Predilection For Disaster

by Tanya

My first ELF. Any more might give to much away.

This is my first try at a seaQuest fic. It is based on fanon, rather than
canon so please ignore any deviations from the show. It's been so long
since I've seen it that I took some liberties. Please let me know what you
think as I would like to know whether or not to try this again.

My thanks go to Chrisbod (a premier Stargate writer) and to Deb ( an
excellent fledgling). I appreciate all your help and insights, and your
indulgence.

This story contains some violence and references to child abuse, so I guess
I would rate it R, although I'm not sure on that.

I have read this through for errors, but if the internet goblins hit, then I
take no responsibility. That's my story and I'm sticking to it :)

Disclaimer: I don't know the technical one, so just understand that I did
this for fun and I'm only borrowing the characters. I plan on giving them
back when I'm done, in pretty much the same condition I found them in :)

Tanya


Predilection for Disaster

Nathan Bridger, Captain of the world's most advanced submarine, veteran
soldier and diplomat, was scared. No, if he thought about it, he wasn't just
scared, he was terrified. He had never been so frightened in all his life
and he had no idea when the fear would go away. Actually, he knew when, just
not if........The fear would go when his surrogate son awoke. When he truly
awoke, not just opening those frightening eyes for brief moments to gaze at
something unseen.

Nathan took the limp, bruised hand in his own. He looked down and stared at
it for long moments. That pale hand appeared dwarfed by his own. The skin
underneath Nathan's thumb felt cold, so cold. Setting the hand down gently,
Nathan pulled at the blankets that covered the young man. Rearranging them
made him feel a little better. Helping Lucas to fight the cold was about all
he could do. That, and try to be there for him this time.......

With that thought, he once again picked up the hand and settled in for the
long haul.

Hours later, the door to the seaQuest's ICU opened. Ben Krieg poked his head
in, looking hopefully at the Captain. "Any change yet, Sir?"

Nathan started at the question. So intent was he on his thoughts that he had
not heard the door open. "What? Oh, Ben. No." He sighed heavily then ran his
free hand through his hair, scrubbing it as though to rid himself of his
thoughts. "Nothing's changed."

Ben caught the weary, defeated tone in the Captain's voice. He had never
heard it there before and it worried him more than Lucas's appearance. "Sir?"

Nathan turned in his chair, his eyes locking Ben's with his own. "What if
nothing ever does change? What if we were simply too late?"

Ben entered the room fully and walked over to the Captain's chair. He
crouched down on the floor in front and waited, knowing that the full story
might finally come out. He knew it wouldn't be an easy telling, but he was
prepared to wait all day if necessary. Anything to help Lucas, and his
Captain.

Nathan looked over at the still figure in the bed. He cast his eye over the
respirator that governed the young boy's breathing. It should have been
reassuring, but it was not. All it pointed out was that Lucas was unable to
manage that simple act on his own. His gaze drifted away from that to the
bags of fluid that hung from the IV tree at the head of the bed. He didn't
know what they all did, but he knew that there were a lot, in a variety of
colours. The blood was the one thing he did recognise and he knew that a lot
had needed to go back into the frail body on the bed. The heart monitor
beeped monotonously at the boy's side, its audible pattern tuned out by now.

His eyes travelled down to look at the boy himself. The bruises that marked
his face had begun to fade. They had not been pretty, but they were the
least of Lucas' worries. The broken ribs must have hurt, but again they were
minor in the scheme of things. The kidney that had been beaten without mercy
had eventually needed to be removed, but Lucas could survive with just one.
No, those things weren't the worry. The worry was the substance that had
been injected into a hapless young man. A substance designed to destroy that
brilliant mind. A substance created by one of Earth's greatest scientists. A
substance that might ultimately take Nathan's son from him.

Nathan knew that Lucas wasn't technically his son. He had lost his own long
ago, just as Lucas had lost his father. Actually, Robert was dead while
Lawrence Wolenczak was not; at least not in the physical sense. He had long
since abandoned any fatherly feelings for the young genius. Nathan had never
come across anything like that before. Lucas was a funny, loving,
incorrigible young man and Bridger loved him like his own. How could anyone
not? Nathan thanked the powers that be once again, for bringing Lucas into
his life. Now he hoped that he would be lucky enough to get him back.

Krieg watched the expressions flit across his Captain's face. That Bridger
loved the boy was a given. He also caught anger and sorrow there. As Nathan
turned to him, he wondered for a brief second if he wanted to hear the story
after all. The thought fled as quickly as it came. For Lucas's sake, he
would hear the tale, no matter what.

Bridger eyed Ben. He made a quick decision and indicated the empty chair
across the room. Ben grabbed it quickly and sat. Nathan cast a final look in
Lucas' direction. He cleared his throat, looked back to Ben and began.
"Remember about a week ago when we received the call from UEO Headquarters.........

***********************

Eight days prior.

***********************

Captain Nathan Bridger stood in front of the vidscreen, currently conversing
with Admiral Noyce of the UEO. "What do you mean you don't know any more?
You are asking me to take a team into an unknown area, to rescue persons
unknown and I'm supposed to just say okay, no questions asked?" disbelief
was clear in his voice.

"I'm not saying don't ask questions, Nathan. I'm simply telling you I don't
have the answers. We received a distress call, but communications were
extremely poor. We were lucky to get the information we did receive before
the connection cut out. All I can tell you is that we received an SOS and
I'm asking you to check it out. Will you do that?" Noyce knew he didn't have
to ask. His instructions were clear and Bridger knew it. Still, they were
friends and he wanted Nathan to feel he had a say.

"Of course we'll go. You knew we would. I just don't like taking my people
in blind, that's all." Nathan knew the score. Going was never in question.
His mind was already ticking over the crew that would make up the rescue
party.

"I understand, Nathan. Good luck and keep me informed." The link ended and
Noyce disappeared from the bridge.

Nathan turned to Commander Ford. "You heard the man. Lay in the co-ordinates
then call a meeting of all senior staff. We meet in the wardroom in ten
minutes."

"Yes, Sir." Ford turned to carry out his assignment.

Bridger moved to leave the room. He paused just as he reached the door. He
thought for a moment before turning back to face the bridge. "Oh, Commander?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Please make sure that Lucas is present for the meeting." Nathan had a
feeling that Lucas's skills might be required if the communications problem
proved to be computer related. As much as he didn't like taking the boy into
potentially dangerous situations, he knew that there was no one better than
Lucas when it came to computers. He might just be needed and time might
prove critical, necessitating him being present, rather than trying to send
for him.

"I'll see to it, Sir."

Nathan left the room.

************

Less than an hour had passed and the rescue team had been decided upon.
Chief Crocker was to provide security, along with two of his men. Kristin
Westphalen would treat any wounded they might find and Lieutenant Tim O'Neill
would help with the communications problems. Lucas and the Captain would
round out the team. Commander Ford would remain on board to run the ship.

Nathan looked around the table. "All right. Any questions?" He looked around
the room but saw nothing. "Good. Okay, get what you need and meet in the
launch bay. We shuttle out in 20 minutes."

Nathan watched as his people filed out of the room. He grabbed Crocker's arm
and steered the man off to one side. "I have a funny feeling about this,
Chief. I want you to keep an extra close eye on Lucas while we're there."

"You got it, Captain." Crocker knew how much the Captain cared about the boy.
He also knew he wouldn't send Lucas along if he didn't think the teen would
be needed. He made up his mind that Lucas would not leave his sight. He knew
how the young man seemed to attract trouble.

******************

The launch pulled up to the docking bay of the underwater station. The faint
clang of hatches meeting up could be heard, followed by the hiss of rushing
air.

Crocker took his position on one side of the door, his men on the other.
Crocker looked at his men and began the countdown. Not knowing the nature of
the emergency, or what might be waiting for them beyond the doors, he wasn't
taking any chances. "Three, two, one........." Crocker reached out and
opened the door. The security men automatically took their position, running
flanking positions immediately outside the doors, weapons at the ready.
Crocker looked at Bridger. "All clear, Sir."

The group exited the launch and entered the room. They moved as a group to
the far end where a control panel was mounted beside the next door. Nathan
approached it. He pushed the comm button and addressed whoever might be
listening. "I'm Captain Nathan Bridger of the seaQuest. We are answering an
SOS sent by this installation. What is your status?"

"Captain Bridger. Thank you for your prompt arrival. Please stand back and
the doors will open," a disembodied voice replied.

Nathan did as he was bid and the door swung inwards. A young woman waited on
the other side. She was dark, petite and bore a solemn expression. "Thank
you, Captain. If you will follow me, I will take you to our control room.
There you will see our problem and understand our reasons for calling you."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and headed down the featureless
corridor.

Nathan cocked his head at his team and indicated for them to follow. He
allowed Crocker to push past, the Security Chief conscientious of his
Captain's safety.

They found themselves walking down many twisting corridors, yet nothing they
saw indicated any sort of problem. Nathan tried to catch their guide's
attention in an effort to extract more information. She was less than
forthcoming.

Finally they appeared to arrive at their destination. The corridor met an
abrupt end as they approached a massive set of double doors. The female
punched in a code on a nearby keypad and the doors slid open. They were
ushered inwards where they walked past banks of computers. Active screens
displayed colourful readouts and a small group of men crowded around the
communications desk, talking amongst themselves. The men looked up as the
seaQuest team moved past them, but quickly returned to the subject at hand.

Nathan raised an eyebrow as their escort showed them into a small side room.
It housed a long table and chairs, but was otherwise empty. There was no
window, and the only exit was the door they had just entered.

Once again the girl spoke. "Please be seated. The Doctor will be with you
shortly. He will answer all of your questions. In the meantime, make
yourselves comfortable. He will not be long." As before, she did not wait
for comment. She simply left the room, closing the solid steel door behind
her.

The group found themselves sitting around the table, still unsure of the
reason they were there. So far, this mission had progressed unlike any other
rescue, and more than one member of the team was feeling disconcerted.

Nathan finally broke the silence as his team looked from face to face,
searching for answers to the questions they all held. "I say we give this
Doctor five minutes. After that, we go looking."

In typical fashion, Lucas piped up. "Works for me." The comment raised more
than one set of eyebrows.

Before anyone could remark, a hissing sound could be heard. It didn't take
long to determine it was coming from the ceiling. Small ducts in the ceiling
tiles had opened and a slightly opaque cloud was issuing forth. It's effects
were immediately felt as the gas had everyone coughing and moving about
sluggishly. Nathan tried to climb on the table to plug the ducts, but the
gas acted too quickly and he slumped to the table, unconscious. Crocker
tried the door, but it was sealed. He too succumbed to the drug and slid
down the wall to rest in a heap on the floor. Within minutes of its release,
the entire team was asleep.

A few moments later, the door opened and two men wearing breathing apparatus
entered the room. They made their way around the sleeping crew towards their
target. When they reached Lucas, the first man picked up the boy and threw
him over his shoulders in a fireman's lift. They then wound their way back
through the obstacle course of chairs and people with their prize. They left
the room, resealing the door behind them.

*********************

Crocker was the first to awaken. He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly as he
tried to shake off the effects of the gas. His vision was slightly blurry
and his head ached. He tried to stand but found himself too dizzy. He waited
a moment to regain his bearings, then tried again. This time he was cautious
and moved slower. It worked and he was soon on his feet. He moved to the
side of the closest person to him. It turned out to be Bridger, who was
quickly coming around.

The Captain groaned and grabbed his head as his vision swam. "What happened?"

Crocker moved to assist the Captain in standing. "We were gassed, Sir."

"Is everyone all right?"

Crocker looked around the table. Kristin was coming around, as was O'Neill.
His two security men were still asleep. He didn't see Lucas, but assumed he
was on the floor. He slowly bent at the waist and peered under the table.
What he didn't see was frightening. Lucas was gone.

He stood, white faced and turned to look at Nathan. "Captain.........."

"Yes, Chief?"

"Sir, Lucas is gone."

"What?" The fear in the Bridger's voice came through loud and clear. Without
waiting for a reply, he moved to the door. Trying it only pointed out the
obvious. Whoever had gassed them had sealed them in. Nathan glanced around
the room trying to determine another way out.

*******************

Lucas found himself waking up in a most uncomfortable way. His hands were
tied behind his back and his feet were shackled together. He was lying on
his side on the floor in the control room they had passed through. His
movements alerted those around them to his growing wakefulness.

"Well, look here. He's finally awake," a deep voice boomed.

Lucas felt his blood turn to ice as he recognised that voice. It was one he
had heard in his dreams and in reality for too long. It was the voice he
still heard when he was feeling vulnerable. It was the voice of his father;
Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak. Not knowing what was going on, Lucas decided that
the prudent thing would be to keep quiet. He had learned in the past that
his father asked a lot of rhetorical questions. Many times Lucas had tried
to answer, only to be on the receiving end of a blow of some sort.

Apparently silence was not the right choice either, as he found himself on
the receiving end of a well placed kick. It caught him in the lower back, in
line with his right kidney. He stifled a yelp of pain and fought hard to
hold on to his gorge.

When his reaction failed to achieve the desired result, Lawrence gestured to
the same two men who had fetched his son. They moved quickly and picked up
the boy. They stood him up but maintained contact with his bound arms as he
appeared to be somewhat unsteady on his feet.

Lawrence looked at the young man, disdain apparent in his expression. "I hear
you've been making a bit of a name for yourself. I keep reading about your
accomplishments in both the sciences and computers." There was no pride in
that statement. It sounded more like a challenge and Lucas knew that was
dangerous ground. In Lawrence's world, no one was better than he.

Prudently keeping silent, Lucas could only look at his father with what he
hoped was a non confrontational look. It was hard to hold his tongue though.
Thoughts ran rampant in his head. Things like 'what's the matter, Dad? Miss
me? Let me guess, you needed a workout and the gym's punching bag was already
in use'? It was hard keeping his inner sarcasm from showing
outwardly, but practice made perfect.

His calm manner did nothing to win him any favours with his father. He was
looking for a fight and Lucas wasn't co-operating. Without warning, he
stepped forward and launched a combination of punches at Lucas' face.

The teen tried to pull away, but the two men holding him didn't allow for
any movement. The punches landed with full, agonising force. Still, he had
lived this before and knew to deal with it. He began to withdraw mentally.
While he couldn't protect his body, his mind would survive.

Lawrence was a man who thrived on adulation. He needed feedback. He craved
it; it was his drug of choice. Lucas' stoic demeanour in the face of the
attack only served to enrage him. Temporarily losing control, he lashed out.
Punches landed on the boy's face, torso and abdomen. By the time he had
finally calmed and the red wash of rage had slipped from his vision, Lucas
was no longer conscious. His face was bruised and bleeding. Several ribs had
fractured and unknown to all present, his kidney was bleeding.

************************

Nathan and Crocker scoured the room, looking for any way out. Finally spying
a ventilation hatch in the corner of the ceiling, they set to work. The chairs
were stacked along one wall and the table was pushed underneath the vent. It
was a simple affair. Standard screws fastened the vent cover to the frame.
The ducting was not large, but a trim man would be able to navigate the
shaft. The first task was to remove the grating.

It had not taken long for the team to realise that they had been left armed.
For whatever reason, Lucas was the target. The worry was that he would either
be removed from the base before the team got free, or worse. As for why they
had been left with their weapons, Bridger could only guess. To him it spelled
disaster. You didn't leave the enemy armed, unless you could guarantee they
would have no avenue to use the weapons. Even then, common sense dictated
you disarmed them as a precaution. This lapse told Nathan more about his
captors than anything he had seen so far. They did not appear to be well
organised, or if they were, their leader was not a tactician. Had he been,
he would not have overlooked such basics.

Deciding that speculation was not helping their cause, Bridger shelved his
thoughts and concentrated on the task at hand. His name tag proved to be the
perfect thickness to fit into the head of the screw. It took some time to
work the first screw free. It had been in place a long time, as evidenced by
the rust that held it and the layers of paint that covered it. By the time
the first was fully removed, Bridger was sweating from the effort and his
arms ached from working above his head. He decided it would do him no good
to exhaust himself at this point in the rescue, so he turned the task over
to Crocker.

Lowering his arms in relief, he turned to the rest of the team. He could see
the worry and apprehension in their faces. "Don't worry. We will get him
back. We won't leave here until Lucas is with us. " Seeing the tension
subside somewhat, he knew he had said the right thing. Now he could only
hope that he could actually bring such a feat about.

*******************

Lucas pulled himself away from his dreams and thrust himself into reality.
It didn't take long for him to wonder why he had bothered. His reality wasn't
looking too sunny at the moment. He opened his eyes and blinked rapidly
against the bright light that shone in them. Turning his head to the side,
he quickly realised that he was strapped down on what appeared to be some
sort of gurney. "Where am I?" he managed to croak out. The words hurt as
they emerged from his raw throat and he found himself struggling to breathe.
He knew from previous experience that this was a sure fire sign that at least
one rib had been cracked in the beating. His face burned and he knew from
his limited vision that he had at least one black eye. It almost seemed
funny to him that he could catalogue his injuries so easily now. Still, he
was experiencing something that he hadn't before. His abdomen felt funny,
kind of full and a little sore. He didn't know what this meant and could
only hope that it didn't spell trouble. This time when he groaned, it wasn't
from pain, but from the memories being stirred up. He couldn't recall a time
in his childhood that was free from his father's threats. Only since the
seaQuest had he felt free from the looming spectre of abuse.

The slight noise the boy made was enough to alert the less than vigilant
guard to his wakefulness. Pressing his hand to his comm button, he relayed
the information that the prisoner had regained consciousness.

It was only moments before the door to the small lab Lucas was now housed
in, opened. Lawrence strode into the room, all smiles and self importance.
"So, did you have a good nap?"

Lucas elected to remain silent, figuring he would need all of his strength,
although he didn't know for what. Still, with his father it paid to be
cautious.

"Don't you want to know why you are here?" Lawrence almost purred the words.
He didn't bother waiting for a reply. ""You are here because of me. I have a
joint project in mind. A sort of.....father/son experiment if you will." He
laughed as he noted Lucas' expression of disbelief. "You don't believe me?
I'm wounded. Why wouldn't I want to work with you? After all, you are
supposed to be this brilliant scientist. A top computer genius. Everyone's
talking about you. Why wouldn't I want to work with someone like that?"
Lawrence's voice was continuously rising as he spoke and a manic gleam
entered his eye.

Lucas didn't know what to make of this. His father was a brilliant man, much
coveted as a scientist by the UEO. This man in front of him appeared to be
unstable. Lucas wondered what might have happened. He ventured a question,
hoping to calm his father down and gain some much needed information. "What
is the experiment?"

Lawrence looked shocked that Lucas had spoken, before smiling indulgently.
"That's what I'm used to from you. Questions. Always questions. Well, I think
I'll answer this one since it seems so important to you." Lawrence's
expression sobered. "I've been working on a revolutionary enzyme. It will
provide the key to unlocking the human mind." The doctor started to pace the
room as he continued to talk. "Imagine the possibilities. I can loosen the
bonds between the synapses, thus allowing them to rearrange, to reconnect.
Instead of conventional thinking, we can learn in the abstract."

Lucas' eyes opened wide. He was horrified by what he was hearing. His father
was planning on experimenting on the human mind. He wanted to play with the
very connections that caused said mind to work. Lucas couldn't believe what
he was hearing. His father had gone nuts.

As if he had said the words aloud, his father whirled on him. "You think I'm
crazy, don't you? Well, so did those closed minded idiots at the UEO. None of
them could see the potential for such a drug." Lawrence shook his fist in
anger. "They cut off my funding. They said I couldn't prove any benefits to
such a drug and they would not condone it's testing."

Lucas' stomach churned at those words. His purpose in being here had just
become frighteningly clear. "You want to test that stuff on me?" he whispered,
barely able to force out the words.

Lawrence moved to Lucas' side, his face lit with excitement. "Yes! Don't you
see? If this works on the UEO's pet genius, imagine what it will do for the
masses? It's brilliant. I use this on you, then take you to them. You will
be living proof of it's success."

Before Lucas could put forth his arguments, Lawrence signalled someone
outside of the teen's field of vision. Lucas couldn't tell what was happening
until his father's hands appeared, complete with a vial and syringe. In an
instant, his fear turned to complete terror.

*************************

The team heaved a collective sigh of relief as the last screw gave way. The
vent cover was quickly removed and set on the ground, off to the side.
Bridger checked his weapon before turning to Crocker. "Okay. I'm going first.
Send Jackson......" he indicated one of the two security men, ".....next.
I'll try to find Lucas. Turning his attention from Crocker to the security
man, he continued issuing orders. "Jackson, I want you to do whatever it
takes to get that door opened. Get the team free, then all of you come and
provide backup. Understood?" When it was clear that everyone was okay with
the plan, Nathan looked at the Security Chief. "Give me a hand up then."

As Crocker moved alongside the Captain, he began to voice a quiet protest.
"Captain, I still think I should go."

Nathan looked at him, understanding what was going on in the man's head.
"We've already discussed this. I stand a better chance of making it through
the ducting." Nathan was doing his best to be tactful. Crocker's physique
did not exactly lend itself to manoeuvring through tight spaces. "Besides,
once that door opens, I'm going to need you to help secure the area. We still
don't know how many people are out there and what their plans are."

Crocker didn't like the plan, but had to admit he couldn't think of anything
better. Grudgingly, he cupped his hands together and hoisted the Captain up
into the dark vent above. After helping Jackson, Crocker took up position
alongside the door and prepared to wait until it opened.

*****************

Nathan wormed his way through the network of tight ducting. It didn't take
him long to ascertain that Lucas was not in the control room. He could also
see that the room was scarcely guarded. Apparently their attention was
concentrated on something, or someone else. Bridger hurried on, knowing that
the Security Officer would have little difficulty securing the room and
letting his people out. He was on the hunt for his missing crew member.

*********************

Lawrence was all business as he measured out a dose of the clear substance.
He capped the end of the syringe and laid it down alongside the near-empty
vial on a tray. Next he picked up a sealed packet filled with a disinfecting
wipe. He tore open the packet and proceeded to wipe down Lucas' arm in the
crook of the elbow.

Lucas couldn't hold his tongue at this act. "I can't believe you! First you
beat me up, then you want to drug me, but you're worried about a few germs?"
The effort of talking caught up with the boy and he began to cough painfully.

For once, Lawrence ignored the attitude in the teen's words. "I don't want
anything to taint the results. If you get an infection, it could alter the
effects of the drug. The statistics would be useless."

"But beating me to a pulp won't alter your *statistics*?" Lucas treated his
father to his best glare.

Lawrence merely threw the wipe away and picked up the syringe. He removed
the cap, throwing it nonchalantly to the side. Carefully he pushed the
plunger to expel any air that might have been trapped. A single drop of
fluid emerged from the tip of the needle.

Without a second glance at his son, the Doctor injected the boy. He made
certain to empty the contents into Lucas' vein before removing the offending
needle. He placed it on the tray, to lay forgotten as he turned his attention
back to the teen. He didn't know how long it would take before any results
showed, but he hoped that it would not be long.

He was not disappointed.

********************

Nathan was getting frustrated. He didn't think the complex was that large,
but he was constantly being met with empty rooms. He had no idea where Lucas
was. In fact, he was beginning to wonder if the boy was even in the station
when he heard the scream. His heart began to pound when he heard that
bloodcurdling sound. He tried to distance himself from the sound, in order
to follow it's origins. Still, he found the task daunting. This wasn't just
anyone screaming, it was Lucas. He knew he was on the right track though
when he could begin to hear the sounds of a commotion. He made a right hand
turn at a junction in the ducting, only to find himself over a vent cover.
The slats in the cover made for difficult viewing, but what he saw below him
made him sick.

Lucas was strapped down, writhing against his bonds, his face bruised and
bloody. More frightening was the expression on his face. It was a combination
of pure terror and excruciating pain.

Nathan frantically began the process of removing the grill. It seemed to
take forever and all he could think about was the torture that Lucas seemed
to be going through. He didn't know what had been done to the boy, but he
swore that whoever had hurt him would pay. He swore softly when one of the
screws refused to budge. Cursing silently, he forced himself to take a deep
breath and deal with the problem. He couldn't help Lucas if he couldn't get
to him, and panic would only make things worse.

Lawrence began to back away from the boy. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Lucas wasn't supposed to be screaming like this.

Lucas fought against the pain racing through his skull. Bright colours
obscured his vision and sounds seemed to be distorting. He couldn't think.
Nothing was clear. He tried to focus his thoughts, but it was too painful.
His instincts began to kick in and coherent thought fled.

The teen began to fight against the straps holding him. His drug addled
brain told him that he needed to be free; that he could be free. He just
needed to want it badly enough. Whatever rational part of Lucas was left,
knew he wanted out. He wanted to escape the nightmare. Sounds howled and
shrieked inside his head and he felt as though his very brain was on fire.
Amidst all the turmoil his muscles began their assault on his bonds.

Before anyone could understand what was happening, Lucas had broken free.
The boy had his eyes closed but seemed to be able to orient himself. He
lunged off of the table and took out the nearest guard. The man fell as
Lucas hurled himself into the unprotected abdomen, the man dropping like a
stone. With eyes still sealed tight, the boy turned unerringly in the
direction of his father.

Lawrence watched the proceedings with growing trepidation. He didn't exactly
know what was supposed to happen, but he knew his son wasn't supposed to be
able to break free, nor should he have been able to take out a guard with
such ease. When he saw the boy orient on him, he decided it might be a
prudent time to leave. Several of his hired guns seemed to have the same
idea and the four of them made a bee line for the escape shuttle.

Understanding that his prey had escaped, Lucas turned his fury on one of the
two remaining men. While the boy proceeded to pummel the overwhelmed man,
the last thug sought a way out. He tried to make break for the door, but
changed his mind and decided to hide instead when a noise from above
informed him that he was no longer on his own.

Nathan could hear what was happening and see enough to know that Lucas had
somehow broken free. He was aware that several men at least had left the
room. He gave the last of his strength to breaking the stubborn screw free
and sighed in relief as it gave way. He had the screen off in seconds and
lowered himself to the floor. Out of the corner of his eye he was aware of
the motion of the man who was trying to hide. Still, he decided to ignore
him for the moment and concentrated on the drama in front of him.

Lucas was punching the downed man mercilessly. The thug had long since lost
consciousness, but the fact did not register on the boy. He was no longer
aware of his actions. He was running on pure adrenaline which was quickly
wearing away. Had he known what he was doing, he would have been horrified,
but Lucas didn't know. His mind had begun a very intricate and painful
process. One that had never before been seen.

Nathan rushed over to pull the teen off of the beaten man. He caught his
breath at the sight of Lucas fighting, the boy's eyes still closed. Nathan
had no idea how Lucas could even know where to hit, but it appeared that he
did. He grabbed the young man's arms and pulled him away. At that touch,
something seemed to give within the boy. All the fight left him and he
sagged bonelessly. Nathan quickly adjusted his grip and caught the falling
teen. He lifted the slight figure into his arms and carried him to the
gurney where he placed him ever so gently.

Bridger was unsure what to do. One look at Lucas' face told him that the boy
was in serious trouble. He didn't know what all had happened, but he knew it
couldn't be good. What he didn't know was whether to leave Lucas and find
help, or stay with the teen. He elected to stay. He knew his people would be
on their way and if he were to be honest with himself, he was afraid to
leave Lucas alone. He didn't know how badly hurt he was, but more importantly,
he didn't know what his mental state was. Tearing his gaze away from the pale
figure on the bed to the man on the floor, it was readily apparent that the
man wouldn't be getting up. Lucas had beaten him to death.

Nathan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the sounds of people
approaching. It didn't occur to him that it might not be his team, as he
called out his location.

Crocker led the way, followed by Kristin then the others. The group stopped
just inside the door, taking in the scene. Items lay scattered and broken
from the struggle. One man lay unconscious on the floor, the other was dead.
Torn fabric hung on either side of the gurney, marking the remains of the
restraints that had held the boy.

A quick nod to Crocker sent the head of security off looking around the room.
He took the motion to mean that it was not entirely secure. It took him only
seconds to find the man who sought to remain hidden. Training his gun on the
prisoner, he escorted him towards the main group.

Kristen raced towards the broken figure lying on the bed. She bit her lip in
an attempt to keep her emotions under control. As a doctor, she had been
forced to distance herself in the past when treating co-workers. It was one
of the drawbacks of living in close confines with the men and women she
treated. She knew and cared about these people, making it doubly hard to
treat them when they were sick or injured. In this case, she found the task
daunting. Not only did she know this patient, she had grown to love him. He
touched a part deep within her that few ever had.

Gently she reached out and pushed back the shock of blond hair that had
fallen forward, partially obscuring Lucas' face. Bruises stood out in stark
relief against the too white skin. Pain etched lines in his face that had no
business being there. She rested her index and middle finger against his
carotid artery, feeling for the pulse that scud weakly beneath her touch.

Taking her hand away, she opened the med kit that she placed at the end of
the bed between Lucas' feet. She frowned at the reading as she took his
blood pressure. It was far too low, indicative of some unseen problem.
Concerned about the blows he had obviously taken to the head, she moved to
check his pupil reaction. She pulled out a penlight then lifted his left
eyelid. What looked back at her shocked her and she dropped the light in
response.

Seeing her actions, Nathan moved in closer. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Kristin had by now released Lucas's eyelid, so Nathan had no clue as to what
she had seen. "Look." She once again lifted the covering lid.

Nathan drew back in shock. Lucas' vivid blue eye looked back at him, only
this time the blue was electric. It glowed as though made of neon. "What the
hell is this?"

Kristin checked and the other eye was the same. Both had the same eerie glow
to them as they stared disconcertingly back at her. Unable to take the stare,
Kristin allowed the lids to fall back down. She looked over at Nathan and
finally answered his question. "I have no idea. I've never seen anything
like this before."

Nathan pushed through his crew and marched up to the sole survivor of the
colony. "What did you do to him?" Taking in the man's unswerving gaze, Nathan
lost his cool. Snarling as he grabbed the man's shirt, he moved his face
forward until the two stood nose to nose. Something in Bridger's gaze
apparently spooked the man, as this time he answered.

"I only did as I was told."

Nathan drew back a few inches. "And that would be........?"

"To help Doc with the kid. You know, break him in a little."

Nathan once again closed the distance. "Why?"

The man gulped. "To help lower his resistance."

Now Nathan was becoming confused. "Resistance to what?"

The man hesitated before answering. "To that." He glanced over Bridger's
shoulder, towards a table in the corner of the room.

Nathan released the man with a little shove. He moved over to the table. A
small tray rested there. On it sat a used syringe and a near empty vial. The
remaining liquid was colourless and there was no label to mark what the
contents might be. Nathan gathered the items up and moved back to now
sitting man. "Tell me what you gave him."

"I didn't give him anything. Doc took care of that part."

Bridger gave the man a level look. "What did you do?

For once the thug had the grace to look sheepish. "Nothing. I watched."

Nathan crossed his arms across his chest in an attempt to keep his hands off
the man in front of him. "I don't suppose *Doc* told you what the drug was
supposed to do did he?"

"Not really," came the mumbled reply.

Nathan took a deep breath in an attempt to maintain his rapidly waning cool.
"Care to repeat that answer?"

The prisoner looked up. "He said it was experimental. It's supposed to break
down the synapses or something. I don't know, I'm not a scientist."

Kristin was listening in on the conversation while continuing her treatment
of Lucas. At that point her expression turned to one of horror. "Break down
the synapses!" she reiterated. "That would destroy his brain!"

Nathan whirled on the man. "Is this true?" He received a nod for an answer.
"Why would he want to do that to Lucas?" When no answer was forthcoming,
Nathan decided to take action. He made a show of placing the tip of the
syringe into the vial. "Chief."

Crocker looked over. "Yes, Captain?"

"Come over here and restrain the prisoner. I have something I want to try."
He continued the process of feeding the syringe into the bottle.

Crocker secured his weapon then grabbed the man's arms, pinning them behind
his back. The prisoner struggled for a moment as he watched Nathan, visibly
paling as the plunger was drawn back on the syringe. "Okay, okay. You've got
me. Doc seems to have had some sort of grudge against the kid. This whole
thing was set up to get him here."

Nathan didn't stop what he was doing as he asked the next question. "How
could he be sure that Lucas would come?"

"He said that you would bring him if you thought the computers were affected.
He said the kid was a whiz at fixing them."

"That brings us to my next question. Who is this Doctor and why does he have
a grudge against Lucas?"

"He said the kid was too smart. I think he felt the boy was cutting in on
his turf or something. You know, King of the Castle kind of stuff. We asked
why he didn't just kill the kid and get it over with. He didn't seem
interested in that. He said he needed a guinea pig for this new drug he
created and that the boy was the perfect subject. Apparently the UEO wasn't
too impressed with his latest creation. He wanted to prove that it worked.
Plus, he seemed to get his kicks at the thought of ruining the boy's mind."
After his spiel, he fell silent.

Nathan withdrew the syringe, complete with the remainder of the drug. "You
didn't answer my other question. Who is Doc?"

Crocker yanked a little harder on the man's arms. The man grunted before
answering. "You win. His name is Wolenczak. Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak." Stunned
silence fell over the room. Crocker released his grip on the prisoner,
allowing the man to go free. To his credit, the man was smart enough to not
try and escape. Instead, he scanned the room, taking in the expressions
around him. "What, you know the guy?"

Tim looked at him, barely able to answer the question. "He's Lucas' father."

It was the man's turn to be stunned.

It was Lucas himself who broke the spell cast by the revelation. He drew
bloody hands up to his head and groaned, his eyes never opening. The sounds
issuing from his throat grew louder. Kristin leaned over, trying to calm the
boy when he began to scream. It was a sound the others would never forget.
It was a scream of pure agony. Lucas' eyes snapped open and the team drew
back at the sight of those eyes. Lucas didn't appear to be seeing anything.
He simply stared, those glowing eyes locked on sights unseen. The screams
continued, unabated. Kristin caught her breath at the sight of blood
beginning to trickle from the boy's ear. As suddenly as the screaming
started, it stopped. Lucas gave a final whimper then closed his eyes. His
body began to seize. His back arched convulsively, repeatedly before finally
relaxing. All movement stopped as the team looked to the teen. He lay
perfectly still, save for the blood still seeping from his ear and the fresh
trickle now emerging from his nose.

Kristin was the first to collect herself and urgency controlled her actions.
"We have to get him back to the seaQuest. Now! Who knows what this drug has
done to him." She turned her gaze on the prisoner and treated him to a patent
glare. "What else did his father say? Have you got any idea of how it works,
or why? What about time frames? How long have we got? What about antidotes?"
As she continued her tirade, the prisoner kept shaking his head. Realising
that she wouldn't be getting the answers, she turned away in disgust.

Kristin was frantic. She knew Lucas was exhibiting signs of some sort of
cranial trauma. She was worried about moving him, but knew they had no
choice. She had already noticed the bruising on his ribcage and felt the
unevenness of the bones. While x-rays would confirm her diagnosis, she
suspected at least two cracked or broken ribs. Even more worrying was the
fullness she detected in his belly. He had obviously taken some heavy hits
and from the guarding and rebound, she suspected internal bleeding. To her
frustration though, she was once again in the dark as to the cause. She
needed to get him back to the seaQuest's medbay.

Nathan understood that as well as he began issuing orders. "Crocker. You and
your men are to get the prisoners secured. Check the complex and make sure
we won't have any more surprises waiting." The Chief nodded then drew his
men aside to assign tasks. Nathan looked at O'Neill. "I need you to contact
seaQuest. Tell them we're on our way and that we need a medical team
standing by and medbay prepared to receive casualties." As Tim turned to
leave, Bridger stopped him with a hand to the shoulder. "Tell the Commander
to scan for any transports that may have recently vacated the station. He is
not to stop them, but he is to track them. Understood?" At Tim's nod he
released his hand, satisfied. He couldn't risk setting off on a chase at
this point. Not until he knew that Lucas was safely aboard.

Kristin waited until Nathan was done before catching his eye. He moved
towards her, dreading her report. "We have to get him to medbay. I don't
know what happened here, but I can tell you that he has some internal
bleeding. My guess would be that his kidney is the problem, judging from the
bruises. Even more than that, I think he's bleeding intercranially. Whatever
that drug did to him, it's not good.

Nathan nodded, indulging himself in a moments self pity. He wanted this to
never have happened.

Kristin nodded in understanding, however, now was not the time. She placed
her hand gently on Nathan's arm in an unspoken request.

Nathan understood. He knew from looking, that the gurney would not be able
to navigate the route back to the launch. Knowing he had no choice, he
gently lifted the boy from the bed. He took a last glance around at Lucas'
hell, then left the room, trusting his team to do their jobs in a bid to get
them home.

The launch left the docking area just moments later. Crocker had the two
live prisoners restrained. They had brought the third man as well, but he
was placed out of sight. Tim was at the helm guiding them home while Bridger
sat with Lucas lying beside him, the boy's head on the Captain's lap.
Kristin gave all the medical aid she could with the supplies she had.

Lucas had not moved since his seizure, nor had he uttered a sound. His skin
was clammy and cold. His body shook minutely with shivers. Kristin covered
him with a blanket in an attempt to ward off shock, but it was a case of too
little too late. A quick check of his pulse showed that it was weakening
rapidly. They could only hope that the boy could hold on until they could
get him the help he so desperately needed.

The launch docked 5 minutes later and they were greeted by a trauma team.
Before removing the boy from the docking bay, Kristin started the first of
what would be several IV's. Once the tubing was secured, she gave a nod and
the gurney was moved swiftly towards the infirmary.

*********************

Nathan continued to pace the hall, as he had for the past few hours. All
efforts to get him to sit and rest were thwarted. Every time he gave himself
the chance to slow, the Captain was overwhelmed with images of Lucas. He
could see the boy strapped down. He saw him beating a man to a bloody pulp
and he could see the teen as he screamed in agony while blood dripped from
his ears. By walking, he could stave off the images for a while.

Tim hung around as well. While he didn't know all of what happened, he knew
it had the Captain disturbed. Beyond that, he wanted to know about Lucas. He
was fond of the boy and was worried about him. He had seen the teen's
condition and couldn't help but fear the worst.

Crocker also joined in the vigil. He had seen to the two prisoners. Both
had been checked for injury before being sent to the brig. While he was not
as close to the boy as some, he was worried. More than that, he wanted to be
there if the Captain needed him. He knew how close Bridger had become to the
boy and how hard all of this was on him. He also knew the Captain well
enough to know that the man was feeling guilty about bringing Lucas in the
first place. Before he had a chance to bring up the subject, the doors
opened to reveal a haggard looking Dr. Westphalen.

*****************

Kristin was exhausted, physically and emotionally. However, she knew there
was a group waiting outside for word. She just wished it was better. Still,
she knew she couldn't put off telling the Captain. He had to be going out of
his mind with worry. She pushed open the doors to the hallway, not in the
least surprised at the faces she saw waiting for her.

Kristin looked each man in the eye. "Well, he's alive," she started off
without preamble. "His right kidney was torn and bruised. It was beyond
salvage and I had to remove it. He has three fractured ribs. Thankfully the
seizure wasn't able to dislodge them or the damage would have been much
greater." Kristin heaved a heavy sigh. So far she had told them the easy
part.

Nathan knew the worst was yet to come. As much as he dreaded hearing it, he
knew they had to. Still, he kept reminding himself, Lucas was alive. That
was something to hold on to, no matter what.

Kristin steeled herself to relay the next bit. "I ran an EEG and a CAT scan
on Lucas. He suffered several cerebral haemorrhages. I also compared the
tests to the scans we were sent when he first joined us. There are very few
similarities between the two."

Nathan looked ill. "What exactly are you telling us, Doctor?"

"I'm saying that even if he survives, it is highly unlikely that he will be
the Lucas that we know. Whatever that drug was intended for, what it
accomplished is horrifying. It has essentially rewired his brain, although
we can't get an entirely stable reading. The patterns keep shifting. I've
never seen anything like it. " Kristin looked away as she said this, trying
to fight back the tears that sprung into her eyes. She had never realised
how important Lucas had become to all of them until now. Still, now was not
the time for self indulgence. She could deal with her emotions later. Now
she had some concerned friends waiting for a good word.

Nathan looked at Kristin, trying to figure out what she wasn't saying. "What
about his eyes?"

"I don't know. All I can guess is that it's a side effect from the drug. I
still don't know what they gave him and I have no way of knowing its side
effects at this point. I've sent what was left to the lab to be synthesised.
Once we have enough to work with, we'll start testing it to see what we've
got. Maybe we can find a cure, or at the very least, a way to deal with the
effects. " Kristin hated not having anything good to report.

Nathan put forth the final question that was weighing heavily on his mind.
"Dr. Westphalen? Will Lucas survive?"

She met his gaze, her eyes full of sympathy. "I'm sorry, Captain. I don't
believe he will. He's in a deep coma and my opinion is that he will not come
out of it."

Bridger nodded as though expecting this. "Then may I sit with him?"

"Of course. He's just being set up in the ICU. You can go in when they're
done with him. " Kristin flicked her eyes one last time over the stunned
group before heading in to check on her patient.

***********************

Present day

***********************

Bridger looked over at Ben, wondering how he was taking the story now that
he knew what happened. "That's it. That brings us to where we stand right
now."

The normally smiling man was looking pensive. "You mean Lucas killed that
guy with his bare hands and all the time he had his eyes closed?" Ben didn't
know what horrified him more. What had been done to Lucas, or the boy having
to live with his actions. He knew how the gentle young man abhorred violence.

Nathan looked over at Krieg, compassion written on his features. He knew how
close the man was to the boy. Bridger was just grateful the moral officer
had been kept busy over the last days. Lucas had taken some pretty
frightening turns since arriving, some of which hadn't been pretty. He had
suffered a major bleed on the second day and had crashed twice over the
course of several hours. While all were grateful he had been revived, no one
had really expected him to survive. His brain activity was still way off
kilter and his physical state was poor.

Krieg left after a brief visit, leaving Bridger alone with the boy once
again. Nathan took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly as he studied the
pale features of the still boy. Not knowing if Lucas could hear him or not,
he resumed talking to him. "Did I ever tell you my first impressions of you?"
He waited for the answer, despite knowing it wouldn't be forthcoming. "You
came on board, all brash; a young know it all. You just exuded this attitude.
It wasn't until I saw you with Darwin that I realised there was much more to
you. Now I know how glad I am that you came here; how happy we all are. You
have become more special than you will ever know." Nathan stroked his thumb
absently over the non responsive hand. "I love you, kiddo. I want you to
stay. I want to watch you grow from the remarkable young man that you are,
to the amazing man that I know you will be."

Bridger continued to study Lucas, not expecting to see anything. He had been
hopeful every time the boy had opened his eyes, only to be disappointed when
it proved to be nothing. This time he saw that those strange eyes had opened
again, only this time they were turned towards him.

Nathan shivered. Lucas was looking over at him, but didn't appear to be
seeing him. Shaking off the uneasy feeling the scrutiny provoked, the
Captain leaned over. "Lucas. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand." Nathan
waited for a long, heart stopping moment before he felt the weak movement in
his hand. There was no strength at all in that motion, but the fact that it
was there at all filled him with hope. "You have a tube in your throat. It's
helping you to breathe. For now, you're going to have to let me know what
you want or need by squeezing my hand, okay?" Again he felt the slightest of
movements, although it was even weaker this time. "Do you want to rest?"
There was no answer this time. The hand stayed limp and Lucas' eyes slid
shut. Nathan was beside himself. Lucas had woken up and understood him!

********************

A week had passed, yet Lucas' progress had been frustratingly slow. His body
was slowly healing, but his periods of wakefulness were disturbingly short.

Kristin had finally been able to remove the intubation tube, much to
everyone's relief. To the crew it signalled Lucas' return to health. To the
boy it provided a chance for rudimentary communication, beyond simple hand
squeezing. Still, he was so weak and disoriented that the few words he
managed to speak made little sense.

It also became abundantly clear that whatever those strange eyes were seeing,
it wasn't the faces of those around him. While they did track movement,
there were none of the obvious signs of sight present. The pupils neither
contracted nor expanded with changing light levels. Further testing showed
none of the characteristics associated with sight. It appeared that Lucas
focused on sound, rather than movement. The boy was not yet alert enough to
answer any questions, so everything at this point was conjecture.

Over the next few days, Lucas began to show some improvement. His periods of
wakefulness increased and he began to regain some strength. He was better
able to talk with those around him, but his conversations were stilted. He
seemed unwilling, or unable to talk about what had happened. He was finally
able to get out of bed for short periods of time, providing help was nearby.
His surgical site was healing properly and his ribs were on the mend. The
many bruises had faded and for the most part, vanished. Soon, Lucas looked
almost the same as the teen who had left the ship, two short weeks ago.
Nothing appeared to have changed, save one major exception.

The change that had become painfully obvious was Lucas' personality. It had
altered significantly. He showed no emotion. His responses were automatic,
lacking any sort of personality. Normally Lucas resorted to sarcasm in times
of stress. None of that was apparent, despite the circumstances. His voice
showed no inflection, nor did his face possess expression. His manner was
zombie like, and more than a little frightening. His manner was disconcerting
to those around him, and people found themselves drawing away from the teen,
despite their love for him.

Another aspect that was equally, if not more frightening, was a new ability
that was starting to emerge. Lucas had apparently tapped into a new area of
his brain. One that was seldom used by the average person and one of
potentially limitless power. Lucas had become psychic.

At first all of the little things people noticed could be explained away. A
cup falling off a table, or papers rustling. Soon though, it became apparent
that more was going on than could be accounted for. Lucas knew who and what
was around him at all times. He seemed to know what others were thinking and
feeling. Since that involved a great deal of discomfiture to most people, it
only served to increase the growing rift between the crew and the boy.
Despite the fact that the crew loved Lucas, they were finding it extremely
uncomfortable being around him. It wasn't until he was seen actually moving
things without his hands though, that Bridger and Westphalen knew they needed
to intercede.

*********************

Nathan placed a call to UEO headquarters. He was put through to Admiral
Noyce.

A hearty "Hello, Nathan," greeted him, along with his friend's smiling face
when he entered his quarters.

"Admiral, we have a problem." Bridger's expression was strained.

"So formal, Nathan. That's not like you."

"That's because the situation is unlike any I've encountered before."

Noyce's smile immediately faded and his demeanour grew more alert. "What
have you got?"

Nathan though for a brief moment about how to explain the situation. "Lucas
woke up from his coma."

Noyce looked surprised. "Well that's great news. I don't see that as a
problem."

Nathan looked his friend in the eye. "I hadn't finished yet." Noyce had the
grace to look slightly ashamed. "He seems to have changed."

Noyce couldn't help but interrupt. "Changed? How?"

Bridger couldn't blame him, so he merely continued. "He appears to be blind,
but he functions as well as if he can see. He also seems to have developed
the ability to move things with his mind." Nathan studied his friend's face,
watching the reaction to his words.

Noyce let out a slow whistle. "Are you sure about this?"

Nathan nodded. "If you count seeing objects floating in mid air as being
sure, then yes, I'm sure."

"I see your problem. You know that if Section Seven gets wind of this,
you'll never see the boy again." Noyce was worried about how he was going
to be able keep the lid on this bit of news.

Nathan nodded. "I know that. Why do you think I called you with this? What
should I do here?"

Noyce looked away, his expression thoughtful. Finally he turned back to the
screen. "I want you to keep this to yourself for a while. Study the boy. See
what he can do. This could be a temporary phenomenon, in which case we should
simply keep quiet. In the meantime, I'll make sure to send you orders for a
long term project......something that will keep seaQuest away from any
interference for a while."

Nathan didn't even try to mask the relief on his face. "Thanks." He hoped
that simple word could convey all he was feeling. He knew Noyce was putting
his career on the line. If word got out, Lucas would simply disappear and
Noyce would lose his admiralty.

"No thanks are necessary, Nathan. I care about the boy too. You just look
out for him and keep me updated."

"You got it." Nathan left the room to find Kristin. They had work to do.

**********************

Working with Lucas was both fascinating and frightening. He was so unlike
the boy they knew. Aside from wearing the teen's facade, they were complete
opposites. While he co-operated fully, he remained distant.

As Kristin watched from behind a protective shield, Lucas blasted a piece of
rock into smithereens, simply by looking at it. She turned from eyeing the
wreckage to study him. His expression never changed as he watched the dust
settle over the rock fragments, although it was hard to tell what was going
on behind his glasses.

His eyes had proved to be a real distraction to the crew, not that Kristin
could blame them. It was uncomfortable to be held by that blank, glowing
gaze. She had tried to be tactful when suggesting to him that he might want
to wear the glasses, but if the request had bothered him, it didn't show.

Kristin was blown away by the power that Lucas seemed to wield so effortlessly.
She had spent a great deal of time with him as he continued his recovery. As
his strength returned, his power seemed to grow. She had set about testing
the boy, trying to determine exactly what changes had taken place.

She had presented him with every challenge she deemed safe, considering that
they were deep under the ocean in a pressurised vehicle. He had wildly
surpassed all of her expectations. His power seemed to have no practical
limits. It could act in a destructive manner, as well as performing the most
delicate of tasks. It's limits seemed to be those within the boy himself.

Aside from testing the scope of his abilities, Lucas was left alone. He no
longer prowled the ship looking for challenges and mischief. Now he merely
retired to his room when not needed. What he did there no-one knew, nor did
they really want to.


***********************

Nathan was called to the bridge unexpectedly, several weeks after Lucas had
awoken from his coma. He was greeted by Commander Ford. "Sir." The Commander
saluted.

Nathan returned the gesture. "You have something for me?"

"Just this, Sir. We finally tracked the destination of the launch that fled
from the rescue site." Ford didn't need to elaborate. Bridger knew which
site was being discussed.

"Do we know anything more?" Nathan was a little hesitant to send the seaQuest
in at the moment. He didn't know what kind of resources the Doctor had. It
could be a base camp, or a temporary hiding place. Until he knew more, he
wanted to monitor the situation.

Ford shook his head. "No, Sir. We just found it now."

"Very well. Monitor all transmissions and traffic in and out. I want to know
who and what we're dealing with there."

"Yes, Sir." Ford turned to carry out his assigned orders.

"No, Sir." Bridger and Ford turned in unison towards the new voice. It was
Lucas.

"Lucas? What are you doing up here? You're supposed to be with Dr. Westphalen."
Nathan didn't care for the look on the boy's face.

"No."

"Lucas?" Nathan walked towards the teen, his hands out in front of him to
show Lucas that he was in no danger.

Lucas reached up and pulled off his glasses, turning that frightening stare
on the Captain. "We are not going to monitor the situation, nor are we
leaving."

Bridger was taken aback. For the first time since emerging from the coma,
Lucas' face was animated. The boy appeared angry. As Nathan studied him
closer, he realised that he was wrong with his first assumption. The teen
wasn't angry, he was furious. "Lucas, I run this ship. I decide what we will
and will not do."

Lucas' calm voice belied his expression. "Not this time, Captain."

Lucas turned his gaze away from the Captain towards the helm. Within seconds
the seaQuest began to move.

Katie looked up and reported. "Sir. We're moving. We're headed closer to the
co-ordinates where the launch docked."

Nathan turned to Lucas, his expression rapidly approaching anger was well.
"Lucas! You will stop this ship."

"I'm sorry, Sir. I can't do that. Now that I know where *he* is, I have to
see this through."

Nathan understood who Lucas meant and could sympathise with the boy wanting
to meet his father, but he couldn't allow such a takeover of his vessel.
Before the Captain could say a word however, Lucas spoke again.

"I know you don't agree with what I'm doing, but please try to understand. I
need to do this and I can't let you or anyone else stop me. The helm is
locked, but I will release it when I have my father." With that, Lucas turned
on his heel and left the bridge, unaware of the stunned looks that followed
him.

Nathan turned back to the task at hand. "Change course, immediately."

" I'm sorry, Sir. Helm won't comply."

Nathan knew that attempting to override Lucas' work was a waste of time at
this point. They had no way of knowing what changes the boy had affected on
the ship. For now, his energies were better spent trying to track the
psychic cannon running loose on his ship. "Commander. Notify Chief Crocker
that Lucas is most likely making his way towards the launch bay. He is to be
detained, but they are to use caution." Nathan started to leave the bridge
but realised he had forgot one important thing. "Please remind them not to
hurt him. Whatever else is happening, he is still Lucas." With that, Bridger
left the bridge.

*******************

Lucas moved straight from the bridge to the launching bay. He was preparing
to board a shuttle when the bay doors opened. Crocker entered the docking
area with several men. All had weapons drawn.

"You can't stop me." Lucas looked at them for a moment before turning his
back on them.

Crocker tried to move towards the teen, but found himself stuck in place.
Judging by the grunts of effort from his men, he realised that he was not
alone in his present predicament. He could only watch helplessly as the
young man entered the launch, completely unable to stop him.

Lucas quickly climbed into a shuttle and moved to the controls. Within
minutes, he had opened the launch doors and was closing the distance between
the ship and his father.

********************

"Dr. Wolenczak. We have a launch approaching. It's not trying to hail us,
but we are definitely its destination." The tech continued to monitor the
progress of the launch.

"Where is it coming from?" Lawrence was worried. He had been waiting for
some retaliation by the UEO, or at least by seaQuest for a while now. He
knew they would not take the death of their young genius lightly. What he
didn't know was why his technician was now reporting the launch as having
only one occupant. As a rule, the launches housed a crew of at least two.
His confusion became even greater when he was told the origin of the
transport.

"Why would seaQuest be sending only one person? It doesn't make any sense."
Lawrence was truly confused. It didn't stand to reason that this was a task
force; that would require greater numbers. He wondered if it was a ploy, but
what would be gained? One person could easily be taken down. He finally
settled on the most obvious course. He would allow the launch to dock and
wait with a team. He would apprehend the pilot and determine his or her
purpose in being here. His course of action decided upon, Lawrence signalled
his men.

When the doors of the launch opened and it's lone occupant emerged, he was
greeted by the sight of six armed men, as well as one Doctor, all waiting
for him.

*******************

Lucas wondered at his actions as he made his way towards his father. He knew
there was something wrong with him. He recognised that his newly found power
was a direct result of the compound his father had given him. He couldn't
forget the pain that injection caused, nor the humiliation of once again
being beaten, this time in front of witnesses. Worse yet were the looks his
friends were treating him to. He had become a sort of pariah in the one
place he had called home.

Still, he wasn't unduly bothered by it. It seemed as though his emotions had
also been affected. He seemed to have traded the capacity to care for the
ability to destroy. He knew that would have appalled him at one time, but
now he only felt indifference. The only time he knew he was actually feeling
anything, was when he thought about his father. At those times only, his
emotions would surface and make themselves felt. He hated his father. He
didn't use to. Until recently he still loved the man. Lucas was so far
removed by the drug from what he used to be, that he didn't recognise the
hate as a new thing. Before the injection, he had been confused in his
emotions. Hate had always been there, but always tempered with love,
confusion and longing. Those emotions had since fled, leaving only the hate.
He hated the life his father had treated him to. He hated the pain and
degradation's, the feelings of uselessness and worst of all, the knowledge
that he was neither wanted, nor loved. Even as he thought about it, he could
feel the rage welling up inside of him, threatening to explode. He took deep,
calming breaths as the launch approached the docking bay. He put his dark
glasses on and finished the docking procedures. Soon he would even the score.
Lucas' time had finally come.

********************

The doors opened and Lucas was greeted by a team of armed men. He had
expected as much and wasn't worried. Unconcernedly he walked out into the
room, watching as the men trained their weapons on him. If they were shocked to see a teenage boy, they did not show it. The only person in the room to be surprised, was Dr. Wolenczak. He thought Lucas had died as a result of the injection he was given. It never occurred to him that the boy might survive, yet here he was, alive and it appeared well. What he didn't know was why Lucas would brave coming alone. He decided to find out. "Hello, Lucas."

"Dad." Lucas appeared to be looking right at him, but with the dark glasses
it was hard to tell.

Lawrence knew he held the upper hand. This was his territory, these were his
men and Lucas wasn't much more than a child. Still, something in the set of
the teen's face scared him. The boy should have been terrified at the thought
of seeing him, yet here he was, calm and composed. "What are you doing here?"

"The better question would be what are you doing here, Dad? Shouldn't you be
in a lab somewhere working on your experiments?" Lucas all but spat out the
last word.

"Lucas. I don't pretend to know why you are here, but I will tell you that
you have made a big mistake. You should have stayed on your nice, safe boat
with your dolphin and that Captain. They seem to like you there, goodness
knows why. Still, you are here and that works for me. You see, I do have a
lab somewhere. Here. You have arrived at a most opportune moment in fact. I
could use someone of your talents." Lawrence nodded at his men.

Before the first man could make a move, Lucas removed his glasses, exposing
those glowing eyes. The men froze for a moment, uncertain in the face of
what they didn't understand. Their training quickly kicked in and regaining
themselves, they once again started to move in. Lucas looked at them. "Oh, I
don't think so." Lucas swept his gaze over the men and all of them flew
backwards, meeting abruptly with the unforgiving steel behind them. All of
the men fell, none moving again. Lucas looked absently at the fallen weapons
which slid across the floor to gather at his feet. Next, he turned to
Lawrence.

Feeling the full weight of those eyes on him caused Lawrence to flinch. He
had never before seen such a display as Lucas had just put on. It was
frightening. More than that, he was chilled by the lack of emotion on his
son's face. Still, the scientist in him couldn't help but marvel at the
power the boy appeared to wield. Sublimating his fear, Lawrence took a step
forward. "Lucas. This is wonderful. Look at you. When did this power
develop? What are its limitations?" Lawrence abruptly took a step back when
Lucas began to form a fist with a previously lax hand.

"Wonderful? What is so wonderful?" Scorn laced the boy's words. "My friends
are afraid of me. Darwin doesn't even want to be near me." Lucas had to
admit that even in his present state, he had felt hurt when his trusted
friend would no longer come near. Darwin seemed especially sensitive to the
changes that had taken place within the boy and he seemed to find them
disturbing. To Lucas, that in itself told him what he needed to do. That
thought prompted his next words. "You and I are going to take a little trip.
A sort of..........father/son outing so to speak." With that, Lucas
indicated that Lawrence should enter the launch.

Knowing it would be foolhardy to resist, the doctor still tried. He was
counting on his relationship with the boy to weigh in his favour. He moved
as though to do as bidden, when he suddenly lunged at the teen. Instead of
connecting with flesh and blood, he slammed into something solid, knocking
the wind out of him. He fell to his knees, gasping to regain his breath
before looking up.

Lucas had a rather smug look on his face. "Are you ready to come quietly, or
shall we play a little first?"

Lawrence drew in a sharp breath. Images of Lucas, lying on the floor begging
for Daddy to stop came into sharp relief. They left him with little doubt as
to what the boy meant as play. Struggling to pull himself up, he nodded his
acquiescence and followed the young man into the launch.

********************

"Captain!" Commander Ford had picked up the signal of the launch.

"Yes, Commander?" Bridger hoped for some good news. He knew that Lucas had
commandeered the launch. He also knew that the boy could have hurt the
security team and choose not to. Now he only hoped that the teen had used
the same discretion on his little outing.

"The launch is returning and we're picking up eight sets of life signs."

Nathan had a pretty good idea who two of those sets belonged to, but he
could only hazard a guess as to the rest. "Get security to the launch bay
then meet me there, Commander." Nathan headed off, not certain as to what he
would find when the launch docked.

********************

Lucas had loaded up Lawrence's men into the launch before departing. He
knew the Captain would recognise some of them as the crew from the rescue
mission and would deal with them accordingly. They were no longer his
primary concern. That distinction was reserved for the man who sat beside
him, staring at the fast approaching seaQuest.

"Now that you have me, what are you going to do with me?" Lawrence was
breathing a little easier now that he knew their destination. He didn't want
to be placed in custody, but looking sideways at his son, he realised it was
by far the easier alternative.

"We are going on a vacation. Just the two of us. I'll drop your men off with
the Captain. He'll see to it that they pay for their crimes, but I've
decided to make it my own personal goal to deal with you. In the
meantime............." Lucas halted the ship and turned her in the water
until they were facing back towards the base they had recently vacated. He
closed his eyes momentarily, then opened them, his thoughts focused within.

Lawrence watched, his curiosity peaked, despite his fear. His unasked
questions were soon answered. The view screen gave them a front row view of
the destruction Lucas had wrought. Lawrence's lab dissolved in violence,
imploding on itself, its contents and secrets destroyed forever. Huge
quantities of ocean were sucked into the void created by the destruction.
The nearby marine life were either dragged along with the chaos, or stunned
by the shockwave.

Turning the launch away from the scene without a word, Lucas resumed course
back to the seaQuest.

Lawrence sagged back into his seat. He couldn't believe what he had just
witnessed. It was all gone. All of his hard work had just disintegrated in
front of him and the person directly responsible was sitting calmly at his
side, unfazed by the damage.

Lawrence was still sitting in his chair, stunned, when the launch docked.
He seemed unaware when the doors opened and Crocker's team moved in to
remove his men. It wasn't until Lucas told him to rise that he finally
snapped out of his fugue and began to evaluate his situation. He knew that
he had to convince Bridger to keep him on the seaQuest. While he might end
up standing trial, he would still have the opportunity to escape and start
over. If his son successfully removed him from the ship, he would never be
heard from again and all of his ideas would die with him. That was an option
he was not prepared to take, given the choice. Besides, his son had
unwittingly provided him with the perfect research subject if he could just
negotiate some sort of deal. He knew as a prisoner he would still be granted
some rights. If he happened to get in touch with a certain Section Seven
operative he knew, they would be unable to stop him. He knew that once the
somewhat, cutting edge group was made aware of his accomplishments and
Lucas' new found power, they would arrange for a father/son reunion more
suited to his tastes. He only hoped that Bridger would be willing to play
into his hand.

He allowed himself to be led into the launch bay by his son and stopped
docilely when Nathan approached.

Bridger stood, arms crossed, unsure of what to do. He understood that Lucas
would be all but impossible to apprehend if the boy chose to fight. He also
knew that none of the captives had been harmed to any degree. What impressed
him most was that Dr. Wolenczak appeared to be uninjured as well. That spoke
to him more than he could say given the sordid history between the two.
Clearing his throat, he decided to sound the boy out. "The Commander
informed me that the station was destroyed."

"Yes, Sir."

"Would you care to explain your reasoning for doing that?"

Lucas looked at his Captain. To him the answer was clear, but apparently he
needed to spell it out. "There was a lab there. They were manufacturing the
compound that was used on me. I couldn't let them do that. That stuff was
too dangerous to allow to surface. So, I destroyed it."

Nathan could understand that. To him, the compound had no redeeming value,
especially given what it had done to the boy in front of him. "Weren't you
worried about it contaminating the surrounding area?"

Lucas was now looking mildly annoyed. "I caused an *im*plosion. Not an
*ex*plosion." Lucas said the words slowly and clearly as though talking to a
child. "The compound and everything else would have caved in on itself.
There was no danger. I also made sure that the lab was completely void of
life. I'm not a murderer, Captain."

Nathan winced at the words. "I know you're not, Lucas. I also know you did
what you had to do. Still, you have to understand that there will be some
ramifications to your actions."

"Actually, Sir, there won't. I'm not planning on staying here."

"Lucas, I can't let you leave again." Nathan was feeling a sense of panic
wash over him. He knew he couldn't stop the boy if he really wanted to leave,
so he thought quickly, trying to figure out what to say to appeal to the boy's
emotions. "We need you here, Lucas. We need your help and your expertise."
Seeing the blasé expression on the teen's face, he changed tact. "You have
to stay to testify. We won't be able to convict those men without you."

"You have enough information, Captain. The whole rescue team saw them."

"What about your father? Aren't you going to stay for his trial?"

"Actually, Captain. I was planning on taking him with me."

"Lucas, I can't allow that. He has to stand trial." Nathan knew he needed to
let the boy know his other reason for wanting him to stay. "I also want you
to stay. I love you, Lucas and I can't bear the thought of you being
somewhere out there, all alone."

For the first time, a hint of indecisiveness showed in the teen's eyes.

Lawrence decided that if he was going to get away from his son, now was the
time. He started to run over to the Captain, needing to be within the man's
circle of influence. He knew Lucas would not hurt the man and would hopefully
not harm anyone in his vicinity.

His hope was short lived however as he found himself suspended in the air,
inches above the ground with an invisible hand, iron tight on his throat. He
gasped, trying to drag air past that suffocating grip. His hands flew to his
throat, trying to break the grip, but there was nothing there to grab. His
free legs were kicking wildly, trying to find some purchase, but there was
nothing there to help him.

Nathan took in the scene. Lawrence was hanging in the air, trying hard to
breath and Lucas was standing there, perfectly calm. "Lucas! Put him down!"

"No."

"You can't do this. You'll kill him." Nathan could see the red wash creeping
over Lawrence's face and noticed the weakening of his struggles. If he
didn't get air soon, he would die. "Lucas, as your Captain and more
importantly, as your friend, I'm asking you to stop."

Lucas looked over at Nathan, anger and pain in his eyes. "Don't you
understand, Captain? He could have loved me, but he didn't. Instead, he
*hurt* me, over and over again. He had the power of life and death over me
and he never hesitated to show it."

Nathan felt his heart break when he heard those words. He understood why
Lucas felt the way he did. He had sat with the boy on many occasions after
he woke, distraught from his nightmares. "Lucas..........I know what he did,
but you have to think about what you are doing now. This time it's you that
has the power. It's you that can make the choice whether to hurt or not.
It's up to you to decide what kind of person you want to be. Do you want to
be Lucas, the boy we know and love, or do you want to be your father's son?"

Lucas turned his gaze upon Bridger. His expression was haunted. "I don't
know what to do." His voice was soft, not much more than a whisper. For the
first time since his ordeal began, he could feel.

"Yes, you do, Lucas. You don't need me to make this decision for you. You
know in your heart what's right." Nathan was worried. His Lucas wouldn't
need to ask for help in this, but his Lucas wasn't there any more. A stranger
had taken his place; a stranger with incredible power. Even as he thought
that, a shiver ran unbidden down his spine.

Lucas' eyes widened as he caught the Captain's action. He tried to ignore
the implications of that movement, but couldn't. His emotions suddenly
kicked in with brute force and he staggered under the weight of them. His
friend, ally and surrogate father was afraid of him; of what he had become
and of what he could do. That simple act decided his father's fate. He
refused to become the monster others saw him as. Lucas turned to Lawrence,
eyes blazing in a fiery blue glow. "I choose to be Lucas!" His voice echoed
off the steel walls, causing it to sound louder and more powerful than it
was. With a glance, he released the mental grip he held on his father's
throat, then with an action resembling an absent swat, he threw the man head
over heels into the bulkhead. He was already heading towards the Captain
when his father fell in a heap on the deck.

Nathan watched as Lucas walked past him, his blue eyes appearing flat, dead.
He reached out his hand to grab the boy's shoulder, but his hand was
prevented from connecting. Lucas held him at bay as he exited the room.

Bridger hit his PAL and called for a medical team to come and tend to
Lawrence. Leaving the watching Commander to deal with the situation, he left
to find Lucas. He had no idea of the boy's mental state, but was grateful
that the teen had made the choice that he had. Nathan had honestly been
unsure which route Lucas would choose.

**********************

Lucas headed to the lab where he knew the compound that caused all this was
being synthesised. He moved rapidly, determined to carry out his plan. He
looked slowly inside the door, checking for any personnel that might be
working. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he found no one there, not
that they could have stopped him. He moved quickly to the cooler where the
ship's supply of the compound was kept. The drug had proven difficult to
synthesise and little had been reproduced. As of yet, no testing for an
antidote had started. Lucas grabbed the vial containing the entire supply.
Moving quickly to prevent rethinking his course of action, he moved to the
equipment cabinet. Keying in his code, the door opened. Lucas grabbed a
syringe and promptly began filling it.

He drew up a measure, studied it for a moment then drew more. He loaded the
entire ship's supply into that needle. He wanted the job done right, no
mistakes. Again he acted with haste. He wanted no interruptions and no time
to second guess himself. He knew he was doing the right thing. Taking a deep
breath, he plunged the needle into his thigh and depressed the plunger.

*******************

Nathan hurried down the corridors of his ship, looking for Lucas. He didn't
know why, but his instincts warned him to hurry. He had learned over the
years to trust them and this time was no different. Without thinking about
the direction he was taking, he found himself heading for the lab.
Subconsciously he had an inkling of the boy's intentions. He rounded the
corner just in time to see Lucas withdraw the needle from his leg. "Lucas!
My God, what have you done?" Bridger looked on, horrified. He watched the
syringe fall unheeded from the boy's hand.

"Stay back, Captain." Lucas understood that he had to finish the job before
it was too late. He knew that notes had been taken and results recorded with
respect to the drug. While there remained no actual amounts of the compound,
the recorded knowledge of it still existed. He had to destroy the evidence
while he still could. Closing his eyes briefly against the growing reactions
of his body, he focused his mind. When he opened them again, he was in
control ......barely.

As Nathan watched, the lab erupted into a fury of action. The air swirled
and sparked with electricity. Equipment began to explode sending shrapnel
flying in all directions. He found himself dodging the shards that shot
towards him. Finally he took refuge out in the hallway, waiting for the
storm to subside.

Lucas stood still, watching as the lab was destroyed. Like a hurricane, he
was the eye in the centre of this storm. He smiled, a grim, humourless smile
before he allowed the storm to calm. Nothing of the work remained and his
job was complete. Feeling the effects as the compound began to hit with full
force, he found himself sagging into the wall, his body shaking and his
energy spent.

Nathan cautiously looked into the now quiet room. He couldn't believe the
damage. The room was destroyed, its contents obliterated. He didn't know how
or if it could be restored. As he looked towards the weakened boy in the
corner, he suddenly realised that was the least of his worries.

Lucas was leaning heavily against the wall, looking like he might collapse
at any moment. His breathing was rapid and his pale skin was beaded in sweat.
As Nathan looked on, the teen slid down to the deck, his knees bending up to
meet his chest. His blue eyes shone with tears of regret and pain as his body
began to shiver, violently. He turned his gaze to meet Bridger's. "I'm
sorry, Captain. I had to do this."

Nathan made his way into the room, dodging broken glass and debris, and
pounded on the intercom mounted near the door. "Medical emergency in the
science lab!" That task accomplished, he moved towards the teen. He sunk to
the floor and grabbed the boy in his arms. "Why, Lucas? Why would you hurt
yourself this way?" He had seen the syringe before it was destroyed. It
didn't take much to figure out what the boy had done. The question was why.

"I had to end it. I had to take it with me. Don't you see?" Lucas' words
came out slowly, slightly slurred as the drug increased its hold. "I'm not
Lucas anymore. I haven't been since the rescue. Lucas died there. I'm just
going to join him." Tears slipped from those intense blue eyes before they
drifted shut.

"Lucas.........No!" Nathan couldn't believe what was happening. He rocked
the boy in his strong arms, hugging him closely to his chest; willing with
all his might for the boy to be okay. "Lucas, you can't leave me. I love you.
I need you and I think you need me. If you leave me, what happens then? I'd
have to bury another son and I can't bear that thought." Nathan stroked the
hair away from Lucas' brow, watching his face for any signs of recognition.
He was unaware of the words as they tumbled from his mouth. He only knew
that he couldn't lose this gentle soul he held in his arms.

On and on he crooned. "I love you too much to lose you, Lucas. You have to
fight. You have to find the will to live. There are so many people here who
love you. Don't let them down. Don't let yourself down."

Nathan tightened his grip and held the boy closer, unable to come to grips
with what had happened. He sat there, pleading, listening to Lucas'
breathing grow shallow and weak. He didn't understand what was happening. He
had lost one son, only to gain another. That son had almost been taken from
him, but had miraculously been returned. Now he was in the process of losing
him again. It was too much.

So caught up was he in his grief that he never felt the gentle hands that
pulled the boy from his grasp. Nor did he feel the sting of the sedative
being discreetly administered into his arm. All he knew as he drifted into
darkness was that he was alone again.

*******************

Dimly, from somewhere in the maelstrom that was his mind, Lucas heard, or
rather, felt, the love being sent his way. For long moments he hung
indecisively, trying to decide whether to surrender to the blackness that
surrounded him, or to actively seek out that love. Finally, curiosity won.
He made his way slowly through the tangles of his mind. Memories and logic
hung in tatters, creating a sense of wanton destruction. Forging his way
through the mess, he found he was better able to understand the sensations
he was feeling. He felt a strong presence nearby. A presence that was
willing him back with words and feelings. Unable to see, he was still able
to understand that the presence had him cocooned in a warm, caring embrace.
He fought harder against the blackness to make out the words his brain was
struggling to process. As he listened, he was stuck by a sensation so
profound, it took his breath away. Lucas wanted to live.

********************

Bridger woke up to find himself in the medbay, lying on a bed near to Lucas.
He sat up suddenly as the memory of what happened came flooding back. He
didn't have time to call out before Kristin was at his side taking his pulse.

"How do you feel?" She was worried about how he was handling things. She had
never seen him so upset as she had when he was found with Lucas cradled in
his arms.

Nathan just ignored her query and came back with one of his own. "How is he?"

Kristin sighed. She knew that the question would come, she had just hoped he
might have waited at least a minute before asking. "I'm not sure, to be
honest. His brain waves are all over the place. We've also had a few scares.
His heart stopped twice but we managed to get him back. For now though, he
seems to be holding his own. We can only keep a close eye on him and hope
that continues."

It was Nathan's turn to sigh. "What's his prognosis?"

Kristin turned to look at the still form before shifting her gaze back to
the Captain. "I wish I knew. This seems to be a repeat of the last time he
was given the drug. We know what happened then. What a second exposure will
do to him is out of my range of expertise. In fact, all of this is." She
looked Nathan in the eyes, her concern apparent. "All we can do is treat him
physically and hope for the best."

"It's not much of answer."

Kristin nodded in agreement. "It's the best one I can give."

***********************

**Lucas looked around at the shambles of his mind. "Okay Lucas. You can do
this. You can fix this. Just think computers. The biggest, most technical
computer you've ever seen." Lucas sniggered at that one. Who was he kidding?
How could he compare his brain to a computer. Actually, he knew he could.
The brain was simply an organic computer, albeit the most technologically
advanced one ever. Still, it worked on similar principals of data entry and
processing. His job was merely to sort out the wiring problems created by
the drug. Merely. Lucas snorted again. He looked around him, feeling
incredibly overwhelmed. He had no clue where to begin. The task wasn't going
to be difficult, it would be monumentally difficult. Sighing heavily, Lucas
reached to his right and grabbed the first thing he encountered. He knew
from hacking that the first step was merely that, and the job wasn't done
until it was finished. With that thought, he got to work.**

******************

Bridger was once again sitting by Lucas' side, as he had for the better part
of the last three weeks since the boy was brought back in. When he had
needed to leave to attend to his duties, or to grab the scant amount of rest
he was allowing himself, then someone else would take over.

Between himself, Kristin and the rest of the senior staff, they had seen to
it that Lucas was never alone.

For his part, Lucas was hanging on. He had yet to wake up, but his body was
continuing to function fairly well. An EKG monitor beeped steadily at his
side, its rhythm somewhat reassuring. The nasal cannula hissed continuously
under his nose, providing him with easy access to enriched oxygen. An IV saw
to his fluid intake, while the tube snaking into his left nostril kept him
fed. Even still, he was losing weight, making him seem smaller and younger
than ever. He hadn't moved since being brought in; not even his eyelids had
flickered. His brain function was still erratic and Kristin was in the dark
as to his prognosis. All she could tell the crew was that he seemed to be in
some sort of coma. She informed the crew that recovered coma patients had
reported hearing the voices of loved ones. Since that time, there was always
someone at his bedside, talking to him, reading to him or simply bringing
him up to date on the newest gossip.

**********************

**Remind me never to do this again!" Lucas grumbled to himself as he sat in
a tangle of neurones and synapses. "What a mess. Whoever designed the brain
should have talked to me first. I never would have gone with a system like
this. Too much room for error."

Lucas had been working non stop since undertaking his task. Time held no
meaning in this place. Lucas felt no hunger, thirst or fatigue. There was no
day or night, nor was he aware of the passage of time. He simply was. The
job he was doing was all encompassing, requiring all of his skill and
intuition. He had never before been so challenged and suspected he never
would be again. This was like the ultimate game, Lucas versus himself, and
he knew he had to win.

He grabbed the next bundle and resumed his task of tracing connections,
fixing breaks and rerouting damaged circuits. It was tedious and time
consuming, but it was getting done, one thread at a time.**

*********************

Lucas was in the fourth week of his coma. The crew had begun to despair of
him ever waking up. In the meantime, life had gone on. Dr. Wolenczak had
been turned over to the proper authorities, as well as his hired help. The
seaQuest was finishing up its newest assignment and awaiting orders.

Nathan was sitting in front of the vidscreen in his room, arguing with
Admiral Noyce. "I can't do that. Just give it a little more time, please."

Noyce looked at the man in front of him with a heavy heart. He would like to
have honoured Nathan's request, but the orders had come from higher up. "I'm
sorry, Nathan. My orders were, that if Lucas hadn't come out of his coma by
the time you docked for supplies, that he was to be removed from the ship
and moved to a long term care facility. You've just told me that he hasn't
woken, nor is he likely to any time soon. He's tying up the ships resources
and the UEO is adamant that he is leaving the seaQuest." Noyce felt extremely
guilty but knew he didn't have a choice, nor did Bridger. There was no way
around the order. If Lucas didn't wake up, then he was gone.

Nathan looked at his long time friend for a moment. He knew the Admiral
would change things if he could. "Look, just do me a small favour. Just give
me one more day."

Noyce looked on, pity in his eyes. "It won't change anything, Nathan."

"I know that, but it does give me one more day to say good-bye." Nathan's
throat began to tighten as he said the words.

"All right, my friend. One day, but that's the best I can do." With that,
the screen went blank, Noyce understanding his friend's need for privacy.

Nathan sat a while in front of the dark screen, a myriad of thoughts running
through his brain. Finally, he pushed his chair back and left his room. He
needed to go see the boy who had laid claim to his heart.

When he arrived, he noticed Katie had taken up the vigil. She was holding
Lucas' hand. So still was its owner that it's warmth was the only indicator
of life.

Katie gave the Captain a quick nod of greeting before she stood and vacated
her seat. Bridger watched her leave before taking her place alongside the
boy. He too picked up the limp hand, holding it in his own strong one. He
squeezed it gently, alerting Lucas to his presence. "Well, buddy. It's just
you and me again. I've got something to tell you and it's not easy." Nathan
took a deep breath before plunging in. "Okay, here goes. Admiral Noyce
called today. They want you off the ship until you wake up. I don't want
this to happen. I don't want you away from me. Who knows what kind of trouble
you'll get into when I'm not there to keep an eye on you." Nathan ruffled
the tousle of blond hair the fell into Lucas' face. "So, the deal is that
you wake up now, so I can tell the UEO where to put their idea. Seem fair?"

If Nathan was expecting some sign of Lucas' return to consciousness, he
would be disappointed. The teen never bat an eye. The only sound heard was
the monotonous beeping of the monitor at the boy's side. The Captain quelled
his feelings of disappointment. He had known deep down that his few words
wouldn't be able to break through a month of coma. Still, he had hoped. He
sat for a while longer, but finally felt the pressing need to go and see
Darwin. Sitting with the dolphin always made him feel closer to Lucas and he
thought the same held true for the loveable mammal.

Nathan took his time walking, wanting to clear his thoughts. Finally, he sat
alongside the moonpool and slapped the water to signal Darwin. He didn't
need to wait long before the familiar, streamlined silver body swam up to
greet him. "Hello, Darwin."

"Where Lucas?" It was a familiar refrain. Darwin had been asking daily about
the boy. He seemed to be having a hard time understanding what was happening
with his favourite teen.

"Lucas is still sick, Darwin. That's what I wanted to talk to you about.
Lucas has to leave the ship."

"Why?" Even the emotionless vocorder seemed able to convey the sadness in
that question.

"Why indeed, Darwin." Bridger fell silent as he thought about how to answer
that. He didn't really understand it himself. Here they could provide the
medical care that Lucas still needed, as well as the emotional support so
important to the boy's recovery. They couldn't give him that at a care
facility. The more Nathan thought about the order, the more ludicrous it
seemed. "You know, Darwin? I don't know why, but I do think I'm going to try
to find out." With that he got up and began making his way to the wardroom.
He had some issues to hash over with his superiors.

******************

**Lucas was finally finished. The system seemed to be working. The computer
was running and there were no apparent flaws that he could detect. He smiled
in satisfaction. "Well, that was fun. So, now what?" He sat in the darkness
waiting for an answer. Gradually it dawned on him that none would be
forthcoming. He might be finished his task, but he was still alone.

He sat, lost in thought for a long time, trying to figure out what had
happened to him, and what was still happening. He began to feel frightened.
He had not noticed his loneliness while he was working, but with his
attention no longer distracted, he keenly felt the emptiness of this place.
He climbed stiffly to his feet and began to look around him, hoping to find
a way out.

He wandered in the dark, stumbling over his own feet while crying tears of
despair. He wanted someone to come and find him.......to take him home. He
finally crumbled in a heap, sobbing piteously. It took some time, but
finally the tears began to dry. For the first time since he had arrived in
this place, Lucas felt tired. He lay down, tucking his arm under his head to
pillow it. He closed his eyes and prepared to sleep.**

*******************

Kristin was checking on Lucas' vitals. His blood pressure was the same as it
had been for the past few weeks, but the pulse she was checking in his wrist
was running a little slower. While the same information was being relayed
electronically, she still preferred to take a manual reading. It made her
feel more connected to the boy and she hoped her touch provided him with
some measure of comfort. As she checked, she could feel it weakening.
Stunned, she tried to figure out what it meant, besides the obvious. She
quickly scanned his chart, making sure he had received his meds. and that
all of her instructions had been followed. All was in order. Next she
checked his IV and the feeding tube. Both were as they should be. Kristin
knew what was happening. She just hoped the truth she was seeing wasn't real.

Losing all sense of logic and propriety, Kristin grabbed Lucas by the
shoulders and shook the boy. "Damn you, Lucas, wake up. Don't you do this.
Don't you dare do this to us. If you can't wake up for you, wake up for the
Captain. He loves you. We all love you."

Horrified at what she was doing, Kristin released Lucas and took his wrist
again. This time the pulse was non existent and the nearby monitor began to
squeal.

***********************

**Lucas was almost asleep when something began disturbing his rest. He waved
his hand absently, trying to shoo the distraction away. It persisted and he
gradually, reluctantly began to wake.**

*******************

Nathan was halfway down the hall when the page came for him over the intercom.
"Captain Bridger. Please report to the medbay."

The message hadn't had time to be repeated before Nathan, fearing the worst,
had turned an about-face and was on his way.

**************************

It was a winded Bridger who came barrelling into the infirmary. He didn't
know how many crew he had knocked out of his way in his haste to get to
Lucas. He hadn't needed to be told that the summons was concerning the teen.
He figured the apologies could wait, but the boy couldn't.

Nathan had envisioned all sorts of worst case scenarios as he ran. What he
didn't expect was the sight that greeted him. His mind absently took in the
smiling face of Kristin Westphalen as she sat in his customary chair. What
his eyes took in was the incredible sight of one Lucas Wolenczak, sitting
propped up in a hospital bed with his eyes open and a grin on his face. For
Nathan it was a heart stopping moment. He didn't think he had ever been so
happy to see another human being before.

Lucas' grin grew larger as he took in the dumbfounded expression on the
Captain's face. "So, did you miss me?" he croaked through a throat
unaccustomed to speaking after so long.

"Oh, you bet!" Bridger covered the distance between them in huge strides
before bending to sweep the boy into a hug.

No words passed between the two. None needed to. They understood each other
perfectly. Finally Nathan released the teen, helping him to settle back
into his pillows. Kristin had moved away to observe without interfering, so
Nathan once again lowered himself into the familiar seat. Wordlessly he took
up that slim hand and held it within his own. He studied those eyes that had
been closed for far too long, pleased to see the Lucas he knew once again in
those twinkling blue depths. Gone was that eerie reminder of what had been
done to the boy. He didn't know how the change had come about. He also knew
that he might never find out. One thing he did know was that his son had
come back to him. The two sat that way for a long time, hand in hand, father
and son reunited.

Behind them, the silver body and smiling face of Darwin swam by, chattering
a greeting.

Lucas had come home.

************************
************************
************************