"It was an accident, Aeryn! It's not like the nest was even marked." Crichton thumped a fist against his thigh, staring out through the tiny barred window in the cell. Overhead, stars glittered through the smog.
"Oh, yes, your 'superior' blue eyes." Aeryn stood up from the low bench and joined him. "The Thwiith take their religious beliefs very seriously, Crichton. The Risal lay eggs only once a cycle, and supposedly the first hatching indicates how the cycle will turn out." She raised her eyebrows as he turned to her. "You've just doomed their entire culture."
Crichton opened his mouth, then shook his head. "Give me a break," he muttered. "I didn't get thrown halfway across the universe to get killed by Tweety Bird for ruining Groundhog's Day."
Aeryn smirked at him, then turned to stare at the cell's other occupant. "Progress, Chiana?"
The Nebari knelt at the door, arms thrust through the narrow spaces between the metal bars to work at the lock. Her ear was pressed to the back of the lockplate, and her eyes were narrow with concentration. "Crichton, give me your tool-kit."
Crichton wandered over. "Found a way to break us out, Pip?" He crouched down beside her and unhooked the kit from his belt. "Whatcha need?"
"Just this." Her lips curved upward, a brush of pink tongue over white teeth. Gloved fingers slid along the length of Crichton's as she withdrew two thin lengths of soldering wire. Her eyes gleamed. "Lucky I came along, aren't you?"
Above them, Aeryn harrumphed and Crichton eased upright. "Sure thing," he said, smiling. "If you can get us out."
"We're in the bag," Chiana said, her hands' motions dance-like, gentle. Metal clinked lightly against metal, and her tongue flicked out, briefly caught by her teeth. "Got it!" The lock clicked and the door began to swing ajar. Chiana grabbed it as she rose to her feet and twisted around to gaze down the stone corridor.
Aeryn moved up to lean past Chiana, attention focused on the empty hall. "All clear," she said, and started forward without a backward glance."Let's go."
"What, no 'thank you'?" Chiana rolled her eyes and slipped out of the cell.
Crichton patted her shoulder. "Thanks, Chi," he said. "You're a good egg."
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timeasmymeasure
No. 3
Date: 2010-01-28 04:35 pm (UTC)"It was an accident, Aeryn! It's not like the nest was even marked." Crichton thumped a fist against his thigh, staring out through the tiny barred window in the cell. Overhead, stars glittered through the smog.
"Oh, yes, your 'superior' blue eyes." Aeryn stood up from the low bench and joined him. "The Thwiith take their religious beliefs very seriously, Crichton. The Risal lay eggs only once a cycle, and supposedly the first hatching indicates how the cycle will turn out." She raised her eyebrows as he turned to her. "You've just doomed their entire culture."
Crichton opened his mouth, then shook his head. "Give me a break," he muttered. "I didn't get thrown halfway across the universe to get killed by Tweety Bird for ruining Groundhog's Day."
Aeryn smirked at him, then turned to stare at the cell's other occupant. "Progress, Chiana?"
The Nebari knelt at the door, arms thrust through the narrow spaces between the metal bars to work at the lock. Her ear was pressed to the back of the lockplate, and her eyes were narrow with concentration. "Crichton, give me your tool-kit."
Crichton wandered over. "Found a way to break us out, Pip?" He crouched down beside her and unhooked the kit from his belt. "Whatcha need?"
"Just this." Her lips curved upward, a brush of pink tongue over white teeth. Gloved fingers slid along the length of Crichton's as she withdrew two thin lengths of soldering wire. Her eyes gleamed. "Lucky I came along, aren't you?"
Above them, Aeryn harrumphed and Crichton eased upright. "Sure thing," he said, smiling. "If you can get us out."
"We're in the bag," Chiana said, her hands' motions dance-like, gentle. Metal clinked lightly against metal, and her tongue flicked out, briefly caught by her teeth. "Got it!" The lock clicked and the door began to swing ajar. Chiana grabbed it as she rose to her feet and twisted around to gaze down the stone corridor.
Aeryn moved up to lean past Chiana, attention focused on the empty hall. "All clear," she said, and started forward without a backward glance."Let's go."
"What, no 'thank you'?" Chiana rolled her eyes and slipped out of the cell.
Crichton patted her shoulder. "Thanks, Chi," he said. "You're a good egg."