Disclaimer: I don't own Seaquest!

Note: if this isn't the last chapter then there will only be one after this ^_^ I hope….

Fear Factor

Chapter 9 - Threat Comes to an End

By Faith Childrey

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Bridger stared down at the man with the long, dark pony tale sitting in front of him. The small craft had been easy enough to catch, but they had lost the area of its departure.

"Where are they?" He questioned the man for the third time. The man's response was again the same quiet glare. Bridger was becoming impatient. Lucas and the other kids were still out there in the hands of who knows what and this guys trying to play mister quiet. "Look! Those kids are in trouble and you know where they are. If you refuse to tell me where they are I'll make sure you're sentence is more than just a kidnapping charge."

"You're bluffing!" The man hissed.

"Oh am I? How does a life sentence for the murder of 5 Teenagers sound? Not to mention Attempted murder of a UEO captain. Is it really worth it?" Bridger was looking eye to eye with the silent man, he wasn't bluffing.

After a few tense moments the man spoke, "I'll tell you…"

Bridger grabbed the pad of paper from the nearby desk, writing down the co-ordinates and password as the man spoke. After he was finished, he ordered that the prisoner be taken to the brig. He was one step closer to finding Lucas.

They had to use the shuttle that had been captured to enter the hidden base. Fear was the password that opened the small hatch to the base allowing only an foot of space for mistakes. Bridger, Ford, Ortiz and Ben were the only ones aboard, guns ready as Ben shut down the crafts thrusters. Within seconds, they had piled out of the vessel and were headed through the closed hatch that would lead into the main computer room. Bridger pushed it open, stepping into the dimly lit room. On the far wall were six screens, all showing images of rooms. There was a keyboard attached to the wall under the screens. As they walked farther into the room, they could hear the rapid breathing of a human. Turning quickly too their right they found Claudia, curled up in a ball, eyes wide with fright. Ford bent down to touch the woman's arm, but she gasped and quickly scrambled away.

"Wonder what happened to her…" Ortiz spoke from behind the confused Ford. Their attention was quickly changed when Ben spoke from in front of the screens.

"Oh no, Lucas…" Captain Bridger was standing beside him in an instant, his eyes turning to the screen. Laying motionless on his back was Lucas. Surrounding him were the four other teens. They all looked as if they were on the verge of collapsing. "Where are they?" Ben asked staring at the picture on the screen.

"I don't know, but we're not going to find them any faster standing around her. Commander Ford, you and Ortiz follow after the woman, see if she knows anything. Lt. Krieg and I will check the through that door." He pointed to the door they had passed on the way in. The others nodded and were off.

The door opened onto a hall that widened to the left into a room up ahead. The sound of machinery echoed off the walls as they slowly moved in, guns raised Krieg went first, pressing against the cool metal wall as he slowly peered around the corner. What greeted him was enough to cause his gun to lower. He stepped out quickly, raising the gun again, sweeping the room for anything hostile. Bridger followed after, his gaze falling on what had surprised Ben.

Ahead of the two men were five metal tables, three on one side and two on the other. Atop these tables lay the five teens, hooked up to machines that filled the room with buzzing and beeping. Noting that the area was clear, the two men quickly approached the unconscious teenagers. The machinery surrounding the group seemed to be various life-support systems. Along with the devices were what looked to be headphones placed over each of the teens temples. Bridger reached out to the table Lucas lay on, silent and still, placing the tips of his fingers on the boy's brow. Ben moved around the room checking the other teens.

"They all seem to be sleeping." He observed the teens face, noticing the bruising that had started to form around his neck. Slender finger marks that wrapped around it like he had been, "choked…"

"What was that, Captain?" Ben had turned from where he stood at the far side of the room. Suddenly his expression fell, his arms trying to raise the gun he held, but it was too late. A mist splashed into his face, and he was unable to do anything about it. He stood stunned, unsure of what had happened, but slowly a fear he had never experienced before began to creep into his mind.

Bridger couldn't believe or even understand what was happening. There had been a quick spray of something towards the Lt., followed by an unusual behavior. Krieg's form sank to the floor, eyes wide with fright, staring at something Bridger couldn't see. "What is it, Ben?" His eyes widened, then creased into slits of anger as a thin, white haired man stepped out of the shadows, holding what looked like a spray tube. "Who are you?"

The doctor grinned as he walked around the tables, vile raised and now a small pistol. Captain Bridger had no where to run now. The kiddies would never wake up, and his device for world domination was complete. "Why, Captain, I'm sure a man such as yourself would have heard of the brilliant Dr. McAlivin."

"McAlivin? Yeah, I've heard of you. You were a UEO scientist who was thrown out after you used some of the other scientists children as guinea pigs in you experiments." Bridger hissed, the anger evident in his words.

"Those fools couldn't see the genius of my ideas, but that no longer matters. I have succeeded in creating the end of this world as you know it." The doctor gloated.

"What do you mean?"

"Simple, my fear formula will cover the world, infecting everyone, except me of course. Then the world will be mine."

"Sounds like every other mad quack's pathetic goal." Both men turned to see Commander Ford and Ortiz standing at the entrance, guns raised. The woman was with them, handcuffed and not shriveling with fear.

"No!" The doctor hissed. "It wasn't supposed to be temporary."

Bridger took the opening, grabbing the gun and slamming his fist into the doctor's face, sending the man off his feet. In an instant the doctor was handcuffed.

Ford had control of the prisoners as Bridger and Ortiz hurried over to check on Krieg. The man was still petrified from the gas the doctor had used on him, but from what they saw with the woman, the effects wouldn't take long to disappear.

"Stay with him, I'm going to go see if the doctor can release the kids." Ortiz gave him a nod and stood, walking over to where the commander had the captives. "Ok, McAlivin… I want those children out of that machine."

The doctor scoffed at the ridiculous order. "I don't think so Captain, if I'm going down then the kiddies are going with me!"

Bridger bit back a few words he would have liked to beat into the doctor, but wasn't able to continue the command as the woman spoke up.

"I'll do it," she grinned, "payback for the doctors little experimentation on me."

The doctor cursed at her sharply, struggling against the commanders grip as if it would stop her from ruining some part of his life.

The captain un-cuffed her and followed her over to a computer console next to the teens. She took the nearest seat glancing at the video screen. The teens were still conscious, save Lucas who hadn't moved since they had arrived.

"Is there a way to talk to them?" Bridger asked.

"There's a microphone," she pointed to the small, pen-like device protruding from the console, "I should patch you into the room automatically."

The Captain gave a nod, then turned back to the screen speaking into the device. "Hello? Can you hear me?" He was rewarded with surprised glances from the four teens, searching for the voice.

"Yes we hear you." The boy wearing the red t-shirt spoke.

"This Captain Bridger of Seaquest. We've come to rescue you. Is everyone ok?"

The captain watched as Red turned back to the others, seeming to check out everyone, then turning his gaze back. "Everyone's banged up. Lucas isn't doing to well, he got beat up pretty badly."

Bridger frowned and turned back to Claudia, "How soon can you get them out of there?"

"It shouldn't take more than a minute. I have to log them out one at a time or the system will crash."

Bridger nodded and turned back to the microphone, "Ok, we're going to get you out of there, but its going to have to be one at a time."

They all nodded then turned to Lucas, their expressions conveying the same thing. Red turned back to the screen and spoke, "Get Lucas out first."

Bridger nodded to Claudia, "You got it, we'll have you all out and safe soon." He watched as the teens nodded.

Claudia was typing the codes into the computer to retrieve Lucas, when a small alarm blared on. The captain looked to Claudia who now had a confused expression playing on her face.

"What's going on?" Ortiz questioned, walking over, followed by a recovered Krieg. Bridger was standing behind Claudia, eyes fixated on the warning flashing on the screen.

"It's a back up against anyone trying to get them out." Claudia informed the group, glaring at the doctor's delighted expression.

"What does it mean? Can you still get them out?" Krieg questioned.

"I think so, it doesn't affect anything on our side, but it might cause some problems on their side."

Bridger looked to the screen picturing the group of teens, his features pale. From their expressions, something was definitely wrong.

Tbc…

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DARN IT! I get one new idea and it sends me off into new directions x.x I have no idea when this story will be over but im hopping soon… for yall's sake x.x Im back in school so I have more time to just sit and write, maybe that'll help ^^ well I hope you enjoyed this one! Hopefully the next one will be up soon ^_^

Thanks for reading!