Okay, so maybe the thing with the hand-signals was a bit much. Or maybe not. I don't know. I just hope that Noyce doesn't call me on it. The last thing I need is to get in his bad books. Dad would be rather disappointed at that. He wants me to behave myself on this little stint, just so that he can have one more tick in the UEO's good books...
Maybe that's a little harsh. I mean, he's been working really hard to pull off this World Power Project, it's something he's dedicated a lot of his life towards. I know how focussed I was when the vocorder project really started to get moving; it's probably the same way he feels about this, but...
It's been years, now, and he's still at it.
It's kind of depressing to know that your own father would prefer to spend time with a bunch of power lines than with you. Still. At least he has a half-decent excuse. I doubt Mom even remembers I exist.
That hurts.
I don't want to think about it. Kind of hard when people keep reminding me about it, though.
The very first thing I heard when I stepped onboard seaQuest was "Where are your parents, kid?" I nearly broke my promise to Dad about not causing trouble right there and then, and to hell with the consequences. But I didn't. I just showed the guy my ID, waited for the 'this-kid-actually-has-clearance' look to hit his face, and then walked straight on by. It wasn't the most promising of beginnings, but it beat the interview with Professor Harding hands down.
Dad was really disappointed in me after Harding yelled at him for my 'behaviour problems'. The 'd' word strikes again. I can think of a lot of 'd' words to associate with my relationship with Dad. If you can call it that.
Disappointment. Disappearances. Depression. Dissidence. Dysfunctional.
I could go on.
I don't want to go on. I want it to stop. I want to be with him. Instead, he dumped me here.
SeaQuest. A military submarine. Oh, excuse me: a research and exploration vessel that just happens to have a significant amount of military personnel and equipment. Yeah, right. It's kinda cool, in a way - but also scary. I don't think Dad listened much past the 'research' part when he was talking to Noyce about it, two months back. I did. The seaQuest wouldn't be armed like it is if the UEO weren't expecting those weapons to be necessary. I'm not too keen on being there when they are. I like to swim, but not at however-many feet below the surface.
Two months. Doesn't seem like very long, and yet it does.
I wonder if Admiral Noyce is having second thoughts about having me here. If Bridger doesn't stay, will he kick me off of seaQuest? The deal we made was just for me to try and convince him to be remain here onboard seaQuest as its Captain. I don't know what'll happen to me if Bridger goes.
I can guess, though.
I want to stay. I want him to stay, too. I want...
I don't know.
After talking with Noyce, I went looking for information on the illustrious Captain Nathan Bridger, and I rather liked what I saw. He was navy, but with a good grounding in science; in short, just the kind of captain this boat needs - a referee for Commander Ford and Dr. Westphalen. It was also pretty obvious why Noyce was so willing to strike a deal about me being on seaQuest. He may be an Admiral, but he isn't exactly subtle.
Bridger had left the navy behind after his son was killed in action, hiding away on some Caribbean island with his wife. She was into dolphins, in a big way, and the two of them had been working on a communications project, something along the lines of the vocorder, I guess.
Then she died.
I can't say I really know what it is to lose someone so close, but it had a rather drastic effect on him. In just a couple of years, he'd gone from one of NORPAC's finest to beach hermit. Of course, they couldn't just let such a valuable asset swim with his dolphin and do topographical studies for the rest of his life...
I wonder how Noyce managed to get him off that island. I already know how he plans to keep him off it, at least partially: one boy-sized genius with an invention that allows him to communicate with his dolphin friend.
How obvious can you get?! About all they haven't found a substitute for is his wife! Of course, that might only be a matter of time...
At least he liked the vocorder. The expression on his face when he realised that it really was Darwin speaking to him - I love seeing that look. I'll never get tired of it. It just seems to make it all that much more worthwhile. People who've worked with dolphins using those hand-signals generally react in such a manner. Either that, or they're really pissed off. Not about the fact that the vocorder exists, of course - rather, they're angry that I'm the one who developed it. Well, excuse me for being young. There's not exactly much I can do about it - and it's not like I haven't already done something about it.
As far as the people on seaQuest are concerned, I'm fifteen years old, almost sixteen. Pretty young, in their eyes. I've already had Dr. Westphalen give me what I can only assume must be a 'maternal' lecture about my place on this boat. I don't want to know how much worse it would be if she ever found out that I'm a year younger than it says in my records. Probably a good thing I just finished a growth spurt before I came.
I hate being treated like a kid, or like some kind of freak. I hate being treated differently from everyone else. I may be different, but it's not like everyone else is churned out from the same mould, either.
Maybe they'll actually take me seriously, here.
Yeah, right. Like that's likely to happen.
It's possible, though, I guess... The crew don't seem to be all that bad. Maybe once I've been around for a bit it'll get better. As long as I don't stuff up like I did with Professor Harding...
He deserved it, though.
This time, I'll make things work out. I have to - because I'm not all that keen on finding out just what comes after 'submarine' on my father's list of 'places-to-stow-trouble-making-sons'.
So if I stop making trouble...
Who am I kidding? It'll find me anyway.
But I can try.
March 2000
[Storytime][Fanfics][rhionae@hotmail.com]