Back to startup
Back to startup
Episode Guide Jump to CHARACTERS
Who the frell?
Jump to the CHARACTERS
#0418 - Prayer

Overview
After the last episode, Aeryn is being brutally interrogated onboard a Scarren freighter, trying to stall for time. Meanwhile, John and Scorpius have to find their way to the unrealized reality in which Sikozu/Stark resides, and somehow extract the information from him/her/it...

In Whole
Captured by the Scarrens and on one of their freighters, Aeryn seems to be talking to herself about a legend of a God the Peacekeepers had, called Tanka 'Bru. Anyway, seems this God (or more rather Goddess) was praised on six worlds, and the people of these worlds conquered worlds in her name. But she went and destroyed these six worlds for no reason. When asked why by the final warrior she had slain, she simply replied "because I can".

Back on Moya, John and Scorpius are going through the specifics of their plan. Or more rather, Scorpius is trying to tell John their chances. John, as usual, is not listening. The plan - find the Stark/Sikozu in the unrealised reality. If he/she/it (John is now calling him Bizarro Stark so I will as well) knows the name, he may know where it is. Scorpius meanwhile, cements the trust between himself and John with a small blood-ritual (John quickly calls Scorpy Nosferatu). John is still willing to give Scorpy the wormhole tech.

Meanwhile, Aeryn is praying to Tanka 'Bru. She wants the Goddess to send her a sign that John is coming, but her prayer is cut short by the arrival of a Scarren (high order by the looks of him) and what appears to be a Sebacean nurse at his side. They want to question her. Aeryn says something in Scarren, and asks if she got the pronunciation correct.

Rather typically, the Scarren decides to ask her where Crichton is, in the typical Scarren fashion (ie weird stuff coming out of his hand).

Opening!

Yep, Aeryn's still being tortured. She says Crichton is on Moya, but doesn't know where Moya will be. The nurse advises the Scarren stop, in case he kills her. Questions about the wormhole tech - Aeryn knows nothing. Finally she is released, but it seems she couldn't stand as much of the torture as they thought she could - any more and she'd be dead. They think she's weak, and have no idea why.

Meantime, back on Moya, John is convinced he knows the way to the 'variant Moya'. He's got a hum in his head, like a homing beacon. Einstein said before he could get back to places he'd visited earlier, so it'd make sense that he could concentrate enough and find the way back to the 'variant Moya'.

D'Argo and Chiana both think he needs a lie down. But don't they always? And it seems that they don't know about John and Scorpy's agreement. John prepares to set off in his module with Scorpius, as soon as Moya gets close enough to the wormhole.

Back with Aeryn, and she wakes up from heat delirium. The nurse is questioning her about why Jenek's (the Scarren) torture nearly killed her, but Aeryn just says she was tired. If Aeryn tries to hold out Jenek will kill her, and she'll be just another DIT (died in transit). Aeryn asks the nurse about her working for the Scarrens, taking the coward's way out. The nurse says that, if either the PKs or Scarrens control the universe, she won't have any power in it either way. May as well just try to survive.

Back with Moya, Crichton and Scorpius prepare to enter the wormhole that lead back to Earth, and to the variant Moya. Scorpius muses, if Crichton misses his target, they could change the past, the future. Create a universe devoid of PKs and Scarrens. Scorpius asks John if he'd like that. Meanwhile, John is trying to focus - he seems to know the exact way through the wormholes like a road map, and is giving himself directions as he goes (which is quite funny) until they break free of the wormhole in what appears to be a totally new universe.

Back on the freighter, Jenek and the nurse are talking. The signal from the bioloyd Aeryn stopped before they could exactly pinpoint Moya, and they're wondering how the Moya crew found it so fast. However, the nurse thinks she has a way to make Aeryn more useful. Jenek says he doesn't care if she lives or dies, most likely Crichton will still come for her, and they will capture him. Nevertheless, Jenek gives her the opportunity to put her plan into action.

The nurse tries to give Aeryn an injection 'to make her sleep', but Aeryn tries to resist, to no avail. The nurse puts the needle thingy in, but instead extracts some goo from Aeryn.

Meanwhile, John and Scorpius are floating dead in space. The module has had a bit of a breakdown, and they can't stop spinning either. Scorpius finds it ironic, that they may die out in deep space together. John however asks Scorpy what he'd do with the wormhole tech if he got it before. Scorpy jokes, saying he'd take over as much of the universe as possible, destroy Earth and all the other stuff John thinks he'd do. But in reality, all he'd do is use it as a deterrant. John however manages to get the module back up and running, and blasts off into the wormhole network again, giving himself directions from the little buzz in his mind, until they find the variant Moya.

Back at the freighter, Jenek interrogates Aeryn about how she knew they intended to kidnap Grayza. Of course, Aeryn didn't know, and can't give any answers they want. The nurse arrives back though, and tells Jenek that Aeryn is pregnant. First thoughts - the baby is Crichton's.

However, Sikozu is having an argument with D'Argo. She thinks they should leave - Aeryn is most likely dead, and Grayza knows the location of the wormhole they are by. Rygel agrees, but D'Argo insists on them staying for another arn, but asks Pilot to do scans of the area for anything at all, in case they are approached.

Aeryn manages to regain consciousness to find herself being wheeled down a corridor in the freighter. It seems that, at least when she arrives at Katrazi, the Scarrens can reclaim knowledge from Crichton's DNA in the fetus. As such, they can get all of the wormhole tech Crichton had just from the baby. No need for Crichton at all.

Next, in a prison block, Aeryn is strapped up alongside two other female prisoners, praying again to Tanka 'Bru. The other two prisoners find it amusing that a Peacekeeper is praying to a God. Again, the nurse arrives and asks who's child it is - Jenek is already dreaming of the riches he could gain if he forces the information from her. Unless Aeryn tells him what he wants, Jenek wil make her wish she was dead. Aeryn tries to bluff, saying she was a 'PK tralk' who slept around with everyone. The nurse leaves her to the 'comforting' reflections on Scarren torture, provided by the other prisoners.

Now on the variant Moya, things appear to be slightly blurry. No biggie. But John says they'd better hurry - they've got an arn before Crais arrives, and slaughters everyone. Fortunately, John and Scorpy have just spotted two prime targets - the Noranti/Rygel, and Bizarro Stark!

Back on the freighter, one of the prisoners is telling Aeryn of the Scarren's motives - find something useful in a species, and see if they can reproduce it, getting the captive to breed over and over. The prisoner says they bred her six times, three dying before they were born. She's not sure what happened to the others. The prisoner can apparently spit a solution that melts metal - only thin metal, mind, certainly not enough to break them out. The Scarrens are trying to breed offspring from her that will be able to spit through weapons-grade metal. Seems the prisoner has also hidden enough sleeping pills to kill herself at any time, but lacks the conviction to do so. The prisoner says Aeryn thinks she is a spy for the Scarrens, but says they don't need her to control Aeryn - they're doing a fine job anyway. They travel the prisoners round on freighters so nobody knows where they are. No chance of rescue. No hope.

Now on the variant Moya, and it appears Bizarro Stark doesn't have a clue about Katrazi. Turns out he/she/it just happenned to cross the spirit of Chiana/Aeryn over at the time, and while doing so channeled a Scarren who knew about it and told him/her/it. Meanwhile, Scorpy has an idea to get the info.

Back with Aeryn, and the nurse is musing to Jenek about the Sebacean reproductive structure - the embryo is fertilised, splits, splits again, and stops, waiting to be awakened (ooo - triplets possibly?). The nurse decides to use a truth serum on Aeryn, Aeryn of course says they needn't - she'll tell the truth without it. Upon injection though, Aeryn says of course she wouldn't, and the interrogation continues. Velorek (The Way We Weren') enters the equation as someone who the father could be. Aeryn reveals he was executed by High Command. However, as they try and squeeze more truth out of her, Aeryn falls unconscious. Jenek briefly believes the nurse may be working for Aeryn, but realises otherwise. However, as Aeryn is regaining consciousness, Jenek inquires about the other prisoner's embryo. The nurse reveals it doesn't seem to have any enhanced abilities, and Jenek takes his wibbly hand beam to her stomach, presumably killing the fetus inside (my we can't see the cutting you did there BBC!).

Back on the variant Moya, Scorpius has tracked down Noranti/Rygel (at least I think it was Noranti) and is dragging her down the corridor to meet up with John and Bizarro Stark. Scorpius has decided upon the logic that, seeing as though Bizarro Stark needs to cross a soul over to get the info, why not just kill someone, and that someone just so happens to be Noranti/Rygel. John as usual is slightly annoyed, but Scorpy reasons that they'll be dead in an arn anyway. However, Bizarro Stark cannot cross the soul over, as it wasn't someone he/she/it loved. New Stark, new rules.

Aeryn again, and she seems to be showing some affection to her fellow prisoner who has just lost her child, but the prisoner still seems to think Aeryn sees her as a Scarren spy. She says that's the third child the Scarrens have terminated. She saw the scan, and it must have been malformed. The three that survived, she says, were beautiful. Aeryn says that she's had six pregnancies, doing the math (remember, three survived, three terminated before this one - doesn't add up). Aeryn says she's never had a child before, but protecting this child will probably end her life. However, the prisoner says she's ordered enough sleep pills to end both their lives. Aeryn asks her name - Moroc. She says John will rescue both of them.

Back on the variant Moya, Scorpius is saying that these people are pre-destined to die anyway, so his method is the best. They just have to find someone Bizarro Stark loves.

Back on normal Moya, things are getting desperate. Pilot keeps comming John and Scorpy, with no answer, and the wormhole is gradually losing stability. D'Argo however is desperate to stay and give Crichton the chance to get back, but Sikozu wants to vote (Noranti is apparently asleep). However, Pilot cuts things short - seems a craft is approaching, but it's too far away to tell what it is.

Back with Aeryn and the Scarrens, and the fetus has DNA in it that has never been catalogued. Could be Crichton's. Could be a Sebacean from a planet that they just haven't catalogued (they apparently have some variants depending on the planet). However, Aeryn says she had another job when she was off Moya (possibly relating to between season 3 and 4). She was an assassin (ties in so far), working with a man called Lachna, who was her lover, and it is most likely his conception. Aeryn says he was from a planet called Fendril, a small planet off most charts. Jenek has heard of it, it is in the Calus nebula, a long way away. The nurse reasons that is why it isn't in their database, so they decide to check genetic similarities from the same nebula.

Back on the variant Moya, they have tracked down the Chiana/Aeryn. John is still unwilling to kill them, though they're gonna die in an arn anyway. Then they come across D'Argo/Jool, and John has to kill him/her/it in a quite funny part (the D'Argo/Jool always cracks me up).

Meanwhile, Jenek has found out that Aeryn's baby is not a product of someone from Fendril. Aeryn reasons that Lachna must have lied to her, and the other prisoner says she isn't lying. Aeryn remains absolute that the baby is Lachna's, and that she knew him BEFORE going to Moya, and was on Moya to watch Crichton. Aeryn says she has never loved Crichton. She says that it happened when she left Moya, fell in love with Lachna and forgot about Crichton. However, Crichton still pervades her thoughts.

However, seems a Command Carrier is approaching Moya. Chiana comes up with the idea to use the signature thing to change Moya's signature, and when the PKs believe they're not Moya they'll move off. A vote is taken whether to wait or not (seems like they couldn't be bothered waking Noranti). Sikozu and Rygel vote to starburst away, while Chiana, Pilot and Moya, and finally D'Argo say stay. Pilot initiates the signature change.

Meanwhile on the variant Moya, John says that it took the Chiana/Aeryn to die for Stark to channel the Scarren and find out about Katrazi. May as well kill her, and John decides to do the job. Bizarro Stark says he won't cross her over if they kill Chiana/Aeryn, but of course he will because he loves her. May as well, since they're gonna die soon anyway when Crais knocks at the door (alas Lani fans, he doesn't make a reappearance in this ep). However, John can't pull the trigger.

Scorpius, however, can.

Back with Aeryn, she says she doesn't know if the child is Crichton's. She still persists with the Lachna story, but it all fades into Crichton in her head. There is no Lachna, she says. Only Crichton.

Meanwhile, Bizarro Stark crosses over Chiana/Aeryn's soul, and manages to channel the Scarren. Katrazi, it is revealed, is small and the seat of Scarren power. It masks itself by mirroring the orbit of one of the moons of Trilax. Scorpy knows where Trilax is, so at least that's a start. Time to go. John however, feels sentimental at the death of Chiana/Aeryn, but still they must leave, or die with them.

Back with Aeryn, it appears the other prisoner, Moloc, has freed herself by watching the sequence codes. She hands Aeryn a couple of pills in order to kill herself with, and offers Aeryn to take them with her, killing both of them and Aeryn's child. Aeryn talks, taking a few, while the other prisoner does the same. Aeryn reveals the dreams she said she had for the child, a little girl she hoped who would change the world and look after Aeryn when she was old. Moloc says they were not foolish dreams, that she had the same dreams. Then asks, for the second time, if it is Crichton's child.

Aeryn invites her to come closer, and asks her about her children. Six pregnancies, three survived.

Aeryn twigs.

She knows Moloc is giving her pills that won't kill her. She knows Moloc is their spy. With Moloc in a throat-hold, she asks if she's even had one child.

Nope? Big surprise (note the sarcasm). Moloc drops down dead, Aeryn happy she hasn't orphaned anyone.

Back with Moya, the Command Carrier is getting close. John and Scorpius manage to get in the docking whip as Moya starbursts to safety, presumably taking the module with them.

Back on the freighter, Jenek and the nurse inform Aeryn that they have set a course for Katrazi, and a surgeon is on hand, presumably to deliver the little bundle of joy. They then leave Aeryn alone in her cell.

Aeryn gives the Goddess Tanka 'Bru one final message - she hasn't helped. Aeryn is running out of time. Now she's going to forget about Tanka 'Bru. She is now prepared to deal with anyone, anyhow, to save her child...

What I thought
Hmm... odd... There are two major stories here, the one with Aeryn on the freighter, and the one in which John and Scorpy try to get the info of Katrazi. However, the introduction of a third story on Moya in the meantime can make it a bit tiresome. It seems that the writers have fortunately concentrated a fair bit on the Aeryn storyline as she plays for time (wonder if Lechna is real or not?), but the John/Scorpy story is quite rushed (but still quite funny). A good few new effects, with the module going around wormholes and suchlike, and also some good character exposition between John and Scorpy, but as said that story appears quite rushed. I am tempted to give it a 4, but I'm not sure. I think I'll give it a strong 3.


Got anything you want to say? E-mail me at [email protected] 1
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws