CHAPTER ELEVEN:
When Time Should Not Have Been Forgotten

PART ONE: The Past

April 3rd, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Captain's Quarters

The last few weeks without a science officer or a chief medical officer was seriously getting to Robert. On science vessel these two positions were necessary. Many had applied already for the two coveted positions but no one seemed to have that spark that the predessor had.

Granted, the plans were being made to take the seaQuest back into its former purpose as a research vessel, but that was at least a few months away before they were finished the tour, then they would return to the UEO. Robert hoped that this time the world would not be brought to the brink of destruction. His father would have to see to that, but even given his ability he was one man, and while not old, certainly not young anymore.

No matter what one person would be his father's darker shadow until they could finally track him down: Alexander Bourne. No doubt Bourne was not pleased that at every turn his plans were ruined by his father or someone having to do with him. This was not over, and this worried Robert Bridger to no end.

He would have to keep watch, and make sure that not once his guard was dropped until Bourne was apprehended.

Robert Bridger was not the only one concerned about the outcome of things. Where the world ended and time forgot, one person that did not have their best interests at heart but unable to act also meditated on how to find Bourne.

This one man made Alexander Bourne the least the UEO's worries.

There were others that wanted to see it fall equally as desperate, and their resources were much better. One such person who rivaled Larry Deon in power but preferred more subtle methods than Deon's pop cult that swept the Earth.

This one hated Nathan Bridger and everyone that was even remotely attached to him. Where he would have been satisfied with his death or fall from grace had now grown into a full blown hate.

April 30th, 1988
MIT University
approximately 4:00 pm

It was not everyday that the two men were able to meet. Lately the friendship that had been between them since childhood had been tested to the limit. None more than now, however, as it came down to a battle of principle. One man was not rich, but neither was his life uncomfortable as his father was one of the professors at the University. He had just returned from a long tour of duty to visit his family.

The other was a man of money, who had not once left his family's influential arms. He showed every sign of being the same as the magnate before him. And like that magnate, he knew what he wanted and his friend was letting something like principle get in the way.

"Come on, Nathan, think about what you are giving up to go into this precious Navy," Geoffrey Harpe countered, the son of a wealthy magnate whose fortune was lost to obscurity. All that mattered was the money and that it kept flowing, it didn't much matter from which way it flowed.

The other was a hardened man, who seemed much against what his friend was suggesting. This man was dressed sharply in his uniform and was the son of the professor. "I don't care, Jeff. The answer is still no. Why bother to cheat anyway? It's not like you have to," he remained adamant, and his name was Nathan Bridger, only an Lieutenant in the US Navy, but adamant none the less.

The wind and salt had chiseled the military one into hard angles, not wasting a space for unnecessary over-muscling or fat. He was lean as a willow switch, and as supple. Having just attained a black belt in Crane style had helped towards this as well. The other showed what money could buy, he was fit, but it was a kind of fit that never saw the outside of a tennis court or posh gym.

If anyone saw a resemblance it was one of mirror images and opposites. It was amazing that the two had ever been friends.

Today was a day of crisis in that friendship, one that both would take with them. Finally Jeff looked away from Nathan, "Fine, have it your way."

Nathan grinned and then he sat, the argument already forgotten. For all the hard edges, he had an amazing ability to forgive. This had saved their friendship more times than either could care to count. No amount of time could ever end this in him, no matter the hardship. Soon their talk turned to the typical talk between two friends. What either of them had done in the years in between, what they had seen. They were now both well traveled, just the other for different reasons. Now when Jeff talked about a trip somewhere, Nathan had likely seen it too. And if Nathan told his friend about what he had seen someplace, Jeff could nod and agree.

The next morning told a different tale.

On that morning, Nathan learned that a group of students had broken into his father's lab. One of the students caught had been Geoffrey Harpe.

That morning, no amount of forgivance on Nathan's part could heal the trust broken.

Days turned into weeks.

And weeks into months, those months in turn turned into years.

Geoffrey Harpe became an extremely rich man when his father suddenly died in 1995, but by then Nathan and he had grown so far apart that they were bitter rivals. The tour of the seaQuest in 2018 and 2019 only turned that rivalry into enmity as on numerous counts Harpe was caught by Nathan in the midst of many illegal activities. While never being able to get anything to prosecute under international law, he was able to simply destroy Harpe's ability to make money, or the operations itself.

Besides numerous pirates and other dictators held in sway by the seaQuest's existence, Harpe threw the biggest party when the ship disappeared in 2022 to celebrate the demise of his biggest obstacle to his growing business.

What he had not expected, nor counted on, was the return of Robert Bridger. Even though the seaQuest was not in the water the younger Bridger proved to be as effective at destroying Harpe's plans. It was as if Nathan Bridger had continued his legacy through his son. Harpe was a little upset about the fact.

Then the seaQuest returned and with it the elder Bridger. Granted, thankfully the old man had decided to retire, but he left it in his son's hands!

He had watched all the events in the first tour, and then this second with Robert. He showed every sign of being as legendary as his father.

The real kicker was that Nathan had not aged those extra ten years, something Harpe had. Technically they were the same age, but Harpe looked all seventy-three years of his life, only in the stress of keeping the young and vigorous Larry Deon from destroying all he had made him look only longer. The fifteen years since Nathan first took command of the seaQuest had begun the deterioration. Everyone of them had since been fraught with added stress and heartache.

Harpe had even once tried to get Marilyn Stark over to his side, an impossibility without truly spending a fortune. Once it had become obvious who had the seaQuest after its return she had refused all offers flatly. Now she was dead, saving some officer from the seaQuest. Damn her! If she had only...

Harpe grimaced, it wouldn't do to brood over what might have been. Now he had to think of some method to sink the boat, and this dratted UEO.

April 4th, 2034
Brazil

His search had brought him this far, and Alexander Bourne would be very irate if it brought him to naught. He had traced the location of this particular woman from the Pacific rim. He had thought to contact her before but never gave it a second thought. It was dangerous enough to play the political cold war with the UEO then add her into the equation.

But now he needed her. He grit his teeth and swatted away another mosquito, reflecting that it was an out of the way place for someone like her.

Finally he pushed himself from the canoe and climbed the path. A single gunshot stopped him in his tracks as the dust lifted at a spot in front of his feet. "My name is Bourne," he called out.

"I know who you are," came her voice.

"I would like to contract your services."

"With what?" the irony in her voice was hard to miss. "You have nothing. You are nothing. The Bridger's saw to that."

"I have money still, and powerful contacts. With your help, I, uh, we can gain our former glory and rise to the top."

"Oh yeah?" he saw motion in the shadows to his left among the fronds, and the unmistakable glint of a gun barrel. "Only one of us can truly be at the top. You are not a man that shares power. And I don't share either."

"Then let me have the power, and you can have the money, and the freedom you deserve," he countered. "Once I'm in power I'll clear your name of all wrong doing."

A moment of silence and then she asked, "How do I know that you won't feed me to the hounds once you're done?"

"Kill me. My life as insurance. You know what I am," he saw her move into view, the sniper rifle pointed at his head.

"Your life as insurance. I like that," finally the rifle moved away, and for the first time Alexander Bourne noticed who the woman was.

He knew that she was wanted in the UEO for treason and sedition, even outright attempted murder on at least fifteen separate counts. He was dangerous to the UEO, but she was worse. "Madam Secretary General," he said.

"Don't call me that," retorted Andrea Dre. "The fools didn't see what I was trying to do. If I had succeeded the UEO would have controlled the world. You would have never happened. Deon would have never happened. The UEO would have crushed them all."

"That sounds familiar," he said. "I said the exact same thing about Macronesia when I changed it."

"There was no Bridger to stop you," she said. "Until now."

"Then help me destroy them. Help me realize our shared vision of the way things should be, and crush those who would stand against us," it was hard not for Bourne to be carried away with things. "When Bridger is dead... why, then the rest of it will crumble."

As it was, maybe she saw a kindred spirit, she was already won over, "What do you propose?"

"How good of a sniper are you?"

PART TWO: Fire and Ice

April 11th, 2034
San Diego

The very first session of the UEO Senate was one for the history books. Nathan came in and almost immediately one of the more powerful confederations had tried to bully him into passing a vote for a bill that would not have everyone's best interests at heart. McGath would have put it to a vote, pleading on everyone's conscience.

Secretary General Nathan Bridger turned to face that Ambassador and told him in no uncertain terms where he could stick that bill.

No vote was called.

After the shock had worn off of the concise language used (somewhere between a polite suggestion of which orifice he thought the bill came from and a not so nice suggestion of where it could return), things calmed down considerably. Once everyone got used to the old military captain, they met the somewhat nicer scientist they voted in. Business actually finished, and on time. Bridger was a negotiator when it was necessary, and very bull headed when it was not.

The Ambassador, whom had been told off by Bridger, even had to admit, "Finally someone with a tight hand on the reins."

After the meeting, Bridger walked around the empty senate chambers. Coming to stand behind the desk he ran his hand along the wood in reflection. By far this was not where he expected to end up in life. It was no stretch of the imagination to say that he was one of the most influential people in the world now. It was he who could order the seaQuest to... whatever. In fact, he was more powerful than the Admirals now. He issued their orders.

He sighed. This much power in one person's hands was too much. What is it they say? Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, or something like that, he mused. If he was not careful he could end up being one of the people he despised most. He could end up like his former colleague Bourne... or worse, like Dre.

Funny, how he would think of her now when he hadn't in years. An uneasy feeling settled over him. Why else did he think of her? She was coming back into the scene and his gut told him that things would get messy. Better plan now for the inevitable, he reflected. How am I going to go about this?

He couldn't technically call in the seaQuest until their new tour started in July. Nathan turned to see Kristin walk into the chambers. "Hey you," he said as he held her close.

"What are you brooding about now?" she asked.

"An odd feeling," he answered.

She nodded then asked, "I saw you on the news. Did you really have to tell Ambassador Drvall to stick that up his -"

"It shut him up," Bridger sighed.

"Half my science team collapsed in peals of laughter when they heard you say it," she chided. "Outspoken as always."

"They knew what they were voting in."

They laughed and then walked from the chambers to go to the house that they shared. It was really more of a mansion, but it was where all the Secretary Generals had lived. All three that were before Nathan had left their permanent mark on the decorating. Kristin, of course, had already made sure that hers was left as well.

Sinking into an armchair, Nathan relaxed as Kristin began to knead the taut muscles in his upper back. "It's not as easy as you thought, is it?"

"I knew it wouldn't be. But who else would they have voted in?" he asked and he leaned back with a sigh as the last of the knots in the back released. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"Your place," she said. "The one where you should be."

"Kris... I felt something odd today, and I remembered back..." he trailed off. "It's probably nothing."

"Not with you it isn't," she said. "What was it?"

Nathan sat there for a long time, "Remember the Mondail Resort? When Dre was conspiring to kill all the Ambassador's at the Summit."

"Yes, I remember."

"I remembered the look on Dre's face when I showed up with the Ambassadors behind me, when she was arrested. The look of loathing... and I remembered getting the distinct feeling that she had it in for me. It wasn't Lucas she wanted in that flooding room. It was me," he took a breath. "And then the room was the Senate Chambers here in San Diego. Or the Moon Pool on the seadeck of the seaQuest, only the one in the room was you, and Hitchcock. It was extremely disjointed."

April 12th, 2034
Pearl Harbor
Admiral Hitchcock's office

"Damn it, Jonathan, no," she reiterated. "As much as I would like to authorize that, I can't."

"Why not? We know he's out there somewhere waiting for his chance to go after the captain again. We just have to find him," Captain Jonathan Ford was as adamant as she was. "We could then..."

"Jonathan, that would mean going into other Confederation's territories. And right now we're NorPac. Next tour we'll be UEO and able to go after him with a little more impunity so long as we stay where the UEO is acknowledged," she said. "Then we can go after Bourne."

"All right, but if I get one whiff of him being in our territory I'm going after him."

"Then you have full authorization to do so," she said. "He's a wanted man, Jon. Maybe someone else will take him out for us."

"One can hope," said Ford. "Avenger out."

The man disappeared from her vidscreen and Hitchcock leaned back into her chair. Two days into the refit for the Clinton and she had been told that it was un-refittable, that they were retiring him. As much as it hurt to lose her ship, she understood. He had been built in the mid-1990's and was nearly forty years old. After ships got that old they were near impossible to refit, and too expensive. It was time for the change. All the classified equipment would be stripped and then the Clinton would simply be sold to the highest bidder. She hoped the next owner would treat him half as well as she did.

Now she would be getting a new ship. So new it still smelled of the welds and new plastic. She didn't even know the name of the new ship, it had been sprung on her so fast. She was told it was not any smaller, nor any bigger.

The deck layout was better designed so it would feel bigger, spacier. It even had a below water line mini-sub water lock. Add to it that it actually had a wing of Specters and a compliment of WSKR technology made it more formidable in the water. That last addition had made her feel a whole lot better. The WSKRs would mean that she would not have to depend on other subs to give her eyes under water and her sensors would be more accurate.

But the ship had no name. No designation other than its serial number, and she couldn't picture herself using only a number to call her ship. She so wanted to see it to see what name would fit as designs and deck layouts would not tell her anything about what the ship would fit.

A noise distracted her for a moment, "Jean, the coffee maker is not a punching bag!"

The noise stopped and she shook her head. Her secretary, Captain Jean Killarney, had a nasty habit of taking out her frustrations on the coffee maker. If she broke another one she could replace herself this time. Hitchcock turned back to her paperwork, and the door opened. "You could knock, you know," she chided gently.

"I could, but I won't," the sound of the woman's voice made Hitchcock's head snap up in shock.

It was like her past came back to haunt her, only she was the young Chief Engineer on the seaQuest again... and she faced Andrea Dre in the doorway. "You have nerve coming here."

The older blonde woman shrugged indifferently, and then pointed the stun gun at Hitchcock, "Get up."

Hitchcock did as she was told, and said, "Kidnapping me? Jeez, couldn't find someone else?"

"You were closest, and I want everyone dead," she said, and she patted down Hitchcock and pulled her arms around the back.

Hitchcock bore this in silence, not even bothering to dignify that with an answer. She knew what the ex-Secretary General meant. She wanted everyone having to do with her fall dead. Hitchcock just happened to be the easiest to get a hold of. I'm bait, she realized. Damn it.

Knowing that there was little she could do that she was neatly trussed up, Katherine let her self be led out of the building and to a waiting car. Who she saw behind the wheel made her wonder if her day could get any worse. Alexander Bourne looked her up and down. "You are more beautiful in person, you know."

What she did in response was a bit cliched, but as she really had no choice... Katherine's scream attracted the attention she needed, and out of the corner of her eye she could the summer whites of a few crew running to her aid. Dre shot one, and Katherine, while worried about the young officer, was shocked at the excellent marksmanship. One of the officers stopped to help the one that had been shot while the other was running as fast as their legs could carry them to the car. Dre shoved her in and jumped in behind her, "Drive, before they close the gates!"

Bourne stomped on the accelerator pedal and the car leapt forward, and Hitchcock was pressed into the back of the seat. She silently prayed that someone had called the gate wardens... thinking of the gate wardens, why in the name of Hell hadn't they stopped them from coming in? Where was security, on holiday?

She heard Bourne say, "The gate is closing."

"Run it," ordered Dre.

A crashing sound was heard as well as the tires being shredded. Smiling, she knew the car would not be able to go very much further and she couldn't picture Bourne or Dre changing the tires. The car stopped and she was dragged forcibly from the car. She was dragged through the thick Hawaiian forestry until she reached a beach, and saw the way they had gotten in.

A minisub so small that it was only made for a maximum of four people, including the pilot, was on the beach. Bourne opened the canopy and they pushed her into the very back seat. Dre took a seat beside her and kept her gun trained on Hitchcock, while Bourne took the controls of the sub and pulled the canopy closed.

Again Katherine could see the white of uniforms only now intermingled with the khaki of other military. The engine whirred to life and they slid off the beach. Again, her rescue was just a few seconds too late as the water closed in over the sub and they disappeared.

Oliver Hudson stood on the beach in stunned silence his gun ineffectively shooting water. Grabbing his PAL he ordered, "I want a full underwater search for a Crab shuttle."

The answer came back, "Sir, I can't authorize that..."

At his elbow, Hudson heard a voice, "I can, Captain. Hand me your PAL and let me talk to control."

Hudson turned to the vaguely familiar older man behind him. The man was slightly taller than he was, and just as bald. He was a good ten years older, and in a UEO uniform. Seeing the Admiral bars, Hudson handed over his PAL and saluted. The Admiral spoke into the PAL, "I authorize a full search. All ships in the area be on the look out for a Crab shuttle."

"Sir, I can't do that, only an Admiral or above can clear that..."

"Consider it cleared, I'm an Admiral, and the name is Noyce. Clearance code N-3425-Black eight."

The officer at the other end, "Cleared, sir. A full search has been initiated."

Noyce switched the PAL back to standby and handed it back to a stunned Hudson. The main reason that Hudson had even attained his captaincy was the very same that this man should have been dead. Noyce had been in New Cape Quest when the old UEO command had been subducted. Many had lost their lives and a command vacuum had resulted.

"Is there something on my face, Captain?" asked Admiral William Noyce.

"No sir," answered Hudson. "I was wondering... how did you live through the subduction?"

"I damn near didn't, " Noyce led him up the beach so that forensics could comb where the shuttle had been. "Now, Captain, I've heard two conflicting reports on who did the kidnapping. One side is that Andrea Dre did, the other says it was Alexander Bourne. Mind sorting it out for me?"

"They both did, sir," answered Hudson. "For whatever reason, they are working together."

Noyce swore eloquently under his breath, "This is not good..."

Dre was impressed with Bourne's piloting skills, but didn't say so. He had managed to use the surrounding marine geography to avoid all the patrols, and now they were too far away for any to find them. "Where are we going to stash her, Andrea?" he asked.

"Who said you could call me by my first name?" she immediately shot back.

"Easier to say than Ms. Dre," he shrugged. "If it's any consolation, you can call me Alex."

"Let's not get too close," she retorted. "I know all about your reputation with women, and I'm not going to be your next acquisition."

Bourne shrugged nonchalantly, "Your loss."

A glare was his only response, but he ignored it, although she was secretly flattered by the attention as Bourne only had a taste for young supermodel type women. But they had to keep to the mission at hand. "If we don't get out of the Pacific the seaQuest will be on us like flies."

"What makes your think they won't go into another sea?" Hitchcock felt like sowing some doubt as it was the only venue open to her at the moment.

"They're NorPac, not UEO," Dre answered.

"And that's stopped them before? Come on, the Avenger and the Nezamiah went into the Caribbean after Bridger," Hitchcock pointed out. "Against the UEO."

It had the effect she was looking for as Bourne seemed a bit nervous, but it would have taken a trained eye to spot it. "And there's always the..." Hitchcock stopped with a Cheshire like grin. "Now I can't let that little secret slip."

She found herself at gunpoint again, "Tell us now."

"There's always the Calypso."

"The what?" came Bourne's incredulous reply. "What kind of a pussy name is that? Ignore her, Andrea, she's making it up. She's the one who wanted to call the Stinger the Gazelle."

"That's what is worrying me," pointed out Dre with an air of someone explaining something to someone slower than they. "If she named the ship then it could be a threat." Dre turned her attention to Hitchcock. "How big is the ship. What is the classification?"

"Delta IV," answered Katherine. "Standard for its size, lean towards research, but as it was Nathan Bridger's personal research vessel I would expect that it's got some teeth."

"Now I now she's full of bull," said Bourne. "Bridger was the CSO of the seaQuest."

Dre smiled and agreed, "Nice try, Admiral."

Hitchcock shrugged, "Suit yourself..."

April 14th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Specter Launch Bay

Lieutenant Jessica Jean Fredericks, known usually as JJ, held her 'flight' helmet in one hand, dressed in her combat suit, staring at the tiny Specter class fighter sub. She was not due to go back on active Specter duty until the end of the month, but neither was she barred from the small craft. As much as she knew she was good, as much as she knew that in the right hands there was nothing to fear from the Specter... she was. She yearned to be back in one even as the thought was almost ready to send into having hives.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slid into the cockpit and secured her helmet on.

Immediately her hands started shanking and she had to scramble out of the cockpit while waiting for her pulse and breathing to return to something resembling normal. She closed her eyes and began to feel the moist heat beneath the lids minutes before the tears actually rolled down her cheeks. "Damn it!" she cursed as she beat her fist against the sleek craft's hull.

She was aware of another person, only because they purposely made a hug amount of noise as they entered the bay. Wiping the tears from her eyes she turned to Ensign Tony Piccolo. "You okay, JJ?" he asked.

"Other than I can't get into something I found almost sensual to use anymore, no, everything's fine," she answered.

Tony sat beside her and said, "Take your time and don't rush things. No one is expecting you to instantly be back in the cockpit."

"It's not what everyone else expects, Tony, it's me," Fredericks looked over to the Specter. "Did anyone ever tell you what happened to me... why I needed the implant?"

He shook his head in negation.

"Well, Captain Hudson wasn't exaggerating by much."

Mid-Summer, 2026
Test Plain
North Pacific, off the coast of British Columbia

I was only twenty two, and eager to prove myself. I had just been promoted to Lieutenant, and we were testing the new Specter class.

"Lieutenant, bring it ten degrees port at a hundred knots," ordered the calm voice of Commander Oliver Hudson, who was in a Specter just behind and to the starboard of her.

"Yes sir," she acknowledged.

Under ordinary testing the Specters were so easy to handle, at least these prototypes were. But we were not testing them under normal circumstances. We were taking them to the limits of their design to see how far they could be pushed.

Fredericks executed the order, and the little craft shuddered slightly, "We have some vibration in the stick, sir."

"I can see that," came Hudson's voice.

Hudson and I had been paired so long that we were almost a matching set, but where I chose to stay specialized in the personal combat of the fighter subs, he took command track. This was to be our last mission. Our last chance to make a legend together...

"Noted the vibration in the controls," Hudson was a man who sounded like he could be calm in the midst of anything, it was what Fredericks admired. "Now let's see if we can figure out where the flaw is."

Fredericks slowed so that he pulled up beside her. With a grin he could see she said, "Tag, you're it."

She pushed the controls to maximum and they began to chase each other through the ravines. The small craft moved gracefully, and even though the controls shuddered over a hundred knots, they could live with it so long as they kept a good grip on the control yoke.

I had just taken a turn, and increased to almost three hundred knots...

The sleek craft cut through the water, her partner nearly being left behind. Then red lights began to flash in the cockpit. "Sir, I've got a problem..." she said.

"Slow it down."

"I can't," Fredericks could hear the rising panic in her voice as the craft refused to respond.

"Freddie, you have a ridge! Pull up!" came Hudson's order. "Oh Jesus..."

By the time he noticed it was too late.

I remember waking up and he was kneeling over me, praying that I would recover. I would have reassured him, but I was in too much pain. After which I could never get in one. I was like I am now. The Navy got impatient with waiting, and implanted the chip...

The Present
seaQuest DSV
Specter Launch Bay

Piccolo could only stare at her in shock as she gazed at the craft. "You slammed into a ridge at three hundred knots in one of those and you lived?"

"Yeah, after a year of physiotherapy and an attempt at counseling to get me back in one," she shook her head. "Maybe I can't."

"I don't think that's it," said Tony. "You just need time. And this isn't the only thing you can do on board the seaQuest. Switch jobs with Wolen... I mean Bridger... for a while."

Fredericks shook her head, "Who would lead the Wing? Lucas is too green for all his brilliance. You're still an ensign. Dagwood is still an ensign, and TJ is simply too young. The others are not even officers yet."

"We'll figure something out, Freddie," he said. "Too bad Kimura is too far out of the action."

"Wait a minute, that's not a bad idea, Tony," Fredericks stood up and walked out of the launch bay. "A temporary transfer to the seaQuest is not a bad idea..."

She went in search of Robert Bridger, knowing it would be best to make sure he was for it. She knocked briskly on the hatch of the Captain's quarters and waited. A moment later, Commodore Bridger opened the hatch and asked, "Yes?"

"Can I talk to you?"

He let her in and then followed her to where she sat at the desk. For a moment she simply looked around at the room. "Wow," she finally said. "I've got to get my captain's bars someday."

"JJ..." he gently reminded her. "I don't think you came here to admire my Dad's taste in decorating."

"You're right sir," she said. "I'm here to request a temporary transfer."

"Denied."

"You never even listened to the rest of it..." she pushed.

"Then enlighten me."

"I still want to be on the seaQuest, but until I can get into a Specter I'm kinda sittin' with my thumbs up my butt. Yeah, I know I'm technically on medical. I'm going crazy not doing anything. Let me an Ensign Bridger switch duties. He's just as capable at leading a Specter Wing as I am. And I can whip a computer back into shape almost as well as he can," she pointed out. "That way, while trying to get back into a Specter without falling apart, I can at least be of some use. And... if you think Lucas isn't ready for that kind of responsibility, get a temporary transfer for Kimura to come back and lead."

Fredericks tried to gauge the reaction from Bridger, but she wasn't too successful as the look on his face was just too neutral. Way too neutral. "Denied," came his answer finally, and he held up his hand to forestall any other arguments she may have had. "At least, to the full extent of it. I'm willing to compromise. There is another on your team..."

"... not TJ, she's way too young for all her brilliance."

"No, not her. Not yet. At least, not the lead wing. No, I was thinking of someone else. Like Ensign Piccolo... what is your professional opinion of his skills?"

"So far?" she thought a moment. "He's on the zany side. But an excellent pilot who shows considerable leadership qualities. He picks up on visual and audio clues without me having to point them out. He was a much faster study than that Brody you saddled me with for awhile."

"Then he will be promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade," said Bridger. "And while you are assisting Ensign Bridger in his other duties, Lieutenant Piccolo will lead the Specter Wing."

"Piccolo? You want Tony? The same Tony who..." she trailed off as she remembered her own early days as a Specter pilot.

"Yes, I think Ensign Piccolo would be a good choice. But only until you can come back as a Specter pilot," Robert sat down at the desk. "Is there anything else?"

"No sir," she answered.

"How are you doing, anyway?" he asked, now out of what even his father called 'commander' mode.

"As well as can be expected. Lucas finally popped the question..." she stopped when she realized that Robert had not been told that piece of news. "You mean you didn't know? I would have thought he told everyone by now!"

"Well, he hasn't, or he told Dad and Dad assumed he already told me," Robert shrugged. "It does happen. Especially around my Dad."

"Forgetful?"

"Yes, very. About personal matters anyway," Robert sighed. "As impossible as I thought it was, he managed to forget about his own birthday... My Mom had to remind him." A mischievous look from Robert, "Then again, it was his fiftieth. He could have conveniently forgotten it..."

Fredericks had to laugh about that one. "That certainly sounds normal. My Dad did the very same on his sixtieth. We celebrated it anyway."

"Anyway, back to the subject, he finally asked you?" said Robert. "So where is your ring?"

Fredericks pulled it out and showed him on the chains of her identification keys. He turned it a few different directions to see how the light reflected on the diamond. It was a modest, but unflawed and perfectly cut diamond on a simple, elegant, platinum setting with a matching platinum band, only it was filigreed in Celtic style and that filigree inlaid with bronze. It was a stunning engagement ring. "Wow, that puts my wife's ring to shame. No wonder he took so long, most of it was probably just to find the ring. Or he had it made."

"I think it was one part finding it, and one part having the ring personalized. It was just all platinum the one I saw... but Nathan talked him into the filigree work, and Kristin then suggested he inlay it with gold. Lucas thought gold was too overused in engagement rings, and silver would have just disappeared into the ring," Fredericks grinned. "So in typical Lucas fashion he found a metal hardly ever used, but still high in quality and made it truly one of a kind. See, it's engraved on the inside too."

She pointed out the engraved lettering inside the band, it had the L and the J intertwined as well as the year they finally decided to become engaged. Robert whistled, "Yeah, Cynthia is going to be very jealous, but also very impressed. I think though, she will wonder why I was never so... creative in finding the ring."

"What kind did you get her?"

"Oh, a traditional English style engagement ring. Gold and a diamond in a fancy white gold setting. Nothing like that..." he sighed. "If I had Lucas's brains..."

"I've seen that ring, its a really pretty ring. The traditional style suits her. And it looks like its a hundred years old. There's likely some romantic history in that ring."

"Yeah, true, although its not hundreds of years old, only about fifty. It was my mother's ring that my Dad gave to her. And he bought it new, only made to look old and traditional. The eighties was a decade of breaking traditions, so my Dad sought to go against that grain and picked that one. My Mom was a traditional woman, so appreciated his tastes," Robert shrugged his shoulders. "I was just trying to prove I was me, that I was alive. Cindy was there through it all. I couldn't afford a ring for all the legal costs, so found my mother's and had it sized for Cindy. I could have afforded a few creative alterations, though."

"No, that's sweet enough. I would have been just as happy with an unaltered ring from Lucas in the same way..." Fredericks pointed out, then laughed. "Okay, maybe not Mrs. Wolenczak's though."

Robert laughed a bit at that too. "Seeing as I gave my Mom's ring to Cindy, I wonder what my Dad gave Kristin...?"

"Bought it new. He saw it on Cindy's finger, and Kristin told him what you had done," Fredericks stood up and looked at the clock. "Ack, I've just wasted your shift, haven't I?"

"Actually no, I just came off shift. I took a night again to let Mig have morning. I was just filing reports and the company was appreciated... but sleep would be nice..." he said, standing as well. Much to her surprise he gave her a warm hug. "In a way, you're becoming my sister in-law, so count yourself a part of the family. Oh God, three Bridger's on seaQuest again..."

Mischievously, she pointed out, "What makes you think I'm changing my name?"

"You don't want to be a Bridger like the rest of us?"

"You make it sound like some sort of cult..." she laughed again, and then opened the hatch. "Good night... Robert."

"Good night Jessica."

PART THREE: Fading Memory

April 15th, 2034
San Diego Island
Secretary General's residence

Nathan Bridger walked to his office in the home and the vidscreen came to life. He stared into the face of both his nemesis, and the one he brought back with him. "Ah, Nathan, I see you are doing well," this was said with a sneer by Andrea Dre, one of the former Secretary Generals.

"Cut the crap," said Nathan. "You have one of my admirals. I want her back."

"And we are getting tired of her company," responded Bourne, and his usual grin made itself apparent. "Of course, we need some incentive to release her alive to you, and not dead in some dark Harbor somewhere."

"The UEO does not negotiate with terrorists," came Hitchcock's voice before a slap from Dre cut her off.

"We are not terrorists," stated Dre.

"No, you're war criminals," answered Bridger. "That's worse."

Bourne turned back to the screen, "Makes little difference to us, Nathan, but alive or dead?"

Nathan never hesitated one moment. "Her I want alive... You are mere liabilities. And if you touch one hair on her head, I can guarantee that you will always have a shadow hounding you the rest of your lives."

"If that's the way you want it, Mr. Secretary," said Dre, and the connection dropped.

Nathan sat heavily in his chair. Looking up he saw Kristin in the door of the office. "Did you hear everything?"

She nodded and walked in. "What will you do?"

"I don't know, Kris," he sighed. "I have a few options open, but one of them I am not sure if I want to loose - Colonel Yamamoto."

Kristin shuddered in revulsion. "He is death, Nathan. Why they ever accepted him into the UEO..."

"What happened exactly?"

It was before the seaQuest returned and during a NorPac conference after the entire crew had been legally declared dead and the ship down. We didn't think you were ever coming back and NorPac was concerned about the upstart Macronesia and how they were to prevent it from spreading its borders too far. This was in 2024, only two years after the seaQuest went missing.

Captain Katherine Hitchcock took the podium and hushed the audience in the dining hall and conference room. A few of the servers paused as she took the podium, but they soon returned to their food. It was everyone else's attention she wanted, and had. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. You will have to forgive me, I'm not used to giving presentations. I can only hope I get my point across with some clarity..."

She smiled as the response was a few of them laughing, but most smiled back, realizing she was only joking. "We are here about securing our borders against outside threats. Of course we need the logistics behind it. How can we make sure our borders are secure with equipment and ships that are older than many of us in this room?"

A few nodded in support, thankfully the Admirals she was trying to impress this on. "I'm not saying we build another seaQuest, as this is beyond our means right now. My opinion is we make similar ships based on the same technology that Captain Nathan Bridger researched and proved its use. The Bio-skin hull, for one," an up close picture of the very texture of said hull and its specifications (that weren't classified) was displayed on an oversized vidscreen. Katherine made the effort to explain the specifications to non 'techies' without making it sound like she was speaking down to them. "I believe it can be used on other ships, possibly easier and less expensive than one the seaQuest."

One person raised their hand, "Are you saying instead of building one large seaQuest we build many smaller ones?"

Katherine shook her head. "No, what I am suggesting is we build our ships using some of the technology. Only the seaQuest can ever be the seaQuest. To suggest otherwise..."

For a moment, a noise outside the conference room took their attention. When it abruptly quieted, Katherine had everyone's attention again. "Now, about the aqua-tubes that equalize the massive pressures when the seaQuest had to dive deep..."

Another hand went up, "Captain, did these tubes not also allow the dolphin to access the various parts of the ship?"

"Yes, but that was not their original design spec," she answered. "In the original design, they were used as a pressure equalizer. It allowed a ship of that size to go much deeper than any other previously could. It was a clever methodology, and I have to say that Captain Bridger certainly understood the way the water worked on a sub to even think of using it. Now, later, we changed it to allow Darwin access to the ship. Captain Bridger was very surprised with the innovation, but he liked it. Eventually, he and the engineer that added to the aqua-tubes, worked on a way to use the same technology to pump out water from a sinking ship. Then he thought of the risky idea that one could actually pump water into the corridors and use that to make the seaQuest dive even deeper than its original crush depth."

Katherine took the opportunity to take a good swallow of water, and pointed at another captain to let him ask a question, "What was the result?"

"A success the second time..." she put up her hand to stave off the multitude of hands that were suddenly in the air. "The first time the seaQuest was taken over by a hostile force and had to be repelled. Of course, deciding that the best way to control their movement on the ship, Captain Bridger gave the order to flood the ship. That was a success, so both times it was successful. But the Captain thought the hostile takeover would sully the results of the experiment so did not include it."

"Who was the engineer who helped him?"

"I was," answered Hitchcock. "That's why I'm giving the presentation, sir. I am the only one remaining that knows the seaQuest that well, and the technology on her. Besides me, the next knowledgeable one, God rest his soul, was Lucas Wolenczak the Chief Computer Analyst. The only one who knew more than either of us put together was, of course, Captain Nathan Bridger. But as both of them are dead now I'm your resident expert."

Just as she finished the doors by the kitchen flew open and armed men and women entered. They quickly subdued any security personnel. One walked up to the podium and moved Katherine out of the way. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the North Pacific Confederation, Shining Water is now your humble hosts for the duration of your stay," he gripped Katherine's arm painfully. "Make a move and my people will not hesitate to shoot. Cooperate and I can guarantee that this will go faster."

"What do you want?" asked Admiral William Noyce, standing up.

"Ah, Admiral, a good question. Sit down, and I will tell you," the man waited until Noyce sat down. "We want money, of course. And a few of our bothers in arms freed from your prisons."

"It will never happen," said Hitchcock. "NorPac does not negotiate with..."

"I'm getting tired of that line, Captain Hitchcock. I hear it so often. Unfortunately, either people wind up dead, and usually not mine, or," he grinned. "We get what we want. Contrary to popular belief, I don't like to kill."

Hitchcock had been about to retort, and a flurry of activity attracted Kristin Westphalen's attention from the podium. A young Asian man had dropped two of the terrorists. Weaving between tables, overturning them as he went, he took out the remaining few. He was then facing the podium, his simple sword in his hand.

Later, Kristin would find that detail peculiar but all she noticed was the futility of the maneuver. The man holding Hitchcock turned his gun to point it at the younger man, and the younger man raised his sword into an attack position and charged him.

One shot rang out, then two, then two became three, but the young man seemed propelled simply by momentum. The sword bit deep into the lead terrorist's right shoulder and he dropped the gun. Far from giving up, he launched himself into the young Asian man. For a few minutes, they grappled, then the Asian man managed to get his hands on a discarded fork, of all things, and lodge it into the terrorist's jugular.

All Kristin remembered was the incredible amount of blood that spurted onto Katherine's uniform and everywhere, then the stillness as the Asian man drew himself up and turned to Hitchcock, "I am sorry for making a mess of your uniform, Captain..."

He then passed out. Kristin's medical instincts kicked in and she began to work on saving his life from the gunshot wounds. Katherine kneeled beside her giving her aid. Another officer also gave what help he could, "Who is he?"

Katherine shook her head, "I don't know, Commander Hudson."

Kristin looked up at him both, "He saved all our lives."

The Present
Nathan and Kristin's home

Nathan murmured, "My God."

Kristin drank some of her water and said, "The UEO did the search. His parents had been killed by Shining Water, and he had been sent to Japan to be raised by his uncle. From what I hear of the uncle... he was very traditional Japanese. Insisted that Jason and his siblings be taught the 'old ways'. Jason, being the oldest, finished first and he inherited his parent's responsibility. A strict adherent to traditional Bushido. He single-handedly destroyed an entire terrorist organization. NorPac offered him a position in Section Seven, and he was proud to accept."

"I knew he was good, I didn't expect that good, nor that kind of past," Nathan seemed to think for a moment. "He could be her only hope again. I cannot negotiate. If I negotiate with one I'll have to do it for them all... Dammit I hate this."

They sat there for a moment longer just listening to the silence, then Nathan got up and walked over to the vidscreen. Typing in a few numbers he only had to wait a few more moments when Yamamoto answered, "Yes, Mr. Secretary General?"

"I have a mission for you," said Nathan, perversely enjoying being able to order around a Colonel. "Admiral Katherine Hitchcock has been kidnapped by Alexander Bourne and Andrea Dre. I want you to get her back..."

"What are my limitations?"

"No killing, if they refuse to cooperate," Nathan shrugged. "Expendable. Bring back Katherine alive, though, Jason."

"Of course. Wouldn't have it any other way..."

The connection dropped leaving Nathan to wonder what he meant. He turned to Kristin and she answered his unspoken question, "He always considered himself her personal guardian."

April 15th, 2034
The Shadow Warrior
Bridge

Colonel Jason Yamamoto thoughts were also of that time when he first met Admiral Hitchcock, and they had been since the very daring kidnapping happened. Even he could admit that it was daring for Dre to walk into Pearl and take an Admiral at gunpoint. He would be asking some very serious questions when he brought her back of those inept security people.

Today his command chair did not feel comfortable at all.

He looked over to his wife who had joined him on his elite team and crew. She was everything he could ask for. Warm and loving, passionate even... but very focused. When on the bridge she was also formal and proper. Jennifer Yamamoto was formally of Macronesia, but knew that Bourne was wrong and worked to bring his oppressing government down at any cost. That cost had nearly been her life.

Katherine could not pay that price. Should not pay that price. Yamamoto would not kid himself on that point. NorPac could not afford to lose anymore of their top ranking officials.

Surprised, he looked up when Jennifer said, "Sir, we have an incoming message."

"Put it on my console, Commander."

A bald man with a muscular build appeared on his screen. He was familiar, but Jason could not quite put his finger on from where. He wore a UEO uniform, but Jason could not see his rank bars on his sleeve, but if the amount of decorations on the man's dress khakis were anything to go by, very highly ranked indeed. For his age he also was surprisingly smooth faced and lacking any truly major wrinkles. He was clean-shaven and what hair he had was close cropped for tidiness. Everything screamed Navy.

"Can I help you, sir?" that seemed safest.

"I understand you're going after a colleague of mine. Nathan has authorised me to give you what help I can," the man said, after a similar motion of sizing up Jason. "I trained Katie, and I also was there when Andrea Dre was first arrested."

That narrowed down who he possibly was. "Forgive me, you seem to have the advantage of knowing who I am, but you have not told me who you are."

"My name is Admiral William Noyce," he answered. "Formally I was also Secretary General Noyce of the UEO after Dre was arrested."

Yamamoto, for once, was a bit speechless and he looked over to Jennifer, whose eyebrows had lifted in surprise. "Admiral, an honor to speak with you," said Jason. "What kind of help can you give us?"

"What help do you need and if it is within my power you have it."

"I need UEO clearance to go after her in international waters," and Jason watched the man nod, clearly expecting this.

"That was granted to you an hour ago, Colonel, on the condition of being a peacekeeper... I trust you understand that?"

Jason nodded his affirmative. "Absolutely no civilian casualties. No destruction of civilian property. Consider it done. We specialize in 'quiet' extractions, Admiral. Anything else is unprofessional."

"Good," Noyce seemed impressed. "Now, Dre is a very accomplished marksman. Care should be taken if in clear sight of her, and we definitely know that she is armed. With a handgun she shot one of our Ensigns at two hundred meters. That ensign is in critical condition and we are not sure he will survive. That, people, was no 'lucky shot', she could have hit him further away at equal accuracy. If she has a rifle with a sight she could be deadly at a much greater range."

Jennifer whistled in appreciation. "That's a heck of a shot..."

"If you need any other information about her I can see what I can glean... most of her records are sealed and classified," Noyce turned away from the screen. "It may take some time to unseal them."

"What we have is more than what we knew about her ten minutes ago, Admiral, thank you," said Yamamoto. "But the more you can get us the better."

PART FOUR: Stacking Up Coincidences

April 17th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
wardroom

Commodore Robert Bridger watched the screen as he listened in stunned silence. "How long ago?" he asked.

"Five days ago on the twelfth of April," answered Noyce. "I thought you should know. Nathan, is of course, already on top of things and someone is our there after her. One of our best people, but if you see anything out of the ordinary you are authorised to cross into other UEO aligned confederacies and nation's waters."

"Thank you sir. Bill, what do you think Katie's chances are?" asked Robert.

"With both you and this other, extremely good. Come on, Dre and Bourne have to be pulling our their hair. You know she won't hesitate to use whatever means she had at her own disposal to escape," Noyce grinned. "Give her time and she'll bring them back to us."

Bourne watched Dre pace the floor of the cabin they were in. He wasn't the only one. Hitchcock was also following her pacing with great interest. "Five days and you aren't dead yet. Wow, I must say I'm impressed. You've contacted the Secretary General, and you got your answer. My bet is that seaQuest is already on her way here. Maybe with the Avenger... Maybe not. Who knows? Hey, all I need is the seaQuest really..."

Dre stopped pacing and turned to glare at her. "Shut up!" Dre slapped her hard enough to split her lip and knock over the chair she was tied in.

The chair, and Hitchcock, landed on one side, and it took a moment for Hitchcock to get her breath back. Dre was about to kick her when Bourne stopped her by picking her up and moving her away. "Enough!" he roared, and turned to Hitchcock where she lay on the floor. "Don't think I don't know what you are trying to do, and I commend you for your continued efforts, but they won't work. I was a Sentinel too long for them to work, Admiral."

"You, a Sentinel?" came Dre's shocked voice from behind and just to one side.

Hitchcock was also surprised, but kept her consternation to herself. A Sentinel complicated matters. They had been chosen for their tough mental discipline and endurance under psychological pressures. Dre, however... "Fine, I'll quit for now," said Hitchcock. "But I hope they tear you a new asshole when they get through with you."

Dre went back to her pacing, and Bourne set the chair back and traced one finger along Hitchcock's cheek and jaw. "It's really too bad you chose NorPac, you know," his voice was soft and too low for Dre to hear. "With one like you at my side instead of that panicky Stassi there would have been no one who could stand up to us."

"At your side, or with open legs and staring at ceiling?" asked Hitchcock, just loud enough for Dre to hear.

With a disgusted snort, Dre left the cabin and Bourne's smile grew wider. "Now, you certainly know how to get us some time alone, Katherine... may I call you Katherine?" if he wasn't a weasel in her books the way he said her name would have sent shivers up her spine. No wonder he had the type of reputation he did. Not getting a negative response, he continued. "Now, you are more to my liking than that prude Andrea is."

"It's all in the way a man charms me," Katherine smiled warmly even while she was repulsed.

Bourne smiled, "That is what I like to hear... Let me, and I can give you the world, Katherine. I can make you Queen..."

His hands started to move up her leg where the skirt was and he slid it up while undoing the buttons on her blouse. Hitchcock subtlely gritted her teeth. The ropes were just not loosening fast enough...

Elsewhere on the island, Yamamoto moved through the evergreen growth until the cabin was in sight. Knowing his people were across the clearing made him feel a bit better. He was about to move forward when a tuft of grass exploded beside him. He moved back under the undergrowth and tried to find the shooter. Knowing that his presence was no secret anymore, he broke radio silence. "Sniper fire! Find the shooter and take them out," he ordered as he scanned the area of where the shot came from.

A leaf too close to his liking exploded as the bullet went through it. A accomplished sniper is an understatement, Admiral Noyce, thought Yamamoto.

As if hearing the gunfire, and the returning gunfire, was impetus, Bourne gave up all pretense of seduction and began to simply yank off her buttons. Giving up all pretense of enjoying his lewd attentions, she savagely kneed him hard in the groin. Bourne went down with a groan and his hands covering the area.

Hitchcock worked feverishly on the knots to escape.

Yamamoto saw the blonde woman moments before another leaf exploded, and he winced. Any closer and it would have been his ear, or his forehead. Dre definitely had a sniper rifle, and she knew how to use it.

Jason also had a sniper. "Jen, to your two o'clock and near the ground."

Dre looked up as the bullet exploded out of the back of her head, then she collapsed and lay on her stomach in the short grass as if sleeping. Yamamoto rushed to the cabin and entered it just as Bourne was picking himself off the floor, and the ropes fell off of Hitchcock. Jason leveled his gun at Bourne, "Don't even think about it, Bourne."

"Dre..." said Hitchcock as she stood up and tried to close her torn shirt and pull down her skirt.

"Dead," Yamamoto gestured Bourne to precede them out. "Hands on your head. Make a move I don't like and you will join Dre."

April 19th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Specter launch bay

Fredericks sat in the Stinger and mulled over her life and the opening strains of Moist's song Morphine began. While the music seemed to fit her mood, Piccolo entered the bay and said, "I don't see a panic attack."

"Shut up and race me to the next marker."