(On board the rogue sub somewhere in the southern oceans)
"You sure we are going to be able to pull this off Cap" asked one of the terrorists.
"I'm sure Mr Jones" replied a large man with a shock of blond hair on his head. His name
was William Murphy. Up until about three months he had actually worked for the U.E.O.
as a supply supervisor in a going-nowhere job in a nobody-knows your here part of the
organization. It was time he work his colleagues up and he was about to do it in a most
unorthodox manner.
All his working life he had been kicked down and trodden on by people making their way
to the top or making a name for themselves. He had been told that he wasn't good enough
or smart enough for some of the brass's higher paid positions on the payroll. He had had
enough. He was going to show them all what William Murphy was capable of an he was
going to do it by luring the U.E.O. pride and joy flagship to the southern oceans and then
take her by force. Then maybe somebody would sit up and take notice.
"I got a hold of a list of the ship's crew that will be onboard her when she comes out way.
It's a little older than I would have liked, but the only change to the staff roster that I know
of is a Doctor Westphalen and she's some sort of science freak anyway." Murphy explained.
"If those tins of peaches work like I hope they will and because there will only be a skeleton
crew aboard in the first place, once they are all rolling around sick as dogs from the food
poisoning, we should be able to storm the boat and take it over without too many problems."
"There should be the following crew list as far as I can work out:
Captain Nathan Bridger
Doctor Kristen Westphalen
Commander Jonathan Ford
Benjamin Krieg
Timothy O'Neill
Miguel Ortiz
Murphy said out loud.
"Now you two make sure that everything is ready to proceed on time. I will contact the
SeaQuest in about 2 days time when she is completely helpless and then we can board her
and give our list of demands to the U.E.O. brass." Murphy continued.
Murphy wasn't totally happy with the crew he had hired. The two of them weren't exactly
the brightest sparks in the barrel but they had been willing to go along with his scheme for
relatively little money. The two of them thought that they would make themselves a name
at being terrorists if they took on the mightiest ship in the oceans, the SeaQuest.
All he had to do was wait and play out his cards and all the glory was his for the taking.
With the crew of the SeaQuest incapacitated he and his two disciples would have little
trouble taking the vessel over and taking it to wherever they wanted to.
*************************************************************************
(Back on the SeaQuest)
It was late afternoon and about two hours into the journey to the Antarctic, Bridger decided to
check on the sleeping teenager and tell about where they were all headed. They couldn't turn
around now but he thought it still best to tell the boy about the cold conditions that they were all
about to experience over the next week or so.
Bridger knocked lightly on the door again and when he didn't get an answer he again went
in without invitation. He was a little concerned about how long the boy had been sleeping.
He knew that the kid had been working hard when he had been away at the meeting but
he was worried that the fatigue was also due to the onset of a cold or flu that seemed to be
beginning to show symptoms in Lucas.
"Lucas?" he said in a gentle voice once he walked over to the bed. Lucas looked as though
he hadn't moved around very much since he and Kristen had left the room earlier.
He put his hand to Lucas's forehead but couldn't f eel any warmth there that might signal
a temperature or anything else. The boy's face was actually quite pale in comparison
confirming Bridger's earlier thoughts of the teenager coming down with the flu.
The touch of his hand on the boy's forehead got the desired result and Lucas opened his
pale blue eyes and gave a wan smile to his Dad as he tried to shake the heaviness of sleep
from his foggy brain.
Lucas winced a little as he sat up and the headache he from earlier was still present.
"You okay?" Bridger asked him as he placed a soothing hand on the teenager's shoulder.
Lucas.
"My body is aching and the rest of me feels very heavy as well" Lucas admitted. "My throat
is burning and my chest feels like its on fire. But other than that I feel completely fine." he
tried to joke but then started coughing harshly again at the rough feeling in his lungs.
"Do you want Kristen to come and have a look at you?" Bridger said as he took a mental
note of all the symptoms Lucas cited.
"No, I will be fine. Just need to take things easy for a while. Do you mind if I watch t.v.
or something in your room?"
"No I don't mind at all, but I think there's a little matter we both need to discuss first"
Bridger said hinting at the argument with Commander Ford.
"How did you know?" Lucas said turning immediately to his defensive foot.
"Um that would be because Ben and Commander Ford were trying to break down the door
to your quarters when I came back on board the ship." Bridger replied.
"Oh" Lucas said wanting to avoid the whole topic of discussion altogether. "Do we really
have to talk about it now?" he added.
"Not if your not feeling so great. We can wait until later to talk but I need to know that
your okay about it. Jonathan told me all that he said and then repeated what you had
yelled back. I'm sorry that those words hurt you so badly Lucas." Bridger said.
"Yeah I guess they did at first, but now that I look back on it some of them actually had some
truth to them. I just got a little hot under the collar the way Commander Ford decided to tell
the whole crew about them. I mean some of those fellas are my friends. I felt about six inches
tall when he was yelling at me like a five year old." Lucas said.
"I know the way he went about things wasn't exactly the best but he is sorry for hurting you
the way he did." Bridger said trying to smooth things over a little.
"I'll go and talk to him after his shift and tell him that everything's cool again" Lucas said as
he got up off the bed. When his feet hit the floor he was overwhelmed by a wave of giddiness
and he grasped onto his dad with both hands to stop himself tumbling to the floor in an
embarrassing heap.
"I think you need something in your stomach Lucas" Bridger said as he steadied the teenager
and looked him over once more for signs of sickness. "Want to come with Kristen and I to
dinner in the mess tonight?"
"Nah, I think I just catch up on some t.v. and stretch out on your couch for a while" Lucas
replied. "I don't think my stomach would appreciate anything too heavy at the moment.
"How bout I make you up a batch of my famous Cream O Chicken soup?" Bridger now
said with a large grin on his face. "It was what my mother used to make for me when I
wasn't feeling so crash hot. Guaranteed to taste good and not fill you up too much."
"Yeah okay that doesn't sound too painful a medicine." Lucas answered.
"I bring it to you in my quarters and then tell you whereabouts we are headed at the
moment" Bridger said as he followed Lucas outside the room.
Lucas went to the Captain's quarters and stretched out on the couch and was just about
dozing off to sleep when his dad entered the room carrying the bowl of steaming hot
soup in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other.
Bridger laid the plate and glass down on the small coffee table in front of the couch and
then looked back at the teenager and noted the dark circles of fatigue under his normally
bright blue eyes. He was still half tempted to get a second opinion of Lucas's condition
from Kristen but knew that the kid was still on edge after the argument. He would let
the kid get a few more hours sleep after their discussion and then Kristen could take
a look at him first thing in the morning if necessary.
The soup was a little too hot and Lucas yelped a little when the hot liquid burnt the
tip of his bottom lip as he brought the spoon closer to his mouth. "Sorry" he said and
gave a sheepish smile as he put the bowl back on the table to cool a little..
"What's in it? Lucas said trying to sound interested. To be truthful the only thing he
wanted to was lay down and rest his aching head. The headache he had was now throbbing
mercilessly but he saw the need and urge for his dad to talk to him about the upcoming
mission they seemed to be already headed towards.
"It's a secret recipe my mother handed down to me from her mother." Bridger said
"I've made up quite a large pot full in the kitchen so I hope you do like it."
"So where are we headed?" Lucas now asked completely changing the subject.
"We are headed to the Antarctic to track down a rogue submarine that has been
causing havoc with some of the smaller remote out stations over the last couple of
weeks." Bridger explained "There are some warmer clothes in your room and you
will really need to get into them shortly as the temperature will drop very rapdily
once we get further into the southern waters."
"We're headed somewhere cold?" Lucas said with dismay clearly evident in his voice.
"Yes, I am afraid so, why is that a big problem for you?" Bridger said hoping that it
wasn't because they couldn't really turn back now.
"It's just that I detest cold weather more than anything." Lucas admitted to his Dad.
"I would rather be sweltering in the desert next to a cactus bush than be cold and
freezing from ice and snow. I hate the cold."
"Well hopefully it will only be for a few days at the most and with the ship's life
support system and the warmer clothes you should be nice and warm the whole time."
Bridger said. "Oh and I am sad to say that you won't be able to use your computers
or the webnex over the next few days either. The communications will be bad at best
and if were really unlucky we will lose them altogether in a few hours." Bridger said
with a tone of sarcasm.
"Oh just great, I feel like a sack of wheat, you taking me somewhere that only compares
to living in a deep freeze and now you tell me that I won't be able to use my computers."
Lucas said with cynicism. "You might as well have cut my arms off at the neck." he
grumbled as his headache increased and the itch in his chest once again made him cough
until his chest hurt from the effort.
"I'm sure you will manage just fine" Bridger assured the teenager. He was still worried
about that persistent cough that Lucas continued to display. It seemed to be gaining
momentum and slowly getting more bothersome for the boy.
"You want anything else in the mean time?" Bridger now asked as he planned to leave
the boy to finish off his soup. "I will be in the mess with the crew if you need me."
"Nah I will be fine" Lucas said as he had already settled back onto the couch in a lateral
position. He had barely touched the soup and the pull of sleep looked as though it would
be too strong to resist before he had a chance to even taste some of it. Oh well, maybe'
it could be warmed up in the galley microwave later one. How did re-heated Cream O
Chicken soup taste anyway? he asked himself as his eyes slowly closed.
Bridger went to the Bridge and informed everyone that the boat would be placed on
auto-pilot while they all partook in the evening meal together. They would be able to
return to their duties in about an hour or so but the Captain wanted to make sure that
everybody kept up their strength. The cold would zap more of their energy than most
of them would realize and they needed the extra nutrition.
Dinner was actually very relaxing for them all. There was only the six of them and
the conversation was light-hearted and often caused them all to fall into fits of laughter
as Ben Krieg kept the affair informal. It was rare that the six of them got to eat with
each other during their regular tours of duty. Most of the time maybe only two or three
of them could get together at anyone time.
Bridger told them about Lucas not feeling so great and that the teenager was resting
in his room for a while. They all make wisecracks about his ability to make Cream O
Chicken soup but all inwardly were concerned about Lucas feeling so poorly. They
all promised to see him later on if he was awake. Kristen was determined to make her
own diagnosis of the boy and Commander Ford promised to have that heart to heart
talk with him in the morning to apologize and make up for lost time.
Dinner consisted of a dehydrated and genetically engineered roast of lamb with
perfectly generated vegetables and gravy. The only thing that even tasted anywhere
near real food was the great desert they all tucked into. It was hot peaches smothered
in oodles of thick yellow custard. They all enjoyed the desert very much and had
second and third helpings until all of it was gone.
By 11.00 p.m. that night it was obvious to all that Lucas was not going to awaken from his
healing sleep much before morning. The ship was left on auto-pilot as they made their
way through the dark ocean towards Antarctica.
With any luck they would reach their destination about midnight the following night
but the cold weather would begin to effect the boat overnight. They all changed into
their thermal underwear and warmer clothes before retiring for the night.
Bridger and Kristen returned to the Captain's quarters and decided to leave the sleeping
teenager where he was for the night. The boy looked comfortable enough even though his
cheeks were coloured a slight redder colour from the flu. He had coughed a few times
after they entered the room but were content to leave sleep work it's magic until morning.
Kristen covered the boy with a warm quilt and then bid Nathan good night before returning
to her own room.
"Good night kiddo" Bridger said as he glanced back at the sleeping boy and climbed into
his own bunk for the night.
**************************************************************************
The next morning, Lucas woke slowly and tried to figure out just where he was. He had
very little recollection of the night before and could only vaguely remember talking to his
dad before falling asleep on the couch.
He threw back the covers over him and was startled by the sudden coldness that appeared
to seep into the room. He had been the only one out of the entire crew not to put on
the warmer clothes yet. He had fallen asleep in the Captain's quarters and hadn't put them
on yet. He stretched and tried to get the kink out of his aching muscles. The ache was
still there, maybe a little less this morning but still there and in newer places than yesterday.
His headache had eased but his throat was now very sore and he had to swallow frequently
just to ease the rawness he felt. His chest didn't feel so itchy this morning but it certainly
felt heavier than the day before and Lucas thought that the coughing was now deeper and
more pronounced. When it coughed it no longer just burned at the top of his chest, it now
moved all the way down to the bottom of his rib cage and spread out over the whole of
his chest area. His breathing was now wheezier and louder and he was trying his best
not to get worried by trying to ignore it and hoped it all just went away soon.
The noise that made him jump was that of a groan coming from his Dad's bunk. He had
immediately forgotten all about his own health concerns and knelt down beside his dad's
bed to see if he was alright.
"Dad?" he asked in a worried voice "Are you alright?" The Captain was turned away from
the teenager.
Bridger started to turn over towards Lucas and the boy couldn't hide his gasp of shock as
he glanced at the sweat laden face before him. His dad's face was very pale, almost
translucent and the man was actually sweating despite the coldness that he had felt when he
woke up on the couch.
"Get a bucket quick" was the only words his Dad could manage to get out before Bridger
vomited all over the floor beside Lucas. When he finished with dry retches, the man lay
back on the bed and closed his eyes concentrating on his breathing and the nauseousness
in his stomch.
Lucas wanted to be sick himself as he watched his father but he made himself be strong
and knew that his dad was relying on him to help him. "I'll go get Kristen and a bucket
and mop Dad. Don't you worry about a thing. I will be right back. Everything will be
alright." he said. Who was he trying to convince, his dad or himself. He didn't think that
either of them was confident at the moment.
Lucas went to the Captain's door and took one more look at his father laying sick on his
bunk before walking out into the corridor..
"Oh hell it's cold" he said out loud to himself as he dug his fingers in underneath his shirt. If he
thought it was cold in his father's quarters. Nothing prepared him for the coldest in the ship's
corridor. He knew he hated the cold and he grumbled reminding himself how much he hated
it as he made his way towards Kristen Westphalen's quarters.
Lucas pulled his hand out from underneath his shirt long enough to knock on Kristen's door
and then jammed it back underneath his shirt again. Boy it was cold.
"Kristen?" he said a little more harshly when he didn't get the immediate attention from the
doctor that his dad needed. He knocked again and thought he heard a soft "Come In" from
the other side.
Lucas cautiously opened the door to the Doctor's room and gasped out loud as he saw Kristen
sitting on the edge of her bed not looking much better than the Captain himself.
"Kristen are you alright" Lucas asked as he walked over and tried to offer as much comfort
as possible. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he tried to force out the idea that both
the Captain and the Doctor of the ship were both very sick from something. There was only
a skeleton crew to begin with as he Dad had said and it would make it very difficult over the
next few days if two of them were unable to perform their duties with the rest of the crew.
"Lucas" Kristen said as she tried her best to compose herself. It didn't work and she felt
miserable. "What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing Doctor" Lucas lied. He knew that if Kristen knew Bridger was sick too, she
would only worry herself more about taking care of him and not get well herself.
"Something just told me that you weren't feeling so well." he added trying not to sound
lame. "What can I do to help you Kristen?"
"Not much Lucas" Kristen answered. "I think it is a case of food poisoning. I just have
to ride it through and wait for it to work itself through my body. I will try and stay in
bed as much as possible and drink plenty of liquids. That's the best thing I can do until
this nauseous feeling passes. Nobody else is sick apart from me are they?" she asked
hurriedly.
"No, I don't think so" Lucas lied again. The knot in his stomach just got a whole lot
bigger.
"How are you going" Kristen now asked noting the still dark circles under the boy's
blue eyes and the paleness of his skin. The boy still didn't look very well either.
"Don't you worry about me" Lucas said in a stern voice. "I'll take care of you.
I just go and get you some water and other stuff to make you more comfortable.
I don't know much about being a doctor but I will help out where I can" he said
"Lucas you don't......." she started to say.
"No Kristen, I want to help. Now you just lie back and rest and I will be back
in a few minutes." Lucas stated trying to make her relax more and rest.
When he got outside, his legs had turned to jelly as he tried to take in the idea
that both the Captain and the doctor were sick. He had better go and find Commander
Ford in a hurry and tell him what was going on. They couldn't operate very well
without Kristen and the Captain but he would make sure that they rested. The two of
them had been there of numerous occasions when he was sick or injured so it was only
fair that he returned the favour now when he was needed the most.
The thing that grabbed Lucas's attention the most as he made his way to the Bridge,
was the silence. Where the Bridger was normally the hive of activity of the SeaQuest,
the nervous centre of the whole ship. This morning as he walked along the corridor
and neared the Bridge there was nothing but silence.
He thought it strange that nobody at all was about so he decided to check it out and
made his way towards Commander Ford's quarters.
Over the next half an hour, Lucas got shakier and shakier as he went from one room
to the other of his fellow crew member's and found that not only were the Captain and
the Doctor sick. They all were. Even Ben Krieg his best friend had been the picture
of utter misery when Lucas opened the door to his room.
They all seemed to have similar symptoms and it looked as though the Doctor had been
correct in her own diagnosis of food poisoning. A couple of them had been reduced to
physical vomiting like the Captain, others were sweating like him too. They all were
very ill indeed.
One by one he had entered their room and spoke to them offering words of comfort
and promising them that he would return to take care of them. He told them that he
would go and get them some water and a bucket in case they needed it to be sick in.
All of them asked if they were the only ones sick and Lucas had lied to each of them
and told them that everybody else was unaffected. He didn't want to cause a panic
and worry any of them by telling them that everybody else was sick too.
Somehow he told himself that he needed to take care of them himself and make
them all as comfortable as possible. He couldn't contact the outside world due to the
communication difficulties. How was he supposed to take care of them all by himself.
As he walked out of Miguel's room, number six he leant up against the cold wall
when he got outside and sat down on the mesh floor with his head in his hands as he
tried to work things out in his head.
Here he was, seventeen years old with six members of his crew sick from food poisoning
or something similar. He had no knowledge of how to care for any of them. He didn't
know what if any medicines he could use. He was the only one capable of walking
about the ship at the moment and the way he had been feeling yesterday and this morning,
that wasn't say much at all. He didn't know how long he could manage to stay on his
own feet whilst caring for the others.
He was all alone in the coldest part of the ocean. What was he going to do. For what seemed
like eternity he just sat with his knees drawn up and his head resting in his hands as
he tried to work out what he was going to do. He tried not to let the tears welling up in his
eyes fall.
THE END FOR NOW - AND OF COURSE THERE'S STILL THAT ROGUE SUBMARINE
OUT THERE TO HANDLE YET !!!!!!!!!!!!!