CATECHISM
By deanine
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan-fiction. It was written in fun. I don't own any of the seaQuest characters. I'm just borrowing them. An-Mei, Andre, David, and a several others you won't recognize from anywhere else belong to me. :) I don't plan to make any money off of this. Please don't sue me I just paid my tuition and there isn't much left.
Introduction: This is my second attempt at seaQuest fan-fiction. I hope this story is an improvement. (Past tense as requested, Ki) Maybe someone will enjoy it anyhow. It is loosely (Very very loosley) a sequel to Young Old Children. Continuity is a little confused... Sandra has happened but Darwin hasn't been arrested. Basically, I'm just moving the first alien episode in 2nd season later in the tour. Hope this doesn't confuse anyone.... Feedback is appreciated. Positive, negative, its all good. (Come on speak your mind... Pleeeeeease!)
Quick note: There was entirely too much technical stuff in this little guy. If I didn't know what I was talking about I just made something up that sounded good. Forgive me if its confusing. I'd love to hear how well, or poorly, you think I faked it. (feedback feedback feedback...)
Note number two... I chose not to deal with Tony's dislexia and reading problems. Please forgive me. I had already written most of the parts that would be affected when the issue occured to me and I found myself unable to significantly change them.
Note number three... This fic is being posted in second draft form. More of the fic should be on my homepage than has gone through the lists. If you want to read more drop by http://www.msstate.edu/~bdg2http://www.msstate.edu/~bdg2
CATECHISM
By deanine
We all had delusions in our head
We all had our minds made up for us
We had to believe in something
So we did
--Alanis Morissette
Chapter 1
SeaQuest was rounding out a week in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Mississippi. An ongoing communications overhaul had left all but the most secure lines off the boat down or running incredibly slowly.
Lucas strummed his fingers over his keyboard impatiently. He was holding his breath and glaring mutely at the screen. He leaned his chair back and reached over his head for the walk-man on his bed. Just then, the door flew open and slapped the bulkhead with a bang. Lucas lost his balance, and the chair fell back.
"What a night!" Tony sang. He strutted forward and plopped down on his bunk. "Who knew Biloxi was a fun town?" Piccalo's speech wasn't quite slurred but he was obviously buzzed. Lucas sat up in the floor and sighed. Tonight was just not his night. There aren't many things in life you're supposed to be able to count on. Aliens might drop from the heavens, Poseidon might attack your vessel. But the internex would never be inaccessible for longer than a week and under no circumstances would Tony Piccolo ever return from shore-leave before 9 p.m. So much for privacy. Not that it really mattered without the internex connection anyway.
"What are you doing down there Luke?"
"I was practicing my swan dive. What did you think?" Lucas pulled himself up, righted the chair, and straddled it.
"Maybe a little more height off the chair." Tony made a plummeting gesture with his hand. Lucas silently took in his roommate's condition. Piccolo had lipstick smudges on his face and collar and was wearing what appeared to be the remains of a cardboard crown. "I take it you had fun?" He raised an eyebrow but couldn't help grinning. It's hard to keep up healthy anger when faced with the ridiculous. It's a wonder anyone was ever mad at Tony.
"You should have been there kid. The casino was a tribute to the twentieth century. Each floor represented a decade. I made it as far as the fifties after a long stay in the twenties." Tony's gaze seemed distant as though he were reliving his adventure.
"The fifties? Thank god you didn't make it to the sixties." Lucas smirked and cradled his head on his hands. "You realize, statistically speaking, casinos are a waste of money?" "So what. Casinos have great food and great entertainment," Tony replied defensively. "If you follow my Uncle Chuck's two simple rules, casinos can be fun. One, don't ever bring more money than you're able to lose. Two don't have a drink unless you're through gambling." Piccolo began fumbling through his pockets. "I'll tell you how to find it and you can check the place out yourself, whenever you go ashore." Piccolo gazed at the ceiling for several seconds. "Why haven't you gone ashore anyway?"
Lucas sighed and turned around. "You have to be eighteen to get past the kiddie room of those places. Besides, I'm working on something."
Tony sat forward and stared quizzically at the blank screen flashing a loading sign. "Weren't you expecting a message from that girlfriend of yours?"
Lucas lowered his head and rolled his eyes. "Its none of your business Tony. And Julianna's not my girlfriend."
Tony rose and headed for the door. "Fine, fine, being stood up makes me cranky too." "I wasn't stood up!" Lucas declared. "The satellite link-up is busy at the moment. I can't get a network connection up with all the system upgrades." Lucas stood and walked to the door to toss his statement at Tony's retreating back.
Tony turned and held up his hands. "Okay, sure, whatever. I thought you were a hacker extraordinare?" He turned around and began to mumble to himself about teenagers and hormonal imbalances.
Lucas walked back over to his computer and dug his hands down into his pockets. He cocked his head to the side and shrugged. "I was going to do this legal." A glance at the wall clock and back at the annoying blank screen decided him. "For once Tony, you're absolutely right." Lucas canceled his uplink request and began peeling back seaQuest's security protocols.
This version of the computer system was chiefly designed by Lucas. After he got past his conscience, the actual hacking wasn't really a challenge. Within ten minutes, he had a high priority link into the internex. Lucas checked his watch and smiled. "And seven minutes to spare."
As a general policy, Lucas didn't set dates on the nex, especially with girls. Too many things could go wrong. For some reason, beyond comprehension, people believed that any half-way decent hacker was immune from basic computer problems, like server crashes and the occasional virus. Julianna was the exception to that rule. A fellow hacker, she would have understood if he hadn't made it tonight... probably.
His mail program flashed quietly at him. Lucas scrolled down through the inter-ship mail that could wait until later. He was about to access the first of several messages from Julianna when he spotted half a dozen messages from his father. Each message was flashing urgent.
Date: Mon, 04 Nov 2021 09:09:50 -0800 (PST)
To: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
From: "Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak" wolencz2@ueo.org
Subject: *URGENT*
Hi Lucas,
I'm sorry it's been so long since I called. I tried to make a vid-call but seaQuest isn't accepting the uplink feed. It wouldn't even accept a vid-message. We need to talk, face to face. I think I have a unique educational opportunity for you. Wouldn't you love to cmplete your doctorate? Call me.
I love you,
Dad
Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2021 08:9:50-0700 (PST)
To: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
From: "Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak" wolencz2@ueo.org
Subject: *URGENT*
Lucas,
I'm assuming that seaQuest is having communication difficulties, but I'm on a timetable here. Please get back to me as soon as you get this message.
Thanks,
Dad
Date: Thr, 05 Nov 2021 10:09:50-0900 (PST)
To: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
From: "Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak" wolencz2@ueo.org
Subject: *URGENT* Lucas,
I know this message program is working. I'd be gettin a message from the Mail Delivery Subsystem if it weren't. Is this revenge? Giving me some of my own medicine? I never meant to ignore you Lucas. This is important. Call me.
Dad
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2021 9:09:50-0800 (PST)
To: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
From: "Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak" wolencz2@ueo.org
Subject: *URGENT*
Lucas,
If I don't hear from you today, Lucas, I'm going to have to make this decision without your input. I'll act in your best interest. If you want a say in this, I suggest you call.
Dad
Date: Fri, 05 Nov 2021 01:09:50- 1200 (PST)
To: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
From: "Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak" wolencz2@ueo.org
Subject: *URGENT*
This should get your attention. I filed the paperwork to remove you from seaQuest. I'll be happy to explain what's going on but you're going to have to contact me.
Date: Thr, 05 Nov 2021 01:08:50 - 1900 (PST)
To: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
From: "Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak" wolencz2@ueo.org
Subject: *URGENT*
Lucas,
I promise, removing you from seaQuest is in your own best interest. Please give me a chance to explain this, before the red tape sorts itself out. I guarantee you will be able to reach me at this number. Please, call. 1 (601) 395-8336-936.
I love you,
Dad
"What kind of bs is this?" Lucas took five seconds to tap out an excuse to Julianna for skipping out on her and printed out the final message. With a sigh of pure digust he closed his hard won satelite connection. Lucas snatched the paper out of his printer and threw open the door.
PART TWO
"Come in Commander Foster," a voice commanded. Foster lifted his head and marched forward to the foot of a long mahogany conference table. "Sit please." There was no audible click when the door slid shut.
"Admiral Higgins, I'd prefer to stand if it's all the same," Foster requested. The cavernous room was paneled in rosewood and smelled faintly of mildew. The Admiral leaned forward out of the shadows revealing a deeply lined face crowned by thick white hair. "No Commander it's not all the same. Sit. That's an order." The Admiral's voice was scarcely above a whisper but command reverberated through the room regardless.
"I hope this meeting is about more than petty power games," Commander Foster replied without moving.
"I like you Commander, so I'll make this easy on us both. You're not under review. This review isn't about you. You performed beautifully in New Zeland. A man who understands acceptable losses. I like that." Higins face contorted into an unconscious ferocity. "Can the adittude and pay attention."
The Commander took a seat stiffly. "How may I assist you then sir?"
"Have you been briefed on the Catechise Project?" The Admiral asked. His face had settled into passivity again.
"Not officially, but I know of it," Foster replied. "I'm intelligence. I do my job."
The admiral nodded. "I'd like your personal take on one of your agents, Lieutenant An-Mei Atkins. Did the New Zealand incident leave her undamaged?"
The Commander's dark eyebrows dropped and his gray eyes hardened. "I filed a report. My Lieutenant came through beautifully. I'm sorry we can't say the same for her partner, Ensign Bacon."
"It's a shame. Psyche profiles can be decieving." Higgins flipped open a file and started scanning. "Are you also aware of her connection to the Catechize Project? Of course you are. Forgive me. You're intelligence." The Admiral was seized by a dry hacking cough. Gradually, he regained his composure. "You trained her. Is she still loyal? How far can she be trusted?"
Foster's dark tanned face was immobile as granite. "You have her psych profile. She's loyal and she knows how to leep her mouth shut. She's a good soldier."
"Would you trust her with your career?" The Admiral's smile gradually disappeared.
"Would you trust her with our careers?"
"Yes, I would trust her with my career," The Commander replied slowly.
Higgins' slate blue eyes broadcast a deadly cold. Gradually his smile returned.
"Congratulations Commander. We have manufactured an opening for the agent you have been clamoring to place on seaQuest. The final testing of the Catechize Project comes as a package deal though. When you read the full breifing, I think you'll understand how useful your Lieutenant could be in this situation."
"Of course Admiral. Thank you Admiral." Commander Foster stood and stared back at his superior.
The Admiral held his junior's gaze and his smile never faltered. "Dismissed."
PART THREE
Brody was whistling as he strolled toward the mess. He paused to watch Loni jerking on her right boot in her doorway. She slammed the door and sprinted down the corridor. Brody got out of the way and she brushed right past him.
"Everything okay, Henderson?" Brody called.
"I'm up next shift!" Loni replied.
Brody looked at his watch and smiled. "Cutting it close Henderson," he yelled good- naturedly. He swung around and barely missed being trampled by Lucas. Brody caught the kid's arm and gave him a hard look. "Woah, slow it down buddy."
Lucas glared at Brody. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm just in a hurry." He broke free and jogged away somewhat slower.
"Apparently it's going around." Brody brushed his shirt off and noticed a crumpled piece of paper Lucas had dropped. Since Lucas was long gone he picked it up and pocketed it. The mess was crowded with crew from the last shift. Brody grabbed a tray and O'Neil waved him over. After sitting, Brody noticed O'Neil's companion. "Tony? Are you okay?"
Tony lifted his head off the table and smiled wanly. He was still smeared with lipstick but the crown had disappeared. "I think I had a bad salmon at that VJ day buffet. But I'm okay." Tony moaned and laid his head back down.
"Is he drunk?" Brody whispered to Tim.
Tim nodded and whispered, "A little I think." Then he added aloud, "I've been trying to get him to walk down to med-bay but he's being stubborn."
"I just need some sleep, really," Tony muttered.
"You have a bunk right down the hall. What are you still doing here?" Brody asked around a mouthful of spinach.
"Lucas is playing Romeo with this chick and I thought I'd give the kid some privacy," Tony explained.
Brody shook his head and swallowed. "Not anymore. I ran into Lucas on the way over here."
Jim smiled devilishly. "The kid's been playing Romeo you say?" He dug around in his pockets and pulled out the crumpled piece of paper. "Lucas dropped this." Brody waved the piece of paper in the air. "I could have sworn he was headed for the vid-phone."
Tony grinned. "A love letter you think?"
"A rendezvous at least," Brody replied.
Tim raised his eyebrows skeptically. "If that belongs to Lucas, don't you think we should maybe return it?"
"I plan to return it. Right after I read it," Brody replied.
* * *
Lucas walked forward thankful that there wasn't a line at the vid-phone. His thankfulness lasted right up until he noticed the mass of wires and an open service panel. Two blue clad legs protruded from the crawl space beneath the phone. Lucas reached down and tugged on a pants-leg. "Excuse me?" An unfamiliar grease smeared face emerged.
"Can I help you?" the young man asked.
"Yeah, can you tell me how long until the vid-phone will be back on-line?" Lucas asked. He frowned when he noticed that the man wasn't wearing a seaQuest uniform.
The technician noticed Lucas's pointed look and tugged at the Navy issue jumpsuit. "I'm on loan from the Naval base to help install the new enhancers, that seaQuest came into port for. Normally this job wouldn't take me ten minutes, but the system is not cooperating."
"Shouldn't seaQuest be installing these herself?" Lucas was too distracted to be more than cursorily skeptical.
"My commanding officer sent me to make sure it was done right. I'm afraid this could take me quite a while yet. By the way, my name is David."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lucas." The two shook hands and Lucas frowned. "I could help. I know this ship and her systems as well as anyone and I really need this phone ten minutes ago. You're commander won't ever know the difference."
"Okay Lucas, but I'm warning you, this is boring work," David replied. A grin split his face and he scooted out of the crawl space.
Lucas pulled off his blue flannel shirt and sat down to examine the new vid enhancers. He tossed the gray cylinder into the air and caught it. "Looks pretty straight forward."
"You've seen one enhancer, you've seen 'em all," David replied with a grimace.
* * *
Brody spread the paper out on the table next to his tray and read it to himself. He frowned and read it again.
Tim looked up from his meal when Brody became quiet. "You have been consumed by guilt and decided not to read the message for our enjoyment after all?" Tim asked.
"Lucas is leaving seaQuest," Brody stated matter-of-factly.
Tony groaned. "Didn't he learn his lesson about chasing after women blindly after that whole Sandra thing?"
Tim put down his fork and looked thoughtful. "He can't just up and leave. He is an employee of the UEO. Bridger will have to give him the go-ahead."
"Hey Tony, Lucas isn't eighteen yet is he?" Brody asked.
"Nah, not until December. Why?" Tony leaned forward with interest.
"Because, this message isn't from a girl. It's from Dr. Wolenczak. He's pulling him off," Brody replied.
"He can do that?" Tony asked. "Lucas isn't exactly a child. I mean he can be immature but he should have a say in his own future."
"The way I understand it a legal guardian can do pretty much anything within reason as long as it doesn't effect the well being of their child, until the kid is eighteen," Brody answered.
Tim frowned and nodded. "Let me see that." Brody passed the message and Tim's frown deepened. "He doesn't even say why? Lucas is probably pretty upset."
"Guys?" Tony's color had shifted to a sick green tint. "I think I could use a hand to med-bay."
* * *
Lucas sat quietly in front of the vid-phone counting the rings under his breath. The clutter of wires and tools had been cleared almost an hour ago with the technician, David's, help. He reached down for the disconnect/retry button when the screen flashed to life with the face of Dr. Wolenczak.
Dark circles gave Lawrence Wolenczack's eyes a raccoon like appearance. Exhaustion was etched into every line on his face. "Lucas, you finally called." Dr. Wolenczak smiled slightly and waited for Lucas to speak.
"I just got your messages. You said you wanted to explain. So explain," Lucas replied.
"Quite a poker face Lucas. I remember these conversations starting so much louder. I guess you grow out of that eventually." Lawrence coughed and looked away uncomfortably.
"Pulling you off seaQuest now is the best thing for your safety and your education. Have you read some of the reports on the missions that boat has been on? This is for your protection," Dr. Wolenczak recited.
"I don't want to know what you wrote on the forms that you filed. Why do you want me off seaQuest? The truth, please?" Lucas asked. There wasn't a trace of emotion in the boy's voice.
Dr. Wolenczak looked up, as though unsure of how to proceed. "The World Power project was my life Lucas. The damn bureaucrats and the politicians won't even take my calls."
"Pulling me off seaQuest isn't going to endear you to the grant committees, Dad," Lucas replied, no longer able to keep a tremor of anger out of his voice.
"No Lucas, it won't. An old friend of mine from college, Dr. Simon Atkins, has offered to pull some strings and get me into the annual grant meetings. He just wants a small favor in return."
"Removing me from seaQuest helps this guy how?" Lucas gripped the terminal and leaned in aggressively.
"There's no reason to be testy Lucas." Dr. Wolenczak's voice wavered despite his effort to maintain his composure. "Simon is the director of Tuscumbia Labs in Maine."
"Believe me, I'm happy for him," Lucas snapped.
"Let me finish this. Then we can fight?" Dr. Wolenczak pleaded. He paused and then plowed ahead. "Recently Simon was the victim of some corporate espionage, his computer system was infiltrated. He wants an airtight security system. Everyone knows the best person to design a system is a hacker. You have quite a reputation Lucas. If I can get him the best, Simon is willing to help me."
Lucas didn't answer for several seconds. He released his death grip on the terminal and stepped back. "You could have asked me to help. I could have probably gotten leave." Lawrence cast his gaze down and shook his head sadly. "Would you believe that I didn't want you to have to choose between the seaQuest and me. Until December 23, you don't have the option of serving on a UEO vessel." Lucas shook his head and tried to interject. "I don't want to know if you would have helped. SeaQuest is your World Power Project. I can understand that kind of dedication. I thought I'd make the choice easier."
"Maybe we don't operate on the same priority systems," Lucas challenged.
"Maybe." Dr. Wolenczak rubbed his temples slowly. "You have to believe I wouldn't have even considered this but Simon made an offer that would be ridiculous to pass up. He has connections at MIT. They'll grant you a doctorate for your work on his system. You just have to compose a moderate sized thesis on the project. This really would save you a couple of years of your life." The vid-link began to fuzz and tilt. "Will you build the system?" a suddenly wild-eyed Dr. Wollenczak asked.
Lucas crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "What else am I gonna do for the next six weeks." And the connection failed.
"Hey is the vid-phone back on-line?" a crew member asked from the corridor.
"It was," Lucas replied. His voice cracked and he blinked his eyes clear. "But its dead again," he added with more confidence. Wolenczak grabbed his discarded shirt and brushed past the enlisted man.
PART FOUR
A petite woman spared with an imaginary opponent in rhythm to Latin music. Movements, rapid and graceful, shifted her around the gray training mat. The music ended, but the silent fight raged on. Her thick black shoulder-length hair was braided back out of her face, but sweat still ran into her eyes blinding but never slowing her.
"Mei, are you through here? An elephant could sneak up on you when you get like this." The woman stopped and turned toward the voice.
"Hey, David. Are you ready to get back in the ring with me?" An-Mei gasped. David shook his head. Mechanical oil clung to his brown hair. "You're never going to be ready to return to the field if you stop training." An-Mei sat on the mat and allowed her breathing to return to normal. David shook his head and tried to walk away. "Ensign David Bacon, its time to train," An-Mei commanded.
"Is that an order Lieutenant?" David whispered.
"Only because you made it have to be," An-Mei replied.
"You're going to have to court martial be then. I requested a transfer three days ago. I can't do this anymore, and I'm not giving anyone any reason to think that I can." David explained. "You accepted a career-long Section Seven post. You don't transfer out of that. You knew it when you signed up," An-Mei countered.
"I didn't know that I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. I didn't know what they were asking for," David cried.
An-Mei shook her head resolutely. "You have to talk to the counselor. He'll help you get past this."
"Get past Julie and Thomas and Sam? Don't you hear their screams when you close your eyes," David replied, whispering again. He sank down onto the mat.
"We had our orders. There wasn't anything we could do," An-Mei consoled. She crawled forward and tried to hold her friend.
But David pulled away from her, shaking his head. "How can you continue to take his orders blindly after New Zealand? You have a conscience and a soul An-Mei. You're more than just a soldier."
"No one's just a soldier. The Commander is a human being too. He didn't like what happened any more than we did."
"You cried. Do you really think he did?" David asked.
"Ahem, I think the both of you should probably stand when your commanding officer comes into the room," Foster announced from the doorway.
An-Mei bounced to her feet and stood at attention. David sat still for several seconds as though weighing his options, then he pulled himself up slowly and went to attention. "Ensign Bacon, did you succeed in installing the piggyback software on seaQuest?" Commander Foster asked.
"Yes sir," David replied.
"Excellent. An-Mei, you have a new assignment. Go get cleaned up. I'll need you in my office for a briefing at 0800." She acquiesced and jogged out the door.
"I understand you're having a hard time coping Bacon. But I'm here to tell you, there are worse things in this world than what you saw in New Zealand." The Commander paced purposefully in front of his Ensign. "You don't like me do you Bacon?" David kept his mouth shut and stared at Foster's chest. "The psychologists don't think you're fit for duty." The Commander smirked. "Good news for you soldier. I just left a meeting with Admiral Higgins. You're transfer was approved." Foster offered the new commission to David but snatched it back when he tried to accept it. "The section needs one more assignment from you first, soldier." David focused on the bare cinder block wall and prayed silently that the price of freedom wouldn't be too high. Foster shoved a thick manila folder into his chest. "Read the briefing carefully. The kid you have to fool is a Goddamn genius. And computers are his specialty, not his hobby." Foster turned away from the Ensign. "You ship out at 0500. Dismissed."
* * *
An-Mei sat in front of the small mirror on her night table. She pulled damp black hair away from dark brown eyes with a slight oriental tilt. The face of a thirty-seven year old career soldier stared back at her. She traced her only souvenir from her last mission, New Zealand, across her hairline and back to her right ear. The dull white scar was almost invisible. The desk clock read 0300 but rather than sleep An-Mei rewrapped her robe and entered her closet. She retrieved a shoe-box-size chest and carried it to her bunk. The shiny black lid slid open to reveal a jumble of incongruous items. She fingered each item in turn: a pack of bubble gum, a small blue candle, a glass rabbit, and a page of scribblings. An-Mei reached into her large robe pockets and laid four items on her bed next to the box. The first three were a tiny metal rose, a dolphin key-chain, and a pair of blue tinted shades. An-Mei held each briefly and deposited them carefully in the box. She whispered a prayer for her dead friends.
The last item, an eight-by-ten sketch of An-Mei fighting her ghosts on the training mat, signed simply DB, An-Mei held close. David had given her the sketch while she was recovering in the infirmary. But it was David who wasn't healing. "...My friends forgive me that I live and you are gone. There's a grief that can't be spoken; there's a pain goes on and on. Phantom faces at the window. Phantom shadows on the floor. Empty chairs at empty tables where my friends will meet no more."
"Oh my friends, don't ask me what your sacrifice was for...." David finished An-Mei's quote. He stared at the small chest. "Sitting around quoting morose plays again?" He walked over and tapped the chest. "It's going to be full before long if you stay, Mei."
"Have you ever heard of knocking? And since when do you call me May?" The way An-Mei said "May", made it sound like a black slimy word.
"I used to knock. Two years of training me to go where I'm not wanted.... Well, you broke me of the pesky habit. And 'Mei', is an obvious shortening of you're name. I only give people I like nicknames. You should be honored." David came over and sat next to An-Mei. She slid the box closed and folded the sketch.
"Right... I'd appreciate it if you kept your comments about my chest to yourself. My box is my business. I've been in Section Seven for ten years. Seven is peanuts as far as casualties go, considering the work we do." An-Mei said. She paused for a moment and tried to change the subject. This was no way to spend his last night here. She smiled even though it made her head throb. "Hmmm... if you can shorten my name, I suppose turnabout is only fair. Davey is a nice variant on David. Don't you think?"
"Christ, don't call me that. You sound like my mother." David turned toward An-Mei and beamed a smile at her. "They gave me my transfer. All I have to do is hide part of this system in Maine from this computer geek."
An-Mei looked up and shook her head. "That's all? I'm the one with the Ph.D. in applied computer science, wonder why they're sending you?"
"It's my style. Colleges destroy the individuality of the techie," David quipped.
"Is that a round about way of calling me boring?"
"Someone had to tell you." David adopted an innocent look that made his lightly freckled face appear almost childlike. An-Mei grabbed her pillow and thwacked David in the head. "I surrender! You're the most interesting lieutenant I ever served under," David screeched in mock surrender.
"That's better soldier," An-Mei drolled with a smile. She leaned back against the wall.
"They stuff those Navy issue things with concrete these days," David moaned.
"God, you're such a baby." David didn't come back, so An-Mei changed the subject again. "When do you ship out?"
"0500 at the latest. I suppose I should get cleaned up." He walked to the door and paused. "I guess this is goodbye."
Before he could walk through the door An-Mei jumped off the bed and stopped him. She hugged him tight for several seconds. "I won't forget you kiddo," An-Mei whispered. She ruffled his hair with a gesture that could almost have been maternal if she didn't have to reach up to do it. And David walked away.
An-Mei returned to her funeral chest. She reopened it and allowed herself to cry for David. Their relationship had never been sexual, but somehow when she wasn't looking, David had gotten inside her soul. She could taste his innocence and she lived for their moments
together. A fierce desire to defy God and country to protect him burned in her belly. But she didn't surrender to it. She couldn't. "I don't deserve your blind faith. I'm just a soldier. And you're just a dead kid, walking yourself to your execution." She held the sketch in silent vigil until the clock showed 0500. After David was gone this piece of him would remain. Then she placed it inside the chest and returned it to the closet.
"Eight isn't that large a number," she told herself.
PART FIVE
Captain Bridger flipped through the specs of the communications upgrade seaQuest was completing. The report O'Neil had filed following the installation was disappointing. The lack of software compatibility was slowing communications unacceptably. O'Neil and his subordinates had missed most of their shore leave trying to make the new components operable.
There was a knock at the door. "Captain? Its Lucas."
"Come in," Bridger called. Lucas came in and dug his hands down into his pockets. "Just the person I needed to talk to. Have you looked at the new hardware we installed this week?"
"Yeah, actually, there are going to be some software inconsistencies. Nothing too terrible," Lucas replied.
"Glad to hear that the problems are manageable. I need you to help O'Neil and his team iron those out. I'd like to be back out to sea within the week."
"Actually captain I came to talk to you about some family difficulties I'm having." Lucas looked at the deck, the bulkhead, everywhere but at the Captain.
"Is your father okay?" Bridger frowned with concern.
"Oh he's fine." Lucas paused and took a deep breath. "He's removing me from seaQuest. The paper work will probably come through within the next couple of days. I know this is very little warning but I just found out and I came right over." Lucas ran the statements together in a nervous rush. He was rocking on the balls of his feet.
Bridger leaned forward over his desk. "Why exactly is he removing you? He pulled strings to get you onboard in the first place."
Lucas focused on the deck. "Officially, he's pulling me off for my safety."
"And unofficially?" The captain asked. Bridger tried to catch Lucas's eye but the boy wasn't cooperating.
"Unofficially, he needs a favor. He's my father and it looks like I can really help him. I'd be able to pick up my doctorate on the way. For six weeks of my life that's not a bad deal," Lucas said.
"You want to do this then?" Bridger asked. Lucas finally looked Bridger in the eye. Did he want to do this?
"I have to leave seaQuest anyway. The paperwork's been filed. I won't be able to serve on a UEO vessel again until my birthday in December." Lucas cocked his head to the side and squinted. "Of course I can still help integrate the new hardware, that is if I don't have to do a lot of packing. I mean, if I knew where I was going to be in six weeks."
Bridger leaned back and nodded. "Lucas, you'll have a place on seaQuest in December, if that's still what you want when the time comes."
Lucas stopped fidgeting and smiled. "Thank you Captain."
"Now this favor, its legal right?" Bridger asked half-joking.
Lucas nodded. "I just have to throw up a security system for some research facility in Maine, piece of cake."
Bridger leaned back and frowned. "Which facility?"
"Tuscumbia Labs. Have you heard of it?" Lucas asked.
"No, it isn't UEO is it?" Bridger asked.
"I just did a little research on the place and it appears to be privately funded. They do some medical research, nothing incredibly significant." Lucas rubbed his hands together. "But then they have Baxter Madison on staff."
"How do I know that name?" Bridger asked. He furled his brow in concentration.
"He's the mathematician that broke the old CIA encryptions twenty years ago." Lucas grinned. "It makes you wonder."
"You mean worry," Bridger replied.
After several seconds of silence, Lucas started fidgeting and he pointed at the door. "I should really get started. I mean who knows when the paperwork will clear, so?"
Bridger shook his head. "Go, go."
The captain turned and punched out a secured line. A familiar Admiral's face appeared on the vid-screen.
"Nathan, it's been years. Considering a return to the game?" Higgins asked.
"No thanks," Bridger replied. "I'm actually calling in a favor. According to my tally you still owe me one."
"Will my debt never be paid?" Higgins waved his arm theatrically.
Captain Bridger didn't smile. "I need to know everything you have on Tuscumbia Labs, a private operation in Maine. Then we're even."
"A valuable piece of information that I'm not briefed on? This must be important if you're willing to wipe the slate clean over it. Give me a moment." The screen went mute but the image remained. Several aids approached and scurried away. Less than five minutes later the audio resumed. "Well captain. That facility does exactly what it says, no cloak and dagger. No pun intended, Nathan." The Admiral dropped his chin, flattening his jowls comically. "Sorry."
"Explain, Baxter Madison," Bridger challenged coldly.
"Ah, now there is some sensitive information, that you're not supposed to have. I'd love to know your source. But then I guess I do. Quite a hacker isn't he, Nathan?" The Admiral was grinning broadly. Bridger sat forward and started to interrupt but the Admiral cut him off. "Madison had a breakdown. He's a complete mental case. Dr. Atkins is his psychiatrist. Rather than kill the crazy bastard, Atkins agreed to admit him on a permanent basis." The Admiral's face had grown serious.
"Not exactly your style. And since when do you admit to casual executions?" Bridger accused.
"Did I say kill? Slip of the tongue. I'm not as young as I used to be; I forget who my friends are sometimes. Besides Dr. Madison could be valuable again if he were to recover. And he still does some work for us in his more lucid moments." The admiral's mouth twisted into a thin humorless smile.
"Why a privately funded facility?" Bridger asked. "I recall the section having a significant investment in psychiatrists."
"Atkins has some interesting techniques. Aside from that, some things just have to remain classified Nathan. I'll have to owe you that favor, all right. Don't wait so long about calling next time." The vid-link closed.
Captain Bridger leaned back in his chair and fought his gut instinct to protect Lucas. If the section were involved, the safest thing would be to get in and out without digging. Ignorance might protect the boy. He sure as Hell couldn't from seaQuest
PART SIX
An-Mei stood at attention in front of her Commander's desk. Her small stature was emphasized when the six-foot tall Commander Foster stood.
Foster smiled at his protégé. "Stand easy, Lieutenant." He motioned at the thick manila folder under her arm. "You've read the briefing?" An-Mei nodded. "Any comments or concerns soldier?"
An-Mei took a deep breath and frowned. "Before we begin a new mission, shouldn't we train a new team? We're not even at one quarter strength."
"Admiral Higgins people will be providing us with support when we need it," Foster replied with a dismissive gesture of his hand.
"The Research and Development team isn't known for its commandos," An-Mei quipped.
Foster leaned back onto his desk and frowned. "There won't be any action An-Mei. If you're discovered, the UEO won't be implicated. You'll go down with the proverbial ship."
"I know sir. Care to remind me why I hate deep cover?" An-Mei placed the file on the end table next to her and rested her hands on her narrow hips.
"Don't worry lieutenant the section will be waiting when you get back," Foster assured her.
"Even if this blows up in our faces and I do time?" An-Mei asked. Her expression was serious. Section seven made its own rules, but often it was hard to guess which way the wind was blowing about small issues like the fate of a lieutenant.
"Even if you do time. Hell we can always use personnel in prisons. They're information goldmines." Foster grinned with satisfaction. "I actually like that idea."
"I think I'd rather project Catechize succeeded. At least for my father's sake," An-Mei snapped.
"Watch your tone Lieutenant. Any other questions?" Foster droned coldly.
"Actually yes. My connection to my father, Dr. Atkins, is being used as our secondary cover. Why am I using an alias at all?"
"Just trying to cut down incidental recognition. If this works out, you'll be serving on seaQuest for quite a while. Even if Catechize goes down and you end up in prison, I want you to stick with Shang. It is your mother's last name. It shouldn't be a problem."
An-Mei shrugged and retrieved the manila folder. "Sounds good sir."
"Dismissed." Foster settled in behind his desk.
An-Mei saluted, spun on her heel, and left.
PART SEVEN
Brody was standing outside Lucas's quarters. He started to knock and then stopped. He started again and the door flew open. "Lucas, hi," Brody said.
Lucas's eyebrows rose. "Hey, Brody. Can I help you?" What have I done now?
Brody squinted and offered Lucas a crumpled piece of paper. "I think you dropped this yesterday." Lucas accepted the sheet and glanced at the message.
"Ahhh, thanks," Lucas replied.
"I just, you know, wanted to, apologize for reading it," Brody explained.
Lucas shook his head. "Its okay, don't worry about it."
Brody frowned. "So you're okay with that?" Jim motioned at the paper.
"I'll be back in six weeks." Lucas shrugged. "Have you seen Tony? He hasn't slept or even stopped by here in over twenty-four hours."
"No one told you? Tony's down in med-bay. Food poisoning. He's going to be okay, but he's making a lot of noise." Lucas came out into the corridor with Brody and started walking toward med-bay. "So when you leaving?"
"Captain Bridger just got the paper-work a couple of hours ago. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon."
Outside med-bay, they both paused and listened. "I almost died Doc, please," Tony pleaded.
"I am not going to recommend any extra shore leave Tony, so knock it off," Dr. Smith replied.
Lucas stuck his head in. "Hey Tony, feeling better?" Lucas asked. He and Brody moved into med-bay.
"Luke, buddy. How's it going?" Tony gave Brody a long look.
Brody coughed. "Ummm, Tony and Tim know about, the message," he explained.
Lucas frowned. "It's not exactly a secret."
Dr. Smith stuck her head around a corner. "What isn't a secret?" She grinned.
"I'm taking a six week vacation. My dad's idea," Lucas explained.
Tony snorted and smiled. "And Brody here had me convinced I was rid of you."
"Sadly enough, it's only a brief reprieve," Lucas replied.
Dr. Smith came back over to Tony's bedside and made a final note on his chart. "Okay Tony, you're free. Vamoose. Out of my med-bay."
"Hallelujah, freedom at last." Tony got out of bed and headed for the door.
"You won't be on active duty for another twelve hours so rest Piccolo," Wendy called.
Brody put his hands in his pockets. "Uh, I'm on duty next shift. I really have to run."
"Later Brody," Lucas said. Dr. Smith smiled and waved lightly.
"Lucas, are you sure you're okay?" Wendy's gaze was unfocused.
"If you're scanning me then you know. I'm okay. Really." Lucas shrugged and walked toward the door. "I have stuff to do."
"I imagine you do." Wendy flinched at the mental wall Lucas threw up in her face. "Goodbye Lucas."
Wolenczak trotted down the corridor and headed for the last communications hub Tim had been configuring. Silently he fumed. Everyone expected him to fall apart and have a tantrum or something. He wasn't a child anymore. He shouldn't have to prove that fact every day.
Should he?
Lucas almost tripped over Tim's legs. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Tim said. He pulled himself out of the crawl space and wiped his hands on a rag. "Have you looked over what we're doing?"
"Yeah, slow boring reconfigurations." Lucas shrugged out of his flannel shirt and scooted in close so that he could see what Tim was adjusting.
"We're almost through. If you could double check A and B decks, my team should be ready to test in an hour or so."
Lucas leaned in and jotted the exact configurations on the back of his hand. "No problem." He frowned and tapped the bulkhead with his pen for a second. "Why aren't we magnetically locking as we go?"
"SeaQuest has the standard complement of magnetic keys, two. Do you have any idea how long it would take to do this two nodes at a time?"
Lucas winced. "I could probably work out a short cut using the key. Instead of a twenty-minute configuration followed by a lock. A thirty second flash and you're set."
"I checked. UEO standard keys won't reconfigure."
"I know that, but the blank key set I have configures just fine," Lucas said conspiratorially.
"The blank key set you have?" Tim almost shouted. Lucas shushed him. "Aren't those illegal."
"A little, so keep it down would you," Lucas whispered.
* * *
Brody took his seat on the bridge as the shift changed. Loni took her station a few seconds later. After several minutes of quiet Loni turned to Brody. "Jim, did you hear? Lucas is being removed from seaQuest."
Brody grimaced. Faster than a speeding bullet, more sinister than a pack of rabid politicians, its shipboard gossip. "Yeah I heard. I just talked to Lucas. It's a temporary thing. He'll be back in December."
Loni raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Did he say when he's leaving?"
"Tomorrow afternoon sometime I think," Brody half-whispered. He didn't look at Loni when he spoke, and he struck the keys on his pad more forcefully than necessary.
Henderson rolled her eyes and refocused on her station.
Captain Bridger entered the bridge with O'Neil in tow. Tim took the communications station from its inhabitant. He typed for several seconds and then turned to Bridger. "Ready here Captain," O'Neil reported.
"Lucas, is everything in order there," Bridger asked into an open comm link.
"Ready Captain," Lucas replied.
"Feel free to proceed Lieutenant," Bridger commanded.
: Tim slowly brought the system fully on-line. He allowed himself to smile. "I think we have it sir."
The readings started to methodically slow back to a crawl. "We had it. The relays are reverting. The system is reconfiguring back to the original settings," Lucas said to the comm.
Tim sighed in disgust. "He's right Captain. We're back where we started."
"What happened?" Bridger asked.
Tim took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. "Somewhere we missed a node. We were forced to manually reconfigure the new hardware at each of 350 different nodes. If any of the original configurations remain, when you bring up the system, everything reverts to its factory specs," O'Neil explained.
"There is also the possibility that this solution isn't going to work. The nodes may reconfigure to factory specs unless electromagnetically locked," Lucas added.
"Couldn't you just lock them down to be safe?" Bridger asked.
"Captain, that would take an eternity, and tomorrow we'll be working without a computer specialist." O'Neil shook his head. "This new hardware isn't worth that kind of trouble."
Bridger took a deep breath and addressed O'Neil. "The UEO offered us a temporary replacement for Lucas. After this, Noyce isn't going to let us ship out without a computer specialist of some kind."
"This replacement, is he civilian or navy?" O'Neil asked.
"Does he know I'm coming back in December? If he's qualified enough for seaQuest, he doesn't need temp jobs," Lucas added.
"Stay calm Lucas. She's a civilian and she's willing to accept the temporary in the job. Trust me," Bridger admonished.
Lucas shut off the comm, crossed his arms over his chest, and pushed his chair away from his PC. He narrowed his eyes in a controlled pique. Lucas contemplated reconfiguring seaQuest to be a little less friendly to strangers. A few strokes of the keypad and Lucas could make his replacement's life a living Hell. But he restrained himself. Instead he started disconnecting his tower and packing away what he deemed essential hardware.
******
An-Mei was crouched low over a computer terminal in a dim cramped room. "Initiating seaQuest reconfiguration." The screen went black and An-Mei pulled off her headset.
"Their trial?" Foster asked from the doorway.
"Crashed and burned sir," An-Mei replied.
"I suppose the good Captain Bridger will finally confirm my temporary addition to his science team," Foster crowed.
"It would be negligent not to," An-Mei replied.
PART EIGHT
Lucas stared at the darkened ceiling. Tony's light snores carried from the bottom bunk breaking the silence. He glanced at his desk clock, 0530. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Sleep had eluded him all night. Lucas jumped down and plodded over to his duffel and the jumble of boxes, which contained his computer. "Just the necessities."
"Hey Lucas, you okay?" Tony mumbled.
"I'm fine. Just pre-trip nerves. I didn't sleep for a week before Stanford," Lucas explained.
"Yeah, alright," Tony mumbled and rolled over.
"I should probably not-sleep somewhere else," Lucas whispered. He grabbed a fresh set of clothes and headed for the showers.
A few minutes later, squeaky clean and dressed, Lucas started wandering in the general direction of sea deck and let his mind wander. He refocused on reality at the loading dock.
"Take your hands off the box. I have it you idiot. There are two other boxes right over there if you really want to help," a feminine voice snapped.
Lucas ducked back around the corner and watched a short oriental woman stalk out into the corridor. She deposited a box that was at least half as tall as she was outside the mag-lev and spun around. Brody came through after her carrying two slightly smaller boxes. He set the boxes next to the first and turned around. "Sufficient Dr. Shang?"
"Please, you can call me An-Mei," she said sweetly. "Oh, and if you break any of my equipment, shoring up your masculine ego, I'll kick your ass."
Brody towered at least six inches over her. He smirked. "I'll be careful. If I can keep from shaking with fear anyway."
Lucas decided to avoid actually meeting his temporary replacement, and turned back to take an alternate route to sea deck. Several minutes later he came into view of the moon-pool. He paused in the corridor and watched Dagwood stroking Darwin's melon and smiling like a multicolored angel. Lucas sat down on the steps and pulled his blue flannel shirt closed.
"Lucas is cold?" Dagwood asked.
Lucas shook his head. "Not really. I didn't want to disturb you two." He walked over to the pool and stroked Darwin.
"Lucas sad," Darwin said.
"No Darwin. Well maybe a little. I'm just nervous," Lucas explained.
"What nervous?" Darwin asked.
"I guess, its the adult word for scared," Lucas replied.
"Don't be scared Lucas. You are with your friends. We won't hurt you," Dagwood said.
"I know Dag." They played with Darwin in silence for several minutes.
Dagwood took Darwin's red ball and frowned in concentration. "Lucas why are you scared?"
Lucas stared at the water and frowned. "I don't want to lose my place. You know I didn't realize how much this boat had become my home until I left it." Lucas strummed his fingers in the water. "If I keep leaving, someone might get the idea I'm not indispensable."
"What is in-dis-pen-sible?" Dagwood asked.
"It's like..." Lucas groped mentally for a metaphor. "...air. You need air every minute of every day. But Tony could survive without his vid collection."
"I don't know." Dagwood frowned. "Tony said he couldn't live without his vid collection. Especially the ones with all the pretty ladies."
Suddenly Darwin splashed Lucas and Dagwood. "Lucas no leave," the vocoder squawked.
"I'll be back. I promise," Lucas said earnestly. "If I have anything to do with it," he added under his breath. He glanced at his watch, 0950. "I'm supposed to catch the noon shuttle. I have some things to get ready." Lucas started to walk away but Dagwood stopped him and enveloped him in a hug.
"We will miss you," Dag said with child-like sincerity.
"I'll miss you too Dag. Dag? I can't breathe all that well," Lucas gasped. Dagwood released him.
"Sorry, Lucas." Dagwood stepped back self-consciously.
"Its okay Dagwood." Lucas smiled reassuringly. "I'll see you soon."
"Lucas, you are in-dis-pin-sible to me," Dagwood said. He grabbed his mop and strode away without another word.
* * *
An-Mei smoldered in her seat on the mag-lev. She had tried ignoring the testosterone blind half-wit assigned to help her move in, but his silent stare was leaving her jumpy. A civilian would say something An-Mei reasoned. Almost against her will An-Mei broke the silence. "So are you going to give me a name or should I just call you Butch?"
The mag-lev stopped and Brody went for the boxes. He paused and looked back. He could recognize an olive branch when he was offered one. "Make that Lieutenant Butch okay," he answered.
An-Mei smiled and joined him with the boxes. "You get first choice this time," An-Mei offered. Brody locked the mag-lift in place and scooped up the larger box. An-Mei grabbed one of the smaller boxes and followed him into a corridor on sea deck. He led her to an empty room with two lockers and a double-bunk. "I thought I was going to have a private accommodation?"
"Technically this is. Let me get your other box and I'll explain. By the way, the names Jim, Brody." They shook hands and Brody left. An-Mei examined the room. She flipped open the large box and pulled out her computer's tower. She began wiring into seaQuest's mainframe.
"The temp computer geek," Piccolo proclaimed from the doorway. An-Mei looked through the open spaces in her uncased tower at the new arrival.
"Guilty, who are you?" An-Mei challenged. "I thought the navy had rules about entering a woman's quarters."
"These are my quarters," Tony complained. "I'm just getting the rest of my stuff."
"They bumped you out of your quarters?" An-Mei asked. She twirled her screwdriver and winced. "Sorry."
Tony quietly scoped An-Mei out. Short, but well proportioned. Six weeks was a long time to spend on a boat as a stranger, and this little lady would be looking for friends. I can be friendly. "Yeah well it's not your fault. I don't think O'Neil will kill me for the few weeks I'll be bunking with him."
Brody laughed and placed the last box carefully on the bottom bunk. "I wouldn't be so sure Tony. When he lost the roommate lottery, I thought he was going to go AWOL for a while there."
Tony stuffed the last of his underwear into a laundry sack and cinched it. He was careful to drop his lucky hat in the corner locker and slammed the door. He smirked at Jim. "I'm Tony Piccolo." He offered An-Mei his hand.
"Dr. An-Mei Shang, but please call me An-Mei," she replied accepting his hand. To flirt or not to flirt? You do have bridge crew connections Seaman.
Tony smiled exposing all his teeth. "Welcome aboard."
The smile did her in. "Thanks. Oh, and nice underwear."
Tony didn't blush. "You think so?" He bent over and stuffed everything more completely into the sack. An-Mei circled him slowly.
"Ever consider briefs though?" An-Mei said appraisingly.
Brody coughed and headed for the door. "As soon as you're settled the Captain wants to see you, Dr. Shang. Not before 1300 hours though." Brody made his best graceful exit.
An-Mei knew seaQuest from stem to stern before she ever set foot on the dock. A last minute civilian addition to the crew doesn't get to be competent An-Mei thought with annoyance. "I better hurry up and get this PC online so I can download some seQuest specs. I'd hate to get lost."
"I could show you?" Tony offered.
"Thanks but no. I think I'll make it. I need to figure this boat out anyway," An-Mei answered.
* * *
Bridger stepped off the mag-lev and glanced at his watch, 11:50. Nathan hadn't slept very well since Noyce had offered him a computer specialist on a silver platter. Too many coincidences were stacking up. Nathan finally had to admit the fear in the back of his mind. Ever since seaQuest had launched their welcome message into the stars, Bridger had been waiting for someone to notice and investigate the transmission. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was all arranged by the powers that be to uncover his insubordinate act. Nathan couldn't fathom why he was so certain that Dr. Shang was not to be trusted but his instincts were rarely wrong.
Lucas was taping down the flaps of a box as it was lifted away by Brody. "Lucas, are you ready?" Bridger asked.
Lucas spun around. "Ahh, Sure captain."
"I want you to be careful Lucas. And do me a favor. Don't dig around in that computer system unnecessarily. Some powerful people are involved here," Bridger requested.
Lucas bit back a cocky smile. "If I dig, nobody is gonna know, unless I want them to." He squinted and cocked his head to the side. "You know something about what's going on at that lab, don't you?"
Before Bridger could reply Loni ducked around the corner with O'Neil in tow. "Hey, Lucas." She hugged him and grinned.
Lucas's face turned red and he stammered out, "Uh, hi Loni."
"We, just wanted to say bye, and hope you enjoy the break. Tony sent this down for you.
He's on duty but I guess you guys already said good-bye." Loni offered an envelope to Lucas and elbowed Tim in the side.
"Yeah, we'll miss you," O'Neil said. He glared at Loni and stepped away from her. "Thanks for the loan on the keys."
"No problem, take care of them. They were expensive." Lucas looked over at the shuttle. All activity had died. "They're holding the shuttle for me. I should go." Lucas hesitated when he passed Bridger. He turned and offered the captain his hand. Nathan aborted the handshake and pulled Lucas into a brief hug.
Lucas smiled self-consciously and stepped through the airlock.
"Do I want to know about these keys Lieutenant O'Neill?" Bridger asked.
"No sir," Tim answered quickly.
* * *
Brody powered up the shuttle and clicked on the comm. "Shuttle MR-5 requesting permission to disembark."
"You are clear Shuttle MR-5," the comm replied.
"Buckle your seatbelt," Brody shot over his shoulder.
Lucas tugged on the strap already stretched across his chest and rolled his eyes. Basically a supply run, Lucas was the only breathing passenger besides Brody. He slipped his headphones on and cranked the volume on his walk-man up. He shut his eyes and tried not to think. Something in him wouldn't cooperate. His thoughts kept straying to the small oriental woman, Dr. Shang he corrected himself silently. His hands twitched with the need to investigate, who that woman was. His eyes snapped open and he pulled his head-phones down. "Hey, you met Dr. Shang didn't you?" Lucas asked.
Brody glanced up and half-turned. "Yeah, briefly."
"So what did you think? Did she seem, competent?" Lucas pumped hopefully.
Jim raised an eyebrow and adjusted their course. "Well she didn't have any trouble carrying boxes, aside from that I really can't say. Are you still stressing about your job security?"
Lucas raked his hair back and fidgeted in his seat. "Not really, I'm just curious."
"Well she does have nice legs," Brody added.
"I bet she puts that on her resume right under, willing to wear short skirts," Lucas snapped.
"Touchy aren't we?" Brody chuckled.
Lucas blushed and pulled his headphones back up. They completed the trip in silence. The air-lock cycled open and Brody started unloading Wolenczak's equipment. Lucas grabbed his duffel and headed out onto the docking platform. The thick muggy air hit him like a brick wall. He was covered in sweat almost instantly. Brody proceeded out behind him with a dolly loaded with boxes. "November?" Lucas asked.
"I think I'd lose the flannel, at least until you head a little farther north," Brody advised.
"Right." Lucas stripped off the blue shirt and flapped his white T-shirt unsticking it from his chest.
"So, you do have a ride coming?" Brody asked. Dr. Wolenczak leaned against the railing of a pier. His exhausted mind buzzed with an emotion kin to hope. Hope was a precious commodity to this man. Claustrophobic nightmares had reminded him nightly of his failure on the bottom of the ocean. For a man who immersed sorrow in work, the absence of that release was taking its toll. The buerocrats and politicians had written off his project, his life's work. But today everything was going to change. His son was giving him a chance to save his project and himself. For the first time in weeks, he was able to breathe.
Lucas's jaw dropped open. "This is important." The same man who forgot about high school and college graduations, who missed every birthday since Lucas was six, was standing on the dock. "My dad's right up there." Lucas motioned at a middle-aged man in khakis and a polo shirt. Lucas waved but he couldn't get his father's attention.
Lucas jogged up to the pier and greeted his father. "In person and on time, I'm impressed."
Dr. Wolenczak hesitated for a moment but enfolded Lucas in a hug.
"A Kodak moment." Brody mumbled to himself. "Security Chief? No no, Chief bell hop."
Brody pulled the loaded dolly over to the railing where the Wolenczaks were talking. Dr. Wollenczak turned to Brody. "Thank you. You can leave that there. Andre will get it from here."
Lucas grinned. "Andre's still working for you?"
A burly six-foot-tall Samoan dressed in a black uniform approached the Wolenczaks. "Who do you think got him here on time?" the big fellow said. His face was split into an open smile. He stopped in front of Brody.
Jim cocked his head up. "Andre, I presume?" he asked with a touch of arrogance.
"Yes." If possible the Samoan's smile became larger. He appropriated the dolly and walked it to a large black Cadillac. He unloaded everything into the trunk and returned. "Thank you."
"You're welcome big guy." Brody shook the Samoan's hand. "Lucas, have fun okay. See you in December." Jim headed for the shuttle.
"Thanks, see you." Lucas hiked his duffel up on his shoulder and walked with Andre to the car.
The sun peeked out from behind the gray cloud cover. Dr. Wolenczak pushed his sunglasses up on his nose and strolled after his son.
CHAPTR NINE
Captain Bridger surveyed the ward room quietly. Commander Ford, Lieutenant O'Neil and Chief Ortiz were assembled. The core of his command crew. These men were veterans of the first tour. These were men he could trust. They deserved to hear his fears about what was going down even if it all boiled down to a gut feeling and a couple of coincidences. Besides, they knew about the transmission.... They deserved to know... "Damnit, you never should have called Higgins, the bastard makes you paranoid," Nathan scolded himself silently. The he went into Captain mode.
"I have reason to believe that Dr. Shang is an internal UEO spy," Bridger announced.
Silenced prevailed in the room for several seconds as the news sank in.
"Do we have any kind of proof? What are you basing these suspicions on?" Ford asked skeptically.
"I have some intelligence experience. Three ingredients for placing an internal spy. First, remove essential personnel at a time when they are vital. Second, provide an eminently qualified replacement. And third, have a damn good reason to expend time, personnel, and money on the endeavor," Bridger replied.
"Wait, I thought Lucas's father was the mastermind of his forced exit. Lasted I checked Dr. Wollenczak was a civilian with no reason to start assisting UEO intelligence," O'Neil said.
"No, Lawrence was exchanging favors with a colleague who happens to have heavy intelligence ties," Bridger said.
"But I thought Noyce provided Dr. Shang?" Ortiz asked. "Aren't you guys friends? You have to trust someone."
"I trust Bill, but anyone as qualified as Dr. Shang served up on a silver platter that quickly is suspicious," Bridger clarified.
"But this is the UEO flagship. Why would anyone want a spy on her for six weeks?" Ortiz asked.
"Being the flagship is a pretty good reason," Ford responded.
: "Its an excellent reason. But something brought this to a head. Instead of waiting for an opportunity, they manufactured one. These people deal with information. Its more valuable than gold but seaQuest doesn't withhold information, even when it seems ridiculous. I can only think of one instance in which seaQuest withheld sensitive information in an official report." Bridger finally took his seat.
Ford sat up a little straighter in his chair. "You aren't referring to the dead aliens and the message Darwin helped us send? Its been quite a while Captain."
"That is the incident I was thinking of and yes, it's been a while. In all possibility, Dr. Shang is just a temp who thought this would beef up her resume, and there is no cloak and dagger. But you all deserved to hear my concerns. I trust you'll keep them to yourselves. I wanted you to be aware and cautious. Dismissed."
Tim and Miguel walked out together. "It's all circumstantial," O'Neil said.
"But convincing," Miguel replied. "I think I'll watch my step just in case."
Ford frowned and tipped his chair back. "If they knew anything about that transmission, they would have sent more than just one spy."
"I know Jonathan. But do you have any other ideas about what this could be?" Bridger asked.
"There is some intelligence work on your resume. Any insights?"
"I was just an ensign. What you said... It makes sense, the logic isn't flawed. But it just seems so unlikely."
"Unlikely or not, lets be safe. I want you to brief Brody. Need to know only. No aliens alright." Bridger rubbed his eyes wearily.
"Yes sir. Are you okay? You don't look so good." Ford frowned.
"I'm not sleeping as much as I'd like. But I'm fine," Bridger said. Jonathan nodded slowly and got up to leave.
"You might want to see Dr. Smith. Sleep deprivation isn't anything to play around with."
"I don't think I've reached anything like deprivation yet. But I'll be careful."
"I hope you're right. Do you really think Dr. Shang is a spy?" Ford asked.
"It's just a feeling." Bridger sank back in his chair. "Better safe than sorry, right?"
* * *
Lucas sat in front of his father's computer and scrolled through his inbox. Tony had flooded him with forwards.
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2021 07:08:50 -1500 (PST)
To: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
From: "Seaman Tony Piccolo" tpiccolo@ueo.org
Subject: Dum Blond (fwd)
Parts/Attachments: 1 OK ~40 lines Text (charset: ISO-8859-1)
Hey buddy,
Thought you might want some reading material for that long flight north and those just made me think of you my fair-haired friend.
Funny huh? ;)
Anyhow, did you like the present I sent? Don't abuse it now.
Later,
Tony
_ The attachment wouldn't open, and Lucas wasn't in any mood to decode a Tony e-mail nightmare. Instead he dug around his duffel for the envelope Loni had given him. Lucas fished out, an ID? "Oh cool," he gasped. The picture was blurry but the ID looked legit. "Lucas Wolenczak, 12-9-2000. Tony I'm gonna kiss you when I get back." Lucas tapped the reply key and typed out a quick thanks.
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2021 09:08:50 -1700 (PST)
To: "Seaman Tony Piccolo" tpiccolo@ueo.org
From: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
Subject: Re: Dum Blond (fwd)
> Thought you might want some reading material for that long flight north and these just
made
> me think of you my fair-haired friend.
Okay Tony, I'll give you this tip one more time. Don't try to send
attachments. You don't have a talent for it. Cut... and paste....
> Funny huh? ;)
If I ever get the file open, I'll let you know.
> Anyhow, did you like the present I sent? Don't abuse it now.
I don't know how you came up with it but thanks. I won't do anything you wouldn't do :)
Bye,
Lucas
Lucas closed his mail program and wandered into the suite's kitchen. Now to get permission to escape the empty old hotel room. Andre was stirring a bowl of batter. Lucas pulled up a stool and shoved the ID into his back pocket. "I was thinking. It might be cool to check out Biloxi before catching that plane in the morning."
"Ahh, but your father wants to have dinner with you. He asked me to fix battered shrimp, your favorite." Andre placed the bowl on the counter and wiped his hands on his white apron.
Lucas shut his eyes and bit back the sarcastic comments that rose to his lips. After all his dad made it to the dock. He was there in person, and on time.... Didn't that count for something? People change. "Sure, you say he's gonna be here. I'll be here." Lucas twirled on the stool and jumped down.
Back in front of the computer, Lucas pulled on his headphones and cranked up the music. He knew better than to hold his breath waiting for his father. Rather, he resumed his background search on Tuscumbia Labs. The familiar challenge of hacking, left him just enough attention to mumble the lyrics of the song blaring in his ears.
"Ghost files?" Lucas hissed. He glanced at the computer clock, 10:30. "Five hours wasted." Lucas snapped the screen off and pulled down his headphones. "This sucks." He thrummed his fingers on the desk-top and glared at the cream walls. Waiting for your father is not something many teenagers are good at. Lucas had a lifetime of practice at it. Contrary to popular belief, practice does not always make perfect.
Lucas pulled out the fake id and tapped it on his knee. The last time he acted out his father had decided seaQuest would be a good place to field his discipline problem of a son. Round about logic, but he could credit the greatest single thing in his life to disobeying his father.
Lucas stuck his head into the next room. Andre was sacked out in front of a vid snoring. The suite was still filled with the smell of fresh shrimp. He made a detour to the kitchen and snatched a handful of the jumbos. Lucas pulled the door open quietly and crept out into the hallway. The door shut with a loud click. Freedom! Waiting in front of the elevator Lucas glanced down at the id and grinned. What to do? Tony seemed to think Biloxi had potential.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. "Dad."
"Lucas. Hi. Were you going down to the lobby? I think everything but the bar closed down at ten." He looked sheepishly at his watch. "Sorry, I know I'm late. I was wrapped up in some work." He motioned at the shrimp. "Dinner on the road?"
"Not anymore."
"What's this?" Dr. Wolenczak snatched the id from Lucas playfully. His face sobered immediately. "Where did you get this?"
Lucas dropped his head and shrugged. "I made it myself."
"And what were you planning to do with it?" Lawrence asked with mock sternness. Lucas looked up in shocked surprise. He had expected anger, disinterest maybe, but fatherly concern? Dr. Wolenczak strolled down the hall and punched his keycard. "Coming? We can discuss this whole id thing over dinner."
CHAPTER TEN
An-Mei typed away at her computer. Bringing the software David had installed online didn't take very long. She had the skeleton of a sentry system in place within ten minutes. Now she could monitor every electronic message on or off seaQuest. At least she wasn't expected to read through it all. She glanced at the clock and winced. It was time to meet the captain but she continued to type. With a final stroke to the key-pad she initiated a secondary filter that would intercept and delay all messages to or from Lucas Wolenczak. "No one else may be looking out for you Dad, but I'll do what I can," An-Mei whispered to herself.
Project Catechize would succeed if An-Mei had anything to do with it. And if it didn't, despite her efforts, at least Dr. Atkins would get enough warning to escape the repercussions of failure.
Dr. Shang stood and straightened her skirt in front of a small wall mirror. She forced a smile onto her face. "I hate..." She stopped herself before the words "deep cover" came out. If her Commander had anything to do with it, she would be spending a large part of her career as a glorified computer technician. "Smile An-Mei. You want to be here. You love your job." I do love my job, well most of it. She gave her hair a pat and set out in search of the Captain.
* * *
Bridger stopped shuffling the papers on his desk and massaged his temples. It had been a hard decision to approach even a small portion of the bridge crew with his suspicions. After all he didn't have any concrete evidence. But the feeling in his gut was strong. Something big was going down. They deserved to be prepared. Add that to watching Lucas stroll into what was quite likely a Section Seven sponsored project. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. His time with the section was something he didn't like to think about, but now he couldn't seem to stop himself. "I'm going to give myself an ulcer." There was a knock at the door. "Yes?"
"Captain Bridger? It is Dr. Shang."
After composing himself Bridger rose. "Come in." The door opened to reveal a tiny woman. She wasn't even five foot tall. Her slender frame and slightly tilted eyes betrayed her Chinese heritage. She wasn't beautiful. But there was an exotic magnetism about her. His conviction that she was a spy faltered. "Welcome aboard." They shook hands and he motioned to a seat. "Its wonderful to meet you Captain Bridger. I've read some of your work. You're a great scientist." An-Mei paused, plastered a contemplative look on her face, and looked down.
"I'm really looking forward to serving on seaQuest."
"Hopefully it will be a positive experience for everyone," Bridger replied.
An-Mei nodded, crossed her legs, and placed her hands on her lap. "What exactly are my duties?"
At least the small talk was over. "Your chief duty will be helping Lieutenant O'Neil with a communications upgrade. If between you and O'Neil, we can keep communications up to speed, I'll be happy."
"Great, I aim to please. When do I start?"
"Tomorrow, I'd like to be back out to sea some time this week."
An-Mei stood and Bridger rose with her. "I should get my Z's then. That's gonna make for a hectic first week."
"Good luck Doctor." They shook hands again.
"Thank you." An-Mei walked out into the hall and headed for her quarters. I'm not the one who needs the luck Captain. She smiled pleasantly at a crewman who passed her.
* * *
Tony shifted on the top bunk and it squeaked loudly. Tim grabbed his pillow and covered his head. "Tim, you awake?"
"No." Tim tossed his pillow onto the floor. "Why would I be awake?" Tony snores when he sleeps. He fidgets when he's awake. Tim sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What do you want Tony?"
"I was thinking." Tony leaned over the edge of the bunk. "I mean I thought that maybe.."
Tim tried to reach his locker but he tripped over an unpacked box and nearly fell. "Tony, spit it out." Tim kicked a box out of the way and grabbed a T-shirt.
"Okay, I have one night's shore leave. I don't know if you met the new computer person but she's pretty and she put the moves on me. Now I know what you're thinking... 'And you need advice about what?!' Well just save it. My problem is this is an educated woman, a breed of creature I've had very little success with. I was hop'in you'd have a couple of ideas about what might appeal to her. Just some pointers, between friends." Tony waited for some response from Tim but all he got was a wide-eyed stare. "What? Is it really that surprising?"
"No, sorry." Tim covered his face with his hands and shook his head. "I just... Don't take this the wrong way, but stay away from her, Tony. She's probably bad news. I have some information I'm not at liberty to discuss, but trust me. You'll be better off if you leave the woman alone."
"Woa, that came out of nowhere. Not at liberty to discuss? You're gonna have to give me something better than that." Tony frowned and jumped down off his bunk.
"I can't just divulge information that I was asked to keep confidential. They court martial people in the Navy for less."
"Court-martial? Whether or not you repeat some gossip is court-martial material? Give me a break okay. If you don't wanna talk fine." He headed for the door.
"Tony that came out wrong. I'm sorry?" Tim followed Tony as far as the door. "Where are you going?"
"I'm too tense to sleep. I'm gonna swim it off." Tony disappeared around the corner.
"Right. Have fun." Tim wandered through the junk that cluttered the floor back to his bunk. He bent his head over his hands. "God give me strength."
* * *
Instead of heading straight for the moon-pool, Tony stopped by the rec room on a whim. He peeked in and spotted the source of his tension. An-Mei was working the bag, with classic kick-boxing moves. Tony watched her and started clapping. "Stronger than you look aren't you."
An-Mei whirled around and grinned. "If I weren't any stouter than I look, I'd be in trouble." "Where'd you learn that? Computers 101?"
"I'm in a self defense class? Meets once a week?" An-Mei rolled her eyes, "I found it a little scary, living in a big town, by myself. For some reason most men seem to think I should be a pushover." An-Mei tossed her towel over her shoulder.
"Not I." Tony held his hands up in surrender.
"What on Earth are you doing up at this hour? Don't tell me I have a companion in insomnia?" An-Mei started walking toward Tony and the door. He slowly backed out of her way.
"Nah, just having a hard time getting used to my new roommate." Tony opened the door for An-Mei.
"And I'm responsible for your sleep deprivation?"
"More than you know," Tony muttered under his breath. Then he added aloud, "Tim would tell a different story. You're actually responsible for his sleep deprivation."
"I'm making friends. Wait is that the Tim O'Neil of communications? My main duty is to work with him on some refit. He's going to be starting with a pleasant feeling for me, isn't he?"
Tony caught himself before he blurted out the fact that Tim seemed to have some undefined reservations about her.. "Uh, O'Neil won't hold it against you." I don't think he will anyway.
"You sound so sure." An-Mei stopped outside her quarters. "This is my stop."
"Yeah, I know. I was going swimming. So I guess I'll just go do that."
"Thanks for the walk back. I was a little nervous that I might get lost again."
"You got lost? I'm sorry. I could still give you the guided tour..."
"Not tonight, but stop by tomorrow afternoon and if I'm free, well, I'd be forever in your debt." An-Mei disappeared behind her door.
Tony grinned and headed for the moon pool, Tim's odd behavior completely forgotten. "This could be fun."
* * *
An-Mei took one look at the full-text logged messages in her sentry program and flinched. "I pity the technician who has to read that." She flipped off the logged messages to the delayed messages file. These messages were caught by the secondary filter and would never reach their destination, at least not until she looked over them modifying and deleting as she saw fit. She had sent on a load of outgoing mail from Tony earlier. Several more outgoing messages were awaiting her Que. "What a popular little hacker we are, Lucas." An-Mei sent on the messages after a brief skim.
She dialed up a real-time connection. "Joshua, are you ready for the download?"
"Send it." The voice was clearly that of Commander Foster.
An-Mei clicked once with her mouse and the copied messages disappeared.
"Success," Joshua reported.
"The download will be automatic after tonight. I'll contact you if anything significant happens."
"Good work, An-Mei. And Good Luck."
She shut down her computer and got ready for bed. A smile hovered on her face throughout her nightly rituals.
Tony was the only nibble she had received from anyone with connections to the bridge crew. She held her pillow in front of her and addressed it. "What do you want Mr. Piccolo? Are you looking for a friend?" Not bloody likely. "Maybe something more, are we a romantic?" I don't think so. "Is it sex then?" I could think of more unpleasant things to do. She held the pillow close and grinned wickedly. "Don't prove me wrong. Okay, little man?"
CHAPTER ELEVIN
Lucas scanned the terminal again for some sign about where he was supposed to go. He plopped back down on an orange plastic seat. After a 4 hour red-eye flight, Lucas was in Augusta, Maine and there was no one there to meet him. "This is perfect." He had no one to blame but himself. He could have backed out. Then he would be back there with his father. Lucas sighed and turned his music up. After last night that just wasn't a very appealing option.
Dinner had been forced at best. Despite the positive beginning, his father's discussion of the fake id had become a sermon about clinging to youth. "You'll never get these years back, Lucas. Cling to them." True, saying that he got the same speech from a supply and morale officer over two years ago, before getting his first condom, hadn't really helped matters. His father had the nerve to send him to his room. If it hadn't meant spending the next six weeks under the same roof with dear old Dad, Lucas would have backed out of the whole thing.
"Lucas Wolenczak?" A tall thin man with wispy blond hair offered Lucas his hand.
"Hi, yeah. Who are you?" Lucas pulled down his headphones and took the man's hand.
"I'm Dr. Simon Atkins. Sorry to be so late. I lost track of time last night and I missed the last ferry. You have no idea how fast I drove out here." The man surveyed the small stack of boxes and duffel. "This is everything? You packed light."
"Yeah, well its only a few weeks." Lucas grabbed his duffel and looked around speculatively. "So this island of yours, is it far?"
"Not really." He waved a tall muscular hispanic man over. "Jeffrey will get the rest of this. He's head of my security."
"Great. Umm thanks," Lucas mumbled.
"Come on, we can start the drive to the ocean," Dr. Atkins offered.
Lucas followed Dr. Atkins but paused by Jeffrey. "Those boxes are full of computer hardware. If you could be careful with them, I'd appreciate it."
Jeffrey smiled, but didn't answer.
Several hours later Lucas and Dr. Atkins finally found themselves outside a stark white tower of a building. The paint was peeling in spots but the grounds were well cared for. One almost wouldn't notice the bars on the windows and the cleverly disguised fence around the complex. "What do you think?"
"Quite frankly? It screams asylum," Lucas answered. Not only was he jet lagged, he also was running on only two hours of sleep. Lucas was not in a polite mood.
Simon stepped back. "I am a psychiatrist. There are a few patients in residence here." A blush rose on his face. "Its nicer on the inside." Lucas followed the slightly ruffled scientist through the front door. True to his word, the interior was more modern. The decor wasn't very homey, but it was a soothing cream and brown. Dr. Atkins entered the elevator. "The first three floors are for living, as any of my staff will tell you. Floors four through eight are where the research goes on. You'll be staying on the third floor. Right across the hall from me." The doors slid open. The hall was done in blue and gold. It had the impersonal feel of a nice hotel. Atkins opened a door and motioned Lucas in. "You have your own restroom. Meals are on the first floor in the dining room. I think the times are on the bed there with all the other information you'll need." Lucas walked over to the bed. He retrieved the sheet and nodded, too tired to really comment on the facility.
"Thank you, Dr. Atkins." Lucas stifled a yawn.
"I'll see you at breakfast. You should probably rest. You have had a busy day." Dr. Atkins chose that moment for a graceful exit.
"Right." Lucas plopped down on the bed and shut his eyes for just a moment.
A loud ringing brought him back to consciousness. Lucas sat up and yawned. The phone on his nightstand was making the obnoxious ringing. He grabbed the reciever. "Hello?"
"Good Morning! This is your wake up call. Breakfast will be over at ten so you might want to hurry," a sunny voice anounced.
"Thanks." Lucas dropped the phone back into its cradle and crawled out of bed to search out his bathroom. Half-an-hour and three stubbed toes later, he was dressed and ready to venture out in search of the dining room.
"This place is just freaky," Lucas told himself as he opened the door. "Hi, Dr. Atkins." The doctor was seated on a chair reading the paper across the hall.
"Good morning! I almost gave up on you making breakfast. If we hurry we should just catch the end of it," Simon said. He smiled and preceeded Lucas into the elevator.
"Thanks, but you shouldn't have waited on me. I hate it that you've been wasting your morning." Lucas raked his still damp hair back.
"Not a problem. I'm really looking forward to discussing my new security system. I want all the details about what you're planning."
The dining room was a fancy affair, white linen, silver, and crystal. Morning sun streamed in through cheerful white drapes. The room was dominated by a single large table. Only two members of the inresidence staff remained and they appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion.
"Gentlemen," Dr. Atkins began. They both rose hastily. First Atkins indicated the short plump balding scientist. "This is Dr. Jak Peebles, he specializes in Mathmatical theory." Then he pointed to the other man, whose brown hair hovered around his face in an unruly halo. "And this beanpole is our theoretical physicist, Dr. Max Lowell. Don't ask me about these gentlemen's research because its all over my head. I just sign their checks." Atkins paused. "And this my friends is Lucas Wolenczak. He's going to be setting up our security...."
"We know what he's going to be doing, Simon." Dr. Peebles grabbed Lucas's hand and pumped it aggressively.
"Hi," Dr. Lowell offered and waved.
"Nice to meet you both." Lucas flexed his hand and tried to get his circulation back. He took the seat opposite Dr. Peebles.
"Well, son, I glanced over your resume, Stanford, very respectable. I think you're just the person to set Maxwell here straight, he has been solving the problem of how to change light to electricity for about ten years now. But lately he has been obcessing over an indirect proof of complex numbers and mathmatical deduction, Euler's equation, to be specific. Perhaps you can explain to him why his algorithms mean nothing."
"But I showed you my data. I didn't just play with the math, I applied it and it worked. Explain that old man." Lowell shoved his spectacles up on his nose.
"Time out." Atkins smiled after silence resumed. "I plan to hear Lucas's plans for our security system. I have a vested interest in protecting your algorithms, meaningless or not. So, please tell us what you have in mind." All three men turned to Lucas.
"Right, well, I'd rather look at the system before I comment on what it needs," Lucas replied with a frown. "Did you say you were using Euler's equation? I haven't done much complex math since college, but I'd love to see what you've done."
Lowell beamed at Lucas. "I'd be happy to show you my work. Dr. Atkins, is he cleared for fifth floor?"
Breakfast arrived and stopped conversation for a few minutes. Pancakes were served all around.
Atkins sighed and shrugged. "Actually, he's only cleared up to the fourth floor. That's where the central computer is. I was thinking of your and Jak's privacy. He can take a tour with the two of you but...." At that point Atkins paused to pull a silvery id card out of his pocket. "This will only provide access through the fourth floor."
Peebles crossed his arms and grunted. "It's about time you brought in someone else who can understand my work. Maxwell doesn't grasp concepts as well as he might. I was becoming frustrated with no one but crazy Baxter to talk to."
Lucas's smile faded. "Baxter Madison?"
"Hey, I thought that was classified? How did you guess?" Lowell asked.
"He's a hacker, you imbecil. How do you think he found out?" Peebles rolled his eyes theatrically.
"Madison is my patient." Simon didn't attempt to clarify beyond that.
"He's nutty as a fruit cake, but with math, he's still sharp as a tack. Some days it is amazing just being in the same room with him, but others... well geniuses can be so fragile. Ah, to have known him before his breakdown," Peebles elaborated wistfully.
"So what exactly goes on on the other floors?" Lucas asked. "I mean if it isn't, you know, classified."
Dr. Atkins swallowed a mouthful of pancakes and shook his head. "No, that's a good question. The fourth floor is technical support, or the computer center. We don't have any full time staff there. Dr. Lowell was keeping things running but it isn't really his job. So you won't be stepping on anyone's toes. Fifth is mathematics and physics, or Lowell and Peebles' domain. Dr. Laurie Bernard and her team use the sixth floor for some biochemical/ecological work. You won't see much of them. She isn't a people person and her team follows her lead. The eighth floor is mine, and as you know I'm a psychiatrist. Naurally there is a small psychiatric ward. Seventh floor on the other hand...." Simon paused and frowned.
"It's complicated," Lowell supplied.
"Isn't that the understatment of the year. That floor is home of our three microbiologists. They are all certain that the other two are out to steal their work," Peebles said.
Lowell stole a piece of Lucas's toast. "A less than pleasant atmosphere."
"A pack of paranoids. Dr. Wilson doesn't even leave his lab anymore. They have to bring him food." Peebles shook his head saddly. "Mary Agnes isn't much better. She hasn't been seen below deck in almost a week."
"You could at least give her the courtesy of her title. I'm sure Dr. Collins would love it that you feel so farmiliar but try show her the same respect offered to you," Simon said. He scanned the table and tossed down his fork. "I'll be back."
Lowell leaned in conspiratorily. "The other scientist on seventh floor, Dr. Abigale Summers, is this built red-head. Gorgeous, but she's the craziest of the lot. She's leading the pool for which of the three will end up on the eighth floor in Dr. Atkins psych ward first."
"Sounds like a fun place to work," Lucas said. His sarcasm wasn't lost on Dr. Peebles. The older man started to laugh.
"This place needed some new blood." Peebles gasped, out of breath from his barell chested laugh. "Welcome to the family."
Lucas didn't have the heart to remind him that he was only a temporary transfusion.
CHAPTER 12
Tim pushed his glasses back up on his nose and blinked his eyes clear. Sleep was not coming easy lately and he was working twelve-hour days trying to finish the upgrade on schedule. O'Neil pointed the small black remote-control-like key at the communication node. The numbers shifted and locked.
"Lieutenant O'Neil?" An-Mei asked. Tim jumped and spun around. He dropped the key. It skidded across the floor, and stopped at Dr. Shang's feet. She reached down and picked the device up. An-Mei whistled and smiled mischievously.
"These babies are expensive." She looked Tim up and down appraisingly. "You got it from Wolenczak? He must have saved up for it. This is a nice one. I'd be more careful with it, if I were you." She tossed the key back. "B and D decks are confirmed, locked and ready."
Tim wiped the shock off his face and nodded. "Great, we should be ready to test after E deck is confirmed."
"I'll get on it." An-Mei headed down to E deck. Her thoughts raced over the past two days. O'Neil had shown himself to be both dedicated and tireless. To her great disappointment she'd had to postpone Tony's tour indefinitely. Or at least until the upgrade was complete.
Slowly she had encountered the rest of the command crew. Ford and Ortiz, they had all been very polite, very cold. Ensign Henderson had been friendlier, but you couldn't get much more standoffish than the others. Then there was the Doctor. She had had the nerve to try to scan her at their first handshake. An-Mei had almost punched the woman. It had been all she could do to keep her fury contained behind the mental walls she had painstakingly learned to erect as an ensign, in the section. But no, the person whose behavior really shocked her was Jim Brody. Sure they had a rocky introduction, but she had thought they had a truce. But he was just as standoffish as the rest of the people she was there to observe.
At least there was Tony. True, there were two schools of thought about how to proceed with a mark that was out for sex. Which would provide more information? Withholding or indulging? The issue was debatable. And for once, it was completely up to her. Finally, an upside to deep cover, I get to choose who I sleep with. An-Mei took the stairs two at a time and headed around a corner. She nearly collided with a tall GELF.
"Hey there big guy," An-Mei gasped. Her briefing had mentioned Dagwood so she wasn't taken completely off guard. Damn, but he was big.
"Hello. I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Dagwood asked. His brows were drawn together in concern.
"I'm fine. That was my fault. I really shouldn't be running around like that." An-Mei stopped and proceeded more slowly. "What's your name?"
"I'm Dagwood. Who are you?" He held his mop defensively.
"I'm An-Mei." She smiled and straightened her cream shirt.
"I just mopped the deck, so be careful, An-Mei," Dagwood cautioned seriously.
"So you have." She looked around. The deck was the cleanest she had ever seen on a sub, and she'd seen her share. "You do good work. I'll be careful." An-Mei walked around Dagwood who rotated to face her as she did. "Bye, Dagwood." And she ducked around the corner.
* * *
In his quarters, Nathan Bridger was trying to catch up on his sleep. He wasn't resting at night. Dreams left him exhausted and mentally drained. As he finally slipped into REM sleep he began to dream again.
Nathan found himself in Med-bay. Dr. Smith was sitting on the examining table wearing an ankle-length white cotton nightgown. "Wendy?"
"Hi Nathan. Where have you been?" Wendy smiled warmly. Faint music began to play.
Nathan spun around looking for the source of the jack-in-the-box style music. "Nathan?!" Wendy screamed. The Doctor was now a twelve-year-old version of herself. "Where have you been, Nathan?!" The boat listed to the starboard as though struck.
"What's happening?" Nathan called as he was thrown into the bulkhead. The med-bay was lit only by the red emergency lighting. Wendy, now the adult, lay on the deck unmoving. He knew that if he could reach her, she had the answer. She knew what was wrong. He crawled to her side and pulled her head onto his lap. Nathan winced when he saw her face. It was covered with cuts and bruises.
"The wild card. The bringer of chaos." She smiled and blood ran into her mouth, "Can you see her?" An-Mei stood in the doorway with her fist clenched. Blood dripped onto the floor. Bridger nodded and water began rushing into the room. "Then remember it, Nathan."
Bridger sprang forward in bed gasping for breath. His sheets were soaked with sweat. He grabbed his dream journal but didn't write. "Why can't I remember this damn dream?" Nathan threw the notebook across the room and took a deep breath.
There was a knock at his door. "Nathan? Are you okay? It's Dr. Smith."
Bridger grabbed his robe. "I'm fine. Come in Dr. Smith." She entered with a concerned look on her face.
"You realize that you were broadcasting fairly strongly? Fear, confusion, a touch of anger? It was disturbing. I was worried."
"Sorry to disturb you Doctor. I had a nightmare."
"Must have been a doosy?" Wendy pumped.
"I wish I knew. I've been dreaming for two nights now. I can't sleep for dreaming, but I can't remember the damn thing when I wake up."
"Nathan look at me." Wendy walked over and touched his face. "You're showing classic signs of exhaustion." She frowned and sat back. "You can't remember the dream at all?"
"Besides a vague uneasiness, no."
"Would you like me to try and find the dream?" Wendy asked hesitantly.
"I'm not that desperate. I'll remember when my sub-conscious is through stewing."
"I've told you before. You have a lot of potential as a psychic. This could be a manifestation..."
"I'm still not interested Doctor," Bridger snapped. Wendy looked away, hurt. "I'm just tired, okay?"
"I know." Wendy rose and walked to the door. "If you decide you want my help, you know where to find me."
* * *
An-Mei stood beside Tim as he cycled the communications back up to full power. The test run before bringing the captain in had been her idea. They were ahead of schedule, they could afford to be cautious. If something went wrong, it wouldn't look nearly as bad. "It looks good," An-Mei whispered.
"Hush, don't jinx it. Last time I said the same thing and it crashed," Tim replied. He typed for several seconds and he finally grinned. "Its up."
An-Mei clapped. "That wasn't so bad."
"Yeah, you missed the first week of fun."
"Too true. On that note, I'm gonna go shower." An-Mei turned and headed out into the corridor.
"Thanks for the help," Tim said impulsively.
An-Mei turned and smiled warmly. "Dear, that's why they're paying me. But working with you was a pleasure. Bye."
After a quick shower and change An-Mei got comfortable in front of her computer. The Delayed message file was packed. "Let's see what you thought of Tuscumbia, dearest." An-Mei chose the message Lucas sent to Tony.
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2021 09:08:50 -1700 (PST)
To: "Seaman Tony Piccolo" tpiccolo@ueo.org
From: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
Subject: Life at the funny farm
Hey,
Hope things are going well on seaQuest. Are you and Tim getting along?
This place is strange. I mean, I have my own room. Everything is nice.
I don't know, there's just something about having bars on the windows that
reduces the hominess. Then again, living in a genuine asylum, I suppose
they're necessary. Wish me luck. Maybe I'll be able to finish the system
in three weeks and get out of here to write the stupid thesis.
(Please.... God?")
On a sad note. The id was confiscated and died before its inaugural run.
*big sigh* Thanks for trying though.
Bye,
Lucas
Poor kid. Still in the dark though. Good enough for me. An-Mei sent all Lucas's messages on without more than a cursory glance. Then she had to sift through the mail going out to Lucas. That always took longer but there were only three different authors this time. She didn't find anything significant until she reached Tony's.
_______________________________________________________________________
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2021 09:08:50 -1700 (PST)
To: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
From: "Seaman Tony Piccolo" tpiccolo@ueo.org
Subject: Re: Dum Blond (fwd)
> > Thought you might want some reading material for that long flight north and these just made
> > me think of you my fair-haired friend.
> Okay Tony, I'll give you this tip one more time. Don't try to send attachments. You don't
> have a talent for it. Cut... and paste....
Sorry man. I'll try resending later. Right now I have a hot date. If
you beg sufficiently I'll tell you all about it. ;)
I'm not sure how this me rooming with Tim things gonna work. I asked him
a simple question about this girl and boom he started acting paranoid. I
asked him what was going on and he starts spouting off about
confidentiality and court marshals. I know I know... very weird. But the
guy's under a lot of stress right?
> > Anyhow, did you like the present I sent? Don't abuse it now.
> I don't know how you came up with it but thanks. I won't do anything
you wouldn't do :)
No more tattoos okay. Bridger might hurt me.
Bye,
Tony
____________________________________________________________________________
An-Mei stared at the screen for several seconds in shock. How the Hell? When had Tim become suspicious of her and why? She tried to compose herself. Deep cover is more fun on seaQuest than it will be in prison. Gotta make this work. An-Mei pulled up her word processor and she started typing. "First you have to ask the right questions."
1. What does O'Neil think he knows?
2. Who has he shared this information with?
3. Where did he get his information?
She stared at the glowing screen for several seconds before she deleted the three lines. "The right answers usually take a little longer..."
CHAPTER 13
Lucas glanced at his watch and tapped his foot nervously. He spent his first day playing tourist and third voice to Dr. Peebles' and Dr. Lowell's incessant arguing. It was a wonder the two got anything done. The two scientists wielded theorems like swords. The discussion was stimulating to say the least. In the end Lucas sided with Dr. Peebles. Dr. Lowell seemed to be on the road but he wasn't there. Lucas mashed the elevator button and glanced at his watch again. Well Dad, you would be pleased, the competition is still years from a solution. Solar power isn't going to put you out of the funding race this year.
Finally the elevator opened. Lucas popped his card key into the slot and rode up to the forth floor. First impressions aren't everything. Sure he was late. Lucas glanced at his watch again. But this job wasn't going to be hard. They probably already had an excellent security system that needed some minor tweaking. I mean give the system a minor overhaul with some aplomb and relieve some of the paranoia, some scientists were so famous for and his job would be complete. But what will I write that thesis on? Lucas grinned and walked out into a cheerful powder blue hallway.
There were half-a-dozen ajar doors. The rooms were done in a generic white fashion and housed various electronic devices, predominately computers. Nothing like the technical hub he'd been expecting.
"Lucas!" Dr. Lowell was leaning around the corner where the hall diverged. "What took you so long?"
"Hi. No one gave me a start time, so.... " Lucas shrugged and smiled innocently. Sure he's gonna buy that I just thought everyone started work right around noon.
"Of course there isn't one. Just deadlines. Dr. Atkins pays for results, not how long you spent in the lab. I do my best work down at the beach. I just let the sun fry me and I feel so much closer to my work. But I digress. If and when you tell Simon when you'll be done, just stick with it. I think he expects a six week special." Lowell stopped in front of door with a card key slot and a hand scanner. "Just slide your card and let it scan your hand."
Lucas nodded and did as he was told. The red light above the door turned green and the door slid open. "So are you going to be assisting with this? I know you've been keeping things up and running..."
"Oh no, you don't get to draft me. This system just became your baby for the duration of your stay. Nobody can access this room accept you and Dr. Atkins. All I have to say is good luck. You're gonna need it."
"It can't be that bad, Dr...."
"Stop that now." Lowell turned on the lights, revealing a central computer set-up. A massive black screen dominated the far wall. A complex bank of terminals arranged in a half circle maximized the floor-space
"What?" Lucas asked. He walked forward and started typing at the central terminal.
"Just call me Max. Maxwell if you want to annoy me. Everyone here is a doctor of something. The only person who Doctors everyone's name is Atkins."
"Why's Atkins so different?" Lucas asked distractedly.
"He's the boss. Its how he keeps us all at arms length." Lucas didn't respond. The central black screen flashed to life and information began to scroll. "Ah well there you go. Bye then." Lowell backed away from the distracted teen, toward the door.
"Bye and thanks," Lucas said finally looking up.
"Yeah see you at dinner."
Lowell took the elevator to the fifth floor and strode down to his lab. He started trying to work on the half-finished proof on his chalkboard, but he couldn't concentrate. He swept the glassware off his lab bench with a crash.
Dr. Peebles let the book on his lap flip shut. His face was pasty white. He closed his eyes and prayed that his friend was okay. Eventually he marshaled the courage to see for himself.
Peebles paused outside the young physicist's lab and knocked. "Max? Are you okay?" When there was no reply he pushed the door open. A variety of glassware lay scattered across the floor. Quiet gasping was barely audible from the far side of the lab bench. Peebles walked around and found Lowell. He was seated on the floor with his head in his hands. "Maxwell look at me." Lowell looked up and tried to breathe normally. Dr. Peebles almost collapsed himself when he saw his friends eyes. Scared, ashamed, but perfectly lucid. "Thank God."
Lowell realized how tense Jak was and he rose to steady the older gentleman. "I'm fine. God I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to scare you."
"I thought you were going to just go like Mary Agnes did. She was three years without a complication and then she just...." Peebles trailed off.
"I'm angry is all. I'm ashamed of what we're doing. I feel like the God damn Devil," Lowell whispered.
"No! Don't ever say that. The only devil involved in this complicated mascination is Simon Atkins." Peebles pushed his spectacles up and started pacing.
"It doesn't make me feel any better about standing around while that bastard destroys another life. Jesus, he's just a kid, Jak." Lowell stood and leaned across the lab bench.
"So are you." Peebles stopped pacing and frowned. "No one gave you any special help."
"Thirty-four is not a kid." Lowell snapped.
"That depends entirely, on your perspective. Us dinosaurs would say you're almost as much of a child as that Wolenczak boy." Peebles paused. "How could we help anyway? I'd rather not lose what's left of my life."
Max grinned. "But I think we could probably show him what's going on without ever revealing ourselves. It would have been easier before I turned the computer center over but its still possible. Knowledge is power. Atkins went through a lot of trouble to hide project Catechism's directories. I think we should expose them just enough that any hacker would be, shall we say intrigued? We, I'd never be implicated. I understand if you don't want to be connected with this. I wouldn't blame you."
Peebles returned Maxwell's smile. "No, I'll help if I can." As the two scientists left the trashed lab Peebles grabbed Max's arm. "I wish I'd helped you."
"Me too buddy. Me too."
* * *
Lucas sighed and threw his notebook onto his bed. His easy assignment was fast turning into a monstrosity. The system was not only outdated but severely flawed. It was a wonder the place hadn't been hacked repeatedly. If he could have gotten his hands on the insane systems manager who designed the set-up, he might have committed murder. Okay, well he would at least liked to have smacked him around a little. Lucas groaned. "Violence, I've been hanging out with military types way to long.."
Lucas gazed longingly at his PC and then back at his work. Work on insane system, cruise the nex, Work on insane system, cruise the nex... Where was the choice in that? Lucas logged on and scanned the directory for familiar nicks. No Nick, no Julianna, nope nobody interesting was online. Lucas tried his hand at a few single player games. But the computer's responses were too familiar to be challenging. Reluctantly he logged off and started sifting through Dr. Atkin's network. Nothing jumped out at him at first. But something was off. Finally he saw it. A directory labeled "Simon's Novel" with over twenty megs of memory. In and of itself, not an odd thing. But there was security layered over it quite intricately. It was very professional. As a matter of fact it was a perfectly secure file in a chaotic system. Maybe that was an overstatement. Nothing is perfectly secure. As if to prove that very point to himself, Lucas began to hack into the directory.
* * *
Dr Peebles and Dr. Lowell waited patiently for the elevator. "I'm not sure exactly what we just did," Peebles complained.
"We just exposed the security protocols positioned around Catechize. We disabled the program that was making the file appear as chaotic and unprotected as the rest of the system."
"We took away the camouflage, but how can we be sure he'll notice. Shouldn't we wave an orange flag over it.. try to draw his attention to the pertinent information."
"If this kid's half as good as he's supposed to be. That little change is as good as a red flag. I bet you money he'll have at least noticed it within the next twenty-four hours."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then we tried."
* * *
Lucas was leaned over the main terminal in his fourth floor lab. After a half-an-hour of painstaking hacking from his PC, it occurred to the young genius that the whole process would be much easier from the inside. As he had hacked deeper and discovered layer after layer of security, his curiosity had grown exponentially.
It was still just a game but it was just this kind of game that made Lucas come alive. He didn't lose at games like these. But a really good system could push him to the edge of what he was capable of. It was a rush, and he was riding it tonight.
The alarm on his watch went off and Lucas pulled back. Dr. Atkins had made it clear that there was only one house rule. Everyone ate one meal a day. It didn't matter if it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Lucas had already skipped two meals and he was hungry.
Lucas turned on the vid-phone and dialed for the kitchen. It rang several times before a young woman finally answered. "Is this..." Lucas began.
"The kitchen? Yes. How can I help you?" the woman was being addressed insistently from her right. But she just kept smiling and waiting.
"I was wondering if I could get dinner delivered? I'm on the forth floor..."
"Done. Would you like it delivered from now on? Any specific days or meals you would like delivered regularly?" Lucas just shook his head and the vid closed.
Lucas resumed his hack. And the file finally opened to reveal a jumble of nonsense symbols. "Wonderful, it's encrypted. How badly do I really want to know what that file is?" Lucas answered his own question when he started downloading the encrypted files to his PC
CHAPTER 14
An-Mei had her hair pinned into a knot. Her Florida State T-shirt was large enough that it covered most of the holes in the ancient pair of jeans she was sporting. An-Mei stared at the door, willing Tony to show up. Finally there was a knock at the door.
"Finally," An-Mei muttered. She threw the door open to reveal, Tim. An-Mei smiled warmly.
"Hi Lieutenant. Hope we're not having more trouble?"
"No, everything's still running smoothly. I just set up a time to test communications and demonstrate for the Captain. You should really be there. Eight hundred hours tomorrow on the bridge," Tim said.
An-Mei grinned and nodded. "Great, thanks."
"Bye, then," Tim smiled and left. An-Mei mock saluted and shook her head. Where the Hell are you Tony? An-Mei started back inside but Tony stopped her.
"Hey Doc! Wait a sec," he called, jogging up to the door. "I think I might of left my lucky hat in my old locker. We play poker tomorrow night and I have to have it."
"Really? Well come in and check." An-Mei let Tony brush past her and while his back was to her she pulled the pin out of her hair letting it fall around her face. She turned and pulled a bottle of champagne out of her locker. She set it on her desk, almost out of sight. "You know we finished the communications upgrade this afternoon. Now I don't know what to do with myself." As an afterthought she pulled off the FSU T-shirt and adjusted her tank top.
"We should all have such problems. Ahhh, found it." Tony spun around and put the hat on.
"Well do you feel luckier?" An-Mei asked with a smirk.
Tony ogled her for several seconds before answering. "Definitely."
"Close your mouth sweetie." An-Mei walked over and locked the door. She turned on some slow music and opened the champagne.
"You know there's a rule about alcohol aboard ship." An-Mei poured two Dixie cups full of the frothy liquid. "An-Mei, what are you doing?"
"I'm seducing you silly." An-Mei held a cup out to him. Tony walked over and accepted it.
"Just checking." He sipped the drink and grimaced. "Not the best...." An-Mei kissed him and then pulled back suddenly.
"Not the best vintage no. A little bitter. But it has its positive aspects." An-Mei placed her untouched drink on the desk and turned the music up a little.
Tony blinked his eyes and tried to clear his head. You don't get a buzz off one sip anything, unless there's something in it. He could see An-Mei but she was fuzzy and she seemed to move so quickly. "Come here Tony." She pulled him into her arms and started moving to the music. Her head was right under his chin. Tony shut his eyes, trying to block out the swirling room. "Why doesn't Tim trust me, Tony?"
"I don't know. He didn't really say." Tony whispered into her hair.
"I know it's hard to concentrate, but I need your help. Will you help me Tony?" An-Mei could feel the thready beat of Tony's pulse in his neck.
"Anything" Tony punctuated his response with a yawn and stopped supporting himself. An-Mei helped him to the bottom bunk and he sat down heavily.
"Tony?" Mei tried to get Piccolo to focus on her. She put her hands on either side of his face. "You have to find out what Tim thinks he knows." She snapped her fingers in front of his face and he jerked up a little. "Repeat what I asked you to do."
"Find... Tim thinks ..he knows." Tony was barely coherent. He leaned his head forward until it touched An-Mei's forehead. Tony stared at An-Mei for several long seconds then he kissed her and passed out. An-Mei pulled herself free of the incapacitated Seaman. She touched her lips for a moment and sighed. "He can kiss. And this definitely worked." An-Mei looked at the mostly full bottle of champagne. She dumped the remainder of it into her wastebasket. She unlocked the door and dumped the can into the disposal.
Once back inside An-Mei relocked the door. She sat down next to a snoring Tony and started taking off his clothes. After she had him down to his shorts, she started to look for somewhere to leave a calling card. "Gills? I wonder why that wasn't in my briefing?" She chose a spot just above his breastbone and started working up a hickey.
Only a few minutes later, hickey complete, she tucked him into bed. She stripped off her tank top and ripped it. She squirted some perfume on it and wrapped it around Tony's hand. She kissed his forehead and grinned. "Sleep well little man. You're going to have a headache in the morning."
* * *
Tony opened his eyes slowly. He was facing the bulkhead. It took a couple of seconds for him to realize that he wasn't on the top bunk in Tim's quarters. He sat up and banged his head. "Ahh..." His hangover came to life and he almost crawled back under the covers.
"Tony, are you okay?" An-Mei asked, suddenly at his bedside.
"Don't shout," Tony whispered.
"I'm sorry," An-Mei whispered. "I've got you some aspirin and a coffee chaser."
Tony opened his eyes slowly and gazed over at An-Mei. She was dressed in a gray skirt suit and her hair had half-fallen out of a French braid. He reached out and touched an errant lock. "Did we?"
"It just wasn't meant to be today." An-Mei shook the braid out and handed Tony the coffee and aspirin. She paused and gazed at her hands. "We did. Don't you remember?"
Tony had the good grace to look ashamed. "I don't remember nothing after I found my hat and you gave me a drink, then everything gets fuzzy.."
"You had a lot to drink." An-Mei tucked her hair behind her ears.
"I don't think I've ever blacked out before. Ahhh... so did I have fun?"
"You really don't remember anything?" An-Mei chuckled. "I had fun. We'll just have to make sure you're sober next time sailor." An-Mei rose and headed for the door.
"Where are ya' going?" Tony asked.
"I have an eight o'clock meeting. You can stay in bed as long as you like. Don't forget your hat though. Its definitely lucky."
Tony stared at the closed door for several seconds. "Next time? I musta done okay." He scrounged over the floor for his missing clothing. The empty champagne bottle rolled his way. "I need to write the name of this stuff down, alcoholic beverage to avoid at all costs." Tony pulled on his pants and continued the search for his shirt. He passed in front of An-Mei's wall mirror stopped and turned to face the mirror full on. A large purple and red blotch was decorating his chest. Tony whistled. "Man, I wish I remembered last night."
* * *
An-Mei was standing with Tim at the comm station on the bridge. Bridger entered with Ford and raised his eyebrows at the idle duo. "Are you ready for the test?" Bridger asked.
"Yes sir," Tim answered.
An-Mei nodded and added, "Communications are powered up and normal. The only testing that needs doing is somebody making a long distance call to see if these enhancers were worth all the trouble."
"I think I can handle that. Dial up Tuscumbia Labs. We'll see how Lucas is enjoying his vacation," Bridger ordered.
Tim took the communications station and started typing. "It will take me one second to find a listing."
Bridger nodded and bit back a yawn. He still wasn't sleeping properly. Hopefully, if he could reassure himself that Lucas was okay, his subconscious would maybe let him sleep a night through. That wouldn't do anything about Dr. Shang and his suspicions on that front, but maybe it would be enough. If something didn't change soon he was going to have to let Dr. Smith go fishing in his head and he didn't particularly relish that thought.
"Captain, the receptionist is transferring us now. Where would you like to take the call?" O'Neil asked.
"I'll take it here." Bridger approached one of the smaller more private vid-screens.
"Hey Captain," Lucas said. "You're not checking up on me?"
"Of course not. We're testing the communications system. What's the verdict, Mr. O'Neil?"
"We're running well above optimal. No lag, and the imaging is right at expected resolution," Tim replied.
Bridger turned back to the vid. "How are you? Managing to stay out of trouble?"
"Trouble? I've been here two days. Besides even Tony couldn't get in trouble here," Lucas said with a grin.
"That boring? Nothing positive to say about the place at all?"
"I just got my stipend and they definitely pay better," Lucas quipped. "I take it communications are back up to speed. That was fast."
Bridger frowned. "Don't think I don't know you're largely responsible for our sudden speedy recovery. I'm not so behind the times that I don't know what a key is. I'll have to confiscate the one you left with O'Neil until we get a chance to discuss this."
"But Captain," Lucas said.
"No buts. I can understand bending the rules a little for the common good, but I have to know what's going on my vessel, and neither you or O'Neil saw fit to inform me."
"Sorry." An alarm went off in the background with Lucas. "Minor emergency. System just crashed. I have to go."
"Good luck," Bridger said.
"Thanks," Lucas replied, distracted, and the vid closed.
Bridger looked over at O'Neil and An-Mei. "Good job you two. Mr. O'Neil I'll need you to drop Lucas's keys off with me. I'll be in my quarters." Bridger headed for the clam doors.
An-Mei addressed the Captain, "Sir, we should probably discuss my duties for the duration of my stay."
"Agreed." Bridger motioned her to follow and Tim turned communications over to a subordinate.
CHAPTER 15
Lucas switched off the alarm that he activated and spun his seat around. "Hello, how are you? Thank you for helping me finish my communications upgrade in record time...." The internex connection he had set to idle started beeping. The Frankenstein icon was snoring on the screen. Wolfman was howling in the foreground. Lucas woke his icon.
"It's about time Frankie," Wolfman growled.
"Sorry, had a phone call," Frankenstein replied. "Any luck with the encryption I sent your way?"
"No man. I'd ask where you got that but I don't think I want to know. It seemed important so I called Elanor, girl I used to hang with at Node 3. She's working on the supercomputer outside Phoenix now. She estimates a three year lag to complete the decode. Three years... for a supercomputer! I hope you weren't needing that any time soon."
"That's okay. Thanks for trying."
"Anytime. Wanna play a couple of rounds?" Wolfman dropped into a fighting position.
"I'd love to." Frankenstein made a flourishing bow.
* * *
Dr. Peebles watched Lowell work under his skylight. "Do you really think that contraption is ever going to work?"
Lowell patted his solar collector. "But it already works. I think I'll have the efficiency up to reasonable levels soon enough. My solar collector will fuel the world with energy someday."
"The geraniums can store energy better than your technical marvel of a battery. The geothermal people have had more luck than the solar power people. You might want to come up with some sideline research to fall back on," Peebles droned and yawned. Lowell smiled and turned on his collector. "Anything a plant can do. We can do. You'll see."
They listened to the collector's quiet groanings for several minutes in companionable silence.
"What do you think is taking the Wolenczak kid so long about hacking that file?" Lowell asked.
"I doubt he's even noticed it," Peebles claimed smugly.
"Oh, I guarantee he's noticed."
"Maybe he wasn't interested."
"You're no hacker. He was interested. My thought was." Lowell paused and ran his hands over his face. "Maybe Atkins encrypted it just to be extra safe."
"Encrytptions aren't a big deal in this day an age. They're broken all the time if one is really .... Baxter..."
"My thought exactly. If Atkins used one of Baxter's new encryptions.... " Lowell cracked his knuckles and started to pace.
"Oh well. We tried. But there's no way he'll crack that file in time. It's probably already too late anyhow," Peebles tried to calm Lowell.
"He still has a chance. And we can still help. Atkins is going to the mainland this afternoon for a business meeting. You have eighth floor clearance. Offer to introduce Lucas to the infamous Baxter Madison. If he's interested at all, he'll take advantage of the situation and get that code cracked."
"No, you said we wouldn't be implicated in this little rescue mission. Don't you think I become implicated if I carry him to the eighth floor? Besides what if this is a bad day for Baxter? I won't do it." Peebles folded his arms over his chest and glared through his spectacles at the agated Dr. Lowell.
"You won't be implicated, not really, and if it's a bad day for Baxter, then at least we tried. Come on Jak. We can't give up after all this. Please, for me."
"You're my friend Maxwell, and for you, I will do this. But this is it. Sink or swim, the kid is on his own from now on."
"I knew I hung out with you for a reason. You're pretty cool when you want to be." Lowell sat down next to Peebles and wrapped his arm around his friend.
"Cool my foot. I'm the only sane person you could find. Not to mention you needed someone to Ooo and Ah over that clod-hopper you're building."
"Well that too. But you're still cool." Peebles hrumphed but smiled a little anyway.
* * *
Lucas was organizing his plan for the new Tuscumbia security system. He was cleaning and organizing the system as he went. It still bothered him that he couldn't read the odd directory but sometimes you just have to accept the unhackable and move on. But it still griped him miserably. Lucas pulled his headphones down and listened. Someone was knocking on the door. Lucas keyed it open and Dr. Peebles smiled broadly.
"Afternoon, Mr. Wolenczak," Peebles said cheerfully. "I was on my way up to the eighth floor and since you enjoy some complex math, I thought you might like to, well, meet Mr. Baxter Madison."
Lucas started to refuse out of hand. He was working well for the first time since he had arrived but then it hit him. If anyone could decode his encryption, Madison was the man. Lucas grinned. "Does Mr. Madison have a computer?"
"Yes, but it isn't on the main system," Peebles replied.
"Great, wait here. I have a problem I've been working on, it's saved to a disk, and he might be able to help." Lucas disappeared inside.
"I'll be damned," Peebles muttered under his breath. "I'll never doubt you again Maxwell."
* * *
Dr. Atkins entered a fancy restaurant. He straightened his dinner jacket and smoothed back his hair as he waited for the matride. A short Italian fellow approached Atkins and smiled. "Good afternoon, sir. Do you have a reservation?"
"Mr. Higgin's party," Atkins replied.
"Of course, right this way." The matride brought Atkins to a table where a tall man in an Italian business suit sat. The man stood and turned to greet Atkins warmly. The man was Commander Foster.
"Simon, it's good to see you." Foster shook Atkins' hand as if they were old friends.
"Joshua, long time no see," Atkins responded.
After they were seated and they ordered Atkins cut off the small talk abruptly. "Who the Hell are you and why did Admiral Higgins change my contact now, in the eleventh hour?"
"As far as you're concerned, I'm Joshua, and the Admiral is God. God is sick so he brought me in to make sure everything proceeds as planned while he gets a nice lung transplant. Any questions?" Foster paused. "No? Then report before the damn linguini arrives. I don't discuss business over dinner."
Atkins nodded slowly. "We're ready to proceed to level two of the test. All I need is the go ahead."
"You have it." Foster stirred his water idly with his finger. "Anything else?"
"The deal remains as it was? Nothing else has changed?"
"Oh yes. You'll be a very rich man someday soon Simon."
"And my daughter? I had a deal with the Admiral. I want her out of Section Seven."
"Now that, I think we should renegotiate. Don't you think An-Mei is a little old to have her Daddy choosing her career? Section Seven was her choice. She's damn good at what she does."
"This is not negotiable. My daughter is a deal breaker."
"Do you think your daughter would appreciate you doing this? If we release her, we'll have to tell her why."
"She'll forgive me. I'm doing this in love."
"Would she forgive you if she knew what you did to her mother? Don't look so surprised. I know a lot of things. Would she forgive murder? A crime of passion I'm sure, but she was your patient. But wait there's more Why exactly didn't you tell An-Mei she was your biological daughter? Too complicated? She loves you enough to forgive you now. But I feel certain I could change that." Their waiter arrived with their meal. "Doesn't it smell wonderful?"
There didn't seem to be a drop of blood in Dr. Atkins' face. He swallowed and nodded slowly. "I...What do you want?"
"Nothing Simon. We're willing to double your fee, but An-Mei stays. You of all people should understand the value of human resources."
* * *
Lucas stared across the quiet dim room. A short pasty white old man stared back at him. Dr. Peebles had left him alone with 'Crazy Baxter'.
"Damn awkward isn't it?" Baxter commented.
"A little. I'm Lucas." He started to walk toward the elderly man but stopped himself. Peebles had warned him that the red line was a safety boundary. Baxter received a shock that would leave him unconscious if he tried to cross it, but there was nothing to stop others from crossing toward the patient.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Baxter." Silence ensued. "This would probably be easier if you just came out with why you came. That's what me and Jak do when he comes up with a problem. I promise it won't be painful."
Lucas smiled and shook his head. "Sorry, I just..."
"You're nervous. First time to meet an insane man? I'm pretty lucid most of the time. And if I slip, well there's the safety line. It has never failed yet."
Lucas held up his disc. "This is my problem. It's an encryption. My friend and fellow hacker, informed me that I was looking at a three year decode. I thought, with your reputation, you might have some insight." Baxter grinned and held out his hands. Lucas tossed him the disc.
"I will be very surprised if I can..." Baxter trailed off after he got a good look at the file he just pulled up. "This is mine."
"Your file?" Lucas walked toward the safety line and craned his neck trying to see the computer screen.
"My encryption code. Give me one second. You just hit the jack-pot." Baxter produced a red disc. "Key to the Kingdom." Then he tossed both discs back across the line.
"The decoder?"
Baxter nodded and let his head fall forward onto his chest his breathing became heavy. "Get the Hell out."
"Thank you for..."
Baxter stood his face was contorted into a mask of rage. "OUT!!" Lucas just stared back. He looked into Baxter's eyes but the intelligent quiet man who had been there a moment ago was gone. This wild creature's eyes were empty. Lucas fled the room. He ran straight to the elevator, turned, and slid down the wall. He tried to catch his breath.
"Lucas? Are you okay?" Dr. Peebles came trotting up. "Baxter lost it eh?"
Lucas stared up at the older gentleman. "How did you know that I had a problem that Mr. Madison could help me with? He said you don't make social calls. What exactly is going on around here?" Lucas stood and stared at Peebles. "I'll find the truth on my own. Whatever you people are hiding, I'll find it."
Peebles inserted his card key and mashed the four. They rode the elevator in silence down to the fourth floor and Lucas exited without a word. "Good luck," Peebles whispered as the doors closed.
CHAPTER 17
Bridger stood at one end of the wardroom. Tim and An-Mei stood at the other. "This won't take long. Dr. Shang, you will be expected to assist the regular crew in case of any type of computer failure. And if any unexpected complications with the new communication systems appears, you will of course assist Lieutenant O'Neil. Any questions?"
"Unless you have serious computer problems on at least a weekly basis, that isn't much to do. The UEO is paying me to provide a service. You don't expect me to believe this was Wolenczak's job description?" An-Mei asked.
Bridger raised his chin and sighed. "Lucas spent a large majority of his time on research projects. This is a research vessel. Since you are filling his position, the extra time is yours. I'm sorry if that isn't enough work. I can see about finding you some busy work if you like." Bridger stopped himself before he said something he would regret later. It wasn't like him to snap at his crew. But at that moment he was just too tired to care.
"Fine, thank you." It looked like An-Mei would walk out but she turned back around with a dark frown on her face. "I think it was very tacky of you to bring up Lucas's blank key after he used it to help you. Every hacker worth anything has one, and it's not that big a deal. They haven't prosecuted a key case in years."
"I have to be aware of everything happening on this boat. Especially everything that might be even a little bit illegal. I'm responsible for everything that happens on my boat. If you have a problem with that, I won't hold you to your contract. You can leave now."
An-Mei glared and then shut her eyes. The redness that had crept up on her cheekbones dissipated as she breathed calmly. Finally she readdressed the Captain. "I didn't sign on to fight with you Captain. This is your boat and you're obviously tired. I should have kept my comments to myself." An-Mei turned and left without another word.
"I'm so sorry Captain. I should have informed you of the key's use. It won't happen again," Tim said stiffly.
Bridger sat down slowly. "If I didn't want it used I would have said something to you in the launch bay. I was trying to teach Lucas a lesson about running his bright ideas past me before implementing them."
"Oh okay. Weren't you a little hard on An-Mei then?" Tim asked.
"Probably. I thought maybe if I pushed her, she'd renig on her contract," Bridger replied.
"You still think she's a spy?" Tim asked. "I mean she's not the type... Doesn't the Navy have a height requirement or something? I just don't see it Captain."
"My gut says not to trust her. I don't want her on my boat."
"It's just a few weeks Captain." Tim shrugged. "Besides what can you do about it?"
* * *
An-Mei stared at her PC for several seconds. She was required to report but with her inconclusive information it wasn't a job she relished. An-Mei reluctantly dialed up her contact. "Joshua, we may have a problem."
"Report," Foster ordered.
"My cover may have been compromised. I won't know anything conclusive for a few days at least.' An-Mei spoke in a clipped professional manner. "I need to request a comprehensive dossier on Lieutenant Timothy O'Neil."
"No use crying over spilt milk. As long as Catechize doesn't fail it isn't dangerous.. The moment anything goes wrong with Daddy's project you distance yourself from the UEO."
"Do you recommend any specific method?"
"Defend your father. Show off that wild stubborn insubordinate girl inside.."
"You're so helpful. Will I ever be as powerful and witty as you." An-Mei didn't smile. Catechize wouldn't fail... and if it did... prison wouldn't be so bad. An-Mei closed the connection.
* * *
Bridger leaned back in his chair. He shut his eyes for a moment and he was back inside his dream. Yet again he found himself inside med bay. Wendy was standing over a patient but he couldn't see the patient's face. "Who's hurt?" Bridger touched Wendy's shoulder and she turned toward him.
"I thought she was dead, but I was wrong. If someone could just convince her to rejoin the human race... " Wendy said ignoring the question.
"Save who? Who is she?" Just then the patient sat up. It was An-Mei, in full dress uniform. She turned to the Captain.
"Who do you really think I am?" An-Mei asked.
"I don't know. Who are you?" Then Bridger stopped himself. "I'm dreaming again. You're just my subconscious harassing me."
"If this dream is a meaningless apparition of your subconscious, why won't you let yourself remember it?" Wendy asked. "Why are you tormenting yourself, Nathan?"
"If this dream is important, and you, my subconscious, want me to invite Dr. Shang to rejoin the human race, then I hope you have a suggestion or two about how to go about it. Engraved invitations aren't likely to work."
"Like you could help her. You could cut the tension between the two of you with a knife. She doesn't trust you either." Wendy had reverted to an adolescent version of herself.
"So what do I do?" Bridger snapped at her. He grabbed her shoulders and glared.
"I'm part of your subconscious, not some oracle. You won't let your conscious mind accept the feedback from your psychic, sixth sense thingie so your subconscious stores it away. What do you want from me?" The child Wendy stuck her tongue out at Bridger. "Remember this dream, Nathan. Please?" She pushed away from him and crossed her arms.
A pulse blast struck Wendy and she crumpled. Bridger turned to see An-Mei holding a pulse rifle. He dropped down next to the child and turned her over, but it wasn't Wendy. The dead child was Lucas.
Bridger's head jerked up at the sound of the door opening. Ford stuck his head into the wardroom. "Captain? Are you okay? I heard you call out," Ford said.
"I'm fine," Bridger said somewhat shakily. "I must have dozed off." His face was gray and there was sweat shimmering on his brow.
"You're sure your okay?" Ford frowned with concern.
Bridger nodded. And shut his eyes. Something was rotten aboard seaQuest, and it was about time her Captain did something about it. "One second Commander." Bridger flipped open the comm. "Mr. Ortiz, I need sensors to experience a computer failure now. Something to keep Dr. Shang busy. I need you to call her to the bridge immediately."
"Yes sir, how busy?" Ortiz asked.
"I need two hours at least. The longer the better, within reason, or course."
"No problem."
Bridger turned back to Ford. "O'Neil has some computer experience, right?"
"That's right," Ford answered slowly.
"Collect him and meet me outside Dr. Shang's quarters." Bridger rose and headed for the door.
"Captain I think I see where this is going. Are you sure this is the right move?"
"I don't know Johnathan. Right or wrong, it's an order."
"Yes sir." Ford turned and left in search of Tim and Bridger headed for med-bay.
Dr. Smith was perched over a medical journal half-dozing. A loud knock startled her and she looked up. Bridger came in and leaned back against the door. "Can I help you, Nathan?"
"I hope so. Have you gotten any... impressions from Dr. Shang?"
"She is a big thorough wall. I haven't read a flicker out of her since she came aboard."
"Damn, that shoots my theory to Hell. Maybe I'm just paranoid, crazy even." Bridger sank into a chair.
"What theory?" Wendy tried to sort through the jumble of emotions rolling off the Captain. Anxiety, anger, determination, and a tiny knot of fear left the Doctor breathless. "What's going on?"
"You remember the dream I was having, but couldn't remember? I finally remembered it. I thought it was a representation of my latent psychic impressions of Dr. Shang. That's what the, well you, told me in the dream."
"I was in this dream, and I told you that the dream was your psychic impression of Dr. Shang?" Wendy asked thoughtfully.
"Exactly..."
"And this dream was disturbing?"
"Yes, Dr. Shang shot you, but it was Lucas she killed. I felt like I should act to confirm or disprove my theory. I don't trust parapsychology. But the whole episode was so... disturbing." Bridger shook his head. "I suppose you already disproved the whole idea. If you couldn't read her, then I certainly didn't."
"There you're wrong, Nathan. Her walls are a learned technique. They're thrown up in response to a probe, or a trained psychic. A passive scan wouldn't get a response out of her. I think you have been scanning her. If you feel you should act. I'll help any way I can."
"Oh I know I should act. I'm just not sure if what I'm planning is appropriate."
"Has that ever stopped you before?"
"Not yet."
CHAPTER 17
Dr. Atkins entered his building and approached the receptionist. Her dangling earrings bounced along to her enthusiastic bubble gum chewing. "Send out a memo, Patty. Phase Two starts tonight," Atkins said.
"So soon Doctor?" The young woman smiled showing all her teeth. Simon didn't even respond. He entered the elevator and mashed eight. The doors opened on his private sanctum and his face crumbled. Tears fell and his face turned red. You could almost believe he was grieving for a lost child, but instead his blood was boiling. Rage wrung the silent tears from him, not sadness or grief. No one takes control from Simon Atkins, not even Section Seven. He slid slowly down the wall and tried to find a way back, a way to regain control. Control was the central theme of Simon's life. He prided himself on never losing control of himself or the world around him. Simon stared into space remembering his life long battle against entropy and chaos.
As a child he'd hated his parents. Not for anything they'd done to him but because they were in control. What he couldn't control he distanced himself from. People were too unpredictable, they couldn't be trusted. Simon prided himself on the faces he put on for the world, but no one knew him. He scared his parents. They sent him to dozens of child psychologists and therapists. In the end they sent him away to boarding school. He was quite young, but for enough money, schools don't ask questions.
His time at school taught Simon a thing or two about survival. By showing people what they wanted to see, Simon could be the manipulator, he could be in control, and for the first time in his life he was satisfied. From boarding school, to the university, to medical school, each provided a new audience for his talents. Simon survived nearly half of his life without ever letting anyone know who he really was.
Not long after he passed the medical boards, Simon made a decision that would change his life. He worked part time as a counselor at a free clinic in New York. There was no altruism in the act. Simon needed the community service for his internship. In the chemical dependency ward, he met Atchika Shang. She was a young Chinese immigrant. Her English was sketchy, she had no money, and she was hopelessly addicted to a street drug, Bliss. The clinic handled simple detox, but most of the patients were not interested in the process. Most of them ended up back on the street. Atchika was not the acception to that rule.
Six months after he first encountered her, Simon met the young woman again. This time it was on a street corner. He stopped and looked at her. He looked past the heavy make-up and the greasy hair and he saw something he wanted. He saw someone that he could have. And he had her, in a rotten dim motel. It wasn't his first sexual experience. He'd never had to pay for it before, but then he could be very charming if he tried. With Atchika he didn't try. He allowed Atchika to see who he really was. For the hours they were together he controlled her absolutely. He showed her the face of his demon.
At first he only sought her out occasionally, once or twice a week. Soon he was at her corner every night. It consumed him every day that she might be with another man. He was becoming pocessive and he was frightened. For the first time in his life, he wasn't in control of himself. Then one night, after he was with her, he beat Atchika brutally, for the crime of being who she was. He beat her because he loved her and he could never control her, not absolutely. He left her alone and bleeding in their cheap hotel room.
Simon swore that he wouldn't go near her street corner again. He would purge himself. Two nights later he was back, searching for her. She was gone. But Simon didn't let her go. He sought her, like a man pocessed.
Seven months after his search began, it ended. He found her in a free clinic on the South Side. She was half-dead with a staff infection that wouldn't respond to antibiotics. Atchika had contracted the infection, giving birth to her daughter in an alley. Simon didn't pity the tired woman praying in Chinese on the bed in front of him. He took a folded Army blanket off a chair and smothered her quietly to death. She would never cause him anguish again. She was under control.
Simon suspected that the child, An-Mei Shang, was his. One of his friends at NYU ran a DNA test, no questions asked, and confirmed his suspicions. The social role that made Simon hate his parents, brought him closer to his daughter. In his own mind at least, Simon found love.
Adoption wasn't easy, but, Simon greased the works along and by the time she was two, An-Mei was his daughter in name as well as biology. No one could ever know that she was his biological daughter. It was too well known that her mother had been his patient. But Simon would be her father. An-Mei would never doubt that.
Life was good for nearly two decades. The CIA adopted his project, Catechize. His daughter was bright and beautiful and completely his. And then it all fell apart. First An-Mei left. She joined the Navy. God only knew why. The CIA tried to push Catechize ahead before he was ready. His neat orderly world had turned on him. The facade Simon showed the world began to crack. He thought he would lose his mind.
But Simon was a survivor. Captain Higgins had supplied his road back from Hell. The Captain took over Catechize from a floundering CIA and promised to return An-Mei to her home. Simon worked diligently toward that goal for over a decade. But someone changed the rules. His price was no longer adequate. They wanted his life's work and his daughter. But they would not have them both. Simon could still guarantee that. He was still in control.
"Simon." The quavering voice of Baxter pulled Atkins back to the present. He looked up at the door, which sealed in his worst failure, Baxter Madison. "Something went wrong, eh?" Baxter continued. "That kid read your files and now he's causing trouble? I hope he is destroying you, you Bastard."
"What the Hell are you talking about Baxter?" Simon rose, his eyes cold and calculating.
"I gave him the encryption key. How dare you use my encryption on your files? How dare you?" Baxter growled.
"Wolenczak is reading my personal files?" Atkins hissed. He walked to the wall and mashed a red button. An alarm began to drone. Simon flipped on the intercom. "All personnel this is a general alert. Lucas Wolenczak is to be detained. All non-security personnel seal off your floor immediately. Remain calm. Phase two was scheduled to begin tonight, we're just starting early."
* * *
Lucas was still in the process of decoding the directory's information when the alarm sounded. He listened to the announcement in the forth floor lab and winced. "Guess, Dr. Atkins doesn't like people in his files." Lucas grabbed his chair and jammed it under the door. There wasn't enough time to copy the entire directory and try to send it to anyone, but Wolfman already had a copy. Lucas started typing frantically, he copied the encryption key and attempted to send it to his friend.
________________________________
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2021 09:08:50 -1700 (PST)
To: "Wolfman" wolvie@node3.edu
From: "Lucas Wolenczak" lwolencz@ueo.org
Subject: Key to Encryption (Help!)
Parts/Attachments: 1 OK ~587 lines RTF (charset: ISO-8859-1)
________________________________
The system was running slowly and the message was processing at a snail's pace, 5%, 10%, 13%, 45%, 59%, 75%... The door slammed open and Lucas spun around. Jeffrey, the security chief, crashed through the door and blasted the computer with his pulse. Lucas stared, mouth open, unsure of whether the message made it or not.
"Time to take a walk." Jeffrey waved his pulse rifle and Lucas preceded him out the door.
* * *
On the fifth floor Peebles and Lowell stood next to the elevator. "Our floor is secure," Peebles whispered. Inadequate, but it broke the silence.
"We should have just told him and to Hell with getting caught." Lowell couldn't stop shaking. The last time a Phase Two was announced, he had been in a very different position.
"You say that now. But you don't mean it. Don't be a hypocrite. You're better than that." Peebles sat down and removed his glasses.
"We're better than this." Lowell shut his eyes and resigned himself to losing everything. "Jak, where is your card key?"
"No, I won't..." Before Peebles could finish Lowell hit him in the mouth.
"Tell Atkins that I took it."
Peebles wiped the blood off his lip and nodded. "This isn't going to do anyone any good." He handed Lowell his card-key.
"It's going to make me feel better." Lowell disappeared into the elevator.
Peebles jammed his arm into the door before it could shut. "He'll destroy you."
Lowell smiled sadly. "To Hell with it. It's a quality of life question. And we don't have any."
"You just think things are bad. Haven't you seen how Baxter lives?" Peebles shut his eyes and a tear slid down his cheek.
"Maybe, we can discredit the Bastard for all time. Now while he's distracted. It's worth it... to me." Lowell smiled but the tears in his eyes didn't spill over.
"To Hell with it. Right? We've been together throughout this mad endeavor. I'll see it to the end." Peebles joined Lowell in the elevator.
"Cheer up," Lowell quipped in a hoarse voice. "Maybe we'll get padded cells next to each other." The elevator doors opened on the first floor.
The receptionist spun around and smiled at the two gentlemen. "Excuse me, this is my floor, and Dr. Atkins said secure your floors. So you guys just ride back up to the fifth floor and don't give me any trouble."
"Jak, could you detain Patty for just a moment?" Lowell asked politely.
"I can try. Why are we stopping here? I thought we were headed to the eighth floor." Peebles started trying to approach Patty.
"Touch me, you dirty old man, and I'll slap you into next year."
"We have a phone call to make."
"To whom?" Peebles asked.
"The police, the UEO, and anyone else I can think of."
"You guys are gonna be in big trouble," Patty screeched.
"My dear, you have no idea how big," Peebles replied.
CHAPTER 18
Bridger approached Dr. Shang's quarters. Ford and O'Neil were idling in the corridor in silence. "Johnathan, I need you on the bridge. Send a warning if Dr. Shang finishes her assignment," Bridger requested.
"Yes sir, good luck," Ford replied and headed for the bridge.
Bridger entered An-Mei's quarters and Tim followed. "Sir, I'm no hacker, and even if I was... I'm not sure I feel right about this," Tim said. He shook his head and frowned. "I don't think she's any kind of spy."
Bridger patted the computer. "Prove it to me."
* * *
Just before Wolfman shut down his computer he decided to flip through his inbox. He opened the message from Lucas and frowned. He downloaded the decoder and started converting the encrypted files. The first file was completely decoded and Wolfman opened it.
_____________________________________
Project Proposal
Dr. Simon Atkins
CATECHISE
ABSTRACT:
Project Catechize is a program, which works toward the proper control of
human resources. Valuable individuals, who happen to be wild cards
politically or otherwise can be restricted without impairing them either
mentally or physically. The method by which control is achieved is
through the compound RDJ-70. (See subsection B of the proposal for a
further description of the compound.) To properly develop and test this
system, requires both isolation and cutting edge technology. To this end,
the Tuscumbia Labs Facility is proposed.
Projected total cost: 500 million $
.......
___________________________
Wolfman stopped reading. "Shit." Frankie was in some deep trouble. The "help" in the subject header of the last message suddenly seemed very ominous. "How does one get a line onto seaQuest?"
* * *
"Commander Ford, an incoming call, for you," a young man at communications announced.
"I'll take it over here," Ford replied. He motioned to a vid-phone. The screen opened to reveal a teenage redhead. "Do I know you?"
"Sort of. I think you might have seen me when you picked up Lucas, from node three, but we haven't been introduced, no."
Ford frowned and crossed his arms. "How can I help you...?"
"Nick Mathis. And I'm trying to help Lucas. I have some interesting reading here about Tuscumbia Labs, and an SOS from Wolenczak himself. Give me some codes and I'll download everything directly to your mainframe."
"Commander, I think we have a problem," Ortiz said.
"What is it Miguel?" Ford snapped.
"Dr. Shang was working over there. She listened to your conversation for a minute, and I promise she went white as a ghost. Then she headed out of here fast."
Ford nodded and flipped open the comm. "Captain, Dr. Shang is headed your way fast, and you're needed on the Bridge, an SOS from Lucas."
"Thanks Johnathan, on my way," Bridger replied. The Captain turned to O'Neil. "Have you found anything?"
"Not really sir. It's not like we've had a lot of time. She is a computer specialist. If she were doing something, like espionage, I think she would hide it, and I know I wouldn't be able to find it."
"We have to get out of here. What are you doing?" Bridger said. Tim kept typing.
"I'm trying to remove the signs that we were here."
"Too late for that gentlemen." An-Mei stood in the doorway. She clutched a long thin knife in her right hand. "Please move away from the computer, and stand against that wall."
"Do you think you can take down two trained sailors with that knife, Dr. Shang?" Bridger asked whilst backpedaling.
"Yes I do." She twirled the knife and tossed it into her left hand and then back. They reached the bulkhead. "Now turn toward the wall." An-Mei knocked the seat away from her computer. And started erasing the portion of her sentry program wired into her Section contact. Then she called up her vid-link. She had to warn her father. The line was busy. "The damn phone is never busy during Phase Two. Something's wrong." In desperation she sent an e-mail. Get out Dad... please get out before it all crashes down around you.
Bridger turned to O'Neil and nodded. They spun around and rushed the frantic Doctor. She took a quick step back and slashed her knife across O'Neil's chest. He gasped in pain and froze. Blood soaked through his blue uniform, turning it black. Bridger grabbed An-Mei's hand with the knife and pushed her up against the bulkhead. She didn't fight. The knife clattered to the floor. "Feel free to arrest me Captain. You could even turn me over to the port authority before you leave. How convenient."
Bridger turned Dr. Shang around and pinned her, freeing an arm to flip on the comm. "I need a med-team and a security team in Dr. Shang's quarters." Bridger craned his neck so that he could see O'Neil. He was sitting, propped against the desk. His face was white and pinched. "Are you okay?"
"I think so, Captain. Just cold," Tim replied.
"Help's on the way," Bridger said. About that time Dr. Smith and a male nurse rushed in. She scanned the room and rushed to Tim's side. She ripped off his shirt and examined the knife wound.
"Are you having any trouble breathing?" Tim shook his head and winced as she probed across his chest. "You're going to be fine."
Brody and four, armed security personnel entered the room and took over for Captain Bridger. "Hands on the wall," Brody commanded. He proceeded to search An-Mei for further concealed weapons. Then he secured her hands behind her back.
She turned and smiled petulantly. "My old friend Butch is back."
"Take her to the brig," Bridger snapped. A stretcher lifted O'Neil out of the room. Bridger caught Wendy's arm. "How is O'Neil?"
"He lost a lot of blood. But it's mostly muscle damage." Bridger released her and she headed after her patient.
Brody turned to his men. "Secure the scene, collect evidence, then report to me." Bridger stood to the side, just left of the pool of blood next to the desk and watched as An-Mei was carried away. The intercom came to life.
"Captain, we need you on the bridge if at all possible," Ford said.
Bridger stepped over to the wall comm. "I'm on my way."
* * *
Ford leaned over the communication officer's shoulder as more than 150 mega-bytes of information flooded their system. "Tell me this is organized in some meaningful way," Ford said.
"Yes sir. It starts like a grant proposal, with an abstract, followed by a table of contents and a sub-directory of pictures."
"Call up the abstract." Ford leaned in and read the document. After a moment he nodded. "Try opening the directory with a description of the compound."
"Commander Ford, what's happening?" Bridger asked. He surveyed the bridge and tried to regain his equilibrium.
"Captain, I think you should read this abstract, and then I'd talk to Mr. Mathis over there on the vid-phone. It looks like Lucas may be in some serious trouble."
Bridger read the abstract and nodded slowly. "I want Dr. Smith reading and summarizing this immediately. This is medical research, she'll be able to get more out of it than anyone else on board." Bridger chose to be professional. He didn't lose his cool in situations like this. Keep moving and checking and telling yourself that Nathan, and you may begin to believe it...
"Well Mr. Mathis, how do you fit into all this?" Bridger asked.
"I'm the bearer of all this lovely dirt on Tuscumbia Labs. Lucas sent it to me. I'm guessing he hacked it out of the place's CPU."
"Why would he send this information to you?"
"He was trying to bust a monster encryption. I told him I'd give it a go, and pass it around. But I didn't have much luck."
"It's not encrypted now," Bridger pumped.
"Yeah, Lucas sent me the encryption key. I don't know where he got it but the tone of the files coupled with that last message... "Help" in the subject, one attachment, and no text in the body. It sounded like an SOS to me."
"Me too Nick."
"Captain, you should see this," Ford said. "Put it on the main screen," He ordered the communication officer. A picture of a young An-Mei smiling on the beach appeared. "It was under the heading daughter in the smaller subdirectories."
"Get me McGrath," Bridger ordered.
The image of An-Mei disappeared and the Secretary General took her place. "Nathan, how can I help you?"
"I just received information indicating a situation at a research facility in Maine.." Bridger began.
"Tuscumbia Labs? We have already dispatched the Cleo, to deal with the situation. Local authorities are on the scene as well, last I heard."
"What do you know about the situation?" Bridger asked. He tried not to show his surprise.
"Two scientists, some physicist and a mathematician, reported human rights violations were occurring. We've been trying to penetrate the building since then. Nearly six hours now actually."
"Do you have any idea why it's taking so long to infiltrate?" Bridger asked.
"Our people walked into the lobby and there was a complete lock down. Titanium alloy doors, and the walls all around them are twelve inch steel."
"What about the ceilings?"
"Steel, I'm not sure of the thickness. But our people are estimating at least 48 hours to cut their way in to all the floors. And in the mean time we aren't even sure what these human rights violations are."
"I have an idea sir, and we'll have some specifics very soon. Bridger out." He turned to Loni. "At maximum speed. What would our ETA be for Maine?"
"Twelve hours or so sir," She replied.
"Mr. Ortiz are sensors back online?" Bridger asked.
"Give me ten minutes, sir," Miguel said.
"I want us en route to Tuscumbia at maximum speed in ten minutes," Bridger barked. "Send word to any personel currently off-boat to stay put and await orders. If you need me, I'll be at the brig, talking with our prisoner."
CHAPTER 19
Lucas was inside a Medical lab. His wrists and ankles were secured to the examining table he found himself on. He took a deep breath and tried to clear his head. Dr. Atkins had him strapped to the table by Jeffrey and his goons, and then he'd been left alone. Lucas half-sat up when he heard hushed voices right outside.
"Hey?! Is somebody out there?" Lucas called. The voices stopped and someone started fiddling with the door. Lucas listened carefully and caught a bit of the conversation.
"Stand back, Jak." The statement was followed soon after by a loud thump as something large hit the door. The frame shuddered but didn't fail. Some more muttereing ensued. "Together!" This time the door flew open and Lowell and Peebles stumbled in.
"Dr. Peebles, Dr. Max." Lucas flopped back on the table. "Someone please tell me what's going on?"
"What Simon didn't have his fun telling you how screwed you were?" Peebles started untieing Lucas's ankles. Lowell went for the wrist restraints.
"It is out of character for the bastard. Didn't you read all about it in his files anyway?" Lowell asked.
"I didn't finish the decode before the light brigade came in and blasted the computer I was working on." Now free, Lucas sat up and rubbed his wrists. "What now?"
"Now we try and make it out of the building and meet the police at the dock," Lowell said. Peebles offered Lucas a hand up and Lowell checked to make sure the hall was clear. He motioned them out and they started down the hall.
Once safely in the elevator Lucas turned on the two. "I want to know what's going on. I want to know why Dr. Atkins strapped me to an examining table like an animal. You two obviously know, so spill it."
"It's complicated, Lucas," Peebles began, but the elevator screeched to a halt cutting him off. The number was flashing back and forth between four and five. Lowell walked forward and worked his fingers down into the crevice between the doors.
"Help me," Lowel gasped. Lucas took one side and Peebles took the other. They dug their fingers down into widening gap and pulled the doors open. The doors didn't open into the forht or fifth floors. A solid metal sheet blocked their exit.
"He pulled the fail safe," Peebles gasped. "I hope the police are coming, because the only other way out of here... well I didn't bring my nail file."
"Something tells me, I don't want that option. What's going on?" Lucas asked again.
"You didn't read any of the information on project Catechize?" Peebles asked.
"I didn't read anything."
"Tuscumbia Labs is the testing grounds for a new.. how did he put it?" Lowell started.
"Human resource management method," Peebles supplied.
"Right. RDJ-70 is what we like to call, instant loyalty." Lowell chose a corner and took a seat..
"Atkins puts it in the food, the water, everything on this island is dripping with the stuff." Peebles removed his glasses and smiled saddly.
"I don't get it. What does RDJ-70 do? And if it's in everything, why isn't Atkins getting a dose?" Lucas asked. He shut his eyes and tried to calm his stomach. Part of him didn't want to know what the chemical was. He couldn't think of anything good that would cause instant loyalty. It smacked of chemical dependency.
"RDJ-70 doesn't have any noticable side effects when you recieve a regular supply, but if the supply is cut off you experience some unpleasant withdrawl," Peebles said. Lowell started laughing slightly hysterically.
"Unpleasant? Right, go ahead," Lowell said breathlessly.
"That keeps people loyal? Fear of withdrawl? I don't buy it," Lucas said.
"You shouldn't. It isn't reliable enough. But Simon has been at this a long time and he found something much better. The first time withdrawl from RDJ-70 is unpleasant but it isn't damaging, at least not permanently. But the second time, well lets just say, Atkins created all his psychiatric patients," Peebles said.
"I don't believe this. It isn't possible?" Lucas slid down the wall and gazed questioningly at Lowell.
"Don't look at me like that. If you don't believe it, we can always ride back up and let him purge your system of the shit just to shoot you back up with it."
"Calm down Max. It's okay," Peebles soothed.
"I'm sorry, Jak, Lucas. But I'm scared," Lowell whispered.
Comprehension dawned and Lucas turned on the duo. "You've both already been through withdrawl once, haven't you? What are you gonna do?"
"Go the way of Mary Agnes I suppose," Peebles said. He joined his two companions on the floor of the elevator.
"How long do you have?" Lucas asked.
"Max, may have three months," Peebles said.
"But Jak here may last upwards of a year," Lowell continued.
"The longer your exposeure, the slower your body purges the compound," Peebles explained.
"How long until I.." Lucas began.
"Less than twenty-four hours. But you'll be fine afterwards, probably," Peebles supplied.
"Probably?" Just when Lucas thought he had a handle on things, another curve ball?
"This is still being tested. There was a RDJ-10 and a RDJ-20 and so forth. Mary Agnes recieved RDJ-60. I recieved RDJ-70 three weeks later. Simon waited over three years for one of the chemicals to prove superior. He is a patient man. Mary started having petit mal seizures three years in. Then she degressed until she had a grand mal seizure. Her cognitive abilities started deteoriating. And I watched it. For the last seven years, I've been waiting for the signs to show up in me. But they haven't yet. There is a chance that the first withdrawl will cause permanent damage. There are five people in this building who will attest to that. I just happened to know Mary," Peebles related. He tried to keep the emotion out of his voice. "You know Max. I'm scared too."
"You have good reason," Lucas whispered. "You tried to help me didn't you?"
"We tried being subtle. We didn't want Simon to know we were betraying him. Preserving our sanity and all." Lowell stopped trying to excuse their inept attempts at assistance and shut his eyes.
"Yes we tried subtle. Then Max had a revelation." Peebles smiled and pushed his glasses up. "To Hell with it, he said. And I decided to come along for the ride."
"Thank you." Lucas didn't stop himself from crying. These men had given him his freedom and were purchasing it with their sanity. He could at least give them his tears.
* * *
Dr. Atkins sat in his desk and stared at the wall. He replayed the security footage where Peebles and Lowell rammed Lucas's door. He watched as his project failed, finally and completely. When the police had stormed the lobby, he activated the failsafe. Simon watched and listened. He knew what men like these wanted. They wanted to control him to change the rules. But not today. Simon Atkins was in charge and he would choose his own future.
Simon took a bottle of painkillers and emptied them onto his palm. He pulled a bottle of whiskey out of his bottom drawer. One at a time he washed each pill down with a gulp of liquor.
Simon curled up on his Persian rug and wished for oblivion. But he didn't slip away quietly or peacefully. Course insane laughter filled the eighth floor with it's maddness. Simon was lulled into death by his creation, his failure, Baxter Madison.
* * *
"When did you last eat, Lucas?" Peebles asked absently.
"Why do you ask?" Lucas tried to remember, but he couldn't seem to focus on anything. He was just so cold.
"Cause you don't look so good kid," Lowell said. Wolenczak's face was pale and sweat was running off his brow. "Lucas?"
But Lucas didn't answer. He pulled his knees up to his chin and rocked silently.
"He must have skipped breakfast," Peebles said quietly.
"And lunch," Lowell added. "What do we do?"
"We wait, and if we can, we help," Peebles said. The elevator's emergency phone rang. Peebles and Lowell turned to stare at each other. "The police, you think?"
"I hope." Lowell picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"This is Captian Smith with the UEO frigate Cleo, identify yourself," a man barked.
"Thank God," Lowell muttered. "I'm Dr. Max Lowell."
"Are you alone?"
"No sir. Dr. Jak Peebles and Lucas Wolenczak are here as well. The elevator is locked between floors four and five. How long a wait are we looking at?"
After a long silence the Captain responded. "My people are telling me it will be quite a while. Do any of you have the codes to reverse this lock down?"
"Jak, you don't have the lock down codes do you?" Peebles was covering a shivering Lucas with his coat.
"No. Simon was the only one.... I think," Peebles whispered.
Lucas couldn't hear Lowell and Peebles. He was deep inside his own mind, fighting a pain like he'd never known. A thousand tiny needles gouged him from the inside out. Lucas screamed.
"We don't have the codes. Dr. Atkins was the only one." Lowell's face was white with fear. "We're not MD's, Captain. If you could find a doctor..."
"Is someone injured?"
"Lucas is in full blown withdrawl."
Another protracted pause and a new man came on the phone. "Hi, I'm Dr. Howell. Tell me everything you can about the patient and the controlled substance. You'll have to be my eyes and ears and your friend, my hands."
Lowell shook his head and took a deep breath. "No problem. He's seventeen, I think. Between 125 and 150 pounds... The substance is RDJ-70. But it was developed here. And I don't know anything about it. Except he's hurting like Hell."
"It's okay. Stay calm. Is he sweating, breathing normally, conscious?" Howell asked calmly.
"He is sweating. And he looks like he's breathing normally." Lowell turned to Peebles. "Is he conscious?"
"I don't think so."
"Not conscious," Lowell finished
"That's good. Do you have any fluids on the elevator?"
"No... "
"Okay, just keep him comfortable as you can. I'll be close. I'm going to let the engineer speak to you now."
Dr. Howell, a short balding fellow, approached Captain Smith, a tall stout red-headed officer on the younger side of middle age. "Captain, how soon can we reach the stalled elevator?"
"Lieutenant Gibs said 48 hours. What did you find out?" Smith asked.
"We have two scared PhDs on our hands and one very sick kid. Dehydration is going to be a big problem."
"One of your scared PhDs said the kid was in withdrawl. Withdrawl from what?" the Captain asked.
"Its new. Its homemade. I've never heard of it." Howell shrugged. "We need to get up there as soon as possible."
"If you have any ideas about how to cut titanium any faster, let me know, okay," Captain Smith snapped.
CHAPTER 20
Captain Bridger stood outside the brig, An-Mei was sitting, staring right through him. "Who are you Dr. Shang?"
An-Mei stood exposing a spatter of blood across her white blouse. She smiled. "I am Dr. An-Mei Shang. Adopted daughter of Dr. Simon Atkins. Shang was my mother's name. I have a PhD in applied computer science. And I've been spying on you for my father. I've broken thirteen privacy laws and I'm an accessory to anything they'd like to charge my father with. I don't think I'll make any incriminating recomendations. Is there anything else you'd like to know? I'd be happy to confess. I'm not afraid of prison. My only concern is my father, and I warned him. He has a chance." An-Mei stared at the Captain without flinching. Time to see how convincing an actress you really are.
"Do you know the codes to stop the lock down at Tuscumbia?" The story rang true enough, but she was holding something back. Nathan couldn't shake the image of An-Mei in uniform from his dream.
"Yes, but I don't have any reason to. Every second the UEO is wrapped up in breaking that lockdown, my father gets farther away."
"Cooperation can only help you. I promise, prison is not fun, even if it is a UEO facility."
"I told you I'm not afraid of prison. I'll catch up on my reading. Learn macramai. Hell it'll be better than camp." An-Mei walked back to her bunk and crossed her legs. She was in control.
"Your father didn't get away, An-Mei. One of the resident scientists confirmed to the officers on the scene, Dr. Atkins was on the eightth floor when the lockdown was initiated."
An-Mei's face seemed to crumble. "Fine," she gasped. "When he wants the lockdown to end it will."
"But you can still help him. You can end this before someone dies. If someone dies, An-Mei. Both you and your father will be tried for murder. You're the only two people with the codes. I doubt murder charges is going to help him or you in any way." Bridger didn't smile or look away. "Don't bother answering now. Think about it. We'll be at Tuscumbia in ten hours."
Bridger turned and exited into the hall, where he was met by Dr. Smith. "Captain, I finished reviewing the Catechise research."
"Good news, I hope?" Bridger said. He leaned against the bulkhead and crossed his arms.
Wendy frowned. "I wish. So what do you want to hear first, the biology or the big picture?"
"I read over the abstract. Give me the basics."
"Tuscumbia was a massive clinical trial. Not very legal, but Dr. Atkins has been testing a drug RDJ-70 and its precessors on humans for over twenty years now. The goal of the drug was to achieve control over human resources, without impairing their ability to function," Wendy began.
"Cures human will? Wonder what it does for the common cold?"
"Feeling witty?" Wendy asked.
"No, not really. Please go ahead. How does this drug work?"
"Well, there aren't any noticable side-effects following exposure, as long as the exposeure is constant. If the supply is removed, classic withdrawl sets in. I haven't deciphered the exact mechanism behind the dependency yet, but it's clear that a threshold of exposeure has to be crossed. But just wait it gets more interesting." Wendy paused and pushed her hair behind her ears. "The withdrawl is not the leverage for control. It isn't pleasant mind you. But it's the psychward on the eighth floor that keeps people in line."
"Psychward? That sounds omnious. Does the compound cause some sort of psychosis?"
"Not by simple exposure. First withdrawl is supposed to be harmless as well. So far, that hasn't always been the case. Only two subjects have passed first withdrawl to continue as active members of the trial. Second withdrawl, or withdrawl following reexposure to the compound, would in theory result in permanent debilitating psychological impairment."
"I see. And did the files indicate who was funding this little nightmare?" Bridger couldn't look Dr. Smith in the eye. He had a sinking suspicion he knew who was funding Catechize. The kind of people who would never pay for their crimes and who wouldn't give a damn what happened to anyone so long as they could protect their precious secrets.
"Someone was paying for all this. But we can't find a concrete reference anywhere in the files." Wendy tried to smile reassuringly.
"Good work. Comb over the file again and see what you can find. Make sure the officers on the scene have all the info we have."
"Wait Nathan." Wendy frowned. Often she was frustrated by the walls Nathan could throw out easily and unconsciously, but not today. Today he was broadcasting. So much anger, but the anger couldn't mask the fear. "Are you okay? Please talk to me. I know you're worried, but...." Nathan turned, his eyes suddenly very distant.
"Thanks, I appreciate the offer," Bridger said. He turned and walked away.
Wendy sighed and rubbd the chill bumps that rose suddenly on her arms. Nathan's walls were back and as strong as ever. "And men say women are complicated creatures."
* * *
Bridger locked himself into his quarters. If his suspicions were right, An-Mei was one of Admiral Higgins agents and the Admiral could order her to cooperate. The question was, would he.
Bridger dialed out on a secure line. But rather than Admiral Higgins, Commander Foster's face appeared on the screen.
"Good afternoon. How can I help you?" Foster asked pleasantly.
Bridger glanced at his rank insignia and frowned. "I'm looking for Admiral Higgins."
"The Admiral is in the hospital, lung transplant. I'm taking care of all his buisness for the time being. I'm Commander Foster."
"Captain Bridger." The Captain leaned forward. "Connect me to the Admiral's hospital room. We're old friends and I really should wish him well."
Foster looked down at his desk and slowly closed the notebook open on his desk. "I'm not a fool Captain, and neither are you. The Admiral isn't conscious. But I know what you need to confirm. I imagine I can even guess what you want. The question is what do you expect me to do "
"I expect you to order your watch dog to reverse the lock down in Tuscumbia," Bridger snapped.
"I don't recall linking Tuscumbia to Section Seven or the UEO in any way. As for my watch dog, I have quite a few of those. You might want to be more specific."
"Give me Dr. An-Mei Shang's contact code," Bridger said without batting an eye.
"The name doesn't ring a bell." Foster gazed upward thoughtfully. "Just for speculation's sake. If I were to put one of my people onto seaQuest, well I've always been partial to the contact code Joshua."
"Thanks so much." Bridger disconnected the call and opened the comm to the bridge. "Get me the officer in charge at Tuscumbia."
* * *
Tony stood outside med-bay trying to decide what to say to Tim. "Hey bud, sorry about the knife wound. I think I slept with the psycho who sliced you," Tony muttered. "Tony Piccolo is not a chicken." He sighed with disgust and pushed open the door.
Tim was propped up on a bed. His chest was bare except for a swath of white bandages across his breast.
"Ah he's asleep. Darn," Tony turned to leave.
"Hey Tony," Tim said and pulled himself fully upright. "Do you see my glasses around here anywhere?"
"Yeah, here ya' go." Tony offered Tim his glasses. "How'd you know it was me without your glasses?"
"I'm not that blind." Tim stared while Tony fidgetted.
"Yeah right, so how's the chest?" Tony squinted and rubbed his hands together.
"I'm fine. Getting more sleep here. You think Dr. Smith will let me move in permanently?"
"It won't come to that. Since An-Mei moved into my old pad, the brig, I should be moving back to my quarters soon."
"Good point." Tim could tell something was bothering Tony and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out it had something to do with An-Mei. "What's wrong Tony?"
"What Makes ya' think something's wrong? I'm peachy keen." Tim raised his eyebrows speculatively and Tony continued. "I hafta know. How did you know Shang was trouble?"
"Since things are unravelling a bit I'll tell you but don't repeat it okay?" Tony nodded. "Bridger had a meeting in which he warned me, Ford, and Ortiz that Dr. Shang was possibly a spy."
"A spy?" Tony leaned back in his chair. "A spy for who?"
"For us, the UEO. Its an internal thing... not too uncommon."
"How come I never heard of one? Nevermind, I just dropped by to make sure you were okay and apologize for not taking your warning about Dr. Death seriousely."
"Tony, you don't have to apologize to me. An-Mei cut me. You didn't have anything to do with it. And I'm fine anyway." Tim smiled a little confused. "It isn't like you to be so uptight about .. well anything."
Tony winced. "Ya know, you're right. I need to just chill."
"Yeah, chill and then run down and fetch my novel, The Song of Solomon, off my desk." Tim smiled and pushed his glasses up on his nose.
"Sure, it's the least I can do man."
CHAPTER 21
The elevator was small and hot. It stank of sweat and fear. But Max hardly noticed. Lucas had regained consciousness again and his screams filled the tiny enclosure. Mercifully he slipped back out of consciousness only minutes later. "Jak?" Max whispered. And then a little louder "Jak?"
"Yes Maxwell," Peebles muttered without moving.
"I was just wondering. After we get out of here. With the time you have left... what are you going to do?" Max picked idly at his thumbnail.
"I don't know. I can't think of anything important really." Peebles shut his eyes wearily. "I'm gonna go home. I hope."
"And where's that? Do you have family?"
"No family really. Hannah, my ex-wife is living somewhere in Ohio. At least I think she's still living. Home on the other hand is still there. Unless Maryland went somewhere recently." Peebles pulled himself into a more upright position and tried to get comfortable. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason really. I just... I wanted to finish the solar collector. I don't have time to finish it alone." Max propped his elbows on his knees. "You always made the theory work so simply."
"But you can take the intangible mathematics and make something real, something useful. It's the people like you that history remembers." Jak's brow furrowed with thought. "You want my help?"
"I shouldn't have asked. You've probably spent enough time with me to last a lifetime."
"No, I'm glad... There is nothing in this world I'd rather do than help you build you're solar collector." Just then Jak noticed that Lucas's breathing had become labored. "Quick Max call that Doctor back." Peebles knelt down next to Wolenczak and tried to rouse him.
Max snatched up the emergency phone "I need Dr. Howell, please." He turned to Jak. "Can you tell anything?"
Jak brushed the sweat off his brow and frowned. "He's not breathing very well. But he's still out. I can't rouse him..."
"Wait, I have the Doctor," Max said.
"Dr. Lowell? What's happening?" Howell asked.
"Lucas's breathing is hard, labored. Jak can't seem to rouse him," Max explained.
"Is he still sweating? Check his mouth for moisture as well." "Is he sweating Jak?" Max asked.
Jak touched Lucas's forehead. His skin was dry and feverish. Max dropped the phone and moved to Lucas's head. He opened Lucas's mouth and ran a finger over the gums. Max and Jak looked at each other ominously. Max hurriedly returned to the phone.
"He's not sweating Doctor and his mouth is completely dry."
"He is becoming severely dehydrated. There isn't anything you can do. Just keep him warm and we'll be there as soon as possible."
"How much longer?" Max asked in a whisper.
"The engineers have been cutting for twenty hours straight. We'll be there as soon as we can." Dr. Howell dropped the phone back into its cradle and turned to his Captain. "Sir, if this retrieval takes thiry more hours, we're going to lose the kid."
"I'm doing everything I can," Smith said. "SeaQuest is less than an hour away. Captain Bridger seems to think he has someone with the lockdown codes."
"I hope so sir." Howell turned to watch the engineers and their silent white hot lasers.
* * * * *
Bridger entered the brig and faced down his prisoner. "Dr. Shang, have you considered sharing the lockdown codes?" An-Mei stared at the floor and sat silent and unmoving on her bunk. "Contact code Joshua. I want those codes." An-Mei showed no sign that the code meant anything to her. Commander Foster was the only human being with her contact code. Her first priority remained protecting the UEO from implication in the Tuscumbia scandal, but now she had the secondary directive of providing Captain Bridger with the lockdown codes. "Damnit," Bridger muttered and turned to leave.
"Captain?" An-Mei rose and walked toward the Captain. "I've been thinking about what you said. I will give you the codes if you give me your word." Absently she cracked her knuckles. "Swear that my father walks out of there alive. I know you won't... can't grant amnesty."
Bridger turned and stared back at An-Mei. "You have a deal."
"Swear it," An-Mei pleaded.
"I swear that if you reverse the lockdown at Tuscumbia, I will personally guarantee your father's safety." Bridger held up his right hand as he recited his oath. "Now the codes."
"It's not just numbers. My retina scan as well as a hand scan are necessary." She paused as though unsure whether to continue. "He may have removed me from the system or bumped my clearance. There's a chance I can't help."
Bridger just shook his head. "But there's a chance you can."
* * * * * * *
Dr. Howell stood outside Tuscumbia labs and watched the small landing crew from seaQuest advance upon the building. A small woman was surrounded on all sides by a security team. What could only be Captain Bridger lead the way. Captain Smith joined him in the entrancway and saluted the approaching Captain when they finally arrived.
"I think we can let protocol slide for the moment, Captain," Bridger said after saluting. He pointed to An-Mei. "She is going to try and reverse the lock down. We'll need access to what?" Bridger raised a questioning eyebrow to An-Mei.
"The main terminal, where the secretary sat," An-Mei said.
Once inside Brody released An-Mei's hand restraints but left a set of leg restraints in place. The other three members of the security team trained their pulse rifles on her continuously. An-Mei sighed and plopped down in the chair in front of the terminal. She threw her feet up on the counter. "Could someone please remove the heel on my right shoe? I need the card key in it."
Bridger motioned Brody forward and he prised the heel loose. An-Mei slid the shiny blue card through the card slot and placed her hand on the sensor. The computer terminal flashed to life after a moment and An-Mei began typing a forty character code. Before typing execute she glanced over at the somewhat dented doors and the crew working at them. "You might want to get your people clear Captain," An-Mei said pointedly. After Smith cleared his men away, she continued. The final step required her confirmational retnia scan. And nothing happened.
"Is that it?" Bridger asked.
"It's processing. Give it a second. It will execute or deny my command. Cross your fingers." Moments later the screen flashed green and the doors started to whine. They shifted and bucked against the damage inflicted by the engineers. The gap between them extended to almost three feet and they ground to a halt.
Dr. Howell approached the elevator shaft. "Captain Smith, the elevator is coming down." Howell's medical team joined him at the gap.
"Captain Bridger, if you could spare a medical team, I'm sure Howell would appreciate it. There's no telling what we'll find. The only people we've been in contact with are on the elevator. There are confined mental patients on some floors and no one is quite clear on the human rights violations going on."
"Don't worry. Dr. Smith was right behind my shuttle," Bridger said. The elevator dinged as it arrived in the lobby. Dr. Peebles was the first to emerge, followed momentarily by Dr. Lowell, carrying Lucas. The medical team swarmed around the quiet refugees. Bridger approached the melee. After a few minutes Howell had his people organized. Five security personell were sent with four medical to each floor. Bridger approached Howell. "Is Lucas okay?"
"Ah, Captain, he's stable. You can see him, but he's not conscious." Howell started to head toward the latest arrivals but turned back. "If you could use your extra shuttles to ferry the patients in more serious condition to the medical center on the mainland, it would be very helpful."
"Captain Bridger!" An-Mei screamed. "You gave me your word. He walks out of here alive!" The security team was removing her from the building. Bridger swallowed the sour taste in his mouth and nodded.
* * * *
Bridger joined the team sent to the eighth floor himself. The elevator opened and the small team was immediately enveloped in the most unGodly howling any of them had ever heard. The frenzied cries of the small population of the dim psych ward quieted as they began walking down the hall. A young man from the medical team stopped outside the first cell. "Should we try to help these people first, Captain?"
"No, first we secure the floor," Bridger answered without stopping. Beyond the psych ward, they passed exam rooms, a lab, and a pharmacy. Everything was completely deserted. Finally they found themselves in front of two immense wooden doors. The security personel readied their pulse rifles and Bridger opened the door. Inside the softly lit, expensively decorated office the team found the body of Dr. Simon Atkins, already cold and dead.
* * * *
The final patients from the eighth floor slowly trickled through the lobby while UEO security prepared to close the island. Bridger sat outside on the side-entrance steps, observing the quiet scene. Wendy approached him and smiled. "Can I sit, Nathan?" He barely nodded and she joined him. "You look tired. Are you okay?" Bridger shut his eyes as though in great pain but Wendy could sense nothing from him. His emotions were locked up... unfathomable.
"I'm not okay. I'm angry, and tired... I'm so Goddamn tired."
"It's okay. You've had a long couple of days..."
"I'm glad he is dead, Atkins," Bridger interrrupted. "I haven't been this angry... I just want to hurt something, or someone. I think I could have killed him." A tear beaded on his lashes.
Wendy slipped down and knelt in from of him. "Nathan, look at me. It's okay, what you're feeling. Just let the anger and the fear go. It's over. You can relax. Just let it go." Wendy enfolded Nathan in a hug and he cried silently into her hair.
CHAPTER 22
Eastcove Medical Center found itself flooded with patients and more UEO personell than they could shake a stick at. The largest majority of the patients were being sent to the fifth floor, for confinement. Anyone who wasn't actively bleeding or screaming went unnoticed in the warzone. Jak and Max left the exam room they had been deposited in and started looking in rooms for Lucas. Jak opened a door. Inside, an older lady was slowly brushing out her hair. She saw Jak and smiled and winked. Before he could say anything Max called to him.
"Down here Jak."
"Excuse me Madam," Jak stammered and he joined Max down the hall. They slipped inside the room and observed their friend's steady breathing. "He's sleeping quietly. We should come back later."
"No, look," Max whispered. Lucas's eyes were open and he was smiling. "Are you okay? Do you want us to go?" Max asked.
Lucas shook his head and pulled himself upright in the bed. "I'm alright now. Are you guys okay?" His voice was a little hoarse but strong.
"Never better," Jak quipped.
"Don't exaggerate," Max groaned. "I feel older than you look."
Jak harumphed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine ask the kid and lets get out of here before someone comes looking for us."
Max nodded and smiled sheepishly. "Me and Jak decided that we were going to finish my solar collector in the next few months, but there's a good possibility that, well we won't finish. Would you be interested in being the third party in this collaboration." When Lucas didn't answer right away Max nodded. "I understand. This really isn't the time. You have a life to get back to."
"No," Lucas said. "I'd be glad to help." He smiled and nodded. "Absolutely."
"Are you sure?" Jak asked. "This project could last for years yet."
"Years?" Lucas whistled. "How were you planning to fund this endeavor?"
"Me and Jak are going to pool our savings, and hope for the best," Max explained.
Lucas grimaced. "We may have to explore some alternative funding options."
"Do tell," Max pumped.
"Trust me." Lucas yawned. "My dad's name may be dirt with the deep pocketed backers but I have my own connections."
Max shook his head and frowned. "Really? Like who?"
"My mother's family for starters. They're old money. I'm sure they'd be willing to invest." Lucas started.
"Invest in our research? Just like that," Jak questioned.
"This is an excellent investment. And I'm officially a good risk. Ask anybody," Lucas said.
Max turned to Jak. "What a little mover and shaker. Who knew?"
"Alright then." Max offered Lucas his hand. "Partners?"
"Partners." Lucas shook hands with Max and then Jak.
* * * * *
Early the next morning Bridger found himself outside Lucas's hospital room. The nurse's station was closed and visitor's hours weren't for several hours. But Nathan needed to reassure himself that all was well. He cracked the door just a few inches and looked inside. Lucas was sound asleep and at the foot of his bed sat, Dr. Wolenczak. Lawrence glanced up and met Bridger's eyes, then he joined the captain in the hall.
"I didn't know you were here," Bridger said.
"I know I should have been here sooner, but…" Whatever excuse Lawrence had been about to offer died on his lips. "They say you saved my boy. I can't begin to thank you… I was hoping after the hospital releases him, you'll give your consent to let him return to seaQuest. I know that's where he wants to be."
"How would you know? Did you ask him?" Bridger asked. Nathan took a deep breath and rubbed his hands across his face. "If I weren't so tired that I can hardly think, I would probably keep my mouth shut. But I am tired and you deserve to hear this…. " Nathan paused again. "Your son needs you. More than he needs me or seaQuest or his friends. He needs you sitting at his bedside when he wakes up. He needs your love. He needs you there. Not one time out of a hundred, but nine times out of ten. There are less dramatic ways to lose your son that what almost happened here today. You can lose him a day at a time." Nathan turned and began to walk away.
"You have no right to talk to me like this. I don't care who you are or what you are to my son. You have no right to judge me." Lawrence clenched his fists and strode down to the awakening nurse's station. "I want my son's visitors restricted, immediate family only."
"Yes, sir. Fill out this form," The short stout nurse replied.
* * * * *
Lucas rolled out of bed and pulled his IV loose. He grabbed the robe someone had left for him and pulled it on. Out in the hall he could see Captain Bridger headed for the south exit and he jogged after him. Lucas pushed open the outside door and gasped in the cold. "Captain, wait."
Bridger spun around. "Lucas, what do you think you're doing?"
"I'm saying goodbye. I won't be serving on seaQuest for a while. I'm probably not going to make it back in December." Lucas looked down at his hands and he shrugged. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had Captain."
Bridger nodded his head wearily. He walked over and folded Lucas into a hug. "It has been a great honor working with you. I wouldn't have traded it, for the world." Bridger stood and smiled. "Do you mind if I ask why you're leaving?"
"I have friends who need me, for a while. I need to help them, to thank them." Lucas's brow drew together. "Could you... make sure someone plays with Darwin, okay. And listen to Dagwood occasionally, and…. don't forget me."
"Not a chance Lucas. Now get back inside before your freeze." Bridger walked along toward the dock, hunched his shoulders against the north wind, and smiled at the breaking day.
EPOLOGUE
Lucas tightened the last bolt on Max's latest prototype and brushed his hair out of his face. The sun was setting red on the horizon and Lucas slipped out the side exit of the lab. He could hear a commotion near the main complex and started up the hill between the two buildings. Jak came pumping over the top of the hill and motioned Lucas to follow him. "Quick…. you have ….to hear this." Jak could barely gasp out the sentence. "In the …. break room." Lucas took off at a sprint. The back door stood open and he ran down the hall. The entire staff, twelve souls, were gathered in and around the break room. "It's Max." Lucas told himself silently. "He's started to slide." But as he approached the crowd, they split for him. Max was standing solomly in the back of the room. Then the journalist on the vid-screen continued her report.
"... the UEO has released at a press conference only moment ago the startling news that the seaQuest, a billion-dollar research vessel, was lost at sea with all hands on-board nearly forty-eight hours ago. Experts say...."
Lucas didn't hear anything else. He turned and ran out of the room, out the building past Jak and into the solar collector testing field. He jogged past the glaring contraptions and down to the still frigid lake. Gasping, and choking back tears he stripped off his sneakers, socks, jeans, and T-shirt. Dressed only in his undershorts he walked out to the edge of the small dock. He curled his toes over the edge and swayed back and forth. Lucas took a deep breath, grabbed his nose and jumped. Like hitting a concrete wall the icy water stung him. Surrounded by the inky blackness, Lucas imagined his friends' deaths. For a moment he imagined himself with them... then he kicked to the surface. Lucas waded out of the icy March lake and rubbed the goose bumps on his arms as he waited for the water to evaporate off him. His teeth chattered but the hot tears in his eyes never slipped over his blue tinged eye-lids.
Then Lucas did something he hadn't done since he was a little boy, in his mother's arms. He dropped down onto his knees and he prayed.
END