THE SECRET

Chapter 12

By Kiddo

In Loving Memory of Jonathan Brandis

Disclaimer:

I don't have any rights to the TV show "seaQuest DSV" or "seaQuest 2032" and I am not making any money with this story.

A special "Thank You" goes to my beta reader Jackie and to KatKnits00, Alexis Rose, sara, dolphinology, kas7, kbandy and Jen for their Reviews. You made my week.

KatKnits00: Thanks!

Alexis Rose: Thanks! Good to hear that my chapters are entertaining.

sara: Hope this is soon enough.

dolphinologie: Thanks!

kas7: Thanks! Yes, Lucas will tell the others the truth. Of course I have written loads more. This story has 27 chapters.

klbandy: Thanks for your thoughtfull review. He is missed by a lot of people...

Jen: Here is more.

Feedback or reviews are always very welcome.

Approximately two hours later, the senior crew was sitting around the table in the wardroom. Everyone was there except Bridger and Lucas. None of them knew exactly what this meeting would be about; they just knew that the teenager wanted to tell them something. The senior crew had noticed in the last days that something was going on with Lucas, but none of them really knew what it was all about.

Finally, Captain Bridger and the blond computer genius stepped into the room and sat down on the last two free chairs. Bridger nodded encouragingly at Lucas as sign that the boy could start.

The teenager took a deep breath of air and looked around. Everyone was there: Ben, Miguel, Tim, Lt. Cdr. Hitchcock, Cdr. Ford, Chief Crocker, Dr. Westphalen, and, of course, the captain. The only one missing was Darwin, and how could you bring a dolphin into the wardroom?

Everyone was looking at the boy with interest. How should he begin? Lucas had been thinking about that for the last two hours, but he still couldn't think of a better way. How do you tell the people that trust you that you have been lying to them the whole time? Would they still want to know him after this?

The young man took another deep breath and cleared his throat. "First, you all have to promise me that what I am going to tell you now will not leave this room. Nobody except all of you are allowed to know it. Can you promise that?" Everyone nodded.

Lucas brushed a strand of hair back out of his face; it was clear that he was nervous. "Good, I will hold you to that. Am I correct in thinking that you are all wondering why you are here?" A few crew members nodded. "This whole thing is a bit difficult. To tell you the truth, I have no idea how to tell you this. This is not easy for me..."

Benjamin Krieg tried to lighten up the situation a little bit. "Oh come on, Lucas. You know us, and we know you. Nobody will bite your head off."

The blond teenager looked miserably at the supply and moral officer. "No, Ben, you don't know me. You have no idea who I am."

Miguel lifted one eyebrow. What did Lucas mean? "Of course we know you. You are Lucas, Lucas Wolenczak!"

The teen closed his eyes for a moment. The whole thing was even harder than he had expected. He felt like screaming. Than he opened his eyes again and looked at every person. "No, you don't understand me. You really don't know me; you have no idea who I am. And that's the problem."

"What do you mean?" asked Katie Hitchcock.

Again the genius took a deep breath of air. It was now or never. "I'm not Lucas Wolenczak. Lucas Wolenczak has never existed!"

Commander Ford gave a short laugh. When he realized that nobody else was laughing, he was silent again. "Is this a bad joke?"

The teenager shook with his head. "No, this is not a joke. I wish it was one."

Bridger had expected a lot of things, but not that. Who could have expected such a thing? "Who are you if you are not Lucas?"

The boy didn't know what to feel. Should he be feeling sick because of all this, or was he glad that the whole hide and seek game was finally over and the truth would come out? "I'm Andy, Andy Braun."

To Be Continued

Written December 2003 / Translated 2004

Information:

And finally the secret is out! Aren't the first two chapters looking more interesting now? I did say that they would become important later ;-)

But I think most of you had already guesse dwho Andy is..

More information in the next chapters...