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FINAL CHAPTER

Bridger had almost reached the Mag-Lev, still pondering over his conversation with the doctor when his V-Pal alerted him. It was Commander Ford's voice. And although he didn't seemed to be in a panic, he still seemed very concerned.

Nathan stopped at the entrance of the Mag-Lev and reached for the device, pressing the side as he raised it to his mouth to reply. "What is it, Jonathan?" He stepped to the side as several crew members filed out of the opening Mag-Lev. Nathan nearly stepped inside as he spoke but decided against the notion.

"Captain, all communications have been shut down. I'm not getting any signal whatsoever."

"Alright. I'm going to check on Vernon and Ortiz now and see if they've made any progress," Bridger replied as he stepped on board the Mag-Lev and took a seat. "Place the ship under lockdown procedures until we can sort this matter out."

"Aye aye, Captain. Ford out."

Bridger was disembarking the Mag-Lev moments later, the doors whizzing open with the same furry that seem to come from Nathan's determined steps. Rounding the corner onto D-deck, Bridger came to a sudden stop. With a smile teasing his lips, he glanced up into the eyes of Ben Fremont and sighed once, giving the blaster aimed directly at him in a very unfriendly fashion a nonchalant glance.

##

"Miguel!" Lucas shouted across the distance as he hurried over towards the sensor chief. He had noticed Ortiz, Gage, and Vernon nearing the launch bay entrance and had to tell someone the good news. "You're just the man I wanted to see."

Miguel stalled to a stop with a cautious glare in Gage's direction before he forced a crooked smile and nodded towards the youth. "What is it, Lucas?"

Lucas grinned. "Great news! Whatever fried our communications didn't damage the back-up hard drive. I was able to reset everything like it was. I know it's somewhat old school. But all our files should be back up and accessible."

"That—that's great, Lucas," Ortiz faltered. Inwardly, Miguel could not be more proud than he was for Lucas' efforts. But he couldn't let that show. Not now. Not when he could feel the subtle nudge of a blaster in his side, hidden by Gage's dastardly antics. Instead, he continued to force a smile, hoping he wasn't revealing that anything was out of the ordinary. "H—have you told the captain?"

Lucas snapped his fingers and wheeled around half way to leave in a hurry. "I was just going to do that now." Suddenly Lucas stopped, feeling an object pressing into his side. He shot a glance down to his side, his eyes raised then to meet with Gage's stern glare.

"You're not telling the captain anything," Sam Gage whispered loud enough for Lucas to hear.

"I'm sorry?!" Lucas questioned, his eyes narrowed with a squint of confusion.

"Lower your voice!" Sam retorted sharply and shoved the blaster at him a little deeper. "Don't be too obvious. You're coming with us, young man. Ortiz, secure a launch."

Taking a second to read Kim's face, Miguel saw trust in her eyes despite the fear he had expected. He then rushed over and inquired about a launch, returning seconds later. "The ship is on lock-down."

"So?!" Sam snarled. "I don't care. Secure a launch," she echoed harshly.

Ortiz returned and informed them that it was on the captain's orders that they needed a launch. Not another word was required from there. Gage quickly tucked her weapon between herself and Ortiz and ushered them all towards the steel-framed ladder down into the launch where Ortiz and Lucas were led up to the top to man the helm. Meanwhile, Vernon was left with the menacing Gage down below. It didn't take long for Kim to start missing Ortiz and Wolenczek not being there with her. Gage's downcast glare was almost too sinister even for her, a UEO-trained soldier, to handle.

##

"Captain!" Commander Ford called out as he turned completely around to see the captain's mien. It was overcast and firm, notwithstanding a hint of disdain in his eyes as Fremont trailed him from behind. "Captain?" Jonathan echoed, descending what had been Ortiz's station to join the two men as they came to a stop.

Silently, Captain Bridger turned around, unmoved by Fremont's overbearing presence. He looked the young man right in the eyes and in a low, firm tone asked, "What do you want, Fremont?"

"Simple," Fremont smirked. "I want command of your ship."

"And how do you expect to gain that?"

"Again, so simple," he sighed in return. "You give it to me. And all your top personnel leaves the ship with you."

"Not a chance," Jonathan intervened, Nathan lifting his hand to calm him.

"Who are you working for?" Bridger inquired further.

"Le Chein," Fremont replied simply and with no hesitation. "He has been a victim of circumstance who suffered at your very hands. He took me in and told me that this could all be mine."

"You're crazy. He was using you," Nathan explained. But it was of no use.

"No!" Ben cried. "Like me, he tried to make a name for himself but was denied! Now is my chance to prove to the UEO what an asset they left behind in the dust!"

Bridger scoffed. "What? By stealing her crown jewel?"

"If it came to that!" Fremont faltered, "And—and it has."

Nathan then remembered something he had hidden from the entire ship for far too long. A secret only he knew about. A variable in the equation of this ship's safety that could no longer go unrecognized.

"What would your father say?"

"He doesn't give a damn about me!"

"What about your sister, Ben?" Bridger asked gently. "You'll shatter her world when she sees what you've become."

"No it won't," Fremont scoffed, tears beginning to surface in his eyes that he fought against with all his might. "She won't care about me anymore when she gets the promotion to seaQuest that should have belonged to me!"

Nathan nearly smiled, realizing what all this was truly about. "You'd compromise a relationship with your sister out of what?! Jealousy?"

Fremont ignored him. "Hand over your command! And your crew member and Vernon won't be harmed."

"What do you mean?"

"Captain!" Tim alerted him from nearby, drawing Nathan's attention. Bridger quickly crossed the bridge up to Tim's station without caring what Fremont might do to him. "Captain, a launch just left the seaQuest." Nathan seemed to be confused. "Communications is back up, but I can't seem to get it online. But I briefly got through. And I think it's Ortiz and Lucas, sir."

"Lucas?!" Bridger pressed, shocked by Fremont's insolence as he returned to Ben and stated firmly, "If anything happens to that boy or my crew…"

"Nothing will," Fremont insisted as he aimed his blaster at Nathan once more, "if you hand over your command."

"It's not that simple."

"Yes! It is!" Fremont's voice thundered across the bridge, stilling everyone into fear. "Especially if you want to live."

##

Kim could feel every muscle in her body tense as she sat across from Sam Gage on the opposite side of the launch while Miguel and Lucas piloted the vessel away from the seaQuest. Giving Gage's blaster a steady eye, Kim turned away, disgusted to even keep eye contact with her capturer. She was surprised when Sam gently laid the weapon down next to her and stood to move closer to her. Kim shot a glance up at Sam, making an effort not to appear angry as she watched Gage take a seat next to her.

In a gentle tone, Sam spoke, "Everything's going to be okay."

Shocked, Kim turned around. She could have sworn she saw Gage smile. "Come again?"

Sam continued to smile as she reached inside the chest pocket of her seaQuest uniform and retrieved a set of authentic UEO credentials. Kim recognized them immediately and could not believe it. Stunned, Kim opened her mouth to speak but found the words were stuck in her throat. Instead, she held Sam's gaze, almost begging for an explanation.

"I've been undercover with Le Chein ever since Stark was lost at sea," Gage explained. "Admiral Noyce suspected Ben Fremont, your brother, to be a traitor to the UEO. I got close to Ben. Very close. Too close." Sam paused, choking back a spell of emotion before she raised her head back to continue. "But I knew the fantasy had to end soon. He was a traitor. We knew for sure by now. All we had to do was catch him in the act. Taking over the seaQuest was his only ambition. My presence aboard was his ticket to power. Truth be told, I thought perhaps my undercover role would become a reality. I've always admired that ship. Anyways, Noyce agreed that the only way to make my cover viable was if I was contending for berth aboard the seaQuest. Since he was already going to send you, he sent me ahead to establish myself first. So the journalist story was what I fed to Ben while you and I were simply there to observe."

"So I was being tested all along?" Kim questioned, her entire world feeling as if it was completely out of control.

"Yes," Sam nodded, remorse edging her tone of voice. "Noyce insists you are an asset to the UEO. I have no doubt you'll make a fine addition to the seaQuest crew."

Confused, Kim asked, "But what about the captain? Did Bridger know about me? And Ben?"

"Bridger arranged for Ben to visit the seaQuest on the basis that he would also be an observer for one of Noyce's projects. When Ben found out you were on the ship that first day, he was mad. He knew if you were aboard, that was one more step to him losing his chance at a star-studded career."

Kim nodded, finally beginning to understand but stopped long enough to give the now abandoned blaster across from them a thorough glance. "Why the kidnapping?" she scoffed, returning her eyes to Sam.

"I brought you here for safety…and the risk of blowing my cover. I had to tell you everything. But Ben couldn't know a thing. So I told him I was taking you to Le Chein."

The heaviness of this entire shift of her world began to sink deep into Kim's mind. She relaxed finally, letting it all turn inside her mind a few times. She still could not believe that her brother had become such a criminal. She choked back a gentle sob, keeping it successfully at bay. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"You will let me off on shore and then return back to the ship once you've made contact with Captain Bridger to let him know you're safe. He will let you know if Ben has been apprehended yet. I have no doubt he will be."

"But…you can't go alone," Kim insisted.

"I can, and I will. I'll be fine. I promise." Sam reluctantly extended her hand to set it on Kim's shoulder to which Vernon shrank away from. "You deserve to be a part of the crew. It is an honor…one that your brother gave up a long time ago. I know you will do your father proud." Gage attempted a handshake this time.

Vernon simply shook her head, a laugh escaping her as she reluctantly shook Sam's hand. "You do realize it will be quite some time before I'll be able to trust you again."

"I realize that. I wish it could have been done some other way."

"Yeah," Kim sighed. "Me too. For what it's worth, you put on one hell of a show." They shared a laugh of non-mutual sentiment. "If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Mr. Ortiz."

Sam nodded, fully understanding Kim's implications. She needed time alone to figure this all out. Yet somehow Vernon sensed it would be weeks before she ever really truly would have a chance to grasp the immensity of it all.

##

"Fremont, please," Bridger almost begged and extended his hand to Ben, staring down the end of the blaster pointed directly at his face. "Hand me the weapon."

"No!" Ben retorted, his eyes aflame with anger.

"Captain," Tim turned in his seat, garnering Bridger's attention. "I have a transmission coming through. I—I think it's Ortiz, sir."

"Put him through," Bridger instructed.

Ortiz's face flashed onto the main screen on the bridge with Lucas tucked behind him and Lieutenant Vernon easing into the picture on his other side. "We're returning to the seaQuest, Captain, with your permission," Ortiz began. "Sam Gage let us go free."

Bridger's eyes narrowed in astonished confusion. "I don't understand."

Lucas grinned from one ear the other. "She was undercover, Captain. The whole thing was a set up to catch Ben Fremont in the act."

At the instant he understood this piece of news, Captain Bridger turned impulsively to overtake Ben Fremont and subdue him. But it was too late. He managed to fire off a few shots absentmindedly, sending Bridger to the floor of the bridge for cover. By the time Jonathan and Tim had hurried to the captain's aid, Ben was long gone. Bridger struggled to his feet as fast as he could, turning to Tim. "Seal off the Mag-Lev! And alert all launch bay personnel that we have a prisoner on the loose. Don't let anyone out of the boat!"

"Aye aye, sir," Tim saluted before springing into action as he returned to his station.

Somewhere across C-deck's corridors, Lieutenant Ben Krieg froze in his tracks, listening closely to Tim's voice sounding throughout ship to alert all crew members of the danger while alarms began to blare. He was about to make a straight line to the stairwell at the end of the hall when he heard the steady sound of footsteps hurrying across the steel-framed floors. The sound seemed to be getting louder and more obtrusive by the second, causing Ben to find shelter in the first room to his left. He had just secured the door behind him when the approaching body sped past him and away. Krieg ducked back out of the room to get a good view of the disappearing figure from behind. He smiled as he realized who it was and began trailing him carefully from behind at about ten yards.

Ben followed Fremont through the entire deck, in and out of various corridors, before the menace finally reached a secluded entrance to the Mag-Lev and became angry when he realized it was inoperable. He screamed out loud and kicked at the door, not even fazing the strong steel as he cowered back from the pain.

Krieg stood to the side, arms crossed and a smile twisting across his face. "Kinda stinks when things don't go your way, eh?"

Fremont whirled around, startled by Krieg's presence and taken completely off guard. "No one is going to stop me! Especially not you!"

Krieg chuckled. "Oh, so we're starting back up with the bubblehead insults now are we?"

Within a flash, Fremont raised his blaster to Krieg, the latter leaping forward and overtaking the former to the floor. The blaster successfully charged and struck the ship before flying across the room, leaving the two grown men in a heated battle of fisticuffs. Several rounds of punches were exchanged between the two before Krieg successfully subdued Fremont, gathering himself up to his feet while catching his breath.

To the side, Hitchcock peered from within her quarters and smiled. "You feel better?"

Krieg's dry laugh echoed. "Oh, yes I do, Katie. Yes, certainly I do." And he reached for his V-Pal to let Captain Bridger know what all had transpired.

##

As Ortiz, Vernon, and Wolenczek returned to launch bay, they stood at the entrance edge, pausing to salute their Captain as Bridger welcomed them warmly. He quickly dismissed the formalities though, giving Lucas a fatherly embrace and Vernon a firm handshake.

"Great job, lieutenant," Bridger smiled, mutually withdrawing from the handshake.

Kim shook her head humbly. "I didn't do anything, sir."

"Oh, on the contrary," Bridger insisted. "You proved yourself a worthy crew member. I look forward to reading your report." Bridger winked and moved on to speak to Ortiz.

As Kim threw her arm around Lucas, the twosome moving beyond the bay, they were halted by two guards leading Fremont into the launch bay. As they passed, Ben gave Kim a cross look, his eyes beaming with disdain for the little sister who had everything he would never have.

"Stop!" Kim called out, turning to speak to her brother with a tear threatening her lashes. "I loved you. A—all those years I looked up to you. You and father never did get along. But you didn't have to do this to him…to me. Respect and honor for a legacy is worth more than the power you craved."

Ben scowled, "It could have been ours…together."

"No," Vernon scoffed. "Never. The brother I would have shared a dream with died years ago."

Led away by the guards, Ben never said another word. Deep in her heart, Kim knew she would never see her big brother again. No, maybe she would. But perhaps she didn't want to see him again. He had caused her enough pain. As soon as Ben had been safely taken to a launch for transport to shore, Kim turned away, impulsively finding shelter enough to shed a brief tear on Miguel's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind as he wrapped his arms around her, nervously glancing around to be sure none of the crew would witness this event and taunt him about it in the future.

Despite this, Kim quickly shook away the emotion, wiping her eyes and straightening her posture next to Ortiz. She lifted her chin and swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Captain."

"No, need," Bridger smiled. "Tears are never a sign of weakness. Being sorry continuously is." He directed a knowing smile to Vernon who smiled to him in return, their eyes meeting briefly to convey the fatherly comfort. "I want you to know that I spoke with Admiral Noyce. With Sam having revealed her true identity to you, there's no need to continue this charade. You've passed the test, Lieutenant Vernon." Bridger extended his hand to Kim. "Welcome aboard."

Kim glanced at Miguel then to Lucas then back to the captain nervously. "I—I don't understand."

"You are officially the newest member of the seaQuest crew," Bridger smiled, "as soon as I can process the necessary paperwork."

Kim accepted the captain's firm handshake, a chuckle on her breath. "I don't know what to say." She suddenly stood to attention and saluted. "Aye aye, sir."

Bridger laughed. "At ease."

Kim relaxed and shook the captain's hand one last time before she and Ortiz retreated to their individual quarters.

As Vernon looked at Gage's empty bunk, stepping over the threshold of the entrance to her quarters, she took in the silence and listened to the distant, stirring waters barely detectable by the unaided ear. This room was hers. Permanently. Her dream had come true. Ambling over to the desk along the wall, Kim lifted her binder from the surface and opened it gently within her arms. Page one…her resume. Education: high school diploma, engineering degree with a minor in oceanic studies as suggested by her Navy-fairing father, and two certificates of completion in communications and journalism courses. Experience: six months as assistant UEO technician. Hobbies: reading, writing, horseback riding, website management, mechanics, coin collecting, studying history. Page two…her report to Admiral Noyce which had only been partially completed. With a smile spreading across her face, she sat down and set pen to paper to complete the report she had been sent there originally to write. It may have just been a test, but she would not shirk such a simple request she had been asked to complete. As Kim completed the report half an hour later, her smile was no longer there. For she knew now that she had to make the hardest decision of her life.

"Captain Bridger," Vernon wrote carefully on a fresh sheet of paper, wiping away a rogue tear from her emotionless face before continuing, "The time spent onboard the seaQuest has been a dream come true for me. And it is with my deepest gratitude that I receive your invitation to join your crew. Nothing would please me more. But I must refuse for reasons even I do not understand. Meanwhile, I will work tirelessly upworld to use my education and skills to benefit your ship and crew in the most productive of ways. I will leave first thing tomorrow morning with your permission. Sincerely, Lieutenant Kimberly Vernon, UEO."

##

Launch bay seemed overcast. Almost lonely even…despite the fact that many crew members were filing in and through the area past Kim and Miguel as they reluctantly rehearsed their goodbyes silently, mentally never wanting to speak them out loud. Maybe it was only a dream. Maybe they would wake up and realize this twist of fate had never even taken place. They knew what lay between them; they couldn't deny it. Moreover, it wouldn't be right for them to work together with this in mind. And just maybe they still had a chance. It seemed ironic that separation was the only way they would ever be able to know if this small flame could somehow last and even grow.

Kim had already said her goodbyes to the rest of the crew. Now only Miguel Ortiz remained. Just as she looked away and down to the floor and hoping no one else would mind, Ortiz put his finger beneath her chin and raised her head to look at her in the eyes if she would let him. "Hey, cheer up. We're only an ocean away from each other."

Kim smiled subtly, a scoff on her lips. "An ocean away. I don't like the sound of that."

"Yeah, me neither."

Commander Ford slipped up next to them and smiled. "Lieutenant, Your launch will be arriving in five minutes."

"Yes, sir," Kim replied and accepted the commander's goodbye with a proper salute before he trailed away from them back into the ship as his name was called from the bridge.

"You know," Ortiz cleared his throat, his thoughts drifting to the only logical reason for Kim's departure: UEO policy. "It seems strange that the closer we are physically together, the farther we have to be apart. I guess it's only right that the farther we are apart physically, the closer we can get to know each other…the way we'd like to that is...if that's even possible."

Miguel's words were exactly how Kim felt. Yet they also hurt in a way she couldn't explain. She quickly wiped away a rogue tear from the corner of her eye with the back of her hand and laughed it off, wrapping her arms around Miguel. He didn't object, briefly slipping from his usual military behavior to hold her close before it was too late. Suddenly, Lieutenant Krieg announced the launch's arrival from the opening bay, successfully bringing their goodbye to a close.

Finally drawing away, Lieutenant Kim Vernon crossed the threshold of the bay doors, her pack snugged securely at her side as she clasped it to her shoulder with one hand. Turning around at the ladder, she put one foot behind her onto the narrow steel frame and paused. As their eyes met one last time, she could hear Lieutenant Krieg calling to her from below. They needed to go. There was no more time to waste.

Kim forced herself to look away and guided herself down the ladder and away from view, following Krieg to the launch where she finally let herself shed that one tear she swore she wouldn't as she strapped in and watched Krieg drive away from the seaQuest.

It was ridiculous of a UEO officer like herself, she concluded, sniffing away the emotions as they drew farther away from the docking portal by the second. There was every chance in the world that she would come back someday, she reminded herself. Until then, she had work to do. Important work that would help the future of the UEO and the crew of the seaQuest far better if she were up world. If only she had not fallen in love…it would have made leaving that much easier to cope with.


A/N: Truth be told, I left way too many loose ends at the conclusion of this story than I ever wanted or expected to. The fate of the Delta Major, the explanation as to why Kim decided to leave, and who was the true saboteur. Thankfully, I had always planned to return to this story for a sequel. Therefore, I plan to tie them all up soon. So you can look forward to the crew and Lt. Kim Vernon's return in my second seaQuest adventure which is still in the works. But I promise you, you won't be disappointed. It will be a step up in my writing game from this one and will cover a lot more territory and emotion beginning right after the events of Hyperion at the end of season two. It will be my take on its aftermath leading into season three. I look forward to penning this story in the near future and sharing it with you all! Thanks for reading and reviewing as always. God Bless, Kath.