Here is the final chapter!!! Special Thanks to my beta Kathy and to Amanda
kas for their reviews. I am glad you enjoyed the first chapter.
Nathan took the half-moon-glasses from his nose and took a look to the hologramm. His youngest crew member was in the middle of a battle. This picture, how Lucas sat tense in front of his game, without coming to an end, seemed very harmonious . Robert had been a fanatic, too. In his time, the youth couldn't play such complicated and detailed games, like it's possible today, but even then it were something special.
"You win" appeared on the hologramm and the computer genius deactivated it. He put the computer back into his bag, pulled of his shoes and crawled into his sleeping bag. "You can turn off the light, I'm in my bed."
Smiling the Captain put his reports on the proper pile. He hung his bathrobe over the chair, before he climbed over Lucas and went to his bunk. As soon as he laid down, he switched off the light at the console above his bed. "Good night, kiddo. Sleep well."
"You too." Actually it was very mean, what Lucs intended. But on the other hand, he sometimes really behaved like this. As long as he felt like something would be missing, it wasn't very comfortable for him.
It didn't take long and the equal breaths of one of them could be heard. The other one went out of the warmth of his sleeping bag and left the quarters. The loud noise of the door woke up the Captain. He just had started to sleep at that moment. What was Lucas doing now? If he had to go to the bathroom, he could use the captain's.
Nathan waited. In case the computer genius didn't appear soon, he would go and look for him. At the moment, he decided to go, the door opened. "Where have you been?" he asked into the darkness.
In the shine of the light that fell into the room from the corridor the teenager's shape could be recognized. "Fetching something to drink. Sorry, if I woke you up."
Bridger let his head sank back to his pillow. "Did you take a roundabout way? It's not possible that you need such a long time on the way to the kitchen and back."
"I did. I got stuck in the MagLev." Lucas lied. He couldn't tell the Captain, that he visited Darwin to tell him about Ben's plan. Hiding the vocoder behind his back and being careful not to drop the cup of milk, he shut the door and went back to his place.
"Does somebody care about the MagLev?"
"Yes, yes." The computer genius had arrived at his sleeping bag. He placed the vocoder behind the big flower pot, that stood next to the wall at the headarea of the bunk. After Lucas drank slurping from his milk he put the cup down. Now he could go back into his sleeping bag.
"Are you sure, that you have everything ? You're not going to stand up in five minutes to leave again."
"Absolutely sure. Good night, Captain."
Nathan positioned his pillow and turned himself to the wall. He almost had fallen asleep again, as...
"Darwin want eat fish. Bridger Darwin let out."
Lucas had to concentrate not to laugh out loud. He also pretended to be woken up by the dolphin.
"Why isn't the vocoder on the seadeck?" Bridger asked sounding annoyed.
"I forgot it" Lucas said, hardly to understand. He had to sound sleepy.
"Can Darwin eat fish now?"
Grumbling Bridger pushed back his blanket and turned on the small lamp above his pillow. He leaned over the side and discovered the vocoder behind the flower pot. Nathan reached for his pilow and threw it into the tennager's face. "You did that on purpose."
The angel-blue-eyes stared surprised. "No way. I'm innocent. It can happen to anybody. Everyone forgets something."
"Darwin still want out." The dolphin said, because nobody seemed to pay attention to him. "Lucas says, Darwin can out, if waking bridger."
Slowly the computer genius' head turned to the tube. "Traitor." He hissed.
The Captain pointed his finger at the teenager. "So you did!"
"The game is over Darwin. No one will let you out now."
Sighing bridger stood up, climbed over Lucas, who lay in front of his bunk, to get to the radiosystem, so he could call the bridge to let the dolphin out. "Are you happy now?" he asked his friend in the tube.
"Eat fish." With strong strokes of his fin the sea mammal disappeared.
Nathan went back to his bunk. He took the vocoder and with a strict look to Lucas he turned it off. The teenager had pulled his blanket up to his eyes and lay a little higher, because of the second pillow. "No hungry dolphins. Take another sip of your milk and give back my pillow."
Lucas didn't move, instead he looked at Bridger with wide eyes.
"My pillow!" Bridger kept on urging.
"I thought it's for me, so that it's more comfortable on the floor." The teenager said innocently.
"Fine, keep it." Giving up Bridger let himself fall on the matress and switched off the light. He even could sleep without a pillow until tomorrow. Actually the floor was really hard, so he didn't reproach his youngest crew member, for keeping his pillow. He pulled up the blanket and rested his head on his arm. As he closed his eyes, he imagined having a picnic with Carol and Robert - as a little boy - not far away on a blooming meadow, chasing butterflys. For some reason, there was also another boy, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was younger than Robert and had a soft toy dolphin in his arms. Yes, Lucas had to be like this, when he was a little child. Carol gave him a tasty sandwich, which he seemed to like.
Something soft crashed directly in his face. Startled the Captain sat in his bed. His pillow had returned. "What..." he said, but the voice of a young genius in front of his bunk gave him his answer.
"You can have your pillow back. With two of them I lie too high, I'm getting a stiff neck."
"Does it always take this long, until you are satisfied with your sleeping place?"
"Only, if I'm not in my own bed. I'm used to it and there I have everything I need."
"Do you have everything that you need now? I would like to sleep, you know? If stand up another time or start to rebuild something, it will be impossible."
"Yes, I think I'm finished."
"Fine." Bridger positioned his pillow again, laid down and tried to find a comfortable sleeping position.
"One thing left."
The Captain laid his hand over his eyes. How could he be stupid enough to think that he would get any sleep with a teenager sharing his quarters. Teenagers are never slient. "What is it?"
"Would it be stupid, if I want to hear a story? Or some music, so that I can sleep better. It's so silent, I can't get into dreamland."
"I won't read a story to you, I'm too tired and I really would like to sleep. If you need some music, than take some headphones and do what you have to."
For a while it remained quite. "Could you please switch on the light again? I have to look in my bag."
Inward Bridger was ready to tell Lucas some angry words, but on the other hand, he couldn't. Carol had some problems falling asleep on foreign places, so he could understand the teenager. Sighing he did Lucas the favour. The computer genius got out of his sleeping bag and went to his backpack. He searched a little while and took out a gadget and headphones. "Damn it, the one I want to hear, I don't have it with me here."
"Is it in your cabin?" The Captain sat in his buck with eyes narrowed because of the light.
"Yes."
"Than fetch it and everything else, that you need for tonight." He had barely even finished speaking, and Lucas had already left the room. Nathan laid both hands over his face. Would it had been better to let the boy stay at another room? No. He wanted him with him, because he brought life in here. Usually it's too calm in his cabin. Now that Lucas was here, he would lose his sadness, at least for a while. Most people would be disturbed in their work, when someone would make so much noise like the teenager did with his game this evening. But for Bridger it was a sign, that there was someone around him, who needed him in his kind. This feeling gave him a warmth, that he had been missing.
Noisily the door opened. A shining young Mr. Wolenczak entered. In his arms a lot of different things. Nathan even didn't look exactly. "Won't take long, then you can switch the light off again."
Lucas droped all the things with a loud noise, in front of the hologramm, looked for his music disc and went back to his sleeping bag. The Captain waited until the computer genius, with music in his ears lay down again, happy. Then he switched off the light.
"Now it's really time to sleep and no more interruptions ." He warned him, doubting that he could be heard. Even he could hear the music. Hopefully the teen wouldn't have any bad ear aches in the morning.
This time no one disturbed the Captain. Soon he was into a deep sleep and the batteries of Lucas gave up a little while later. Grumbling he took off the headphones and put back the gadget into his bag. Crossing his arms behind his head he stared up to the ceiling. The only noise was the deep breathing of Bridger. There he lay, completely awake.
Because of a shrill peeping noise the teenager twitched. He didn't expect something like this, wasn't prepared for such a noise. At first he thought he'd forgotten to deactivate a program, because he didn't want to annoy the older man that much.
"Someone wants to drive me crazy" Bridger said, switched on the light and answered the call.
"Hello Nathan!" Immediately the happy face of his old friend Malcom Downey appeared on the screen.
The older man let his head sink back into his pilow. "What do you want?"
Lucas could use this, he sat straight and looked from Bridger to the person who called and back.
"Hello Lucas. What are you doing at Nathan's? I thought you had your own room on seaQuest. Or did he found out, that you join the illegal poker evenings, when he's on cloud seven?" Malcom took a puff on his large cigar.
"There are no illegal poker evenings here, Malcom!" Bridger had sat straight. He pulled the blanket near around him. "We have a little problem with our environment controlls and had to allocate the quarters."
"Noble, noble. Even the Captain takes lodgers. Doesn't seem like you."
"Say whatever you want to, but even you should have noticed that we were sleeping when you called." Nathan said.
"The boy doesn't look, as if he'd been sleeping."
"Malcom!" the Captain warned his friend. "Would you please explain why you're calling me."
"No smalltalk? Okay. I'm planning a research project and could use your Darwin and this wonder machine." How much Bridger liked this question you could read by the expression on his face. "I have no problem to do something for it. For example to pay something for your friend from the sea. I'll take Lucas with me, too, if the two of them can't be seperated, like you once said."
The teenager's head with small eyes turned to Nathan. "What did you tell about me?"
"He can even have his own room and doesn't have to sleep on the floor in front of my bed."
"What should I do? Have him share this half draw with me? It's just for a while. Could you please call another time? This just isn't a good time. I have to get up early and don't have time for your fantasies."
"But Nathan..." the connection was cut. "Would you please turn off the vid link sytem in here completely?" the older man asked the teenager. "Now maybe I can get some sleep."
Lucas didn't make one step. Suspicious he looked to Bridger. "What?"
"You are talking about me with your friends?"
The Captain shook his head. "Just normal things. Things, that you always tell your friends. I'm sure you talk about me with Biff, too."
"But not, that you've fallen in love with your dolphin."
"Okay fine, I'll do it by myself." Bridger got of his bunk to deactivate the communication sytem. Only the bridge could disturb him now.
The teenager still looked serious at him, as he returned. "Come on, you can't be angry that I told Malcom about something, that everybody on board knows."
The expression of the computer genius didn't change, than he smiled. "No, I'm not angry. I just would like to know, when I'm confronted with questions, how somebody can know this."
"I think it's more than obvious, when you talk to my friends." He ran a hand through the blond hair of the teenager on his way back to his bunk. Than he thought about something. "Is it really not too uncomfortable down there?"
"Don't worry, I've slept worse places." Lucas slide back into his sleeping bag.
Bridger looked confused.
„I even fell asleep on our footbridge. Trust me, on a rock or some wooden boards is a lot worse than on this floor."
"You weren't even asleep, right?"
"No, I wasn't. Is it very bad? I just can't sleep in foreign places and have big problems with it. The first few days on board were hell, until I got used to it."
Nathan supported his head on his hand. "Is there no way to help you fall asleep? I mean, you were able to sleep on the footbridge."
"Yes, at least, it was my home footbridge. I'd slept there since I was a little child. You can't compare it. I think, I even would have problems, if I'd take some sleeping pills."
"Better, we don't go that far. Shall the light be switched on for a while? So that you can read something. I really become tired after reading a while."
"For that, I should have brought some books with me." Lucas answered sarcastic. The thing, that his father had recommended, he wouldn't take it in his hands very soon again.
"Don't you think you could find something in my stock. He pointed at the book-shelf above his bunk. "Come on, choose something." he said, as his youngest crew member still didn't move.
The computer genius crawled out of his sleeping bag and went over the floor. Some difficult books were on the book-shelf. About the half of them didn't seem interesting to him, but then he found something that he could like. He had "Moby Dick" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" in his hands. What would he read? It was logical for him to choose the last one. With the book in his hand he went back. Bridger already had turned to the wall, when he saw, that Lucas had found something. His breath became more even.
The young genius took a wool blanket. He lay down on his sleeping bag, the blanket over him. He put his pillow under his chest. Comfortable like this he could start.
He was a few chapters into the book, when some snorring made him leave the fantastic world of Jules Vernes. Slowly he turned his head to the bunk. "Psssst!" the teenager hissed. It sometimes worked with his friends, when in the middle of the night someone started to snore. When it didn't the only thing that worked was to throw and hit them with something small. He once read, that it's possible to manupulate people in their sleep, by talking quietly to them. Lucas never stayed over night at friends very often, until after this article. His urge of exploring had been awoken and he had to try it everywhere. Unfortunately he had little success, none had followed his suggestions.
After the invitation of being quite, the Captain snored once and then it remained silent in the room. Satisfied, the computer genius concentrated on his book again. The calm remained just two pages, then it returned.The blond boy tried again "Psst." but without succes. He shut the book and searched something in the right drawer, under Bridger's bunk. Grinning, he packed all the little bombs in his arms. Next snorring it began. There it came. He took one of the missiles into his right hand, aimed and threw. Lucas hit the Captain on his forehead. While sleeping he wiped with his right arm over it, but didn't wake up. The thrower enjoyed it. The next throw hit exactly and was placed on the slightly opened mouth. Because of the missile, which was bigger than the opening, it went down the cheek. The teenager made five other hits, until the eyes of his victim opened and now, surrounded with socks, were seeing the innocent looking Lucas, while he was throwing even another pair.
"What are you doing?" Bridger asked sleepy, but also angry.
"You'd snored and didn't stop!"
"And what about those?" Nathan raised one pair of his socks.
"It was my second option of making you stop."
"You should really get some sleep!"
"I can't, I'm at a really thrilling part of the book."
"No contradiction. You are doing too many stupid things, while I'm sleeping. Put the socks away and get some sleep. In case I should be snorring again, just let me! I'm able to throw socks, too." In fact he did. All of them at once at the teenager, who couldn't hide fast enough. "At least try, even if it's not easy." Bridger requested of Lucas with a softer voice.
Sulky the blond teenager did what Bridger wanted him to. But as soon as the Captain fell asleep again, he left the quarters. Either or. It was time to pick up some pirorities.
His sleeping had become very restless. He dreamt of confused things and he even awoke a short while later. A longing for a glass of water expeled the tiredness out of his eyes. Bridger took one short look at the place in front of his bunk.The sleeping bag was empty. Sighing he sat up. What time was it? One short look at the clock told him, that he had to get up in less than one hour. So he took his bathrobe and decided to look for his young roommate. First of all he went to his quarters, but he couldn'd find him, instead he found the boy on the border of the moon pool, deep into sleep. Darwin had arrived and watched over Lucas. As the Captain tried to approach, the dolphin tried to chase him away. A characteristic, that he'd never confidented his sea friend. The vocoder was turned on.
"How long has he been here?" Bridger asked Darwin.
"Waited for Darwin after eating tasty fish."
"You don't use time that much, do you?"
"Moon still above water. Sun don't shine." It seemed dolphins had their own way of reproduncing time.
"He can't stay here this way."
"Darwin watch over Lucas. No one bother!"
"You did a great job, my friend. But now he goes to his bed." Ignoring the protests, he bent down to the sleeping boy and shook his shoulder a little bit. "Don't you want to lie down, where it's more comfortable?"
Lucas moved away the hand from his shoulder and turned around. Nathan had to laugh. At first he couldn't sleep at all and then you couldn't wake him up. "You only have to stay awake for a short time, until you're in your bed. You can lay in my bunk, when you can't sleep on your place." Bridger offered. The teenager didn't care.
"Darwin, would you please spray some water here." Immediately Lucas stood up and went barefeet away.
Bridger thought. „I should keep this in mind. It works great."Before leaving, he caressed kindly over the dolphins head.
Someone was knocking at the door. Puting his book away, Lucas stood up and opened it. "What do you want here already?"
"Is Bridger here?"
"No." The teenager turned away and went to his book.
"Could you do me a favour?"
"No more. I tried all night to get on his nerves, but now it's over. He's not responsible for this situation, so it's not really nice, Ben!"
"Weird, with any other person you would go on. Fine, then I'll go and look for someone else."
There was no other way to make the computer genius curious. He let his book sink again. "What do you want?"
"Just, that you arrange yourself, as if it would be your home. That's what my guests did." For a short moment he gets a strange expression on his face. „I don't recognize it anymore. But Bridger can recognize his. You even don't notice, that you're here, with exception of your bag and your sleeping –bag."
"Am I supposed to throw my things in the whole room?"
"Exactly! Great idea. I'll go and look for him. Just make him want you back in your room."
"And what will you do?"
"I will make an offer. If it's not possible in a regular way, to get a new thermo chip, then we have to try other possibilities."
"He won't accept it."
"Just let me do it. You have your task, do it and I'll do mine. Okay?" Ben awaits the argreement of his young friend while offering his hand.
Hesistating the computer genius took the hand. He prefered his own cabin and not being together with the captain for weeks. Nothing against Bridger, he liked him, very much. Sometimes he even cared for him like a father, but he'd prefered his own freedom.
"See you later." Lieutenant Krieg disappeared again. Placing his arms on his hips Lucas thought about, how he could make himself feel at home here. His eyes looked through the whole room and stayed at the hologramm. A grin appeared on his face. Of course!
THE END
Nathan took the half-moon-glasses from his nose and took a look to the hologramm. His youngest crew member was in the middle of a battle. This picture, how Lucas sat tense in front of his game, without coming to an end, seemed very harmonious . Robert had been a fanatic, too. In his time, the youth couldn't play such complicated and detailed games, like it's possible today, but even then it were something special.
"You win" appeared on the hologramm and the computer genius deactivated it. He put the computer back into his bag, pulled of his shoes and crawled into his sleeping bag. "You can turn off the light, I'm in my bed."
Smiling the Captain put his reports on the proper pile. He hung his bathrobe over the chair, before he climbed over Lucas and went to his bunk. As soon as he laid down, he switched off the light at the console above his bed. "Good night, kiddo. Sleep well."
"You too." Actually it was very mean, what Lucs intended. But on the other hand, he sometimes really behaved like this. As long as he felt like something would be missing, it wasn't very comfortable for him.
It didn't take long and the equal breaths of one of them could be heard. The other one went out of the warmth of his sleeping bag and left the quarters. The loud noise of the door woke up the Captain. He just had started to sleep at that moment. What was Lucas doing now? If he had to go to the bathroom, he could use the captain's.
Nathan waited. In case the computer genius didn't appear soon, he would go and look for him. At the moment, he decided to go, the door opened. "Where have you been?" he asked into the darkness.
In the shine of the light that fell into the room from the corridor the teenager's shape could be recognized. "Fetching something to drink. Sorry, if I woke you up."
Bridger let his head sank back to his pillow. "Did you take a roundabout way? It's not possible that you need such a long time on the way to the kitchen and back."
"I did. I got stuck in the MagLev." Lucas lied. He couldn't tell the Captain, that he visited Darwin to tell him about Ben's plan. Hiding the vocoder behind his back and being careful not to drop the cup of milk, he shut the door and went back to his place.
"Does somebody care about the MagLev?"
"Yes, yes." The computer genius had arrived at his sleeping bag. He placed the vocoder behind the big flower pot, that stood next to the wall at the headarea of the bunk. After Lucas drank slurping from his milk he put the cup down. Now he could go back into his sleeping bag.
"Are you sure, that you have everything ? You're not going to stand up in five minutes to leave again."
"Absolutely sure. Good night, Captain."
Nathan positioned his pillow and turned himself to the wall. He almost had fallen asleep again, as...
"Darwin want eat fish. Bridger Darwin let out."
Lucas had to concentrate not to laugh out loud. He also pretended to be woken up by the dolphin.
"Why isn't the vocoder on the seadeck?" Bridger asked sounding annoyed.
"I forgot it" Lucas said, hardly to understand. He had to sound sleepy.
"Can Darwin eat fish now?"
Grumbling Bridger pushed back his blanket and turned on the small lamp above his pillow. He leaned over the side and discovered the vocoder behind the flower pot. Nathan reached for his pilow and threw it into the tennager's face. "You did that on purpose."
The angel-blue-eyes stared surprised. "No way. I'm innocent. It can happen to anybody. Everyone forgets something."
"Darwin still want out." The dolphin said, because nobody seemed to pay attention to him. "Lucas says, Darwin can out, if waking bridger."
Slowly the computer genius' head turned to the tube. "Traitor." He hissed.
The Captain pointed his finger at the teenager. "So you did!"
"The game is over Darwin. No one will let you out now."
Sighing bridger stood up, climbed over Lucas, who lay in front of his bunk, to get to the radiosystem, so he could call the bridge to let the dolphin out. "Are you happy now?" he asked his friend in the tube.
"Eat fish." With strong strokes of his fin the sea mammal disappeared.
Nathan went back to his bunk. He took the vocoder and with a strict look to Lucas he turned it off. The teenager had pulled his blanket up to his eyes and lay a little higher, because of the second pillow. "No hungry dolphins. Take another sip of your milk and give back my pillow."
Lucas didn't move, instead he looked at Bridger with wide eyes.
"My pillow!" Bridger kept on urging.
"I thought it's for me, so that it's more comfortable on the floor." The teenager said innocently.
"Fine, keep it." Giving up Bridger let himself fall on the matress and switched off the light. He even could sleep without a pillow until tomorrow. Actually the floor was really hard, so he didn't reproach his youngest crew member, for keeping his pillow. He pulled up the blanket and rested his head on his arm. As he closed his eyes, he imagined having a picnic with Carol and Robert - as a little boy - not far away on a blooming meadow, chasing butterflys. For some reason, there was also another boy, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was younger than Robert and had a soft toy dolphin in his arms. Yes, Lucas had to be like this, when he was a little child. Carol gave him a tasty sandwich, which he seemed to like.
Something soft crashed directly in his face. Startled the Captain sat in his bed. His pillow had returned. "What..." he said, but the voice of a young genius in front of his bunk gave him his answer.
"You can have your pillow back. With two of them I lie too high, I'm getting a stiff neck."
"Does it always take this long, until you are satisfied with your sleeping place?"
"Only, if I'm not in my own bed. I'm used to it and there I have everything I need."
"Do you have everything that you need now? I would like to sleep, you know? If stand up another time or start to rebuild something, it will be impossible."
"Yes, I think I'm finished."
"Fine." Bridger positioned his pillow again, laid down and tried to find a comfortable sleeping position.
"One thing left."
The Captain laid his hand over his eyes. How could he be stupid enough to think that he would get any sleep with a teenager sharing his quarters. Teenagers are never slient. "What is it?"
"Would it be stupid, if I want to hear a story? Or some music, so that I can sleep better. It's so silent, I can't get into dreamland."
"I won't read a story to you, I'm too tired and I really would like to sleep. If you need some music, than take some headphones and do what you have to."
For a while it remained quite. "Could you please switch on the light again? I have to look in my bag."
Inward Bridger was ready to tell Lucas some angry words, but on the other hand, he couldn't. Carol had some problems falling asleep on foreign places, so he could understand the teenager. Sighing he did Lucas the favour. The computer genius got out of his sleeping bag and went to his backpack. He searched a little while and took out a gadget and headphones. "Damn it, the one I want to hear, I don't have it with me here."
"Is it in your cabin?" The Captain sat in his buck with eyes narrowed because of the light.
"Yes."
"Than fetch it and everything else, that you need for tonight." He had barely even finished speaking, and Lucas had already left the room. Nathan laid both hands over his face. Would it had been better to let the boy stay at another room? No. He wanted him with him, because he brought life in here. Usually it's too calm in his cabin. Now that Lucas was here, he would lose his sadness, at least for a while. Most people would be disturbed in their work, when someone would make so much noise like the teenager did with his game this evening. But for Bridger it was a sign, that there was someone around him, who needed him in his kind. This feeling gave him a warmth, that he had been missing.
Noisily the door opened. A shining young Mr. Wolenczak entered. In his arms a lot of different things. Nathan even didn't look exactly. "Won't take long, then you can switch the light off again."
Lucas droped all the things with a loud noise, in front of the hologramm, looked for his music disc and went back to his sleeping bag. The Captain waited until the computer genius, with music in his ears lay down again, happy. Then he switched off the light.
"Now it's really time to sleep and no more interruptions ." He warned him, doubting that he could be heard. Even he could hear the music. Hopefully the teen wouldn't have any bad ear aches in the morning.
This time no one disturbed the Captain. Soon he was into a deep sleep and the batteries of Lucas gave up a little while later. Grumbling he took off the headphones and put back the gadget into his bag. Crossing his arms behind his head he stared up to the ceiling. The only noise was the deep breathing of Bridger. There he lay, completely awake.
Because of a shrill peeping noise the teenager twitched. He didn't expect something like this, wasn't prepared for such a noise. At first he thought he'd forgotten to deactivate a program, because he didn't want to annoy the older man that much.
"Someone wants to drive me crazy" Bridger said, switched on the light and answered the call.
"Hello Nathan!" Immediately the happy face of his old friend Malcom Downey appeared on the screen.
The older man let his head sink back into his pilow. "What do you want?"
Lucas could use this, he sat straight and looked from Bridger to the person who called and back.
"Hello Lucas. What are you doing at Nathan's? I thought you had your own room on seaQuest. Or did he found out, that you join the illegal poker evenings, when he's on cloud seven?" Malcom took a puff on his large cigar.
"There are no illegal poker evenings here, Malcom!" Bridger had sat straight. He pulled the blanket near around him. "We have a little problem with our environment controlls and had to allocate the quarters."
"Noble, noble. Even the Captain takes lodgers. Doesn't seem like you."
"Say whatever you want to, but even you should have noticed that we were sleeping when you called." Nathan said.
"The boy doesn't look, as if he'd been sleeping."
"Malcom!" the Captain warned his friend. "Would you please explain why you're calling me."
"No smalltalk? Okay. I'm planning a research project and could use your Darwin and this wonder machine." How much Bridger liked this question you could read by the expression on his face. "I have no problem to do something for it. For example to pay something for your friend from the sea. I'll take Lucas with me, too, if the two of them can't be seperated, like you once said."
The teenager's head with small eyes turned to Nathan. "What did you tell about me?"
"He can even have his own room and doesn't have to sleep on the floor in front of my bed."
"What should I do? Have him share this half draw with me? It's just for a while. Could you please call another time? This just isn't a good time. I have to get up early and don't have time for your fantasies."
"But Nathan..." the connection was cut. "Would you please turn off the vid link sytem in here completely?" the older man asked the teenager. "Now maybe I can get some sleep."
Lucas didn't make one step. Suspicious he looked to Bridger. "What?"
"You are talking about me with your friends?"
The Captain shook his head. "Just normal things. Things, that you always tell your friends. I'm sure you talk about me with Biff, too."
"But not, that you've fallen in love with your dolphin."
"Okay fine, I'll do it by myself." Bridger got of his bunk to deactivate the communication sytem. Only the bridge could disturb him now.
The teenager still looked serious at him, as he returned. "Come on, you can't be angry that I told Malcom about something, that everybody on board knows."
The expression of the computer genius didn't change, than he smiled. "No, I'm not angry. I just would like to know, when I'm confronted with questions, how somebody can know this."
"I think it's more than obvious, when you talk to my friends." He ran a hand through the blond hair of the teenager on his way back to his bunk. Than he thought about something. "Is it really not too uncomfortable down there?"
"Don't worry, I've slept worse places." Lucas slide back into his sleeping bag.
Bridger looked confused.
„I even fell asleep on our footbridge. Trust me, on a rock or some wooden boards is a lot worse than on this floor."
"You weren't even asleep, right?"
"No, I wasn't. Is it very bad? I just can't sleep in foreign places and have big problems with it. The first few days on board were hell, until I got used to it."
Nathan supported his head on his hand. "Is there no way to help you fall asleep? I mean, you were able to sleep on the footbridge."
"Yes, at least, it was my home footbridge. I'd slept there since I was a little child. You can't compare it. I think, I even would have problems, if I'd take some sleeping pills."
"Better, we don't go that far. Shall the light be switched on for a while? So that you can read something. I really become tired after reading a while."
"For that, I should have brought some books with me." Lucas answered sarcastic. The thing, that his father had recommended, he wouldn't take it in his hands very soon again.
"Don't you think you could find something in my stock. He pointed at the book-shelf above his bunk. "Come on, choose something." he said, as his youngest crew member still didn't move.
The computer genius crawled out of his sleeping bag and went over the floor. Some difficult books were on the book-shelf. About the half of them didn't seem interesting to him, but then he found something that he could like. He had "Moby Dick" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" in his hands. What would he read? It was logical for him to choose the last one. With the book in his hand he went back. Bridger already had turned to the wall, when he saw, that Lucas had found something. His breath became more even.
The young genius took a wool blanket. He lay down on his sleeping bag, the blanket over him. He put his pillow under his chest. Comfortable like this he could start.
He was a few chapters into the book, when some snorring made him leave the fantastic world of Jules Vernes. Slowly he turned his head to the bunk. "Psssst!" the teenager hissed. It sometimes worked with his friends, when in the middle of the night someone started to snore. When it didn't the only thing that worked was to throw and hit them with something small. He once read, that it's possible to manupulate people in their sleep, by talking quietly to them. Lucas never stayed over night at friends very often, until after this article. His urge of exploring had been awoken and he had to try it everywhere. Unfortunately he had little success, none had followed his suggestions.
After the invitation of being quite, the Captain snored once and then it remained silent in the room. Satisfied, the computer genius concentrated on his book again. The calm remained just two pages, then it returned.The blond boy tried again "Psst." but without succes. He shut the book and searched something in the right drawer, under Bridger's bunk. Grinning, he packed all the little bombs in his arms. Next snorring it began. There it came. He took one of the missiles into his right hand, aimed and threw. Lucas hit the Captain on his forehead. While sleeping he wiped with his right arm over it, but didn't wake up. The thrower enjoyed it. The next throw hit exactly and was placed on the slightly opened mouth. Because of the missile, which was bigger than the opening, it went down the cheek. The teenager made five other hits, until the eyes of his victim opened and now, surrounded with socks, were seeing the innocent looking Lucas, while he was throwing even another pair.
"What are you doing?" Bridger asked sleepy, but also angry.
"You'd snored and didn't stop!"
"And what about those?" Nathan raised one pair of his socks.
"It was my second option of making you stop."
"You should really get some sleep!"
"I can't, I'm at a really thrilling part of the book."
"No contradiction. You are doing too many stupid things, while I'm sleeping. Put the socks away and get some sleep. In case I should be snorring again, just let me! I'm able to throw socks, too." In fact he did. All of them at once at the teenager, who couldn't hide fast enough. "At least try, even if it's not easy." Bridger requested of Lucas with a softer voice.
Sulky the blond teenager did what Bridger wanted him to. But as soon as the Captain fell asleep again, he left the quarters. Either or. It was time to pick up some pirorities.
His sleeping had become very restless. He dreamt of confused things and he even awoke a short while later. A longing for a glass of water expeled the tiredness out of his eyes. Bridger took one short look at the place in front of his bunk.The sleeping bag was empty. Sighing he sat up. What time was it? One short look at the clock told him, that he had to get up in less than one hour. So he took his bathrobe and decided to look for his young roommate. First of all he went to his quarters, but he couldn'd find him, instead he found the boy on the border of the moon pool, deep into sleep. Darwin had arrived and watched over Lucas. As the Captain tried to approach, the dolphin tried to chase him away. A characteristic, that he'd never confidented his sea friend. The vocoder was turned on.
"How long has he been here?" Bridger asked Darwin.
"Waited for Darwin after eating tasty fish."
"You don't use time that much, do you?"
"Moon still above water. Sun don't shine." It seemed dolphins had their own way of reproduncing time.
"He can't stay here this way."
"Darwin watch over Lucas. No one bother!"
"You did a great job, my friend. But now he goes to his bed." Ignoring the protests, he bent down to the sleeping boy and shook his shoulder a little bit. "Don't you want to lie down, where it's more comfortable?"
Lucas moved away the hand from his shoulder and turned around. Nathan had to laugh. At first he couldn't sleep at all and then you couldn't wake him up. "You only have to stay awake for a short time, until you're in your bed. You can lay in my bunk, when you can't sleep on your place." Bridger offered. The teenager didn't care.
"Darwin, would you please spray some water here." Immediately Lucas stood up and went barefeet away.
Bridger thought. „I should keep this in mind. It works great."Before leaving, he caressed kindly over the dolphins head.
Someone was knocking at the door. Puting his book away, Lucas stood up and opened it. "What do you want here already?"
"Is Bridger here?"
"No." The teenager turned away and went to his book.
"Could you do me a favour?"
"No more. I tried all night to get on his nerves, but now it's over. He's not responsible for this situation, so it's not really nice, Ben!"
"Weird, with any other person you would go on. Fine, then I'll go and look for someone else."
There was no other way to make the computer genius curious. He let his book sink again. "What do you want?"
"Just, that you arrange yourself, as if it would be your home. That's what my guests did." For a short moment he gets a strange expression on his face. „I don't recognize it anymore. But Bridger can recognize his. You even don't notice, that you're here, with exception of your bag and your sleeping –bag."
"Am I supposed to throw my things in the whole room?"
"Exactly! Great idea. I'll go and look for him. Just make him want you back in your room."
"And what will you do?"
"I will make an offer. If it's not possible in a regular way, to get a new thermo chip, then we have to try other possibilities."
"He won't accept it."
"Just let me do it. You have your task, do it and I'll do mine. Okay?" Ben awaits the argreement of his young friend while offering his hand.
Hesistating the computer genius took the hand. He prefered his own cabin and not being together with the captain for weeks. Nothing against Bridger, he liked him, very much. Sometimes he even cared for him like a father, but he'd prefered his own freedom.
"See you later." Lieutenant Krieg disappeared again. Placing his arms on his hips Lucas thought about, how he could make himself feel at home here. His eyes looked through the whole room and stayed at the hologramm. A grin appeared on his face. Of course!
THE END