TITLE: "THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "Farscape"

PAIRING: JOHN/D'ARGO

RATING: NC-17

STATUS: New.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed

The usual disclaimers apply. No infringement of copyright is intended.

"THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH"
A "Farscape" slash story
Written by Alison M. DOBELL
* * * * *

She tinkered for a while, retrieving the images as best she could. The microdroid was silent, inert, while her sensitive hands probed and made adjustments. Biting back a swear word she moved her skirt out of the way and watched. He looked in poor shape as much because of his dwindling spirit as anything else. She bit her lip in concern and augmented the programming of the little droid. It made muted sounds which she ignored. Once finished she snapped his casing shut and sat upright. She could not be seen wandering around the Scarran ship unaccompanied but no one took any notice of droids, especially ones this small. Quickly she whispered what she wanted and sent the droid on its' way. For such a tiny biomechanoid it had a vast array of equipment though no weapons. She wanted information. Information and the whereabouts of John Crichton.

* * * * *

He did not know what was real any more. The pain of torture was almost a welcome relief after the sessions with Jena and Paul. He felt like he was trapped in the Twilight Zone. But pain. Pain was real. Honest. Truthful. It cut through all that crap. It had him screaming in agony as the
Scarrans tried to get him to give up the wormhole technology. He was dribbling, spittle running down his chin unheeded, his eyes glazed and lacklustre. The Scarran commander glared at him. "Tell ussss or die!"

"I can't tell you what I don't know. You are not LISTENING dog-breath!"

With a howl of anger the Scarran lunged forward and plunged a knife into his shoulder. The curved blade slid through muscle and sinew with alarming ease. Pain made him cry out, unable to move aside or duck the attack due to the manacles on his hands and feet. He was close to passing out. Renik spoke up for the first time since the *interrogation* began. "This human is weak. Perhaps he does not know?"

"He knowsss," Hissed the commander. "I can smell it in him!"

"He cannot tell usss if he iss dead." Reasoned his second in command.

The Commander, Selcrak, nodded reluctantly. It was obvious he was impatient. "What do you suggest?"

"Let him rest, just a few arns, then try something else."

Selcrak's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Black beady orbs of hideous deceit. "What do you have in mind?"

Crichton could no longer hear them. He hung from the manacles hanging from the ceiling of the torture chamber, his ankles fastened into manacles on the floor. The discomfort was forgotten in the agony. He was vaguely aware of Renik suggesting an alternative then passed out. But it was not like oblivion. It was like closing his eyes to one scene and opening them on another. He was in a room. It was richly furnished with silken drapes hanging from the walls. He was sitting on the bed, dazed and trying to work out where he was. He felt his chest, his shoulder, and was pleased to find himself whole. No aches, no pains, no bloodstains. So far so good. He could get to like it here. Just then the door opened and Jena came in. She hurried over to him.

"Good, you're awake. We've got to get out of here!"

"Where's here and why are you helping me?"

"Here is the Scarran ship. Don't you remember? And I'm helping you because it's the only way to stop the Scarrans wiping out all the Peace Keepers."

He resisted as she tried to tug him into a standing position. "Oh I don't know, doesn't sound like a bad idea to me."

Not amused, Jena put her head next to his so she could hiss in his ear. "Then focus on this. Once the Scarrans, with the wormhole technology, wipe out the Scarrans they will systematically wipe out all other species to leave their own as the dominant race. With wormhole technology they can go just about anywhere they please in this and other galaxies. What do you think will happen when they find Earth? A planet filled with people so primative they all live on one planet?"

He looked Jena in the eye and nodded, suddenly serious. "Point taken."

She paused to kiss him, her lips lingering a microt longer than necessary. Then they were running, out of the room and down a long corridor.

"Hey, where we going?"

"Escape pod."

He slowed a little. "Are you trying to be stupid or does it come naturally?"

She glared at him. "We have to get out of here, John."

"I know and I'm with you on that one but in an escape pod? Have you any idea how dumb that is?"

She paused, touched his cheek with her hand, her eyes pleading for him to understand. "Trust me, John. This is not a trap. I don't want to die either and I'll be in the pod with you."

He thought about that, nodded and they both ran full tilt towards the back of the immense vessel. Jena seemed to know where she was going. Neither noticed a tiny biomechanoid following them, little more than a shadowy bug flitting across the floor half a dench behind them.

* * * * *

Bialar Crais was furious. Hardly able to contain his temper he demanded he be allowed aboard Moya. D'Argo wanted to leave him there, Chiana agreed, Rygel wanted to hear what he had to say. Zhaan was having difficulty thinking about anything but Crichton. At last she looked up at their squabbling faces and yelled. "Enough!"

Everybody stopped talking at once. Startled then concerned. Chiana looked anxious, the baby restless in her arms. "Pilot, it is time. Let Crais come aboard."

Chiana jerked her head to one side in alarm. "Are you tinked?"

Zhaan was holding her head in her hands, slowly beginning to recover. "No, Chiana, I am thinking straight. We need all the help we can get right now."

Aeryn frowned. She was the only one who had not automatically refused to let Crais come aboard. "I will vouch for Crais."

D'Argo gave her a wary look. "Why would you do that?"

"Because whatever else Crais may be he hates the Scarrans and I do believe he will try to help us rescue John."

"Rescue him how? We don't even know where in hezmana he is!" Growled D'Argo.

"Yes, we do." Said Zhaan calmly.

Rygel looked at the baby then his eyes lifted slightly and he looked into Chiana's worried face. For once he did not say anything. He was as worried as she was.

* * * * *

The escape pod was a tight fit but at least everything seemed to be working. Jena checked the systems then detached the pod and watched through the window as they drifted away at a snail's pace from the huge endless bulk of the Scarran experimental vessel.

"You know, Jena, much as I like you," Said John as her hair brushed his face. "I didn't think I'd spend my time with you sitting in my lap. Isn't this a little *small*?"

She smiled at him and angled her hips so they slid suggestively up against crotch. He sucked in a breath and went quiet. Her smile became a mischievous grin. "I meant what I said about rescuing you John. There's nothing in the regs about how I do that or whether or not I make it enjoyable..."

"Uh, um, I think we should have taken the family capsule."

She leaned in and kissed him. He could not wriggle back. There was nowhere else to go. Besides, it seemed churlish to get snappy with a girl who had just saved his life. He opened his mouth and let the kiss deepen, her tongue now sliding in and seeking out his own. Man, it was getting warm in here. He felt her hands all over him, her body so tightly compacted to his own that producing friction was not going to be a problem. Separating was. He pulled back enough to get a sentence out. "I don't think this is such a good idea, Jena..."

"Just conserving our air."

"Oh."

Then she was kissing him again, her hands sliding down to his crotch. He groaned, tried to twist away but it just brought her closer and made his breath hitch as she rubbed him through his leathers then undid his pants. <Oh God, Aeryn is gonna kill me if Jena's doesn't get there
first>

"Now John," Said Jena in her most seductive voice as she kissed and licked her way to his earlobe. "Let's find out if you're double jointed..."

* * * * *

Scorpius watched the recording with interest and suspicion. "Alter course and follow them."

Lt Braca looked concerned. "Sir, if the size of that vessel is as big as the images suggest..."

"We have to move fast. They will be out of range if we are not quick, Lt. Do I make myself clear?"

Braca gave a sharp nod. "Yes, sir, perfectly clear."

"And Lt?"
`
Braca paused and waited.

"Alert any other Peace Keeper vessels in the area to come to our assistance. If this is a new experimental Scarran vessel it must remain *unique*, do you understand me? It must not be permitted to complete its' mission or to spawn other such vessels. This ship must never leave
the Uncharted Territories."

"What about the woman?"

"Empress Novia?" Scorpius looked thoughtful. "First we'll see if she survives our liberation. If we regain Crichton and get the wormhole technology there will be a debt to repay."

Braca was not sure what he meant by that and was disinclined to ask. Quickly he set about following the co-ordinates passed by the microdroid. A glitter had returned to his commander's eye. Interest sparked sharper than any knife. They could not afford to fail.

* * * * *

He was close to passing out. Lack of oxygen had that effect on him but it did have the quirky bonus of heightening his sexual arousal, a fact which Jena made full use of. He groaned, feeling her hand on him, the grip tight, relentless as she continued to ravage his mouth. He had no idea that anyone's body could be that supple, the way she bent her back made him ache just to think about it. But it did make the position they were in somewhat...interesting. He felt light headed, tried to pull back and take a deeper breath of air but Jena would not release him. He struggled in her arms which only seemed to excite her more, her hand pumping him with increasingly slick strokes bringing him closer and closer to coming. Then she thrust up at an impossible angle and drove her body up against him. He slid inside her so easily that it took a moment to realise what had happened, then she was riding him, her hands on his hips, her teeth biting his jaw as the pace increased.

"Oh God, oh God, Jena, this is crazy..."

She said nothing and just hung on, together working up to a climax that would drain the rest of the energy out of their bodies. Both were too far gone now to stop. Crichton cried out as he came, spasming inside her and triggering her own orgasm. She sucked his neck, her teeth bruising his skin, her kisses soaking up the salty sweat as if it was an aphrodesiac. He continued to buck inside her until he was spent, her legs wrapped around his waist and ankles hooked together behind him. He sagged against her, unable to access any of his higher brain functions. She smiled into the side of his neck, her nails gently raking his back. If she had been a cat she would have purred. Slowly he felt his strength returning, reached out to pull his pants up but Jena's hand stopped him. Her eyes glittered with the joy of possession. Oh hell, he really was screwed.

"We're not getting out of here any time soon, are we?"

The smile she gave him reminded him of a crocodile. She bent her head and sucked a nipple, nipping him gently to get his attention. He swallowed back a sigh and wondered how much stamina she had. The way she was settling in, it looked like she had a lot more than he did. He closed his eyes and wondered if this had been her plan all along. He felt her release his nipple
and slide across to lick and suck the other one. His hands settled on her breasts, massaging and flicking the nipples before giving in to temptation and settling in to suckle. If you couldn't beat them, join them. Like the lady said, there was nothing in the regs that said he couldn't enjoy it.

* * * * *

"I do not care what the baby told you, this is madness!"

D'Argo flared his nostrils at Crais's outburst and looked daggers at Aeryn. "I told you it was a mistake to let him aboard Moya."

The Delvian tried to calm things down. "You do not understand."

"No," Said Crais, his voice crisp and authorative. "I do not understand. All I know is that John has been captured and it is up to us to rescue him. All this dren about telepathic babies is merely clouding the issue."

"What if it's true?"

He glared at Chiana as if she was a child herself and should be seen and not heard. When he did not reply she stepped up to him, the baby still in her arms. "I suppose that didn't occur to you, huh? That the baby might be telepathic. That we might not be complete greebols, that this could be our best chance of finding John?"

"You are not in your right minds if you believe that."

Chiana was tempted to hit him with something then had a better idea. She held the baby out to him. "If you won't believe us, hold the baby and see."

He took a step back, a startled look on his face. "I have no intention of playing this game with you."

Aeryn watched his reaction then spoke up, her voice calm, reassuring. "Chiana's right." She paused a microt. "What have you got to lose Crais? If you're right and we're wrong this will prove it and we can follow your plan. If we're right you'll know for yourself and we follow the
baby."

He raised his eyebrows in stunned surprised. "You agree to this madness?"

"What are you afraid of Crais?" Asked Rygel. "Scared that the baby may be smarter than you?"

He glared at the Dominar then looked at Aeryn. Seeing her expression he looked round and saw the same look on all their faces. He sighed and turned to Chiana. "If this is a trick..."

"Believe me," Said D'Argo. "It is no trick."

"Very well. If this is the only way to come to a consensus I will do it."

No one said anything as Chiana carefully lay the baby in Crais's arms. He looked down into those familiar blue eyes and felt a strange sensation. As if something had pumped all the breath out of his lungs. Yet he could still breathe. His thoughts became detached, the baby looking back at him but right inside his darkest deepest thoughts. He would have looked away but he could not. Images of Crichton lit up his mind, the human's voice reminding him of their many shared experiences. Also reminding him of the human's compassion, his ability to forgive and his surprising intelligence. The images came faster now bringing him up to date, to the period when the two of them at last came to an understanding. An appreciation of each other that allowed them to exist in each other's company without trying to kill one another. And then there was Aeryn. He saw how much the human loved her and how much she loved him. How special and precious that bond was despite his own aspirations towards the raven haired beauty. He realised in that instant what he had always instinctively known. That she would never be his. Her heart had already been given even if she refused to acknowledge that fact.

The baby's look became gentle. Crais not realising he had tears in his eyes. The baby washed his thoughts with love, a gentle wave of emotion that helped to heal him towards a broader understanding. The baby showed him images of his father, his brother Tauvo, their mother, the farm where he had grown up, the harsh life he had been forced to live among the Peace Keepers. How he had struggled and fought to rise up in the ranks and make a place for himself. A place that would never be home. Tears ran down his face now. Still he was unaware. The images advanced and he saw himself being manipulated by Maldis. Revenge and hatred being fanned in his heart by Maldis and aimed at the human. Kill Crichton and live. Avenge your brother's death. Only it had all been a lie. A terrible tragic accident. He saw the Farscape 1 module come through the wormhole and glance off his brother's prowler, the prowler rolling end over end out of control until smashing into a meteorite and exploding taking his brother's life with it. Crichton. Images advanced of his torture at the hands of Scorpius for information that had been planted in his head by others. The innocent recipient of unwanted knowledge. Knowledge that could take him home if he only had the ability to access it and use it. Now the fate of this whole other universe was in jeopardy over that same information.

The last image Crais saw was of Crichton on the Scarran experimental vessel and what he saw made him cry out. Alarmed and distressed he shook with reaction. Chiana quickly retrieved the baby. Zhaan guided Crais to a chair and sat him down. Aeryn crouched down in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Crais! Crais! What did you see? Are you alright?"

His mouth moved but nothing came out. He was in shock. Zhaan went to get something and returned a few microts later with a blue liquid in a glass. She held it to his lips and coaxed him to drink. He obeyed and slowly he roused from whatever nightmare he had become trapped in. He looked slowly at all of them then looked at the baby. A tentative hand reached out and touched the baby's head. Rion looked back at him with such wisdom he caught his breath. At last he looked up and faced Zhaan. "You were right. I was wrong."

"Then you'll come with us?" Asked D'Argo.

Crais stood up, a look of determination settling on his dark face. "Nothing in the Uncharted Territories could stop me! I am sorry I doubted you. As you said, I did not understand."

Chiana looked curiously at him. "What did you see?" She asked softly.

"The past. The present. The future."

Zhaan looked at him with keen interest. "The future?"

"Or a possible future, I could not tell."

"What was it?"

His voice dropped. "You do not want to know."

"How do we know if you don't tell us?" Asked Rygel.

"Believe me, you do *not* want this future to occur. That is why I will come with you. To make sure it doesn't happen!"

* * * * *
END