Oh my God. I am so, so sorry to all of you (if you're even still here oh Lord) because this has just been left for YEARS. YEARS. A thousand apologies will never suffice. But please understand— these years have been upheaval after upheaval in every aspect of my life. And I am here now, giving you this. It's not much, but it's a step in the right direction, and if there IS still anyone watching this fic, thank you. Thank you so much. Because you got me back. I came back to this story here on the site, read my reviews for it through. Your reviews for me. Telling me how wonderful you thought my writing was, how much you enjoyed the concept, how much you loved the story I was telling. I loved it too. Thank you for reminding me of that. Thank you for being so kind and enthusiastic, thank you for taking a moment to let me know, thank some of you in particular for sticking with me enough to keep reminding me via pm. Thank you all so much.

Rick had left the module some time ago. He had a lot to think about— the races, the 'Ultimate Prize', this planet, the shaman, the vision he couldn't remember, the nightmares that slipped away when he woke, the Timeless One and every other thing that needed figuring out— and needed some space. Plenty of that here; Oban was huge, and there was so much to explore. That... did somewhat distract from his thoughts, though.

There was more of that reddish foliage all over the place, more ruinous old temples. The ex-pilot had spent quite a bit of time wandering the incredible wilderness around the module, unable to completely rein in his desire to see everything, and now he was heading for the nearest temple; not unaware that exploring alien ruins alone (he may have forgotten to notify anyone of his absence) was dangerous, but really, when had that ever stopped Rick Thunderbolt?

Rarely ever, much to his mother's chagrin.

Stepping through the round doorway of the crumbling dome— connected to further, larger building work— he peered around the dark room. It was hard to see, hardly any light getting in through the doorway or the tiny window-like structures at the dome's head. Barely hesitating a moment, the shades came off, tucked into an inside pocket of his long coat.

Blinking into the dark, seeing much more easily, Rick could make out the broken, fallen pillar making a bridge across the pooled water inside. On the water were plants of some kind, big enough for him to stand on one of their three pointed leaves (he didn't test if they could hold his weight) spread triangularly across the water around thin, oval buds. 'Like if you somehow crossed a banana tree with a water lily.' ... A slightly odd comparison, but that was what it brought to his mind.

Wait.

He wasn't alone.

Looking up swiftly at the window-holes, the man glimpsed a creature of some sort peering through before disappearing.

Okay, that was a little worrying— might be something territorial. Or a few somethings. A pack of territorial alien creatures wasn't something Rick liked the idea of tackling right about now. But... he didn't feel threatened or unwelcome. Once again choosing to follow his instincts, he continued across the pillar up to some stairs, leading up to a plateau of some kind. Whether it was designed that way or the roof had come down was a mystery, though as he looked around the remains of upright pillars seemed to point towards the latter.

It was much, much brighter here in the full sunlight(? Rick thought it was sunlight) and the shades went back on, eyes unaccustomed to the brightness due to the tinted lenses' near-constant presence.

He had his reasons. Perhaps misplaced, but once upon a time at least they had been valid, and he felt more comfortable with them on much of the time.

Wait... that one, that pillar— there was something engraved on it. Something worryingly familiar. Stepping carefully as dread wormed its way into his gut, Rick came closer and felt his blood run cold.

The symbol there matched the one on the medallion he'd found.

The Timeless One.

"Leave me alone! Don't touch me! Let me GOOO!"

Snapping around instantly, he nearly succumbed to his fear. That was Molly's voice. Molly, in trouble, in this place with that mark in it.

No... he'd promised to keep her safe!

"You're a monster! A heartless monster!"

Boots pounded furiously against stone as he ran, ran, ran, following the echoes of his Little Mouse's cries. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, and the coldness in his gut had turned to a fierce burning.

"NO! NO STOP!"

The ground shook, rubble started to fall as he ran through to another dome— only to be met with a frantic crowd of little white creatures similar to that huge-tongued racer. They didn't react to his presence, focused on escaping whatever was within, which only spurred Rick on faster.

'Hang on! I'm coming!'

Lord Furter eyed the pair before him in distaste as the dome began to collapse. His crew had scarpered out of fear for their lives, but in the end, he supposed, it was of little matter. The humans were bound up nice and tight, even as the larger one had regained consciousness; they wouldn't be able to escape, and their deaths would be assumed to be a result of their own foolishness, wandering the treacherous ruins. Which, in a way, he mused with a sense of satisfaction, it was. Excellent.

Turning away, he intended to join his crew in their escape— though in a far more composed and sophisticated manner, naturally— only to be unexpectedly thwarted by a heavy-duty boot to the face.

Rick used the little bastard as a springboard of sorts, intent on reaching the pair of idiots he was putting kiddie leashes on later, damn them, as fast as he could, grabbing them both roughly and bolting for safety. He didn't much care what happened to Pompous Tongueface, as he had a suspicion this was his doing.

Jordan was not having a good day. Dragged on a hike, dunked in a river, knocked unconscious by one of those embarrassingly easily-spooked little aliens, woken up again face-to-air with a very long drop, tied up to Molly with an earthquake going on, and now he was being bounced around in a mad dash away from a collapsing structure.

Well, at least they weren't dead. Yet.

Those freaky looking lion-maned creatures were taking a keen interest in them, after all. Now, after all that, they were probably going to be lunch. Because Molly wanted to go for a stroll.

If they survived, he was never going anywhere with her ever again.

His shoulder collided roughly with the ground— solid, unmoving ground— and he both felt and heard Molly drop too. "Rick! Quick, help untie us, before these things heat up the cooking pot!"

Wrestling himself into a sitting, Jordan turned to see Rick— and felt his heart stop. Molly was calling out to the ex-racer, trying to wriggle out of her bonds and go to his side, try to help him.

The large man lay half-curled where he had fallen, hands trembling weakly. Other than that, he wasn't moving, and he gave no indication that he heard them, or that he was even conscious. Damn sunglasses! Jordan couldn't tell.

One thing was clear; even as he worked his wrists free and started to untie both himself and Molly, Jordan knew they weren't going anywhere fast with Rick like this. And those gaping-mouthed monsters were calling even more of their number, drawing in closer around them.

They were in serious trouble.