The year is 2018 and the world has been at war for the past 15 years. The future that we saw in Seaquest does not exist. In this universe, the Seaquest is a war vessel. Her crew contains familiar names and faces but they are changed and hardened from the years of war. While everything else has changed, she is still the world's greatest hope for peace.

"Captain, we're receiving a signal."

"Pull it up, Lieutenant."

"Sir, it is coming from inside the boat."

"What does it say?"

"S.O.S" O'Neill twisted back in his seat to exchange confused glances with his commanding officer.

"Page Commander Hitchcock. Tell her that we need her on the immediately."

"Yes, sir."

Bridger paced thinking over the strange signal. There were several possibilities that he could think of to explain the problem. It might be one of his men, one of the computer technicians perhaps, playing a prank. If it was he would have them doing time in the brig before the end of the day. The other alternative was that it was coming from outside of the boat. This required a hacker and complicated the situation. 'S.O.S.' normally indicated a plea for help but given the suspected source it could easily be the first signs of a virus. Why would a hacker be coming to Seaquest for help? If someone was in trouble why didn't they contact them the normal way? The appearance of Lt. Commander Hitchcock interrupted his thoughts.

"Ah, Commander, we have a slight situation that we need your opinion on," he said coming to stand before his chair.

"Certainly, sir." Bridger nodded at Mr. O'Neill.

"Ten minutes ago, I detected this signal. Upon further investigation I determined that the message read: S.O.S. and that the signal was coming from inside the boat."

"We need you to find the source of that signal."

"Yes, sir," she replied sitting down at her console. She keyed in her access codes then opened the folder into the communications system. Picking up with the signal she began the tedious task of tracing it back to its origin. It was this task that separated her from the hackers. There was no thrill of the chase for her. There were no intuitive leaps of logic that made the computer nothing more than an extension of her body and mind. She was simply following set paths that would lead her to the answer. She was better than most computer specialists. She could find the right path and get to the end faster than the computer could find her and faster than some hackers could track her. This was quite a feat for someone depending on linear logic in a far from linear world but even for all of that she would never be great. She occasionally found herself resenting hackers because a part of her would always envy them and the ease at which they did such impossible things.

She followed the path of the signal peeling back layers of programming and memory until she reached the mainframe. There nestled in the corner was her treasure. The tracer delved into the treasure revealing it to be some kind of data file.

"Captain, I found it. It's a," She stopped mid-sentence staring at the screen in amazement.

"Commander, what have you found?" he said coming to stand behind her. He looked at the information on the screen trying to force the rows of numbers to form into something he could recognize.

"He didn't! He couldn't have! But he did!" She was nearly incoherent.

"Commander, explain yourself." She visibly pulled herself together pausing a moment to make sure she was composed.

"See this right here?" she asked pointing to a spot on the screen. "This is where the signal is coming from. It appears to be some kind of data file attached to the program that sent the signal. But this, sir, this is astounding," she continued, her voice leaking excitement. "The hacker left a trail. He put up flags marking the holes he found or made to get into the system. He's showing us how he got in, sir."

"And that means?"

"Sir, hackers don't do this. You couldn't pay a hacker to give away his secrets but this one just did. Why would he do something like this? Sir, we need to get the programmers up here to take a look at this. Now that we know where the holes are we can go in and plug them."

"That's all find and dandy, Commander, but what about the file and the signal."

"Well, sir, we can either open it or simply remove it."

"Open it."

"It's not quite that simple, sir. I'm going to have to transfer it to a closed system and scan it for viruses before I can open it."

"Why a closed system?"

"Because if the scan misses and viruses we do not want to infect the entire ship. This guy is a master. He did everything and put up flags without ever setting of an alarm. He could easily create his own virus."

"And how long will all of this take you?"

"I should be able to have it done within the hour if I can take it to my quarters to work on."

"You have half an hour."

"Yes, sir." She initiated the transfer of the file to her personal computer. All of the computers on the boat belonged to a single network but it was a simple procedure to disconnect the connection. When the transfer was complete, she hurried to her quarters leaving her console open for the technicians to use. She hoped that Lonnie would still be going over films with Brody so that she could have the room to herself while she worked.

She unplugged her computer from all outlets. Then she went into the programs and edited her network protocol. Now her computer was a protected island that any viruses would be unable to escape from. She began the scan waiting patiently for it to go through each cluster in the file. Clear. Slightly reassured, she began to pick apart the program. Ten minutes later, she had each layer's purpose accounted for. There were no viruses in the program. She decided to save it for the Captain to decide before she deleted it.

The file was a more complicated issue. She could not examine the contents without opening the file and opening the file would release any viruses. Holding her breath, she decided to go for it and opened the file. Word programs began opening displaying the contents of the file. Gasping, she let out her breath gaping at what lay before her. Scrolling through the file, she picked up her PAL and contacted the Captain.

"Sir, this is Hitchcock. I think you need to come down to my quarters to see this."

[Scene change]

"I think we should sell the kid."

"First you beg me to buy him now you want me to sell him?"

"The price was too good not to buy him."

"Ten thousand credits is not cheap."

"We can sell him for ten times that. He's got papers. Certified breeding. Mensa certification. The works. We can make a killing off of him."

"And what about the next time we need a hacker."

"We can pick up another one at the meet. We just need someone who can break codes or hide us when necessary. That's child's play to someone like the one we've got. It's like buying a sports car when what you really need is a station wagon."

"All right, you've convinced me. The boy's on the market."

And so the boy found him being led off of the boat instead of being locked into his cell the night they reached port. He shivered as the cold winter wind hit his bare flesh. He wrapped his arms across his chest digging his fingers into the ridges in between his ribs. He gazed up at the brilliant night sky grateful for the rare moment of beauty.

"You'd think you were a half-wit instead of a genius always staring off into space and drooling," growled one of the traders giving the boy a push. Admonished he turned his gaze to his feet and hurried along with the men. The inn that they were staying in was a tiny affair and the staff wrinkled their noses at the sight of the group. Many frowned upon the traders but no one would say anything or betray the group because they needed the business and did not want to risk becoming slaves themselves.

"Amos, Derrick, grab an extra outfit then take the boy back down to the bay and clean him up."

"Yes, sir," they answered groaning to themselves. The boy sank down in the corner trying to stay out of sight. One of them moved towards him glaring. The boy choked down a squeal as the man bent down and tossed him over his shoulder. Squirming, he was carried out of the room like a sack of potatoes or like an unwanted puppy on its way to be drowned.

The man laid him down on the edge of the dock the restrained him as the other man cut off his pants. The boy went limp knowing that it would be impossible to fight off both of them. He whimpered slightly, clinching his eyes shut. They opened again in surprise as he was picked up again and unceremoniously tossed into the water. Gasping, he flailed around for a moment before his feet found hold and he was able to stand up in the waist deep water.

Grabbing his arm, one of the men hauled him forward to shallower water. They held him tight as they began to scrub his body with scouring pads. A meaty palm covered his mouth when he cried out. He wiggled trying to avoid the pads that were rubbing his skin raw. At last they decided he was clean enough and he was dunked in the water one last time. His limbs were shaking from the freezing water and the frigid air. His dropping body temperature made his thoughts fuzzy and fatigued and he was unable to control his limbs well enough to dress himself. The men stuffed him into clothes that were meant for a large grown man and not this little waif-like child then carried him back up to the inn. Huddled on the floor in the corner, he tried to ignore the rowdy men long enough to go to sleep. Shivering, his last thought before sleep claimed him was that the meet was tomorrow.

[Scene Change]

Katie looked around the wardroom meeting the curious gazes of her fellow officers. Unlike them, she knew exactly why everyone had been called to this meeting. Tim glanced at her again suspecting that this meeting was directly related to the signal they received earlier. Lonnie and Jim were sitting side-by-side chatting amicably so apparently they had settled any problems from this morning. This morning! Tony! She had forgotten all about her meeting with him. She hoped that he would not be mad. She would have to find some time to make it up with him after this whole mess was straightened out.

"Gentlemen," began Nathan as he entered the room. "I'm sure most of you are wondering why you are here. You are here because we have a very important decision to make. We received a signal this afternoon that was actually a program implanted in our computers by a hacker. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that there was a file attached to this program. Once opened, it displayed documents detailing a slavers meet to take place tomorrow off the coast of New Hampshire. Here are folders containing the documents. As you can see there are maps of the area, a schedule of events, even a likely list of attendees for the meet. Now we have to decide what we are going to do with the documents." He looked each of them in the eye. "The lives of thousands could depend on our decision."

"So let's go in there and free all of the slaves," said Ben. "We can't just leave them there."

"What proof do we have that this isn't a trap?" demanded Brody.

"The hacker left a trail so that we would be able to find the holes he used to get into the system and plug the holes. It was a gesture that could only have been made to prove his sincerity and need."

"Could he have done that to give us a false sense of security?" asked Miguel.

"Un-uh. This is a hacker we're talking about. Even a slave couldn't be forced into revealing his secrets."

"So we have to assume that the documents are real," stated Tim. "That established, I do not see how we can say no to this mission. We have a chance to free close to a thousand slaves not to mention giving the market a wounding blow. This is not something that we can afford to throw away. At the same time this is not something we can rush into and expect to live. We have to come up with a plan."

"Well said," replied Nathan.

"Look," stated Jonathan focusing on the map. "If we place a team here and another team here, they'll be able to provide back up to the men in the arena."

"Do we want to hit them while the meet's going on?"

"There'll be less risk of someone coming up on us from behind that way. Besides we don't want any of them to escape."

"Krieg and I can provide backup while you storm the arena," offered Miguel.

"I'd prefer it if we took three teams in and had two teams for back up."

"We can have security form two teams then fill out our squads with men out of the crew."

"How far away are we?"

"Eight hours."

"We should hit them after lunch. That's when they'll be the most relaxed. We'll leave Seaquest down the coast far enough that she won't be spotted then take the launches inland. They are more likely to be overlooked by the security. If we put two men to each door, we'll have them surrounded."

"Is everyone in agreement?" asked the Captain. Everyone agreed with the plan of action then the real planning got under way.

[Scene Change]

The boy was awakened early that morning by one of the men nudging him in the foot. "Wake up," grunted the man. He was ushered outside where the rest of the group stood lurking in the pre-dawn shadows. The boy curled his hands up inside the long sleeves wistfully wishing that he could have seen the sun one last time.

The arena was already well lit shining like a beacon in the darkness. It was not a particularly large structure but it would more than house the meet. He could see traders ahead of him unloading their cargo. One man had a line of men that were shackled together by iron chains linked around their waists. Each of the men had a neck that was bigger around that the boy's waist. The boy decided that he would not like to be that trader if those men ever broke free.

The area around the outside of the arena was bustling with activity as townsmen came to barter their wares. Delicious smells wafted through the air making the boy's tummy rumble. It would have been nice if they remembered to feed him. Most of the slaves were taken directly to the floor housed in pens according to owner and specialty. A few traders, like his own, only had a couple of slaves with them for the meet and brought them in through the regular entrances. Across the crowd, he caught sight of another bearing The Mark. He smiled at the tired looking woman glad to see another hacker.

He followed his owner down onto the floor of the arena. The floor was a mass of flesh and suffering. The Captain began his day with some window-shopping through the pleasure slaves. He drooled over the women who were barely dressed and the boy and girl children who danced dude but the boy was relived to find that he paid no attention to the older boys or men. The Captain did not buy any of them because they were not worth the cost or the effort that it would take to preserve them from his own men.

There were people of every age and every race for sale here. Former doctors and lawyers sat chained to former farmers and housewives. You could buy entire families or matched sets of twins and triplets. You could find children that were specifically bred for red hair and freckles. Prices depended on the market. One day the strong men could reach the highest price while the next the beautiful dancers or the French cooks would fetch the higher bid. There were a couple of offers for the boy but it was too early in the day to complete any sales. He passed another hacker nodding at the balding man in greeting. His stomach rumbled again and he wished that lunchtime would hurry up.

[Scene Change]

The men doubled checked their weapons as they prepared to exit the launches. Ortiz glanced over at his partner who was adjusting a strap on his pack. Tim smirked at him before moving to stand in line. This raid was going to have to be done textbook perfect. No one could be out of place or thousands of people could die.

To the north, Katie Hitchcock was preparing to move out with her team. As the highest-ranking officer, she should have been leading the attack but she deferred to Lt. Brody's judgment. They had exactly half an hour to get into position. Exiting the launch, they began the hike up the beach.

"Come on, men. We've got ground to cover," said Ben Krieg leading his men through the brush. Of all the teams, his had the most difficult assignment. They had already climbed through the vines and weeds and bushes for two miles and they had another mile and a half to go before they would be in position behind the arena. Sweating he signaled his men to get down as he spotted the arena up ahead. From here on in, they would have to stay low to avoid being seen.

Ortiz brought his men into the south side of the town. The scene was vastly different from the one a few hours ago. The slavers would not be leaving the arena for the duration of the meet today so the people who had been busy selling their wares in front of the arena had already packed up their stalls and headed home. It was quiet and no one took notice as the group walked the distance to the arena one by one. There were a few men on the concourse but they were quickly dealt with and restrained. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the first stage had gone so well and hoped that the other two teams were having the same luck.

Brody punched the last man in the solar plexus and team two finished securing their position. They divided up and went to stand by their assigned gate. Now all they had to do was wait.

Krieg wiped sweat from his face as he considered the rusting doors. He would just have to hope one of them was open because there was no other way into the arena from back here. He began going down the line trying them becoming more and more desperate. Finally the second to last one opened. A closer glance revealed that the lock had failed rather than the door having been left open. The concourse was empty as they moved into position. The last few minutes ticked by slowly. Two minutes. One minute. Thirty seconds. Ten. Three. Two. One. Thirty synchronized watches beeped as they flung open the doors.

"Freeze!" shouted Lt. Ortiz as the Seaquest team stormed the floor. For a second everything fell silent as the occupants of the floor stared at the soldiers in shock. A thin, blond boy caught Katie Hitchcock's eye as she was scanning the crowd. He smiled at her and she instinctually identified him as the hacker who left her the flags. She smiled back mouthing, "Thank you."

The moment broke as he nodded.

"You! You did this!" shouted the enraged slaver Captain pulling a gun on his former property. The boy shifted slightly so that he could meet the Captain's gaze. Katie would always wonder what the Captain read in his face in that second that would cause deadly rage to surface in the Captain's expression.

"No!" shouted Katie as two shots rang out sending the boy's small body flying. Then all hell broke loose.

TBC