Chapter 1

Nathan Bridger was mad, steaming mad, as he paced the same path around the table in the Ward Room. On the vid-screen in front of him was General Reginald Thomas, current head of the North American Confederation military.

"I understand your frustration, Captain, but it is of the utmost importance that seaQuest be the one to bring in these scientists."

Nathan took too large a sip of his coffee and winced when it burned its way down his throat. After the night he'd had, he really wasn't in the mood to play military games – or use his boat to run errands.

"SeaQuest isn't a taxi service, General."

"Secretary General McGath has loaned seaQuest to me for the next few days, Captain. You have your instructions as to what to do with your passengers and their cargo once they arrive."

General Thomas wasn't going to budge on this and Nathan knew it; knew it by the tone of his voice and his rigid stance. Nathan was annoyed that he couldn't refuse the order. He missed the days where he could at least get a bit more information out of the man ordering him to do things he didn't want to do. He missed his old friend Bill Noyce right about now.

But he wasn't about to give up. Not yet. "Damnit, General, if those scientists are carrying some cargo that could be harmful to my crew, I need to know."

Nathan wanted to slap the man for rolling his eyes so smugly. "Oh, Bridger, it isn't anything so dramatic. They're bringing research samples -"

Nathan stopped his pacing and stared at the vid-screen, hands on his hips. "I'm picking them up from inside the South American Confederation's 12 mile border, twenty thousand feet beneath the surface of the ocean and I'm being dramatic?"

"Their work is classified."

"General, please, everything surrounding these people is classified." Nathan folded his arms across his chest. "I wasn't born yesterday. There's something you're not telling me."

Thomas leaned forward and stared hard at Nathan. "Their research is being used in a high profile trial and therefore we need them escorted by the most powerful boat in the waters."

Nathan kept his surprise contained. "The UEO/ South American Confederation trial?"

General Thomas shrugged. "Just make sure the Confederation doesn't know you're there."

Nathan ground his jaw in frustration. "What aren't you telling me?"

General Thomas glanced over and nodded to someone off screen before returning his attention to Bridger. "You've got their names. Just get them here as soon as possible."

Nathan opened his mouth to say something more but the vid-screen flicked off. He carefully set his mug on the table and growled at the dark screen. "Argh, sometimes I think Kristin was justified in her disdain for the military."

The sounds of splashing drew Wendy Smith, seaQuest's current chief medical officer, onto sea deck. At least, that's what she'd tell them if they asked. In reality, she'd heard from the science staff that usually occupied the area that the three needed to go. The deck would be off limits as soon as those scientists arrived.

She crossed her arms over her chest and watched from the doorway as Lucas and Tony played fetch with Darwin.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Lucas called over Darwin's insistent splashing. "You two can hold your breath longer than I can!"

Tony Piccolo, part of the UEO's prisoner transfer program assigned to seaQuest, stood up and pointed to his sides. The gills implanted there sucked greedily at the air. "Maybe you should get yerself some a these, then, huh?"

"Man-fish," Darwin's synthesized voice was translated from the vo-coder to the speakers surrounding the pool.

Wendy could see Lucas grimace when he looked down at Piccolo's side. She still found it difficult to believe that Tony had willingly allowed himself to be experimented on just to get out of prison early.

The doctor smiled when she heard Lucas say, "Uh, no thanks. I like my body just the way it is."

Tony shrugged his shoulders and then dove down into the pool to fetch the weighted ball they'd been tossing back and forth.

"Hey you three." Wendy took this lull in their play to deliver the bad news. "Playtime is over."

"Doctor play?" Darwin asked, his unending smile tipped upward toward the new arrival.

Wendy smiled kindly at the dolphin. She didn't much like to swim. "Not today, Darwin."

"We're off duty, Doctor, why's we gotta go?" Tony asked as he walked toward them carrying the weighted ball.

"We're nearing the pickup point for those scientists and their cargo. Captain Bridger has designated sea deck and the cabins closest to it theirs for the duration of their stay."

"Darwin meet new people?" It was difficult not to smile. She often wondered if the vo-coder was translating tone properly. If it was, that dolphin was always extremely cheerful.

"Afraid not, boy," Lucas rubbed Darwin's head, his melon, as the scientists called it. "They're special. Most of us won't even get to meet them."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Tony lifted himself effortlessly over the side of the pool. "Cap won't even tell us what's going on."

"I'm sure he would if he could, Tony," Wendy intoned with a sigh. But in truth, she didn't know much more than anyone else and it grated on her nerves. She'd have to find a way to talk to the captain before they picked up the scientists. As chief medical officer, it was rare to be kept so out of the loop about incoming scientists bringing unidentified cargo aboard.

"Yeah, well I don't like it one bit," Tony grumbled.

Lucas' personal communication device chirped and the teen pulled himself out of the pool.

"Yes?"

"Lucas, I need you in the wardroom, please," came Bridger's voice. It sounded strained and just a little bit stressed, which concerned Wendy even further.

"Be right there." Lucas clicked off the communicator and wrapped a towel around his neck. "I'll see ya later, Darwin."

"Bye." This time, Wendy noted, the tone was flat.

Nathan Bridger and Jonathan Ford glanced up from the table when Lucas entered the Ward Room.

"You wanted to see me?" Lucas asked. His hair was still wet and his clothes were as loose-fitting as ever. He ignored the disapproving look Ford threw at him.

"Yes." Nathan motioned for the teen to come forward and then lifted the paper he and Jonathan had been examining. "These are the names of the scientists that we'll be picking up. I want you to run a check on them. See who they are."

Nathan had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at Lucas' shocked look.

"Captain, hacking into a UEO secure database is illegal. If I get caught –"

"You never get caught, Lucas. That's why you're an invaluable member of this crew."

Nathan scrutinized Lucas closely as he glanced down and read the names.

"Devon Tye, Raymond Tan, Rachel Tan, Kris West and Frank Yu." Lucas looked up and Nathan could anticipate the coming question. "Should these names mean anything to me? To you?"

"Neither General Thomas nor Secretary General McGath were forthcoming with information about them and I think they're hiding something."

Lucas laughed. "Politicians always do, Captain."

Nathan and Ford chuckled. "Yes, well, be that as it may, I want to know everything about those five people before they set foot on my boat. Can you do that, Lucas?"

Nathan was proud when Lucas replied, "I'll get right on it."

After Lucas left, Nathan turned to Ford. "My annoyance at seaQuest being used as a taxi service aside, I have a bad feeling about this."

Ford glanced at the door Lucas had left open when he exited. "You took the words right out of my mouth, sir."

The captain paced the bridge in irritation as seaQuest neared their destination. He was tired and annoyed and his day didn't seem to be getting any better. And if he had to deflect one more person from asking him about these passengers, he was going to lock himself in his cabin until they disembarked.

"Good, keep WSKR's on the move, Mr. Ortiz. I don't want to get caught out here." He turned to O'Neill. "And keep an ear open for any unusual communications."

"At this depth, we won't be able to transmit effectively with anyone on the surface without deploying a communications array."

"I'm aware of that, Mr. O'Neill. Just keep all lines of communication open."

O'Neill swiveled in his chair, his eyes betraying his concern. "Aren't we a little too close to the South American Confederation, sir?"

"Too close for my comfort, actually." Bridger turned toward helm control. "Distance and depth?"

"Approaching twenty thousand feet, sir. We're ten minutes out."

"Slow to one half and get me the facility as soon as we're close enough to communicate."

He wondered what a research station was doing so far under the sea and inside another Confederation's border. It wasn't common or safe to build at such depths when conventional underwater equipment would be crushed even attempting to approach the facility. There weren't many subs that could even bring scientists to this place to begin with. In fact, Nathan thought as he tugged gently at his beard, seaQuest was the only sub that could reliably sink to that depth and he had never been to this place before.

Nathan walked up behind Lucas' back and leaned over his shoulder. "Any luck?"

The perplexed look the teen gave him wasn't the answer he was looking for.

"No, sir. And I don't get it." Lucas pointed to his screen. "There's just nothing here. It's like their files have been erased."

"I wonder how long they've been down here, sir," Commander Ford said from his position behind the captain.

Nathan stood to his full height and sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder that myself, Jonathan."

"WSKR's have reached the facility, sir."

The captain put his hands at his waist and walked toward the center of the room. "On front screen, Mr. Ortiz."

After a moment, an image of the facility appeared on the screen. It was dome-shaped, hardly lit and half of it disappeared into the undersea cliff. If they hadn't been given its precise position, it would have been nearly impossible to find.

"Wonder what they do down here?" Ortiz asked aloud as they approached.

"I'm not sure I want to know," O'Neill's eyes were glued to the screen as more of the facility came into view. It was dark, opaque, nearly the color of the water itself.

"Well I do," Nathan said and turned toward James Brody, his head of security. "Everything set?"

The tall, blond man nodded. "Yes, sir."

Brody tended to be cocky in many situations but this one had him on edge. It had them all on edge and Nathan didn't like it. "Make sure that docking collar is secure. Then let's get these people over here."

Nathan glanced once more at Lucas, whose eyes were now glued to the vid-screen as well. "Nothing?"

Lucas shook his head. "No. Sorry, Captain."

Nathan shook his head and nodded to Ford. "You've got the bridge, Commander."

With one last look at the facility looming closer, Nathan walked off the bridge and into the mag-lev transport that would take him to the launch bay. His annoyance over this whole situation had faded considerably, to be replaced by an undeniable curiosity. He'd get his answers, one way or another.

When the captain arrived in the launch bay, Brody and his men were already in place waiting by the ramp.

"Lock this area down, Lieutenant," the captain instructed before stopping at the end of the ramp. "If its seclusion they want, then we are obligated to provide it."

"Already done, sir."

"Good." Nathan walked toward the nearest comm. unit and asked, "Bridge?"

"We're docked, sir. Just waiting for confirmation from the scientists," Ford answered amidst a crackle of static. Even short range communication was spotty at this depth.

Nathan wondered what was taking so long. "Do they need assistance?"

"They were quite adamant that no one meet them."

Nathan scowled. He hated all this secret military crap. Funny, that, since the military signed his paychecks.

It was difficult to keep the annoyed tone out of his voice. "Well kindly inform them that we have a schedule to keep and they need to hurry on over here so that we can get underway."

Nathan glanced over to see Darwin watching him silently through the glass of the moon pool. With a grin, he moved over to greet the dolphin. As he got closer, the cetacean lifted his head out of the water.

"You know how jealous the crew is right now, boy?" Nathan reached over and flipped on the vo-coder.

"Bridger swim?"

Nathan chuckled. "No time right now, boy. We're waiting on a delivery."

"Fish?"

His friend certainly did have a one track mind. If it wasn't playing, it was fish. "New scientists."

"Lucas wants to meet them."

Nathan thought for a moment. "Did Lucas send you here to spy?"

The dolphin shook his head and splashed water around the pool. "Information gather."

Nathan reached out to rub Darwin's head but was interrupted by a call from Brody.

"They're on their way now, sir."

Nathan flipped off the vo-coder and gave the dolphin a sympathetic look. "I'd much rather play."

He wiped his damp hand on his jumpsuit leg and marched back over to the end of the ramp. "Let's get moving, we've got a schedule to keep," he muttered to himself as the first scientist appeared, a case firmly grasped in his hand. He was wiry with dark hair and a determined look on his face.

Two others, and asian man and woman, appeared behind the first, carrying a large case between them. Nathan nodded to the security waiting at the head of the ramp to lend aid.

The black-haired man extended his hand. "Devon Tye. Captain Bridger, I assume?"

Nathan shook the man's hand with a nod of his head. "Yes, indeed. Your accommodations have been provided as per UEO specifications."

"Thank you."

Nathan glanced around the scientist's shoulder to see a bunch of large, body sized crates being carried in by security.

"We have a great deal of – research that we're transporting to NCQ."

Nathan's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "I see." Nathan returned his attention to Tye. "I don't suppose you can tell me-"

"I'm afraid not, Captain."

Nathan pursed his lips and straightened his shoulders as they continued to move in different sized crates. After another moment, two more scientists moved to stand beside Tye.

"Captain, this is Raymond and Rachel Tan, and –" Tyel glanced behind him to see the last two members of his group approaching. Nathan didn't bother to follow his eye line. Instead, he glanced over at Darwin, who had his head out of the water and was chirping incessantly.

Nathan shook his head and sighed. "My apologies, doctor, it seems Darwin is excited to have visit-." But he trailed off when the last two scientists made their way down the ramp.

The captain could hear Tye continuing as if there had been no interruption, but he only barely registered the man's words.

"- my chief scientist Kris West and her assistant, Frank Yu."

It was a face he hadn't seen in two years but it was one he would never, ever forget. She hadn't changed. She was still as beautiful as he remembered.

"Hello Nathan."

He swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Kristin."

Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan could see the uncertain look Devon Tye shot at Kristin, but ignored it. Clearly, the names he'd been given were false and the annoyance at that realization overrode any excited feeling he might have had upon seeing Kristin standing on his boat again.

When Brody stepped forward, Nathan reluctantly tore his eyes away from Kristin and stared at his head of security.

"We're set, sir."

Nathan nodded curtly. "Then back us up, Mr. Brody. Best speed to New Cape Quest."

General Marquand and President Vargas kept their faces impartial as UEO Secretary General McGath continued with his proclamation. He was smug and the last thing Marquand appreciated was a smug enemy. He folded his long arms across his large torso.

"I have already assured you that our Confederation has done nothing illegal," Vargas said in his own defense, but the UEO leader obviously still didn't believe him.

"When our star witnesses arrive to testify, you may wish to reconsider your statement," McGath intoned firmly. His eyes wavered not a bit and Marquand could see the military escort standing behind the man.

"Those witnesses that you placed illegally within our 12 mile border?" Vargas began to lose his temper but there was nothing Marquand could do but listen. It would show a dissention in the ranks if he were to publicly correct his leader in front of his enemies. "I think it is you, Mr. Secretary, who should be on trial here, not us."

"You should approach these proceedings with caution, Mr. President." Marquand could hear in his enemy's tone that he didn't expect Vargas to hold in his rage much longer. "We will have the proof we need to convict you and your confederation of crimes against humanity."

"Best of luck to you in your search." Vargas slammed his fingers onto a control on his desk at the vid-screen snapped off. He turned to Marquand, his eyes blazing with anger. "Who is picking them up? What vessel has the capabilities?"

"Only one," Marquand's tone was a mixture of fear and awe. The UEO controlled submarine was the strongest in the sea and no ship that was stupid enough to confront it came out the victor.

"SeaQuest," President Vargas hissed

"Yes, sir, we have reports that they've been sent to extract the scientists." General Marquand set his jaw to keep from wincing at his leader's tone.

"Is the toxin ready?"

Marquand shook his head quickly. "Not yet, sir."

"Then you'd better come up with another way of stopping that boat from reaching the United States."

General Marquand rubbed his chin with a black-gloved hand and allowed a small smile. "I've already set a plan in motion."

"It had better work, General."

"There are a few weaknesses I intend to exploit."

Vargas sneered and Marquand could see that the president didn't understand. He didn't really expect him to. The man was a politician. He hadn't stepped out into the real world in years. "SeaQuest doesn't have any weaknesses."

Marquand grinned knowingly. "They do now."

TBC

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