Chapter 7:
It was dark, pitch black to be exact, Nathan Bridge lay still on the hard metal grating below him attempting to get his bearings straight. He reached around in the darkness trying to find something to use to pull himself up suddenly he felt someone lying on the grating next to him. He shook what he had now determined to be a leg. He heard a groan that sounded familiar to him.
"Jonathon? Jonathon is that you?"
"Yes sir, what's going on?"
Suddenly the dim red glow of the emergency light system lit up the bridge of the Seaquest. Captain Nathan Bridger pulled himself up and looked around at his crew. Most of his senior staff lay around him all at different levels of regaining consciousness. Cmdr. Jonathon Ford stood up beside him.
"Where the hell are we?"
"I'm not sure Jonathon but, we better set off a distress call. Where ever we are we're dead in the water."
Captain Nathan Bridger looked around the room trying to recall what had happened. The last thing he remembered was getting a distress signal from his old friend Scott and then nothing until he woke up on the floor of the bridge. He looked around the bridge at his senior staff as they begun to stand up around him. He looked towards the clam doors and watched Seaman Tony Piccalo and Dagwood entered the bridge.
"Hey any of yous guys get the number of that truck? I'd like to punch the driver's lights out," the young man said rubbing the back of his head.
"Nice of you to join us Mr. Piccalo, did you come across anyone else on your way here?" Cmdr. Jonathon Ford asked from the communications station and he and Tim O'neill worked on sending up a distress signal.
"Nah, there aint nobody back there, sir just me and Dag." Tony replied as he sat down next to Miguel Ortiz, "You okay there Migs?"
"Yeah, Ton, I'm fine. Hey anybody seen Lucas?" The Cuban asked realizing the teenage was the only missing bridge crew member.
Nathan turned and quickly scanned the bridge. What the hell was going on? And where was Lucas? The captain turned to his communications officer, "Any Luck with the distress signal?"
"Aye,sir. Sending it out now." Tim said as he pushed the last few buttons to send the signal out.
"So now what Cap?," Tony Piccalo asked from his seat.
"Well now, I guess we wait. Dagwood, Ortiz, Jonathon, come with me. Everyone else wait here. Let's see if we can't figure out where we are and what the hell happened, shall we? And maybe we'll find Lucas somewhere around here."
…..
The vid-link buzzed noisily across the room. Benjamin Krieg rolled over with a groan in his spot on the sofa. "Hey somebody get that would ya!"
"You get it!" The voice of Lucas Wolenzcak came from under a pillow on the floor, "I'm too hung over to move."
"Hey, who's the commanding officer here? I can just make it an order." Ben scoffed still half asleep.
"Not on shore leave you can't," Robert Bridger chimed in from the recliner, "Besides you're closer Krieg."
"No, I'm not. Lucas is closer."
"Yeah well, he's the groom and judging by the fact I can hear him snoring from here, he's not getting up. Consider this one of your best man duties."
"Alright, alright I'm up, I'm up. Geez you'd think whoever it was woulda hung up by now," Ben said stepping over the sleeping Lucas and stubbing his toe on the desk," Damn it, it's probably just Kristin, overzealous mother of the groom. "
Suddenly the UEO logo flashed on the screen signaling a secure connection was being made.
"Damn it, Get up Bobby looks like we'll have to work today."
Robert Bridger got up from the recliner carefully trying not to step on Lucas as he walked up to the Vid screen, "Damn, what about the wedding?"
"Well, let's hope it's nothing that will take too long."
The face of General Magath appeared on the vid link. "Captain, Commander, I was looking for Lt. Cmdr. Wolenzcak. It's very important that I speak to him right away."
"Um well sir," Ben spoke up looking at his friend still sprawled on the floor," The Seafreedom is still on shore leave and Lucas is still on medical leave. So, um can I ask what this is about sir? You see he's kind of getting married today and we had a bachelor party last night and well…"
"We've found her, captain."
Ben looked confused, "Found who sir?"
"The Seaquest, she just sent up a distress beacon about two hours ago in the middle of the Atlantic. We've got our boats in the area attempting to make contact but the systems are out of date and well, we can't get past the security system his security system. We need him."
Benjamin Krieg's mind raced. The Seaquest, where had she been all this time, it had been 10 years. There was no way anyone on board was still alive, not after all this time. But, how did the distress beacon get raised?
"Where?" Ben asked thinking about the reaction Abbey was going to have about all of this.
"If I can speak to him no where, we just need the access codes for the docking bay. We think he's the only one who would possibly remember them. If he doesn't we'll just have to cut in to the hull after we tow her in."
"Can you give me a few, I'm not sure this is the most pleasant thing to be woken up with."
"Captain, I have a crew already docked to the Seaquest, I don't exactly have the luxury or the time to wait," Magath, retorted sternly.
"Great," Ben mumbled under his breath turning towards Lucas.
How in the hell am I supposed to do this? Hey kid, happy wedding day by the way, we just found the crypt uh I mean the Seaquest and they want to go poking around in your friend's watery graves. So you mind giving them the keys to the front gate? Ben thought sarcastically as he often did during times of stress, as he bent down to wake his young friend.
"Lucas? Hey Luke, uh listen Magath has something he needs to talk to you about, it's really important."
Lucas rolled over to face Ben, "General Magath? He hates me Ben. What did I do now?"
"It's not so much something you did as it is something you know," Krieg said trying to steady his voice not sure how his friend would react, "you see Lucas, they um well, they.."
"What Ben! Just tell me already I mean you're acting like you're going to tell me they found the Seaquest or something."
"They did."
"You're so full of crap Ben," Lucas said standing up to look at the screen, " Come on who's really on the Vidlink Abbey. Really funny Abb—General Magath."
Lucas looked stunned. His blue eyes darted quickly taking in all of the information as the general explained what they had found. He knew there was no way there would be any survivors, not after all this time. After listening to everything the admiral had to say and being told explicitly that everything he had just been told was classified to the highest level Lucas quietly and methodically recited his access code to the Seaquest's docking bay giving away no emotion in his voice as he spoke.
"Thank you son, I know this can't be easy for you. I appreciate the help and, congratulations on your wedding. My apologizes for interrupting such a special day but, this couldn't wait." Magath cut the link.
Lucas turned back towards his friends. Ben Krieg studied the younger man's face trying to pick up on how he was feeling.
"You okay Lucas?" Bobby asked trying to break the tension.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lucas said trying to put forth his best smile," I let them all go a long time ago. I had to to survive. I'm okay really. It was a long time ago."
Ben smiled, he knew Lucas well enough to know that he hadn't just let go of the past but, he was proud to see that the young man didn't dwell in it anymore. It had been a hard recovery for him after he was found floating in a life raft when the Seaquest disappeared and today was going to be the first day of the rest of his life. In some small way at least finding the Seaquest would maybe allow them all to close that chapter in their lives and open a new one starting today.
"Well kid," Ben said patting Lucas on the back, "Come on we've gotta go pick up your tux and get you hitched before that girl comes to her senses."
….
General Magath learned back in his chair, he had just received the news that not only were they able to access the Seaquest but all missing hands, including Captain Nathan Bridger had been found alive.
Still alive, now how the hell did they manage that? This simply won't do. If Borne finds out the Seaquest is back and her mighty Captain alive he'll re-neg on our deal. Damn it.
Magath let out a sigh before turning to his aid.
"Joey, leak it to the press, the Seaquest has been found. All missing hands were lost."
The young man looked surprised, "But sir, they said—"
"I know what they said damn it, Just do it!"
As the young man retreated from the room Magath slid back in to his thoughts.
I can't hide the damn boat but, maybe no one has to know they survived. Who's to say they'll survive much longer anyway, Magath turned to vid screen. He had an idea now he just had to figure out how to make it look like an accident.
