Note: In my reality, Lucas works on the bridge as well as in the labs.
Chapter 15.
"Hey Lucas, I've got a brilliant idea and I need to talk to ya' bud!" Lucas turned as he recognised the voice of his best friend Ben Krieg, which seemed to boom down the empty corridor.
"If it's gonna' get me in trouble, I don't wanna know about it, OK Ben?" Lucas replied, sarcasm laced into his voice.
"Hey ye of little faith, this is a fool proof plan and there is absolutely no chance of it going wrong."
Lucas crossed his arms and faced his friend, one eye brow raised in disbelief.
"OK, so what's the plan?"
"Not here, there are too many people around." Ben said, looking over his shoulder. Lucas glanced up and down the deserted corridor, and asked.
"Where? Ben, there is nobody in the corridor except us."
Ben looked around before putting on a gruff voice and said,
"Even the walls have ears, kiddo."
Lucas sighed, but walked back to the older man's room to please his paranoid friend. He started to feel nervous, as he was almost certain that Ben's latest 'plan' would end up with them scrubbing toilets or some other punishment the captain might have in store for them.
"So what's the big idea ya' got?" Lucas asked, as he watched Ben rummaged around in his closet. He emerged with a couple of bottle of something Lucas couldn't quite make out. "What's that?"
"This, my friend, is my brilliant foolproof idea." With this, Ben showed Lucas a bottle of quick drying fluorescent pink nail polish and some matching pink lipstick. "Well, what do you think?"
"I don't think the colour will suit you, but…" Lucas began, but was cut off by Ben.
"Not on me, you twit. On Ford. Imagine the scene, Ford walks on to the bridge in matching pink lipstick and pink nail varnish because he is running late after his alarm clock didn't go off, or at least went five minutes before he was due to go on the bridge... Come on. It'll be fun!"
"How are we gonna do that?" Lucas had to smile at the imagined scene Ben had created of Commander Ford.
"Well, that's where you come in. Ortiz is organising a poker game for tomorrow night and I know that Ford definitely won't go…" Ben started.
"That's great, but how do we make sure he's asleep?" Lucas was sceptical.
"That's the brilliant part. Ford will have a double shift, so he'll be so tired he won't even hear us when we creep into his room. Well I've found a way through the passageways and into his room, so we won't get caught. Are you with me?"
Lucas smiled mischievously.
"What do you want me to do?"
***
The next night went without fault. Lucas reset Ford's alarm to go off ten minutes before his shift, while Ben painted their victim's finger nails and toe nails pink. Lucas couldn't wait until the next morning on the bridge. Lucas silently chuckled at the sight of the Commander; Ben had even painted his cheeks with the lipstick, making Ford look like a toy soldier.
"Come on, let's get out of here!" Lucas whispered after Ben had finished.
"OK." Ben whispered back, their work was complete.
***
The next morning couldn't come any sooner. Both Ben and Lucas had found their alibis in the form of a poker game and had arrived at different times to avoid their suspicion. The crew members played poker for most of the night before retiring to bed at midnight. Lucas could hardly contain himself, as they eagerly awaited the Commanders appearance… He was already a couple of minutes late for the start of his shift.
"Does anyone know where Commander Ford is this morning?" Captain Bridger asked the Bridge crew. No one had seen Ford that morning. "O'Neill, get me Commander Ford on his PAL, it's not like him to be late." A frown creased Bridger's brow.
"Aye sir!" O'Neill replied and was just about to respond to the command, when Ford appeared on the bridge, modelling some bright pink nail polish.
"Sorry I'm late, sir. Someone snuck into my room and… Well, you can see what they did." Commander Ford blushed bright red, as the Bridge crew collapsed in helpless laughter.
Bridger just sighed and said,
"OK, just get some nail polish, and hurry up!" Turning to the laughing crew, he calmly asked. "Krieg, Lucas, come here please."
Meekly they walked towards their Captain. "Explain."
"It wasn't us, sir. We were at a poker game most of last night," Ben explained. "Ask Ortiz, he was with us most of the night."
"Ortiz, is this true?" Bridger asked.
"Yeah, they were at a poker game with me and a few other friends." Ortiz just about managed to say, without laughing.
"Well, OK. I believe you," Bridger turned and strictly addressed the whole crew. "But if anything like this happens again, I will not be impressed."
As Bridger turned his back, Lucas let out a silent breath of relief and began to type furiously on his computer.
"Sir, there I an incoming message from Admiral Noyce." Tim's voice rang out.
"Shall I put it through here, or do you want to take it in the ward room?"
"Put it through in the ward room, I think." Bridger instructed and wondered to answer the call. When he arrived in the Ward room, Bridger at once saw Bill Noyce's face on the vid link. "Bill! What can I do for you?"
"Nathan!" The man greeted. "I know your going to hate me for this, but I'm afraid you and your senior crew are going to have to attend some conferences when you're docked at New Cape Quest… It's only for a couple of days."
"Why us? Why now?" Nathan looked depressed.
"Well, its sponsored by the UEO for some of the top scientists and combat training methods to be demonstrated and I thought it would be fitting if the UEO's finest achievement were… there to make sure everything runs smoothly," Noyce tried to reason.
"In other words, you want to show off what the SeaQuest has to offer, to parade us round like we're on show?" Bridger questioned.
"Nathan, you have no choice. My hands are tied behind my back on this one." Noyce gave Nathan a list of people he wanted to attend and the arrangements for the conferences before hanging up.
***
When Bridger returned to the bridge, he noticed Commander Ford had also arrived.
"OK everyone, may I have your attention. Now, as you may have been aware I received a call from Admiral Noyce, and he has informed me that everyone in this room, and that includes you Lucas, are too attend." There were groans all around.
"Now these conferences are to be held on the first two days that we are docked in New Cape Quest…" The groans intensified. "… But the Admiral has kindly given us two days extra to compensate for any time we miss on our shore leave." The groans turned to cheers and Nathan Bridger smiled. "Now get back to work!"
***
"I still don't see why I've got to be there. I'm not even military, I'm a scientist." Lucas complained a bit too loudly.
"Hey, stop complaining or I'll make sure they make you go to all of the conferences." Bridger suggested. Lucas just kept quiet after that, making his friends laugh.
"So what are you gonna do on your shore leaves then? I mean, after the conferences of course." Katie asked, sparking a debate about who had the best shore leave plan between Ortiz and Ben.
"Ah guys! Enough already. You both have original plans, so lets just leave it at that," Tim negotiated, ending the five minute debate.
"I'm going to bed. Night all!" Commented Lucas, who was still worn out from last night's poker game.
"Night!" His friends replied.
***
Two days later- the day of the conferences.
The crew arrived at the pre designated hotel the Admiral had chosen for them. It was a very cheap looking hotel, but its location was near the conferences so the crew wouldn't get tired travelling back and forth all day. They signed in at the hotel reception and chose their room mates. Bridger turned and addressed the crew,
"Now, the conferences aren't opened until tonight, so whatever you do, don't be late!" Bridger addressed this last point, looking at Lucas in particular. "Now you can do anything you like within reason, but you have to be ready to leave the hotel in something smart looking at 5:30. Is that understood?"
There was a chorus of 'aye sirs' before they dragged their luggage up to their room. Lucas was sharing with Bridger, so he could keep a careful eye on the youngster. Dragging their luggage into the room, Lucas and Nathan looked around at their room for the next three days. It wasn't too bad, as far as a two star hotel went, there were clean sheets on the beds, no rats or mice running around… Well none that they could see at the moment anyway. Lucas ambled over to look out their window, and discovered that they had a view of the beach, which they both were pleased about.
"So, what are you going to do?" Bridger asked the youngster.
"Probably go down to the beach with the others, you?"
"I'll probably join you guys, unless of course I'm cramping your style. I know you younger generation don't like to hang with 'old fogies.' like me" Lucas laughed at this.
"You're not that old!" Lucas stated. "And I don't mind hanging round with you. Most of the others are going to play volley ball, do you wanna come down with us. They said they were gonna knock for me after they've unpacked and everything."
"Yeah sure. Sounds like fun." Bridger was touched by the fact that Lucas had even thought of asking him.
The day at the beach was fun. They played volley ball and sun bathed most of the day, until the wind began to pick up. The crew quickly had showers and changed into their smartest item of clothing they had. Down in reception, everyone was prompt and didn't have to wait long before the limo swept the crew off into the night and towards the official opening of the dreaded conferences.
TBC…
Sorry it took so long to get these parts up; my computer monitor broke just as I was doing some important coursework. I've only just got a loaned monitor today. Oh well. Hope you enjoy it.