Don't Hesitate, Chapter Six

[cleanbc.livejournal.com]

Title: Don’t Hesitate, Chapter 6
Pairing: DM/BB
Author: cleanbc aka Coll
Rating: Probably PG-13 or R at the most graphic point, in the whole series.
Summary: What would happen if you feel asleep, and woke up somewhere not on this Earth? Billy and Dom go on a trip.
Disclaimer: Ok, so I don’t know, own, or have any influence whatsoever on Billy or Dom. This is AU, so it obviously did not happen. In addition, I stole many descriptions and ideas from Anne McCaffrey and her Dragonriders of Pern series, so the parts when it is good, I might not have written that.
Feedback: Always welcome, of any sort.
Notes: A completed story. This is a combination of two of my most favorite things, and I am stunned at myself that I did not think of this earlier. I want to thank my betas, everyone I sent the story to in it’s beginning of the end phases, you all really helped me improve the story, and make the story easier for those who haven’t read Dragonriders. I hope you all can overcome your hesitancy regarding AUs and give my story a read.

Previous chapters:
One | Two | Three | Four | Five

“Can you tell us the history of Pern, and how it connects to Earth and our own histories? Let us start at the beginning, shall we?”

“That is a correct procedure,” Aivas replied, and the picture of Earth on the panels suddenly darkened and then became illuminated again with a diagram of a smaller, yet similar looking blue and green planet, circling a sun that also looked very much like their own.

When Mankind first discovered Pern, third planet of the sun Rukbat, in the Sagittarian Sector, they paid little attention to the eccentric orbit of another satellite in the system.

Settling the new planet, adjusting to its differences, the colonists spread out across the southern, most hospitable continent. Then disaster struck in the form of a rain of mycorrhizoid organisms, which voraciously devoured all but stone, metal, and water. The initial losses were staggering. But fortunately for the young colony, “Thread,” as the settlers called the devastating showers, was not entirely invincible: both water and fire would destroy the menace on contact.

Using their old-world ingenuity and genetic engineering, the settlers altered an indigenous life form that resembled the dragons of legend. Telepathically bonded with a human at birth, these enormous creatures became Pern’s most effective weapon against Thread. Able to chew and digest phosphine-bearing rock, the dragons could literally breathe fire and sear the airborne Thread before it could reach the ground. Able not only to fly but to teleport as well, the dragons could maneuver quickly to avoid injury during their battles with Thread. And their telepathic communication enabled them to work with their riders and with each other to form extremely efficient fighting units – wings.

In a second unfortunate turn of events, the colonists discovered that the land of the southern continent was geologically unstable. A volcano once thought to be dormant erupted almost on top of the original settlement, creatively called Landing. Unable to deal with the double threat, the colonists found it necessary to move north to shield themselves from Thread in caves in the stable bedrock of that continent.

Being a dragonrider required special talents and complete dedication. Thus dragonriders became a separate group, set apart from those who held land against the depredations of Thread, or those whose craft skills produced other necessities of life in their crafthalls.

Over the centuries, the settlers forgot their origins in their struggle to survive against Thread, which fell across the land whenever the Red Star’s eccentric orbit coincided with Pern’s. There were long Intervals, too, when no Thread ravaged the land, when the dragonriders in their Weyrs kept faith with their mighty friends until they would be needed once more to protect the people they were pledged to serve.

After one such long Interval, when Thread renewed its violence, the dragonriders were down to one single Weyr: Benden. Its courageous Weyrwoman, Lessa, rider of the only gold queen, Ramoth, discovering that dragons could move through time as well as space, took a desperate gamble and flew four hundred Turns into the past to bring the other five Weyrs forward in time to renew the defense of Pern.

Circumstances encouraged exploration of the southern continent and there a group of the younger generation discovered the most important artifact in the settlers’ original Landing: AIVAS – Artificial Intelligence Voice Address System.

With the myriad files of information that the colonists had brought with them, Aivas was able to restore lost pieces of information for all the Crafthalls. He was also able to teach them how they might rid their world of the cyclical dangers of the erratic satellite planet they inaccurately had been calling the Red Star.

“So wait, you’re going to do what?” Dom asked. He and Billy, along with people whom he had recently learned were Pern’s equivalent of nobility, had just spent hours listening to and watching Aivas’ pre-packaged History of Pern video/lecture. He felt like he had just come out of a showing of the Trilogy, with all of the extended editions. So much new information, he didn’t know if his head could take it. Fortunately for them, most of the others had left part way through, having watched the story before, and not being able to understand English.

“The Weyrs of Pern, that is to say, most of the dragons on the planet, will travel into space, take hold of the engines of the spaceships their ancestors used to get to this planet from Earth, move them to the Red Star, and leave them there. The engines’ explosion, having been preset to explode at a precise time, will alter the orbit of the planet enough so that it does not bring Thread to Pern.”

“Aivas, I am no scientist, but how could the explosion of a couple of engines change the course of a planet?” Billy looked confused.

“The explanation of this process is quite advanced. The engines run on a reaction between matter and antimatter and…”

“Antimatter?” Dom interrupted. “What’s that?”

“A substance that is NOT matter, which is everything you in your time knew. Humanity will not discover it for at least a millennia, so try not to clutter you mind with the details. For comparison, the explosion of the atom bomb at Hiroshima had the same power of approximately a 1/2 kilogram of matter reacting with antimatter.”

Dom raised his eyebrows. “That’s powerful.”

“Thank you Legolas,” muttered Billy under his breath. Dom jabbed him in the ribs.

“So how are you going… I mean… Is this going to work?” Dom didn’t quite know where to go from here.

“The chances of success are currently…”

Dom waved his hands. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. Sorry I asked.”

“What about us?” Billy asked quietly. “What should we be doing? I mean, I take it as you, nor anyone else, knows how we got here, there’s not real way of getting back home, is there?”

“This has been considered. The dragon’s ability to teleport, or go between as it is called, was at first thought to be a possibility, but the range of their travel is limited by their capacity to carry oxygen, as well as their ability to know their destination. Considering it took the colonists 15 years to get here, traveling faster than the speed of light, and the distance in years you are from the Christian year of 2004, there is almost no change that any dragon, much less any human, could survive the trip.”

“Oh,” Billy was quiet.

“Do not despair, Billy, Dom. This facility suggests that you use your unique knowledge and skills and try to live life as best you can in your present circumstances. You are a singer, Billy are you not? Music is highly valued on this planet, both as a teaching tool and for entertainment. I anticipate that you have knowledge of songs that would delight many in this society. Moreover, Dom, you have a gift with people, which I am sure that many of Pern’s highest would be happy to use. You both have plenty of talents and opportunities to use them.

“All we have to decide…” Billy murmured to himself.

“…is what to do with the time that is given to us,” finished Dom with a kind smile. “Don’t worry Bills, it will be fine. We’ll be fine. At least we are both here. Being alone, well, it would really suck.”

Billy smiled. “How many times have I told you Dom? Americanisms do not become you. Be an Englishman.”

“Wanker.”

“Aye, but you love me for it.”

“That I do.”

Suddenly a few sheets of paper came spewing out of a slot to the right of one of Aivas’ screens. Dom reached over and grabbed it. As he started reading it, Billy stood on tiptoes behind him and read it over his shoulder.

“The paper that is being printed is a basic guide to the current Pernese language. This facility has observed their language since they uncovered it, and has connected the changes with your old Earth English. In fact, the languages are not that different. Fortunately, English had become the global language long before the Pernese Colonization Expedition left Earth, so most of what you must learn is changes that have occurred in the past 2500 odd years since Landing.

“I am also calling Lessa and her weyrmate – who is the equivalent of her husband in all but the Christian sense of the word – F’lar to this chamber. They are the most powerful people in the current Pernese political structure, and I think they will have some ideas about where you two can reside, and where you will be most useful.”

Dom turned back to look at Billy. “Well, Bills, are you ready to start?” He grinned.

Billy could not help but return the smile. “Start what, Dom?”

“Why, our next great adventure, Pip!”