Aeryn Sun let her eyes wander through the crowd again, looking for Crichton. He had an annoying tendency to wander off every single time they landed on a commerce planet. A growl from D'Argo let her know that the Luxan was just as annoyed.

"You would think that John would have learned from last time." Zhaan said, scanning the area as well.

"Apparently not." Aeryn answered, giving up her search of the crowd.

"Let's leave him here." D'argo suggested.

Aeryn thought the idea was tempting, but she would never abandon any of her shipmates on a planet- although leaving Rygel somewhere was more then tempting...

"John, can you hear me?" Zhaan said into the comm - she was the only one of them patient enough to try it again.

~~~

He was lost -again. You'd think he'd get the picture and stay with everyone. He honestly meant to every time they came down, but something always distracted him.

The others were used to seeing aliens. They weren't amazed by everyone that passed by. They never stopped walking when he paused to look at some strange 'critter', and they never bothered to check that he was still with him. By the time they realized he wasn't, he'd managed to get himself lost.

Zhaan's voice over the comm startled him. "John, can you hear me?"

'I'm lost, not deaf.' he thought to himself. "Yeah, Zhaan."

"Good-"

"Crichton!" D'Argo roared, cutting off Zhaan. "Where are you?"

"Umm...That's the problem D'Argo."

He could hear D'argo's growl. Just days before they had reached something of an understanding, but now John was fearing for his safety again.

"Stay there!" Aeryn said after the brief silence. "We'll find you!"

"Okay."

The communication cut off. John tried to figure out how they were going to find him, but decided he really didn't care. He just stood exactly were he was, out of the path of traffic, watching the strange... people?... walk past. He knew what would happen if he kept wandering -he'd get himself into some kind of jam. Again.

Of course, staying put didn't even help keep him out of trouble... ~~~

She surveyed the crowd carefully even though she ran, looking for someone that could help her. They were close behind. She was going to die, she had no hope of outrunning them. And even if she did, what would it be for? So they could hunt her down again? No more. Today was the last day.

She saw him standing by the wall, watching everyone with just the same amount of attention she was giving them. He looked like a Sebacean, but something told her that he wasn't. She ran towards him, hazarding another backwards glance. They were so close...She'd have just enough time.

She ran into him full force.

~~~

John saw the woman (he thought she looked female) running towards him. She looked terrified, but he could see a sense of purpose in her eyes. As she drew near, he didn't even attempt to move out of the way. She literately plowed into him, knocking him off his feet.

He started to get up, but she stopped him by shifting her position. She sat on his stomach, stopping his breathing, with one leg on either side of him. Without a comment, she placed her hands on his chest. Part of him wanted to jump to his feet, the other part wanted him to stay still. He opted to stay there.

The woman's eyes, which were a beautiful shade of violet , rolled up into her head. Suddenly there was a sensation of warmth where her hands lay. It quickly grew uncomfortable, then practically unbearable. It made his head feel funny. The worst part was he couldn't fight her off.

He was grateful when she let go. The whole ordeal only took a few minutes, but it felt much longer. Her eyes focused back on him.

"I suggest you run." She said, casting a glance over her shoulder.

"What the hell just happened!?" he asked.

"No time!" She hissed, getting up quickly. "Get going, or they'll see you. Don't let them see you."

He had so many questions. "Who ar-" he started as he stood. She put her hands up.

"Go. No questions. You'll understand in time."

He actually believed her. Without further discussion, he turned and ran away from the woman. As he did, he heard voices telling him to stop. He ignored them and kept running, hoping that they couldn't see him well. He knew that if they saw him, he was in trouble.

He turned a corner, and bounced off of someone. The impact caused him to lose his balance and fall backwards. For a second he sat sprawled on the hard ground, almost afraid to look up.

A familiar growl came from above him.

"Next time, you stay on the ship with Rygel," D'argo said, hauling John to his feet.

~~~

He watched the four board the small craft and smiled. His leader would be pleased when he returned with the information on how to catch the male that they needed now.

~~~

"Are you alright, John?" Zhaan asked, joining him on the terrace.

"Huh?" He asked, turning to look at her.

She noticed the far way look in his eyes. "Are you alright?" she repeated.

"Oh yeah. I'm fine."

"You seem rather distant."

He shrugged, and returned his gaze to the stars around him. His head still felt funny. There was something there, in his mind, he just couldn't get it to come out. He felt it.

"John?" Zhaan asked, worried.

"Sorry, Zhaan."

He'd already told them all what had happened in the market. Aeryn had even stated what he already knew- he just couldn't stay out of trouble.

"What did she do to me, Zhaan?" he asked her suddenly, breaking the silence that had formed. "Things..." He searched for the right words. "Feel different."

She looked interested. "What things?"

"Everything....ever just feel weird, Zhaan? Besides during solar flares?"

She smiled. "Once in a while. I normally try meditating to clear my mind."

That was the equivalent of what he'd been doing before she came. Just staring at the stars and thinking. He didn't know any other way to clear his mind.

"Maybe you just need some rest."

"Sleep it off like a hangover?" he asked, although he was already feeling better. "Sounds like a good idea. Thanks Zhaan." He turned and headed to his quarters.

~~~

Sleeping wasn't a good idea. But by the time he realized it, so had the rest of the crew. He couldn't remember what he had seen in his sleep, but suddenly he was simultaneously sitting up, falling off of the bed, and screaming.

He was pulling himself up from the floor when D'argo burst in, his Qualta blade in hand, ready for action. He swept his eyes around the room, then, seeing nothing, turned and glared at Crichton. He did lowered the blade though, for which John was extremely grateful.

"What's going on?" Aeryn asked, coming up behind the huge Luxan. John noticed that even D'argo's size didn't make Aeryn look any less threatening. She had her pulse riffle drawn too, but she didn't point it away.

"Is everything alright?" Zhaan stepped into the room also.

Rygel, looking annoyed, was the last to enter. He said nothing, but glared at John along with D'argo and Aeryn. John looked at Zhaan; at least she looked worried.

"Are you alright, John?" she asked.

No. His heart was running a marathon, his head was pounding, his brain was off on it's own world, and things were starting to feel even weirder.

"Crichton!?" Aeryn called.

He turned to look at her. "Yeah?" He asked absently.

Something was wrong. Really wrong. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. They were in deep trouble, and it was because of that woman. She had done something to him. Now the people that chased her and probably killed her were after him. Everyone else was in danger too.

He opened his mouth to let them know of the danger, but Pilot beat him to it.

"There's a ship approaching quickly," Pilot informed them.

"Is it Peacekeeper?" D'argo asked.

"No." John and Pilot answered together.

All three continued to stare at him. Zhaan was the first to speak. "Do you know what is going on, John?"

He nodded. "I think so."

"How!?" Aeryn demanded.

"I dunno..." He answered truthfully, standing up.

"Are we in trouble?" Zhaan asked.

He was silent for a long time. "Only me." He answered finally.

"Of course you get the rest of us into-" Rygel started but was silenced by a glare from Aeryn.

"Pilot?" Aeryn asked quickly, keeping one eye on Rygel.

"Yes, Aeryn Sun?"

"Do you know what kind of ship it is?"

"Yes. Zogarian."

John looked around expectantly, hoping to be given some information on the race that was chasing him. D'argo and Aeryn didn't look outwardly upset. But the two of them were used to life threatening developments. D'argo wouldn't get mad until they get attacked.

"They've asked to talk with the leader of the ship." Pilot informed them.

They looked around at each other. Going with D'argo posing as their leader would show they had strength. They might think twice about attacking a Peacekeeper ship if they saw Aeryn. Or,if they wanted to play it the other way, Zhaan would be a good choice to show they meant no harm.

Suddenly, showing force wasn't a good idea. John knew it deep in his gut. He turned to Zhaan. "You go. Find out what they want." He watched the others to see if they would complain. No one did.

He already knew what the Zogarians wanted. 'Oh please let me be wrong,' he pleaded to whoever listened, knowing somehow that he wasn't.

~~~

"We have no male Sebaceans aboard this ship." Zhaan answered truthfully, her eyes never leaving the tall, fat, black shape.

The only color on it was its mouth, eyes and hair, all of which were a shade of blue not far from Zhaan's skin. She was unsure if the life form was wearing any clothes, and she didn't really want to know.

"We have information that tells us you do," he informed her.

"That information is obviously wrong." She paused. "Why do you want this male that you seek?"

"He was given information by an escapee."

That would explain what the woman had done to him. "What kind of information?"

"Military. Important information on a new weapon. We must have it back. We will take your ship if need be."

"He is not on this ship." Zhaan struggled to keep her voice even.

"Then allow us to board peacefully and see for ourselves."

"I must check with the others first. I will contact you when we've reached a decision."

"You have 1 arn."

She nodded and Pilot cut the transmission. "Did you get all of that?" she asked into the comm.

John's voice answered. "Yeah Zhaan. We got it." She wasn't surprised at the tension in his voice.

~~~

They were alone. D'argo was with Zhaan and Rygel, arguing with the Zogarians.

"You hid from D'argo for three days, do you think you can handle hiding from the Zogarians while they search the ship?" Aeryn asked him, pacing around his room.

"They'll get violent if they don't get me." he answered. "I'll be putting everyone in danger."

"So you'd rather just hand yourself over?!"

He reminded himself that Aeryn was a warrior. She was trained to fight, not give in to the enemy. "Do you always fight, even if it means death?" he snapped, suddenly angry.

"Yes we do!" She snapped back. "So why the frell won't you?"

He had a good idea what frell meant. "I'll be putting four li-" He stopped mid sentence, his eyes suddenly going wide. He fell to the ground before Aeryn was able to catch him.

"Crichton? Are you alright?" she asked, crouching down next to him.

"John?" she tried again. No answer. She reached out and shook his shoulder. He didn't move, didn't make a sound.

"Great. Just what we need now. Zhaan, are you busy?"

"Yes, Aeryn, I am." she answered. Aeryn was surprised to hear a hint of anger in her voice.

"-Either you let us look for him, or we will blow your ship up."

"I need you down here." Aeryn said. "I think we've got a malfunction in one of the D.R.D.'s."

"Can't it wait?" Zhaan's voice was frustrated. "Or can Pilot help you?"

"Zhaan, it's the big DRD...." 'Come on! Get the picture already, Zhaan!' Aeryn thought. She was not going to shout over the comms that Crichton and just flopped onto the ground, when it meant letting the Zogarians know that he was on the ship.

"I'll be right there."

She looked back down at Crichton. Humans were confusing, but she was fairly certain that this wasn't normal. At least, he had never done it before.

Aeryn was surprised at how worried she was for him.

~~~

One minute he was talking to Aeryn, then next he wasn't there anymore. The woman that had put him in the whole horrible situation was standing in front of him.

"What the hell did you do to me!?" he yelled.

"You have more than information in you. You have the weapon. You are the weapon. If you turn yourself in to them, they will kill the others aboard your ship. They know too much. I had no choice when I gave it to you... They can not have the weapon back."

"Whoa....hang on. 'Weapon'? What the hell did you give me!?"

She looked surprised by his anger. "It's a powerful weapon. You can unleash it when you want to. Or you can transfer it to someone else."

'That's not possible.' He thought. Even after all he had been through these past months, his scientific beliefs still tried to hold on to something. "What kind of weapon?" he forced himself to ask.

"Powerful. I don't even understand it fully. I was just the lucky test subject that it worked on. It is the ultimate weapon. It is capable of destroying a whole planet."

"How do you use it?" 'Not possible....'

"You just kind of... let it out. I have no way of explaining it. But that's what happens."

"You blow the planet up, just by thinking it?"

"No...You destroy all life on the planet...or the area you decide. You can choose how much you want to release. Just think it, and it happens."

"That's not-"

"Possible? It is. I've done it...against my will. If they capture you, they will force you to fight their enemies."

"Can't I just kill 'them'?"

"Once you are captured, they will give you drugs to keep you compliant."

"Then how did you get away?"

"They missed a dose. I took my chance and ran. I doubt you'd get the same chance."

"Can I destroy it?"

"The weapon? Not without destroying yourself."

"So what the hell do you want me to do!?" 'What can I do?' His thoughts were getting jumbled. He was fighting to believe what he was being told, and at the same time, he was fighting to think of a way out of this jam.

"Get away from the Zogarians. Find a nice quiet peaceful planet and give it to someone."

"What's to stop them from using it on the people of their planet?"

She sighed. "Do whatever you want, after you get rid of the Zogarians. They know too much about the weapon. They will become more powerful than the Peacekeepers if you let them have it."

Something occurred to him. "Don't they know how to do this again? Couldn't they just give up on me and redo what they did to you on someone else?"

She smiled. "Before I fled, I destroyed all the data they had on me. I made sure of it. You have the only remaining weapon."

He opened his mouth to say something- then he wasn't there anymore. He was back on Moya. Aeryn was crouched over him on one side, Zhaan on the other.

"John?" Zhaan asked, seeing his eyes open.

He groaned and sat up. His head was still pounding. "That was...odd."

"Are you alright?" Aeryn asked.

"Oh yeah. I don't have information on the weapon, I am the weapon." He forced himself to stand up. Aeryn and Zhaan were sharing confused looks. "Look, I don't have time to really explain it all. We gotta get out of here, now. Or at least I do. Those dudes in the ship want me, or at least the weapon 'in' me. I can't give it to them. After we get away, if we get away, I'll explain everything else."

D'argo's rough voice came over the comm. "They are getting annoyed. What are we doing?"

"Can we get out of here before they shoot?" John asked, hope in his voice even though he knew that things wouldn't be that easy. They never were.

"No. By time Moya's prepared for Starburst we'll be dead." Aeryn answered.

"Great. Let them aboard. I'll hide."

"Well, we know you can do that one." Aeryn said.

Her grin (she was actually grinning!) let him know she was kidding. 'She finally develops a sense of humor now...' he thought, even as he got up.

"They're about to fire!" D'argo shouted.

Zhaan looked to him for confirmation. He nodded.

"Let them dock D'argo." Zhaan said, her voice still worried.

"Here we go." John mumbled to himself, already looking up for an entrance to the crawl space he had spent three days in before.