Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 21 January...
Disclaimer: "SeaQuest DSV" and "SeaQuest 2032" are the property of Amblin Entertainment and are used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.
"Drinking Her Goodbye"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'
Wolanczek Family Mansion,
Oahu, Hawai'i,
June 10, 2033
Ensign Lucas Wolanczek looked down at the glass in his hand for a moment before downing half the contents in one gulp. If his father had still been alive, the senior Wolanczek would probably have words for his son drinking a 1982 vintage from one of the vineyards affected by the Chernobyl meltdown a few years latter like it was a can of diet soda.
Lucas scoffed to himself, "Unfortunately for him, he's dead or gone just like everyone else is..."
The Captain... no, he wasn't The Captain anymore, he was just Bridger and he had gone back to his island, running away from his problems and using his grandson and son as an excuse, again. Maybe it was the effects of the wine, but part of Lucas was starting to think it would be funny if Robert did return and the first thing he did was lecture Bridger about using him as an excuse to always run away from the rest of the world.
Doctor Westphalen and Chief Crocker had both died while he was in stasis, old age of all things taking both of them, Lucas had gone to their graves during a shore-leave to pay his respects, and he could never get a hold of Ben, the former con-man-slash-supply officer-turned-revolutionary didn't exactly have a clear line of communication or way for others to find him - it was too dangerous for him in what he was doing now - and Katie Hitchcock had died as well, the year after SeaQuest had disappeared, in an accident on board the HR Clinton...
"A stupid way to die for someone with so much potential," Lucas couldn't help observing, "Careless and stupid, disappointing..."
Then Doctor Smith and Miguel hadn't made it back from Hyperion, casualties of somebody else's war, and while the crew was still recovering from that, the Captain had...
'No,' Lucas shook his head, 'I've covered him already, haven't I?'
"If Chief Crocker were still alive," Lucas commented to the empty study, "He's probably have something to say about SeaQuest being cursed... Way too many people who've served on her have died, all of them, Brody... Fredericks..."
Fredericks; Lieutenant, j.g., J.J. Fredericks...
'The latest victim of SeaQuest's curse,' Lucas thought, swirling the contents of the glass in his hand before he gulped the rest of it down.
Setting the glass on the table, he reached for the bottle to refill it only to see a hand move the bottle out of his reach. Following the hand to the arm, up to the shoulder until he could see the face, Lucas slid his chair back from the desk and was about to stand up when the other person cut him off.
"Stand easy, Ensign," Captain Oliver Hudson instructed him, "You're a hard man to find, Mister Wolanczek."
Lucas pulled his chair back up to the desk and waved for Hudson to have a seat in one of the chairs across from him, "Well, Captain, that could be because I didn't want to be found."
"So I guess," Hudson replied, "Normally you have to be ordered off the boat; this time you were gone as soon as we reached shore."
Lucas looked at the bottle almost longingly, "I didn't care to spend time in the brig for striking a fellow officer, so I left the boat before I was tempted."
"Ah," the Captain nodded, "Lieutenants O'Neill and Kimura, I take it."
"Yes, sir."
"Ensign," Hudson looked at him with piercing eyes, "Was there something between you and Fredericks?"
"No," Lucas started, then he stopped and corrected himself, "Yes, there was friendship... and respect.. and some understanding, too, I guess. We could talk to each other, we shared some interests, we were the youngest people on the boat; take your pick of reasons."
Lucas picked up his empty glass and looked at it, "Did you know, Captain; we were actually working together on a new subfighter design when we were off-duty? My background in designing the Stinger and her experience in piloting them, it probably would've been a good subfighter..."
"Not at first," Hudson answered, "I found her notes on the project when I was securing her quarters... along with some other things. Part of the reason I'm here."
Lucas cocked his head to the side, "Sir?"
Reaching down beside the chair he was sitting in, Hudson lifted up a briefcase and sat it on the desk, opening it before turning it around to face Lucas.
"Freddy's notes on your subfighter and some other things she wanted you to have, Wolanczek," Hudson explained, "However you felt about her, I think she felt the same way about you. Regs aside, you two probably would've been good for each other and if you ever bring that up, I'll deny ever having said it."
Lucas carefully closed the briefcase, "Thank you, Captain, I'll look at it later, in private."
Hudson nodded and stood up, reaching into the pocket of his civilian slacks, "One other thing, Wolanczek.."
Reaching out, Hudson laid a pair of Lieutenant, j.g. rank insignia on the closed briefcase, "I expect to see you in proper uniform when you report back for duty, Lieutenant... and take good care of those pips, they were Fredericks, I thought you should have them."
Without any further comment or goodbye, Hudson turned and left the room, leaving Lucas to stare after him for a moment until his eyes drifted down to Freddy's old insignia. He hadn't lied, there hadn't been anything between them... but there could've been, if it hadn't been for Tim and his girlfriend, and now he was going to be stuck wearing a reminder of what might have been. Stretching across the desk, Lucas retrieved the bottle with his free hand and refilled his glass to the brim before setting the bottle down rather firmly on the desk.
Looking into the liquid in his glass, Lucas swore, "Damn him."
Then he gulped down half the glass again.