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The Diomedian Chronicles: Multiverse is a Novel/Transcript following the events of Diomedes' team through the multiple universes.
The events take place right after the Reaper Incursion and before the Siege of Korlus.
It all began shortly after the crew of the Aegina tested Archaon's new engine when they suddenly discover another Aegina, abandoned, floating over Earth's orbit. Curious by this anomaly, the team boards the other Aegina only to find themselves skipping through parallel universes, powered by a so-called "Alternate reality drive".
After Archaon taxes the drive in a vain attempt to return to their reality, the team is up against the clock. They must figure out a way to get back before the drive burns out. They must also overcome the daunting discovery that parallel versions of themselves explored the ship and died trying to do the same.
Prologue[]
[The SSV Aegina. A meeting in the Conference Room has just ended. Gwendolyn Diomedes and Archaon Thrax, together with various other members of the crew, are leaving the room. Gwendolyn and Archaon head towards the CIC.]
Gwendolyn: You’re a genius, Archaon!
Archaon: Hey, told you it would work.
Gwendolyn: But the way you described it… and the idea alone. I mean, Driving through a sun’s atmosphere to get stellar materials and use it as feul did sound a bit… unnerving…
Archaon: Yes, well. Remember that for the next time you question my ideas.
Gwendolyn: I wasn’t questioning your ideas, Archaon. Just concerned for my crew.
[Bernn, a technician, sitting at one of the Control Room consoles, reports.]
Bernn: Commander, we got a new contact. Looks like a ship.
Gwendolyn: How far out?
Bernn: Earth’s orbit.
Gwendolyn: Well, how come we didn't detect it?
[Archaon takes a seat at the controls next to bernn.]
Bernn: I don't know. It just appeared out of nowhere.
Archaon: Hang on a second. We're getting an I.F.F. … It's the Aegina!
Gwendolyn: [Confused] The Aegina? How is that possible?
Archaon: I… I don’t know.
Gwendolyn: Open up a channel.
[Bernn activates his controls and points to Gwendolyn to indicate that the channel is open. Gwendolyn activates her headset radio.]
Gwendolyn: SSV Aegina, this is the… SSV Aegina, please come in.
[No reply.]
Gwendolyn: Aegina, please respond.
[Archaon looks at his console in shock.]
Archaon: uh, I don’t think you're gonna get an answer.
Gwendolyn: And why is that?
Archaon: 'Cause I'm not reading any life signs.
Gwendolyn: What are you telling me, Archaon? That our ship just made a copy of itself and flew to Earth on its own?
Archaon: I don't know how it got here, but there's no-one on board. At least, no-one alive.
Chapter One[]
[A shuttle flies towards the other Aegina. Gwendolyn and Archaon are on board, together with Lorelei Mobious and Scott Greer.]
Greer: So that's not the Aegina, then?
Archaon: Hmm, well, not unless it can be in two places at once.
Lorelei: Perhaps the SSV Wake Island or one of the other ships?
Archaon: It wouldn't be sending the Aegina’s I.F.F. -- plus it doesn't explain how they got here or why we're not picking up life sign readings.
Gwendolyn: All right, I'm taking us in for a closer look.
[The shuttle takes a close pass underneath the ship. Scott comes forward and stands between Gwendolyn and Archaon, and the three of them lean forward and crane their necks to look up. There are a lot of long black marks along the underside.]
Greer: Wow. You see that?
Gwendolyn: Scorch marks. What do you think -- weapons fire?
Greer: Huh. Wherever she's been, she's been through some pretty hard times.
[Archaon's console beeps.]
Gwendolyn: What's that?
Archaon: I'm picking up an energy reading. It's coming from the ship.
Lorelei: Is it dangerous?
Archaon: I don't think so, but I have no idea what's causing it.
Gwendolyn: Can you get the Bay doors open?
Archaon: If the ship's command systems are as familiar as the rest of it, it shouldn't be a problem.
[He types while Gwendolyn gets the shuttle into position. The Bay doors open and the shuttle rises up in front of the Aegina and stops level with the Bay. The team looks inside.]
Gwendolyn: No fighter jets, but there's a shuttle.
Greer: You sure there's no-one else inside?
Archaon: As far as I can tell, no.
Gwendolyn: All right. We're going in.
[She flies the shuttle inside and lands it next to the other one. The team suits up and disembarks.]
Lorelei: Oh, my God! Why is it so cold in here?
Archaon: The ship's operating on emergency power. Look, some of the systems are barely registering.
Greer: Except for the whole weird energy thing.
Archaon: That's right.
Gwendolyn: Can you do something about it? It's freezing here.
Archaon: Oh, sure! I just have to get to Engineering.
Gwendolyn: Alright, [Points to Archaon] you’re with Scott. Lorelei, you and I are gonna check out the Bridge. Radio me if you find anything.
[They head off in different directions. Gwendolyn and Lorelei make their way to the Bridge and shine the lights from their omni-tools around. They make their way to the sleeping corridors. Some doors are open and Gwendolyn looks inside the rooms.]
Gwendolyn: No bodies in here.
[Lorelei sees something of interest.]
Lorelei: Gwen, come see this.
[Gwendolyn walks over to where she's looking. She is shining her flashlight on the name plate on the door which says “Corporal Diomedes” and has a doodle of a smiley face under the name.]
Lorelei: It's the Aegina, all right.
Gwendolyn: Yeah, but last time I checked I got promoted…
[Just then all the lights come on. Gwendolyn looks nervous.]
Gwendolyn: Archaon, is that you?
Archaon: [over radio] Well, Of course it was me. Who else would it be?
[Sitting at a console in Engineering, he smiles smugly.]
Archaon: [sarcastically] You think we've got a ghost on board or something?
[Just then he ducks and cowers at a noise behind him, but it's just Scott kicking a box across the floor.]
Archaon: Could you please not touch anything?!
Gwendolyn: [over radio] What's our status?
Archaon: I've restored basic power to most of the ship. It should be warming up in a few seconds now.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Good. Check on that energy reading. Try to figure out what it is, all right?
Archaon: [sighing at the obviousness of the suggestion] I'm on it.
[Gwendolyn and Lorelei makes their way to the bridge. They look around, exact copy of the original Aegina. Lorelei notices something on the ship’s computer.]
Lorelei: Gwen.
[Gwendolyn walks over to where she is standing at a console.]
Lorelei: Ship's log. Last entry.
[She calls it up on the screen. A man appears, wearing a standard Aegina uniform. Gwendolyn and Lorelei cringe at the sight of him. They know him.]
Man: Preparations are almost complete. We've loaded down the last of our supplies and any equipment we think might be useful. I'll be taking the last shuttle trip down myself. Of course, we haven't had the time to do a proper survey of this Earth’s surface but Archaon assures me it is habitable enough: plenty of fresh water, arable soil -- not that different from our own Earth. I realize our chance of rescue is slim, but it's become obvious that we no longer have a choice. This is Commander Marachuk, John J., Commander of the SSV Aegina, signing off.
[The entry ends.]
Gwendolyn: Commander Marachuk's still alive?
Lorelei: And it appears as if they abandoned ship.
Gwendolyn: But why?
Lorelei: I'll check the previous entries.
[Back at Engineering.]
Archaon: Man, this ship has been through the wringer! Hyperdrive, sub-space communications are all damaged beyond repair; the shields are virtually depleted.
[An alarm beeps.]
Greer: What is that?
[Archaon looks at his computer tablet which he has hooked up to the console.]
Archaon: It's the energy reading. It's spiking. [He activates his headset.] Gwendolyn, come in.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Go ahead.
Archaon: Something's happening. The energy reading -- it's going off the charts.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Well, Do something about it. Shut it off.
Archaon: I don't know how! Look, it's not coming from any of the main systems!
[Navigator Merrick radios them from The SSV Aegina' CIC. Yeoman Ellen is sitting at a console nearby.]
Merrick: Commander Diomedes, this is The SSV Aegina. We're picking up some kind of power surge coming from the ship.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Yeah, we’ve noticed. We're trying to check it out ourselves.
Ellen: Their levels are still rising.
Merrick: Should we send another shuttle to assist, Commander?
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Negative, stay where you are.
[Just then, the Aegina where the team is starts to shake violently.]
Gwendolyn: All right, that's our cue to leave. Everyone back in the shuttle.
[She and Lorelei turn to leave the Bridge, but suddenly a bright white light envelops the entire room. They cover their eyes against the glare. From an outside perspective, the Aegina disappears from above the Earth. The light fades on the Bridge moment later.]
Gwendolyn: Archaon, what the hell was that?
Archaon: [over radio] I have no idea, but the energy reading's gone back down the way it was.
Gwendolyn: [presses her headset] SSV Aegina, are you reading anything unusual?
[No reply.]
Gwendolyn: SSV Aegina, come in.
[When there's still no response, she activates the ship's comms from the command chair.]
Gwendolyn: SSV Aegina, do you read?
[On The original SSV Aegina, Merrick walks anxiously to the edge of the room.]
Merrick: Commander Diomedes, do you read? Aegina, this is The SSV Aegina, please respond.
[He turns back to Ellen.]
Merrick: What the hell's going on?
Ellen: I don't know. One moment they were there and the next minute, they… were gone.
[On Aegina's Bridge, Gwendolyn radios to Archaon.]
Gwendolyn: Archaon? I'm having problems with communications. I can't reach The SSV Aegina.
[Archaon is already doing a sensor sweep.]
Archaon: Wait a second. That can't be right!
Greer: What?
Archaon: I'm not seeing anything on my screens.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] What are you talking about?
Archaon: I just did a sensor sweep, and there's nothing around us!
Lorelei: [over radio] Well, maybe they cloaked.
Archaon: They wouldn't have done that without telling us.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Well, I don't know – We're just passing ideas around.
Archaon: I'm not reading anything. Not even on Earth…
Lorelei: [over radio] Are we certain it's the same planet? Perhaps the energy burst shifted our position.
Archaon: [Annoyed] Well, it’s not Mars! According to our instruments, we haven't even moved at all.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] What do you want me to believe, Archaon, that The SSV Aegina just disappeared?
Archaon: Look, I don't know. Just give me a second and I'll figure it out, all right? In the meantime I've managed to localize the source of the energy reading. It's coming from a hold on Deck 9.
[He looks at Scott, who heads off.]
Gwendolyn: [over radio] All right, keep trying to reach The SSV Aegina. We'll check it out.
Chapter Two[]
[Gwendolyn, Lorelei and Scott have met up and are cautiously making their way along Deck nine. Archaon radios them.]
Archaon: [over radio] Gwendolyn, I think I've got something. It's the residual radiation from the flash. It's similar to what happens when a ship goes into hyperspace, but different enough that the sensors wouldn't have picked it up automatically.
Gwendolyn: And just what does that mean?
Archaon: [over radio] I think we're looking at a new kind of drive.
Lorelei: I thought you said we didn't go anywhere.
Archaon: [over radio] Well, we didn't -- at least not according to the ship's navigational systems.
Gwendolyn: So, a malfunctioning drive?
Archaon: [over radio] Maybe. Hang on.
[Gwendolyn, Lorelei and Scott go into a room and look around. In Engineering, Archaon's tablet beeps.]
Archaon: Oh my God. [pushes on his headset] Gwen!
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Stand by, Archaon.
Archaon: No, you don't understand. I know what it is! I can't believe I didn't see this before!
[Back at Deck Nine, Scott has found something and calls to Gwendolyn.]
Greer: Hey, Commander. [Signals at Gwen]
Archaon: [over radio] It's the drive, but it didn't move us through space. It moved us to a parallel universe!
[Gwendolyn and Lorelei are looking at what Scott has spotted.]
Gwendolyn: Well, that would explain these bodies.
[They stare at the sight of four dead people lying on the floor. The four people are Gwendolyn, Archaon, Lorelei and Scott.]
Chapter Three[]
[The team has moved their dead alt-selves into a side room and Scott is covering the bodies.]
Greer: Any idea how long they’ve been dead for?
Lorelei: This place is practically a meat locker. They could've been preserved like this for months.
[They leave the room and close the door. Archaon is outside.]
Gwendolyn: They look just like us.
Archaon: That’s because they are us – Well, alternate reality versions of us.
Lorelei: I feel like someone just walked over my grave.
Gwendolyn: Take it easy. Everything's fine.
[Archaon looks at the tablet he is holding.]
Archaon: Oho, no-no-no-no-no. This is- This is bad.
Gwendolyn: Why?
Archaon: Well, this tablet belonged to the other Archaon. The one on the other room. They weren't part of the original crew. They came here just like us. Look, a ship appeared in orbit over their Earth. They came to check it out, just like we did.
Gwendolyn: Well, that would explain the other shuttle in the Bay.
Archaon: The ship jumped to another reality and they were stuck. They couldn't get back. Look, eventually their supplies ran out and- and they ... they ...
Gwendolyn: All right, I get it. Mystery solved. Let's move on.
Archaon: But don't you realize what this means? They were us… and they failed.
Gwendolyn: Well, they're not us cause we’re still alive. [firmly] So, let's go.
[She leads the team back into the room where they found the bodies.]
Gwendolyn: The answer's in here somewhere. Can you power up the systems?
Archaon: Uh, yeah. [He looks around and finds an electrics box on the wall.] Just hold on.
[He opens the cover.]
Archaon: All right.
[He starts to tinker around with the controls and a moment later the room lights up and all the control consoles switch on.]
Gwendolyn: All right, that's a start.
[Scott looks at an unusual looking door at the end of the room.]
Greer: What's behind here?
Archaon: [looking at the doorway] Uh, good question.
[He walks over to the console in front of the doorway and types. A five-sided device in the centre of the door pops out a little and, as a small wheel in the centre of the device spins around like the dial on a safe, three red lights come on. The lights then turn green and the door opens, revealing a large turbine behind it.]
Archaon: [standing in awe] I'm guessing that's our alternate reality drive.
Gwendolyn: Can you figure out how to control it?
Archaon: Off-hand, I'd say no. That's what the other Archaon was trying to do, and he had like, what? Weeks?
[Gwendolyn looks at him sternly.]
Gwendolyn: Archaon!
Archaon: [petulantly] Fine. I'll start with his research. It'll at least give me a head start.
Gwendolyn: Ok, that's better. We're gonna go and look for supplies.
Archaon: What, why? You don't think the other us wouldn't have already tried that?
Gwendolyn: Get to work, Archaon!
Chapter Four[]
[Scott is searching through the boxes in the supply locker room but all of them have already been opened and are empty. Lorelei comes in.]
Lorelei: Hey, did you find anything?
[Scott pulls a scanner-type device out of a box and holds it up.]
Greer: Is this something we can barbecue?
[He drops it back into the box and continues searching.]
Lorelei: Then perhaps we should consider going down to the planet to collect supplies.
Greer: Gwen says it's too risky. The drive could kick in and the ship could take off without us, then we'd be stuck here.
Lorelei: The others that we found -- do you think their lives were very similar to ours?
Greer: Who cares?
Lorelei: How can you say that? these were real people with real lives. I can't help but wonder what my life would be like in that universe.
Greer: [whispering] You mean if that was a universe where you and Archaon…
Lorelei: That thought had crossed my mind, yes.
Greer: Yeah, look. I've heard Archaon talk about this stuff a thousand times before. Supposedly there's a billion different realities out there, with every possible variation, which also means there's a million different Archaons. You can't worry about every single one of them.
Lorelei: No, you’re right. It's difficult enough worrying about one.
[Scott smiles at her sympathetically.]
Greer: I'll bet. Come on, there's more supply boxes over here.
[They leave the room. Back in the drive room, Gwendolyn comes back in and looks around to see that the door, that houses the turbine, is closed again. She turns to Archaon.]
Gwendolyn: Why is the blast door closed?
Archaon: Um, hello?! Residual radiation?
Gwendolyn: Oh, right. Have you made any progress?
Archaon: As a matter of fact, yes… we have.
Gwendolyn: "We"?
Archaon: Me and the… other Archaon, who -- unsurprisingly -- is a genius, just like me. Not only that, but it looks like the drive itself was created by yet another Archaon from the original reality.
Gwendolyn: What makes you say that?
Archaon: [boasting] Well, there's a certain, um, elegance to the design that I recognize.
Gwendolyn: [Annoyed] I'm sure that's what the crew were saying when they abandoned ship too.
Archaon: Well, admittedly there were problems, but it is still a monumental achievement. I mean, this is… This is big. This is the wheel big... The light bulb… The hotdog big!
Gwendolyn: So, what do we do now? Can’t we just throw this thing in reverse?
Archaon: Uh, yeah, it's a little bit more complicated than that. The first problem is navigation. They've developed a co-ordinate system to identify the various realities and allow them to get back, but, uh, well, obviously that didn't work.
Gwendolyn: [Sarcastic smile] Well, Obviously.
Archaon: That's not what bothers me, though.
Gwendolyn: Well, it kind of bothers me!
Archaon: It's power generation. I mean, jumping from one reality to another requires massive amounts of power. We're talking stellar material levels here. Obviously they didn't have one of my engines rattling around, so instead the original Archaon created a capacitor that allows the engine to endlessly draw power from sub-space.
[An alarm beeps on one of the consoles.]
Archaon: And looks like it's almost charged.
Gwendolyn: Is this your long-winded way of telling me you just can't turn it off?
Archaon: Well, think of it like a tap pouring water into a bucket. If the bucket is full, the drive engages -- except this particular tap doesn’t have a valve.
Gwendolyn: Whoa-whoa-whoa! That sound like a pretty big design flaw there.
Archaon: Exactly. Which leads me to believe they were tampering with it in a vain attempt to generate more power.
[The ship begins to shake.]
Archaon: As they got further and further from their own reality, I guess they figured they needed to get back.
[The shaking becomes more violent as the generator reaches 99 percent, then goes to 100 percent.]
Archaon: And here we go.
[A white flash briefly envelops the ship. Archaon grimaces and blinks as the glare fades.]
Gwendolyn: OK. Where are we?
Archaon: Hey, don't look at me. I haven't had time to route the main systems to these control panels. I'm flying blind down here.
[Gwendolyn picks up her rifle and activates her headset.]
Gwendolyn: Greer, Mobious, meet me at the Bridge.
Lorelei: [over radio] On our way.
Gwendolyn: Keep at it, Archaon.
[Archaon grunts as Gwendolyn leaves the room.]
Chapter Five[]
[Lorelei is looking at the bridge's navigational screen as Gwendolyn walks in.]
Lorelei: Gwendolyn. The SSV Aegina is back. I'm picking them up on the sensors.
[She types on the console. Gwendolyn looks at her.]
Gwendolyn: You know how to work this stuff?
Lorelei: The last time the Aegina was in orbit, navigator Merrick generously offered to give both of us ... [she looks at Scott then back at Gwen] ... some preliminary training.
Greer: [smiling at Gwen] I was bored.
[Gwendolyn activates her headset.]
Gwendolyn: SSV Aegina, this is Commander Diomedes, come in.
[No reply.]
Gwendolyn: SSV Aegina, do you read?
[She goes to the command chair and activates the ship's comms.]
Gwendolyn: SSV Aegina, this is Diomedes, come in.
Greer: Maybe they already have a Commander Diomedes.
Gwendolyn: [activates her headset] Archaon, what are the odds of us randomly jumping back into our own reality?
Archaon: [over radio] I'd say, zero.
Lorelei: I'm detecting another ship in orbit.
Gwendolyn: What kind?
Lorelei: I'll see if I can pull it up on screen.
[She types, and the external cameras show the other ship. It’s massive and very recognizable.]
Gwendolyn: Is that a reaper!?
[The console beeps.]
Lorelei: Commander, I believe the reaper is powering weapons.
Gwendolyn: What's our shield status?
Lorelei: Minimal.
[The reaper begins to fire multiple energy bursts towards the other Aegina.]
Greer: It's firing on the Aegina.
Lorelei: Their shields are failing.
Gwendolyn: [hurrying over to the weapons console and sitting down] Archaon, do we have enough juice to power up the weapon systems?
Archaon: [over radio] Maybe. I mean, you might be able to get a couple of shots off. Why?
Gwendolyn: There's a reaper attacking this universe’s Aegina.
Archaon: [over radio] uh, yeah? So?
Gwendolyn: What do you mean, "So?" It's The Aegina!
Archaon: [over radio] Yeah, but it's not our Aegina. Look, We have no idea who's in there. we should just stay out of it.
Lorelei: If we do not intervene, the Aegina will be destroyed.
Gwendolyn: They need help, Archaon!
Archaon: [over radio] Ok, I hope you're right!
Gwendolyn: Yeah, well, me too.
[Gwendolyn turns the Aegina and fires a photon torpedo which strikes the reaper. She fires a second torpedo and the reaper’s attack ceases.]
Lorelei: The reaper's been damaged. It's stopped firing.
Gwendolyn: Hopefully we took out its weapons capabilities.
Lorelei: Wait. Something's happening. They're launching fighters!
[A whole swarm of small craft deploy from the reaper and head towards the Aegina.]
Gwendolyn: Scott!
[As Scott walks towards her, Gwendolyn vacates the chair.]
Gwendolyn: Should've asked Merrick for turret training when you had the chance. Now you're gonna have to learn fast.
[She points to the console.]
Gwendolyn: Rail gun targeting systems. Those buttons on the right control radar, tracking and target acquisition. Use the red button to fire.
[Scott looks at her confusingly.]
Gwendolyn: [simplified] It’s a game, simple point and click interface.
[Scott sits down in the chair and looks at the controls blankly as Gwendolyn takes the pilot's seat. However, shortly afterwards he gets at least the vague hang of it, because the rail guns begin to fire towards the approaching fleet. The fighters continue to soar towards Aegina, firing at it. Its weakened shields can't keep everything from getting through and Archaon takes cover in the Drive Room as consoles explode around him.]
Archaon: [yells in his headset] What the hell was that!?
Gwendolyn: [over radio] We're under attack. Any chance of getting that hyperdrive back online?
Archaon: No! It's completely shot! I already told you that!
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Great…
[Multiple explosions go off on the Bridge.]
Greer: There's too many of them. I can't do this.
Gwendolyn: Keep trying!
[A lucky shot hits the rear of one of the fighters and it rolls, trailing smoke from behind it. It turns and plunges towards Aegina, breaking through the shield and smashing into the top of the ship. Everyone reels as the ship shakes violently and more explosions go off on the Bridge and in the Drive Room.]
Gwendolyn: We've lost sub-light!
Lorelei: We have a hull breach. Venting atmosphere. I don't know what to do.
[Gwendolyn gets up and hurries over to her station, pushing her out of the way gently. She types.]
Gwendolyn: I've sealed off damaged areas. We should be OK for the moment.
Greer: I wouldn't be so sure about that.
[Gwendolyn hurries back to the pilot's seat.]
Archaon: [over radio] Gwen! I have an idea!
Gwendolyn: Talk to me, Archaon!
Archaon: [over radio] I've set up a few protocols that should increase the efficiency of the alternate reality drive. If I enable them, we might be able to jump sooner.
Gwendolyn: And then what, jump to the next universe?
Archaon: [over radio] Exactly. But if I do this, I cannot undo it. I mean, we'll just start jumping faster and faster.
[Gwendolyn considers the issue for a moment but realizes that they can't stay where they are.]
Gwendolyn: Alright, do it…
[Archaon starts typing. Outside, three fighters draw into tight formation and, as Aegina fires wildly at them, they head towards it, possibly on a kamikaze run. But shortly before they reach her, a bright light envelops the ship and it disappears. On the Bridge, the white light fades and, instead, the room is bathed in red light coming from outside.]
Gwendolyn: [covering her eyes] Oh, my God! What is that?
[Scott frowns at the sight out of the front windshield.]
Greer: Where are we?
[He and Gwendolyn stand up and walk towards the front of the Bridge.]
Lorelei: [looking at her console] We have a problem. Temperature in the hull is rising rapidly.
Gwendolyn: What the hell is that?
[We see where the Aegina is. She is dangerously close to the surface of a star.]
Lorelei: [coming to join the others] According to these readings, we're less than two million kilometers from the surface of the sun.
Gwendolyn: I thought we always jumped to the same place in every reality?
Lorelei: As did I.
[Alarms start beeping and Lorelei hurries back to her console.]
Lorelei: Hull temperature is approaching critical. If we do not restore shields ...
Gwendolyn: ... we're gonna burn.
Chapter Six[]
[Gwendolyn has explained their situation to Archaon.]
Archaon: Are you sure about this?
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Well, it’s not like we’re imagining it, Archaon.
Archaon: All right. Well, let me transfer the sensors down to this station and then at least I can ...
[His console beeps as he gets the sensor readings.]
Archaon: Ho! Oh, you're definitely not imagining that.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Well, thanks for the vote of confidence!
Archaon: I don't understand it! We always jump to the same relative position in space. Unless ...
[He types.]
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Unless what?
Archaon: Well, we know that stars expand when they reach a certain age.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] What, you're saying we're jumping through time now?
Archaon: No, no-no-no-no, whatever will happen in our reality is happening in this one much, much sooner. We didn't go to the sun -- the sun came to us.
Greer: [over radio] And how does this help us get home?
Archaon: I don't -- I don't know. I just -- I found it interesting.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] What's "interesting", Archaon, is a way out of this without getting fried, by getting the sub-lights back on-line, for example.
Archaon: Actually, I think our best bet is just to transfer as much power as we can to the shields and ride it out 'til the next jump.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] And when does that happen?
Archaon: Well, the time the capacitor takes to charge is different now that I've enacted those new protocols. You know, um ... I have no idea.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] You're not exactly selling the plan, Archaon!
Archaon: I have no idea how long it would take me to fix the sub-lights, either! Look, I've gotta run a diagnostic, but theoretically, transferring power to the shields should be relatively easy.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] All right, what do we do?
Archaon: All right, the first thing I need you to do is head down to Engineering.
Gwendolyn: [to Lorelei and Scott] Let's go.
Chapter Seven[]
[The three of them arrive in Engineering.]
Gwendolyn: All right, we're here. What do we do?
Archaon: [over radio] I need you to kill all power to non-essential decks, which means you're gonna have to access the main administrative interface. That should bring up a list of all available override commands.
[Gwen sits down at a console and finds the appropriate program.]
Gwendolyn: Got it.
[Standing near the door, Scott hears a clanking noise in the distance. Busy looking at the console, the other two don't notice.]
Archaon: [over radio] OK, choose the command for life support. You're gonna have to designate the decks one by one.
[As Gwendolyn starts to work, Scott walks outside the room and looks around suspiciously, then walks slowly down the corridor. Reaching a junction, he looks in all directions and is just about to turn back when something clunks behind a nearby closed door. Drawing his assault rifle, a M-99 Saber, he walks to the doorway and activates the controls. The door opens and a Husk is standing on the other side. Startled, Scott starts to raise his rifle, but the Husk seizes his arm and slams him against the door frame before swinging him across and slamming him against the other door frame. Scott struggles with it but it pushes him out into the corridor and smashes him viciously back against the wall several times before throwing him across the floor. In Engineering, Gwendolyn looks at the console.]
Gwendolyn: I think that's all of them.
[In the Drive Room, Archaon has taken his jacket off and is looking at his own console.]
Archaon: Damn it! That didn't buy us nearly as much power as I thought it would.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Well, there's gotta be something else.
Archaon: Right, um, all right, look, the ship has auxiliary power modules for most of the main systems. Most likely they're depleted but, if not, well, they might buy us a little more juice.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Well, here goes nothing.
[Out in the corridors, the Husk has pinned Scott to the floor and, snarling, has a hand around his throat and is trying to throttle him. Scott punches its face several times but it has no effect and the Husk continues to snarl and roar as it keeps up the pressure around his throat. With its other hand it is holding his right arm down so that he can't bring his pistol into play, but Scott manages to lift the gun a little and fires it repeatedly off to the side. In Engineering, Lorelei stands up as she and Gwendolyn turn to look at the doorway as the firing continues in the distance.]
Archaon: [over radio] What the hell was that?! Was that gunfire?
Gwendolyn: Where's Scott? [She turns to Lorelei] Go find him!
[She chases off. Gwendolyn sits down again.]
Gwendolyn: Stay focused, Archaon. Tell me what to do next.
Archaon: [nervously over the radio] All right.
[In the corridor, the Husk continues to strangle Scott. Lorelei finally arrives and fires a corrosive dart at it. It turns, snarling, releases Scott and charges towards Lorelei. Instantly Scott rolls over and fires his pistol repeatedly into its back while Lorelei continues firing darts at it from the front. The dual onslaught is too much for it and, groaning, it falls to the floor. Lorelei approaches it cautiously as it lies twitching in its death throes, its chest melting slightly.]
Lorelei: [to Scott] You OK?
Greer: Yeah. [He gets up and picks up his M-99.] Where the hell did he come from? How'd he get on board?
Lorelei: They crashed into us, penetrated our hull, remember?
Greer: You think he did it on purpose?
Lorelei: That's a good question.
[Just then a red blast heads towards them from down the corridor. They dive either side of the doorway as more red blasts head in their direction. Leaning out of hiding, the two of them fire back at their attackers as they see two ravagers at the end of the corridor. In Engineering, Gwendolyn reports to Archaon as the gunfire continues outside.]
Gwendolyn: That's it. That's all of them. I must go help Lorelei and Scott. Good luck, Archaon.
[Picking up her rifle, she stands up to leave.]
Archaon: [over radio] No-no-no-no-no-no-n'-no! It's not enough!
Gwendolyn: What do you mean?
Archaon: [over radio] Without sub-lights, our orbit is decaying which means more radiation slamming into the shields. The alternate reality drive is only charged to seventy percent, which means it'll never make a hundred before the shields fail.
Gwendolyn: [sinking back into her chair] Well, what do we do? We have no more power!
[Archaon stares helplessly at his screen.]
Archaon: Look, j-just give me a second.
[In the corridor Lorelei slams another clip into her wrist-mounted dart gun and rejoins Scott in firing at the ravagers. In Engineering, Gwendolyn looks anxiously towards the door.]
Gwendolyn: Archaon, Lorelei and Scott are under attack!
Archaon: [over radio] All right, I got it. I got it. Drop the shields!
Gwendolyn: Say what?!
Archaon: [over radio] Drop the shields. I will transfer all available power to the drive. Hopefully it'll be enough to induce a jump.
Gwendolyn: "Hopefully"?!
Archaon: [over radio] It is our only option, and every second we argue about it is less of a chance it's gonna work.
Gwendolyn: Very well. Dropping shields.
[She types the appropriate commands into the console. Immediately an alarm starts to sound.]
Gwendolyn: Hull temperature is passing critical.
[Archaon types on his console.]
Archaon: OK, transferring power to the drive now.
[The counter on the screen races up from 70 percent into the nineties, but when it reaches 97 it hesitates, then clicks up to 98 and stops there.]
Archaon: Oh, no-no-no-no-no-no-no!
Gwendolyn: [over radio] What is it now?
Archaon: It's not enough! It's only ninety-eight percent!
[At Gwendolyn's station, the alarm continues.]
Gwendolyn: Archaon, the hull is beginning to deteriorate.
[Archaon stares at his screen in anguish. After a moment, the counter clicks up to 99 percent.]
Archaon: Come on! Come on!
[At long last, the counter clicks up to 100 percent.]
Archaon: That's it! We're jumping!
[Aegina begins to shake. Scott and Lorelei duck out of sight of the ravagers and Lorelei slips another clip into her Wrist-mounted dart gun. A white flash briefly envelops the ship as it jumps into a different universe. Lorelei and Scott take advantage of the distraction to charge out of the doorway and gun down the ravagers. One goes down immediately; the other one crumples to its knees. Scott rushes forward and clubs it down with the butt of his rifle. He flips his gun around, catches it and aims it down at the Ravager but it doesn't look like they're getting up again. In engineering, Gwendolyn looks around relieved.]
Gwendolyn: Nice work, Archaon.
Archaon: [over radio] Uh, you may wanna hold off on the congratulations.
Gwendolyn: [Annoyed] Now what?!
Archaon: [over radio] I think I've overtaxed the drive. Look, it's not completely blown but we've only got a handful of jumps before it's burned out.
Gwendolyn: All right, then what happens?
Archaon: If we haven't found our way back by then, we will be stranded… forever.
Chapter Eight[]
[Scott and Lorelei are standing by the windshield on the Bridge looking out at a large field of rocks floating past.]
Greer: What happened here?
Lorelei: Archaon believes that in this reality Earth was destroyed by the impact of a brown dwarf called Nibiru, back in 2012. All that remains is this asteroid field.
[Archaon comes in and walks over to Gwendolyn who is sitting at the weapons station. The other two come over to join them.]
Archaon: All right, I think I've got something. In fact, it was staring me in the face the whole time. I was just too busy trying to avoid imminent death to notice it.
Gwendolyn: What are you talking about?
Archaon: The mistake was focusing on the navigation system. I should have known that was never gonna work.
Greer: So, what then?
Archaon: So, in a spectacular feat of multi-dimensional mathematics, I have discovered a way to send the ship back along the path it's previously travelled, bypassing the navigation system entirely.
Gwendolyn: Wait a minute. You're talking about putting this thing in reverse?
Archaon: That’s the layman’s term version of it, yeah.
Gwendolyn: [irritably] I just suggested that like, 2 hours ago!
Archaon: And naturally I dismissed it out of hand, but then I realized that -- including the original designer -- not one but two versions of myself have failed to make this thing work. I had to think not like me -- in fact, I had to think like the opposite of me, and it doesn't get much more opposite than you. [Points at Gwen.]
Gwendolyn: [narrowing her eyes at him] I'll take that as a compliment.
Greer: So can we get back or not?
Archaon: [walking to the pilot's seat and sitting down] Well, not directly, no. It's impossible to calculate the relative position of our original starting point from where we are now, but we can retrace our steps, passing through each reality in turn until we reach the right one.
Gwendolyn: Well, there's a slight problem, Archaon. We barely got out of those realities alive.
Lorelei: If we do not restore the shields, the radiation from the red giant will kill us.
Archaon: Not necessarily. Look, we know that the ship carries its momentum in real space from one reality to the next. Now, we may not have sub-light engines but we do have maneuvering thrusters. You know, one long continuous burn along the right trajectory from now until the next jump should be enough to allow us to establish a higher, more stable orbit around the sun.
Lorelei: So the radiation will not affect us?
Archaon: I wouldn't go that far, but at least it'll be not quite as deadly. [He activates the console.] OK, that's it. Course is reversed.
Gwendolyn: Whoa, what about that reaper? It knows we're the ones that shot at 'em.
Greer: Maybe he’s already gone.
Archaon: I wouldn't count on it. Look, time is passing at the same rate in each of the realities, which means ... well, which means it hasn't been that long. To get past the reaper, we're gonna need sub-light engines ... [He stands up and starts to leave] ... and I'm gonna need to fix them in time.
Gwendolyn: Wait-wait-wait, but you said you don't even know what's wrong with them.
Archaon: Well, I haven't had a chance to check it out. Look, I'm sorry, but I can’t split myself into 7 pieces and do 7 things at once! I already told you, the drive is gonna burn out, soon. We have to do something. Who's to say the next reality won't be even worse?
[He leaves the Bridge.]
Chapter Nine[]
[In the drive room, Archaon is typing in the last of the modifications.]
Archaon: All right. All the modifications to the drive are in place. Here we go.
[Gwendolyn grips the control console on the Bridge. Aegina winks out of existence in the asteroid field and reappears above the red giant but this time she's a little further away. Gwendolyn, Scott and Lorelei look out of the front windshield.]
Lorelei: [wide smile] It worked. You did it, Archaon.
Archaon: [over radio] All right, I'm gonna head up to Engineering and get to work on the sub-lights.
Gwendolyn: [to Lorelei] What's our status?
Lorelei: Hull temperature is rising but not as rapidly as it did before. I think we'll be OK.
Gwendolyn: So much for the frying pan. Let's hope we make it through the fire.
Chapter Ten[]
[In Engineering. Archaon has pulled out a wall panel and is swapping electrical circuits around. Lorelei comes in.]
Lorelei: How's it coming?
Archaon: Oh, not good. Look, the main systems are completely fried. I'm gonna have to do a full bypass.
Lorelei: Can I be of assistance?
Archaon: With your medical degree? I doubt it. [He picks up his computer tablet.] OK.
[He types and the panel lights up. Several of the circuits promptly explode.]
Archaon: [cowering from the sparks] Oh, jeez! What the ...?!
[Lorelei quickly runs to the central console and activates some controls. The panel powers down and the circuits stop sparking. Straightening up, Archaon clears his throat in an embarrassed way.]
Archaon: Thank you.
Lorelei: Perhaps a separate diagnostic of the auxiliary system might be useful.
Archaon: Uh, sure.
[Trying to mask his embarrassment that he hadn't thought of that before, he gets to work. Lorelei sits down at the console and looks up at him fondly.]
Lorelei: I wanted to thank you, Archaon.
Archaon: For what?
Lorelei: For not giving up.
[Archaon looks at her in surprise, then smiles in realization. Lorelei smiles at him, but then an alarm begins to sound.]
Archaon: Oh, no. That's what I was afraid of.
[He runs over to one of the consoles.]
Lorelei: What is it?
Archaon: The drive's charging a lot faster now. [He activates his headset.] Gwendolyn! Looks like the next jump's gonna happen a lot sooner than we thought.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] How's it coming with the sub-light engine?
Archaon: I'm gonna need a few more minutes.
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Do we have a few more minutes?
Archaon: [plaintively] I doubt it.
[Gwendolyn looks across to Scott who is sitting at the weapons station again.]
Gwendolyn: All right, let's split rail gun positions. I'll take forward; you take aft-
Greer: [interrupting] You really think that's gonna make a difference?
Gwendolyn: Without shields, probably not, but we don't have much of a choice.
[The Aegina jumps realities again, but the two stare at the empty void of space through their front windshield.]
Greer: Where's the reaper?
Gwendolyn: [looking on her screen] I'm not sure.
Greer: Well, maybe it left.
[Gwendolyn's console beeps.]
Gwendolyn: No such luck. It’s right behind us.
[The reaper moves into position behind Aegina and fighters begin to deploy from it.]
Gwendolyn: We've got fighters closing in on our position. How's it going down there?
Archaon: [over radio] Look, just give me a second.
[Gwendolyn and Scott wait anxiously.]
Gwendolyn: Archaon!
[Back in engineering. Archaon points to Lorelei.]
Archaon: OK, try it now.
[Lorelei activates some controls and the circuit panel lights up again with a noisy hum.]
Archaon: That's it! I've got it! Go-go-go-go-go-go!
[Gwendolyn activates her controls and the sub-light engines fire up. Aegina soars away with the fighters in pursuit. In Engineering, Archaon and Lorelei look at each other nervously.]
Archaon: [in his headset] Gwen? How're we doing?
[Gwendolyn looks at a panel showing the relative position of Aegina and the fighters.]
Gwendolyn: They're gaining on us. Can you get us some more speed?
Archaon: [over radio] No chance! Look, I've barely got this thing working as it is! If we tax it any more, we're gonna blow the whole system!
Gwendolyn: All right, well, then, we've got a real problem.
[The panel shows the fighters getting even closer.]
Greer: They're in weapons range.
[The fighters immediately open fire and more explosions go off on the Bridge.]
Gwendolyn: [shouting] Return fire!
Greer: [shouting back] I'm trying!
[As the fighters continue their approach, firing all the way, Scott tries his best to shoot them down but finally loses his temper and starts repeatedly slamming his fists down on the console.]
Gwendolyn: Easy there, Chewie! Those buttons are your friends! Just keep trying!
Greer: [furiously] I am trying!
[In Engineering, Archaon and Lorelei duck from the explosions going off all around them. The circuit panel sparks out and powers down.]
Archaon: Alright! That's it -- sub-lights are gone for good this time!
[The fighters continue closing on Aegina, firing the entire time. She returns fire but nothing much impacts with her attackers. Suddenly a new weapon soars in from the side and smashes into one of the fighters, blowing it to bits, and a swarm of Alliance fighters enters the fray, engaging with the enemy fighters. On the Bridge, Scott frowns.]
Greer: What the hell was that?
Gwendolyn: It's the other Aegina!
[The fighters chase the reaper fighters around the sky, making a good fight of it and wiping out several of them. In Engineering, Lorelei and Archaon look around, clueless as to what's going on outside.]
Archaon: [on his headset] What's happening?
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Looks like we're getting some help from some friends. Guess we bet on the right side after all.
[A voice comes over the comms.]
VOICE: [On comms] SSV Aegina, this is Commander Scott Greer. Do you read?
[Gwendolyn stares in surprise. Scott frowns round at her.]
ALT-Greer: [On comms] SSV Aegina, do you read?
Gwendolyn: [shaking off her confusion] Uh, yeah, Aegina ... uh, this is The Aegina, come in.
ALT-Greer: [On comms] What? Who is this?
Gwendolyn: I am Commander Gwendolyn Diomedes of the SSV Aegina.
ALT-Greer: [On comms] Ok... Well, whoever you are, you saved our asses when you took out its main weapons. We figured the least we could do is return the favor.
[In the fighter's cockpit, we see the source of the voice. It is indeed an alt-version of Scott Greer, though his voice is a bit lower then our Greer’s.]
Gwendolyn: [On comms] Much appreciated!
[An alarm beeps on the bridge.]
Greer: Uh, Commander.
[He clears his throat and points out of the windshield. Gwendolyn's eyes widen as she looks. One of the fighters, trailing smoke behind it, is making a kamikaze run directly towards the front of the ship.]
Gwendolyn: Oh, crap!
[She reaches for her weapons controls. Scott grimaces and hunkers down in his seat as the fighter plunges towards the ship. The rail guns fire round after round at it, but can't stop it as it gets ever larger through the windshield's view. Finally a shot hits it and it explodes moments before it strikes the ship. Huge chunks of debris smash into the windshield, but everything holds firm.]
ALT-Greer: [On comms] Sorry 'bout that. One of 'em got through. Nice shooting, Tex.
Gwendolyn: Oh, thanks!
[The battle continues, but the Alliance fighters are vastly superior and eventually take out the final fighters. The rest of the fighters head towards the Reaper, only Commander Greer's fighter remains close to Aegina.]
ALT-Greer: [On comms] All right, looks like that's the last of 'em, so, uh, what happens now?
Gwendolyn: Well, we go our own ways.
ALT-Greer: [On comms] Just like that, huh? Goodbye, No second date?
Gwendolyn: Pretty much, yeah.
ALT-Greer: [On comms] Well, the thing is, I do have a few questions, if you'd endulge me. One is, why does your ship broadcast my I.F.F. signature? And two, I just got information that tells me that one Gwendolyn Diomedes died in a freak plane accident on Mindoir.
Gwendolyn: Oh, well, I’m sorry to hear that and this isn't exactly our Aegina either. We're just ... borrowing it for the moment.
ALT-Greer: [On comms] OK… I have no idea what that means.
Gwendolyn: It's a long story... involving parallel universes and the likes…
ALT-Greer: [On comms] uhu… I’ll have to ask Dr. Thrax about that one, but for now I’ll take your word for it. All right, Aegina, good luck.
Gwendolyn: Thank you, commander Greer. And one last thing: it's been a pleasure.
[Archaon and Lorelei have joined the others on the bridge during the conversation, and now look at each other in a mixture of amusement and "ew" as Gwendolyn continues.]
Gwendolyn: You're obviously a man of great integrity, a dedicated commander and a very skilled pilot.
[Scott smiles at her.]
ALT-Greer: Well, that's funny. I was gonna say the same to you.
[Gwendolyn grins smugly. The Alliance fighters head back towards their ship, and the Aegina blinks out of existence in a flash of white light. After the transaction, Archaon looks at the navigational computer.]
Archaon: All right! The reaper’s gone and I'm reading a planet with no energy signatures. It's the first reality we jumped to. One more and we're home!
Gwendolyn: [To Scott] It’s good to know that, even if I died in our reality, the Aegina would be in good hands.
Greer: [proud] Thanks, Commander.
Gwendolyn: Alright guys, let’s go.
[They all head off. Walking along a corridor, Archaon leads the way towards a closed blast door and activates the door controls. The door slides open and a marauder comes into view at the far end of the corridor. The team reacts as Archaon flinches and turns slightly, the marauder fires a harpoon and hits Archaon in his left buttock. He screams as he looks behind him at the arrow. Lorelei charges at Archaon and activates her omni-blade to cut the harpoon’s wire as Scott races forward and fires his M-99 rifle at the mutated turian. Gwendolyn also opens fire as it ducks around the corner. Nearby, Archaon is screaming in a high-pitched voice, in pain and indignation.]
Archaon: AAAAAAH!! That did not just happen!
[Lorelei tries to treat him.]
Lorelei: Hold still!
[Gwendolyn and Scott continue firing at the marauder.]
Greer: Thought we got 'em all.
Gwendolyn: Apparently not!
[Lorelei is still treating Archaon.]
Lorelei: Archaon, what do you feel? Numbness or pain?
Archaon: [exaggerating] Both!
Lorelei: [slightly annoyed] You can’t feel pain if your leg is numb, Archaon!
[Gwendolyn catches the marauder in a hail of gunfire when it comes out of hiding. As it reels, Scott also fires his rifle at it and the dual onslaught sends it crumpling to the floor. Gwendolyn fires a few more shots from her M-13 Raptor into it for good measure as they approach it.]
Greer: Think there's any more of them?
Gwendolyn: Not waiting around to find out.
[Just then an ominous beeping comes from the marauder. Its arm flops onto the floor and reveals that it has activated a self-destruct mechanism.]
Gwendolyn: [gasps] Move, move, move!
[She and Scott race back the way they came. Scott slides around the corner and out of the way but the explosion catches Gwendolyn and sends her flying across the corridor. Luckily the blast doors close behind her and the worst of the explosion is contained. Gwendolyn skids across the floor, winded, she gets back up with a grunt. An alarm starts to sound. Archaon, still in pain, painfully gets up and limps across to a console in the wall and activates it. He looks at the screen, then turns around wide-eyed.]
Archaon: The explosion's caused a hull breach. The whole section's been depressurized, including the Hangar Bay. We just lost the shuttles!
Gwendolyn: Our stop is coming up, Archaon. It's time to get off this train.
Archaon: Look, there's no way off!
Lorelei: Once we jump into our own reality, our Aegina will detect us and they will send help.
Archaon: We broke orbit to get away from the sun and the fighters, remember? Look, we carry our momentum and relative position in space from one reality to the next, which means by the time we jump next, we're gonna be, like, half a million kilometers out. They're never gonna get to us in time!
Greer: I've found some C4 in the supply lockers earlier. I say we wait 'til we get back and we blow the drive.
Archaon: That could work -- or it could tear a hole in the space-time continuum, not only killing us but destroying the entire universe!
Gwendolyn: Well, we'd better think of something fast!
[Everyone looks at Archaon expectantly. He stares back at them, in pain and without a clue.]
Chapter Eleven[]
[In the (original) SSV Aegina CIC, Bernn is still at his console. Performing scans of the area around the ship when suddenly his scan picks up another ship.]
Bernn: Another contact just appeared on our screens.
[Navigator Merrick rushes to Bernn's console.]
Merrick: Is it the Aegina?
Ellen: They're too far out for us to get an I.F.F.
Merrick: Try sub-space.
[Bernn activates his controls and nods to Merrick.]
Merrick: Commander Diomedes, do you read?
[There's no reply.]
Merrick: Commander Diomedes, this is Navigator Merrick. Do you read?
[He looks at Bernn.]
Merrick: Did it come out of FTL?
Bernn: No, sir. it just appeared out of nowhere.
Merrick: It has be them. [He looks at Ellen.] you're with me. Let's go. Come on.
Chapter Twelve[]
[A shuttle heads out into space. Merrick and Ellen are on board.]
Ellen: All right, we should be within radio range.
Merrick: [activating the comms] Commander Diomedes, this is navigator Merrick, do you read?
[They get nothing but static.]
Ellen: There's too much interference.
[Her console beeps.]
Ellen: I'm picking up some kind of energy reading. It's spiking.
[The shuttle heads towards Aegina but just then a bright white light envelops it and vanishes.]
Merrick: What the hell just happened?
Ellen: It disappeared.
Merrick: Whoa-whoa-whoa, what are you talking about?
Ellen: Well, it's -- It's just ... gone.
[Her console bleeps again.]
Ellen: Oh, wait a minute. I'm picking up four life signs.
Merrick: Where?
Ellen: Dead ahead.
[They peer through the windshield as the shuttle slows down. Four tiny shapes can be seen in the distance.]
Merrick: Commander Diomedes, is that you?
Gwendolyn: [over radio] Navigator Merrick, nice of you to stop by. Kind of hard to get a cab in this neighborhood. Mind if we tag along?
[Merrick and Ellen grin.]
Merrick: Not at all, ma’am!
[He sends the shuttle towards the four members of Prometheus, all safe within spacesuits. Archaon’s Spacesuit has a conspicuous bulge on it’s rump.]
Chapter Thirteen[]
[In the Aegina's infirmary. Archaon, dressed in hospital whites, is lying face down on a bed with a canola in his nose feeding him oxygen. He is staring off to the side dopily. The arrow is still stuck in his left buttock, only now it seems to have been cut shorter, perhaps so Archaon would fit in the spacesuit he wore earlier.]
Archaon: [slurred] ooh, so many colors. All the pretty horses.
Gwendolyn: What's he talking about?
Lorelei: [guilty] I gave him some morphine for the pain.
[Archaon raises his head and looks up at Lorelei blearily.]
Archaon: [slurred] Have you seen a girl around? She looks like you, but she's got messy brown hair. I think I lost her somewhere. And ... and a ... and a pretty blond girl and a caveman. [He grins.]
[Lorelei smiles back and gently strokes his hair.]
Lorelei: I may have given him a bit too much, [looks back at Gwendolyn with a guilty expression] but he was making it impossible for me to treat him.
Archaon: [less Slurred] Excuse me. Excuse me. Why am I lying here?
[Lorelei squats down to his level so they’re face-to-face.]
Lorelei: [gently] You have an arrow, honey, in your gluteus maximus.
Archaon: Oh. Well, that sounds painful. [He puts his head back down on the bed and sighs contentedly. Lorelei stands back upright.] Gluteus maximus. [Slurring, almost singing] Glooteeus ... maaximuh ... [He turns his head drowsily, still speaking calmly.] Oh my God! That's my ass, isn't it?!
Lorelei: [gently] Yeah, it is...
Gwendolyn: Call me when he starts making sense again.
[The two exchange nods and Gwendolyn walks out of the infirmary.]
Epilogue[]
[Archaon is sitting up in the bed. He is working on his (or perhaps his alt-self's) computer tablet. Gwendolyn sits by his bedside playing on a hand-held computer game, not looking up from her game throughout the ensuing conversation]
Gwendolyn: How many jumps do you think that drive has left in it before it burns out?
Archaon: Half a dozen, tops, then it'll be completely inert.
Gwendolyn: Good. I'd hate to think of somebody else getting trapped inside that thing like we did.
Archaon: Actually, you know, I'm thinking about that. Now, true, the navigation system was flawed to start, but the basic principles of the drive are fundamentally sound.
Gwendolyn: Alright, best case scenario?
Archaon: [Smiles proudly] I win a Nobel prize.
Gwendolyn: Worst case scenario?
Archaon: [anguished] I tear a whole in the fabric of space… [reassuring] Which is less likely to happen then the Nobel prize!
Gwendolyn: Forget it, Archaon.
Archaon: I've saved the relevant data. Minor adjustments and I should be able to have this thing up and running ...
Gwendolyn: [Looks him straight in the eye] I said no, Archaon, and I mean it.