AN:  Sorry for the long delay. I was side tracked by another story and schoolwork. This part is a bit slow but things are going to pick up. Since it has been so long, I thought I would review.

The year is 2018 and the world has been at war for the past 15 years. Slavery is a growing trade and slave ships and pirate ships rule the ocean. SeaQuest was sent out to free the waters from their control. When a slave hacker named Lucas leaked information, SeaQuest was able to bust a major slaver meet freeing thousands of slaves. Many of these slaves came aboard SeaQuest to be transported to other cities to begin their new lives. Most of the slaves departed in New Haven but some remain to depart in the Carolinas or Washington, DC. The children, including Lucas, are bound for Washington. Lucas's situation is complicated by the fact that he has won over the hearts of many of the crew and the fact that he helped save SeaQuest during a previous battle by defeating the opposing hackers.

"Hey, sweety," said Wendy as Lucas timidly peaked into Medbay. He waved to her cutting off his walkman. The small appliance had rarely left his side since Lonnie had given it to him. He surrounded himself with music whenever possible. "Are you here for your check-up?" asked Wendy.

Lucas nodded.

"Kristin's in with another patient. She won't be able to see you right now. You can either wait until she's finished or let me do the exam." Lucas stood wavering between the two options. It was his eagerness to get back to his research that eventually made him decide on letting Wendy perform the exam. He followed her back to one of the examination rooms and had a seat on the table.

"So how have you been doing, Lucas? Any dizziness? Shortness of breath? Pain anywhere?" He shook his head no to all of the questions. She took his pulse and blood pressure. "All right. Time to take off your shirt." He slowly, reluctantly removed his shirt.

"Wow. Those are mighty impressive scars," she said when he shifted uncomfortably. He looked down at them considering them again then grinned up at her. She noted that he was sitting up straighter. She realized that he had probably been self-conscious of the scars. She ran her finger lightly against the shiny, pink, scar tissue that marked where they had entered the boy's chest. She watched his face carefully for any signs of discomfort but the scars were no longer tender. He squirmed when she pressed the cold stethoscope against his chest listening to his heart and lungs. "Everything sounds great. All we have left to do is weigh you."

Lucas pulled his shirt back on and silently followed her over to the scale. He watched her face intently as she pulled the weights across the measure. Her face fell as she recorded the final value. "You've lost weight again," she said softly. He hung his head feeling bad for upsetting her.

"What's wrong, Lucas? Have you been getting sick? Are you just not eating as much?" He just shrugged. "All right," she said patting him on the shoulder. "You can go. Kristin might want to see you later about your weight but for now you're free." He slinked out of Medbay not even bothering to cut on his music.

[Scene Change]

"Captain? Can I speak with you for a moment?" asked Katie knocking on his office door.

"Of course. What can I do for you, Commander?" He waved for her to enter the room.

"Sir, I was wondering what is going to happen to Lucas when we reach Washington."

"I do not know. I have invited the Doctor to stay aboard with him but she seems determined to leave."

"So she'll be allowed to keep him?"

"Probably not. She has no legal claim on him and the higher ups are eager to test his talents," he replied shaking his head. He knew that Dr. Westphalen was deluding herself but there was nothing that he could do about it.

"Sir! You can't let that happen!" she exclaimed at his apathy.

"Once he leaves SeaQuest, I have no control over the situation."

"So keep him here," she said as though it was the most obvious explanation. "He's been traumatized and abused his entire live. He'll never get a chance to heal and have a normal life if he becomes government property."

"He is unable to care for himself, Commander. We do not have the manpower to baby-sit him."

"I'd be happy to accept responsibility for him," she said leaping on the opportunity.

"I just think he is too much for one person," he said shaking his head.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong but I do not think you realize just how attached your crew has become to Lucas. I would have no shortage of volunteers to help out with him. He's done wonders for the moral and he's already saved us once. I don't understand why you aren't trying harder to keep him!"

"Does the rest of the crew feel as strongly about this as you do?"

"I haven't asked them but I think most of them would agree with me."

"Very well," he replied with a sigh. He knew that the hacker would be a valuable addition to his crew. If they felt so strongly about him, he owed it to the crew to try and keep him. "I will speak to my superiors about him being allowed to stay here."

"Thank you! Thank you very much," she said beaming.

"Do not get your hopes up too much," he warned. "The boy is in high demand. They may not let us have him."

"I understand," she said somberly.

"I would prefer to have someone else in charge of the boy. Speak with Dr. Westphalen. Try to convince her to stay if he does."

"She's not going to be happy with you. She doesn't understand that they won't let her keep him."

"It's your job to explain it to her. I'll deal with her temper," he added shuddering mentally. He really did need to start locking his door when he went to sleep at night.

[Scene Change]

Lucas sat in the corner of the room watching the children play. He had intended to go back to work on his formulas but he had found himself unable to concentrate after leaving the MedBay.  He hated that he had let everyone down again. He had not meant to miss any meals but he had and now Wendy was disappointed with him. He knew that Kristin was going to be disappointed with him too when she found out the news.

He turned up the volume of the music trying to drown out the sound of the others playing. Lucas was still prohibited from running and none of the children had wanted anything to do with him. A few of them seemed to be afraid of him. They kept staring at The Mark on his cheek. The rest of them just ignored him or teased him because he couldn't talk. Still prohibited from running, he could not participate in most of their games anyway. He wished there had been another hacker in the group but most of the children were too young. It did not really matter. They would all be gone when they reached Washington. Lucas shivered wondering what was going to happen to him.  The rapidly approaching city seemed like a frightening black void of uncertainty. He did not know what the future was going to hold but he had a feeling he was not going to like it.

[Scene Change]

"Kristin, could I speak with you for a moment?" asked Katie hesitantly.

"Sure, Katie. I was just leaving for lunch. Why don't you join me?"

"I just ate but I'll come along."

"So what did you want to see me about?" she asked as they sat down at a secluded table in the corner of the mess hall.

"It's about Lucas. We'll be arriving in Washington soon."

"I know," she said smiling.

"I don't think you understand what is going to happen if he leaves SeaQuest. They aren't going to allow you to keep him."

"I'll adopt him just like people will be adopting the other children," she insisted stubbornly.

"Lucas isn't like the other children! He's a hacker! They won't let him be adopted."

"No one is taking Lucas from me."

"You won't have a choice," she said softly. "I don't want to see that happen to him." She took a deep breath then continued. "I have spoken with the Captain and asked him to make arrangements for Lucas to stay here."

"Why would you do that?" she asked hurt.

"I don't want to take Lucas away from you. He needs you. But I can't let them take him."

"They. Them. Secret government agencies," mimicked Kristin.

"This isn't a joke!" cried Katie exasperated. "These aren't conspiracy theories. This is a fact. The government is going to take him away and I can't let that happen!"

"Why do you believe that? I can see why the government would want him but I can't believe that they would keep him from being adopted."

"Come with me," said Katie gently. She knew that it was better to discuss this in private. She led the way to her quarters. After they had re-settled themselves, she began, "Our government has changed tremendously over the years. Individual rights are no longer a guarantee. If it helps keep the general public safe, people are willing to turn the other cheek."

"Shouldn't there be something to stop it?"

"The press is a very powerful tool in keeping the public informed. Unfortunately, what we know our enemies know too. Many of the government operations are kept in absolute secrecy.  The media is under strict government controls. It is for our own protection so no one complains. The problem is that there is no one to keep the government in under control." She paused letting Dr. Westphalen adjust to the information. "Do you know Seaman Piccolo?"

"I believe so. Why?"

"Tony is part of a government experiment. He was selected because his genetic make-up matched the profiles suggested for the project. He was not given a choice about participating in the experiment. As an experiment, he can not be an American citizen. He has no rights."

"That's horrible! Why aren't people doing something about it?"

"Most people don't know. This is classified information. Most of the people in his project are never allowed to leave the compound where they were created. Tony is one of the lucky ones. Fortunately for him, SeaQuest is considered protected custody."

"Is that what you think will happen to Lucas?" she asked softly.

"Yes, I do. He's not just any hacker, Kristin. He's the best I've ever seen. He can do things I've never heard of anyone doing. And he has the tattoo. You aren't going to be able to hide the fact that he's a hacker. He'll be a target for the rest of his life."

"Then they'll just be protecting him?"

"That's part of it. If they have Lucas in custody, no one else will be able to use him against us. They also can't wait to see what he can do. They've already heard about him saving SeaQuest and leaking the information on the meet. From what the Captain said, there are a lot of people interested in Lucas."

"Including him," she said sourly. "I am not going to let Lucas be treated like a commodity. He is a child. He is a hurt, traumatized, little boy. He is staying with me."

"We aren't trying to take him away from you, Kristin. We are just trying to keep him here. You are welcome to stay here with him."

"Like you said, SeaQuest is considered protective custody. Sorry, I'm not interested." She stood to leave.

"Please reconsider," begged Katie.

"Lucas needs a normal life. You can't give that to him here." Shaking her head, Kristin left the room. Sighing, Katie buried her face in her hands.

[Scene Change]

"Hey, darling," said the distinguished looking man on the screen. Lonnie looked up from the tests she was been grading. She had spent the day testing many of the children trying to determine what grade they should enter.

"Hello, Daddy," she replied stiffly.

"You'll be in port soon. You will come visit won't you?"

"We have not been informed as to whether we will be getting shore leave or not."

"I'll just give Captain Bridger a call. I'm sure something can be arranged."

"Father! You can't keep doing this!"

"Lenore, that's enough," he said sternly. "Your mother misses you. You will be coming home to see her."

"Yes, Father," she whispered lowering her head. After a few minutes of silence, she raised her eyes to meet the blank screen. She blinked rapidly fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. When she had herself under control, she left for her shift on the bridge. As she settled into her seat, she wished that she could avoid Washington all together. Nothing good was going to come of her shore leave there.