CHAPTER EIGHT:
Sins of the Father
PART ONE: The Halfway Mark
January 2nd, 2034
seaQuest DSV
mid-second shift.
It was Lieutenant Commander Timothy O'Neill's shift on the bridge and it was a quiet one. It seemed strange to take the from Miguel this afternoon when his shift was done. Even stranger after so many years as working as a duo that they now worked pretty much alone. Granted, they still didn't rank each other now that Miguel had finally been promoted to a Lieutenant Commander as well, but their new positions were in the command chain and they were more of a lonely post than anything.
They were precisely on the halfway mark of the tour.
Tim grinned and leaned back in the command chair. Truth be told, he liked this shift over the morning or night one he usually got stuck with before. Having the second in command position had its advantages. Getting to choose what shift he wanted, after the Commodore chose which one he wanted, was a nice bonus. Add to it that Miguel was more of a night shift person, and had gladly taken it, and Tim got his favorite shift.
An incoming message on the comtechs screen attracted his attention, but Lieutenant Mara Johansen, the comtech, took it. Curiosity warred with knowing that he should let her do her job. He chose the latter. He hadn't liked when Nathan Bridger peered over his shoulder so he wasn't going to do it to her.
She turned to him and said, "Sir, we have an incoming message from the Guerrand Colony."
"Transfer it here," he ordered and a womans face looked up at him from the vidscreen of the command chair. "I'm Commander O'Niell of the seaQuest. What can I do for you?"
"Numerous ships have been going missing on our western perimeter, Commander," she stated. "Since you're in the area I was hoping you could investigate."
O'Niell checked the logs and saw that there was no other requests on seaQuest, taking a silent breath and realizing that this was going to be the first time he had ever made any major command decision, he weighed his options carefully. What would Commander Ford have done? he wondered.
No other pressing needs and one request from NorPac colony... that equaled going and notifying the captain when he came on duty. "We're on your way," he answered the woman. "Who am I speaking to?"
"Lena Williams," she answered. "I'm the colony leader."
Looking over to the Navigation, he asked, "Our ETA?"
"Fifteen minutes," came the answer.
"Well, Ms. Williams," he said, knowing that she hadn't picked up the answer. "We'll be there inside of twenty minutes."
"Thank you Commander O'Neill," she said and the link severed.
Johansen looked over at him, "Don't you have to ask the Captain?"
O'Neill shook his head, "If we had other requests on our time, yes. But the seaQuest has no orders right now. When he comes on duty, that will be the first thing he reads, if I don't find him first."
Johansen seemed dubious but she turned back to her station. He was a bit nervous now that the decision had been made, but there was little he could do about it now. What if there was orders he didn't know about...? No, the executive officer was always in on those type of orders, in fact those orders often had the third in command in on them so there was no confusion on duty. No, he had done right.
Hopefully.
Robert was awakened by a knock on his door. "Come in," he called.
"Sorry to wake you, sir," Tim said, poking his head in the door. "But I thought it better if I didn't wait."
Robert turned the light on and motioned for Tim to enter his quarters. Robert didn't move from his bed. Tim O'Niell continued, "A request came in from the Guerrand Colony for some assistance with ships disappearing off their west perimeter. I, ah, accepted the request. Well be there in about fifteen minutes. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds..."
"Tim, were there any other orders for us?"
"No sir..."
"Then by all means, make that decision," Robert put his head back on the pillows and had his hand on the light switch. "Fifteen minutes? Tell the mayor or whatever they call them that I'll see her in the morning. Good night Tim."
The light went out and Tim exited the Captains quarters with a relieved sigh. That had gone over well, in fact better than expected. He went back to the bridge to complete his shift.
The seaQuest's arrival attracted the attention of the colonists and they pressed their faces to the glass of the pressure dome to get a better look. It was an impressive looking ship to be sure, Lena Williams thought as she looked out the window to the plaza below. What she hadn't expected was the size of her.
What is that, a kilometer long? she asked herself after she saw it rise from the trench.
A few other ships came out of the murk and when they seemed to form a triangular formation around the seaQuest like they were forming her guards, she realised that the ship did not travel alone. She was impressed by one of the ships, a third that followed out of the deep trench. It seemed vaguely remiscent of the seaQuest, same skin-like look to the hull anyway, but only a third of the size. That one must be the Avenger, she said to herself. And the other two the Nezamiah and the Baycourt. She wondered which of the two was which.
The four ships were an impressive team. Williams watched as the seaQuest came the closest without actually docking while the others took up a watch and circled the immediate area of the colony. After seeming to hold a conferance like this for five minutes, the other ships seemed to scatter into the surrounding area, with the Avenger going to the western perimeter. Lena saw many of the colonists point to that, and knew that the seaQuest had likely ordered it to scout the area.
After all this had happened, her vidlink chimed and when she answered, the same Commander she had spoken to appeared on the screen, "Ms. Williams, the Avenger is scouting the western perimeter while the Nezamiah is going to the North and the Baycourt to the South. After they have reported back, well see what we can do to solve the problem."
"Thank you," she said. "Where is your Captain, Commander O'Niell?"
"He isn't on duty right now, but will brief you in the morning," he answered, and she realized that O'Niell was likely the second in command and capable of handling the seaQuest on his own.
"Thank you again for coming so quickly," she said and the link severed.
She leaned back in her chair and then called up the public records that she could on the seaQuest. Commander Timothy O'Niell had only been in his position a month, but was the third in command before. She reread the command roster. There were two Bridgers in the military, and one in the civilian science crew, making three of them on one ship. Commodore Robert Bridger was a handsome man... she shook her head. He was probably taken, knowing her luck. Ensign Lucas Bridger was a Specter Pilot, then there was Dr. Nathan Bridger as the Chief Science Officer.
Williams had to read that again. Dr. Bridger was the Captain of the seaQuest before Commodore Bridger, and listed as retired. The Commodore appeared to be his son. Ensign Bridger was... well, he was a mystery. She looked at his picture and stared. No way... she thought, then looked over at the picture on the wall of her Uncle and her cousin. There was no mistake, that was definitely her cousin Lucas Wolenczak, but why was he a Bridger now?
Shaking her head, she decided to ask him that if she got the chance.
January 2nd, 2034
seaQuest DSV
second/third shifts changeover
Lucas Bridger walked onto the Bridge and saw Tim O'Niell in the command chair looking over reports. God, that had to be the most boring part of being the second in command. Lucas walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Tim jumped and turned around, "Lucas, don't sneak up on me like that."
"Sorry," answered Lucas. "What's up?"
Tim shrugged, "Not much. Had a report of some ships going missing off the Western perimeter of the Guerrand Colony, but that's it."
A niggling sensation crept into Lucas's mind, but he ignored it as inconsequential. "Is this a conference and I wasn't invited?" asked Miguel from behind them.
Lucas stood and saluted, and Miguel blushed, "I still can't get used to this. Anything interesting going on?"
Tim answered, "We're at the Guerrand Colony looking for a reason of why ships have been going missing off the Western perimeter. Details are in the duty report."
"Ah," said Miguel as Tim stood and stretched. "Find anything yet?"
Tim shook his head as Miguel took over the command chair, "Not yet. The bridge is yours, Commander. I'm off duty now. Hey Lucas, want to get a bite to eat with me?"
Lucas nodded and they walked through the clam doors together towards the galley. They ran into Ensign Dasher on the way and she fell into step with them. "Hey guys," she greeted.
"Hi TJ," they said in near unison.
"Whoa, stereo sound," she grinned. "What's up?"
"Not much," answered Tim.
"Same here," echoed Lucas. "On shift?"
"Yup, heading to the bridge for a watch. See ya later."
They continued and Tim said, "Nice girl. Personally, I think she's too young to be serving on a sub."
"What else is she going to do?" asked Lucas with a shrug. "Go crazy with boredom?"
January 3rd, 2034
seaQuest DSV
mid-first shift (approx 11:00 hours)
Robert Bridger ran his fingers through his hair, only because he had just ran the full length of the ship due to some unforeseen failure of the maglev. While that was a annoyance, he had an inkling it was more than that. If had been his own instinct he might have discounted it. Add that his father had also noticed (when waiting for the maglev to take him to the general area of the galley for breakfast) and that made it a problem.
He grinned while he leaned against a bulkhead waiting for the shuttle to arrive from the Guerrand Colony. On it was the mayor of the colony, a woman he had yet to talk to as all dealings with her had been through Commander O'Niell.
The launch bay doors opened and he stood by the ladder to help her up and into the ship. She looked him up and down, and said, "Well, your personnel picture does nothing for you."
He raised his eyebrows, "You were looking at the personnel records?"
"Had to know who I was dealing with," she answered. "Don't worry, all they gave was name, rank, position on ship, and your photo. How long you've been here... looks like a typical passenger listing to me."
He laughed, "That public file is all it's meant for. Just in case something happens so the rescue team has something to go by."
"I see, and I hope that it never has to come to something so dire," she said as she walked down the three steps then held out her hand. "I'm Lena Williams, the mayor so to speak. How do you manage with your father on board? Didn't he command this ship?"
"Commodore Bridger," he shook her hand. "He's too busy being the science chief, yes he commanded it before me. He's retired from that, and I don't think he wants to return to it."
She nodded her head, "I also noticed an Ensign Bridger..."
"Oh, yeah, my little brother," Robert sighed. "Him I never expected. Thought he was going to stay science and then he didn't. Cant say I'm disappointed though. Demon Specter pilot. One of the best I've ever seen. Only surpassed by his commanding officer."
She nodded, "I had an Uncle, he died a while ago."
"I'm sorry to hear it."
"Don't be. He was an ass. Cared more for work than his family. It was strange..." she trailed off. "After his son disappeared, Uncle Lawrence still didn't wake up. He was still an ass. Then he died during an experiment. Never did see the son again. Never heard from him again..."
Robert stopped walking, sensing that she was leading somewhere with this. "Did you ever find out what happened to him?"
"I did," she answered. "And I'm happy he moved on. I would prefer to leave it at that. If he figures things out I'll gladly take an overnight visitor. We have much to discuss, namely what Lawrence was doing when he died. But that is neither here nor there, and I have ships going missing off my West perimeter."
He led her to the wardroom and he nodded to Tim O'Niell who was already there. They sat around the wardroom table and she explained, "We're not mining anything of importance so its not like the ships had anything truly valuable on board. Just some supplies. We are a farming community more than anything else, although we do have a science research facility."
"What kind of research?" asked O'Niell.
"Agricultural, with a lean to hydroponics," she answered.
Robert said, "Not the usual thing pirates would be after. But that is valuable in a sense. Can't live without food."
She nodded in agreement,
He looked over to O'Neill, "Did the others find anything?"
"The Nezamiah reported unknown activity on the trench bottom, but its beyond their safe dive depth," answered ONIELL. "They are holding their position over it to see whether anything comes up or not. The Baycourt is doing a complete sweep of the Western border. Nothing yet. Avenger is... well, they had a distress signal and they are on it."
That caught Robert and William's attention, "What sort of distress signal, Commander?"
"Unknown, sir, they just reported it while in progress. Captain Ford promised a complete report upon completion of the rescue," answered O'Niell without pausing. Do you want the seaQuest to help them?"
"Do they have it under control?" asked Robert. "If they do then there is really no need."
"Yes sir," nodded ONIELL.
A chime, signaling his PAL, and Bridger brought it up to his mouth,
Mara Johansen was on the other end, "Sir, the Avenger is returning to Guerrand. May I direct your attention to the vidscreen?"
All three faced the vidscreen and the Nor-Pac logo appeared briefly, followed by Captain Ford's face. The look on his face betrayed the severity of his discovery, "Commodore, we have a problem."
PART TWO: Things that Belong in the Past
January 3rd, 2034
Nezamiah
mid-first shift
Captain Benjamin Krieg of the Nezamiah was bent over the read outs of the trench trying to figure out what he was looking at and knowing that this was not his field of expertise. He pored over it anyway. The insistent chirping of his PAL brought him back to the present. "Krieg here," he said gruffly.
"The seaQuest is sending the Baycourt to back us up," came his ComTech's voice.
"Thank you Lieutenant," he answered and he sighed again.
Why did he have such a bad feeling about this mission, worse than anything he had ever had before? There was just something lurking down there...
Robert stood and leaned on the wardroom table. "What do you mean a problem?"
Just then an attractive woman that would have been his mothers age had she been alive stepped into the video pick up. He heard Tim O'Neill's surprised gasp, but his attention was on this woman he suddenly had a strange feeling about. Not a bad feeling, just very strange... "Good morning, Commodore, I've heard much about you, she said. My name is Terry McShane of Section Seven... the UEO Section Seven."
McShane... why did that name seem so familiar? Like he had heard the name before... "Forgive me, Ms. McShane, you have me at a bit of a disadvantage. Why are you here?" he decided to cut through the bluster.
"I would rather answer in person, Commodore..." she turned away for a second, then turned back. "How is your father, Robert?"
"He's fine," answered Robert, his eyes thinning in suspicion. "Do you know him?"
"I did... but we haven't kept in contact very well. Please give him my regards unless I beat you to it," she said, then the link with the Avenger cut.
Robert turned to O'Niell, whose lips were pressed into a thin line. O'Niell shook his head, then stood, "Uh, if I want to be useful for my shift I think I had better take a quick nap, sir... If you don't need me."
Nodding his head in dismissal, Tim looked like he retreated more than anything else. What the Hell is going on? wondered Robert. He pushed it out of his mind temporarily and turned back to Williams. "Do you need an escort back to your colony?"
"No, Commodore," she exited the wardroom and he at least escorted her to the launch bay.
Turning to face the way to the seadeck Robert decided to get some answers. He walked there and entered it to see the place in chaos as his father and some of his scientists worked to get a sparking piece of equipment out of the water. Robert rushed to help and once the wet equipment was on the deck, he asked, "What the Hell happened?"
His father, lips pressed into a thin line and face not exhibiting any emotion, answered in an even tone not directed at anyone, "We don't know. All I know is that it simply came down and fell into the moon pool."
Maglev and some science equipment, what else could go wrong? mused Robert. "I just finished speaking with a Section Seven agent that is investigating the attacks around here as well."
"Section Seven?" his fathers eyebrows lifted in surprise. "It must be serious then."
"Ms. Terry McShane, the agent in question, told me to give her regards if she didn't beat me to it. She's on her way here and is on board the Avenger right now," Robert had the unnerving experience of seeing his father go white. "I can't seem to get a straight answer from the crew and thought you might be able to shed some light on who I'm letting on my ship, Dad."
His father leaned on his cane and motioned for Robert to follow him into his office. Robert did and Nathan closed the door. "Terry... Terry is an old girlfriend of mine. She's in the past... or so I thought..."
October 2018
seaQuest DSV
En route to the Azores Research Facility
Bridger felt Terry watching him. Am I showing off for her? he wondered. Here I am, all of thirteen again. Look at me, I'm the Captain of the biggest, baddest submarine in the world. I just saved six hundred people, and God...
He thought, She still looks beautiful.
Later on he realized he still had feelings for her. He tried to quell them as he had bigger worries, and the guilt was still fresh in his mind. He'd no right to intrude on her life again. None at all. Combine it with the still fresh wounds of Carol's death and he was nearly ready to let her go.
Leaning on the portal that allowed to see the outside water he sighed deeply then.
It was still so hard to believe that he was here. Not even two weeks had passed since he took command of the seaQuest. There were times, like now, when he seriously contemplated running back to his island.
Even Commander Ford had noticed the tension in the very air when he and Terry were in the same room. Was it that obvious? he wondered. Probably...
The next morning after he had dressed and went in search of breakfast, he found her in the galley. Terry sat alone, as she always did. It looked as she had just finished eating and was ready to leave.
Bridger walked over to her.
"Hope you're not leaving."
She looked up, no smile on her face. "Leaving the ship? I don't think that's a possibility."
Bridger sat down at the table. "You don't seem too friendly this morning."
One of the cooks came over holding a pot of coffee and a cup on a saucer.
"Coffee, Captain?"
"Yes, thank you," Bridger said.
He watched Terry while the cook poured the coffee. They waited and when the man was gone, they both started speaking at the same time. And now finally she smiled.
Bridger said, "You go first. I insist."
The smile stayed there, a sweet smile that fit her auburn hair, her sparkling green eyes.
"It's obvious you dont want me here, Nathan."
He had tried to reassure her that he did want her there, but then things ended the way they usually did between them. In an argument and he had walked out of the galley with no breakfast leaving her there to stew. Sometimes he regretted the way he had left things and wondered how things might have gone if she had come to San Francisco on that publicity junket after all. Other times he was glad she never stayed.
But he never forgot her.
January 3rd, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Nathan Bridger's office
Robert watched as his father leaned into the wall after sharing a partial history of how he knew Terry McShane. "Just how old of a girlfriend is she?"
If anything the question seemed to cause his father pain, "I... we..."
His father turned to face Robert and he walked back to his desk from the door and sat heavily in the chair behind it. He had never seen Nathan like this. It was like the woman was an intrusion in his life at every turn. Its not like he had an affair with the woman... Robert's eyes widened as he did the math.
He did.
"Dad... how could you do it to Mom?" he demanded angrily as he stood up. His father ran his hands down his face as if to wash the memory out of his mind. Robert leaned on the desk, unconsciously looming over his father. "How? Why? You betrayed Mom! You betrayed us the minute you touched her... Oh my God, Kristin. That... That... woman is coming on board. And you are drawn to her anyway!"
He drew away from his father in disgust and anger. "How much did you tell McShane about me? Did she even know you were married to Mom at the time you fucked her?"
"Robert, please listen to me," his father pleaded. "It was a mistake I never intend to repeat. I can't ask for you to forgive me," he hung his head. "I can't even forgive myself. No, in the beginning, Terry didn't know about you and Carol. But before we went very far she knew all about me, about you and Carol. It was a mistake..."
His son was beyond reasoning, but in a quiet tone that unconsciously reflected Nathans own when deeply angry, he said, "Dad... I don't think we can continue on the same ship anymore. One of us has to leave."
Nathan looked up, tears in his eyes, "Bobby, don't do this."
"Which one of us is it going to be?" Robert pulled the door open angrily. "I'll leave that choice up to you."
January 4th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
1st/2nd shifts changeover
Terry McShane had only been on board the seaQuest for mere hours and already she was overwhelmed by the changes on board. On the first seaQuest she had been almost familiar with the layout but subtle changes had made it very easy to get lost very fast. She was due to meet Commodore Bridger in an hour but at her pace she would be late. Smiling, she realized that she should have let that ensign guide her to the wardroom.
Sighing in relief as she found it in a slightly different place than the last, she knocked on the door and pushed it open. Terry was not a psychic but she could tell when people were not happy to see her.
Commodore Robert Bridger seemed angered by her very presence.
She entered, determined not to let him intimidate her or draw her into some stupid argument about Section Seven. Commodore, it is a pleasure, she held out her hand in greeting and was rebuffed.
"Let's just get this over with, shall we, Ms. McShane," he said icily.
Whoa, hostile, she realized. Never mind not happy to see her! She sat opposite of him and regarded him for a long minute. What was his problem? She dragged it out. "The situation is more serious than original thought. The ships are being destroyed by a Skipjack sub that used to only attack in the South Atlantic."
"Oh really?" asked Bridger. "Any idea on who operates this sub or is that all you know?"
I wonder if he gives the time of day in that same hostile tone...? She was not going to let him provoke her. "As a matter of fact, Commodore, I know that the sub is operated by a wolf pack type terrorist group that an agent managed to learn wants to destroy the seaQuest and execute Captain Nathan Bridger in retaliation of who he killed in 2018."
His brows lifted, "All this to get our attention?"
"In a word, yes."
The hostile manner dropped, but he still remained cooly professional. This, at least, she could handle. "Thank you for the information," he said, then the next was a dismissal. "When we learn more, I'm sure well let you know."
She got up and exited the wardroom and realized that had to be the weirdest meeting in her life.
Now having met her, Robert was having a really hard time hating her. She was good at her job, that much was certain. She was also extremely hard to provoke, and lord, had he ever ran her through the mill trying to get some sort of reaction from her. He wanted to argue with her still, wanted to hate her for what she did.
But he could not.
Nathan Bridger walked into the galley and felt like he was experiencing deja vu. In the very same chair, at the very same table, where he had found her in the galley all those years ago she sat again. He found himself walking over and sitting opposite from her again.
Again, she didn't smile when she looked up, but then at least things changed from that worn script of sixteen years ago. She smiled and touched his hand, "Nathan, you look well. How have you been?"
"I must look better than I feel," he answered.
She shrugged and leaned back in the chair, "So, we meet again."
He nodded, the years fading away to nothing.
She looked at him then, her eyes full of promise, but seeing the pain in his, she laid one graceful hand on his, "What's going on?"
"My son found out about us," he answered, mouth dry. "We had an argument. He left me with the choice of leaving or he would."
Her face betrayed nothing, but her thoughts, So thats why the bull-headedness in the wardroom. He hates me. Leaning back in her chair she said, "Oh yes, I can definitely attest to the hostility. He was not the welcoming sort in the wardroom."
Nathan looked at her,
"He was downright cold, Nathan. Polite, but cold," she answered. "I was wondering what his problem was. Now I know."
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize for him. He was just expressing his dislike of having me on board. It kind of reminded of the last time I was on board..." she looked at him meaningfully and he blushed. He had been just as rude.
"I'm sorry for that," he sighed. "I just didn't like being told who could come on my boat."
"Oh, are we going to have to through this again? I don't think the UEO would have agreed on ownership," she rolled her eyes expansively.
"I designed it, I captained it. Its my ship."
"Not anymore."
"I designed it, this time I built it."
"Not by yourself.'
"O ye of little faith. I led the team. I captained it for a full tour afterward. Its still my boat," he shook his head regretfully. "Now I have to leave it."
She frowned at this, "Over me."
"Not over you. Over the mistake I made those years ago concerning everyone. I should have never betrayed my family's trust, and never should have led an innocent woman on like I did," he put his forehead on the table, the weight of the regret still almost too much too bear. Surprised he felt a hand on his and looked up into her compassionate eyes. "Why do you have to walk into my life at the wrong time?"
"We're single now."
"No, I'm not," he shook his head. "And I love who I'm with very much and I cant betray her either."
Terrys mouth hung open in shock, then she began to laugh, "What is with us that we cant get our acts together?"
January 6th, 2034
Guerrand Colony Area
23:56 hours
The trench below the two subs was quiet and dark, and their vigil over it had revealed nothing. But something did lurk in those depths that even the seaQuest could not dive into without the risk of being crushed. And it waited, knowing that to resurface would be certain death at the hands of the commanders of those two subs.
What waited on the bottom of that deep abyss defied convention, defied McShanes answer of a terrorist group.
Oh, that group existed still, but were not here.
This was something different.
And it waited.
It was almost as if things conspired against him and that lent him the needed heat to his anger. He couldn't believe that his own father would betray the family he had mourned over for many years. Robert couldn't even fathom that he had done it. This was the very man who he based his knowledge of family from. Where he learned to be a father and a husband.
Was it a lie?
No, Robert couldn't believe that of his father. The regret was too deep. His sense of guilt over it had been genuine. Maybe in time he could forgive his father of the deepest betrayal known to man, but right now he couldn't even stand to be on the same ship as him. This would deeply effect the morale the crew of seaQuest. But one had to leave.
Robert Bridger walked to the bridge in brooding silence and saw Lucas. The young man fell into step beside him seeing the look on his face. "The situation that serious?" he asked, and Robert knew he was referring to the mission at hand.
"In a sense. We still don't know what happened to those ships," Robert stopped walking and shook his head. "I'm sorry, my thoughts are elsewhere."
"It's that McShane woman," Lucas said, although he didn't appear to like her much either, it was more respectful, maybe even more fearful. "I bet you anything she was attached to the Sentinels somehow."
Robert looked at him squarely, the possibility finally resting in his mind, "I never even thought of that..."
Lucas grinned, "That's why I'm the genius, remember?"
Even in the mood he was in, it was hard not to grin back. Lucas had that levitating effect. He leaned in closer, "So, you want we do any digging to find out why she's here?"
Looking at the younger man, Robert was mildly confused but he was quick to explain, "The last time she was here your father made me dig up what I could find. I don't think he trusted her much then..."
Not trust a woman that you had an affair with? Suddenly, loosely connected facts and suspicions began to link together in his mind, "It's not a bad idea, Lucas." He carefully stressed the distinction. The last thing he wanted was to have one of his Ensigns caught hacking with his blessing. As if Lucas would ever get caught. "Bring it directly to me... and don't tell anyone, especially my father, that you're doing it."
The younger man nodded and left for his quarters and his computer.
Nathan walked the ship. He had come to a decision, while not an easy one, was for the best. Robert had worked too hard to come this far to just leave in the middle of a tour when it had been Nathan's mistake in the first place. It was going to be hard, but he had done it before.
Only this time I wont have Micheal and Cynthia to keep me company, he realised. He had already contacted the Calypso. Savannah and Crocker would be in the area in a matter of days. This could be the last time he was free to walk the corridors of the seaQuest.
It was better this way. Kristin could take over the CSO position until the position was filled and there was many, many people that would take the job in a second. Maybe even Lucas if he had the time.
The hardest part would be leaving Kristin.
A brief fantasy toyed with the idea that maybe she would come with him, but he knew she would never leave and if she did she would not be happy on the Calypso. Besides, what right did he have to even ask her?
He returned to their shared quarters and began to pack. He had all his clothes in the two small duffels with room to spare. He heard the hatch open and he turned to regard her. The look on her face was the very same the day he had resigned his commission all those years ago, only this time he knew she couldn't have heard this fast. He had not even told anyone yet. "Hi, Kris."
"What's going on?" she asked seeing the duffels. "Where are you going?"
He took a breath, "I'm leaving the seaQuest."
"You're what?" it was a shocked reply and she was right in front of him. "Why? What happened?"
He couldn't even face her, the shame was that deep. "I made a mistake over twenty five years ago, and it's come back to haunt me."
She sat on the bed, while not angry, clearly not understanding, "What kind of mistake could make you want to leave."
"Oh, I don't want to, I really don't," he answered finally looking up at her. "But I have no choice. My son... he doesn't want me here anymore. He left me with the choice. Him or me. I can't let him give up something he's worked at for many years so I'll step down."
She got up and made him turn to face her and then made him look her in the eyes, "What is so horrible that he would not want you here?"
He took a breath, "The worst possible thing, and I can't blame him."
"Surely, if you're beating yourself up over it, he can see that and be somewhat supportive. What could you have done?"
"I cheated on Carol."
Her eyes went wide. "Good lord, if it was that long ago, why are you two squabbling over it now?"
"I cheated with Terry McShane."
For a moment she strained to remember why that name was so bloody familiar, then it struck her. "The pretty blonde from the Sousmer/Azores incidents. How did he find out? And why would it be important now. Good lord, she..."
"She's on the seaQuest right now."
Kristin sat down heavily on the bed, "Are you leaving to be with her."
"No!" he surprised himself with the vehemance. "That part of my life is over. Anything that could have happened... its over. Whatever was between us is dead."
"So where will you go? What will you do?" she was on her feet again and close to him.
"The Calypso and Crocker will be here inside of three days. I'll go with them and try to figure out what my next step in life is. Maybe Robert will change his mind and I can come back," he shrugged his shoulders.
She slipped into his arms and he held her tight, "I wish you didn't have to leave."
"I wish I didn't either, Kristin."
"Maybe I can come with you..."
"Would you really be happy on that tiny creation after the seaQuest? I have no right to ask you to come. Don't give up your happiness or your career to follow me," he said, regret lacing his voice. "But I wouldn't say no if you did."
PART THREE: ... Should Stay in the Past
January 7th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Robert walked onto the bridge and asked Tim, "What's happened?"
Another rocking motion from the ship gave him his answer as the lights dimmed and screens began to flash an insistent yellow. O'Niell vacated the command chair and assumed the position he usually possessed on the bridge when they were both there. "Unknown, sir," answered his executive officer in frustration.
He tried to get something, anything, on the sensors but Robert could not even see what was coming and then the ship rocked again. "Try sonar. It may be old fashoned but it may have something we cant see."
Sonar did have the answer as they could see plainly that the disturbance was coming from the trench.
Nezamiah
Captain Ben Krieg braced himself as it literally felt like the ship was turning upside down. Each wave tossed the ship violently and right now he wished desperately that he was still on the seaQuest. "Dammit, get us out of here!" he made his steady voice, much more steady sounding than he felt, carry to the helm that was trying to hold the ship upright.
"I'm trying sir, but I can barely keep it steady!" called the lead Helmsperson.
"Sensors, give me eyes!"
The forward screens came alive, but other that the obvious rocking the ship was doing, he could see nothing out of the ordinary. "Contact the seaQuest, apprise them of the situation."
"Mayday, Mayday, this is the Nezamiah..."
"Sir we're breaking apart!" came another of his officers.
Bens mouth went dry and for a moment his fear froze him. Luckily enough, the very reason he had been given command, his instinct moved him to action, "Abandon ship."
Later he would remember details. When his executive officer looked up at him, fear mirrored there, but knowing there was no choice. The bridge crew, calmly no matter the circumstances, leaving the bridge in a swift, efficient manner as if they were merely leaving for shore leave. Except for the looks on their faces.
He was the last to leave as he made sure everyone else was off the ship. Turning one last time to regard his ship, he entered the escape launch. They were of a sturdy make, able to take direct hits and still float while they wouldn't be the most comfortable thing to stay in.
Just as another violent lurching motion nearly sent him flying, the comtech turned to face him, but he didn't remember anything else.
"Sir, the Nezamiah is in trouble."
"On screen," ordered Robert.
It was in time to see the Nezamiah slowly break apart and sink into the abyss. If this was how the ships were disappearing there was little the seaQuest could do, but that realization would not be until later. Right now, Roberts thoughts were of a time when they were not even commissioned. Their time in the academy. "Ben," he murmured.
Most of the crew were in shock.
"Show me where the Baycourt is, Lieutenant!" he ordered.
The Baycourt was behind them, luckily, and riding things out. Seeing the tiny spherical craft of the escape pods, Robert ordered, "Take us in, recover our people."
As they got closer the turbulance seemed to increase and then they too found themselves in dire straights. Robert knew that soon he was going to make the same call that his best friend had. Reflecting on it, he realised that due to the size of the crew and the size of the launch bay, that those on the bridge would be the last ones off. Again he would leave his father without a son, and his own son without a father.
Closing his eyes as the turbulance gained an audible note he wished he could understand his fathers more clearly and forgive him. He wished for one more chance.
As if by magic, the turbulance stopped and the water was still. Robert opened his eyes and found himself lying on the deck plating. He stood up, rubbing his neck as he did so, and noticed that others were doing the same. he called as he slid into the command chair.
O'Niell slid over into the sensors and Mara worked feverishly to gain contact with the others again. "Lieutenant Johansen, where are my other ships?" he asked.
She turned to face him, her face white, and just as she opened her mouth, Tim ONiell jumped in with what he had discovered, "Sir, they're gone."
A few hours later
seaQuest DSV
wardroom
As Nathan had not even handed in his resignation letter, he was still the Chief Science Officer and he sat in the senior officer's meeting with Dr. Kristin Westphalen and a few others of the science team. His son seemed tense, but was not letting anything slip, even through his mental shields.
Lieutenant Mara Johansen, the comtech, and Lieutenant Commander Tim ONiell, who had been at the sensors during the Event Horizon, as Robert had called it for lack of a better term, were the ones at the head of the table since they had been the ones to even see what happened. Robert leaned forward, "All we know is that one minute we were at the Guerrand Colony. The next there is not even a sign of the colony being there. Commander O'Niell has a theory, as far fetched as it is, seems to have happened before to this ship, so why not a second time...?"
Nathan chose to ignore the vaguely exasperated tone of his son. "We went forward a couple hundred, not back though."
His son shrugged his indifference and Nathan asked the pair, "Any idea how far back?"
Mara looked around and then answered, "I checked with the Atomic Clock online. The date today is, here anyway, July 15th 2007."
Father and son looked at each other, and in unison said, "What?"
His father leaned back, "Oh my God, its the very day I was assigned to work in Washington DC... The very day before I became a Sentinel. Downy should still be the Sentinel right now..."
"A full year after the UN dissolved," remarked Robert. "Hey, I remember that..."
"You were sixteen, Bobby," pointed out Nathan. "I sure hope you remember that."
ONeill asked, "What does this have to do with Guerrand and those ships?"
Nathan thought a moment and answered quietly, "I think I know. When I was first assigned to the Sentinels a series of subs claiming to be from NorPac started appearing. We captured them, of course. NorPac then was not exactly a trusting Confederation then. I was in charge of overseeing the dismantling of their subs to see where they came from. The strange part, and I remember this clearly, was that they were NorPac the entire time. They were telling the truth. We couldn't figure out from where they came... but I now know that it was when."
"I remember reading once that you started designing the seaQuest at this point in time, too..." stated Westphalen.
"I know," said Nathan, then a strange look came over his face. "It's because I was on it before I started it. I was on the seaQuest... now that I think of it I'm sure of it. But why couldn't I remember this before?"
Kristin shrugged her confusion.
Robert could only shake his head, "Were we supposed to come back here to start the changes that would have to come? Is that what happened? Come on, people, that's not possible."
"Then why are we even here?" asked William Shan. "Hell, something had to start the seaQuest. Maybe we did ourselves."
"I still cant believe this..."
"Robert, you didn't even believe in psychics until you started reading minds," pointed out Nathan. "I didn't believe in many things until I saw them with my own eyes. Ancient curses that possess a person and make them act all strange..."
"Medusa," pointed out O'Niell.
"Plants that wanted to eat me, not the other way around," this from Miguel Ortiz.
"Aliens," from Westphalen. "l'll never, ever, forget that..."
"Super-intelligent parasitic tube worms that possess people," came from Terry McShane and the crew members that had been present that first part of the first tour shuddered in sudden remembrance.
"You had to remind us!" said Lucas. "I would have preferred to have left that particular stone unturned."
Robert held up his hand for them to stop, "Okay, seaQuest attracts all the weirdos in the world, I can see that. But why then?"
"Who knows? Maybe it isn't the ship..." Shan thought out loud. "Maybe its us. Maybe this happens to us because were the only ones who can handle it."
"And maybe were all crazy and they haven't put us in the loony bin yet," said Fredericks. "But Shan has a point, as egotistical as it may sound."
Joining her in the levitity, Dagwood joined in with, "Maybe were really a TV show and they got stuck on what to write an episode about."
This drew groans, and laughter, from around the table and he shrugged, "What? It could happen. Maybe we just became real."
"Good lord, if that were true, I pity the world that we just became real into," said Westphalen, and then they were all serious again. "So, my first suggestion would be trying to find a way back to our time. As much as these people had a crisis, ours is going to be much worse if we don't find a way back."
"The last time we ended up not in out own time, we had to complete a mission there to get back," remembered Lucas. "I wonder, if the situation is similiar, what our mission is?"
"That's easy," said Nathan. "Make sure I begin the seaQuest project."
July 15th, 2007
(SQ: January 7th, 3034)
13:00 hours
on shore
Carol Barbara Smith-Bridger looked out over the water from the patio deck of their home. Sometimes, in the past before her husband Nathan had been netted like a landed fish into his new position in DC, she used to fancy that she could see his ship coming in from sea. It was always just over the horizon. For some reason, she did feel like he was still at sea even though she knew he sat just inside the door in a chair.
Finally the screen door slid open and she felt his arms slip around her waist, "What are you looking at?"
She pointed out across the water, "Out there."
"Beautiful, isnt it?" he asked.
She nodded and turned to face him. Nathan Hale Bridger, her husband of one year shy of a full twenty years, was only just beginning to get his first silver hair. He was still very young yet, only into his middle age, but yet not very far. Granted, while the military also made sure he stayed in shape she knew that it was also largely responsible for whatever grey hair he accumulated, a point she never failed to bring out. "Talk to Bobby today?"
He grumbled under his breath a bit, then,
"I hope you didn't yell too much," she chided gently, teasing. "We arent the Navy, you know."
He grinned, "I know. But sometimes... The grin fell off. ...I wish he never learned to walk."
"All parents wish that their children never stop looking to them for guidance," Carol rolled her eyes. "I just wish he would stop cutting classes."
"Be very relieved that's all we have to worry about," answered Nathan then his relaxed gaze out on the water abruptly focused. "What's that?"
Carol looked out over the water, her sharp eyes scanning the water, "I... I don't know. Good lord, its coming this way!"
They stood unable to move until it ran inself onto the beach. Only then, much to both of their relief, they saw it was a sub. It was unlike what any of them had ever seen in their entire lives, but a sub none the less. "Carol, go back in the house," Nathan ordered, an uneasy feeling settling into the pit of his stomach.
"Okay, fine. Jeez, maybe I'm just as curious as you are. Spoilsport!" he could still hear her even though she had gone inside.
The hatch on the side cycled open and Nathan pressed himself flat on the wall. He could hear voices, thankfully in English, "Are you sure this is the place?"
"Of course it is!" Nathan would have dropped if it were not impossible for that voice to be his. "I think I remember where I lived."
At that, his eyebrows shot up. Sounds like me, barks like me, lives in the same house. Wonder if it is me... wait a minute. That's impossible, Nathan quelled his inner voice long enough to listen to them. The younger voice had moved and come around the bow of the sub. He was dressed in a NorPac uniform, and was very young. Nathan could see that this young man could see him from where he was, and he heard plainly, "Jeez, Cap, remind me never to doubt your memory."
Finally the other man came around the sub and Nathan came face to face with his older self. That shock was simply to much and all he remembered was hitting the wooden planks of the patio.
A few hours later he could hear the half-frantic explaining going on in between Carols threats of calling Norfolk's finest. "I don't care who you think you are! I'm calling the police!" came her voice.
"But, Carol, I am Nathan! I'm just... Not from this time."
He woke up completely, "Carol, put down the phone."
Warily, she did so. Nathan looked the older man up and down. He certainly looked like him, only much older, a bit thinner, and more... like the world had beaten him down. 'Okay, for the fact that you look and sound like me, I'll let you explain."
"We don't know how to get back to our time," explained the young ensign.
"So, you are out of time," Nathan said. "What year?"
"2034," answered the elder Nathan.
Carol and Nathan stared at the older Nathan. "Wow, dear, you aged well," Carol punctuated it with a whistle. "I would have guessed maybe 2020, but not that."
"Look, what matters is that we have something to show you. And then we need both of your help getting back," said the older Nathan.
"If you don't know how to get back, what makes you think we can help you get there?" asked the younger Nathan.
They looked at each other, and the ensign explained, "This isn't the first time the seaQuest ended up in another time. The last time we ended up in the future. Then we had a mission. When we completed it, we went home. We think the same thing happened. We aren't sure on the mission though. Captain Bridger thinks that it may have something to do with the Sentinels."
The younger Nathan stared at the ensign, "That's supposed to be classified."
"It isn't in our time," pointed out the older Nathan. "The other reason is that I know you, uh, we, have started to design a submarine, but you are planning on shelving it due to being too busy to work on it. You can't do that."
"No kidding," agreed the ensign.
The younger Nathan stood and walked out the minisub and paced around it. He could see that the others were nearly behind them. Then he noticed the small insignia on the minisub near to the numbers that designated its origination. seaQuest DSV 4600.
Nathan stood there a long time thinking, They built it.
The older one was right beside him, "It's called a Speeder. They came up with the design in late 2017. We were lucky to get a few of them but we had mostly the older MR launches."
"Those older MR launches are new."
"In this time, yes, they are," remembered the older one, then he turned to where Carol was still on the patio. "I was hoping I would see her again, even if its not in my own time."
The younger caught the undertones of a deep sadness and knew what it meant, "When?"
"Late 2015."
He closed his eyes and leaned against the minisub. "And I could live without her for... 29 years? Dammit, that's longer than we'll be married."
"You wont remember all of those years," stated the older Nathan ominously. "But I wont bore you with all the details. In our time ships went missing off of the Guerrand Trench. We were called to see why, and I think we went missing ourselves."
"Those NorPac ships?" asked Bridger. "Oh my God, they are our people. Only..."
The older one nodded. "What will happen to your ship?"
"The seaQuest? I don't know. We can probably stay hidden as we don't show like other ships on sensors. Not only that we can hide out on the bottom of some very deep trenches," the older Nathan leaned up against the Speeder. "And its not my ship. Lucas calls me out of habit."
"Really? Then who is?"
"Robert is. Commodore Robert Bridger," Nathan said with a touch of pride. "After I retired he took over my ship."
To know that his own son was on the ship was worth it. To know that he commanded the ship, and others, was even better. "Commodore? He outranks me?"
The older Nathan laughed aloud, "Yeah, he does."
seaQuest DSV
Nathan and Lucas, the ones from 2034 walked back onto the seaQuest DSV. "So do you remember anything of that meeting on his side of the coin?" asked Lucas.
"Not one word until I actually said it, then I remembered it," said Nathan.
"I wonder why..." Lucas murmured.
Robert was waiting for them. "We need to talk," he said to his father.
Nathan followed his son to the wardroom where they sat at the table. "We could be stuck here a long time, maybe permanently," stated Robert and held up his hand forestalling a response from his father. "The point being we need to talk."
Nodding his agreement, Nathan answered, "We do. I have thought about it and I think it should be me that leaves the seaQuest. You have worked too long for a retired man to make you give it all up."
"Can it, Dad, I changed my mind," Robert cut him off. "I may not like, nor be able to forgive, what you did, but I need you here. What I meant is that we have to figure out a strategy of what we are going to do to survive if we cant find a way back."
"I agree. Now, while seaQuest is not like the other ships that went missing, eventually we are going to have to come up for supplies and fresh air," Nathan drew circles on the desk with on point of his finger. "Obviously, we are going to have to trade for our supplies. What, though, is the question without screwing up the timeline more than we already have."
"Our research may not be questioned. And if push comes to shove we can anchor her to the bottom and become a colony with no questions asked."
"An interesting idea. I wonder which of our colonies in our time was the seaQuest at one point...?" wondered Bridger.
"Interesting, but well know when and if we do it," said Robert. "This is so screwed up."
"No kidding," they were both quiet for awhile then Mara Johansen's voice cut through their silence.
"Commodore, were receiving a distress signal from the Tamarand."
Robert looked, for a bare moment, indecisive. "We can choose to become that colony now or continue our mandate..."
"Which path will our conscience allow us to take?" asked Nathan.
"Lieutenant, chart a course for the Tamarand," ordered Robert, getting up from the table. "I know which path my conscience will make me take. I can't let people die when it is in my power to save them."
"That's why you were chosen to command," stated Nathan, pride in his voice.
Robert left the wardroom then and ran to the bridge. Dammit, that's right, we still are having a problem with the maglev. Once on the bridge he said, "Give me eyes, Lieutenant."
Instantly the forward screens lit and he could see the small civilian sub being chased by the two rogue ships. "Com, connect me to the leader of those pirates."
"Aye sir."
"Aggressor, break off pursuit or we will fire. I repeat, break off your pursuit."
"No answer, sir."
"Firing solution, please."
"We have lock," came Shan's voice.
The seaQuest hardly shuddered as a single torpedo left its bay. The electro magnetic whine turned fever pitch just as it connected with the hull of the bigger of the rogue ships. As it broke up and sank, the smaller though better of a fight and left the area. The civilian ship slowed and soon came to a full stop not that far away from the bow of seaQuest. Johansen turned to face him, "Sir, there's an incoming signal."
"Put it through."
In his earset, he heard the unmistakable timbre of his mother in law, Kristin Westphalen, "Thank you unknown sub. Tamarand out."
They watched the Tamarand leave the area, heading to port. "Helm, take us back to where we were before the Tamarand called for aid."
"Aye sir, laying in a course for Guerrand."
Robert sat in the command chair and sighed. Were we supposed to just do that? he wondered. What would have happened if I didn't... Too weird.
It began as a slight tremble first. No one noticed. Then the shaking began again. He heard Miguel call out, "Event Horizon has us again!" then things went black just as the noise and the vibrating became too much.
When he came to, he ordered, "Ortiz, check for a NorPac relay buoy. Are in our own time?"
"Checking sir," then Miguel turned back with a grin on his face.
"Sir, the Guerrand Colony would like to know if we require assistance!" called out Johansen. "Evidently we disappeared off their sensors for two days."
January 9th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Guerrand Colony
14:00 hours
Robert finished the report and he heard a knock on the door of his quarters. A minute later Lucas entered, followed by Nathan and Kristin. "So what are we putting in this report?"
"Do we put this a report?" asked Robert.
"Have you read our reports from the 2021-2022 tour?" asked Nathan laughing. "I'm amazed we weren't hauled off to the funny farm after the second mission."
"What one was that again?" asked Tim.
"The very same we've been talking about the entire time. That time we ended up in the future," answered Nathan.
"No, that was the fifth. It was our first encounter with the Kraytecs," answered Miguel.
"No it wasn't" corrected O'Niell. "That was much, much later into the second tour. That was when we encountered the nice aliens. The one with that Indian."
Everyone nodded after awhile as it came back to them. Robert and Fredericks looked at all of them, "You mean all that actually happened?"
"Yes," answered Nathan. "That was a strange tour."
"Thank God it's over," laughed Tim.
"Do we still have to put this in a report?" asked Robert. "I really appreciate being considered sane."
January 10th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Launch Bay
Terry McShane walked up the stairs to the launch that would take her to the Guerrand Colony. Turning to the companion that was only steps behind her, but not leaving, she said, "Anyone tell you your ship attracts weirdness?"
"Yes, numerous times. Although I think that everyone does, they just deny it," answered Nathan.
"Interesting theory, Nate," she said.
Terry, even though she knew he was taken, couldn't resist hugging him. "Don't go missing another ten years, Nate."
"l'll try not to," came his wry answer and they stood back. "Good bye Terry."
"Good bye Nathan," she turned and didn't look back once as she exited the seaQuest.
He couldn't say that was a bad thing. Maybe ten years ago when he and Kristin were not together, but not anymore. Taking a breath, he consigned Terry McShane to the past. Not bad, he thought. I run into not one, but two women that I... he stopped then and looked around the almost deserted launch bay. Carol was as beautiful as he remembered, and those scant hours he had seen her were worth it. This time, he said good bye. This time... he told her how he felt.
As if another door locked itself to his past, Nathan walked slowly to his quarters and to his future.
Newscast
January 12th, 2034
A few days ago, NorPac experienced the same fear it felt twelve years ago when the seaQuest disappeared. The seaQuest, while investigating disappearing ships off of the Guerrand Colony's west perimeter, disappeared itself off all radar and sensor grids for a full two days. NorPac officials are being silent in this affair while they also investigate the destruction of the Nezamiah.