Three things kept me from posting this as soon as I would have liked:

1) I had to get it beta'd.

2) Teresa's ideas were fantastic, but I had no idea for awhile on how to make it go from idea to form, and then how to make work with my own. Right now, they are pretty well all her ideas and all I'm doing is wording them into a story.

3) I was caught in the Great Blackout of 2003. I live in the middle of Northern Ontario, Canada and we were stuck without power for quite awhile. (I was chewing nails, other than the Internet, computers, and a lot of walking... or sex... there isn't much to do up here...)

Chapter Four
Faith, Hope and Charity

PART ONE: Unexpected Truth

October 12th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Launch bay

Lucas Bridger stood up from the Specter he was working on and looked at Fredericks. "What do we need to talk about Jess?"

Fredericks leaned up against the Specter and tried to find the words to convey her feeling that wouldn't be too harsh, yet be to the point. "Lucas. There is no gentle way to put this. I'm not ready for this."

"Ready for what?" he asked, then it dawned on him. "Oh. Our baby."

"Yeah, the baby," she pushed herself off the Specter. "Lucas, I don't how to put this, so I'll just say it plain. I don't want to have it. I'm not ready, and quite frankly, despite all of the bluster and brave face you're putting on, neither are you."

"Are you saying that you want to terminate the pregnancy?" he asked in a monotone.

"Lucas, look, I don't see another option..."

"I do, however," before she could open her mouth to protest, he continued. "Look, Jess, I can understand. It scares the daylights out of me too. But is it that child's fault? No. It's ours. Don't execute it for our mistake."

"Then what should we do?" asked Jess.

"Adoption is always an option," he said. "I know there is plenty of parents that would leap at the chance for a kid, but can't for some reason or another. If we aren't ready, then at least give someone else who is the chance."

He pulled her close. "Jess, if you are truly uncomfortable with the entire idea then I can understand. I can agree with you. I'm not sure if I'm ready yet either. And maybe that is the wisest thing to do. At least if we decide on adoption we have the chance to truly find out if we are ready or not."

She smiled, "Ready or not, here we come."

"Ready or not here we come."

October 13th, 2034
Sao Paulo
Brazil

He looked down from his office and then turned back to face the two others there. These two carried themselves like scientists. They were, except instead of saving lives they planned to take them. Harpe didn't like scientists as a rule, once they had nearly bankrupted him, but these had a most curious proposition.

Right now they were furious, "You carried your little vendetta too far, Mr. Harpe. You destroyed an entire island to get one man, who you knew was not even there."

"Come now, Dr. Westling, it will bounce back. It was the price to pay to show the man that I was deadly serious," answered Harpe, settling himself into his chair. "And it showed that no matter where he goes, I can follow and destroy him at my whim."

"And just when is this whim supposed to take place?" asked the other scientist, a young and attractive Hispanic woman by the name of Dr. Serrano.

"When ever the I decide it to be..." Harpe trailed off as a smaller shadow came bounding up the stairs and into the outer office. A few moments the boy came running in. "Ah, Dr. Westling, Dr. Serrano, meet my son, Michael Harpe."

"Hello, Michael," greeted Westling, then he turned to Harpe. "You said you did not have any family."

Harpe simply shrugged. "Michael is more of a godson, than my son by blood. It matters little. He is my son now," Harpe smiled gently at the boy. "Michael, you didn't say hello to our guests."

"Hi, I'm Michael," Michael, ever the little gentleman, held out hand to Serrano first.

"Jacqueline Serrano," greeted Serrano, shaking his hand.

Michael shook Westling's hand next, then pulled away as if he had been stung. Harpe stood up and walked over to Westling, "Forgive him. He has... a dislike for men he does not know. Someone close to your description killed his family."

Westling smiled as the shock wore off, and knelt down to Michael, "I am sorry to hear about your parents, Michael. I hope they rest well."

The boy only nodded warily, still clearly not trusting the man. When the two left the office, the woman turned to the man and said in Portugese, "I am sure I have seen the boy before from somewhere..."

"You have," confirmed Westling. "He's Michael Bridger. So that is what Harpe is up to... He will have to be watched. The boy likes you, see how far you can pursue this. Get close to him."

Serrano stopped walking, and smiled, "Yes sir."

October 13th, 2034
New Cape Quest
UEO Naval Base

Admiral Robert Bridger walked into his office and sat down behind the desk. Shortly after his vidlink chimed, "Sir, you have a call from a Jacqueline Carsire."

"Do I know this person? If I don't, I'm busy."

"No sir, I don't believe so, but she says it is extremely important. She told me to tell you about a mutual acquaintance by the name of Rho."

"Put her through."

"Sir?"

"Now, Lieutenant."

"Of course sir."

Moments later he saw the face of a vaguely Asian, maybe half Asian, woman. "Is this line secure?" she asked.

Robert flipped a switch, "It is now. How do you know Rho?"

"It's a long story, and I would prefer to tell you it in private. First, I must ask if it true that my daughter is in your Navy."

He creased his brows, "That would depend on who your daughter is."

"Ensign Tracy Joanne Dasher."

Robert was a bit impatient and it showed. He waited impatiently for the woman to show up at the park that she had wanted to meet him in. When she did she stopped and stared at him. "She looks like you more than me."

He turned to look at her, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"When the Chaodai had you did they take tests?"

Robert shuddered at some of the tests that they had taken. "Yeah. They told me it was to make sure I didn't have parasites."

"That is true, but also not entirely," the woman's accent was worse that Yamamoto's, she was that Chinese. "They told me that she was still born. But I was not as stupid as that. A mother knows."

"Lady, you still haven't told me what's going on..."

"Admiral Bridger, they used your DNA to make Ping."

"Who?"

"Forgive me, that is Tracy's real name. Her real name is Rho Ping. You see, Ensign Dasher is your daughter."

PART TWO: Half-Truths and Mysteries

October 14th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
sea deck

Lucas paced. It was the only thing he could do after really thinking about what Jessica had been thinking about doing to their baby. He was glad that she had come to him. If it had been his own mother he knew that baby would have already been terminated by the time she said anything. It was still a shock though.

Darwin swam circles underneath the catwalk that Lucas paced on, sometimes sideways as if to look up at him. Finally Lucas sat with his legs dangling over the catwalk. Darwin came to a floating stop beneath him. "What would you do if your mate told you she didn't want the cub she was carrying?" he asked the dolphin, not fully expecting him to understand.

The jaw in the dolphin seemed to drop slightly. Lucas smiled slightly at the sight, knowing this to be something Darwin had picked up from humans to show shock. "Not want cub? Too late now."

"Yeah, I know, eh? I guess it would be in your world. Can't get rid of babies like that."

"Too late anyway. Too far."

Lucas's eyebrows shot up. "Too far? As in too far along? Just how old is this baby, anyway?"

"Lucas..." he turned at the sound of Jessica's voice and he patted the place beside him and she sat down. "You're not angry at me?"

"Why would I be angry? For you being scared? Jess, I'm scared too. For all intents and purposes I'm only twenty, not the thirty I am in reality. I'm too young to be a father..." Lucas looked down at the water. "If it were just me and you, I would have wanted you to terminate him or her."

"Her," came the positive voice of Darwin.

The two looked down at the dolphin, and it was Lucas who said, "Thanks, Dar, we were hoping for a bit of a surprise."

The dolphin slapped his tail against the water in frustration and swam out of the seadeck, likely going to look for Ben to bother. They waited until they were sure they were alone, and then Lucas continued, "Anyway, if I didn't have the support of my new family I would have not wanted her."

Fredericks leaned back, "Lucas, that's the other thing. I don't think I can handle being targeted simply because of who I married or what child I am carrying."

Lucas looked at her in surprise, "What?"

"But I can manage. There's one thing I noticed. No matter who is out there gunning for you there is an equally powerful ally willing to come to the aid of the Bridger's. And that last part I can handle," she nodded. "So long as the ally is closer than the enemy. Lucas, I'm a soldier. I can deal."

She reached out a hand and held his, "But I'm glad there is someone there willing to deal with me."

Dr. Westling was not happy to learn that Harpe had taken the boy. It would attract too much of the wrong type of attention too soon. He had been hoping that by the time anyone had noticed what was going on that it would be too late. But perhaps Serrano would be able to repair the damage.

But what to do with the boy?

October 15th, 2034
New Cape Quest
General Hospital

In the two days since the first time he had awakened, the world had become much clearer. While he still had moments where things just did not want to sink in and he needed people to repeat what they had said until he was sure he would remember, he could at least put a complete sentence together and hold an intelligent conversation.

Most of those conversations had been with Colonel Jason Yamamoto over the vidlink.

"But you still haven't found any trace of her," said Nathan Bridger.

"I am afraid not, Mr. Secretary," for a moment Yamamoto was silent. "Mr. Secretary, if I may say, it is a tremendous relief to see you recovered, even this much."

"You're the not only one relieved," agreed Nathan. "Keep me updated."

"Of course, sir. Have a good rest," with that the man's face disappeared from his vidscreen.

Nathan sighed and leaned back in the pillows. The room was a quiet room, sometimes a little too quiet. In those moments the infernal beeping of the machines that monitored him were a bit annoying. He closed his eyes for a moment and heard the soft footfalls of his son. Sometimes he was rather amazed that his son had learned to be that quiet, but still, the way his son walked was like fingerprints to Nathan, and he would always recognize him. Nathan opened his eyes again just as Robert walked into the room.

The look on his son's face was a somber one. "I was hoping I wouldn't wake you," he said quietly.

"You didn't."

Robert nodded silently, then sat down beside the bed. "Dad, what if I told you already got that granddaughter you want?"

Nathan creased his brows and cursed the drugs that caused his mind not to quite grasp the full meaning of what his son was asking him, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

His son shifted his weight in his chair, "Well, I just got an interesting piece of news, and unfortunately, you're the only one I trust enough, and that has the clearance, to ask the right questions of the right people to know for sure."

"I have a granddaughter, don't I?" asked Nathan.

"Well, it's not for sure. But possibly."

"That was a yes or no question, Robert," Nathan rolled his eyes. "Okay, let me guess, a woman approached you and said that you're the father of her baby, and you're not sure of either possibility."

"Something like that," acceded Robert. "But not quite."

"Then what?"

"Well, remember when I was a slave I told you there were things I would rather not talk about?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, this is one of them," said Robert. "I just want you to listen and then give your honest opinion. When the Chaodai had me, they ran me through a bunch of tests. I think one of those tests pegged me as possibly psionic. Only I didn't know about that then."

Robert stood up from his chair and went to the window and looked down at the view to the sea, "I should have known that when I was called back and the others were not that it wasn't because I was the strongest or smartest. Okay, maybe there was the fact as well. The others were broken, too sick or too old. Or not the right gender..."

"Son, I can't help you if you don't get to the point..." Nathan prodded gently, knowing that it was a touchy subject.

His son walked back and slumped into one of the comfortable chairs. "I was drugged, I think. I can't remember too much of what happened... I know that I woke up shivering in the slave compound, not even with what little I had to wear on me. I kept wondering over and over what had happened."

Nathan remained silent, absorbing this.

"I found out two days ago that I was... I was forced to give samples so that they would have a reliable source of DNA for genetic tinkering. I'm not talking the same kind of Genetic Engineering that the GELFs came from either. I mean a type of genetic tampering that made normal fetuses more than normal..." Robert trailed off. "My daughter is one of these Genetic Engineered children. Dad, I need to know what happened. I need to know if it is true, or if this Carsire woman is lying to me."

Lieutenant JG Tracy Joanne Dasher reported to her shift on the tiny bridge of the Shadow Warrior. She saw that only the Colonel was there, and he came over to her as she came in, "Ah, Lieutenant Dasher. I have a new assignment for you."

She turned and lifted an eyebrow. "What kind of assignment?"

"I understand you are cleared to pilot Specters, but nothing larger than that. I have need of a new helms person since my last had to leave," he said. "Of course, that means more training."

"I'm up for it," she said.

"You know, you are an anomaly..." he said in a low voice, and she creased her brows. "You and I have a similar past, only I can remember my parents and lay claim to their name."

He let his folder fall open. In it was her service record, and, she saw, everything else that NorPac and the United States knew about her. It went back to about age fourteen, then stopped. She didn't have to look to know that there was nothing in it about her family or her parents. "Who are you, Lieutenant?" he asked, his voice growing cold. "I would say a spy, but you are not like other spies. No, I believe you are hiding something. What would that be?"

"If you don't think I'm a spy, then what does it matter. I don't have a family, okay? I'm an orphan. I don't know who my parents are..."

"That's a lie," he pointed out. "You know something of your past. Don't forget how trained I am. I can sense that you worried. I can see it as well."

He reached out and touched her face, pulling his hand away to reveal the tiniest bead of sweat. "Lieutenant... TJ... I must know for the safety of my team, and not only them, but also of the UEO. Are you a threat?"

"No!" she exclaimed.

His eyes thinned, and then he said, "No, you're not. How curious... Very well. TJ, I think you belong here more than you did on the seaQuest."

He walked away, leaving her on the bridge.

PART THREE: Take Nothing on Blind Faith

October 16th, 2034
New Cape Quest
General Hospital

"Pick any word that means 'not happening'," reiterated Nathan.

"But Mr. Secretary..." came the General's voice across the vidlink. "You are in the hospital from a heart attack. A replacement is needed. She is the best choice. We must tell the networks that she is missing... perhaps someone has seen her."

"I'm not saying that she isn't the best choice, or that I don't need a temporary replacement, but flashing her face across all the networks is not the best answer," he said. "No, I think Admiral Hitchcock is deep cover somewhere. If you flash her face all over the globe we blow that cover, Hell, we could even kill her."

A moment later the General turned back to the screen. "Are you saying that you have assigned Admiral Hitchcock somewhere?"

"I am not saying that," Nathan took a breath. "But I'm not saying that I didn't do that either. Bridger out."

Nathan cut off the link and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt himself fall off that dark cliff into sleep and when he opened his eyes again, Kristin was there. "Good afternoon, Nathan," she said.

"Did I sleep that long?" he asked, smiling.

"You did," she said, leaning forward to kiss him. "But it was nice to see you sleep without all those machines attached to you. We came so close to losing you... again."

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes using his left hand and noticed that the incessant bleeping of the machines was missing. He sighed in relief and leaned back and looked at his wife with slightly sleepy eyes. "I can't wait to get out of here," he pointed out. "But at least I won't have that constant bleeping to keep me awake at night."

Kristin slid in beside him and lay her head on his shoulder. Tracing patterns on his chest with one finger she asked, "Nathan, what if I said that I don't think you can keep up with this anymore? That this is killing you, and I don't want to lose you?"

"I would say you are right. I had misgivings on whether I could handle the added stress. Now I know I can't," he took a breath and kissed the top of her head. "But I can't quit. The Chaodai are clamoring for a reason to move in on the other Confederations around them and only the UEO is holding them in check for now. If I leave the UEO without its leadership now the support that we are giving those others will crumble as the power grab begins."

She buried her head in his chest, and he took a breath, "If I had a bit more help from the Admiralty I would not have to work so hard... but I'm unfair. Robert tries but he can only do so much. We need Katherine... and no one knows where she is."

October 16th
En route to Sao Paulo, Brazil

Katherine Hitchcock stared out the aircraft's window as the jungle swept beneath her. Those who had survived the trip down the Amazon River had been bundled into the plane after a few day's rest, and further testing. She knew what was happening, perhaps more than the others, as she had been chosen as the group's 'Sergeant', and as such was their nominal leader in battle.

So far they showed every sign of following her but she knew that if she slipped up just once they would be at her throat. Idly, she remembered the Delta IV sub that Marilyn Stark had commanded so very long ago when Nathan Bridger had first taken command of the seaQuest and wondered just how different her situation was to this.

Likely not much.

Her command had also depended on how much of an iron fist it took to lead the others. Hitchcock hoped that she had just enough of that ruthlessness in her to keep these from her throat. Finally the jungle gave way to houses, and the houses to city scape. Yet the plane flew on. Finally she could see the offshore city -- an entire city built on what used to be the docks but were now platforms.

Of course, she thought. Only one man in all the world would have both the money, and the hatred to try to destroy the Bridger's like this...

... Geoffrey Harpe...

Harpe watched as the plane touched down on the landing strip and taxied to the small outbuilding. In this building all those who had passed the final test now would be immunized to stand up to the strain of virus that Dr. Westling had made. Soon, Harpe would walk into the new world not only a rich man, but able to truly enjoy it as Westling had promised that he could also restore some semblence of youth to his deteriorating body.

He was not a stupid man, nor was he gullible. No, if he had been either his empire would have crumbled in its infancy if had ever been realized at all.

Harpe had needed proof to actually fund Westling's own ambitions, and proof he had. His rheumy cough was gone as if it had never been, and he could actually walk straight. Now he also had Michael... a son to rule all this after him.

Ah, that brought that wonderful boy to his mind. Actually meeting the child had changed his plans some. Originally, he had planned to have Westling use Michael as one would use a lab rat, but Michael had grown on him. And the more he thought of Michael as his son, the one he should have had, the more he became Michael Harpe. Now the thought of hurting the boy was painful.

At first Harpe had chided himself for taking on a useless child, but then Michael had revealed his strange gifts with people, and the prospect of having a psychic who was staunchly loyal to him was very attractive. Likely, even if he knew his parents and grandparents still lived, that life would not interest him anymore. Now he led a life not wanting of anything, including a father that he could always access.

Harpe smiled at that thought. It was simply amazing that in the aim of destroying the Bridger's how that irony had worked itself out. Michael was his now, and would always be.

He returned his attention to the outside, but he saw he was too late to see this newest batch of mercenaries enter the outbuilding. Oh well, there would other times.

The door to his office opened, and he turned to see Michael standing there, his small hand on the door knob, "Father, Anna said you had returned."

"Yes, I have," Harpe knelt down and spread his arms with a wide smile. "I have missed you, and I promise the next time I will take you with me."

Michael ran to him and his embrace and held the older man close for the longest time. Then he looked up at him, innocent sapphire eyes against steely grey ones. "You promise?" he asked with an air of someone not always taken along.

"Yes, I do," assured Harpe, smiling at the irony again.

Michael watched as the older man walked out of the room and then sat down on the floor in frustration. He knew that his 'father' hid the truth from him. He had known since the beginning.

Geoffrey Harpe was a very bad man.

Granted, as bad as he was he was rather nice. And weren't bad men supposed to mean? That always happened in the stories he read. Evil people were cruel. So far he had not seen anything particularly cruel about Geoffrey. Just... something seemed awful off about the man. About this entire place.

Michael knew that often Geoffrey lied to him and usually those lies centered around his family. Often Michael could read a cold hatred whenever the issue was raised. But he hid it well. Before Micheal was sure it was to convince him that Geoffrey was a trustworthy person. But now there seemed to be a mixed emotion around it.

It confused the boy who was barely old enough to understand the full import of the word evil, but enough to know that even if Harpe was being nice to him now he may not be in the future. Maybe even the very near future.

So Michael hid his own secret.

Unfortunately, with no way to even confirm that his parents still lived he couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't really allowed to contact anyone else so asking for a vidphone call anywhere was out of the question. But there had to be another way.

Michael looked around his room and then padded over to his computer.

Turning it on he did something he had seen Lucas do millions of times when he didn't want his signal to be tracked. Flinching away from the computer as if expecting it to explode in his face he was greatly relieved to see that it had worked. He was on the Net and likely not able to be traced.

Now that he was on he ran a search on the name Bridger.

Reading that his grandfather had suffered a heart attack, Michael stopped, able to only stare at the screen in shock. The island had burned to the ground. His home had been destroyed. Harpe had not lied to him in that. But he had lied to him in something. But what?

Ah.

There it was.

His parents still lived as his father had been promoted... promoted? Promoted to Admiral. "Too cool," whispered Michael.

That meant Dad would be home more. Like Grampa before the UEO made him the Secretary General.

He sighed and then signed up for a webmail account, lying about his age while he was at it. No webmail service had let those under thirteen get accounts without parental permission since the nineties, and recently they decided that since there was no way to confirm that permission that no one under the age of thirteen be allowed to have accounts.

He typed out his email to Lucas's hacker email address. Lucas would know what to do.

Michael quickly turned off the computer and went back to bed. Harpe, for some reason, did not want Michael to know that his parents were still alive. That familiar feeling spread over him.

October 17th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Patrolling the equatorial Atlantic

Lucas entered his shared quarters and started up his computer. Deciding to check his 'Frankenstein' account he was really surprised to see a message from someone named 'Lorien'. Who the heck is Lorien? he wondered.

Probably some new hacker that was trying to impress him. Lucas was about to delete it when an odd instinct told him to check it. Opening it he saw a picture of Michael in a very opulent room. Lucas read the message.

Lucas

If you got this then it worked. Is my Grampa ok? I hope so. I want to come home. I don't where here is, but I know who keeps me here. His name is Geoffrey Harpe.

Michael

Lucas leaned back in his chair, eyes wide in shock. For all the chances that this was some sort of hoax he had a feeling that it was not. "Oh my God," breathed Lucas, knowing that this had been the break that they had all been praying for. He hit the communicator button, "Commodore, I have something you may be interested in."

Ben Krieg's voice answered, "What?"

"Meet me in the wardroom and I'll show you."

"Fine."

Lucas printed the message and the picture then ran out of his quarters and to the wardroom. He charged in and saw the Ben was just about to sit at the head of the table. Lucas passed him the papers. Ben read them over and said, "Is this for real?"

"As for real as I know it to be," answered Lucas.

"And what if it's a hoax?"

"Ben, I know it looks suspicious, but trust me, I just have this feeling about it all," answered Lucas, and then he saw the look on Ben's face. "I know it is. Call it a hunch."

"So this Lorien is Michael?"

"It stands to reason. Cap... I mean my Dad had a collection of original hardcover books. The entire collection of Tolkien. The man can almost speak Elven, and you know how he is with other... real... languages," said Lucas. "Lorien is a reference to Lord of the Rings."

"Yeah, so?"

"Michael is as into Lord of the Rings as Nathan is," said Lucas. "Come on, Ben, please. We know Harpe hates him."

Ben held up his hand in acquiesce. "Okay, I get it. I'll notify Robert," he touched the communications pod and called the bridge. "Commander O'Niell, have Lieutenant Johansen get contact with Admiral Bridger. We just had the largest break in our case."

"Yes sir."

New Cape Quest
Bridger's home

Cynthia set up the last of the decorations before her mother Kristin helped her off of the ladder. "Are you sure this looks okay?" she asked.

"Yes, Cindy, it looks fine," answered Kristin, rolling her eyes. "Nathan wouldn't like it too over the top anyway."

"I just want to give him a reason to smile," she said, then she sat in one of the chairs and began to cry. "Oh, Mom, I just don't understand why this kind of thing must happen to us. Hasn't our family gone through enough already?"

A car door opened, and then shut. Cynthia dried her eyes and then composed herself just as Robert and Nathan walked through the door. Nathan took in the decorations and he smiled as he read the banner stretched across the living room wall, "Welcome home Nathan."

Cynthia hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, "Don't worry, it's just the four of us..."

She trailed off and there was an uncomfortable silence that a moment later Nathan broke, "I'm sure he's okay. We would have heard by now if he wasn't."

She nodded and he walked into the decorated living room, "I can't believe you did this just for me..."

The vidlink chimed for attention and Robert walked over to it and hit the accept button. The picture was fuzzy and sometimes even cut out entirely. But it was the audio that was the most important, "Bobby... it's Katie."

"Katie?" Robert said quickly. "Where are you?"

"I'm in Sao Paulo, Braz... it's... Harpe. He's behind it... don't have much time. Will try to... later," and then the connection with Katherine Hitchcock was gone.

Nathan looked over to his son, "Sao Paulo."

"The location of the Harpe Enterprises headquarters," finished Robert.

Kristin broke in, "Will it ever be over between Harpe and you, Nathan?"

"I don't think so," answered Nathan. "Only when one of us is dead."

Katherine closed the link down and looked around to make sure no one had seen her contact the Bridger's. In fact, even if someone had they would not have seen anything as she had disabled the visual interface unit. She stood up, wiped off her prints, but as she was turning to walk away, she was spun around by a man who took a hold of her wrist. In her most threatening voice she said, "Let me go."

That voice died when she regarded William Shan. "What the Hell are you doing here?" they demanded in a whisper, and in unison.

"Getting to the bottom of things," answered Shan, then he turned to her. "Now, your turn."

"Same thing," she said. "For some reason, he's culling top of the line mercs. I managed to make it through his boot camp."

"I'm a technician," answered Shan, then he looked uncomfortable. "You know, us being here alone is going to raise questions if anyone..."

Luckily, Hitchcock had extremely good hearing and she pushed Shan into the wall and covered his mouth with hers, also running her hand up his shirt. In surprise he reacted by wrapping his arms around her. When the two men came around the corner they saw them and then turned and walked back around the other way. "Well, so much for them asking awkward questions," pointed out Shan.

PART FOUR: Hope Passing

October 17th, 2034
seaQuest DSV
Wardroom

In the former tours, when an Admiral was on the vidscreen, with the Secretary General just behind him in the same room, the atmosphere was a bit more formal. While it was not an easy, nor was it relaxed, never in UEO history had so many first names been used...

"It's not as if she can't take care of herself, Ben, but she must have had a reason for contacting us," pointed out Robert Bridger.

"Not saying she didn't. I just would like to know why I'm being sent to Sao Paulo with orders to be covert about it," Krieg returned.

"Because if the seaQuest shows up there he will know that we have figured him out," answered Nathan Bridger. "And her life will be in greater danger because then he's going to go on high alert. If you send any sub in close, send the Avenger or the Shadow, preferably Yamamoto because his sub attracts less attention as it's an older Ohio class."

"I'll send Yamamoto, he's more of an expert in this than us," said Krieg, thinking. "He has a new little fighter sub he's itching to try out."

"They're not new," said Nathan. "They're just modified Stingers. I saw the design myself. I'm glad they finally realized that Lucas and Katie's sub actually is better than the Specter."

"I'll agree on that, except I never could figure out where you could put weaponry on the Stinger," said Krieg with a shake of his head.

Of all the irony. Send in her own sub to save her. Lucas would just love this. "When we get there what is our orders?" asked Krieg.

"Extract William Shan. He's been there since Dad got the book from Harpe, so he should have some information for us. In the very least a way in," Robert looked down at the papers on his desk. "The place is a fortress and from what we understand, it's getting more like that every day. Something is going on..."

"We already know part of it," Krieg said. "Michael is definitely there, sir, Ensign Bridger received an email from a hacker known as Lorien. When he opened it he discovered that the hacker Lorien was in fact Michael."

Robert leaned in, "What?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Nathan.

Krieg answered, "You called us just as we were about to call you, sir, that's why. We only just found out today and we wanted to be sure that is was in fact Michael. Lucas believes that it is."

"Has there been any more contact from him?" asked Robert anxiously.

"Not yet," answered Lucas. "But I emailed him back to acknowledge. And to reassure him that we would move heaven and Earth to get him out."

"Thank you, all of you," said Robert. "We knew he was still alive, but this is news that we didn't expect. That means he has some measure of freedom. You have your orders."

With that the connection broke and Krieg leaned back in the chair. That weight that came with command seemed to weigh more than ever before. He turned to his executive officer and reflected, How much things have changed... I wonder how he feels about all this...

"Should I take this to Lieutenant Piccolo and tell him to ready his Specter Wing?" asked Commander Tim O'Niell.

"Yes and no," answered Krieg. "Tell him to ready the Wing, but the rest is classified. The longer we can keep the knowledge of where Admiral Hitchcock is the better her chances of survival are."

O'Niell nodded and left Krieg to obviously heavy thoughts. As he closed the wardroom door O'Niell shook his head. Ever since they had returned to Earth the normally gregarious Krieg had only grown more serious. Granted, he still had his moments, but this made Tim wonder what they had missed in those ten years. What could have made Krieg so damn depressed all the time?

Shaking his head in regret he walked towards the Specter Launch Bay. It was amazing to think in one short moment O'Niell would have given his current rank and position to go back ten years in time and choose a different fate. But there was no way such a thing was possible, and quite frankly, what if what could have happened was worse that what was happening? Would he want that?

He missed the first tour where all he had to do was translate what others said and try to remain sane between Ortiz and Krieg. When the only one with any depressing secrets was the Captain, and Doctor Westphalen who usually was chewing out Ford.

Tim stopped walking for a second, gripping the folder in his hand. It was amazing how close the bridge crew had grown in only two tours. When Captain Bridger retired it was hard enough, but when everyone had heard that Jonathan Ford had been killed in a random terrorist bombing was enough to tear his heart out. It was like losing a brother.

He took two complete breaths with his eyes closed and wondered when that jabbing sadness would stop. Opening his eyes he continued.

Turning the last corner into a flurry of activity he stopped dead to just watch. Tony stood off to the side as the pilots scurried into their assorted cockpits and sealed them. One by one, green lights went off above the launchers. Tony hit the stopwatch as the last 'ready' light switched on. As everyone came out of their cockpits, Tony shook his head, "Now, you all know it is imperative that when tells us 'go' that we be in the water. Someone tell me why, then, it takes a full thirty seconds for the quickest of you to be battle ready?"

Of course there was no forthcoming answers.

"Now, then," said Tony. "We are going to work on this until the slowest of you turtles can do this in under fifteen seconds, which is standard. Then we are going to get it under ten seconds. Do you know why?"

Lucas held up his hand, "Because Kimura's group on the Avenger can do it in under twelve seconds?"

"No, Bridger, because if we don't get out there fast enough there is no point to us being here, and by then the seaQuest is dead in the water," Tony turned to regard Lucas Bridger, and caught sight of O'Niell standing there. "Now, keep at it. Dismissed."

Tony walked up to O'Niell, "Can I help you sir?"

"Well, I was coming here to tell you to be battle ready for our next mission, but as you are ahead of me, as usual," O'Niell smiled at Tony. "I guess I'm not needed..."

If Commodore Krieg was an indicator of how much things had changed then Tony showed exactly that. They grow up so fast, mused O'Niell. Lieutenant JG Anthony Piccolo had come on board as a convicted criminal who couldn't even read. Now he was a respected officer who had a growing library of literary classics. "Not needed? Come on, man, that couldn't have been the only reason you came down here. What's up?" asked Tony.

"We're going into a touchy situation, and unfortunately everything else is classified. Just be ready to protect more than the seaQuest. Think the Gold Specs are up to it?"

"We're always up to what you put us to," answered Tony with confidence. "That bad, eh?"

"Not bad necessarily," answered O'Niell carefully. "Just that our present situation could be resolved soon."

Tony nodded and winked, "I know a few people on this team who would be very glad to hear that..."

O'Niell nodded, and then said, "I guess I should let you get back to what you were doing. My shift is due to start on the bridge. I'll tell Lieutenant Fredericks that you are really cracking down on sloppiness. I'm sure it will make her feel better."

Tony smiled, a touch on the sad side, "Tell her that whenever she feels ready to come back that we miss her leadership."

And I know that it was a rather abrupt end, but I have to thank everyone who is helping me finish this by giving me insight on what characters they would like to see more of, what they would like to see happen. I welcome that, as well as any Easter Eggs that you would like in here.