AN: New chapter. Rewrote some stuff I didn't like before, and I'll probably do it again.
**WARNING** Character Death Ahead.
Jumanji-seaQuest Style
by Shell Lee
The corridor was pitch black for a few minutes after Ford's outburst. The only sounds that broke the silence were the ones of animals that should never have been on a underwater let alone on seaQuest and the sound of the flash flood forming in the room they had just vacated. Occasionally, above all that, they could hear metal bending and twisting under pressures it was never meant to be put under.
The emergency lights eventually kicked in and they could see again. This gave Lucas the courage to speak. "What are we going to do now?"
"We need to get the game board back. Any ideas on how to do that?" Ford wiped a tired hand across his forehead. In the sickly blue emergency lights Tim's commanding officer looked awful. He could see that the game, losing Tony and everything else was catching up to him.
"We could wait for Tony to come out and then send him back for the game board," he offered.
"We can't wait for him. We don't know what happened to him and he may be a long time coming. If he comes at all."
"Are you saying Tony's dead?" Lucas sounded angry.
"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know." Commander Ford had a reputation for being cool under a lot of pressure, but even the coolest person had a breaking point. Commander Jonathan Ford just found his. "This whole thing is as fucked up as it gets." Ford gave a bitter laugh. "God knows we've seen, done and found some very weird, fucked up things. But this, this really takes the cake. Monkeys, snakes, vines, cats of all shapes and sizes, and now the fucking lights go out. Yes, yes I do think Tony's dead. He'd be better than living through any more of this shit."
All of them were silent after that outburst then, "I don't think Tony's dead." Lucas sounded scared, more like the kid he was, denying that he had lost a close friend.
"Well, you should. Tony's dead and there's nothing anyone can do for him now."
"Have a little faith in him, Commander. He's tough."
"I lost my faith a long time ago, Lucas."
"He could've gotten out of the room and gone the other way. Maybe he can breath water and is trapped in there. There isn't enough proof that Tony's dead." Lucas was desperately searching for a way that Tony, his roommate and friend, could be alive, and it showed.
"And he might not be able to breath the fresh water, and has drowned already. He could've bleed to death from his injuries. He might've ran the same way as those cats did and has been eaten. Anyone of the numerous and deadly things running around could've finished him off." Commander Ford visibly composed himself, drawing everyone back to the point. "We can't count on Tony being alive."
Tim didn't add anything. He didn't want Tony to be dead, the guy had saved his life after all, he could also see Ford's point in that they couldn't count on his being alive. In the silence that followed, Tim tentatively offered, "We can get some scuba gear and swim down to get the game board."
"Even if there isn't any scuba gear left, it wont' hurt to check. We'll go to med bay first. I don't want this blood to attract anything." The remaining trio moved down the hallway. A weary hopelessness following them.
"I'm sorry. What I said was way out of line."
"It's ok. I have to accept that Tony could be dead." And that was the end of that.
***
"Thank you, Dagwood." The shirt was a touch too small and the pants just a size too large, but it was better than the boxers Bridger had been running around in.
"You looked cold."
"The ship isn't exactly warm right now." Looking around Bridger decided med bay looked like a refuge camp for some poor war torn country. Thank God, nothing had made it inside yet.
'How am I going to get all these people out of here?' His mind drifted back to when he had played the game. He and his friends had fished it out of the water. They had to wait for leave time to play. When they had played though it completely destroyed the city where they were docked. The carnage was eerily similar to what he was seeing now.
Except now he was seeing it in spooky emergency lighting. Those few, poor souls on life support were gone now. It was one less thing to worry about. Not that he wasn't sorry for the people's deaths, he was, he just had to focus on the living right then and there.
Which brought him back to his present problem, how to get everyone off the ship. Two groups would be best. One to get the transport together, and a second one to come later with all the wounded. But who would go get everything together and who would stay here and take care of the wounded?
There were 21 people currently in med bay. Most were wounded in some way. Out of everyone there only five that were completely fine. Himself, Wendy, Dagwood and two other crew members. Bridger knew that Ortiz and Jim wouldn't stand on being counted among the wounded. Perhaps five others could help out, and three more could just walk on their own.
That left six people that would have to be helped. And, damn it, there weren't enough people to make two groups, maybe not even for one group. No matter which way he sliced it there weren't enough healthy people, someone would be left behind. If he sent some people back for the remainders, the danger would increase each trip.
Not to mention the slight tip to the floor would make it harder for those who could still walk but weren't very strong. It might turn some of those he thought could make the trip into some who will need help.
Maybe, Bridger thought, we should give up the whole idea of getting off seaQuest and just wait for the game to end.
Something happening around the door drew his attention. Survivors were coming in. Hopefully they would be counted among those that could help.
When he saw Lucas, Ford, and Tim walk in, his sprits rose. If they helped then there might be enough people to get everyone to safety.
The news they brought with them of Tony's death was enough to dampen those sprits, along with the fact that they had lost the game board.
"Ok, people. Gather around. I have a plan." Bridger out lined what he had to everyone else. "Two groups. The first is going to get a couple of transports ready. The second is going to get everyone ready to move out.
"Most of the people from the first group will have to come back to help carry. We should have enough to leave one person behind to protect the repaired transports. That will be the most dangerous job, and the most vital. The most dangerous because whoever stays will be one against snakes, lions, leopards, and other animals. The most vital because that is our way off this ship. Any volunteers?"
"I can do that." It was Ray. He had dragged his friend through the growing jungle to med bay only to have his friend die in his arms just before he reached the door.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bridger asked.
"I'm sure."
"Ok. Any other volunteers for the first group?"
Lucas spoke up. "I can get the computer systems up and running on the transports."
"Miguel and I know something about the mechanics of the transports. Between the two of us we can get it running if Lucas gets the computer systems up," Tim added.
"Anyone else?"
"I can go," Ford said. "Defend people if need be."
"No, you can't. If something does go horribly wrong, I don't want everyone who's playing the game to die. I'm sorry, Jonathan. I can't let you go.
"Anyone else?" No one answered this time. "Ok. You four go ahead. The rest of us will stay here and get the injured ready for transport." Bridger grabbed the gun he used before. "Here. Use this and be careful."
***
As they walked towards where the transports were docked, Lucas couldn't help but notice how different the seaQuest looked. The corridor they walked down now had metal twisted off the walls where vines had pushed through. There was a purple flower on one of the vines. Everyone stayed well away from that one. Groups of monkeys patrolled the ship but they didn't seem all that interested in anything human anymore. Around a corner there was a few hyenas chowed down on a monkey carcass. Their hunger sated they didn't even glance at the humans in their midst. Lucas now knew why the monkeys were running. All this under the pale light from the emergency lights.
It was as different as night from day to the seaQuest Lucas lived and worked on. That seaQuest was pristine, with people walking up and down the halls all hours of the day and night. Under the sea time had little meaning. Around the next corner might be Dagwood cleaning. Now it was the disgusting sight of half a body hanging out of one of those yellow pods that had almost gotten the commander.
Before he knew it Lucas was there. He couldn't help thinking that it wasn't soon enough.
There were places for five transports. One they obviously couldn't use. It had a big yellow pod sticking out of the top. One was missing. Lucas could only hope some other survivors had grabbed it and gone while the getting was good.
Miguel and Ray, they decided, could check out the others, and make sure the transports didn't have any nasty surprises in them.
The two finished their search. The good news was nothing in them. The bad news only two could have any hope of being salvaged.
With one last glance at Ray, who had set up outside the door, looking out for anything nasty that might come along, Lucas lost himself in trying to get all the computers back online. It was the first time since all this started that he had skills to contribute.
***
Ray looked around the bay. He was amazed that all this destruction could come from something so innocent as a board game. He had played many as a child himself. Then again, he didn't think that he'd have to watch as his best friend died just minutes from help, on a ship like the seaQuest no less.
Tim had told him on the way over just what had come out of the game so far. The list was impressive; sharks, snakes, monkeys, bats, hyenas, lions, leopards, and a monsoon. That was including the vines that had killed his friend, and turned the seaQuest into a jungle.
Ray spotted someone coming down the hallway. They didn't look so good. As the person got closer, he could see it was a man. The man was carrying something under one arm. Ray jumped up and helped him into the transport bay, just incase something was chasing the other man.
"Here let me help you." Ray put his arm around the man's mid section and half carried the nearly unconscious man. Ray shut the door, and got him relatively comfortable on the hard deck.
Ray jumped a few feet in the air when someone behind him said, "Holy shit. Tony!"
**WARNING** Character Death Ahead.
Jumanji-seaQuest Style
by Shell Lee
The corridor was pitch black for a few minutes after Ford's outburst. The only sounds that broke the silence were the ones of animals that should never have been on a underwater let alone on seaQuest and the sound of the flash flood forming in the room they had just vacated. Occasionally, above all that, they could hear metal bending and twisting under pressures it was never meant to be put under.
The emergency lights eventually kicked in and they could see again. This gave Lucas the courage to speak. "What are we going to do now?"
"We need to get the game board back. Any ideas on how to do that?" Ford wiped a tired hand across his forehead. In the sickly blue emergency lights Tim's commanding officer looked awful. He could see that the game, losing Tony and everything else was catching up to him.
"We could wait for Tony to come out and then send him back for the game board," he offered.
"We can't wait for him. We don't know what happened to him and he may be a long time coming. If he comes at all."
"Are you saying Tony's dead?" Lucas sounded angry.
"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know." Commander Ford had a reputation for being cool under a lot of pressure, but even the coolest person had a breaking point. Commander Jonathan Ford just found his. "This whole thing is as fucked up as it gets." Ford gave a bitter laugh. "God knows we've seen, done and found some very weird, fucked up things. But this, this really takes the cake. Monkeys, snakes, vines, cats of all shapes and sizes, and now the fucking lights go out. Yes, yes I do think Tony's dead. He'd be better than living through any more of this shit."
All of them were silent after that outburst then, "I don't think Tony's dead." Lucas sounded scared, more like the kid he was, denying that he had lost a close friend.
"Well, you should. Tony's dead and there's nothing anyone can do for him now."
"Have a little faith in him, Commander. He's tough."
"I lost my faith a long time ago, Lucas."
"He could've gotten out of the room and gone the other way. Maybe he can breath water and is trapped in there. There isn't enough proof that Tony's dead." Lucas was desperately searching for a way that Tony, his roommate and friend, could be alive, and it showed.
"And he might not be able to breath the fresh water, and has drowned already. He could've bleed to death from his injuries. He might've ran the same way as those cats did and has been eaten. Anyone of the numerous and deadly things running around could've finished him off." Commander Ford visibly composed himself, drawing everyone back to the point. "We can't count on Tony being alive."
Tim didn't add anything. He didn't want Tony to be dead, the guy had saved his life after all, he could also see Ford's point in that they couldn't count on his being alive. In the silence that followed, Tim tentatively offered, "We can get some scuba gear and swim down to get the game board."
"Even if there isn't any scuba gear left, it wont' hurt to check. We'll go to med bay first. I don't want this blood to attract anything." The remaining trio moved down the hallway. A weary hopelessness following them.
"I'm sorry. What I said was way out of line."
"It's ok. I have to accept that Tony could be dead." And that was the end of that.
***
"Thank you, Dagwood." The shirt was a touch too small and the pants just a size too large, but it was better than the boxers Bridger had been running around in.
"You looked cold."
"The ship isn't exactly warm right now." Looking around Bridger decided med bay looked like a refuge camp for some poor war torn country. Thank God, nothing had made it inside yet.
'How am I going to get all these people out of here?' His mind drifted back to when he had played the game. He and his friends had fished it out of the water. They had to wait for leave time to play. When they had played though it completely destroyed the city where they were docked. The carnage was eerily similar to what he was seeing now.
Except now he was seeing it in spooky emergency lighting. Those few, poor souls on life support were gone now. It was one less thing to worry about. Not that he wasn't sorry for the people's deaths, he was, he just had to focus on the living right then and there.
Which brought him back to his present problem, how to get everyone off the ship. Two groups would be best. One to get the transport together, and a second one to come later with all the wounded. But who would go get everything together and who would stay here and take care of the wounded?
There were 21 people currently in med bay. Most were wounded in some way. Out of everyone there only five that were completely fine. Himself, Wendy, Dagwood and two other crew members. Bridger knew that Ortiz and Jim wouldn't stand on being counted among the wounded. Perhaps five others could help out, and three more could just walk on their own.
That left six people that would have to be helped. And, damn it, there weren't enough people to make two groups, maybe not even for one group. No matter which way he sliced it there weren't enough healthy people, someone would be left behind. If he sent some people back for the remainders, the danger would increase each trip.
Not to mention the slight tip to the floor would make it harder for those who could still walk but weren't very strong. It might turn some of those he thought could make the trip into some who will need help.
Maybe, Bridger thought, we should give up the whole idea of getting off seaQuest and just wait for the game to end.
Something happening around the door drew his attention. Survivors were coming in. Hopefully they would be counted among those that could help.
When he saw Lucas, Ford, and Tim walk in, his sprits rose. If they helped then there might be enough people to get everyone to safety.
The news they brought with them of Tony's death was enough to dampen those sprits, along with the fact that they had lost the game board.
"Ok, people. Gather around. I have a plan." Bridger out lined what he had to everyone else. "Two groups. The first is going to get a couple of transports ready. The second is going to get everyone ready to move out.
"Most of the people from the first group will have to come back to help carry. We should have enough to leave one person behind to protect the repaired transports. That will be the most dangerous job, and the most vital. The most dangerous because whoever stays will be one against snakes, lions, leopards, and other animals. The most vital because that is our way off this ship. Any volunteers?"
"I can do that." It was Ray. He had dragged his friend through the growing jungle to med bay only to have his friend die in his arms just before he reached the door.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bridger asked.
"I'm sure."
"Ok. Any other volunteers for the first group?"
Lucas spoke up. "I can get the computer systems up and running on the transports."
"Miguel and I know something about the mechanics of the transports. Between the two of us we can get it running if Lucas gets the computer systems up," Tim added.
"Anyone else?"
"I can go," Ford said. "Defend people if need be."
"No, you can't. If something does go horribly wrong, I don't want everyone who's playing the game to die. I'm sorry, Jonathan. I can't let you go.
"Anyone else?" No one answered this time. "Ok. You four go ahead. The rest of us will stay here and get the injured ready for transport." Bridger grabbed the gun he used before. "Here. Use this and be careful."
***
As they walked towards where the transports were docked, Lucas couldn't help but notice how different the seaQuest looked. The corridor they walked down now had metal twisted off the walls where vines had pushed through. There was a purple flower on one of the vines. Everyone stayed well away from that one. Groups of monkeys patrolled the ship but they didn't seem all that interested in anything human anymore. Around a corner there was a few hyenas chowed down on a monkey carcass. Their hunger sated they didn't even glance at the humans in their midst. Lucas now knew why the monkeys were running. All this under the pale light from the emergency lights.
It was as different as night from day to the seaQuest Lucas lived and worked on. That seaQuest was pristine, with people walking up and down the halls all hours of the day and night. Under the sea time had little meaning. Around the next corner might be Dagwood cleaning. Now it was the disgusting sight of half a body hanging out of one of those yellow pods that had almost gotten the commander.
Before he knew it Lucas was there. He couldn't help thinking that it wasn't soon enough.
There were places for five transports. One they obviously couldn't use. It had a big yellow pod sticking out of the top. One was missing. Lucas could only hope some other survivors had grabbed it and gone while the getting was good.
Miguel and Ray, they decided, could check out the others, and make sure the transports didn't have any nasty surprises in them.
The two finished their search. The good news was nothing in them. The bad news only two could have any hope of being salvaged.
With one last glance at Ray, who had set up outside the door, looking out for anything nasty that might come along, Lucas lost himself in trying to get all the computers back online. It was the first time since all this started that he had skills to contribute.
***
Ray looked around the bay. He was amazed that all this destruction could come from something so innocent as a board game. He had played many as a child himself. Then again, he didn't think that he'd have to watch as his best friend died just minutes from help, on a ship like the seaQuest no less.
Tim had told him on the way over just what had come out of the game so far. The list was impressive; sharks, snakes, monkeys, bats, hyenas, lions, leopards, and a monsoon. That was including the vines that had killed his friend, and turned the seaQuest into a jungle.
Ray spotted someone coming down the hallway. They didn't look so good. As the person got closer, he could see it was a man. The man was carrying something under one arm. Ray jumped up and helped him into the transport bay, just incase something was chasing the other man.
"Here let me help you." Ray put his arm around the man's mid section and half carried the nearly unconscious man. Ray shut the door, and got him relatively comfortable on the hard deck.
Ray jumped a few feet in the air when someone behind him said, "Holy shit. Tony!"