Chapter 14

Pearl Harbor

"Come in now; don't be shy."

Kristin filed in through the door behind Lucas, but despite Janet Noyce's warm smile, she couldn't help but feel somewhat awkward. She'd only met the woman a handful of times at various formal UEO functions, and she'd always been very kind to her. She just couldn't help but feel out of place.

"Lucas, you'll be in Bill Jr's room. You remember where it is, don't you?"

"You bet," Lucas said with a grin as he bounded up the stairs with his bags.

Janet then turned to Kristin. "Lucas stayed here for a couple of weeks before the seaQuest launched," she explained. "You, my dear, will be in Ginny's room. I hope you'll find it comfortable."

"I'm sure it will be just fine," Kristin replied.

Janet picked up one of her bags. "Follow me then."

Kristin followed her up the stairs and down a hallway.

"Here we are," Janet said when they'd reached the last door on the left. She waited for Kristin to enter first and followed in behind her. "I hope you like sunflowers."

The room was neat and tidy, and there were sunflower accents everywhere: sunflowers on the curtains, on the bedspread, and a matching border on the walls.

"Ginny says they make her feel happy," Janet continued.

"It's lovely," Kristin replied quietly, setting her bag down. She didn't mind the sunflowers at all, though it was going to take more than that to lift her spirits.

Janet gave a gentle nod. "Well, the bathroom's right across the hall. We usually eat dinner around seven; I hope that's all right. You just make yourself at home, and if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Do you need any help with dinner? I could-"

"Oh, no, sweetheart. I mean, I appreciate the offer, but you've been through so much already. Lucas can help me." She sighed and pulled Kristin into a hug.

Kristin was somewhat taken aback, but she accepted and hugged her back.

After a few seconds, Janet broke the hug. "I hope you don't mind; you just look like you needed that. You…you just relax now." She reached over and tucked a stray curl behind Kristin's ear. "If you need to talk, though, I'm here for you."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're very welcome. Get some rest."

Kristin watched her leave, closing the door behind her. She then looked at her bags. There was really no sense in unpacking, but she didn't feel like resting either. Not sleeping anyway. She was exhausted, but she doubted sleep was going to come very easy for her. She sighed and rummaged through one of her bags, pulling out her laptop.

So many questions ran through her mind, mainly about what happened with Neil. She shuddered slightly at the thought and then gave a shake of her head in an effort to keep focused again. Neil had been trying to tell her something; she just wasn't sure what. The NCIS agents were of no help whatsoever; she still couldn't wrap her head around that one: the way the doctor spoke to her and the fact they left so quickly once the admiral arrived.

Certainly, she didn't understand NCIS procedure and protocol, but she couldn't help but feel something had been off about that as well. Something just didn't match up with any of this. First, Elysium Colony, then the lab in Washington DC, and now the lab here? Were they all connected, or was it just a tragic coincidence?

Although her efforts might be futile, she had to try to find out. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for, but since she had that little disclosure contract hanging over her head, she couldn't exactly bring Lucas into this mess. She wasn't even sure she could bring the admiral in. Just why would Neil have requested such a high alert security clearance for her anyway?

The answers had to be here somewhere. Thank goodness Lucas had a wi-fi hotspot device that he carried with him at all times. At least she didn't have to go ask Bill and Janet for their password; it would only lead to more questions and the reminder that she should be resting. She brought up her Internex browser and stared at the blinking cursor for a few minutes, unsure of where to start. Finally, she decided to key in the most perplexing thing in all this: Neil's arm. She typed: trying to get a foreign object out of arm.

Of course, most of the webpages that showed up were from medical sites and advice on removing foreign objects from the skin. A few pages in, however, she found something on alien abductions and planting foreign objects into the body and other similar conspiracy theories. Although she was a woman of science, she suddenly felt like she might be onto something. Not that all conspiracy theories were fact, but some were based on facts. Some were even true; they just hadn't been proven.

She immediately modified her search to: conspiracy theories for foreign objects in the body. No, she knew if she was going to go to the UEO with concrete evidence for what had happened, she certainly could not use conspiracy theories. However, they might be able to help her narrow her own research down; perhaps she'd find something more concrete.

Immediately, she found a forum discussion entitled 'Would you take the chip?' Basically, it was a forum speculating about the future and what would happen if the government or some other body made a microchip available for humans. As she skimmed the posts, some of them were actually well-thought out. Some mentioned how a relative with Alzheimer's might benefit from such a tracking device or how a kidnapped child could easily be found.

Kristin didn't think Neil had been implanted with a tracking device, but the microchip theory…was it possible? She'd only saw it for a brief moment, but the way his arm had swollen up, creating that lump. It didn't look like any insect bite she'd ever seen.

She modified her search once again: human microchip conspiracy theories. Suddenly, a whole slew of websites came up, all discussing possible government cover-ups, insisting that human microchips do indeed exist, etc. She clicked on one of the pages and began reading, still unsure of what exactly she was looking for. But whatever had been in his arm, Neil had desperately wanted it out. Maybe it was a microchip of some sort? The UEO, like any government entity, had secrets, a hidden agenda. Nathan himself had told her that. She'd witnessed it as well…only a few times, but that was enough for her to consider the likelihood of its existence. It certainly could be possible…

A sudden knock on the door caused her to jump. She shut her laptop lid. "It's open."

Bill opened the door and walked inside. "I hope I'm not bothering you. Janet said you were getting settled, but I wanted to check for myself. Do you mind if we talked for a bit?"

"Not at all," she replied. "I wasn't really resting anyway. If I do that, I'll start thinking." She gave a shake of her head. "I'm not quite ready for that yet."

Bill took a seat next to her on the bed. "Do you want to tell me what happened in there?"

"Am I allowed? Apparently, my security clearance is very unique."

"So I've heard. I promise this is off the record. This isn't a conversation between Dr. Westphalen and Admiral Noyce. This is a conversation between Kristin and Bill…that is, if you want."

She nodded quietly and lowered her gaze to the floor. "Did you know Dr. Cooper well?"

"No. I'd only met him a few times," he admitted. "But from what I did know of him, he didn't seem like the type to…" His voice trailed off.

"He wasn't," she said. She sighed, nervously wringing her hands. "I…I know that Dr. Downs tried to insist I just didn't know him well enough, but… I just know he wouldn't do that. He was a doctor…a virologist. He believed in the Hippocratic Oath wholeheartedly. He'd never…" She stood and began pacing. "And I can't possibly believe he had a strange fascination with me. For all I know, he was gay."

Bill's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Dr. Downs…she claimed that when they searched Neil's apartment, they…they found he had some sort of crush on me. They said they found photographs, journal entries, articles of clothing." She shook her head. "Yet they didn't show me a single shred of evidence. I realize I'm not sure how NCIS investigations work, but…"

"They seemed off, didn't they?" he interrupted.

She stopped pacing and looked at him. "You noticed it too?"

He held up his hands. "I don't want to make any accusations, but I found it a bit strange they were so eager to leave as soon as I showed up."

"I have a feeling if you hadn't, something horrible might have happened." She lowered her voice. "They knew things, Bill…they…they'd researched me. They knew my contacts. They talked about Malcolm…even Cynthia." She inhaled sharply. "You…you don't think she's in danger? I…I should probably speak to her. I-"

Bill stood and put his hands on her shoulders. "What does your daughter do for a living again?"

"She's a nutritionist; she travels to help educate other nations about nutrition. Last I spoke with her, she was in South America. That was last month."

"You can go right ahead and call her if you like, but I'm sure she's fine. I don't think they mean her any harm."

"But…but they knew things," she repeated, her voice trembling slightly.

Bill pulled her into his arms. "Maybe talking about this wasn't the best idea after all."

"If I don't talk to someone, I'm going to burst," she whispered. "There's something not right here."

"I agree with you," he said, pulling back to look at her. "That's exactly why you're here and why seaQuest is shipping out tomorrow. You'll be safe."

"But what about…"

"For now, I don't think we should let on we know anything. I promise you I'll be looking into it, but you…" He let out a sigh. "You really need to take some time to rest. Call Cynthia if you need, but I think you're wasting your time trying to analyze everything else right now. We simply don't have enough evidence."

She gave a quiet nod. "I just...I don't know what else to do."

"Sometimes, waiting is the only thing you can do," he replied. "We can talk more about this another time. As I said, I'll be looking into it."

"Thank you."

"Of course. You rest now…or we'll both feel Janet's wrath. See you at dinner."

Kristin watched him leave and then sat down on the bed, feeling rather defeated on the matter. Perhaps Bill was right; all she could do was wait, even if it was rather excruciating. She then glanced at the vid-phone. Ensuring that Cynthia was fine would help put her mind at ease somewhat; she punched in her number, hoping she was available.

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Australia

Nathan had read through the file several times over, and he still couldn't believe it. The UEO had been experimenting on humans this whole time in order to create the perfect soldier. He wondered how many groups there were. According to the documents, there was at least one research group for every lab. The UEO had several labs all over the world…at least fifty, he guessed, if not more. He really had no idea how many they owned. How did they manage to keep this secret for so long?

He sighed. The same way they'd kept the GELF experiments under wraps, he guessed. Anything could be covered up if the UEO wanted it. Soldiers are so eager to please, and they'll do anything they're told. He gave a disgusted grunt. He'd been one of them long ago, so he understood how it could happen. He just didn't know who all was involved. Did Bill even know?

He shook his head. He hoped not. Bill would never keep something like this from him, would he? He paced around his cell, wondering what to do now. What exactly did Bourne want? They were pumping him up with viruses and drugs, he surmised, just like they had been. But for what? Were they planning to use him against the UEO? He didn't quite understand how that would work.

"I'm disappointed I don't get to see you in action," Bourne said with a click of his tongue.

Nathan turned to him. He'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he hadn't heard him approaching.

"All through with your reading material?" he taunted.

Nathan gave a nod. "I agree, it was quite interesting."

Bourne gave a sneer. "Armand tells me you still claim innocence on the matter."

"I really had no idea."

"Hmm…then you get to witness their corruption firsthand." He held up a packet of green pills. "You're graduating today."

His brow furrowed. "So fast?"

"Normally, we wouldn't start you so soon," he admitted. "But it seems we've had a wrench thrown into our plans." He tossed a newspaper at his feet.

Nathan picked it up and looked at the front page. "Murder-suicides at UEO labs?" he questioned.

"Surely, you don't think that's coincidental," Bourne said. Then upon seeing the look he was giving him, he gave a shake of his head. "Open your eyes, Bridger; you can't really be that blind."

Nathan skimmed the article in front of him, but he was still confused. "I'm not sure what you're getting at."

"The UEO is a very crafty puppet master, and when things get a little too close for comfort, it pulls strings." He paused. "They're trying to shut the program down. This is just the tip of the iceberg. In a week or two, there'll be so many murder-suicides, investigators won't know what to do. They're probably in on the whole thing as well. So much corruption. Tsk-tsk. Not to worry, though; we have a plan; they won't know what hit them when we're ready to unleash it."

A brow rose. "And that is?"

Bourne ignored his question. "You need to start on these. One every hour." He tossed him a stopwatch.

"But what-"

"You'll experience some side effects, though I don't think you'll need to worry about the increased energy this time. Don't worry; the illness only lasts for a short while."

Nathan swallowed hard. "Illness?"

He nodded. "Just remember your life depends on those pills. I suggest you don't waste any more time."

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Pearl Harbor, UEO Headquarters

Secretary General Dre let out a scream, glaring across the table at the NCIS agents. "You were supposed to make it look like a suicide."

"That was the plan," Dr. Maureen Downs replied, "but Noyce showed up. Were we supposed to get rid of him too? You were supposed to distract him."

Dre laughed slightly. "You're trying to pin this on me? Had you done it right away, this never would have happened."

"She was asking too many questions, and these two weren't much help." Dr. Downs motioned to her partners.

"You sent us outside," Agent Collins replied.

The doctor rolled her eyes. "To get the gun, you idiots. We had-"

"People, people," Dre shouted in an effort to quiet them. "Where is Dr. Westphalen now?"

Agent Reid said, "She's staying with the admiral himself until tomorrow when seaQuest launches. He's watching her like a hawk. No one's going to be able to get to her."

Dre's lips pursed together in thought. "I see. Well, as I always say, if I need something done, I'll just have to do it myself. I think I might just have to make an impromptu visit to the seaQuest myself within the next few days…"

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Pearl Harbor

Thankfully, Kristin was able to speak with Cynthia; she was perfectly well…at least that's what she said. And she was in a different village than the last time she spoke with her, and she was going to be in a new one in the next few days. Perhaps the fact she kept moving around was a good thing. That might be her protection, though Kristin was careful not to let on that she might be in danger; she didn't want to get her worked up if there was no need. She did explain to Cynthia that a few tragedies had occurred but that she was just fine and that she shouldn't worry. She didn't know if she believed her, but Cynthia seemed to accept this, especially when Kristin had promised she'd call her again next week.

After the vid-screen had gone blank, Kristin lay down on the bed. She didn't feel like resting, but doing Internex searches wasn't going to put her mind at ease either. Perhaps a little nap wasn't such a bad idea after all. She closed her eyes, and it wasn't long before she fell into a much-needed sleep.

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The next thing Kristin knew, she felt a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake.

"Doc? Wake up."

It finally registered that it was Lucas' voice, and she immediately sat up, almost angry with herself she'd fallen asleep at all. "Is everything all right?" Her voice was laced with concern. "The Noyces?"

"Whoa." Lucas held up his hands. "Everything's fine. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Mrs. Noyce asked me to come wake you. Dinner's ready."

She ran a hand through her hair, feeling her cheeks grow warm and gave a nod. "I'll be right there, thank you," she muttered quietly.

Lucas, however, wasn't going to dismiss it so quickly. He sat down next to her. "Is everything all right?"

She put on a smile. "Of course. I just…with everything going on…" She took a deep breath. "My imagination just ran away from me is all. Everything's fine…really."

The teen studied her for several moments before giving a nod. "I'll see you in a bit then."

"Of course," she replied as he walked out the door. She immediately walked across the hall into the bathroom and shut the door. "You need to pull yourself together, Kristin," she scolded herself. "Getting emotional won't help anything." She quickly freshened up and headed downstairs.

Since she hadn't seen the rest of the house, it took her a minute to find the dining room. She paused in the doorway until Janet noticed her.

"Come in, dear. Don't be shy."

She obliged and took a seat next to Lucas.

"We're sorry we woke you, but I thought it would be a shame if you missed dinner," Janet continued. "You probably haven't eaten much at all today, you poor thing."

Actually, Kristin hadn't eaten at all. Eating had been the last thing on her mind; she wasn't even that hungry now, but she also knew how much trouble Janet had gone through. "It smells delicious."

"Janet makes the best chicken parmesan," Bill stated.

The older woman blushed and waved a hand. "Oh, Bill."

"Well, it's true."

"It's just been ages since I had more than two people to cook for, with the kids away at school," she admitted. "Lucas tells me how terrible the food is on the boat, so I wanted to make you something I thought you'd enjoy."

"I don't think I said terrible. I just said we don't get home cooked meals like this," he pointed out.

"Well, I thought you two deserved a little something special either way." She sat down. "Dig in; there's plenty of food."

The serving dishes were passed around, and other than a bit of small talk here and there, the meal was quiet.

Kristin found the meal tasted as good as it smelled, and she actually found herself eating more than she'd intended. As she ate, however, her attention was drawn to the décor in the room…mainly the wall directly across from the dining table, which was filled with framed photographs, mainly of Bill, Janet, and their children. But there were also a few of Nathan and a blonde woman. Kristin had only seen her picture once or twice sitting on Nathan's desk; she was sure it was Carol. She startled slightly when she felt Janet's hand go over hers. "I'm sorry?"

She gave her a kind smile. "I asked if you wanted another helping."

"Oh, no; thank you. It…it was delicious." She then noticed that Bill and Lucas had already left the table. "I was just admiring your photographs."

"I noticed," she replied.

She got up and took a closer look. "You have a lovely family."

"Thank you, dear." Janet moved to stand next to her. "Though I suspect you weren't just looking at the family."

Kristin turned to her. "Did Nathan and Carol come here often?"

"Before they lost Bobby, all the time. Well, when Nathan was on leave, that is. But Carol and I…we got together quite often. She got rather lonely with the boys out at sea."

"I can imagine," she replied, turning her attention back to the photos.

"At least they're together now."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"I miss them terribly, but…I take comfort in the fact that I know they're together."

Kristin nodded quietly.

"Well, um, I suppose I should get this cleaned up," Janet said, turning to the table.

"I'll help you," Kristin offered.

But Janet shook her head. "It's fine."

"You went to all this trouble to cook; the least I can do is help with the dishes. Besides, I'm going a little stir crazy. If I go back to sleep, I'll be up half the night then."

Janet smiled. "Why don't you go for a walk then?"

"A walk?"

"Sure. It's a lovely evening, and I'm sure a walk on the beach might help clear your thoughts."

"Very well," she replied. "A walk it is then."

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Guilt had been eating away at Lucas since he'd found out about what happened at the lab. He'd gone to his father's apartment. They were supposed to go to a movie, but he went to the plant instead. Big surprise. "I just need to take care of one little thing."

Lawrence had asked him to tag along, but Lucas hated the power plant with a passion; he always got roped into working, and it turned into an all day affair. Besides, this was supposed to be a vacation. He wanted to relax. "I'll just watch some TV until you get back."

Only a couple of hours had passed when Lucas saw the coverage of the shooting on the news. He'd been so scared he'd lose the doc too. He called a cab and got there as fast as he could. Of course, they didn't want to let him in. He stood outside for quite a while, demanding answers, until a police officer finally told him something. He'd never been more relieved in his life.

The doc had said it was all right, that she wasn't angry for what he'd said…but that didn't matter. He still felt rather awkward about it all. He wanted to speak with her earlier, but Mrs. Noyce kept asking him to do things for her. She must have thought he needed to keep busy, and he really didn't mind. But he decided there was no way he could relax until he spoke with the doc. He had to be sure she knew that he'd never meant what he'd said.

As he made his way down the stairs to the kitchen, he saw Mrs. Noyce doing the dinner dishes.

"Hello," she greeted pleasantly. "Looking for something?"

"Someone, actually," he said. "I thought the doc was down here."

Janet pointed out the window. "She went outside for a bit."

Lucas studied the woman sitting on the beach; he suddenly realized she was crying. He headed to the door, but Janet stopped him. "She's upset," he protested.

"I know. I haven't taken my eye off of her for a minute. But I also know that she needs this."

A brow rose in question.

"I may not know Dr. Westphalen as well as you, but Bill tells me she's a rather strong woman. Or at least she likes to appear that way. There's nothing wrong with that, but the minute she walked in the front door, I could see the dam was about ready to break. That's why I tried to get everyone to leave her alone…because I knew this was going to happen. And painful as it is to see, she needs this."

He removed his hand from the door and gave a quiet nod. "I was just hoping…" He shook his head. "I need to speak with her. Do you think she'll be coming in anytime soon?"

"That's up to her." She paused. "What's on your mind?"

He bit his lip. "I…said something I wish I'd never said to her, and I…I wanted to apologize. I said I wished it had been her who died instead of the captain."

"Lucas…"

"I…I know, I never should have done that, but… I was angry, and it just came out. I tried to tell her earlier, and she said it was all right, but..." He sighed. "I don't feel all right."

Janet put an arm around his shoulders. "I promise when she comes in, I'll tell her you need to see her, all right?"

"Okay; thanks, Mrs. Noyce."

"Of course, dear. Now try to have a little fun."

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Kristin wiped the last few stray tears from her eyes. She'd tried holding it in, but to no avail. At least no one had gone after her. She pushed herself up off the ground and made her way back to the house.

"Enjoy your walk?"

Kristin gasped slightly when she saw Janet sitting at the kitchen table. "I didn't expect anyone to be there," she replied quietly. She then cleared her throat. "It…it was fine."

"I thought it might do you well. I'm about to have a cup of tea; would you like one?"

"Please. Um, how long have you been sitting in here?"

"Excuse me?" Janet asked.

"I was just…" Kristin sighed. "You saw me, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you mean," she said innocently as she put a teakettle on the stove.

Kristin didn't believe her. "How did you know?"

She gave a shrug. "Intuition, I suppose. Are you feeling any better?"

"Somewhat…but perhaps we could chat?"

Janet put an arm around her shoulders. "Of course, dear. You don't need to go through this alone."

A/N: As always, thanks to all readers and reviewers. And thanks to Nans for the anonymous review.