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CHAPTER FOUR


THE NEXT DAY…

"She probably thinks I'm an idiot, Tim." Ortiz buried his head in his hands as Tim shuffled a deck of cards and glanced at the crew members, namely Lieutenant Krieg and Lucas Wolenczek, filing into his quarters for a riveting game of evening poker as the clock struck seven.

"Why?"

Ortiz sighed, revealing his face again and cringing at the thought. "I basically said I'd enjoy battling any trouble she might cause." Miguel rubbed his face in his hands before reluctantly picking up his pile of cards as Tim finished dealing them.

Tim shrugged. "Oh. Well, maybe she didn't notice."

"Maybe! And maybe she thinks I'm a stupid fool now. But she is smart, Tim. And beautiful. I could have blown my only chance with her!"

"Well," Tim grinned rather mischievously, the corner of his mouth twisting upward. "Then maybe I could ask her out."

Ortiz glared at Tim, deadpanning.

"Sorry," Tim chuckled, and quickly looked back at his own cards in his hand. "I'm just kidding."

Krieg let out a heavy sigh, a smile spreading across his face as he settled into the chair next to Tim and took up his playing cards. "Well, you two men are a sight for sore eyes."

Ortiz grinned over at the lieutenant. "You mean you didn't enjoy your day at the beach?"

"I did," Ben insisted as he sighed and lifted his head in the air with a growing smile. "It's just so good to be home…where it's safe."

Both Miguel and Tim stared at Ben and then back at each other, squinting as if trying to understand.

"So," Miguel broke the awkward silence. "Fill us in on all the mainland gossip."

"There really isn't much to tell," Lucas answered, picking up his cards.

"Lucas, I almost got my teeth kicked in by some judo-wielding ex-Army hotshot when I simply asked for the time of day."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Lucas hid a chuckle behind his fanned cards, glancing among the crew members.

"All I said was, 'How's life treating ya bud?', and wham. Right in the nose!"

Lucas slowly lowered his cards and cocked his head sideways to look at Ben. "That's not quite how I remembered it."

"I know, Lucas. But he shouldn't have insulted a bubblehead by saying what he did."

"What did he say?" Tim asked, his interest piqued.

"That's not important now," Lucas inserted just as Ben was opening his mouth to speak. "Odd thing was, the guy softened up quickly when Ben mentioned the seaQuest."

"You're telling me!" Ben nodded, his eyes wide as he recollected the moment. "We went from the Hulk to Care Bears in a split second. I could have lost my mind then and there."

Lucas grinned, "As if you had some to lose in the first place."

Ben slapped Lucas on the arm, causing the youth to cringe and nearly drop his cards as the Lieutenant noticed the rest of his fellow crew members staring headlong at him, stunned.

"So," Ortiz again attempted to break the silence. "You're friends now?"

"Not quite. But he did say he would stay in touch. I'm afraid to even know what that means." Ben breathed those words notwithstanding the small drop of trepidation that hung in the air as he squeaked out those last syllables.

It took all of Lucas' inner strength to keep his smile suppressed. "Apparently he works for the UEO headquarters office. He said they had come near our boat just today to check it out. Whatever that means."

"That's strange." Tim wrinkled his forehead as he lowered his playing cards. "Why weren't we notified?"

Ben immediately perked up. "That's exactly what I asked him next! He then proceeded to give me the 'It's classified' crap."

"Maybe he isn't really UEO," Miguel offered.

"Already checked. He's legit," Ben sighed and sunk back into his chair to hide behind his cards once more.

"Then why all the secrecy?" Tim continued, his train of thought still curiously set on this stranger.

Lucas smiled and made the first move of the game. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"He said he'd be paying a visit to the seaQuest soon," Lucas explained further. "Something about checking on a few crew members."

"Someone must be up for a promotion…or a demotion."

Lucas, Miguel, and Tim all looked at each other and then back at Ben's unseen face as they listened to his lamenting mumbles of dismay.

Ortiz chuckled. "What makes you say that?"

Lucas took one look at the distracted lieutenant and curled his lip upward into an odd sort of smile. "The guy sort of mentioned the possibility of adding a crew member. But it sounded more like a joke to me."

Tim raised his eyes to meet Lucas'. "Adding? Or…replacing a crew member?"

"Adding…we hope." Lucas shifted his gaze back to his cards. For some reason he couldn't explain, he was beginning to doubt himself.

Amid the silence, Ben suddenly popped up from behind his cards and grinned, nearly scaring the others. "I did bribe him enough that he told me one of the candidate's fathers has deep UEO connections."

"Not UEO connections, Ben," Lucas corrected. "He was a captain back in the day. That's all."

"Whatever," Ben rolled his eyes, sighing. "But mark my words. He is trying to get his snot-nosed kid promoted to replace one of us. I wouldn't be surprised if high and mighty Fremont himself is one of our replacements!"

"Guys, c'mon!" Ortiz tried his best to calm the worked-up Krieg with a lift of his free hand and an appeasing chuckle. "It can't be that bad."

"Miguel's right, Ben." Tim nodded towards Ortiz before turning to Krieg. "It's probably nothing to worry about. You'll see."

All eyes turned as the door to the quarters opened, revealing Dr. Kristin Westphalan. Her smile immediately faded as she held the door open with one hand and examined the room quickly. "Have any of you seen the captain?"

"Sorry." Ben's voice was rather monotone as he held a steady gaze over the game. "It's just lame old us, doctor. Care for a game?"

"No," Kristin shook her head and smiled. "But thanks for the offer. I just need to speak with the captain."

Lucas' eyes narrowed as he turned up a quizzical look. "Is there a certain reason you came down here to ask us? We do have V-Pals around here you know."

"I know," Kristin nodded, a smile tempting to relax the tension she suddenly felt in her face. "I gave mine to that lovely Lieutenant Vernon earlier this afternoon. I assumed she could have good use for it until she can claim one of her own."

"See?!" Krieg sighed sharply. "We're being replaced already!"

"Hardly," Lucas chortled. "Lieutenant Vernon is just a journalist with the UEO. She's only staying for three days I think."

"Yep. Three days. And then one of us receives our marching orders."

"Ben, as the young folks say, chill out." With a gentle roll of her eyes, a placid smile, and a wink at a grinning Lucas, Kristin was gone, having closed the door on the rather depressing display.

Nearly a handful of silent seconds passed as they commenced another hand when Miguel settled into his thoughts following the conversation that had just taken place around him. One point in particular weighed heavy on his mind as he gently cocked his head and opened his mouth to speak. "Wait a minute. Did you say Fremont, Ben?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Ortiz shrugged, swallowing hard as he locked eyes on his rather unfortunate hand of cards in his hands. He flashed a smile at Krieg. "Just sounded familiar. That's all."

##

A few wraps on his door and Captain Nathan Bridger set aside his engrossing reading of the evening, putting on a smile as he stood and crossed over to the bookshelf to replace the piece of literature back onto its home. "It's open," he called gently, leaning back to see who entered his quarters. "Oh, hello, doctor."

"Nathan." Kristen offered a temporary smile before she paced over to the other side, rubbing at her arms as if she was cold while surveying the room like she had never been in there before.

Nathan smiled as he approached her. "Something troubling you, Kristin?"

"No," Dr. Westphalan whirled around, a passive smile glazing over her face as she looked towards Nathan. She immediately saw a mix of confusion and joy. She knew he was both happy to see her and not sure why she was there. Either way, Kristin knew she couldn't stay silent for long as Nathan locked eyes with her as if he was giving her the unnecessary permission to speak. "I think we may have a problem, Nathan."

"Oh?" Nathan replied, somewhat amused.

"Captain, this is no laughing matter."

"Kristin," Nathan pleaded. "The way you are acting is confusing enough. Now we both know each other better than this." Nathan set his hand on the doctor's arm. "You're shaking. What's the matter?"

Taking a deep breath and willing herself complete stillness as she took a step away from Nathan, Dr. Westphalan stopped, turning back to face Bridger headlong. "Someone has completely erased my memory database of medical files for the last six months."

Nathan's creased forehead relaxed into deepened thought. "Are you sure you haven't simply misplaced them?"

"Yes!" Kristin chuckled, sarcasm lacing the terse response. "Nathan, no one can simply misplace hundreds of files compiled over the course of half a year. That's virtually impossible, and you know it. Only an expert like Lucas could do something like that. I do still have access to all my current files. But all my history and past records are simply gone."

"Do you have a culprit in mind? That is, assuming you aren't blaming Lucas."

"Of course not. And no. I'm not sure who on this boat would want to do such a thing. What's more, I lost all of the research I was saving for…" Kristin was stopped by the captain's buzzing intercom.

"Captain Bridger," Commander Ford's voice broke into the silence. "You are needed on the bridge."

Kristin sighed and gestured toward the door as Nathan offered her a penitent smile, almost asking permission to set aside their talks for the moment.

Bridger pressed a button and flashed a glance around him. "I'll be right there." He turned around and took Kristin by the shoulders, offering yet another smile. "I'm sorry. Can this wait?"

"No." The doctor flashed Nathan a tender smile. "But go ahead."

##

Ortiz spent about ten seconds sorting everything that could go wrong after he had placed three firm knocks on Lieutenant Vernon's quarters when the door finally opened, revealing a smiling young woman out of uniform. Her hair was thrown back in a wet ponytail, and she wore a navy blue tank top and a pair of gym shorts. She also seemed out of breath but determined to be happy about it.

"Miguel?" Kim attempted to divert the chief from whatever trance he had let himself fall into. She dipped her head to the side, almost chuckling as he finally snapped out of it and laughed it off. "Where were you there, Ortiz?"

"Oh, um. Nowhere in particular." He coughed and briefly glanced inside her quarters, noticing that they were alone. "Mind if I come in?"

"Sure!" Kim stepped aside and allowed Miguel to enter. She found her mirror and cringed, turning back to Ortiz with a penitent smile as he ceased surveying the room absentmindedly. "I must look a mess. Sam Gage and I went to work out a few minutes ago. She's still there I'm afraid. About forty reps of pushups about did me in."

"Forty reps?!" Miguel seemed stunned.

"Why does that surprise you?" Kim ventured, cocking a sideways glance at Miguel while she picked up a towel to wipe away a wayward bead of sweat from her forehead.

"It doesn't. Sort of," Miguel laughed to try easing the tension built up in the atmosphere. "I guess you just don't seem like the kind of girl that would do that sort of thing."

Kim deadpanned at the sensor chief in disbelief. Her eyes briefly widened and narrowed again as she tried giving him a chance to think about his words.

Miguel smiled and ambled over to Kim. With a now faint smile only teasing the corner of his mouth, Ortiz lifted his hand to push a wayward lock of Kim's sweaty hair out of her face. As he did so, Kim slowly followed his hand with her eyes, lifting her hand to cover his.

"I—I came to say that I'm sorry," Ortiz attempted to speak as he found himself locked eye to eye with the beautiful girl.

"Sorry? Whatever for?!"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter now."

Slowly but fervently, Ortiz pressed his lips against hers, his hand slipping around her neck to draw Kim into the passionate embrace.

"Lieutenant Vernon! Lieutenant Vernon! Kim! We've been called to the bridge!"

Kim stirred out of her stupor of sleep long enough to see Sam Gage hovering over her, her fervent anxious cries mingled with the blaring sounds of the ship's alarms throughout the decks just outside the open door. Sam Gage sighed and ran off without her, leaving her with clouded judgment as she rubbed at her eyes and nearly fell out of the bed to her feet.

"All crew man battle stations!" O'Neill's voice echoed through the halls as Kim barely stumbled out of bed and into her uniform before catching up to Sam and whatever had dared interrupt her sleep.