Authors Note: I don't own anything. This is my first try at
seaQuest. I've been toying with this idea for quite some time, but was a
little wary because of the fact that seaQuest has been off the air for some
time. None the less, here is the first chapter. If you all like it, I'll
keep going. Please no flames ( I'm just an amateur ;) Anyway, tell me
what you think!
"Captain, the distress signal is definitely coming from that island, but it's not supposed to be inhabited. The last people on that island was a medical research group from the UEO and they abandoned the station several years ago. I can't see any sign of life." Lieutenant Timothy O'Neil turned to face his captain. The bridge of the seaQuest, the UEO's most expensive submarine was unusually quiet, only because everyone seemed to be focused on the situation at hand. Only a short time before, Tim had picked up a faint automated distress call and under the Captain's orders, the seaQuest had changed direction to check it out.
"Anything in the water Mr. Ortiz?" Captain Nathan Hale Bridger was concerned that this didn't make as much sense as he wanted it to. He was a tall man, whose face bore the lined and weathered look of a wise sea captain. His attention was fully focused on his sensor chief now. Miguel Ortiz, a tall and well-built Cuban with dark curly hair also turned to face Bridger.
"Nothing from the W.S.K.R.S., sir." The sub commander sighed. Something just didn't feel right, but he could hardly ignore a distress signal.
"Captain?" Bridger turned to face his second in command, Jonathan Ford, who was waiting patiently for Bridger's orders. Bridger appreciated the tall black man more than he could ever explain, mostly because his second in command was a patient and understanding man that trusted his Captain explicitly.
"Take us in Commander." Ford nodded and turned to the helm where Ensign Lonnie Henderson sat at her con station.
"Take us in closer Henderson."
"Commander, ready a rescue team and take a launch as soon as we're close enough," Bridger said softly to Jonathan. The stoic commander nodded.
"Jackson, take over for Henderson. Henderson, I'll need you to pilot the launch," Lonnie nodded at Jonathan and relinquished her station to an older pilot. Bridger watched as Jonathan turned to the security station. He was not surprised to find Ford seeking his Chief of Security, Lieutenant Jim Brody. When Jim had first come aboard the seaQuest, the two officers had gotten off to a very rocky start. Ford had not dealt well with Jim's cocky and brash self-assurance and Jim had known exactly which buttons to push in Ford's calculated personality. However, over time, they had formed a very good working relationship, often being able to read each other's minds in crucial situations. Beyond their working relationship, they had become practically best friends and spent most of their off duty time together.
"Where's Lieutenant Brody?" Ford asked, surprised to find Ensign Bedell at the security station.
"The Lieutenant has been pulling double shifts for the last two days, so he's off duty now that our new security systems is up and running. Call him anyway, I don't want you up there without security measures," Bridger replied, hoping that Jim had slept since he had gone off duty a few hours before. He'd been up a little over forty-eight hours before Bridger had finally insisted he give it a rest when he'd seen the young officer looking like he was about to drop. Despite knowing that he was exhausted, Bridger felt uncomfortable sending Jonathan to the surface without the Chief of Security.
"Are you sure he's up to it?"
"You have your orders Commander Ford," Bridger's voice was firm but hardly reproving and Ford could not argue the point.
"Aye sir. Lieutenant Brody, please report to the Sea-Deck immediately," Ford said, leaning over Tim's shoulder at the communications station.
"Yes, sir," a groggy voice replied.
"Tim, I'll need you too. Ortiz, go get Piccolo and meet us at the launch." Ortiz nodded and hurried off to find Tony Piccolo, the cocky and less than serious seaman that Captain Bridger had taken on because of Tony's special attribute. Tony had been part of an experiment done by the UEO, where his body had been surgically altered so that he had gills and could breathe underwater.
Ortiz and Tim moved to leave the bridge with Lonnie right behind them. Once they were gone, Ford turned to follow when Bridger reached out and touched his arm.
"Jonathan," he lowered his voice. "Be careful, I have a bad feeling that this could be a dangerous mission…"
"Don't worry sir, Jim and I'll take care of it." Bridger merely nodded, knowing the tow of them would handle the situation in whatever way was best. Ford hurried off the bridge to meet his team. When he got to the launch, al of the gear had been stored on board already and Jim was giving final orders. The Lieutenant looked physically exhausted, but seemed mentally alert. His uniform was crisp and the only thing that marred his handsome all-American boy looks was that his light brown hair was ruffled, proving that he had just rolled out of bed.
"All set Jonathan."
"Thanks Jim. Let's go guys!" Miguel, Tim, Tony, and Lonnie boarded the shuttle. Jonathan grabbed Jim's arm before he had the chance to follow. "You gonna be ok?"
Jim flashed him a grin that would make any girl's heart melt. "Sure Jon, don't worry. Don't forget, I'm a Navy…"
"SEAL…yeah yeah, I know. Get on the boat," Jonathan tried to sound annoyed, but failed and smiled back at the seaQuest's third in command. The two men boarded the launch together. Jim took a seat next to Lonnie in the co-pilot's position while Jonathan broke up an argument between Tony and Tim about who was to sit where. He admonished Miguel for egging them on and warned them he was not babysitting. By the time he had put an end to it, the launch was sliding out of the underside of seaQuest. Lonnie and Jim set a safe course and a short time later the launch slid up on the sandy beach of the island in question.
The sky was overcast and threatened rain as the team secured the launch. Jonathan glanced around curiously. He knew that the island was fairly large and at one time it had been home to a UEO scientific research center, for what uses he had no idea. However, the island had been deserted for five years and was over run by a thick and intimidating tropical forest.
"I still have the distress signal, Commander. It's coming from about a half a klick inland in that direction," Tim said, glancing up from his PAL to point into the trees.
"Well, we'd better get started, come on guys." They trudged there way across the sand and Jim took point when they entered the forest. The going was easy at first, but the undergrowth became thicker and thicker. Every once in a while they would have to change direction to get around something impassible and Tim walked with Jim in the front to get them back on track. The team was already hot and sweat soaked their bodies. Jonathan watched Lonnie as she stumbled and caught her arm.
"You all right?"
"Yeah. This is one of the longest quarter clicks I've ever walked," she said with a laugh.
"I love this weather," Miguel said with a grin. Tony glared at him.
"I hate it, unless I'm on the beach watchin' some hot chicks in bikinis…" Tony trailed off when Lonnie hit him. Ford laughed at Lonnie's reaction.
"Come on guys, we're almost there," Jim called and even as he said that, they stepped out into a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a little metal building. Jim drew his gun and motioned for everyone to do the same. "Stay close to the edge of the trees. I don't like this." Jonathan wished he hadn't said that, it was to many times that day that the sentiment had been expressed.
"Well, according to this, the distress signal is originating from that building," Tim said, looking from his PAL to the building and then back at the PAL again.
"Seems fishy," Miguel muttered.
"I agree," Jim replied. "I'm going to check it out. You guys stay here, Jonathan, cover my back." Jonathan nodded as the Security Chief made a run for the building. He reached it, pressing his body firmly up against the wall. Creeping around towards the door, he was watched by the other five officers. Jim reached the door and tried the handle, finding it unlocked. He let the door swing open, then burst in, his gun level in his hand, prepared to shoot anything that didn't belong there. To his surprise, he found the room empty. It seemed to be a communications building of some sort in quite a bit of disarray, most likely because of its lack of use. A red light blinked on one of the consoles, indicating the broadcast of the distress signal. As far as Jim could tell, no human had touched the control to activate it, but to know for sure Tim would have to look at it.
Turning back around, he walked out of the building, shrugging at Jonathan. "Looks like a malfunctioning piece of equipment. I don't think anyone's been in this building since the research faculty pulled out of here, but Tim should come look at it," he called. Jonathan sighed, feeling better.
"I guess were safe then," the seaQuest officers made their way into the clearing and Tim went right in the building, followed closely by Tony, who was almost immediately being yelled at for touching things. Jim and Jonathan met in the middle, looking around and exchanging a shrug. Lonnie and Miguel peered in the door, but obviously decided it was too crowded inside with Tim and Tony and began to search the rest of the clearing.
"I don't know. Just doesn't feel right," Jim was saying to Ford, who nodded.
"I know, as if it was too easy, but you know we're just being paranoid. One to many adventures under the waves."
"I guess you're right…it's just that…" Jim never finished his sentence because gunfire, real live bullets, permeated the air of the clearing. Jonathan dropped to the ground wildly looking around. He was chilled to the bone when he heard the bullets strike the building and he heard Tony yelling for Tim to get down. Jonathan's alarm overrode his good sense and he started to get up to search for his officers. Seconds later, he was shoved to the ground and he could only guess it was Jim by the anguished cry he heard as he hit the ground hard underneath a well-muscled body.
"Captain, the distress signal is definitely coming from that island, but it's not supposed to be inhabited. The last people on that island was a medical research group from the UEO and they abandoned the station several years ago. I can't see any sign of life." Lieutenant Timothy O'Neil turned to face his captain. The bridge of the seaQuest, the UEO's most expensive submarine was unusually quiet, only because everyone seemed to be focused on the situation at hand. Only a short time before, Tim had picked up a faint automated distress call and under the Captain's orders, the seaQuest had changed direction to check it out.
"Anything in the water Mr. Ortiz?" Captain Nathan Hale Bridger was concerned that this didn't make as much sense as he wanted it to. He was a tall man, whose face bore the lined and weathered look of a wise sea captain. His attention was fully focused on his sensor chief now. Miguel Ortiz, a tall and well-built Cuban with dark curly hair also turned to face Bridger.
"Nothing from the W.S.K.R.S., sir." The sub commander sighed. Something just didn't feel right, but he could hardly ignore a distress signal.
"Captain?" Bridger turned to face his second in command, Jonathan Ford, who was waiting patiently for Bridger's orders. Bridger appreciated the tall black man more than he could ever explain, mostly because his second in command was a patient and understanding man that trusted his Captain explicitly.
"Take us in Commander." Ford nodded and turned to the helm where Ensign Lonnie Henderson sat at her con station.
"Take us in closer Henderson."
"Commander, ready a rescue team and take a launch as soon as we're close enough," Bridger said softly to Jonathan. The stoic commander nodded.
"Jackson, take over for Henderson. Henderson, I'll need you to pilot the launch," Lonnie nodded at Jonathan and relinquished her station to an older pilot. Bridger watched as Jonathan turned to the security station. He was not surprised to find Ford seeking his Chief of Security, Lieutenant Jim Brody. When Jim had first come aboard the seaQuest, the two officers had gotten off to a very rocky start. Ford had not dealt well with Jim's cocky and brash self-assurance and Jim had known exactly which buttons to push in Ford's calculated personality. However, over time, they had formed a very good working relationship, often being able to read each other's minds in crucial situations. Beyond their working relationship, they had become practically best friends and spent most of their off duty time together.
"Where's Lieutenant Brody?" Ford asked, surprised to find Ensign Bedell at the security station.
"The Lieutenant has been pulling double shifts for the last two days, so he's off duty now that our new security systems is up and running. Call him anyway, I don't want you up there without security measures," Bridger replied, hoping that Jim had slept since he had gone off duty a few hours before. He'd been up a little over forty-eight hours before Bridger had finally insisted he give it a rest when he'd seen the young officer looking like he was about to drop. Despite knowing that he was exhausted, Bridger felt uncomfortable sending Jonathan to the surface without the Chief of Security.
"Are you sure he's up to it?"
"You have your orders Commander Ford," Bridger's voice was firm but hardly reproving and Ford could not argue the point.
"Aye sir. Lieutenant Brody, please report to the Sea-Deck immediately," Ford said, leaning over Tim's shoulder at the communications station.
"Yes, sir," a groggy voice replied.
"Tim, I'll need you too. Ortiz, go get Piccolo and meet us at the launch." Ortiz nodded and hurried off to find Tony Piccolo, the cocky and less than serious seaman that Captain Bridger had taken on because of Tony's special attribute. Tony had been part of an experiment done by the UEO, where his body had been surgically altered so that he had gills and could breathe underwater.
Ortiz and Tim moved to leave the bridge with Lonnie right behind them. Once they were gone, Ford turned to follow when Bridger reached out and touched his arm.
"Jonathan," he lowered his voice. "Be careful, I have a bad feeling that this could be a dangerous mission…"
"Don't worry sir, Jim and I'll take care of it." Bridger merely nodded, knowing the tow of them would handle the situation in whatever way was best. Ford hurried off the bridge to meet his team. When he got to the launch, al of the gear had been stored on board already and Jim was giving final orders. The Lieutenant looked physically exhausted, but seemed mentally alert. His uniform was crisp and the only thing that marred his handsome all-American boy looks was that his light brown hair was ruffled, proving that he had just rolled out of bed.
"All set Jonathan."
"Thanks Jim. Let's go guys!" Miguel, Tim, Tony, and Lonnie boarded the shuttle. Jonathan grabbed Jim's arm before he had the chance to follow. "You gonna be ok?"
Jim flashed him a grin that would make any girl's heart melt. "Sure Jon, don't worry. Don't forget, I'm a Navy…"
"SEAL…yeah yeah, I know. Get on the boat," Jonathan tried to sound annoyed, but failed and smiled back at the seaQuest's third in command. The two men boarded the launch together. Jim took a seat next to Lonnie in the co-pilot's position while Jonathan broke up an argument between Tony and Tim about who was to sit where. He admonished Miguel for egging them on and warned them he was not babysitting. By the time he had put an end to it, the launch was sliding out of the underside of seaQuest. Lonnie and Jim set a safe course and a short time later the launch slid up on the sandy beach of the island in question.
The sky was overcast and threatened rain as the team secured the launch. Jonathan glanced around curiously. He knew that the island was fairly large and at one time it had been home to a UEO scientific research center, for what uses he had no idea. However, the island had been deserted for five years and was over run by a thick and intimidating tropical forest.
"I still have the distress signal, Commander. It's coming from about a half a klick inland in that direction," Tim said, glancing up from his PAL to point into the trees.
"Well, we'd better get started, come on guys." They trudged there way across the sand and Jim took point when they entered the forest. The going was easy at first, but the undergrowth became thicker and thicker. Every once in a while they would have to change direction to get around something impassible and Tim walked with Jim in the front to get them back on track. The team was already hot and sweat soaked their bodies. Jonathan watched Lonnie as she stumbled and caught her arm.
"You all right?"
"Yeah. This is one of the longest quarter clicks I've ever walked," she said with a laugh.
"I love this weather," Miguel said with a grin. Tony glared at him.
"I hate it, unless I'm on the beach watchin' some hot chicks in bikinis…" Tony trailed off when Lonnie hit him. Ford laughed at Lonnie's reaction.
"Come on guys, we're almost there," Jim called and even as he said that, they stepped out into a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a little metal building. Jim drew his gun and motioned for everyone to do the same. "Stay close to the edge of the trees. I don't like this." Jonathan wished he hadn't said that, it was to many times that day that the sentiment had been expressed.
"Well, according to this, the distress signal is originating from that building," Tim said, looking from his PAL to the building and then back at the PAL again.
"Seems fishy," Miguel muttered.
"I agree," Jim replied. "I'm going to check it out. You guys stay here, Jonathan, cover my back." Jonathan nodded as the Security Chief made a run for the building. He reached it, pressing his body firmly up against the wall. Creeping around towards the door, he was watched by the other five officers. Jim reached the door and tried the handle, finding it unlocked. He let the door swing open, then burst in, his gun level in his hand, prepared to shoot anything that didn't belong there. To his surprise, he found the room empty. It seemed to be a communications building of some sort in quite a bit of disarray, most likely because of its lack of use. A red light blinked on one of the consoles, indicating the broadcast of the distress signal. As far as Jim could tell, no human had touched the control to activate it, but to know for sure Tim would have to look at it.
Turning back around, he walked out of the building, shrugging at Jonathan. "Looks like a malfunctioning piece of equipment. I don't think anyone's been in this building since the research faculty pulled out of here, but Tim should come look at it," he called. Jonathan sighed, feeling better.
"I guess were safe then," the seaQuest officers made their way into the clearing and Tim went right in the building, followed closely by Tony, who was almost immediately being yelled at for touching things. Jim and Jonathan met in the middle, looking around and exchanging a shrug. Lonnie and Miguel peered in the door, but obviously decided it was too crowded inside with Tim and Tony and began to search the rest of the clearing.
"I don't know. Just doesn't feel right," Jim was saying to Ford, who nodded.
"I know, as if it was too easy, but you know we're just being paranoid. One to many adventures under the waves."
"I guess you're right…it's just that…" Jim never finished his sentence because gunfire, real live bullets, permeated the air of the clearing. Jonathan dropped to the ground wildly looking around. He was chilled to the bone when he heard the bullets strike the building and he heard Tony yelling for Tim to get down. Jonathan's alarm overrode his good sense and he started to get up to search for his officers. Seconds later, he was shoved to the ground and he could only guess it was Jim by the anguished cry he heard as he hit the ground hard underneath a well-muscled body.