If Moya survived her trip down the wormhole ("Dog With Two Bones"), Chiana, Rygel, and I hoped she'd fly to her original destination: Arnessk, a planet where Jool's people had an archeological dig. Elack ("Crichton Kicks") agreed to take us there.
Raise a glass — the long shot paid off. We found D'Argo, Jool, and The Old Woman with the Interion archeologists. Jool couldn't remember what happened in the wormhole, just said Pilot would explain when Moya returned. No one had heard from Aeryn.
Instead, everybody'd gone ga-ga over the site's dusty history. Once upon a time, Arnesskan Priests built a temple there that somehow ensured peace between the Scarrans and Peacekeepers. Five hundred generations later, party poopers fired three Darnaz Probes onto Arnessk, creating the Darnaz Triangle. This screwed up the planet's magnetics. Eden vanished, the peace was shattered, and the planet became an inhospitable rock. During certain periods, people can still survive there — that's when the Interions schedule their digs. When the deadly magnetics intensify again, everyone has to leave.
The dig leader, Instructor Vella, was the site's Nutty Professor, minus the sense of humor. She'd already located two Darnaz Probes. If she found the third, she believed she could free the planet from its magnetic prison. Whatever. I just wanted to rejoin Moya and find Aeryn.
Sadly, up in orbit, old Elack was entering termination shutdown. While Rygel urged the ship to hang on, Sikozu meddled with my Module. Can't protest (much), 'cause she got it flying again and even rigged it to pick up Peacekeeper transmissions.
I just wish she'd been faster to intercept the news that Grayza, Braca and muchos PK commandos were planning a surprise visit to Arnessk.
Down below, oblivious to that particular threat, The Old Woman was all freaked out over some cryptic apocalypse or something. Instead of giving me a straight answer about Moya or Aeryn, she taught me how to turn on and drop out by snorting bug guts, then raved about the dangers of the Darnaz Triangle. Tagging along behind her was Oo-nii, who looked like a cross between a Brady Bunch Tiki idol and a Martian Aqua-Dude. Still don't know what his deal is.
I also don't know the deal with D'Argo and Jool. Turns out, D'Argo enjoys playing Indiana Jones almost as much as Jool does. He and Jool seem close, but I wonder if they're truly compatible. After all, Jool worshipped Vella, who didn't think Luxans were the brightest crayons in the galactic box. Color me unsurprised.
The day grew more confusing when Grandma declared that the planet's Interion "defilers" must die. To persuade me, she hit me with a faceful of herbs, inducing my biggest Technicolor vision yet: the Arnessk glory days. Temple. Priests. Probes — I even saw where the missing one landed. And a golden tile....
I woke up in the water, with Oo-nii Hasselhoff dragging me to shore. By the time I dried out, I realized Grandma'd scampered off with my pulse pistol and learned Vella'd been turned to stone by a Serax carver — a slick excavation tool and an even slicker murder weapon. D'Argo was drunk, grouchy, clutching said carver, and standing over Vella's remains. Call me crazy, but I still suspected Grandma.
Looking for her, I discovered the golden tile from my vision. Gave me goosebumps, chills, the works — because I'm sure one of the markings on it was ancient Egyptian. As in, from Earth.
At this point, Sikozu finally came planetside to warn us about the Peacekeepers' arrival, but Miss Fashionably Late only reached D'Argo in time. The rest of us found out the hard way: Grayza captured us. Then....
...then things got weird. Grayza'd brought Scorpius along — on a leash. She claimed he was a peace offering. Claimed she wanted to be friends with me. And I — don't get me wrong, I felt dirty, sick — but I wanted her. Needed her. I can't explain it. Then....
