The Winning Gambit part 7
By Gryffyn copyright 2000
Disclaimer: I don't own SeaQuest or it's characters, they belong to Amblin Ent. I'm not making any money off of this. Alexia, Bruce and company are my creations.
***
The next time Lucas had a chance to talk with Alexia, it was quite by accident. He'd been having trouble sleeping again so he threw on his robe, deciding to go for a walk. As before he found her by the moon-pool, this time however, Darwin was out feeding. Afraid to disturb Alexia, Lucas had fleeting thoughts that he'd soon be labeled a stalker if he remained in the wings.
She seemed so deep in thought as she stared into the rippling water, so he was naturally startled when a flat, somber tone rang out, "I know you're there Lucas, so you might as well come closer." Alexia's eyes had never left the water and Lucas was sure he hadn't made a sound, so how did she know it was him? Instead of dwelling on it for too long he just came out and asked.
"Hi, um how'd you know it was me?" Lucas tried to keep his tone light as he moved slowly, cautiously towards the similarly clad figure. He was more than half-afraid that Alexia would bolt, despite what she said, if he got too close.
"I'm not going anywhere and I don't bite!" Alexia turned her head slightly towards the advancing teen. She noticed his hesitancy, not that she could blame him after all she did have a tendency to pull a disappearing act. Lucas' eyes widened, it was as if she was reading his mind. Still, he continued his forward movement, just stopping out of reach.
"It's not really mind reading," she started, "its in your body language. Anyone with the slightest observation skills could pick it up." Lucas noted that Alexia's tone lacked its usual inflection, almost as if it were void somehow. "A gift of empathy helps too, that's kinda how I knew it was you."
"Oh, what's it like? To have a psi talent I mean. The only people I know with any kind of ability is Dr. Smith and Tony, but his seemed to be a one time thing if you know what I mean?" Lucas' interest went up a notch.
"You mean that incident with Clay Marshall? Don't look so surprised, you'd be amazed at the information I come across." She retorted when astonishment has washed over the boy's face.
"Yeah, right. So how did you 'come across' the information about me?" Lucas' eyes narrowed and his voice began to grow chilly, "it took a lot of effort to bury my past."
"Oh, that! That was easy actually. You see I've been keeping an eye on you for some time…" Alexia stopped abruptly as she realized she'd said too much.
"What do you mean 'keeping an eye' on me?" he became incensed
"Are you going to keep parroting me? 'Cause if that's the case I've got better things to do." Alexias own temper began to flare as she made a move to leave.
"Oh, no you don't," Lucas growled reaching for her. "I think I deserve an explanation."
"Alright, lay off," she stated pulling out of reach before explaining further. "I've seen vids, articles etc. I've found your work to be quite fascinating, especially the stuff with the vocorder." Lucas visibly relaxed a little, while still technically classified he wasn't overly surprised that she knew about the vocorder. Lots of people did, hell, she'd even used it.
"So what has you wandering the halls tonight anyway?" She asked suddenly, throwing Lucas off balance enough to answer her.
"Weird dreams I guess," started the young man irritably. "I haven't slept much lately."
"I know. Hey calm down," Alexia waved her hands as Lucas glared at her. "Darwin told me. It seems we usually just miss each other during our walks." She actually laughed a little then. "Very insightful creature, your friend."
"Yeah, he can be insightful at times, but mostly Darwin just likes to get us humans going." Lucas chuckled, aware of the shift in topic. By now he'd seated himself beside Alexia, and the two teens enjoyed the companionable silence for a few moments.
"Alexia?" Lucas called softly, "may I ask you something? It's kind of personal though." He started to fidget a little.
The girl gave a shrug of her shoulders as she responded, "yeah, you can ask I guess. Doesn't mean I'll give you an answer though." A hint of mischief became evident in her soft tones.
"Um, back at the hotel, in Pearl," Alexia's face immediately darkened. "Did your dad…um, well that bruise…man this is hard" Lucas groaned. "Okay here goes nothing, did your dad hit you?"
Stillness reigned once again in the moon-pool. The only sound was that of the moving water. Some time had passed before Lucas' eyes widened upon hearing a muted "yeah."
"He do that a lot?" his voice became unsteady, not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer.
"Often enough" was the flat reply as Alexia squirmed. She didn't really want to talk about it, but Darwin had suggested that she confide in this stranger. "Why do you want to know?" Suspicion laced through her words.
"I want to help you" Lucas whispered.
"Huh?"
"I want to help you," he repeated a little stronger.
"No one can help me, so don't waste your time," Alexia snapped and made another move to leave. This time Lucas was prepared and moved to intercept her.
"You said that before, what do you mean?" The confused teen searched her eyes, looking for a spark of light in their darkness and finding none.
"It means I have no rights according to the law. I have no ground to stand on. If I say or do anything to get away from him my world will come crashing down. It's not the best life, but I can at least have the illusion of normalcy." Anger poured through her words, and near to tears she began to tremble.
"Everyone has rights, surely there's something…" Lucas started, but was interrupted before he could finish.
"You don't get it do you? Experiments don't have rights," she screeched, "not even if they've served their purpose."
"Help me understand," he pleaded softly, trying to soothe the anxious girl.
"I wasn't born normal, okay? I was created. Essentially I'm a G.E.L.F., a creature made for part of a 'study'." Alexia replied sarcastically. "I'm property, don't you get it?"
"But G.E.L.F.s have rights. I don't see where you'd be any different, even if you are a G.E.L.F." Something about the way the conversation had turned twisted Lucas' stomach. She didn't look like any G.E.L.F. he'd ever encountered before.
"Yes, but those G.E.L.F.s were created under military sanction over twenty one years ago. In case you haven't clued in, I'm only seventeen! There was no military or government involved in my construction, only scientists who were playing God. I was breed for only one reason, my intelligence. The psi ability was an unexpected variable." With that Alexia curled in on herself and began to sob.
Lucas wanted very much to comfort her, but the truth be told, he didn't know how. Always others had comforted him. Finally he moved behind Alexia and wrapped his arms around her shaking body. She'd tensed at first, unaccustomed to such kindness, but slowly it eased as her mind accepted that Lucas wasn't trying to hurt her.
"A bet," she cried ever so quietly. "All because of a bet."
"What do you mean 'all because of a bet'?" Lucas verbally prodded Alexia gently. He'd been attempting to come to terms with what he'd already heard, but this threw him for a loop. Lucas had an overwhelming urge to try to protect her, but from what he couldn't explain.
"A bet among good friends who were out to prove that genetics and intelligence over-ruled the environment in which a child is raised." The tears coursed down Alexia's cheeks as she attempted to hide her face from Lucas. Both teens had been so preoccupied that neither has heard the pressure doors open admitting Darwin to the moon-pool.
"Lexi sad? Lexi tell Lucas about L.A.B.? The dolphin inquired innocently.
This was too much for the young woman, who'd been thrown into full-blown hysterics by this point. Striking out at Lucas she broke free of his embrace and fled.
Lucas was shocked, to say the least, by her reaction. He'd thought she was starting to open up a bit. Why had Darwin's words upset her so? Moments later he turned from where he'd been staring after Alexia to Darwin.
"Lucas play?" echoed throughout the room
"Not right now pal, okay?" Lucas just shook his head, the riddles just kept coming.
"Lucas sad?" ask Darwin.
"No, I'm not sad, not really anyway. I'm confused and worried about Alexia." He sighed as he reached to rub the dolphin's melon.
"Lexi not L.A.B. Lexi…" the vocorder squealed as it failed to find the words for what Darwin was trying to tell his friend.
"Hey, hey Darwin settle down a little, the vocorder can't translate that fast." Lucas was beginning to become alarmed. A spray of water cut him off "I know that Alexia's more than an experiment…"
"Not understand L.A.B. Lexi knows. Lexi tell Lucas, and with that Darwin swam off.
'We really need to teach him some manners.' Lucas thought as he left in the direction of his quarters to get changed and see if he could salvage what was left of the night.
To be continued…