A/N: All the stuff in -{ }- are thoughts. I think that this chapter is
slow, but the next should be up soon and I will try to get more action into
it! Enjoy.
I worship the reviews I get, they are the reason I sign on. Okay, well, maybe not, but I thrive on them. The more I get, the faster I write.
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Little Secrets
Chapter Five:
Safety Barrier Broken
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He was going to tell Ben. He had thought about this over the last two months, about how he could trust Ben. Lucas was feeling the same way towards Bridger, too. On many occasions he had almost told the both of them, but in the end was too scared. He was going to tell now, though, and that was all that mattered. Ben did NOT work for his father and would not be paid off like the others. Or, at least he hoped.
"Ben?"
"Yea, Luke?" Ben looked Lucas' face over, trying to get a reading of emotions or something to tell him about the way the teen was feeling.
"I have been hiding something."
Ben began to seriously listen now. The kid was finally going to open up to someone!
"Go ahead kiddo, I'm listening."
"I uhh, don't know were to begin." Lucas sighed. "It started a long time ago." He looked at Ben, to see what emotions were flickering across his face. Concern. Concern was the only one he could make out so he decided to continue.
"It's about my dad. Well he--" Lucas was cut off by Ben's PAL going off.
"Ltn. Krieg."
Ben picked up his PAL and replied, "Krieg here."
Ben could tell that it was O'Neil on the other end. "Is Lucas with you?"
"Yes. What can I do for you?" Ben questioned, turning to look at the teen.
"Well, we have been trying to reach him on his PAL but have gotten no response so far."
"Sorry. I forget it in my room." Lucas told Ben.
"He says that he left it in his room on accident. You can speak to him now."
Ben handed Lucas his PAL.
"Lucas here."
"Lucas, Bridger wants you in the ward room immediately!"
"I'm on my way. Lucas out." Lucas handed the PAL back to Ben.
"Hey kiddo, don't think we are done here, cause we aren't! When you are done with the Captain, you are to report back here and we will finish our talk."
Lucas paled slightly. His courage was now gone. How was he suppose to tell Ben? He would have to think about it later. -{I wonder what the Captain wants at this time of night. He should already be asleep. Better hurry and find out. Got other problems to deal with tonight.}-
"Sit down Lucas," Bridger instructed as Lucas walked in.
"What's up Captain?"
"Well, as of ten hundred hours, we are charting a destination for a mining colony called Kwomp. But first we have to pick up an added luggage. Well, I'll get to the point. The main computer at Kwomp has crashed with some sort of virus and we are being ordered to go and help out."
"I don't understand, do we usually help out miners?"
"Well, they have recently joined the UEO and Noyce wants to make a good impression. So, of course, send the UEO flag ship. Now then, like I was saying, the main computer has all the data for the last ten years saved onto it and of course, there are no copies anywhere. They need someone to try and retrieve the data, if possible, and fix the problem."
"That will be a cinch Captain. So, what's the big hold up?"
"Well, I was just getting to that. The hitch-hiker we are picking up is Dr. Lawernce Walenzch."
At just hearing his name, Lucas began to get frightened. -{My dad is coming here? This is the safe place I have, the only place I can get away from him. Now he is coming here and will make my life a living hell...again. No, this can't be true! I know, I'm only fooling myself. I just have to act natural and in no time he will be gone!}-
"Okay Captain. What are you going to need me to do?"
"You really don't need to do anything. Sorry, but you are the backup. We would have just let you handle it, but the owner of the mines said that, no offense, but he did not want a 'kid' working on his 'life'. Don't take any offense Lucas."
"Don't worry, I won't. The miners are all the same: stupid, smelly, and ugly."
They both had a small giggle at that.
"When does everything happen?"
"We pick up you father tomorrow morning at 9:00 and then we should be at Kwomp by 8:00 tomorrow night. I just wanted to let you know first."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"It was no problem. Oh, and Lucas, don't leave your PAL in your room next time!"
Bridger gave Lucas a warning look.
"Yes sir. Sorry," Lucas said with a small sigh of defeat.
"Now get to bed young man."
They said good-night to each other and parted in their separate ways.
Lucas wondered the halls for another five minutes, pondering on what to do next. He finally decided and headed toward Ben's room. He didn't knock as he entered.
"Hey kiddo, welcome back."
"The place looks better. Sorry that took so long."
"No prob. So, what' up with the Captain?"
"He was just letting me know about our next mission."
"Oh, and what might that that be?"
Lucas relayed the mission to Ben.
"Sounds like lots of fun, kiddo."
"Yea, maybe to you! I sure don't want to be cooped up with my dad for the next couple of days, or weeks!"
Ben sneered. "Which brings me to the next topic. We need to continue our conversation."
"Ben, look, I can't talk about this now. I have to go clean my room."
"No way are you leaving without finishing that sentence you started." Ben took a step closer to Lucas so that they were now about a foot apart.
"I said no Ben."
"I said yes, Lucas." Ben could tell Lucas was getting upset, but so was he. He was serious. He wanted to talk about it.
"You can't just keep hiding from whatever is bothering you, cause it will just keep eating at you until you get it out." Ben stepped forward quickly and grabbed a hold of Lucas' shoulder, firmly.
Ben moved quickly and Lucas only had time to flinch. He truly thought that Ben was going to hit him. As soon as he felt the hand on his shoulder, he let out the big breath he had taken in. He broke free of the other's grasp and took off running for his room. Lucas did not stop till he reached his destination. He ran inside, slammed the door shut, and locked it. He laid down and drifted off to sleep.
I worship the reviews I get, they are the reason I sign on. Okay, well, maybe not, but I thrive on them. The more I get, the faster I write.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Little Secrets
Chapter Five:
Safety Barrier Broken
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He was going to tell Ben. He had thought about this over the last two months, about how he could trust Ben. Lucas was feeling the same way towards Bridger, too. On many occasions he had almost told the both of them, but in the end was too scared. He was going to tell now, though, and that was all that mattered. Ben did NOT work for his father and would not be paid off like the others. Or, at least he hoped.
"Ben?"
"Yea, Luke?" Ben looked Lucas' face over, trying to get a reading of emotions or something to tell him about the way the teen was feeling.
"I have been hiding something."
Ben began to seriously listen now. The kid was finally going to open up to someone!
"Go ahead kiddo, I'm listening."
"I uhh, don't know were to begin." Lucas sighed. "It started a long time ago." He looked at Ben, to see what emotions were flickering across his face. Concern. Concern was the only one he could make out so he decided to continue.
"It's about my dad. Well he--" Lucas was cut off by Ben's PAL going off.
"Ltn. Krieg."
Ben picked up his PAL and replied, "Krieg here."
Ben could tell that it was O'Neil on the other end. "Is Lucas with you?"
"Yes. What can I do for you?" Ben questioned, turning to look at the teen.
"Well, we have been trying to reach him on his PAL but have gotten no response so far."
"Sorry. I forget it in my room." Lucas told Ben.
"He says that he left it in his room on accident. You can speak to him now."
Ben handed Lucas his PAL.
"Lucas here."
"Lucas, Bridger wants you in the ward room immediately!"
"I'm on my way. Lucas out." Lucas handed the PAL back to Ben.
"Hey kiddo, don't think we are done here, cause we aren't! When you are done with the Captain, you are to report back here and we will finish our talk."
Lucas paled slightly. His courage was now gone. How was he suppose to tell Ben? He would have to think about it later. -{I wonder what the Captain wants at this time of night. He should already be asleep. Better hurry and find out. Got other problems to deal with tonight.}-
"Sit down Lucas," Bridger instructed as Lucas walked in.
"What's up Captain?"
"Well, as of ten hundred hours, we are charting a destination for a mining colony called Kwomp. But first we have to pick up an added luggage. Well, I'll get to the point. The main computer at Kwomp has crashed with some sort of virus and we are being ordered to go and help out."
"I don't understand, do we usually help out miners?"
"Well, they have recently joined the UEO and Noyce wants to make a good impression. So, of course, send the UEO flag ship. Now then, like I was saying, the main computer has all the data for the last ten years saved onto it and of course, there are no copies anywhere. They need someone to try and retrieve the data, if possible, and fix the problem."
"That will be a cinch Captain. So, what's the big hold up?"
"Well, I was just getting to that. The hitch-hiker we are picking up is Dr. Lawernce Walenzch."
At just hearing his name, Lucas began to get frightened. -{My dad is coming here? This is the safe place I have, the only place I can get away from him. Now he is coming here and will make my life a living hell...again. No, this can't be true! I know, I'm only fooling myself. I just have to act natural and in no time he will be gone!}-
"Okay Captain. What are you going to need me to do?"
"You really don't need to do anything. Sorry, but you are the backup. We would have just let you handle it, but the owner of the mines said that, no offense, but he did not want a 'kid' working on his 'life'. Don't take any offense Lucas."
"Don't worry, I won't. The miners are all the same: stupid, smelly, and ugly."
They both had a small giggle at that.
"When does everything happen?"
"We pick up you father tomorrow morning at 9:00 and then we should be at Kwomp by 8:00 tomorrow night. I just wanted to let you know first."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"It was no problem. Oh, and Lucas, don't leave your PAL in your room next time!"
Bridger gave Lucas a warning look.
"Yes sir. Sorry," Lucas said with a small sigh of defeat.
"Now get to bed young man."
They said good-night to each other and parted in their separate ways.
Lucas wondered the halls for another five minutes, pondering on what to do next. He finally decided and headed toward Ben's room. He didn't knock as he entered.
"Hey kiddo, welcome back."
"The place looks better. Sorry that took so long."
"No prob. So, what' up with the Captain?"
"He was just letting me know about our next mission."
"Oh, and what might that that be?"
Lucas relayed the mission to Ben.
"Sounds like lots of fun, kiddo."
"Yea, maybe to you! I sure don't want to be cooped up with my dad for the next couple of days, or weeks!"
Ben sneered. "Which brings me to the next topic. We need to continue our conversation."
"Ben, look, I can't talk about this now. I have to go clean my room."
"No way are you leaving without finishing that sentence you started." Ben took a step closer to Lucas so that they were now about a foot apart.
"I said no Ben."
"I said yes, Lucas." Ben could tell Lucas was getting upset, but so was he. He was serious. He wanted to talk about it.
"You can't just keep hiding from whatever is bothering you, cause it will just keep eating at you until you get it out." Ben stepped forward quickly and grabbed a hold of Lucas' shoulder, firmly.
Ben moved quickly and Lucas only had time to flinch. He truly thought that Ben was going to hit him. As soon as he felt the hand on his shoulder, he let out the big breath he had taken in. He broke free of the other's grasp and took off running for his room. Lucas did not stop till he reached his destination. He ran inside, slammed the door shut, and locked it. He laid down and drifted off to sleep.