CHAPTER SEVEN:
All Fall Down
PART ONE: Day in the Sun
September 30th, 2033
14:00 hours
seaQuest DSV
Nathan Bridger sat on the edge of the bed as the Doctor from the Avenger checked him over with Kristin Westphalen's assistance. Dr. Perry was a pleasant enough woman, but Nathan kept his eyes on Kristin until Dr. Perry announced, "Finished, Captain. You are in remarkably good shape considering the ordeal you went through. My suggestion is that before you return to any sort of duty that you have a long serious talk with someone."
"Thank you Dr. Perry," he said and the woman nodded and turned to Kristin.
"You know, I'm jealous. If my ex-husband was in the same shape he's in he wouldn't be very ex , if you take my meaning," Dr. Perry turned back to Bridger and winked before leaving. "See you around Captain."
Nathan looked over at Kristin, smiled, and shook his head. Kristin touched his knee, "Are you sure you're okay?"
He shrugged, "Probably not. Probably won't be for a long time."
He slid off the side of the bed and stretched. Kristin took the opportunity to straighten the collar of his denim shirt before sliding into his arms, "Is this real?"
She looked up into his eyes. "What?"
"I dreamed a long time of coming back here, I just wanted to wake sure that I wasn't going to wake up in that..." he trailed off and looked away.
"I'm real, and this is real. Nathan..." she cupped his chin in her hand. "Come on home."
Commodore Robert Bridger paced in the wardroom in front of the image of Admiral Katherine
Hitchcock on the vidscreen. She was not happy with him, that much was plain. "You disobeyed a direct order, Commodore," she stated.
"I acted on information that I was given. If I had no time to consult my superior officer, I apologize for acting on my own initiative and making a command decision. I wasn't aware that, even though I am in command of the flagship, is not part of my job description," he retorted, politely, much to her surprise. The actual words held the bite.
Her face flushed, "I was not implying that, Robert."
"Then what were you implying?"
"You had orders..."
"Was I supposed to sit with my thumbs up my ass when I get a tip of where my father is and not do anything? How was I supposed to know that Yamamoto had it covered," he answered. "Which he didn't. If Brody had not arrived when he did Scully would have left, taking my father with him."
"The UEO was handling Scully," she retorted.
"Oh yeah? Why send the Colonel then? Katie, what the Hell is going on up there? Better yet, don't tell me. It's one of those 'I don't want to know' instances. Well I want to know. Hell, if it involves my father I need to know. Don't cut me out of this one," Robert turned away from the screen and leaned on the table. "Have you come any closer to finding the mole?"
"No, and um..." she trailed off.
"What is it?" he turned knowing that tone of voice.
Something had gone terribly wrong, "I went to speak with Mr. Lansdowne."
"And?"
"He's dead. I found him off the end of his dock," she held up a hand to forestall any more questions. "Scully is dead too.
"Are we sure it's Scully?
"Oh yes. Execution style... bullet in the forehead."
Robert sat in one of the chairs, "Jesus."
Lucas walked from one end of the seaQuest to the other, all the while lost in his thoughts. While he walked he looked at the gold metal bars that seemed to be meant for a dress uniform. When Lucas had gone to Robert Bridger to ask for them, the younger Bridger had smiled. It wasn't a happy smile he had received, more of a wistful one.
His words rang in Wolenczak's ears, "I guess this makes you my little brother..."
Little brother.
Lucas did not have any siblings but had always been jealous of the other kids in his class when they told tales of theirs. Some hated their siblings... some were inseparable. But no matter how they felt for each other a degree of protectiveness existed.
He could be honest. When he had first met Robert, and actually known who he was, he was more than a little worried about how the elder Bridger would begin to treat him. His son had returned to him... would he need Lucas anymore? Would he continue to care?
Then he left the seaQuest and Lucas never saw him for months. The one time he met him again they were unperceptively on opposing sides. He never wanted to see that happen again. Oh lord, how he hated that feeling. For all intents and purposes Lucas had been left adrift again.
But he had been wrong.
Bridger returned and became the new CSO, and asked Lucas to be the Assistant Science Officer on board, his aide. When he didn't have the excessive weight of command he was a very different man, Lucas admitted to himself. The scientist overruled many things. Lucas had learned more as his protege as a civilian than he ever could have in the previous circumstance. Which led to why he paced now.
Who would assist Dr. Nathan Bridger now? The thought of someone else filling that made him a bit jealous, like a sibling with a rival. Hell, Lucas had enough of that in the military.
Brothers... did Robert see him that way? Lucas couldn't say. Bridger treated them similarly, but did Robert agree with the arrangement now forced on him? Come to think of it, did Lucas himself want that kind of competition for Bridger's attention.
Reaching the end of the boat, Lucas turned around and started walking the other way, turning the metal bars in his hand. He never even noticed the other person walking beside him until a quiet voice interrupted, "If you look at them any longer, they'll tarnish. And believe me, they're a bitch to clean."
Ensign Lucas Wolenczak looked up at surprise into the face of Commodore Robert Bridger. "I was just..." he trailed off. "How do you see me, sir?"
"Eh?" the question caught Robert off guard. "What do you mean?"
"How do you see me? A subordinate officer who used to be a dweeby scientist..." again Lucas trailed off.
Robert sighed, "Professionally, I see you as a subordinate officer, yes. I have to. You were never a dweeby scientist, so I never saw you as that. You... are a puzzle to me, Lucas."
Realizing that he had used his first name, Lucas looked up him, "A puzzle?"
"A complete enigma," answered Robert. "How do you see yourself, Lucas? I think that is the more valid question."
"I don't know," answered Lucas. "I never gave it any thought."
"Didn't you? I have a feeling you constantly worry about it," Robert took him by both shoulders. "You're worried about my Dad. You're worried about the ship, the computers that run. You worry about your new relationship with Lieutenant Fredericks, and despite what you tell me I know these kind of relationships are new to you. You worry about everyone else over yourself, how you measure up. Quite frankly, I think you worry too much, but that is why people think highly of you. You care about their feelings even though you often hide it behind the snarkiest attitude I've seen in my life."
"What... why do you think your father gave me these?" asked Lucas quietly.
"He's all but officially adopted you. When I first laid eyes on you I had to wonder at his choice. I'll admit that your... attitude turned me off at first," Robert sighed. "Then I found you to be a bit of a pest who tried to take all my Dad's attention from me. Then Dad was sick and you practically hovered at his bedside. I could sense the fear and the worry rolling off you for him."
Robert released Lucas's shoulders, "It was then I realized the depth of the relationship you had with him. From that point on I decided to try to get to know you better. I wasn't disappointed. Now I'm even partial to you, peskiness included. Hell, that makes you even more like a pesky little brother. How do I see you? That is your answer. I see you as the younger sibling that gets all my... our... Dad's attention."
As Lucas stood there open mouthed in shock, Robert tapped the bars in his nerveless fingers, "Hold onto those until Michael needs them. If not Michael... then your own kids. I wish you carried the name Bridger sometimes. That is the last barrier to being family but other than that..."
Robert walked away and Lucas stared after him for a long time after before he was at last able to achieve some sort of motion. He closed the hatch behind him as he sought refuge in his quarters as the tears ran freely down his cheeks. Robert had been blunt in what he thought, but Lucas had asked.
Ignoring the 'pesky' part, Lucas ran through the conversation again. "I wish you carried the name Bridger..." Lucas repeated.
Carry the name? As in change his name?
Lucas thought for a moment. Why should he keep the name Wolenczak? The only thing that stopped him was that it was the only name he'd ever known, but who else carried it? His father... he snorted. There was a joke. No love lost there. Other family. Nope, never met them, and they probably thought he was dead anyway. Lucas leaned his head against the bulkhead.
Lucas Bridger.
It certainly had a ring to it, and at least people wouldn't stumble over the name anymore. Ensign Bridger.... He started to snigger. Oh lord, would that cause some confusion. How many Bridger's could you stuff on one submarine anyway? Two caused many to stop and think. Three would be just funny.
For the reaction he gave it thought.
Then he realized that it wasn't such a bad idea after all. He looked at Captain Bridger's old ensign bars again. Maybe this was the old man's way of hinting that he wanted Lucas to do it without coming out and asking him.
He activated the vidlink and called the registry office. A pleasant woman answered, "Can I help you?"
"How would I change my name legally?" he blurted out.
"You're military, aren't you?" she asked. "Well, the process is similar. Once you have changed your name, you would have to put through the legal name change forms in the military so that they would acknowledge it. From what I understand, it's a pain in the butt."
"I don't care, really," answered Lucas. "Can you send me the forms or do I have to come get them?"
"I can email them to you, and you can fill them out. There is, of course, an administrative fee of two hundred dollars," she said.
"Send them," Lucas gave her the information and winced as the money was debited from his account.
After shutting down the vidlink he filled out the forms. But before he sent them he had to talk to Nathan first. Actually, from what it looked like, he needed the old man's signature anyway to be allowed to use his name. Lucas printed the forms, half filled in, and went to look for Nathan. He thought for a moment... sea deck.
Lucas walked to seadeck and indeed found his friend, hopefully soon his father as well, poring over a microscope. Lucas made sure that he was heard as he came in and Bridger looked up and smiled at his approach, "Lucas, this is a pleasant surprise. Uh oh, man on a mission."
"Uh..." Lucas began and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I have these forms... but I need your help to fill them out."
"Gladly," Bridger said as he took the forms. "The military have thing about reports... These aren't military reports Lucas."
Lucas waited as Bridger looked over the forms, his mouth dry. For what seemed an indeterminate amount of time Bridger seemed to stare at one part of the form, then he looked up, eyes glazed, "Lucas, I don't understand."
"I'll understand if you say no..."
Another uncomfortable silence, and then very quietly Bridger asked him, "Why would I say no? What about your family, though?"
"My Dad is my family," answered Lucas with a flush in his cheeks. "I have no ties to the name anymore."
Bridger laid the forms on the table he was sitting at, and as Lucas watched, signed his consent. "Ensign Bridger. I think it has been over twenty-five years since that has been heard."
He handed the papers back over to Lucas and hugged him. Lucas gratefully returned the hug and then released the older man. If one could say to have a record for the shortest time making it back to one's quarter's it could be said of the time Lucas took to get back to his. He turned on his vidlink and contacted the registry, and the same woman answered, "How can I... oh, change your mind?"
"Nope, I have the forms completed."
"My guess is you want this done as quickly as you can," she chuckled. "Boy, you must have really hated your name."
"Nah, like my new one better," he fed the forms into the fax machine and she nodded as she received them.
"Lucas Xander Bridger?" she asked somewhat coyly. "Any relation to Nathan Bridger?"
"Am now," Lucas answered in the same tone.
Her eyebrows lifted once Captain Bridger's signature came clear, "So I see. That's why the rush. Congratulations, Ensign Bridger, on your new name."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
The vidlink closed and Lucas leaned back in his chair. "Ensign Bridger," he repeated to himself and realized that he now had to change his name with NorPac.
Getting up he went to look for Robert.
Robert finished his paperwork, and then upon hearing the knock on his door, and sensing it was his father... a very excited Dad, he answered it. The grin on his father's face would have lit a black hole. "Okay, what put you in a good mood?" asked Robert, happy to know that after his ordeal his father could still smile.
"Lucas adopted us," answered Nathan.
"Say what?"
"He adopted us!" Nathan invited himself in and Robert closed the door.
"Come on in, Dad, make yourself at home," muttered Robert. "Now could you explain what you mean by 'Lucas adopted us'?"
Nathan sat down in one of the chairs and sighed, "He came to me a little under an hour ago with legal change of name forms. Evidently, he wanted to change his name to Lucas Bridger."
"He did what?" Robert was stunned. "What did you do?"
"I signed the papers," answered Bridger. "He came to tell me that he's now legally Lucas Xander Bridger..."
Robert sat on the bed, Lucas, that wasn't what I meant...! But now that it was done, he was worried. "Um, how will his family react?"
His father turned to look at him with a withering glare, "His father foisted him off here in the first place and never calls him. I've never heard from his mother, and neither has he. Every time Lucas had time off, his father would come up with an excuse of why they couldn't spend time with each other."
"Jesus, I never knew that," Robert said with wide eyes. "What about grandparents, aunts, uncles...?"
"Dead, dunno, dunno," answered his father. "What? You've been begging us for a little brother or sister and now that you've got one you don't want him anymore?"
"No, was just making sure that he wasn't leaving anyone behind. Now that I know he hasn't, I'm really glad he did... uh oh."
His father realized it too, "Crap. Now he has to notify the military of his name change."
"That could take months..." Robert leaned back on the bed, then sat up and walked over to the vidlink. "But... I think we can rush things."
Katherine Hitchcock smiled. The news that Lucas had, finally, changed his name to Bridger was welcome. It fit him better than Wolenczak, a name full of a tradition of neglect. Still smiling, as the captain of the Clinton walked into her office after knocking, she said, "Captain, what can do for you?"
"I brought the reports that you asked for... ma'am, may I ask what has greatly improved your mood," asked Captain Daniel Fitzpatrick.
"A friend of mine has finally 'adopted' a better parent. When all knew that it was a matter of time, but he finally ah, finalized it," she answered.
"A better parent?"
"Yes, Ensign Bridger," she answered, as she looked over the reports. "He used to be Wolenczak."
"Oh, Dr. Lucas Wolenczak, the one we were after..." Fitzpatrick nodded. "He changed his name to Bridger? I take it the Captain is..."
"No, he's still alive. He is a hard man to kill. Too stubborn," she answered. Much like his son. "I'm now putting the necessary paperwork through to have his name recognized by the Navy, but given the circumstances, and the new name, I don't think it will be delayed."
"No kidding. That name carries a lot a respect in NorPac. It's almost a medal itself."
October 7th, 2033
seaQuest DSV
Vancouver Island area
Commodore Bridger read his email a few days later, a smile on his face. Now that peace had been declared, the subject of the emails were mostly of a better nature. Wendy had been sending him numerous emails. One about her new job in Pearl as a researcher now that, due to some of the stresses of being an expectant mother, she decided that being a psychologist was out of the question. Personally, he felt she made a better councillor now, but she also liked oceanography so if it made her happy who was he to bring her down.
The next email was about the pregnancy itself and how she was becoming the size of the house her and Oliver had bought (another thing that surprised him about the usually transient Oliver Hudson) so that they could settle. In that was an attachment that showed her progress. She was no where near the size of a house.
Not that house anyway. Robert whistled in appreciation. It made his father's house look small in comparison. Hell, it had to be near the same size as Malcolm's. Then again, given the combined income of Oliver and Wendy, it was no small wonder they could afford a house like that. Thinking about it gave a Robert a twinge of guilt.
The thought of buying a house for his family had not even crossed his mind. Granted, the house they had been living in before Bourne burnt it had been his father's, whom they had thought was dead so he had simply inherited the place. Now his father was still alive, thank God, but Robert had to start thinking the same way as Oliver or else it would be a bit too late.
Thinking of his family...
Robert typed in the number of the house on the island and waited as Cynthia Bridger picked up halfway through the second ring, "Quiet there?"
"Oh, hey!" she said as she smiled brightly. "This wasn't expected. What's up? How's your Dad? Where's your Dad?"
"I know, not much, he's fine, and he's probably working on seadeck," Robert answered her volley of questions as she fired them off. "We're going to be on leave shortly, but I'm going to be in Victoria."
"Where?"
"Vancouver Island, honey," he grinned. "Canada."
"Ooh, that's lovely country," she agreed. "So how long is leave?"
"A month, as usual... Wanna pack up Mike and meet us here?" he asked.
"He'd love it. Come to think of it, so would I," she put her hand on her side of the screen and Robert put his hand over hers on the screen as if they could touch each other through it. "Love ya, see you in a few."
"Love ya, too," Robert said and the link severed.
October 12th, 2033
Victoria City Port
British Columbia, Canada
Robert walked beside his father as they walked into the sunlight on the dock from the launch. Lucas was right behind them, more about the space than anything. Robert was ambushed into a hug as soon as he stepped from the actual dock to the space open to the public by his wife. After she released him from the passionate kiss, she turned to his father had gave him a warm hug. "Robert, missed you... Nathan... it's great to see you!" she said happily.
"How long have you been in Victoria, Cindy?" asked Robert.
"A few hours. Long enough to get settled where we're staying," she grinned as she
hugged Lucas too, but kept her arm around him. "I hear you're a Bridger now too, eh?"
"Yeah," Lucas brandished his new name tag that had been lent to him by Robert until NorPac gave him the official one. "It was completely official a few days ago."
"How's it feel?" she asked.
"Well, at least I have a name everyone can pronounce now..." Lucas grinned mischievously. "The confusion on board is hilarious."
"Yeah, it was bad enough to have one Bridger on board," agreed Nathan. "Robert and I made it a nearly unbearable two, Lucas has made it a chaotic three. Krieg had a field day the first time that another Admiral we sometimes have to deal with came on and asked for 'Bridger'."
"The look on his face when Ben said, 'What one? We have Commodore Bridger, Dr. Bridger and an Ensign Bridger. Which one are you looking for?' was priceless though," Lucas laughed. "I swear the man's eyes were going to pop out of his head."
Ben came up behind him and said, "It was not as funny after I got chewed out by it though. He honestly thought I was pulling one of my pranks. You saved my ass when you introduced yourself."
"His eyes were going to pop out more, I swear," remembered Lucas.
They walked a bit further and Nathan said, "We're missing someone..."
"My Mom..." Cindy turned back just as Kristin Westphalen came out of the shuttle. "So when are you going to make her a Bridger too?"
"Not going to let me forget that, are you?"
"Nope."
Kristin ran up to them and they continued walking while she caught her breath. Then she sidled up to Nathan and put her arm around his waist. "Lucas, Freddie says that she'll meet us at the hotel."
"I know, she told me before we left the ship," said Lucas. "She caught up to me."
"Okay."
Ben cleared his throat, "Man, do I feel like a third wheel or what..."
Cindy punched his shoulder. "Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't met anyone."
He sighed profusely. "She's on another ship now..."
PART TWO: Shore Leave (or the trip to Tim Horton's)
October 13th, 2033
Avenger
second shift
Lieutenant Commander Lorraine Henderson was having a really long shift. It was a new ship and its bugs was finally working their way out of the system. She had spent her entire shift so far under the maintenance plate of the sensor array. A stray thought ran through her mind, It's like one of those sci fi TV shows from the 80's and 90's. It's always the sensor array they were working on. She allowed a herself a short little giggle at the thought.
She focused at the wiring again after her brief reprieve of humor. Footsteps alerted her to the presence of someone else. "How are things going, Lonnie?" asked Captain Jonathan Ford.
"Oh, just great," she answered. "When are we due to get to Victoria?"
"Shore leave on your mind too?" he asked. "The end of the week we are scheduled for begin. Do you have any plans, Lonnie?"
She barely picked up on the subtle hopeful tone in his voice. "Well, not really," she said noncommittal.
I have plans, I just have no idea if he wants to share in them, she sighed. But Jonathan asked next, "Would you like to have plans?"
She slid out from under the console, the sensors no longer on her mind. "Say what?"
He looked a bit sheepish at her reaction. "I guess that was pretty forward, eh?"
No duh, but she didn't voice it. She knew she was flirt but she never meant anything by it. God, she hoped she hadn't led Jonathan on. It was not as if he was not attractive, no far from it. It was a certain Lieutenant Commander on the seaQuest. That is, if he remembered her and she had her doubts hearing the rumors.
Smiling, knowing that she couldn't live the rest of her life on a maybe, she answered, "Yeah, why the Hell not..."
The Nezamiah slid gracefully into her berth in Victoria and Captain Veronque Montail walked off the ship. Admiral Hitchcock could just be seen coming down the ramp from the Clinton, followed closely by her captain. Closing the facial expression down to the one they were used to seeing she greeted the Admiral, "Bonjour, Admiral Hitchcock, Captain FitzPatrick."
"Hello Captain Montail," answered Hitchcock amiably. "How was the currents?"
"There," she answered.
She watched them walk away from her and smiled slightly. Soon, it would be soon. Her and Alex had plans for the vaulted Admiral. The waiting was killing her but Alex was a patient man. So she would wait too.
October 14th, 2033
Vancouver Island
mid-afternoon local time
He wasn't able to relax on the beach as it was too cold to do so. To add to this was the rain that seemed to dampen everyone's spirits. Robert glared outside the balcony at the rain that dared intrude on his much needed vacation. He turned to look inside the sliding doors at his wife and son as they got ready for dinner. Cynthia looked up at him and said, "Aren't you getting ready?"
"Yes, I am," Robert came back inside and kissed her on the cheek. "A little rain never scared us off."
"The rain's cold," complained Michael. "Not like at home."
"The rain can be cold there too."
"Not like it is here," quipped back his son as Robert disappeared into the bathroom.
As they had all agreed that the first night was sort of 'Do as you want to' night, Nathan and Kristin had elected to spend theirs in their hotel room. Kristin listened to the rain, and to Nathan's soft snores from the bed. She leaned back in the warm water of the tub and flipped the page of the book she was reading, using her toe to add more hot water to her bath.
Lucas had run off as Fredericks had finally arrived and checked into her hotel room. Smiling, knowing perfectly well where the twenty eight year old would be, she flipped to the next page.
Hearing a noise in the other room she stood and wrapped herself in a towel and poked her head around the corner. Nathan was sitting up on the bed and stretching. "Kris?"
"In here!" she called, returning to her bath.
"Doing what?" he said as he walked into the bathroom. "Oh, never mind."
"I'm done anyway," she said standing up, and toweled herself off with the towel he handed her. "So, are we going to spend the entire month locked up in this place?"
"No," he answered. "I just needed a nap. We probably missed out on dinner with Bobby and Cynthia."
"Probably," she agreed. "Let's go to dinner ourselves then."
Nathan nodded and walked back into the hotel room. "Formal, not so formal, informal, or fast food?"
"Informal, but definitely not fast food," she said, laughing.
"Not a problem!" he seemed to wholeheartedly agree. "There looks to be a decent place across the street. It's sure busy enough, anyway."
"What is it?"
"Tim Horton's," he answered looking over the balcony.
"Works for me," she answered.
After getting dressed in simply jeans, and taking the elevator down to the ground floor, Bridger turned to the concierge and asked, "What's this Tim Horton's like for food?"
"You've never been in one?" the woman seemed shocked. It was only then that he noticed the brown take out cup proudly emblazoned with the Tim Horton's logo.
"No," he answered. "I live in the Carribean and work on a sub."
She nodded, still in shock, "Oh yes, it's a Canadian thing." She then smirked. "It's not fast food. Soup, sandwiches. Mostly a coffee shop."
He turned to Kristin, and she nodded, "Sounds good to me."
They walked out and as he did so he heard, "As if they never heard of Timmies..."
The first impression was of people. Bridger had never seen so many people in a coffee shop before in his life. After beating off coffee starved people, Bridger and Westphalen stood at the checkout counter. They ordered and waited at the place where a nice looking young man made them their sandwiches. They found a place to sit, barely, and watched as the traffic continued. Mostly it was people ordering just coffee and then leaving. Westphalen leaned over and asked, "What do they put in their coffee to make such a frenzy?"
Frenzy was really the only way to describe it. "I don't know," he said a little awed, taking a curious sip of his own.
Which was more funny, his reaction to the coffee or hers, was in dispute as they put the cups down and just looked at each other. "Um," he said. "Now I really don't understand."
"Nor do I," as she took a bite of the sandwich to rid the taste of the coffee from her mouth. "Well, at least the food is good."
They ate in silence, shaking their heads in wonder at the near constant traffic at the counter. Finally the traffic died down and a young woman in her late teens started to sweep the floor. "Is it always like this," he asked.
The girl looked at him as if he had sprouted a second head, "No. In the morning when everyone is going to work its much worse."
"For the coffee?" asked Bridger.
"Yeah."
"Ah, maybe its us, but its not that great..." began Westphalen.
"More like terrible," finished Bridger.
The girl smiled and said, "Oh I know. But you develop a taste for it."
With that she went back to her sweeping, and Westphalen murmured, "More like a person develops an addiction."
Bridger pushed away the coffee cup. "You would have to drown it in cream or milk to get me to drink it. Yuck."
They got up and left after eating. Soon after they watched another rush descend on the Tim Horton's. They shook their heads and walked back to the hotel.
Lucas and Freddie had been the unfortunate two to get caught out in the downpour that started fifteen minutes after they had left the hotel where they were staying. They huddled under a tree and waited it out. "Well, that was a bit of a failure on a romantic walk," she reflected.
"It's not that bad. You, me. Hey, we're even huddling together," remarked Lucas and he pulled her closer. "All in all, I'd say it was good timing."
She met his kiss and they stayed there awhile ignoring the passers by. "You're right you know, not bad timing at all. But we're soaking wet..."
He grinned mischievously, "And that's a bad thing?"
Fredericks stared at him, barely keeping a grin off her face. "My room or yours?"
"Whichever we get to first," and they made a run for it.
PART THREE: Waking the Watcher
October 19th, 2033
seaQuest DSV
13:00 hours
Lieutenant Commander Tim O'Niell ran through the diagnostics again. He was sure he had saw something, but it had been so faint... Or he was imagining things. But he didn't think so. No, there was someone out there throwing around a lot of communications links that piggybacked on other signals. He tapped it and listened into the conversation. "They're staying at the Hilton," reported the woman's voice that seemed so familiar to Tim if he could only place it.
The answering voice made his blood run cold, Alexander Bourne, "And the Sentinel?"
"With that Westphalen woman," the other woman snorted in derision. "They went to a Timmies for dinner."
"A what? Never mind..." Bourne's voice faded for a second. "Have you finished placing our surprise?"
"Yeah, when the Nezamiah goes up, it'll be a bang," she laughed, and then Tim recognized that silky laugh as the Nezamiah's captain, Veronque Montail. Hey wait a second... doesn't she have a French accent...? Tim's eyes widened.
Montail was the mole.
He started to record the exchange. It would be needed later at her court martial. Bourne continued, "I have taken care of the other Sentinels. He is the last. When the Nezamiah blows, meet me at Sheridan's. Wake the Watcher."
"Of course, sir. I'm sure she will be glad to awaken."
The communication dropped and Tim set the headset down and he took deep steadying breaths. No wonder they had never been able to figure out how the other moles had been getting on the seaQuest if she had been clearing them at her point. He got up and turned to the new engineering chief, Lieutenant Commander Ron McGregor, "You have the bridge."
"Aye sir," answered McGregor.
Tim went straight to the wardroom and then changed his mind. There was only one station on board guaranteed to have completely secure communications, and that was Lucas Wolen... er, Bridger's. Tim corrected himself for at least the dozenth time. Closing the door he sat at the computer and typed in the vidlink code for Admiral Katherine Hitchcock. Her aide appeared. "Ah, Commander O'Niell... The Admiral is not here, may I take a message?"
"Find her."
"Excuse me?"
"I said find her," answered O'Niell. "This is vitally important to National Security. Now find her."
Katherine Hitchcock's nap was disturbed when an incoming message on the vidlink chimed. She sat up and hit the button. Seeing Tim's face, and the expression on it, silenced any reprimand. "What is it, Tim?"
"Is this line secure?"
She pressed a button and Tim nodded, "I found our mole."
"Who?"
"Montail."
Katherine stared at him, "What?"
He held up a disc, "I have the conversation recorded, Katie. Her and Bourne. Check the Nezamiah for a bomb and arrest her."
Katie nodded her understanding, and then turned to Tim, "Good work, Commander. Keep that up and you'll have a ship of your own."
Before cutting the transmission she had the satisfaction of watching his face go white. She sat up and dressed in her uniform and exited the hotel. She headed straight to the NorPac security office, and nodding her head in the direction of Yamamoto, walked to the Nezamiah. Yamamoto was close on her heels, "I can sense agitation, Admiral. What has happened?"
"There's a bomb on the Nezamiah. Get your best man to find and defuse it," she ordered and he saluted and used his PAL to do so.
She stood at the ramp of the Nezamiah until the necessary specialists arrived. Then turning to Yamamoto, "Evacuate it and detain Captain Montail until further notice."
"On what grounds?" he asked, surprised.
"Treason."
His eyes widened, but he did as he was told. Probably surprised someone else heard something before he did, she reflected. Katie was upset. Very upset. Her captains were supposed to be the best, but this one proved to be a traitor. She stood there until Yamamoto came back out with a cuffed Montail in tow. She was making no attempt at an accent now when she saw Katie, "You're too late anyway, Admiral! Our plans are foolproof!"
Yamamoto handed her over to the security people, "The Sixth Sentinel is not safe."
"Take care of it, Jason," he bowed this time after her order.
Katherine stood watching the Nezamiah a long time until the rain soaked her through.
Jason Yamamoto inclined his head and his own X-O ran over to him. They fell into step beside each other, "What is the status of the Sentinels?"
"We have called up all the records of them, Sentinel one through three are accounted for. The First is dead, natural causes, he was ninety seven," Yamamoto bowed his head in respect and McGill continued. "Second died as well, same thing. The Third was found this morning in the Mississippi River."
"What of the Fourth?" asked Yamamoto, stopping when he heard that.
"We only know that he is possibly alive. He is described as a handsome man in his late forties to early fifties, but looks are a bit deceiving. He's actually about ten years older than he looks. Dark blonde hair, and has a taste for classical music..."
"Bourne," that came out as a hiss.
"It would certainly appear to be so," McGill handed over the picture to Yamamoto. "Sir, what is your instinct?"
"His motive is prominence. Bourne is reasonably able to rebuild if the other Sentinels are out of the way. What else is the common factor... We have to narrow things down," Yamamoto was getting frustrated.
"All of the Sentinels were also scientists of some sort," McGill handed him another printout. "That was their purpose. The First, Dr. Ballard, was an oceanographer."
"The man who found the Titanic?" Yamamoto looked at his XO in surprise and McGill nodded in confirmation.
"Not all of them were military. That seemed to come second in importance. The Second was a Enviro-Chemist, but she worked with the military, as was the Third, Dr. Jules Carlson, only he went to the University of Toronto and was a pacifist" McGill handed him the files as they walked. "As for Bourne..."
Yamamoto whistled at the degrees he saw. "Impressive."
"Dr. Alexander Bourne, bio-chemist," read McGill. "Specialized in, what else, bio-warfare and the ways the US could counter it. When President George W. Bush stormed Iraq the second time, they sent in the Fourth Sentinel."
"Jesus," Yamamoto stopped walking. "How in the name of Hell did he wind up the President of Macronesia."
"Well, my guess is Lansdowne had his head buried in the sand like an emu, Bridger was obviously incommunicado, and Scully... well, Scully was Scully," answered McGill. "The others were dead, or in the case of Dr. Carlson, incommunicado. He had just come back from an experiment in a 'Enviro-dome'."
"Either way, going by his pattern, there are two Sentinels left, him and Bridger. I would prefer that there is only one Sentinel left, and him not being Bourne," pointed out Yamamoto.
"Not going for a capture with this one?"
"No. This bastard is too dangerous alive. Take him out."
The woman was known as the watcher.
That was her job more than anything else. Watch. Her eyes followed the two Section Seven men and listened to the conversation. Learning what she needed to learn she took it back to Alexander Bourne. He turned at her near silent entrance, "What did you learn?"
"Section Seven knows about the Sentinels, about you," she said, her silky tones stressing 'you'. "They arrested Montail and are combing the Nezamiah. The time is now, Alexander."
As melodramatic as she was, her departure was as silent.
After she walked out into the rain, she shook her head in confusion. How did I get here? she wondered as she looked around. Quickly, she gathered the jackets about her and ran to the nearest bus stop to catch her ride back to the NorPac Naval Territory.
PART FOUR: Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down
October 27th, 2033
Victoria Docks Area
The various crews of the five ships gathered together and said their final good byes. Krieg watched Lonnie the entire time and tried to catch her eye. She purposely looked away and he watched as Ford drew his arm protectively around her. It felt like he had been stabbed in the gut. Turning resolutely away he walked to the launch to take him back to the seaQuest DSV.
Lucas slid in beside him, "What was that about?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Lucas," answered Ben.
Turning to face Fredericks, who could only shrug, he said, "Okay, man. I won't push."
Nathan and Kristin sat down opposite of them just as the shuttle was leaving and Bridger looked over at Ben. "She is confused, you know. Call her when we get on board."
Krieg looked over at Bridger, meeting the elder man's eyes, "She didn't look very confused to me."
"Give her time."
The rest of the trip was in near silence as they docked with seaQuest and everyone either went to their quarters or to where they were expected to be on duty. Lucas followed Fredericks to the wardroom where they prepped for the next staff meeting for the Specter Pilots. "Any more joining us?" he asked.
"Nope," she sighed. "We have our full compliment on board now anyway."
"TJ makes up for it?"
Fredericks nodded in appreciation, "I'd say she was unnatural if I didn't know better."
"What?" came an answer from the doorway and the young woman in question was standing there.
"Ensign Dasher, how was your leave?"
"Boring. I had no one to spend it with... although Darwin made up for it," she answered as she took her seat at the table. "What's on the agenda today?"
"More new maneuvers from NorPac," Fredericks brandished the book and let it land on the table in front of her, eliciting a groan from both Lucas and TJ.
"Shoot me, we're done for," said Lucas.
"Let's go over them now before the others get here so we know what we're looking at," said Fredericks.
"You pullin' rank on me, now?" asked Lucas
A grin answered him.
October 30th, 2033
seaQuest DSV
Bridge
Commodore Robert Bridger walked around the bridge one more time before asking, "Are we ready to disembark, Lieutenant?"
"Aye sir!" came the Helm's response.
"Let's get under way, then," answered Robert.
After the disembarking from the docks, they were in the open water. Robert sat in the command chair heavily and thought about his time on the Nezamiah. Now the time there was tainted, stained with blood. Veronque had been his best friend, his executive officer, his right hand, for over three years until Ford had replaced her. Then she had been the back up.
All of it a lie.
Her treachery would have killed his father, his new little brother, and most if not all of his old crew on the Nezamiah. He still couldn't believe it and expected her richly accented voice to come through the com and tell him it was just a huge mistake. A practical joke. Anything but this...
He was deeply angry and had no way to focus it. Deciding that the bridge was no place for him at the moment, he stood and turned to O'Niell, "You have the bridge, Commander."
"Yes sir," O'Niell took the command chair and Robert walked through the clam doors.
He didn't know where to go, so he simply walked. Eventually he found himself on the seadeck. He sat on the catwalk above the moonpool and stared down at the circling Darwin, who chittered up at him. Robert didn't have the vocoder, so he had no idea what the dolphin was saying. A presence sat down beside him and he looked over at Ben Krieg.
"Misery loves company," said Ben.
"Misery loves company," agreed Robert. "So why do we put ourselves through it?"
"I don't know Bobby," answered Ben. "I think I was falling in love."
Robert inclined his head, "She find someone else?"
"Yeah, like they all do. I swear he takes all my girlfriends..."
He was confused, but decided if Ben wanted to confide, he would. But he didn't. Robert said, "I grew to depend on her. And in the end it was a lie. Other than you and Ford, she was the best XO I've ever had. Then she was one of the best captains I've ever had. I knew that if the seaQuest was in trouble, she would be there with the Nezamiah. Now I'm going to have to get used to that new captain that has her."
The sat there for awhile longer watching Darwin circle underneath the catwalk. "I just don't understand why..." Robert trailed off.
Again she found herself somewhere unfamiliar, but she walked home this time. Eventually she would sort out why she was ending up in places she never remembered going to in the first place.