Author's Note: I'd like to place a trigger warning for the end of this chapter. And to warn you that it's gonna weird. Just stick with me.
"So how are we going to get help?" Jayde asked, looking over the door.
"I'm not sure." Tim answered uncomfortably. "I didn't have much of a plan after finding Lucas. He's kind of a pro at this stuff." He sighed, "I just go along for the ride."
She glanced at Lucas, "I'd say wait it out, but... who knows how badly hurt he is."
Tim cocked his head towards the door, "there's some one out there. Stand back." He stepped in front of Jayde and held his long tranquilizer gun at the ready. The scraping sound got louder and there were a few banging noises before the door opened.
"Don't... Don't move!" Tim ordered in a shaking voice. "Identify yourself!"
"Chill, Tim, it's us." Ben poked his dark head through the door and cringed slightly when he saw the gun. "May we enter?"
"Oh, yeah, sorry." Tim lowered his weapon and watched Ben come in carrying a crowbar. Commander Ford was behind him.
"What's going on?" Ford asked, watching Jayde return to Lucas' side.
"We aren't sure, sir. We lost everything on the bridge and the captain sent me to find Lucas to find out what was going on... but..." Tim gestured helplessly to the teens. "Is anyone else free?"
"Only a few," Ben answered, "who ever was in the corridors and us for the moment. We had the same thought to get Lucas and have him figure this thing out." His dark eyes slid over the frame of the youth and narrowed with anger. "What happened to him? Were you attacked?"
"Um, no... He was trying to use his neural interface and it shocked him badly. He... uh, fell in the water and we had to drag him out. He wasn't breathing at first but now he is. He won't wake up though." Jayde informed him, looking very pale and shaken.
"We have the door to the medbay open as well, you can take him to the doctor. Everyone else who is free, is waiting there too. Ben, help them carry Lucas. I'll try to get the bridge opened up." Ford ordered.
"Yes, sir." Ben's normal smart ass tone was long gone, a sure sign that he was worried.
Kristin dropped what she was doing, which happened to be wrapping Hardwick's injured hand, when she saw them carrying Lucas in. "What happened?" She demanded, ushering them to an open bed. The crowd of about a dozen that was milling around, scrambled to get out of her way.
"He was electrocuted by his... thing." Ben tried to explain.
Kristin spared a moment to pierce him with a stare before turning to Jayde. "What happened sweetheart?"
Tim got Ben's attention and they escaped the area while Jayde told Kristin the story. "So what do we do?" Tim asked. "Something big is happening, we can't just let it."
Ben nodded, "Ford is on top of things, but I don't like knowing next to nothing."
"So no one knows a thing?" Hardwick snapped from behind them. "What a surprise."
"Bruce..." Ben slowly turned, "shut up." The computer scientist blinked at him in shock before setting his jaw and glaring.
"Is anyone armed? Other than this?" Tim pointed over his shoulder to the tranquilizer gun hanging on a strap over his shoulder.
Ben shook his head. "We couldn't get into the security cabin, the doors are better, more secured. They went into a timed lock down. Chief Crocker and Shan are still in there." He sighed, "and Ford took my crowbar, I like that crowbar. I keep it in my room at all times, it's like an old friend."
"Sometimes you are very strange, Ben." Tim observed.
The morale officer shrugged and crossed back to where Kristin and Jayde were. "How is he doing?"
"I don't know." Kristin said, fidgeting with and then smoothing the blanket across the bed. "I can't do any medical scans until the computers are back up. And to get everything up, we need Lu..." She blinked back few tears before continuing. "He is breathing on his own and his heartbeat is good. I believe he'll just need some time." She took a deep breath, "I'd like to remove the interface, but I need to know how badly it damaged his skull may be first. I... I just feel helpless, like I can't do anything without this technology." She waved a hand at the useless machines around them.
Ben nodded and gave her a brief hug. "He'll be fine, he's too damn stubborn to let this slow him down."
Kristin laid her head against his shoulder, "you better be right Ben."
Commander Ford cursed loudly as he levered the crowbar between the clam shell doors of the bridge. He just didn't have the strength by himself, the doors were made to withstand the pressures of the deep and hostile take over. "Can anyone hear me inside?" He yelled through the metal. He wasn't surprised when he didn't receive an answer. After pausing to catch his breath, he attacked again. There was a metallic click behind him and Ford stiffened at the familiar sound. He gripped the bar tightly and tensed his muscles.
"Turn around slowly and drop the bar."
He spun, but disobeyed the second order. He buried his rage when he saw Bentley aiming the pistol at him. "It's always a sign of an amateur when you cock the gun. It isn't necessary." He taunted, hoping to throw the man off his game.
Bentley only snorted, "everyone knows the sound, it may be overly dramatic, but damn it, it's fun." He waved the gun. "I believe I told you to drop the bar... sir" He sneered the last word.
"Why? It isn't like either of us can go anywhere."
"No, not yet." Bentley smirked and motioned Ford away from the door with the gun. "But I think you'd rather finish your tour without being full of holes."
The commander snarled and tossed the crowbar on the floor. "On your knees." Bentley ordered, "cross your ankles and interlace your fingers, facing away. You know the drill." Ford did as he was told and Bentley twisted his arms behind his back, then snapped a pair of cold metal handcuffs around his wrists. "Stay."
Jonathan heard rustling and the sound of a code being typed into the doors. They hissed open and Bentley grabbed him by the arm. He saw the gas mask covering the man's face, and considered the implications. He didn't like them.
"What did you do to them?" Ford growled when he saw the crew laying on the floor, not moving.
Bentley's muffled voice came back, "don't worry, you'll be in same position soon enough."
Ford was pushed through the doors an started to feel lightheaded almost immediately. The gas had gotten a chance to fill the room fully and was much stronger than before. He stumbled to his knees and shook his head several times to keep the darkness from closing in. As his face sank to the floor, he watched Bentley sit at Tim's station and pick up the intercom system. He didn't hear anything after that.
The people in the medbay froze when they heard the ship's intercom crackled to life. "Attention beloved crew of the SeaQuest. Your lovely ship will be boarded in five minutes. Those of you still locked in rooms, will stay put until some one retrieves you. If you are in the free, kneel in the corridor and place your hands behind your head. If anyone fights, two other people will die."
They looked at each other, trying not to panic. "I'm not leaving my patient." Kristin proclaimed angrily. "They'll just have to deal with that."
The others, with the exception of Jayde, started to file from the room, whispering possible plans as they left. Tim hesitated and stashed his tranquilizer gun under the mattress of one of the beds. He turned to escort Jayde out with him, but she shook her head. "No, I'm not leaving here, I'm not leaving Kristin." She was breathing rapidly and fumbled with her hands trying to stay calm.
"You have to dear." Kristin told her gently, "this will be over soon. The crew will keep you safe."
She shook her head again. "I can be a patient too." She reached into her back pocket and pulled the small knife out.
"No! Jayde, don't." Kristin reached out for her. "This isn't the way."
Jayde snorted at her and stepped backwards, she meant to sound cold, but the adults could hear the fear she was hiding. "I've dealt with worse, you know that. This will calm me down and they won't know the difference. Just tell them I was hurt trying to get out of the moon pool."
Tim looked from Kristin to Jayde uncertainly. When Kristin turned away from the girl to pick up some gauze, he left the room. He knew her decision, and even though he didn't agree with it, he wouldn't interfere.
"I won't watch, but I won't stop you." Kristin told her quietly. "Please be careful."
Jayde nodded and faced the other direction. Kristin heard her pained hissed and when she turned back, she was already wrapping her arm. Red spread through the white fabric. "Get in the bed." Kristin ordered, trying not to think of what she had just allowed to happen. She tried to reason the young woman would be safer with her, but it rang hollow in her head.
Lucas tried to squeeze eyes shut as the bright lights flashed by, but he could still see them clearly. He tried to remember how he got where he was, but nothing was coming. He could remember being on the sea deck with Jayde but that was all. He found he could move easily, in fact, he seemed to have no weight at all. Lucas saw words and numerical figures fly by him. Where am I? I better not be dead! I was just getting to know Jayde. He thought to himself angrily.
Wait, I know this. He inspected some of the figures closely. I know these numbers. Aw hell... I'm in the freaking ship's computer...