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Seaview, Friday 0630Hours

O'Brien absently chewed on his lower lip as he watched the concern deepen on his commander's face. The Captain was consumed with worry, which was made all the more clear to the young lieutenant by the constant tapping of the skipper's pencil as he stared at the navigation maps.

The sub was currently being pushed to its limits in order to meet the fast approaching deadline. Everyone knew what was on the line and in their usual fashion the crew performed exemplarily under the growing pressure.

Crane was lost in thought. He kept trying to piece together the plot of his new unknown adversary. The mysterious voice had started all this turmoil, but who could it be? Lee had made his share of enemies working for Naval Intelligence and even more through his adventures on Seaview. This was someone who knew him, what he valued and who he valued. This wasn't retribution for a successful Seaview mission, this was personal. This attack was directed at him. Then came the thought that disturbed Lee the most; they knew exactly how to hurt him and worse yet, it was looking as though they might succeed.

The loud snap that came from the potting table brought all eyes to Crane. They quickly went back to their instruments when the two pieces of pencil were thrown onto the table.

"I'll be in the brig talking to Malcolm," grumbled the Captain as he stormed out of the control room without waiting for a response.

"Aye sir," replied O'Brien to his commander's back.

Brig, Friday 0645Hours

"Open the door and leave. I'll call you if I need you," ordered Crane to the Master at Arms.

The crewman reached for the appropriate brass key on the large ring and clicked the cell door open. He paused for a moment not sure if he should say something to his skipper. Finally deciding it wasn't his place; the older crewman clipped the ring back on his belt and left the room.

Lee looked up at the ceiling in an attempt to quell the homicidal rage that he felt building within. It would be so easy to take his frustration out on Malcolm. No one would blame him, but could he do it? There was always a chance that Malcolm's protests of innocence were true. If he gave into the desire to make someone pay, could he live with himself when this was over? If he did this would Chip forgive him, would the Admiral?

Deciding not to stoop to his enemies level, Crane took a deep calming breath and stepped into the cell. Malcolm rose off of the bench to stand in front of Crane.

With a shaky voice the young scientist asked, "Are you going to let me go now?"

Lee wanted to keep emotion out of this conversation. If he let sentiment get in the way he might not remember himself.

"No. I want you to tell me who you're working for."

"I told you I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't bring any explosives aboard this sub! I didn't plant any at any conference and I didn't plant any on the base! I don't know the first thing about explosives."

With a little more force the Captain countered, "All of the systems that you installed components in were affected. Who else could have done that?"

"I didn't install them all. Your tech and Commander helped. It doesn't matter anyway I don't know the first thing about building a bomb."

"You're working for someone. They could have rigged the explosives for you to plant them."

"I'm not working for anyone. If that base explodes then all my work goes with it. It will take months if not years to rebuild it. Why would I do that?"

"Money, power? Why does anyone sell out?"

"I didn't do it!" The desperation was clear in Malcolm's voice but Crane's anger was building.

"The components you installed all had new parts that weren't on the blueprints. Shaw said you added them, which means you're the man on the inside!" Shouted Lee, as he grabbed Malcolm and slammed him into the bulkhead.

"Shaw said? Shaw came up with the sensor enhancer and coordination relay. He built and added those."

Crane loosened his grip on Malcolm's collar.

"Please, you have to believe me," begged the scared young man.

Lee pushed him back onto the bench and left the cell. There was going to be a very involved investigation when Seaview made port.

Conference, Friday 0800Hours

It was going to be one of those days. What should have been a twenty minute meeting to finalize the slide show for his presentation had turned into an hour and a half of technical problems. All the bugs had been sorted out but now there was only an hour until Nelson was due to give his speech.

Technology brought some pretty amazing things, but it sure brought a whole new set of problems too. In this day and age a person could be contacted almost anywhere; a fact that Nelson's assistant and department heads at NIMR were very thrilled about. The Admiral was sure his email would be filled with the department monthly budget reports and finance requests from Angie by now. All things that would have been put off until the end of the mission had he still been aboard Seaview, but since he was 'available' it would have to be looked at sooner rather than later.

Starke is defiantly getting more than an earful when I get a hold of him! I'd make him do the budget numbers if I didn't think he'd rearrange them to suit his purposes.

The Admiral couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, and his feeling was justified when one of the hotel employees' entered the theater.

"Excuse me Admiral but there is an urgent message requiring your attention. If you follow me I can take you to a private room," offered the young man in the red hotel uniform.

The head of NIMR followed the employee down a few less populated hallways until they came to the end of the hall. The young man pulled out a gold key and unlocked the door allowing Nelson to walk in ahead of him. It took but a second for the Admiral to realize there was no phone for an important call or message waiting in the small room.

"What's the meaning of this," Nelson demanded as he began to turn around but stopped when he heard the click of a gun's safety.

Seaview, Friday 0800Hours

He loved his job and wouldn't change it for anything. Yes there were hard decisions to be made and he had seen his fair share of horrors but the rewards trumped all of it. Still it was times like these, when all there was to do was wait, that Jamieson reviewed his career choice.

Situations that required his skills were regrettable. The doctor would be able happy if his skill set was never required by anyone ever. But in situations that did require his services, well he could fight for that person or that life. He could do something.

Today he could do nothing. He couldn't repair the sub so she could travel faster. He couldn't turn back the hands of time. All he could do was sit in front of the clock and count down the minutes. Two hours left and it would all be over, one way or another. Two hours and there was nothing he could do to change the outcome of events.

It was times like these that Jamie understood what patient's family and friends felt as they waited for news on their loved one; waited to see if Jamie would return triumphant from battle. Waiting . . . feeling absolutely useless.

Conference, Friday 0805Hours

The street in front of the hotel was all aglow with red and blue lights from the police cars that were blocking off the street. The local authorities were the first on the scene to begin evacuation and locate the explosive device planted within the hotel. Admiral Starke arrived shortly after with several men in tow. He immediately began issuing orders and taking in the situation.

"Has anyone located Admiral Nelson?" Starke asked the police chief who was organizing the bomb sniffing dogs.

"We've had no reports of an Admiral being evacuated yet sir," answered the officer.

"He left the theater to take an emergency call sir. He left with a member of the hotel staff," interrupted the young girl with brown rimmed glasses as she stepped out of the crowd of people evacuated from the conference.

"We're going in to find him then. I want one of your teams with me chief," instructed Starke as he marched towards the hotel in search of his long time friend.

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