This is my first story, so please be gentle, and I hope you enjoy it. Feedback is always appreciated, but if you have a criticism, please make it constructive. Writers gain nothing from nasty feedback except a loss in self-confidence.

I owe a lot of thanks to my beta, Shudunedus, for her contributions, especially relating to Katie, and to Modestroad for reading everything I throw at her too.

Note: The 'something' that's supposed to have happened to Katie is a nod to 'The Other You' by Shudunedus, because I enjoyed that story so much.

Set shortly after 'Greed For a Pirate's Dream' and during 'Whale Song' and 'The Stinger'.

seaQuest concept and characters are the intellectual property of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. I own nothing.

***

seaQuest DSV 4600 – I
North Pacific Ocean,
24th August 2018, 0725
41N 2' 46.38", 137W 22' 22.97"

"You know it's true what they say about breakfast. A good, well balanced meal will set you up right for the whole day, which is why I'm glad we always have such a variety to choose from here on the boat."

Jonathan looked up, quizzically, at the Lieutenant sitting next to him. "It's the same everyday, Krieg."

"Exactly. A little variety wouldn't go amiss every now and then."

"Well, you're the supply officer," Jonathan quipped, receiving nothing but an unimpressed look from Ben for his efforts.

"Yes, thank you, Commander. It's a big boat. Sometimes you can't please everybody."

"A boat, no matter how big, isn't much good if its' crew is unhappy."

"Let me know what you'd like, Commander. I'll see what I can manage," Ben said, sarcastically, rather exasperated.

Jonathan, on the other hand, was enjoying the exchange. "I never said a thing. It was you who brought it up," he teased.

Collecting her breakfast a few tables away, Katie watched with amusement as Jonathan tried to suppress a laugh. He had a lot more time for Ben these days, after what happened. If anything, Schraeder's attack on the seaQuest had made the relationship between the three of them more solid, and forged a mutual respect between the two men. However, even with a newfound tolerance for Ben, Jonathan still didn't half like to tease him.

"Take it easy, Ben. He's just winding you up," she told him, as she sat down at their table.

"I'm perfectly aware of that," he insisted.

Katie and Jonathan both glanced at each other with a look that read, 'sure'.

In the face of competition from breakfast, conversation took a backseat for a few minutes while they ate and caught up with their own thoughts.

Among Jonathan's thoughts, a sudden question came to him. "Katie," he began. "What the hell happened at Hilo? You've smashed your distance records on the treadmill three nights running."

"Jealous?" she answered, dodging the question entirely.

Jonathan grinned and shook his head. "Not a chance."

Frowning, she nodded in sarcastic agreement. "I was just blowing off some steam."

"Before this research thing starts?"

"Something like that."

"When do the researchers arrive?" Ben asked, eager to interrupt the banter.

"A few hours," Jonathan answered.

"What is it they're studying again?"

"Whales," Katie answered, flatly, her thoughts elsewhere.

Jonathan feigned disappointment. "And I was really hoping it would be something interesting. I hear sea cucumbers are fascinating," he laughed.

"Actually sea cucumbers are quite a delicacy in the East," Ben added.

"You have not tried sea cucumber," Katie half stated, half asked.

"I did. Three years ago in Singapore."

"How was it?" Jonathan asked, interested, as they tidied away their dishes.

Ben paused for a moment, trying to remember the exact texture, and shuddered as it came to him. "Disgusting."

"I still can't believe this is going to take five months," Katie added.

"What's wrong with that?" Ben asked.

Katie rolled her eyes. "This boat, and this crew, is capable of so much more than tagging along behind a group of whales for five months. It just seems like a long time."

Together, they left the mess and headed along the corridor.

"I believe it's called a pod," Ben corrected.

"What?"

"A group of whales; it's called a pod."

"Figures."

"Figures what?"

"Figures you'd know that," Katie said sternly. Watching his baffled expression, a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. Something always made her do that – she loved to confuse him.

"Whatever," Jonathan interjected. "As long as we don't end up near another volcanic island – I don't mind," he joked.

Ben agreed with that statement. Being stranded on an island that was about to explode hadn't exactly been his greatest experience of the tour. 'All I wanted was a suntan,' he thought to himself, dismally. He was just thankful that the boat's Chief Scientist, Kristin Westphalen had stood up and taken control of the situation. "Yeah, what's going on with that? Is Westphalen still getting a reprimand?" he asked.

"I wouldn't think so," Jonathan guessed. "Bridger isn't likely to let her take the fall for it. Especially when she saved our lives."

"I still can't believe she did that," Ben mused.

Katie smiled in agreement. "All credit to her. It's not everyday a scientist releases the entire missile payload of a military sub."

"No," Ben corrected. "I'm talking about what she did to Noyce. Can you imagine the reprimand we'd get if one of us were to shut off the Admiral mid-sentence?" He slowed down as Katie and Jonathan stopped by the mag-lev. "See you guys later," he waved.

Katie and Jonathan both nodded in response and chuckled as they took a seat.

'mag-lev engaged, please be seated to avoid injury. Next stop – Bridge.'

"Are you sure nothing happened while you were away?" Jonathan asked, after a moment.

"I'm sure," she gazed at him warmly and smiled in reassurance.

He half-smiled back in acceptance, knowing not to investigate any further.

'Please wait for full stop – Bridge – Thank you for riding mag-lev.'

As soon as they stepped out of the mag-lev and through the doors to the bridge, they both slid into their familiar, business-like, demeanour, and settled into their positions as the next watch began.

***

seaQuest DSV 4600 – I
Gulf of Alaska,
North Pacific Ocean,
24th August 2018, 1145
53N 57' 21.9", 145W 22' 15.94"

The watch had been a slow one, but the relaxed pace was something Nathan was relishing considering recent events.

They'd left Pearl three days previously, after a short stop to re-stock their ordnance, and had headed north, where they now cruised in the Gulf of Alaska, waiting to rendezvous with a research team. They'd been circling the rendezvous co-ordinates for a good few hours, waiting patiently.

The UEO, partnered with several Universities across the globe, had commissioned seaQuest to follow the movements and behaviour patterns of several humpback whale groups, with the aim of establishing a temporal marine reserve to conserve the species. With under-water traffic growing, collisions with sea-craft and pollution were becoming a severe problem for the species. This project was hopefully a step forward in the conservation of all marine life, while still allowing for expansion of man's underwater exploits, and was precisely the type of research that had tempted him out of retirement.

He looked over his right shoulder to the sonar station, where Chief Ortiz had just sprung into life.

"Captain," he called out. "WSKRS are picking up the launch from the University."

"How far, Mr Ortiz?"

"Approximately 11,000 metres."

"Reduce speed, Commander. Let's give them time to catch up."

"Aye, Sir. Helm, reduce speed; 30 knots," Ford relayed the orders.

"I'll be in the launch bay," Nathan announced, standing up. "Mr Ortiz?"

"Sir?"

"With me, please. Take the wheel, Commander."

Ford nodded and watched as the Captain left with Ortiz. Grinning inside, he leisurely strolled over to the Captain's chair and sat himself down. Being in command of the seaQuest, for no matter how short a time, was something that he couldn't ever see getting old.

***

The passengers of the shuttle stared in awe as the lights of the seaQuest loomed out of the darkness of the cold North Pacific. One of its' satellites bobbed around nearby, keeping an eye on their course. A voice crackled over the speaker.

"seaQuest DSV to launch MR-3. Good afternoon, it's 1200 hours and you are cleared for docking. Adjust course, bearing 163 degrees and proceed to docking bay two."

"Roger that, seaQuest, 163 degrees, reducing speed for approach."

The pilot reversed the engines, slowing the shuttle and allowing room for manoeuvring into the docking hatch.

As they moved in closer, they could see the full length of the thousand-foot long submarine streaming out in both directions. It was even more impressive than they'd imagined.

***

Aboard the seaQuest, Nathan and Miguel prepared to welcome the researchers. With them stood Kristin, and another member of the science staff, Lucas Wolenczak.

"Doctor Briers is an absolute legend, I am so looking forward to working with him," chirped Kristin.

"How much does this suck though? It's summer and we're heading for the Arctic," Lucas added.

"Like it really matters when you're on a submarine, Lucas," Miguel chuckled. "I'm just glad we're doing something positive for once, instead of settling disputes."

"By settling disputes, you mean following the UEO mandate, Mr Ortiz?" Bridger raised a brow.

"Uh, yes, Sir," Miguel smiled, embarrassed.

"At ease, Mr Ortiz. This will be a welcome break for all of us."

Miguel, like the rest of them, was eager to meet the researchers. Unlike many of the other science projects they'd had onboard, this one would be making heavy use of the WSKRS and tracking equipment, so he'd be involved in a lot of the work. It was a prospect that excited him. So far he hadn't been very intensively involved in any of the scientific projects, so he was looking forward to working on something long term. However, five months was a long time to spend working with strangers. He just hoped they were decent enough people. Work was work, but having the right atmosphere made all the difference. That's why he was glad Bridger had thought to invite him down to the launch bay. Hopefully they'd all start off on a good footing.

"Launch MR-3 has docked, Sir. Our guests should be with us shortly," Chief Crocker told them.

The party watched in eager anticipation as the docking hatch doors swung open. At the top of the stairs stood an elderly man, whose face burst into a warm grin as he spotted them. Crocker immediately took his arm and began to help him down the stairs. Behind them, a young woman slung bags over her back as they were passed up the ladder from the shuttle. Once he was done helping the elderly man, Crocker went back to help her. Laden with baggage, they both made their way towards them.

"Doctor Briers, welcome aboard," Captain Bridger shook his hand.

"Thank you, Captain, we are most grateful for your assistance."

"I'd like you to meet Doctor Kristin Westphalen and Lucas Wolenczak of our science staff, this is Chief Manilow Crocker of our security team, and Chief Petty Officer Miguel Ortiz, our sonar and WSKRS operator."

"Ah, Doctor Westphalen, I know your work well," Doctor Briers shook her hand.

Kristin smiled in delight, instantly charmed by his manner.

"How do you do? A pleasure," Doctor Briers acknowledged them all in turn. "Uh, I beg your pardon, this is my research assistant, Elizabeth Allen."

Beth stepped forward shyly.

"Captain Bridger, thank you for having us," she shook his hand firmly.

"Doctor Westphalen, Mr Wolenczak, Mr Crocker, Mr Ortiz," she greeted each of them.

"Is this all of you?" Kristin asked, bemused. For such a large project she'd expected a team of five at least.

"Securing the use of the seaQuest wasn't cheap," Doctor Briers explained. "I could only squeeze enough funding out of them for two researchers."

"Oh!" Kristin barked. "Don't get me started on the inadequacies of funding."

"Well," Nathan interjected. "If you'd like to follow me, we'll show you to your rooms. Thank you, Chief." he said, as they left Crocker to his duties, and headed out of the launch bay.

Miguel watched as Beth scrambled to pick up as many bags as she could. "Here, let me help you with those," he offered.

"Thank you," she said, handing him a suitcase and rucksack. He went to pick up another bag but she snatched it away, protectively. "I've got it, thanks," she insisted.

He raised an eyebrow, but dismissed it, assuming it was her personal effects.

"That's one of the many pitfalls of working for an OAP," she spoke, "I do all the heavy lifting."

"I heard that!" Bill bellowed from ahead of them. "I may be an OAP, but don't you underestimate the range of my hearing."

Miguel breathed a laugh at the wit of the old man. "What's it like working for him?" he asked.

"You heard him. Imagine that all day in the lab," she joked. "But no, it's good. Challenging, but good." There was silence for a moment, as both struggled to continue the conversation, listening intently to the cases rattling along the grates covering the deck. "What about yourself?" she asked, eventually. "Must be quite something…working here."

"Yeah, it's pretty much the same – a challenge, but a good one," he explained.

He watched her walking for a few moments. "You've never been on a submarine before have you?"

"No, why?"

"You look as pale as a sheet and you're walking like you're on the moon," he laughed.

"Yeah, I'm not actually feeling that great," she admitted. "I've been on plenty boats before, but it always takes a while to get my sea-legs."

"Speak to Doctor Westphalen. She might be able to give you something to help. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about the moon walking though," he chuckled, while she rolled her eyes at him.

They rounded the corner and gathered with everyone else in front of the mag-lev. Once it arrived, they all piled in, attempting to make room for all the bags, and ensure Bill was comfortably seated before they were hurtled along the boat.

'mag-lev engaged, please be seated to avoid injury'

"Well," Bill sighed, as they started moving. "That certainly saves a lot of creaking joints," he joked, raising a laugh from them all.

"Just make sure you're properly seated, otherwise it'll be more than creaking joints I have to contend with," Kristin reiterated.

"I did hear the announcement, thank you, Doctor Westphalen."

Kristin and Nathan exchanged an amused smile, while on the other side of the mag-lev, Miguel and Beth did exactly the same thing.

The mag-lev slowed to a halt and the doors opened. Miguel helped gather the bags once more and plodded along after them. When they reached Bills' room, Beth handed over 4 of the 6 bags, much to Lucas and Miguel's shock.

"What?" she said. "Some of us know how to pack light," she nodded sarcastically to Bill. He laughed and waved her off. "Will you be alright?" she asked him.

He raised his eyebrows. "I am capable of being unsupervised for more than 30 seconds," he quipped.

"Not in my experience!" she shouted as Kristin led her along the corridor to her room. Their cabins were situated among the rest of the science staff, and as such were larger than those endured by most of the crew onboard, with the exception of the officers. The room was far more luxurious than Beth had imagined. She'd had visions of a narrow, darkly lit room with thin, wobbly bunks, straight out of old war movies. But the guest quarters were spacious, with enough room for a small desk, wardrobe and a washbasin, and the bed set into the wall.

"It's not much, I agree, but in a few days you'll just be glad of somewhere to lay your head," Kristin reassured.

'Not much?' Beth thought. Doctor Westphalen clearly had different standards.

"You must be tired after the long journey. Perhaps you'd like a few hours to rest?" she asked, as Nathan rejoined them.

"Actually, no," Beth stated. "I'd rather see some of the boat, if that's alright?"

There were glances exchanged, back and forth, between the figures in the doorway for a few moments, before Nathan made a decision.

"Mr Ortiz? Perhaps you could escort Miss Allen to the bridge. I'll be along shortly."

"Yes, Sir," Miguel nodded.

"That's great, you can meet Darwin!" Lucas' enthusiastic voice spoke from behind them.

They all rolled their eyes, knowing he loved to show him off to any new guest onboard, but Beth just looked confused.

"Alright, I'll leave you in their hands," Kristin said. "I think Doctor Briers is going to have a rest. I'll be in the lab most of the afternoon if you happen to stop by, but if not I'll see you at dinner."

"Uh, when is that? Dinner I mean," Beth asked.

"1800 hours, I'll see you later," she smiled, and headed off down the corridor with Nathan, leaving Miguel standing with Lucas, waiting expectantly for Beth to join them.

"Just give me a minute to catch my breath," she said, smiling awkwardly, before moving to the door and closing them out.

Sealed in the relative confinement of her room, she blew out a deep breath, as much to steady her nerves as in frustration at the close quarters she'd suddenly found herself in. Personal space was something she'd always valued, so to have been thrust onto a submarine with a group of people to whom she had no connection whatsoever, was somewhat of a challenge. She'd been honoured really at having been given the chance to work on this project, but the thought of being cooped up in a metal tub for months on end didn't really appeal; least of all in the frozen Arctic. At least she had her own room – somewhere to escape to. 'And,' she reminded herself, 'This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.'

After a few minutes of waiting, Miguel and Lucas stepped back to let her walk out and shut the door behind her. She'd changed out of her loose travelling clothes into jeans and a zip-up olive cardigan.

Miguel motioned her forward and led them back along the corridor to the mag-lev. Unlike before, when the conversation had at least been stilted, now it had dried up completely, leaving all three sitting in uncomfortable silence, and Miguel hoping it was just a momentary blip.

There was a collective sigh of relief when the mag-lev slowed to a halt. 'Please wait for a full stop – Bridge – thank you for riding mag-lev.'

They piled out and stood in front of the set of silver clam doors at the entrance to the bridge. Miguel turned the lever on a control panel to the right and with a buzz of bells, the doors swung open.

"Welcome to the bridge," he smiled and held out his arm, urging Beth forward. As they reached the top of the steps, Lucas quickly disappeared over to a dome shaped water tank to their left and motioned her over. She didn't notice, instead too distracted by all the sailors walking about on duty, the flashing lights and various images appearing on large screens around the wall. The scene was impressively mesmerising, however she was brought back to her senses as two crew members approached them.

"Mr Ortiz?" The man asked.

"Commander, this is Miss Elizabeth Allen, Doctor Briers assistant," Miguel told them. "This is Commander Jonathan Ford and Lieutenant Commander, Katherine Hitchcock."

The Commanders' faces relaxed as they shook Beth's hand and welcomed her onboard.

"Nice to meet you both," Beth smiled. "Thank you for having us."

"I think Lucas wants to show you something," Miguel nodded towards the tank.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Allen; if there's anything you require while you're onboard, our supply officer, Lieutenant Krieg, will be happy to help you out," Ford told her. "Mr Ortiz, assume your station please," he ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Miguel took his leave and returned to work.

Lucas was perched on the edge of the tank, punching digits on a yellow controller, as Beth walked over to join him. She looked at him questioningly.

'Just wait,' his expression read.

A few seconds later, a spray of water droplets broke the surface and a sleek bottlenose dolphin paddled over to greet them.

"Wow," Beth beamed.

"This is Darwin," Lucas said.

"He's beautiful. Does he stay here?" she asked, with underlying concern.

"Well yeah, but he's here of his own free will," Lucas insisted.

"Free will?"

"Yeah, he wants to be here," he tried to explain, but received only a blank look. "Captain Bridger sort of adopted him…actually they adopted each other."

"Lucas," a voice said, "new lady."

Beth's eyes bulged as she stared at Darwin, "What?"

"It's a prototype system I designed," Lucas said proudly.

"That's incredible."

"New lady," Darwin repeated.

"Yes, new lady. Beth," Lucas explained.

"Beth," Darwin tried. "Beth, friend?"

"Yes, Beth friend," Lucas replied.

She laughed and removed her hand from the tank. "How long did it take you to put this together?"

"A long time," Lucas laughed, "It was trial and error mostly." He looked at Beth, noticing the thoughtful expression on her face. "You're wondering whether the same could be done for humpbacks?"

"I suppose, yeah, but I wouldn't have a clue where to start."

"It's just putting meaning to sounds – learning another language."

"A very different language," she commented.

"What's your background?" Lucas asked, "Scientifically speaking I mean."

"Ecology," she told him. "I'm guessing you didn't major in the biological sciences?"

"No, Applied Science of Artificial Intelligence," he said.

"Ah, a whiz kid," she teased.

"Something like that."

"You must be in your element here then? All this technology to play with?"

"Yeah, it has its moments."

"Is this what you want to do then?" she asked, gesturing around her.

"Well," he stumbled. "I don't know." He thought hard for an answer. It wasn't as if he hadn't thought about it – it was just that every time he did think about it he failed to come up with anything solid.

"Ah, you've got time," she dismissed it.

"Play, Beth, Lucas play," Darwin splashed, fed up with their conversation.

"What do you want to play, Darwin?" Lucas asked him.

"Swim, football."

"You taught him football?"

Lucas laughed, "Yeah, what's wrong with football? I mean baseball is better, but I could see a few problems with that," he joked.

"Mr Wolenczak? I assume you're remembering the vocorder is classified," Captain Bridger scolded from behind them.

Lucas turned and tried to judge whether his question was genuine. "But Captain," he said, unsure.

Nathan scowled at him, tight lipped, before breaking into a grin. "It's alright, Lucas, Miss Allen and Doctor Briers are both security cleared," Bridger laughed.

"That's not funny," Lucas frowned. His stunts already had him in some disfavour with the UEO, and he didn't like the thought of jeopardising his position.

"This is a very impressive ship, Captain, not at all like the tub I was expecting," Beth remarked, somewhat clumsily.

"I'm glad you think so," Nathan replied, amused. "And, just for future reference, it's a boat. Would you like a tour of the Bridge?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," Beth replied.

Miguel looked round from his station long enough to notice Beth was no longer at the tank, and was being walked round the bridge by the Captain. A voice suddenly came across his headset, startling him.

"Hey, so, what do you think?" Tim asked across the internal comms system.

"Tim! She's been here five minutes, I hardly know!" he whispered. He swivelled round further and found her walking with the Captain towards Tim. "Bandit, 6 'o clock!" he warned, and laughed as Tim turned sharply and gave his best 'I'm really excited to meet you,' smile, that he'd called upon many times during the tour.

"Miss Allen, this is our communications officer, Lieutenant Tim O'Neill. Mr O'Neill, Miss Allen is Doctor Briers student, she'll be working with us on the bridge over the next few months."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr O'Neill."

"Thank you," he remarked, and watched as the Captain led her onwards, treating her to in-depth explanations at each station. All the while, Miguel was stealing glances in her direction. Tim simply rolled his eyes. It seemed the boats' womaniser was back in action.

Nathan led her onwards round the helm controls and up the steps to the engineering screen where Lieutenant Commander Hitchcock was seated.

"Commander Hitchcock is our Chief Engineer; she keeps everything ticking over," he said.

"Can't be easy on a big boat like this," Beth commented, making sure to use 'boat' this time.

"No, but I have a good team," she smiled, before turning her attention to the monitor in front of her. "Captain, helm control is having some difficulties with the rear dive planes; the response time is out-with acceptable levels. I'd like you to have a look over it with me."

Nathan looked over at Beth apologetically.

"That's ok, I'll look around," she smiled, slightly annoyed at having been given what felt like a brush-off, and wandered off, immediately heading for a familiar face.

"Hi," she spoke behind Miguel. "So, this is where everything goes on?"

He swivelled to find Beth standing behind him.

"Hey," he smiled, "Yeah, sonar is controlled from here, along with our WSKRS – Mother, Junior and Loner. Three are out on point at all times. We sometimes use a fourth, Lucky, but not often. All the data is sent back here, where I have to make sense of it."

"Right," she said flatly. "I read up a little on them before we left."

Miguel sensed a little annoyance in her tone. "Sorry, just stop me if I'm repeating what you know."

"No," she said, shaking her head and taking a seat next to him. "You're the expert, fire away," she insisted. "I know what WSKRS stands for and I know how much they cost – that's enough to scare me."

Miguel smiled, "They're a little intimidating, until you get to know them."

"Get to know them?" she teased; "you're on personal terms with your equipment?" she laughed.

He was relieved that she seemed to have loosened up a bit. "They're our link to the world around us – I kinda have to be. It's not as complicated as you might think," he reassured.

"Good job too," she smiled back. "Have you tested them out around any pods?"

"We've tried deploying them whenever there are pods in the area, but those were just casual encounters. We haven't specifically tracked a pod yet."

"And how did that go?"

"Pretty well. I think most of the time they were more concerned with filling their bellies. Those that did take an interest didn't see them as a threat. They seemed keen to interact with them actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I almost lost loner once or twice to a swish of the tail," he laughed.

They both stopped as Nathan and Lucas walked over to join them.

"Miss Allen, Lucas will take you back to your room for now so you can get some rest if that's alright."

"Uh," she stumbled.

"Unless you'd like to stay here and learn about the sensors. They are after all an integral part of the project," Nathan suggested.

Beth stuttered, torn, and not really knowing what she wanted. She was tired, but the last thing she wanted was sleep. She wanted to be alone and be left in peace, but she was also enjoying the relaxed company of the Sensor Chief. He was genuine and was content with simple conversation rather than trying to pry personal information from her. She liked that. "No, I'm sure Mr Ortiz has far better things to be getting on with," she decided. "But I'm really not tired. Maybe I could see the labs?"

"Sure, I could take you," Lucas offered.

"Right then. Thank you, Mr Ortiz," Nathan ushered her away. "A quick word if I might," he said, hushed, leaning closer to her. "Forgive me for saying, but Doctor Briers doesn't appear to be in the best of health."

Beth sighed. "He's 81 years old, Captain," she said, sarcastically, which he didn't appreciate.

"I'm aware of that, Miss Allen," he snapped back.

Realising she'd spoken out of turn, she backed down. "His body just can't keep up as well as it used to. Compared to a lot of people his age, he's not doing badly. His work is what keeps him going. You've no idea what a tonic it is for him to be here."

Nathan nodded, reassuringly and allowed Lucas to lead her off the bridge. On their way out they ran into Ben.

"Oh, Ben, this is Beth Allen," Lucas introduced. "She's a research assistant for the humpback whale project. Beth, this is Lieutenant Ben Krieg."

"A pleasure," Ben said as he shook her hand. "As I'm sure Commander Ford will have told you, I'm the Supply and Morale Officer onboard. Feel free to contact me if there's anything you need. You're here for a few months I hear?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Excellent, excellent. Always good to have new faces onboard," he commented.

***

Although she'd been hard at work, Kristin had been gracious and taken time to show Beth round. She was an extremely likeable character, both assertive and gentle at once.

She was also introduced to Doctor Joshua Levin, another senior member of the science staff, who was extremely enthusiastic about the project and filled her with an eagerness to get started on the work.

"What's your main area of interest?" she asked him.

"Oh, anything in the biological and geological sciences."

"How many projects do you have running here at any one time?" Beth asked, curious.

"Dozens," Doctor Levin answered.

"What have you got going at the moment?"

Joshua was both amused, and slightly irritated by the interrogation. "A lot of it is classified, but lately we've been measuring the dissolution rates of various atmospheric gases into the Indian Ocean," he explained.

"What are the applications of that?"

"Well, it'll give us some idea of what happens to the gases we release into the atmosphere and how it could affect oceanic processes, like phytoplankton production."

As they were speaking, a short, blonde haired scientist entered the lab, carrying a tray of what looked like seaweed samples.

"Oh, Tanya!" Kristin exclaimed, startling the woman and almost sending the samples flying. Tanya simply sighed and set them down, calmly.

"Yes?" she asked.

"This is Beth Allen, she's Doctor Briers research assistant, so will be with us for a few months. This is Tanya Rothman. She's another ecologist, so you'll have someone to swap ideas with while you're onboard."

"Oh, excellent, hi," Beth smiled and went to shake her hand, only to discover she was wearing sterile gloves.

"Uh, nice to meet you," Tanya assured. "Sorry, I have samples to take care of."

"What are you working on?" Beth asked, interested, and walked over to the lab bench, where Tanya explained her project.

Standing by the moon pool, Lucas rolled his eyes and groaned. "And I thought she was gonna be a little more interesting."

"Lucas!" Kristin whispered harshly, giving him a whack on the arm.

He simply grimaced, and was relieved when Darwin showed up a few minutes later. He got suited up and plunged into the water to play a game.

Standing from the sidelines it was clear he and Darwin shared a close bond – they relished each others company. It was also then, that Beth realised it must be difficult for him to be in the company of adults all the time, and that Darwin was a good way for him to exercise his childish side.

"They're really close, huh?" she commented to Tanya.

"Yeah. They're also a pain in the ass when the ball doesn't land in the pool."

"Oh?"

"Smashed beakers, I'm saying nothing more."

"Oh," Beth said, cringing. Clearly that was a sore subject. Her ears caught onto a discussion Kristin and Joshua were having nearby.

"You're not forgetting about the medical supply inventory tonight, are you?" Kristin asked him.

"No, but I haven't been able to find anyone to witness, are you free?"

Kristin shook her head, "Not tonight, I'm meeting the Captain and Doctor Briers." She sighed in frustration. "Just track someone down and promise them an afternoon off sometime. The UEO expect the results by 1300 hours tomorrow, so it needs to be done tonight."

"It will be," he reassured. "What about keys to the supply cabinet?"

"Oh," Kristin said, digging in the pockets of her uniform and getting nowhere. "I must have left them in my lab coat. It's hanging in hydroponics on B-Deck."

"Alright."

With the conversation over, Beth turned her attention back to what Tanya was doing, and tried to pretend she'd been listening to her for the past few minutes, her mind already whirring.

***

Dinnertime soon rolled around, and Tanya offered to take Beth to the mess hall, with Kristin promising she'd be along shortly.

The food didn't look especially appetising, but with no other option, they loaded up their plates and walked to a table at the far end of the hall. On their way, they passed Commander Hitchcock, seated alone, engrossed in a news bulletin. She seemed completely unaffected by the hustle and bustle around her, and Beth wished she could capture some of that serenity for herself. Seated among a group of people, chatting loudly, soon began to grate on her, despite Tanya's attempts at pleasant conversation.

She distracted herself by observing the people coming in and out and focusing on individual groups, rather than the collective maelstrom of noise. Next to enter the hall were Chief Ortiz and Lieutenant O'Neill, who sat with Commander Hitchcock and began chatting away animatedly. Soon after that, Lieutenant Krieg joined them. It wasn't possible to home in on their conversation, but it wasn't really necessary – their body language told her everything she wanted to know. They seemed a tight-knit unit, all the senior crew onboard. She supposed they had to be, to keep everything running smoothly.

As promised, it wasn't long before Kristin had arrived and seated herself next to them.

"So," she said, somewhat breathlessly. "How do you like it?"

"Huh? What, the food? Or, things in general?" Beth asked.

"Well, both I suppose. The boat really."

"It's…big."

Kristin chuckled. "Get lost a couple of times and then you'll know your way around."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Embarrassingly, yes," she smiled. "Oh, don't look so glum, it's not all bad. I'm sure you'll quite like it here by the end. Oh, Nathan asked me to tell you that he and Bill are having dinner together and Bill says not to fuss."

Beth rolled her eyes and managed a grin.

"You two are quite close aren't you?"

"I guess."

Kristin opened her mouth to speak, but Beth got there first.

"Is there anything I should know about life onboard? I mean, the sailors all seem pretty tight, and the scientists all seem pretty tight – don't they mix?" Lieutenant Krieg had said to her earlier that it was 'good to have new faces onboard' but she didn't see any evidence of mixing between groups.

"It's not as bad as you think," Tanya added.

Kristin just smiled. "This is the first time such a large science contingent has been stationed on a military vessel. There is some slight segregation between military and science personnel, but it's nothing to worry about. It's not malicious I assure you."

"Right, I just got the impression earlier that Commander Hitchcock wasn't that pleased to have us onboard."

"Well, I find that hard to believe," Kristin said, raising her eyebrows and placing her coffee cup back down on the table. Of all the officers, Katie wasn't one she would have singled out as displaying feelings of dissatisfaction to a visiting scientist.

"Probably just me then," Beth smiled, awkwardly. The noise level in the hall seemed to have doubled in the last few minutes and the intensity of the dozen or so conversations going on around her were deafening. Her tolerance was rapidly deteriorating, as was her interest in everything that was going on around her.

As Doctor Levin entered the hall, her mind snapped back to reality and she hurriedly stood up to excuse herself.

"Don't be silly, stay and get to know everyone," Kristin insisted, but Beth bluntly refused and turned face to walk briskly out of the door.

"Charming," Tanya commented.

"I thought she'd be a bit more sociable considering it's her first night onboard," Kristin agreed. She had been eager to speak to her about Bill. Having spent a bit of time with him throughout the afternoon, there were aspects of his health that she'd picked up on and were worrying her. She'd hoped to approach her about it, and get some answers, but now it would have to wait until another time.

***

It was lucky that he'd turned his head at the right moment; otherwise he'd never have caught her flying past in the corner of his vision. Quickly mopping his mouth, Miguel leaped from his seat and followed after her.

"Hey," he called. "Is there a fire I don't know about?" he joked.

She turned and gave him a weary smile. "Going back on shift?" she asked, completely ignoring his effort.

"Watch," he corrected her.

"What?"

"A shift on a boat is called a watch."

"Right," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "So, are you going back on watch?"

"Actually I'm on watch, I'm just on my meal break."

"Right," she nodded.

"So, I just wondered whether you want to start work on the WSKRS tomorrow morning. I'll need to know so I can get everything set up."

"Sure," she agreed.

They walked along in edgy silence until they reached one of the stairwells.

"Where are you headed?" Miguel asked.

"Back to my room, I think. It's been a long day. Goodnight," she smiled as she began to climb the stairs, ending the conversation abruptly.

"Night," he said, dismayed, kicking himself for needlessly correcting her. Even so, she seemed less than happy to be there, and as he headed back to the mess to face the inevitable accusations from his crewmates, he hoped she wasn't going to be so bipolar for the rest of her stay.

Once he'd re-entered the mess hall, Beth crept back down the stairs, and after stopping to get her bearings for a moment, headed away, unseen, in the opposite direction.