Part III:  

Too Close For Comfort 

Stop!
Ulric descended the ramp of the marauder. He was tired and he walked slowly through the hangar. He opened his mind and heard the peaceful songs of the Leviathans. Ulric found the songs very relaxing.

The AutoDoc had removed the implants from Enra without a problem. And now Ulric planned on keeping her sedated until quarters could be set up for her. He walked down to tier seven, toward Pilot's Den. Without any warning, Ulric felt like he had been struck in the head. He fell to his knees as the lights dimmed and the floor shuddered. Fire shot threw his brain. The screaming in his mind repeated a single word STOP! Ulric looked to the ceiling and screamed "Lursa! I can't…! You're kill…" He fell to the floor and lost consciousness.

Jack was still standing in front of the huge Pilot. What the hell happened? Think! He tapped his link. "Ulric, something's happened to Pilot." No response. "Ulric!" Jack, you really fucked up this time. "Pilot!" he yelled, "Disregard the last question!" He heard a noise behind him. He swung around to find the passageway filled with the little DRDs. He stepped back toward Pilot's console.

"Lursa! I'don't know if you can hear me, but whatever I've done, I'm sorry!" He grit his teeth as fear began to overwhelm him. The DRDs didn't move. He tried his link again. Nothing! Behind him Pilot raised from the console.

Pilot looked at Jack, tilting his head. "Colonel Crichton, what happened?"

"I don't know, Pilot." Jack knew better than to bring up the question again. " You had better ask Lursa."

Pilot paused for a moment. Her eyes widened. " You asked me about the progenitors!" She became very upset. "You must never ask a question like that again Colonel Crichton! "I could be damaged ... I could be killed."

"I am very sorry Pilot. I had no idea." He moved as close to her as possible. "Please understand. I meant no harm. " Jack had never felt as lost as he did at that moment. "Any injury I caused was due to ignorance. Please forgive me." He had almost killed Pilot. Just by asking a stupid question. Jack you are a long way from home. Stop trying to take the lead.

"Jack, Lursa says you must go directly to node twenty three on this tier now! It's Ulric. He is injured."

"What…"

"No Time. Go!" She was very upset.

Hemorrhage
Jack ran from Pilot's Den. He turned the corner and found Ulric face down on the floor, surrounded by six DRDs.

"Ulric!" Jack yelled as he approached. He knelt down and turned Ulric over. He was covered in blood. A lot of blood. And he was cold. "No Ulric!" With all of his strength, Jack picked him up, threw him over his shoulder and started for the MedBay.

He yelled as he ran down the tier. "Pilot! Get the scanner up and running. I'll need a full bio-scan. He rounded the last corner to the Med. Bay. Blood still streamed from Ulric's nose. "Hang on Ulric. You can't die, damn it!" Jack peeled Ulric from his shoulder and gently placed him on the scanner table. Sebacean blood seemed thicker than human blood, but it was just as red.

"Come on Ulric! Don't die on me!" The imager showed a translucent image of Ulric body. "Pilot you'll have to show me how to start a transfusion."

"That is being taken care of. The scanner bed has already started fluid transfer." Jack saw a small group of tubes that projected from the headrest. He moved from the bed to the display and saw the highlighted red areas in his head. "What happened to him?"

"It would appear that he has had a number of small hemorrhages in his brain."

"How?" Jack started to feel very alone.

The silence was disturbing and he turned to the image of Pilot in the clam shell viewer.

"How Pilot! What caused this?" He felt the anger and frustration beginning to build.

Pilot looked down. "We… Lursa was trying to communicate with him while I was incapacitated. The communication was damaging. When she realized she was hurting him she stopped. We are sorry."

"What can we do for him?"

"The MedBay can stabilize him, but surgery is necessary to repair the damage."

"Pilot do you have data stores of Sebacean anatomy to show me what to do?"

"It will take time."

"How long does he have?" He looked at the pale body in front of him. Blood still trickled from one nostril.

"He shows no signs of brain damage yet, but with the building pressure in his skull … he does not have much time." Jack's mind spun. Ulric you can't die on me son. I owe you too much. Jack looked up at Pilot. "What about the AutoDoc on the Marauder?"

"I know that AutoDocs are programmed for field injuries. I don't know if they have the capabilities for brain surgery?"

"We have to try." Jack grabbed a mobile bed and loaded the bloody body of his friend onto it.

He pushed the bed up the ramp into the Marauder. Jack quickly lifted Enra from the AutoDoc and placed her on the floor. He moved Ulric on to the savage looking table and pressed the red tile that started the hideous machine. Large metal arms wrapped Ulric's body from head to toe and large cutters on the inside of the arms tore through his uniform. The blinding light of the scanners was next. Overhead displays showed the injury. Jack did not look back down at Ulric's body preferring to keep his eyes locked on the monitors. He didn't need to see what the machine was doing. He smelled the cuts of the laser scalpels. Heard the sounds of the probes entering the Ulric's skull. He watched as the small probes squirmed though his brain sealing every hemorrhage in their path. Thankfully, it was over quickly and the probes receded from his skull. The incision was sealed and the AutoDoc retracted from his body. The surgery took less then five minutes. Jack moved him back on to the mobile bed and covered his bloody body with a blanket, while silently hoping he would never need to be under one of those machines.

Jack was amazed. By the time he got Ulric to his quarters, he was awake.

"What happened?" He whispered, somewhat hoarsely.

"It's a long story. Rest now I'll fill you in, in a few arns." Jack moved him onto his bed.

Damn that was close! I'm sorry Ulric. This is all my fault. Jack was filled with guilt. I almost lost you. The pain he felt was akin to what he had endured when he thought he had lost John. He turned and left the room. He headed to the hangar bay to take care of Enra. As he walked, he thought of how Ulric was becoming like a son to him. Face it Jack. You look at Ulric the same way do John. He quickly set up one of the crew quarters as their new guest's room making sure the door could be locked from the outside. He gently placed Enra on the bed, covering her in blankets. Ulric had said that she would start coming down off the control drugs within the next seventy-five arns. He went back to his own quarter to rest. He fell into bed and despite the guilt which haunted him, drifted quickly into a dreamless sleep.

Blood feeder!
Jack slept for more than twenty arns. When he awoke he realized he still had the on the blood covered uniform. He stripped it off and headed for the bathroom, hoping to wash some of the fatigue and guilt away. By the time he got out of the shower, the DRDs had already removed his uniform and bed linens. Jack dressed in his IASA flight suit, finding it a welcome change from the Peacekeeper uniform. He then checked in with Pilot who reported that Lursa was ready to starburst. Jack decided to wait until Ulric was on his feet. He then went to check on the young man who continued to sleep. Pilot reassured him that this was common after receiving so much Synth Blood. His next stop was Enra's quarters.

Jack entered the chamber cautiously, not sure what to expect. He found Enra still sleeping soundly, though bathed in sweat. He went to the recycler and soaked a towel in cold water. He returned to her side and wiped the sweat from her fevered brow. At his touch, she stirred. Looks like she's starting to go through withdrawal. She seemed so white and Jack had to remind himself that she was not human. This, the color of death for humans, might be normal for her species. Her features were haunting and Jack was startled when she opened her eyes. Those big green eyes. He looked at her. Those eyes were so alien yet so beautiful and he couldn't stop looking at them. He noticed the tiniest pupils appear and they seemed to be growing … He felt himself being drawn into them and suddenly, he felt as if he was floating.

In a blink of an eye he stood on the great breakwater. He was disoriented. He turned toward land and there before him were John and Carol. Gloucester? Carol's family had a cottage there. We spent time here when I wasn't in training. That was a long time ago. They were walking on the huge granite steps that descend to the harbor. "John! Carol!" He called out, but they didn't hear him. They were laughing and playing follow the leader. He screamed to them. John was about ten and Carol ... Carol was beautiful. He had a hard time remembering what she had looked like before the ravages of cancer had taken her … Carol! Blackness clouded the image. He felt a pain on his shoulder as he lost consciousness.

Ulric woke suddenly from a deep sleep. How long was I out? His head ached he felt pain just behind his left ear. He got out of bed slowly, realizing his balance was off. He dressed with difficulty.

"Pilot." He said, his voice still hoarse.

"Commander Selton. It is good to see that you are awake."

"How long have I been out."

"Approximately twenty seven arns."

He became alarmed " Where's Jack!"

"He is tending to our guest."

"Frell!" Ulric fought the dizziness and ran unsteadily down the corridor using its ribs to steady himself. He stumbled and fell awkwardly to the floor. He heard Jack yelling. "John! Carol!" He jumped up and sprinted into Enra's quarters and found Jack hunched over Enra who sat up, one hand cradling Jack's head. "No Enra!" He screamed. That distracted her enough so that he was able to break her hold on Jack who fell into her lap. She looked up at Ulric and for the first time displayed emotion. Her face was contorted in utter horror. "NO!" As he pulled Jack off of her, she retreated from him, screaming. She fell off the bed and pulled herself backward into the farthest corner of the room where she rolled up in a ball and sobbed. Ulric grabbed Jack and pulled him into the hall, locking the door behind them. He lowered Jack onto the deck and checked his head and neck for bites.

"Dren Jack! That was close." He mumbled as he slid down the wall next to the dazed man.

Once he saw that Jack was coming around Ulric got up slowly and walked to the MedBay. He collected some supplies and brought them back to Enra's quarters. He took one of the packets, ripped the seal open and removed a bag. The folded bag contained a small metal sphere and black powder. He crushed the sphere and watched as the contents inflated the bag. "Synth Blood, nutritious and delicious." He said softly. He opened the door and walked over to Enra who was still sobbing on the floor. "I suggest in the future that you stick to these." He tossed the bag onto the floor in front of her and slowly walked out.

As the door to Enra's quarters closed he noticed that Jack was looking up at him like a man who'd had too much to drink. "I'm sorry Jack I should have warned you. I though it would be at least another forty arns before she would wake up. The dizziness should subside quickly."

"What ... what happened. " Jack looked at Ulric though the haze in his mind.

"You are very lucky. If I hadn't woke up when I did you could have been sucked dry by now."

"What.. " Jack's head was starting to clear and he stood up with a little help from the wall. He walked over to the door, unlocked it, and peered in. Enra was still in the far corner of the room curled up in a tight ball.

"Enra is a Vladec Jack. A live feeder."

"A what?!"

"Vladec are, or should I say were, a race of blood feeders."

"Vampires?" Jack shuttered.

"Vamp what? Sorry Jack my translator dumped out on that one."

"On earth there are stories of Vampires (Vladec) that drink the blood of humans turning them into Vampires (Vladec)."

"It sounds like a child's story Jack." He smiled. "And don't worry. They can't turn you into anything other than dead and that's only if they choose to kill you."

"How are we going to feed her?"

"Well before you went on the shooting spree in Command, one of boxes she had contained a Biometric Converter set up to make the blood equivalent fo food cubes." He said with grin.

"You know Uli. Sometimes you sound just like my son. " He said sarcastically.

"We have a small blood supply but I think you and I will have to…"

"No way! I am not letting her …"

"Jack. Until we can figure out something else we'll have to extract blood in the MedBay and give it to her." He lost his temper with the foolish human. "Remember it was your frelling idea to save her. Not mine!"

"I'm sorry Ulric." Jack looked at him for a long time. Damn, he looks like John. "How are you feeling."

"I'm sore and I have a frelling headache." He rubbed his shoulders. "I was in the AutoDoc wasn't I?"

"Yes. How'd you know?

"I was in one once before and I can feel where the retractor entered my shoulders. Now for the big question; What the frell happened?"

Jack's Confession
Jack walked Ulric back to his quarters. He looked down at the floor as they walked. "Ulric, Crais asked me about something called the Progenitor Key."

"No…Oh no … don't tell me! You went in and asked Pilot about it." He smiled slightly. "Jack, do you have any idea what …" He sighed. "I understand on your world you are of command rank and you're used to taking charge. But here … There is too much here you don't understand Jack. It's dangerous." He had chosen his words carefully.

He stopped and looked at Ulric. "Ulric I … I'm sorry and you're right."

"So how did you stop cerebral collapse in Pilot."

Jack looked at him with the stunned expression. "I don't know. I told her to disregard the question."

"That wouldn't have done anything. Once the collapse starts Pilots go into a coma."

Jack thought back. "I noticed a shit load of DRDs in the passage watching me. I was scared. I apologized to Lursa for what I had done. I know she can't hear me but it seemed like the only thing I could do. The next thing I knew, Pilot was awake."

"Amazing Jack. Peacekeepers have tried to stop the self destruct in Pilots for hundreds of cycles."

"So you had nothing to do with Pilot coming back."

"All I remember is walking toward Pilot's Den and the pain."

"Ulric I …" Jack didn't know how to express his feelings.

"Jack forget it." He smiled.

He changed the subject. "So what is this Progenitors Key anyway?"

"It's a long story Jack. Most of it comes from the Pilots' own history. We call them Progenitors or the Builders because we don't know who or what they were. They lived millions of cycles ago and they were the ones who developed the Biomechanoid science that created Leviathans. The Progenitors also altered the race of pilots as companions for the Biomechanoids. They spread throughout the galaxy. Haven't you noticed that most sentient species are bipedal? They come from common genetic traits. Then they disappeared leaving no trace other than the Biomechanoids and the race of pilots." They stopped outside Ulric's quarters and he leaned against one of the support ribs in the hall. He still suffered a sensation of dizziness. "Over two hundred cycles ago Peacekeepers discovered that all Biomechanoids carry huge data stores. It is believed that these data stores hold the entire knowledge of the Progenitors. Here's the catch. Biomechanoids themselves can't access the information and the pilots can only retrieve the information that they can comprehend. There are built in governors to prevent the Pilots from processing most of the information. Those governors are called the Progenitors Key.

"Why would they leave the information if they didn't want anyone to use it?"

"Good question Jack. We believe it's a reward. When we evolve to a certain point, it is believed that the governors will be lifted and their knowledge will be released. Peacekeepers have been chipping away at the key for more than two hundred cycles. They have destroyed thousands of Leviathans during their research. By the way." He turned to face Jack. "Never ask Pilot that question again! In fact, never ask pilot any questions relating to the progenitors. Is Lursa ready to starburst?

"Yes she is. We were waiting for you to recover"

"Well let's go. I don't like staying in one place too long. Just three more jumps and we will be close enough to make a run for the uncharted territories."

"I'll take care of it. Get some rest." Jack headed for Command.

Coming Down
Jack woke to the sound of screaming from Enra's chamber. He quickly got dressed and walked down to her quarters.

"Peacekeeper let me out of here! You are frelling animals!" She shrieked.

Jack stood at the door and watched as she paced back and forth. "Hello Enra. How are you feeling?" Jack asked as calmly as possible.

"Peacekeeper let me out! Now!" She moved to the door. "Open this door!"

"Please Enra, calm down. Everything is going to be okay. Just relax. You are suffering from withdrawal."

She stopped near the table in her room and she screamed as she grabbed it. She picked it up and forcefully threw it at the door. "No frelling dren! You frelling animal! Let me out of here!" She fell to her knees and started to cry.

"I see our guest has decided rejoin us." Ulric said as he came down the corridor.

"Are you hungry? Is there anything that we can get you?"

"Jack we have a limited supply of blood at the moment. We have to ration what we have. I had no idea that I had gone through so much."

"Go look in the marauder. The DRDs still haven't finished cleaning it out." A familiar shudder passed through him again.

"What's with this?" Ulric pulled on the gray collar of his IASA flight suit.

"I need to give it a rest for a while Ulric."

He looked at Jack for a long time. "Just keep a uniform close. If we run into another patrol we'll need Captain Delin again."

They stopped and heard Enra laughing slightly through her sobs. "I knew it. I haven't experienced anything like that since ..." She slowly raised her head and looked at the two men. Her eyes locked with Jack's. "You are no more a Peacekeeper then I am." Her laugh became stronger.

Jack looked a Ulric and he knew instantly what Jack was about to say. "No don't!"

"No Enra, I am not a Peacekeeper or even a Sebacean. I am human. How did you know?"

"Rapture with a Peacekeeper is always the same thing. Sex or domination. You were quite different. Memories of your family fill you. I have not witnessed anything like that since… since…" Her voice trailed off.

"Rapture what is Rapture?" Jack asked her softly.

She didn't respond; just sat on the floor of her quarters, her head resting on her knees.

"Let her rest." The two men headed back down the corridor. "You know you make me frelling angry sometimes! I don't think it was wise to tell her anything. It's dangerous."

"What do we have to gain by lying to her? Once she's feeling better I think we should let her go."

"Go where Jack?" He looked at Jack with compassion. There is so much you don't know.

"Home." He replied defensively.

"There is no home for her to return to Jack. The Hynerian Empire annexed the Vladic home world six cycles ago. Peacekeepers were hired to remove her race from the planet. That's why I was surprised that any survived. I don't think you fully understand what Peacekeepers are capable of."

"That's where you're wrong Ulric. My world has seen its share of what you are talking about."

"How is that possible? There is only one sentient species on your world."

"Yes there is. How it's possible? I don't know." He looked down, shaking his head sadly. "All I know is; humans can be just as savage as Peacekeepers."

They reached the galley. "So she has nowhere to go. All the more reason to tell her the truth. We can use all the help we can get Ulric."

"By the way Jack I have been meaning to ask, did you have a nice trip?"

"Trip where?"

"The Vladic Rapture. What was it like?" He settled in a chair opposite Jack, and gazed at him across at the table.

Jack thought back. His eyes welled with tears. "It was…" He cleared his throat " It was wonderful. It was so real…" He stopped to compose himself.

"Vladic have the ability to raise memories in order to incapacitate their victims. Makes it easier for them to feed."

"All I know is that she gave me an image of my life that I had forgotten." He looked out the huge view plates at front of the galley. " I think it might help Enra to know we aren't going to hurt her. Maybe if you …"

"No! No frelling way Jack! I don't want that alien in my head!"

He looked a Ulric with disapproval. " Listen to yourself. You're willing to link to Lursa and from a genetic standpoint, she's a far more alien being than Enra. Just think about it."

Ulric got up from the table. "I am going back to bed. I have heard enough." He turned and walked stiffly from the galley.

"Well I guess that's the end of that conversation." Jack smiled. "For now." He picked up his log.

Part 4

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