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A water planet and somewhere near it, somewhere in spaaaaaaaaace
His friends were still not-dead. Of this Stark was certain. He was something of an expert on death. He could be certain of such things. They also weren't really alive, which was, to understate things spectacularly, disturbing.
That was why Stark had volunteered to take Chiana to find a Diagnosan.
Well, that, and an unfortunately ongoing desire to somehow atone for his role in her current blindness. Chiana simply wanted company and fahrbot company would at least keep her entertained. And if it didn't, she reasoned, Stark had always made a pretty good punching bag. She could blame it all on being blind if she needed to. And since D'Argo was determined to stay on the water planet until Crichton and Aeryn were sorted out and Noranti was crazier than Stark at times, and Rygel was, well, Rygel, Stark was her best option for someone to steer the frelling transport pod.
It surprised both of them that they managed to survive the trip. It had been rough at first, with the constant mutter of apologies from Stark and the stream of ever more entertaining curses from Chiana. Once they had the location of a Diagnosan, the apologies stopped and were abruptly replaced with a kind of manic joy in being able to help. Chiana found this easier to deal with and the curses and threats of violence stopped as well.
"We're almost there," Stark said, for what was possibly the 14th time this arn, though Chiana had stopped keeping track after the 8th repetition. "Almost there. Then we'll have you fixed. Better than before. It will all be better. ALL of it."
"You said that already," Chiana snapped. "I know we're almost there. I'm blind not an idiot." Her tone implied quite clearly just who the idiot was in this conversation.
"Sorry," Stark said automatically. "I didn't mean to...and sorry, for apologizing. Which I just did again. I'm sorry," his voice trailed off as he realized he wasn't likely to be able to stop apologizing now that he'd started again. "I'll be quiet now," he finished meekly.
"You can talk Stark," Chiana said. "Just try not to say everything ten frelling times?"
"I won't. We can land, soon, soon. They're expecting us. I talked to the Diagnosan."
"I know you did. I was sitting right here."
"Right, right. Of course. I knew that. I did. I just..." Stark shrugged, though he knew Chiana couldn't see the movement. "It helps, sometimes. Talking." Fortunately for Chiana, and for Stark, he now had to pay more attention to landing the transport than to babbling.
"We're here," he said finally and unnecessarily. It wasn't exactly easy to ignore the landing of a transport pod you were in. "I'll go out. Talk to them. I'll be right back. Unless you want to come. You can. If you want."
Chiana sprang up from where she'd been sitting. She wasn't about to let Stark do all the talking. "I'm coming!"
[Because I can't leave him staring at the boat full of tiny, tiny pieces forever. And maybe he'll actually GO somewhere now. SOMEWHERE WITH CUPCAKES?]
That was why Stark had volunteered to take Chiana to find a Diagnosan.
Well, that, and an unfortunately ongoing desire to somehow atone for his role in her current blindness. Chiana simply wanted company and fahrbot company would at least keep her entertained. And if it didn't, she reasoned, Stark had always made a pretty good punching bag. She could blame it all on being blind if she needed to. And since D'Argo was determined to stay on the water planet until Crichton and Aeryn were sorted out and Noranti was crazier than Stark at times, and Rygel was, well, Rygel, Stark was her best option for someone to steer the frelling transport pod.
It surprised both of them that they managed to survive the trip. It had been rough at first, with the constant mutter of apologies from Stark and the stream of ever more entertaining curses from Chiana. Once they had the location of a Diagnosan, the apologies stopped and were abruptly replaced with a kind of manic joy in being able to help. Chiana found this easier to deal with and the curses and threats of violence stopped as well.
"We're almost there," Stark said, for what was possibly the 14th time this arn, though Chiana had stopped keeping track after the 8th repetition. "Almost there. Then we'll have you fixed. Better than before. It will all be better. ALL of it."
"You said that already," Chiana snapped. "I know we're almost there. I'm blind not an idiot." Her tone implied quite clearly just who the idiot was in this conversation.
"Sorry," Stark said automatically. "I didn't mean to...and sorry, for apologizing. Which I just did again. I'm sorry," his voice trailed off as he realized he wasn't likely to be able to stop apologizing now that he'd started again. "I'll be quiet now," he finished meekly.
"You can talk Stark," Chiana said. "Just try not to say everything ten frelling times?"
"I won't. We can land, soon, soon. They're expecting us. I talked to the Diagnosan."
"I know you did. I was sitting right here."
"Right, right. Of course. I knew that. I did. I just..." Stark shrugged, though he knew Chiana couldn't see the movement. "It helps, sometimes. Talking." Fortunately for Chiana, and for Stark, he now had to pay more attention to landing the transport than to babbling.
"We're here," he said finally and unnecessarily. It wasn't exactly easy to ignore the landing of a transport pod you were in. "I'll go out. Talk to them. I'll be right back. Unless you want to come. You can. If you want."
Chiana sprang up from where she'd been sitting. She wasn't about to let Stark do all the talking. "I'm coming!"
[Because I can't leave him staring at the boat full of tiny, tiny pieces forever. And maybe he'll actually GO somewhere now. SOMEWHERE WITH CUPCAKES?]