Items in parethesis () and italics are the t.v. versions of the scenes.

Aeryn's out giving John a Transport Pod flying lesson.

JOHN: Hey, hey, hey, hey. I am doing it. Whoa. Wait. I'm - I'm not doin' it.

AERYN: You're doing it barely, but just-

JOHN cuts in: Don't - don't show me! Don't show me. Portside, portside...thrusters. Slicker 'n snot.

AERYN: My microbes had to have translated that one wrongly.

JOHN: Southern metaphors, darlin'. You ain't heard the half of 'em.

AERYN: You know, you're picking this up more slowly than the dumbest recruit.

JOHN: But I am picking it up, Aeryn. The more I modify my module, the more add-ons, the more I need to understand biomechanoid technology.

The pod goes shooting off to one side. Aeryn stabilizes it, quickly.

AERYN: Now you do that one again, and I'll kill you.

JOHN: [chuckles] I'm sorry. Almost hit that big sun out there.

AERYN: There's nothing out there, John.

JOHN: Exactly, Aeryn. That's why we picked this spot. Nothin' for me to hit. Perfect for a drivin' lesson, like a big mall parking lot on a Sunday mornin'.

Zhaan and Rygel, on command.

RYGEL: I used to have seventy thousand servants. [hits Tadec stick on board]

ZHAAN: Rygel, why don't you get yourself something to eat?

RYGEL: And during festivals, I had fifty thousand more! [hits twice] Mostly female. [chuckles, hits]

ZHAAN: Rygel.

RYGEL: They would worry about my every nano-moment. Make sure I was always smiling, [hits], always entertained-

ZHAAN cuts in: Rygel!

RYGEL: And never bored. I'm bored [hits], bored [hits], bored [hits], bored [hits]!

ZHAAN: Will you stop doing that?!

RYGEL: Look, whatever you're doing there, it can't be important. You'll just scared I'll win! Come on, let's play.

D'ARGO enters: I can't take Moya's pregnancy much longer! The walls on my cell are excreting some sort of gel, and Pilot says that it's due to Moya's condition.

ZHAAN: The center chamber has taken on some kind of strange odor, as well. Have you noticed?

Rygel begins tapping his Tadec stick on the board, at irregular intervals, during their conversation.

D'ARGO: I have a Luxan's olfactory sense, how can I not notice? Where the hezmata are Crichton and Aeryn? They should be back by now!

ZHAAN: Teaching Crichton takes time, D'argo!

D'ARGO: Teaching Crichton is a waste of time! Am I the only one here that remembers we are being tracked by bounty hunters?

ZHAAN: Aeryn believes that anything we can do to make Crichton more effective, the better. This sector is very peaceful, it's perfect for Crichton's train- [cuts off] Rygel! If you do not stop that, this instant-

RYGEL cuts in: You'll what? Please do tell. It may be preferable to this mind-numbing tedium. [hits again]

D'ARGO: Shut it!!

JOHN: Aeryn, lighten up! Have some fun.

AERYN: Fun? How am I to have fun?

JOHN: [chuckles] Well, I don't know how you're supposed to have fun, but this is fun. This is Top Gun, this is The Need for Speed, you like this stuff, admit it.

AERYN: I have no need for speed.

JOHN: Yes, you do. I see it in your eye all the time. You miss the adrenaline of combat flying.

AERYN: I miss the teamwork of combat flying. The reason why I agreed to teach you to do this, is because you may become vaguely of some use to me one day in battle.

JOHN: Oh. Well. Thank you for that vote of confidence.

AERYN: Well, you may have noticed we're short of hands. I didn't exactly have much choice. [John turns] Watch out for the starboard thrusters, you're banking too sharply!

JOHN: I got it. What exactly do you mean by vaguely useful?

AERYN: You're hardly a quick learner, are you?

JOHN: Oh. You're trying to telling me you weren't the least bit challenged, learning to fly one of these things?

AERYN: Not challenged the way you seem to be. And you have it easy, here. In Peacekeeper training, there's no room for mistakes. You screw up on the last day of simulation flying, you die.

JOHN: Right. The simulator kills you.

Aeryn gets out of her seat and walks to John's side of the ship.

JOHN to self: Now why does that not surprise me? [to Aeryn] What are you doing back there?

AERYN: Getting something to eat. I always get hungry when I-

The pod is suddenly jolted.

AERYN: What was that?

JOHN: What was that?

AERYN: What did you touch?

JOHN: I didn't touch anything.

The pod jolts again. Aeryn returns to her seat.

JOHN: Aeryn, any idea what this is?

AERYN: No, I don't.

JOHN: There's something pulling us in! Still pulling us in! I'm not getting any pulse-back soundings!

AERYN: That's impossible!

JOHN: Well, you think I'm makin' this up? Look it, there's nothing out there!

The pod hits something.

AERYN: I can't hold her!

An explosion pushes them both out of their seats.

Continued Scene III

The pod hangs adrift, in space. John gets up.

JOHN: Aeryn.

He sees her laying still. He crawls over to her.

JOHN: Aeryn! You okay? Aeryn!!

He shakes her, and she comes to.

JOHN: Damn! Don't scare me like that!

AERYN: Scare you? What, you think I had something to do with that?

JOHN: No, I thought you might...never mind. You gonna be alright?

AERYN: [nods] Think so. You?

JOHN: If you don't count a broken neck, couple of Aspirin, I'll be fine. We hit something.

AERYN: No, we didn't.

JOHN: Hey, look, I was in a head-on when I was nineteen, we hit something!

AERYN: There's nothing out there. There's no mass readings.

JOHN: No mass? How can there be no mass? Something's blocking our view.

AERYN: The sensor says there's still nothing out there.

JOHN: What the hell does that mean?

AERYN: I don't know.

Rygel continues to tap his Tadec stick. Zhaan rushes over and tries to grab it.

ZHAAN: Will you stop playing with that?!

RYGEL: I will play this game as long as I like!

Zhaan grabs the stick and begins poking him with it.

ZHAAN: Give it to me! You are driving me-

A loud sound permeates command. Everyone covers their ears and cries out in pain.

D'ARGO: Pilot!

PILOT on clamshell: So sorry. I appear to have hit the wrong comm.

ZHAAN: You desired our attention, Pilot?

PILOT: An unidentified vessel is approaching. It is signaling, asking permission to come aboard.

D'ARGO: Is it armed?

PILOT: That depends.

RYGEL: What do you mean it depends?

PILOT: Moya's scan has found traces of weapon pieces.

ZHAAN: Pieces?

PILOT: But nothing that constitutes a whole weapon. And certainly nothing operational. It seems a most...curious vessel.

A large boxy vessel docks on Moya's underside.

A humanoid creature enters. D'argo comes up behind him and holds a gun to him.

STAANZ: The name's Staanz. Oh! There's no need for the firepower, friend.

D'ARGO: I disagree, friend. Move.

They head for command.

STAANZ: That pretty little female here, is not gonna look at you in quite the same way, when she learns you killed the only person that could have saved you.

ZHAAN: Saved us from what?

STAANZ: You see how much you need me? You're headed straight for it, and you don't even know it's there.

ZHAAN: Headed for what?

STAANZ: The Flax.

ZHAAN: What is that?

STAANZ: It's a magna-drift mesh. Seventy five million zacrons long.

D'ARGO: I've never heard of anything called the Flax.

STAANZ: And what species are you?

D'ARGO: Luxan.

STAANZ: Luxan. Never heard of it. Doesn't mean you don't exist.

ZHAAN: Our ships sensors have not picked up anything that size, in this area.

STAANZ: Well, they wouldn't have picked up much of anything, would they? That's the Flax, it's invisible 'til you get snagged in it then [snaps fingers] it's all over.

D'ARGO: Who put it there?

STAANZ: Zenetan Pirates. What, you never heard of them? Consider yourself lucky.

ZHAAN: I will warn Crichton and Aeryn.

Rygel breathes on one of his Tadec squares and rubs it on his robes.

STAANZ: You got another ship out there? [laughs] Well, warning them's probably a good idea, you know, if you're not already too late.

RYGEL: What exactly are you?

STAANZ: My name's Staanz. [grins] I'm a garbologist. I'm a uh...connoisseur of what other people throw away.

RYGEL: Define connoisseur.

STAANZ: Hm. Tadec, eh?

RYGEL: Don't!

He smacks Staanz' hand with his stick. Staanz looks on a moment, scratching his belly.

STAANZ: Your set's in um...very nice shape.

RYGEL: Do you play?

STAANZ: Oh, I used to....dabble. You any good?

RYGEL: Perhaps you could give me a few....pointers.

STAANZ: Perhaps I can.

The pod remains in it's place.

JOHN: We need to get the ship stabilized and assess the damage.

AERYN: Stabilized? According to this, we're too stable. We're not moving. There's no drift, no spin.

JOHN: What?

AERYN: Well, I - I don't know, it's as though we're suspended in one place.

JOHN: Well, the sooner we get this thing fixed, and blast the hell out of here, the better.

AERYN: No comm signal.

JOHN: Probably busted in the crash.

AERYN: No, the equipment's working just fine, it's just there's no signal out there.

JOHN: Aeryn. If I'm reading this right, cholorics are flat-line. We don't have any power.

AERYN: Oh, that's impossible. I fed the battery's just before we left Moya.

JOHN: Yeah. Impossible.

The ship goes completely dark.

JOHN: This isn't good.

Zhaan and D'argo enter maintenance bay.

ZHAAN: I can't make contact with the transport pod. Aeryn and Crichton aren't responding.

D'ARGO: They can't be that far out.

ZHAAN: But Staanz' story about the Flax, could be true. Could be what's affecting the comm transmission. If it is, if he did come to warn us, then the question is, what does he want from us, in return?

D'ARGO: Anything he can get his hands on. I've just accessed the criminal ident files from the Peacekeepers. Seems our Mister Staanz has quite a record.

They look at his record on the screen.

Later, walking back to command.

ZHAAN: He came offering help! Shouldn't we at least give him the benefit of the doubt? We don't know that the Flax doesn't exist.

D'ARGO: And what if it does? He may be leading us straight into it. For all we know, he could be one of those bounty hunters. No, Staanz is trouble. And we do not need to take that risk, especially while Moya is pregnant!

Zhaan stops him.

ZHAAN: I agree that Staanz may be the most unusual species, but you can't surely condemn him, just because he is an ex prisoner of the Peacekeepers! Are you forgetting that we are all ex prisoners?

D'ARGO: How could I ever forget?

ZHAAN: Have you ever looked at your own records to see what lies the Peacekeepers have written about you?

D'ARGO: Have you? Not everyone imprisoned by the Peacekeepers was innocent.

ZHAAN: Meaning?

D'ARGO: Meaning that I do not have time to stand here and discuss this with you, while he is looting what precious little we have!

D'argo walks off.

Staanz plays Tadec with Rygel. Staanz places his hand on a ball next to the board, and makes his move. He slides it across several triangles.

RYGEL: Interesting move. Very unconventional. Care to raise the stakes? [holds up small a blue container] Oso scent.

STAANZ: How pure?

RYGEL: Ninety parts. They won't be able to resist. Even you.

D'argo grabs Staanz.

RYGEL: What are you doing?! I was just about to raise the - I had him right where I wanted him!

D'ARGO: You have a criminal record. With the Peacekeepers!

RYGEL: Do you have any idea how difficult that is, in this age?

STAANZ: I've got a lot of records with a lot of people, that's who I am!

RYGEL: Doesn't mean his money's no good.

STAANZ: ...I don't deserve it. Well, I never robbed anybody - well I used to rob anybody, but now I'm an honest garbologist! Ask anyone! I can give you a list of names! Well, it's a couple names!

D'argo continues to hold him by the scruff of his jacket, well above the floor.

STAANZ: Hey, hey!

RYGEL: Oh!

STAANZ: I used to be a Zenetan. One of the pirates, that run the Flax. And loot ships that get caught in it. I can prove it. If you put me down.

D'argo slowly puts him back down on the floor.

STAANZ: Thank you.

D'ARGO: Slowly.

Staanz grins. Then, he unbuckles his pants, and drops them.

RYGEL: Oh! For heavens' sake!

Staanz points towards his now exposed lower half.

STAANZ: Zenetan gang murals? I spend nine cycles in a Malsonic Labor stockade. My Zenetan....brothers did nothing to help me. In fact, cause what they were doing on the outside, I got beat close to death more than once, on the inside. So, uh...when I got out, I went my own way. I work for myself, now. Part of the fun is getting to the Flax before they do. Also, I like warning people like you. Pisses the Zenetan's off, no end. And...I - I figured...when you send me on my way, you might give me, I don't know...a small reward.

D'ARGO: Put those back on.

RYGEL: Where are your um.....your uh....your....

STAANZ: My uh...

ZHAAN: For an anthropoid biped, there seems to be....something missing.

STAANZ: [chuckles] Yeah, I know. Well, I'm a Yennen by species. We're not exactly uh...cut from the standard mold.

ZHAAN: If you are truly interested in helping us, our transport pod is still out there. Two of our complement are aboard, and we've lost contact.

STAANZ: They're not family.

ZHAAN: No.

STAANZ: Good. There's nothing worse than losing family.

Transport pod. They work by flashlight. John reads schematics.

(JOHN: How do we know this message buoy won't get stuck like us?)

AERYN: (We don't.) [Alright.] Get a move-on, Crichton, the message buoy is almost ready, so we'll need power to launch it.

JOHN: I'm workin' as fast as I can, Aeryn, but these schematics are hard to read. They're like half CAT scan, half blueprint. I know you don't read them at all.

AERYN: Don't be ridiculous, it's tech work.

JOHN: What happens if you crash-land your Prowler, and you have to repair it?

AERYN: We're not trained to repair, we're trained find and secure somebody else's ship.

JOHN: Secure? As in, take by force.

AERYN: Well. It beats uh, learning to read those.

JOHN: Not today, it doesn't.

The lights come back on.

JOHN: I think...I've re-directed the remaining power from the auxiliary systems.

The buoy flies off from the ship.

AERYN: Message buoy away.

JOHN: You ready to go home?

AERYN: Very.

Moya, corridor.

D'ARGO: Staanz. Where did you get those boots?

D'argo walks Staanz down the corridor, arm around Staanz' throat.

STAANZ: Lemme go! Lemme go!

D'ARGO: Those boots are Luxan! A Luxan would never lose his boots unless he were dead.

STAANZ: I didn't kill him, he was already dead! His ship got caught in the Flax!

D'ARGO: Oh, so you'll rob the dead?

D'argo throws him into a cell, shuts the door.

STAANZ: No, no, a Zenetan killed him. He ejected - ejected the body! I tried to get aboard the ship, but...look, [shows a scar] they blasted the crank out of me.

D'ARGO: You tried to loot a dead Luxan ship?

STAANZ: Of course I did! That's what I do, I loot ships, I see a ship, I try and loot it.!

D'ARGO: Well that ship, my friend, was a Luxan Deep Space Voyager. Now, it may have on board some map fibers, that I desperately need. Can you take me there?

STAANZ: Well, I don't know, it was uh....earmarked for destruction, they might've already...melted it down.

D'ARGO: If you take me there, everything on board, after I get those map fibers, is yours.

STAANZ: Well, that sounds like a deal, to me.

D'ARGO: What about the Flax?

STAANZ: Oh, not a problem. You know, if you know what you're doing.

D'argo releases him from the cell.

John and Aeryn attempt to get the pod moving again.

JOHN: Let's do this, while we still have power. Two hundred trads. Are we clear?

AERYN: Not yet. I'm increasing to eighty percent.

JOHN: This is gonna hurt, isn't it?

AERYN: Three hundred trads.

JOHN: Should I punch it?

AERYN: Ninety percent!

JOHN: Should I punch it?!

AERYN: Not yet!

The ship strains and shudders.

AERYN: Four hundred trads!

JOHN: Now?

AERYN: It's too strong, I can't hold her!

JOHN: Now, Aeryn, now!

AERYN: Five hundred trads, clear!

JOHN: Now?!

AERYN: Wait!

JOHN: Man, this is really gonna hurt!

AERYN: Now!

John hits a control. The transport pod slams against the Flax. Aeryn and John are thrown from their seats. The ship is on fire (inside).

AERYN: Crichton!

JOHN: Aeryn, where are you?

AERYN: I haven't the faintest idea.

John finds her. Her leg is stuck.

JOHN: Oh, man, I knew this was gonna hurt.

AERYN: It'd be alright, if I could get it out. Can you pass me that axe?

JOHN: Yeah.

He goes and gets the axe.

JOHN: What are you gonna do with it?

AERYN: Gonna hack my foot off.

JOHN: Oh, no, well allow me, then.

AERYN: Oh, just give it to me! Did we break free?

JOHN: Uh, you mind if I check in a minute? I wanna get these flames out, first.

ZHAAN: D'argo, the distress buoy is broadcasting full co-ordinates. Aeryn's message is short, but it's clear. Their pod is caught in some kind of stasis. But, they see no stars.

STAANZ: That's the Flax, alright.

D'ARGO: We're aboard Staanz' vessel now, and ready to launch. Wish us luck.

ZHAAN: May Kayhilin be with you.

RYGEL to Zhaan: Back triple quadrahent. Of course, that means nothing to you, but...I would have won all this fair and square. Even if he hadn't left it behind.

Staanz disengages his ship from Moya.

STAANZ: Luxan Voyager, here we come! When I get her really roaring, I can get this baby up to Hetch four!

D'ARGO: It stinks in here!

STAANZ: What?

D'ARGO: It stinks!!

STAANZ: Oh, does it? I had my smell plugs cauterized. Helps in my line of work.

D'ARGO: You mean you actually go out of your way to collect all these things?

STAANZ: I follow space streams and I pick up with others throw away.

D'ARGO: That's all garbage!

STAANZ: Garbage?! I don't touch garbage! I'm a professional scavenger. I only pick up the gems of what others throw away. Look. [gets out ugly green dolls] Got nine million on Onnyxi Play Partners. They particalize. They levitate. Everything. One day, I'm gonna sell these babies and make a killing. [kisses doll, tosses it in the furnace] And they burn good, too.

D'ARGO: You say that you can take me to this Luxan ship.

STAANZ: Unless it's already been melted down.

D'ARGO: You and me, go on board, get what we need, stay no longer than an arn, and then we go to Aeryn and Crichton. You said they'll be safe for awhile.

STAANZ: Well, they're stuck in the Flax, they're goin' nowheres! You said it was a small pod? The Zenetans aren't going to be in a rush to get there. Oh, we have plenty of time. Okay! [to ship] Come on, baby! Come on!

John stomps out the rest of a flame.

JOHN: We're not moving. Still stuck. There's some sort of field out there, holding us in place.

AERYN: You mean like a natural phenomenon?

JOHN: You ever hear of a phenomenon like that?

AERYN: Uh uh. Well, whatever it is, we have to find a way to break free.

JOHN: Any suggestions?

AERYN: The distress buoy got away.

JOHN: Well, I guess we just wait for...D'argo and the others to come rescue us.

They look at each other.

AERYN: I'll deal with propulsion.

JOHN: I'll deal with the environmentals.

Staanz' ship. Staanz is having a snack.

STAANZ: Go on have a chew, it's delicious!

Dargo looks at a nearby piece of meat, hanging from a chain.

STAANZ: No, no, not that beaut, it's gotta rot a bit more. Here, try this.

D'ARGO: No, I think I'll pass.

STAANZ: Hang on! If I don't get to this, she's gonna blow!

Staanz runs to a nearby generator and begins banging on it.

D'ARGO: What?

STAANZ to ship: Come on baby!

D'ARGO: Why don't you just get it fixed?

STAANZ: I did fix it. That's why it works when I whack it a few times! Help me!

D'argo starts banging on it. Staanz walks off, a little.

STAANZ: Uh oh.

D'ARGO: What?

STAANZ: Hang on!

He jerks the controls and the ship lurches. They look at a view screen.

STAANZ: You see that? That's Kcrackic's Tracer Ban.

D'ARGO: Who's Kcrackic?

STAANZ: He's the red mentor to the Zenetans.

D'ARGO: Is that like a rank?

STAANZ: No, there's nothing military about these guys, except their fire power.

D'ARGO: Then why are you so afraid of him?

STAANZ: I'm not afraid, exactly, it's just....maybe I should have....mentioned it earlier, but, I'm kinda on Kcrackic's hate list, so.... I told a few of his secrets to get out of prison.

D'ARGO: So, you betrayed your own leader?!

STAANZ: Betrayed? No, look, the bottom line is, if he knows we're around, he's gonna seal the Flax up and we're not gonna get to the Luxan ship, or your friends.

Kcrackic's ship buzzes by.

STAANZ: [sighs] He missed us. But he's headed straight for your ship.

D'ARGO: Moya!

STAANZ: Warn them! They-they-they've never heard of me, they've never seen me!

Moya, command.

ZHAAN: I understand, D'argo. We will strive to keep them distracted as long as we can.

Rygel breaths in deeply on his smoking device.

ZHAAN: I will strive to keep them distracted.

Rygel belches.

Kcrackic's ship docks. Kcrackic and Goon enter the ship.

ZHAAN: Greetings! I am Pa U Zotoh Zhaan. You are Kcrackic?

KCRACKIC: You know me?

ZHAAN: Your reputation is well known in these parts.

KCRACKIC: For what?

ZHAAN: Cruelty.

KCRACKIC: My scans shows that your Leviathan is pregnant. You're lucky.

ZHAAN: Why?

KCRACKIC: I once tried to commander a pregnant Leviathan. Eighty men died.

ZHAAN: A mother will protect her child.

KCRACKIC: A tracer ship was last seen heading in this direction. Run by a puneka named Staanz. You seen it? Or him?

ZHAAN: No. Perhaps I can offer you and your men something to eat.

KCRACKIC: You offer us nothing. What we want from your ship, we take. I see nothing of value, here. Let's go.

ZHAAN: Commander Kcrackic. May I present Rygel the Sixteenth, Dominar-

RYGEL: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [chuckles] How do you do, pleased to meet you, and all that yotz.

KCRACKIC: Where did you get so many Kelvic Crystals, little one?

RYGEL: I won them.

KCRACKIC: Playing Tadec?

RYGEL: No. Interspecies tug wrestling! Idiot.

KCRACKIC: So. You believe you play well?

RYGEL: [burps] I know I play well. And you, I believe, are an easier mark.

Transport pod.

AERYN: I'm still not getting a clean reading. More than half the pod's sensor relays have been fried. Do you think Moya's got that distress buoy yet?

JOHN: Don't know. But, even if she did, if we don't buy ourselves a couple of hours...arns, we'll be dead by the time anybody gets here. The atmospherics mix line is crushed.

AERYN: Can you fix it?

JOHN: Maybe. Might be able to weld it, but I'd need a welding torch.

AERYN: Should be one in the equipment pack.

Goes over to, and gets the welding torch out.

JOHN: Problem is, there's too much pure O2 in here right now to...risk firing it up.

AERYN: What if we depressurize? Blast it out into space?

JOHN: Fix it in our suits.

AERYN: Yeah.

JOHN: Aeryn, that's a great idea.

AERYN: [chuckles] You sound surprised.

John hears the sound of something coming loose, and runs, tackling Aeryn to get her out of the way. It just barely misses her. He lays on top of her.

JOHN: You okay?

AERYN: Yes. You?

JOHN: Yeah, just.....peachy.

AERYN: You comfortable? Can I get you a pillow?

John realizes he's still on her, and gets off.

Staanz' ship.

STAANZ: You think your people have kept Kcrackic occupied?

D'ARGO: Well, why don't we just call Moya and ask them? Perhaps you can speak to Kcrackic yourself!

STAANZ: Let's get out of here! Kcrackic isn't the kind of person you give a second chance to find you! [to ship] Okay. Come on, sing for Daddy! Sing!

D'ARGO: What's wrong?

STAANZ: Oh, nothing, nothing. Sometimes she just needs a bit of a push to get going.

D'ARGO: A push?!

STAANZ: Yeah, you know, like a....a grav spin around a planet, or something?

D'ARGO: I need you to get me to that ship fast, so I can find that map fiber.

STAANZ: If you wanna get there, open the furnace. Hm?

D'ARGO: This had better work.

D'argo opens the furnace. Staanz brings an armful of dolls and throws them in.

STAANZ: Come on! Burn! Come on! Burn, baby, burn!

D'argo closes the furnace.

STAANZ: Okay! Here we go!

The ship begins swaying and shifting. Staanz and D'argo stumble about, trying to get their feet.

STAANZ: Oh great!

D'ARGO: What's wrong?

STAANZ: We're caught in the Flax!

Moya, command. Rygel makes his move on the game board. A holographic tower displays for a moment. Rygel grins.

KCRACKIC: Impressive.

Kcrackic makes his move. Another holographic tower displays for a moment.

KCRACKIC: We'll be out of here in a few microts.

ZHAAN: Rygel, surely you're not going to give up so early.

RYGEL: Who's giving up? I'm not giving up. Leave me alone. [mutters] I know what I'm doing.

KCRACKIC: Ante up, Hynerian.

Transport pod.

JOHN: It's gonna be like a wind-tunnel in here, when we depressurize. I'll get the release sequence started, but leave out the last line, that way we'll set it up-

AERYN cuts in: We have a problem.

JOHN: What's the matter?

Aeryn holds up a helmet, and the piece of face plate that is broken out of it.

JOHN: It's broken. Is there another one of those?

AERYN: Exactly that. One.

JOHN: So one of us gets to die.

Continued Scene VIII

JOHN: Torch looks like it's in working condition. Unfortunately there's no way to test it before we depressurize.

Aeryn hands him a long syringe, almost gun-like in its nature.

AERYN: Kill shot. We use them in battle triage to stop brain and heart function. [holds small container] And this is a nerve shot. You use this one, to bring me back.

JOHN: Whoa-whoa-whoa ho-ho-hold the phone. Let's talk about this.

AERYN: Nothing to talk about. You know welding, you should do the repairs.

JOHN: Yeah, Aeryn, but that means that you've got-

AERYN cuts in: They're Sebacean, they're meant to be used on my kind.

JOHN: Yeah, but still the-

AERYN cuts in: The oxygen is rising in here quickly, so you better get ready.

John looks at the helmet again.

JOHN: Aeryn. You notice anything about that?

He hands it to her, she takes it.

AERYN: [nods] It's useless.

JOHN: It's also mine. Yours isn't gonna fit me.

They both ponder this situation for a few moments. Aeryn comes back and sits next to him.

AERYN: Tell me exactly what I have to do. We could wait. The others...may come.

JOHN: No. We gotta fix the line, otherwise we're both dead, anyway. And if we get another spot fire in this place, it's gonna go up like a blast furnace.

AERYN: How long do I have, to do the repairs?

JOHN: I don't know. Um.....without oxygen, my brain can last maybe four minutes, maybe five or six, depending on my body temperature.

AERYN: Pick a number. Tell me how long I have, and I'll follow it. But tell me what to do while there's still time.

Hands her the torch.

JOHN: Torch.

Moya, command. Rygel carefully makes a move, but it's faulty and he gets a little shock from ball his other hand was on. Kcrackic laughs.

GOON: Should I tell Bacath to fire up the engines?

KCRACKIC: Why not? I should be there, shortly.

Goon exits. Kcrackic makes his move. Rygel makes his, mimicking Staanz' from earlier.

KCRACKIC: Very unusual move. Where did you learn it?

RYGEL: Uh. I made it up, myself.

KCRACKIC: Did you? I know somebody else who makes that move.

RYGEL: Good for you.

Transport pod.

Aeryn and John look at the kill shot.

JOHN: You sure this thing's gonna work?

AERYN: Mm. Should kill you.

JOHN: [scoffs] Well, it's not the kill shot that concerns me. I'm sure you guys got that one, down fine. It's the wakeup call that's got me worried.

AERYN: Well, we can't be sure it works, until you're dead.

JOHN: Great.

AERYN: Look, it works perfectly well on Sebaceans, and Sebacean and Human physiology appears to be similar enough, so...I say fifty-fifty.

JOHN: You call that good odds? No. No-no-no-no. I'm gonna - I'm gonna teach you CPR.

AERYN: What's that?

JOHN: It's a human resuscitation technique, Aeryn, very low tech.

AERYN: We don't have time for this.

JOHN: Aeryn! I got time! Okay? I need a back up plan, in case your little nerve shot doesn't work, Aeryn.

AERYN: What does it involve?

JOHN: It involves you breathing for me. Keeping my blood flowing, so I don't die.

AERYN: Don't be ridiculous, it sounds far too complicated.

JOHN: Well, it's a lot less complicated than learning to fly a transport pod.

AERYN: Fine! Show it to me, then.

JOHN: Good. Lie down.

AERYN: What?

JOHN: Lie down! [Aeryn leans back] No, flat out, on the gr- , I can't show you - lay down!

Aeryn lays down on the floor of the transport pod.

JOHN: Okay.

Staanz throws dolls into the furnace.

STAANZ: Come on! [laughs]

He walks back to D'argo, who's looking out the windows.

D'ARGO: Where are the stars?

STAANZ: The Flax magna absorbs the light, before it can get to us. It's a bummer like that.

D'ARGO: Absorbs the light?! If it's that powerful, how come you're not more concerned?

STAANZ: Because, I may be able to dissolve a small part of the Flax, unless they've already changed the code.

D'ARGO: What?!

STAANZ: Now, what I need from you, is....I need you to whack this, really hard, on my signal. Whack it, really hard! Ready? [gives D'argo a metal bar] Three..........two...........one......whack it!!

D'argo begins banging the furnace.

STAANZ to ship: Come on, baby! Come on! You can do it, a bit more! Come on!

The ship strains against the Flax. It breaks through!

STAANZ: Yes!! We've done it! We're clear of the Flax! We're clear! Did I say it?! Huh? Hey! Stop whackin' it! We're clear! We made it! Huh?!

He gives D'argo a big hug, but D'argo immediately pushes him off.

STAANZ: Oh! Go with me, brother! [pants] Oh, we're clear. It doesn't get better than this, baby!

Transport pod. Aeryn is now mimicking CPR, on Crichton.

AERYN: ...Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, then two more breaths, then fifteen more compressions.

JOHN: Right. Until I start breathing again, on my own. Or not.

AERYN: Let's do it.

JOHN: You got about....four minutes, one hundred eighty microts before my brain starts to go adios.

AERYN: Let's do it. In the chair.

JOHN: Aeryn, it's real simple, what you gotta do, to fix the line.

AERYN: I remember what you told me.

Aeryn straps him into the chair.

JOHN: Hey, when uh, Sebaceans die, what do you guys believe happens? Do you believe in after life? Heaven and Hell, all that jazz? Humans believe...well...some believe, that there's like th-this bright light. And you uh, and you end up somewhere else, along with your friends, family, relatives. All of the people who died before you. Does that ring a bell?

AERYN: Sebaceans believe when you die, you die, you go nowhere, you see nothing.

JOHN: I guess I'll find out in a minute, huh? [takes a deep breath] Okay. A hundred eighty microts.

AERYN: Yes, I know.

JOHN: Yeah, sorry if I'm repeating myself, it's...you know, I don't wanna take any chances with this, so.

AERYN: I won't let you down, John.

John nods. Aeryn moves in with the kill shot.

JOHN: Aww, is - this is gonna hurt like crap, isn't it?

AERYN: Trust me. It's not gonna hurt a bit.

She gives him the kill shot. He barely feels a thing.

JOHN: That's it?

Aeryn gives him a sharp nod and puts her helmet on. She puts the tools by the place she needs to go, and belts herself into her chair.

JOHN: Well, it doesn't hurt-

John's body suddenly seizes. When he's stopped, Aeryn punches the control, depressurizing the pod.

Moya, command.

GOON: The engine's fired up. Ready to go.

KCRACKIC: Your wager, your lordship.

ZHAAN: But we have nothing left to bet.

RYGEL: This ship! I wager this ship.

ZHAAN: You can't do that, Rygel!

RYGEL: I can beat him! I know I can!

KCRACKIC: Fear not, lovely lady. I told you before, I've had my experience with pregnant Leviathans, I don't want your ship. [to Rygel] I reject your wager!

ZHAAN: Quit. Now. You must quit!

RYGEL: The one you called Staanz. I know where he is!

ZHAAN: Rygel!

RYGEL: I wager his whereabouts.

Transport pod. A voice counts down how much time Aeryn has left.

VOICE: You now have sixty microts. Fifty nine. Fifty eight. Fifty seven. Fifty six. Fifty five. Fifty four. Fifty three.

Stannz' ship.

STAANZ: Hey! I'm picking up some traces of atmosphere.

D'ARGO: Atmosphere?

STAANZ: Yeah, and they're drifting from the co-ordinates where your ship's pod is caught in the Flax. Hold on, they're not just mere traces, either. Looks like your friends might be out of luck. We may have no reason to rush aboard that Luxan ship.

Transport pod. The countdown continues.

VOICE: Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve. Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. [the countdown continues]

Aeryn decides to stop welding. She quickly turns off the torch, punches the button to re-pressurize. She heads over to John, but is knocked out by a falling cable.

VOICE: Time has lapsed. Time has lapsed. Time has lapsed.

Rygel makes his move. The tower appears briefly.

RYGEL: [laughs] I knew it! I knew I could do it! [laughs] Thanks for the game!

KCRACKIC: The game's not over.

Kcrackic makes his move, obviously a winning one. Rygel gasps in shock. Several towers appear.

KCRACKIC: Thank you for the game. Little one. [laughs] Now. For that nugget of information you promised me.

Goon points a weapon at Rygel.

ZHAAN: Rygel, don't!

KCRACKIC: Oh, you will tell me. Or he'll blow your brains out. I'll count to three. One....two....three.

RYGEL: Okay. Staanz was here. One of our crew is with him, now. You can locate him by following the frequency of our crew members comms unit.

KCRACKIC: What's the frequency?

RYGEL: It's in the ship's data store.

KCRACKIC to Goon: Access their ship's data stores! And let's go get 'im!

Kcrackic and Goon exit.

Aeryn becomes conscious, and takes off her helmet. The nerve shot to bring Crichton back, has been completely broken and drained. She gets up.

AERYN: Crichton.

She unbuckles him, and lays him on the floor. She begins CPR.

AERYN: One, two, three, four...come on, Crichton, wake up. Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen.

She gives the fifteenth push and the breath of life.

Staanz' ship flies through the debris of many ships.

D'ARGO: Aeryn and Crichton have a second reserve tank. They could still be alive.

STAANZ: Oh! There she is! Your Luxan beauty.

They zero in on a gigantic ship.

STAANZ: Oh, you're lucky. We're just in time. She's next in line for the melt.

D'ARGO: It's a Luxan Assault Piercer. I dreamt of serving on one, as a boy.

STAANZ: I'll bring her in, nice and easy. [to ship] Come on!

D'argo stares sadly.

STAANZ: What are you lookin' so down about? You said yourself the two aboard that pod weren't family. Look, the maps aboard that ship, might be your only chance to reunite with your real family, huh?

D'ARGO: My son.

STAANZ: Yeah, yeah, your son.

Aeryn continues CPR.

AERYN: Thirteen! Fourteen! Come on!!

She gives him the breath of life, then continues to compress his chest.

AERYN: Come on!

Another breath. More compressions. Finally, John takes a great gasp of breath.

AERYN: Crichton!

She lightly smacks his face. He rolls over on his side.

JOHN: My. God. You did it, Aeryn. You did it! But you lied like a dog! God, that hurt like hell! How'd it go? The environmentals. They fixed?

AERYN: I...d - I didn't finish.

JOHN: You didn't what?

AERYN: Your time was running out.

JOHN: Wait a minute. You stopped because...

AERYN: I think we have about half an arn of breathable atmosphere left.

Kcrackic's ship leaves Moya.

Command.

RYGEL: I thought we'd never be rid of them.

ZHAAN: You wanted them to leave!

RYGEL: Didn't you?

ZHAAN: Yes! But I-

RYGEL cuts in: You didn't expect them to leave us unscathed unless they thought they were leaving with something of value, did you?

ZHAAN: You gave them the comm frequency.

RYGEL: The wrong frequency, yes. I told Pilot to change it, the minute Kcrackic stepped on board. Where are they headed, Pilot?

PILOT on clamshell: Not exactly certain. I could plot it for you.

RYGEL: No! Don't bother. As long as it's far from here.

PILOT: Oh. It's certainly that.

ZHAAN: You lost to Kcrackic on purpose?

RYGEL: You think it was easy? He's an abominable player! A switched off DRD would have made a better shame for itself. Oh, please. Laughing is what the game's all about!

Rygel hovers away.

John and Aeryn, sit, for lack of anything better to do.

JOHN: The message buoy got out. They could still come for us.

AERYN: Maybe they've been trying all this time. Phenomenon that's got hold of us might not be letting them through. [deep breath] They might have tried and given up already. [pause] Oh! It's really cold in here!

John pulls her in close, for body heat.

JOHN: It's colder than a frog's ass.

D'argo walks slowly through Staanz' ship.

STAANZ: Okay. We're docking. If I get this right, we'll be nice and snug in the aft access port. Oh, come on. You gotta be a bit excited. You're fifteen paces away from your own Luxan Assault Peircer. The maps. You'll be able to find your son. You gotta be looking forward to seein' your son. Huh?

D'argo looks on at the ship, in the viewer.

D'ARGO: Yes. But when I do, I want to be able to look him in the eye.

Transport pod.

JOHN: Aeryn. You shoulda kept working. Finished the repair, at least one of us would have survived.

AERYN: To be sitting here alone, now? I chose not to.

JOHN: I thought Peacekeepers were trained to....fight alone, survive alone. Die alone.

AERYN: Well, it appears my training is failing me. I don't want to die alone.

John pulls her in closer.

AERYN: What did you see?

JOHN: Hm?

AERYN: Y-you know, after the kill shot, when you were dead? Did you see the things that...you know, that-that Humans believe, the light, friends?

JOHN: No. No I didn't. All I saw was black. I don't know, maybe Sebaceans are right, maybe there's nothing after this, maybe - - maybe......I wasn't supposed to die that time.

AERYN: Well. Maybe you'll find out for certain, this time.

They stare at each other for several moments. Aeryn moves slowly for a kiss. She bridges the gap the rest of the way, and they embrace. They move to the floor (Aeryn on top). She sits up and tears at her flight suit. John tries to help. She gets the top of her space suit almost off and starts to remove the neckpiece. The ship trembles.

AERYN: Somebody's docking?!

The hatch opens, and the two scatter to look innocent. D'argo enters. He looks on them in surprise.

JOHN: D'argo. [clears throat] Um....what took you so long?

D'ARGO: I had to uh...find someone to help me.

JOHN: Right.

Aeryn nods.

D'ARGO: I think it's time that we left.

D'argo, Aeryn and John, enter Staanz' ship. Staanz is wrapped by cables, into his chair.

STAANZ: It's about time! Oh, your pals are okay, I told you they would be! Now you do you think maybe you could untie me, please? This is not fun. Hey, welcome aboard, people! I'd offer you something to chew, but uh...what can I say? My hands are tied, at the moment.

JOHN to D'argo: Is he dangerous?

D'ARGO: Merely annoying.

STAANZ to D'argo: The Flax is huge. There's bound to be another Luxan ship stuck in there, somewhere. I thought....maybe we could go and look for it...together?

D'ARGO: We go together. Hmfph.

STAANZ: I'm lonely. Everybody needs a mate, Ka D'argo. Even you.

JOHN: A mate?

STAANZ: I am the female of the species, you know that, don't you? In fact uh...false modesty aside, I'm uh...I'm considered quite the Zenetan beauty.

JOHN to D'argo: You know big guy, I think I better uh...give you a little time alone here, cause I know in a Universe this vast when...two hearts collide...

D'ARGO: Shut up!

STAANZ to D'argo: You and me?

Staanz purses his lips at D'argo. D'argo chuckles. He realizes Staanz is being serious and begins to stammer.

D'ARGO: Uh........[chuckles]......I don't really uh......

STAANZ: I love you.

D'ARGO: Um. Well, you....uh...

STAANZ: I love you. I love you!

D'argo walks away.

D'argo sits in the maintenance bay. Zhaan enters.

ZHAAN: We are now well out of range of the Flax. And Kcrackic's Tracer. What happened out there, D'argo? D'argo?

D'ARGO: A Luxan warrior must never be indecisive in battle. My indecision nearly cost Aeryn and Crichton their lives.

ZHAAN: But you saved them.

D'ARGO: Barely. And by saving them, I may have given up my only chance of ever seeing my son, again. On every front.....I failed.

He exits.

John and Aeryn on command.

JOHN: Heat of the moment.

AERYN: Exactly. Too much pure oxygen.

JOHN: Affected our judgement. I mean, if it had been you and D'argo there, same thing probably would have happened.

AERYN: Or, you and Zhaan.

JOHN: Anyway, one thing's for sure. It'll never, never happen again.

AERYN: Never.

JOHN: Never.

AERYN: Never.

JOHN: One thing. [walks over to her] Just to be....absolutely certain. You are the female of your species...right?

She looks at him and lunges at him, slightly. He breaks out in a big grin.

JOHN: I'll take that as a yes.

He begins to exit. Almost all of the way out, he turns to look at her, and she turns to look at him. Aeryn barely suppresses a smile.

END OF EPISODE.