leave me here!" "Get up!" "No!" "leave me here!" "No" "Home sweet home." "Fire one!" "Great" "Fire two!" "That was your plan?" "Yes." "Like it?" "Well, what's not to like?" "Explain this to me, froggy." "Crichton comes back, he's not really electrocuted" "Okay, D'argo comes back, not a scratch on'im." "I came back nothing burnt, but I still got a busted leg." "Why is that?" "Why ask me?" "I'm still trying o figure out the whole Maldis and Kyvan thing" "Oh, no- no- no look," "Zhaan laid that bit out for me." "Okay, when Maldis recaporialised" "Re- what?" "Well, put himself back together, e couldn't yet break through to our physical plane so he had to manipulate matter o form Kyvan and her ship and create the painting hich would not only bridge both realms, but also allow," "well, plant our fears, hich would allow him to capture us, and grow even stronger" "Clear?" "Then, when Aeryn blasted Kyvan, hich was just actually a temporary extention of Maldis, it weakened Maldis enough or Zhaan to make her move, simple." "But why?" "I mean, how did Zhaan" "Oh... .Best not ponder questions like these. hey'll only make your head hurt." "Forget about it." "Sit back and enjoy the happy ending." "What happy ending?" "My priceless Hynerian tiara is gone!" "Vanished, just like Kyvan and her ship." "Oh, well we can't have everything, Ryg." "I can't have anything." "So what do you think, Zhaan?" "Is that son' bitch gone for good this time?" "With a being like Maldis, we can never be entirely certain." "Zhaan," "This would have been a really good opportunity o lie to me." "You know?" "You know?"Sure John he's toast. trike him off your Christmas list." "a fork in'im, he's done. e's over, the fat lady is singing."" "It does not have to be true, Zhaan." "But I certainly would have slept better." "I'm sorry John, 'm not a very good liar." "Si, vale" "Now, I know you couldn't tell me the truth about your... plan" "Maldis would have picked it out of my brain." "But you had us all fooled with that scared Nelly routine." "My fear wasn't an act, John" "You were really that scared?" "I've never been more scared in my life."