The NSPCB is on the job so Ben is still in one piece. Promise! But then I'm only three chapters in …
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Chapter Three
Bridger glanced up at the knock on his hatch. He closed the report he had been trying to finish reading and walked over to answer it.
"Um, sorry to bother you, Sir but … ," Ben paused in the doorway. "Could I have a few minutes of your time?"
"Come in, Lieutenant." The captain stepped back from the door and gestured for Ben to enter. He closed the door behind him and slowly turned to face the younger man. One look at his face was enough for the captain to know what the topic of conversation would be.
"What can I do for you?"
Ben wanted to blurt out the multiple questions running through his thoughts but managed to restrain himself. The speculation amongst Lucas' friends had reached the point where they all wanted, no, needed answers and the best place to get them was from the one person who should know.
Bridger was well aware of Krieg's expectations but knew he was going to be disappointed. After all, he couldn't shed any light on what he didn't know and he couldn't reveal what he was ethically bound to keep secret.
"Well Sir, we've … I mean … well the truth is, Captain, Lucas' friends are worried about him."
"In what way?"
Ben frowned as he looked back at the captain. His years as the morale officer had made him an expert in reading body language and usually Bridger was an open book when it came to Lucas. Something was different this time. It made his senses prick up as he wondered what was going on.
"Well, for starters, nobody has heard how his vacation is going. No postcards, only one short vidcall where he didn't really say much. The truth is that we think there's maybe something wrong and he's not letting anybody in on it."
The captain listened as he spoke but didn't immediately answer.
"I don't mean this to sound nosy, Captain, but Lucas never mentioned any family in Paris before and, well things were pretty strange with his Dad being here and now he's just … gone! There's just something about this whole thing that isn't sitting right and I guess it'd make us all feel less concerned if there's anything you could tell us."
Bridger walked back towards his desk and dropped the report folder he had been reading. He turned back to face Ben, carefully weighing what he was about to say.
"Ben, I'm glad you look out for Lucas and take such an interest in him. The truth is, I didn't know about his family either until recently. With everything that happened at Banden Station Lucas decided he needed some time away from the seaQuest and an opportunity to visit his family came up. I thought some R and R would be good for him so I agreed. I'm sure he's just busy exploring all the tourist places and hasn't had time to contact us more. Don't worry, Lieutenant, he'll be back before you know it. Now if you'll excuse me I have some reports that need my attention."
The smile was friendly enough but Ben could sense he was being shut down and herded out.
"Yes, Sir, thankyou for your time." He headed towards the hatch and then turned back. "It's just that we all care about him. He's like family, you know?"
Bridger nodded as Ben shut the door behind him. "I know," he whispered to the empty room.
He picked up the report and thumbed it open again. He sat down at the desk and ran his hands through his hair. There was no doubt about it. The UEO had completed their preliminary investigations into the collapse of Banden Station and there was conclusive proof the cause had been the catastrophic failure of the aquatubes. When it had first been put forward as the cause he had felt sick at the thought of it. People were dead because his design had failed. The report before him said there was evidence of sabotage.
"It doesn't make them any less dead!" he growled as he flipped the folder shut.
As he walked slowly down the corridor Ben kept rehashing their conversation. Something was bugging him but he couldn't put his finger on it. It had been a surprise that Bridger didn't know about Lucas' family but that wasn't it. He scratched his forehead in frustration but continued walking.
Suddenly he stopped in his tracks.
"I'm sure he's just busy exploring all the tourist places and hasn't had time to contact us more."
"Contact us!" He frowned as he continued on towards his quarters. He could understand that Lucas hadn't been in better contact with him. Disappointed maybe, but he could understand it. But Lucas hadn't been in contact with Bridger either. Now he knew something was wrong.
Bridger sat and tapped his fingers on the cover of the report folder. Somebody had sabotaged the station. There was still no evidence to explain why or who was responsible. He pushed the folder aside and stood up. He was supposed to be off duty but the idea of relaxing just wasn't even a remote thought. While the report was unsettling he knew that the conversation with Krieg was the real cause of his restlessness. As he paced the length of his quarters he decided he needed to talk to someone. It wasn't a question of needing guidance or a sounding board so he didn't bother with the professor; rather he just needed a listening ear. Somebody who wouldn't complicate the conversation with questions he couldn't answer.
It wasn't long before he arrived at the moonpool and he was pleased to see Darwin slowly circling underneath the water. As he approached the edge and leaned over the dolphin lifted his head in greeting.
"Hey, pal." Darwin nudged his hand. "How goes the fishing?"
"Darwin always catches fish."
"Of course you do." Bridger smiled at him. Even though the mechanical voice had no inflection he could swear he heard a hint of boasting in there. He still marveled at the vocorder and the way Lucas had allowed him to interact better with his friend.
"When is Lucas back from his other pod?"
"His other pod? I guess that would be how he explained it. You miss him too huh?"
"No-one to swim with."
"He'll be back soon." The captain watched as Darwin went back to swimming slowly around the moonpool. He seemed content with that answer since Bridger had never lied to him before.
"At least I hope he will."
The words were barely more than a whisper. In actual fact he wasn't at all sure that Lucas planned to return soon or any other time for that matter. His world had been badly shaken and whether he chose to have the genetic testing done or not, Bridger knew that Lucas would never again take time for granted. Life was just too short.
"So …" Isabeau paused, "how much did your father tell you?"
"Not a whole lot." Lucas frowned as he recalled one of the few conversations he had with his father on board the seaQuest.
The problem was that we saw the world through very different eyes. I won't drag out the details but Matthew and I had a falling out over a contract we were working on. It was military and top secret classification.
"They were working together on a top secret military project and something went wrong. They had an argument. I guess it must have been pretty bad because they never spoke to each other again." He looked up at his aunt, hoping she could fill in the blanks for him. After all, two brothers didn't cut each other off for twenty years for no good reason.
Isabeau took a sip of wine and leaned back into her chair. There was no easy way to tell him the truth and yet something in her made her hold back. What she was about to tell him could destroy another relationship. Lawrence had buried the story, even going to the point of hiding his brother's existence. What right did she have to dig it all up again? Matt was gone and nothing could be done to salvage things with his brother. As she looked over at Lucas she saw the pleading in his eyes.
"Well from what little Matthew told me, he and Lawrence were quite different as children. I think their father was very driven and he pushed them both to do well in their studies. They both had a passion for new discoveries but their methods were very different."
Lucas nodded at her. His father had already told him that much. "Dad told me his mother said she thought a cuckoo had left an egg in their family."
"Mmmm, Matthew was very mathematically minded and was drawn to computers. He liked to run simulations of possible scenarios and make judgements based on the results. Lawrence was more interested in testing things by experimenting. He felt that real life scenarios and actual data were better than theoretical data."
Lucas smiled a little as he realised he had the same problems working with his father. They approached a problem from different angles and often ended up butting heads over the right way to proceed. "It sounds familiar."
Isabeau stopped and waited for him to elaborate.
"Well, Dad and I find it difficult to work together sometimes because we think differently. He says I waste too much time looking at the "what ifs?" but I don't like surprises. When I run something I like to know how it's expected to perform before I start. Or at least have a fair idea."
"I don't know the details of what they were working on, other than it was some kind of energy project."
"My father is working at World Power now. They are working towards a free, renewable energy source."
Isabeau nodded. "I've seen the press reports. I don't know about now but back then, if the military and the government were backing it you can be sure it was ultimately weapons related."
Lucas stared at her. All of his father's talk about his work had always been about renewable energy, not weapons.
"Weapons? Are you sure?"
"Lucas, you have to remember I'm talking about things that happened a long time ago. Before you were born. Matt said they had several differences of opinion over the project but they managed to resolve them and keep going."
"So what changed?"
"There was an accident. Some people were injured and three of their co-workers died. I don't know what happened because Matt wouldn't talk about it but … I do know he blamed his brother."
"For the accident … or their deaths?"
"Both, I think."
Isabeau paused, waiting to see Lucas' reaction before going any further. He had gone pale and was tightly gripping the edge of his chair. For a few moments he said nothing, clearly thinking through the information he had just been given.
"I'm sorry Lucas. I hate being the one to tell you these things but you …"
"I did ask!"
The massive door swung shut and the internal locking system slid silently into place. Hands pounded desperately on the perspex window.
His legs were like rubber as he tried to run for the exit. Overhead speakers screamed out a warning as the klaxon drowned out voices.
Somebody grabbed at his arm.
More hands clawed at his legs and threatened to trip him up. He kicked frantically against them and tried to run but a door swung shut in front of him.
On the other side he could see a face.
"I told you we'd be done soon." The accusation in the tone was undeniable.
There was no time.
"I will never forgive you!"
He pounded on the window.
Time had all run out.
"Let us out! Please! Let us out!"
Another face appeared at the window.
Tears streaked her face as she mouthed the words, "I love you."
Screams echoed around the small room, competing with the klaxon.
He held his hand on the door release, even as desperate hands tried to pry it off.
"It's too late! We can't open that door or we'll all die!"
He never saw the punch coming from behind him and the room suddenly went black.
He awoke to find the sheets twisted around his legs. His heart was pounding and the overwhelming sense of dread made him dizzy. He reached out to the bedside table and fumbled frantically for the light. The idea of staying in the dark had him on the verge of panic. The dark equaled death.
