No seaQuest for me, I've been a bad girl....
Wow! Loads of people reviewed the last one! It's getting hard to keep all your photos on my mental altar! I guess that means y'all deserve an update.... You know who you are: sara, Pheniox-Skye, ano, Mar, Kiddo, Diena, pari106, PhoenixTears80 and Fiona.
Mar: I wonder if you could clarify what you said in your review? You were right to notice the importance of the "who's right in war" argument – it's one of the first parts of the story I wrote – so I'm interested in your thoughts, but I didn't understand if you thought that "me right, you wrong" was a more appropriatelogical response – and for whom?
Kiddo: Yeah, I get the idea I lost a few people at the beginning. I'm so pleased you decided to give my story a second chance, and that you like it – it means a lot : ).
pari106: have I mentioned how much I like your fast – and kind – reviews ; ) ? (And that goes for the rest of you too – what shiny stars you all are...)
Well, I'd better stop waffling then...
Pro Patria Mori
Chapter 12
Bridger was zipping up his jumpsuit when he heard, to his surprise, the sound of jaunty whistling coming down the corridor. He was even more surprised when the whistler stopped outside his door. There was a knock, and the door swung open, revealing his son, Robert, framed in the doorway, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
"Morning, dad!" he sang out, beaming.
Bridger raised his eyebrows. The boy still didn't know how to behave appropriately when on duty. "Lieutenant," he responded coolly. For a moment Robert's smile faltered, then it slipped determinedly back into place.
"I take it you have something to report?" Bridger asked.
"Yeah," Robert said, stepping into the room and sitting down, stretching his legs out in front of him. "He's talking!"
Bridger knew immediately who he was referring to. He forgot Robert's behaviour for a moment. "What does he know about the stealth technology?"
"We haven't talked about it yet," Robert admitted.
"Then what have you talked about," Bridger asked, surprised.
"Oh, life, death, war," Robert replied breezily. "You know, stuff." His face grew suddenly animated. "Dad, I was wondering if I could show him the boat?"
Bridger's eyebrows nearly went into orbit. "What?!" He realised he'd made a mistake allowing Robert to conduct the interrogation. He'd thought it would be good for the boy to face his attacker, but now he seemed to have lost all sense of reality. "Robert, that man is an enemy soldier! We can't just let him roam around the boat!"
"Dad, he's a UEO citizen," Robert protested. "We can't just keep him locked up for ever! And we'll never gain his trust if he's stuck in the brig. I'll keep an eye on him, I promise."
Bridger stared at him in astonishment. "Robert, last time that man was free on board this boat he almost killed you! He almost killed all of us."
"I know, but that was different," Robert's face was pleading now. "Dad, I really think you need to give him a chance."
"I said no, Lieutenant, and I meant it!"
Robert stiffened. He stood up sharply and saluted. "Aye, captain," he said, infusing the last word with such bitterness that Bridger almost flinched. The captain watched his son leave, shaking his head in amazement. The boy thinks with his heart, he thought sadly. Just like his mother.
"I hate to say it, Captain, but he may have a point."
Bridger rolled his eyes at the commander. Ford seemed to have more or less come through his teething problems and was shaping up to be a fine XO. He had all the qualities of a good soldier. "Don't tell me you're going soft on me too, Jonathan."
Ford shook his head seriously. "He is a UEO citizen sir, he does have rights."
"He lost his rights when he attacked my boat and killed my crew," Bridger said sharply.
"Well, I think it might make him more likely to tell us what he knows if we can convince him that the UEO is his real home. We can keep a guard on him at all times."
Bridger shook his head. "Well, alright," he said reluctantly. "But Jonathan, you're responsible for his conduct. He is not to be taken to the bridge, or shown any classified experiments. Understood?"
"Aye, sir," said Ford.
"Welcome to the corridor outside the brig," Robert said, beaming, his arms flung wide. Lucas looked around.
"Nice," he said, his voice deadpan. "Homey."
Robert grinned even wider. They made a strange group as they made their way down the corridor: the smiling lieutenant, the serious-faced teenager in his bright orange jumpsuit, hands cuffed at the wrists, and the beefy security guard with the outsized gun. The few crewmen who passed them stopped and stared. All three men ignored them.
Robert had been overjoyed when Ford had told him of his father's change of heart. It was a full week now since their conversations had switched from monologue to dialogue, and although Lucas still spoke rarely, Robert felt that the rapport between them had deepened. He felt protective towards the younger man, although he knew in his heart that Lucas was much more equipped to deal with danger than he himself was.
"Come on," he said, taking his friend's elbow. "I want to show you something."
He led the party to the moon pool, and knelt beside the pool, slapping the surface of the water gently with his palm. After a moment, Darwin's sleek grey head emerged, cackling happily. Robert rubbed his jaw, and turned to grin at Lucas, the stopped. The boy was still standing some distance away, the security guard a grim presence behind him. His face was wearing what Robert had come to think of as the 'military mask'.
"What is that thing?" he asked, and if Robert didn't know better he could have sworn he saw fear in his friend's eyes.
Robert laughed incredulously. "He's a dolphin!" He stared at his friend. "Haven't you ever seen a dolphin before?"
"Not this close," Lucas muttered.
"Come on," Robert beckoned him. "He won't bite." Lucas stepped closer and crouched at the edge of the pool. Robert took his bound hands and placed them on the dolphin's head. Lucas' body was rigid with tension.
"Darwin, this is Lucas," said Robert to the dolphin. Darwin nodded his head up and down in the water and chattered. "He likes you," said Robert with a smile. Lucas stared at the animal, and for a moment his mask slipped, showing a mixture of fear and wonder.
"What is he doing here?" he asked.
"My dad's been trying to develop a sign language to communicate with dolphins," Robert said. "Darwin understands over 60 hand signals now. To be honest with you, I was pretty pissed off to find out he was on board, but he's a very disarming gentleman, aren't you Darwin?"
Lucas was staring at his hands resting on the dolphin's head. "He's intelligent?"
"Oh, yeah," Robert grinned. "Dolphins are smart in a way we still don't understand. He hasn't mastered the hand signals himself yet. No hands."
Darwin snorted, spraying water over the two young men. Robert laughed. "Careful!" he said to Lucas. "You almost cracked a smile there! You might hurt your face!"
But Lucas wasn't looking at him anymore. At a slight sound in the room behind him he had stiffened, and was now staring back. Robert turned in surprise to see Doctor Westphalen standing there.
"Doctor!" he grinned, getting to his feet. "Come and meet Lucas!"
Westphalen stepped forward with a gentle smile. "We've met before, but not officially," she said, holding out her hand. Lucas took it awkwardly between his chained palms. "I'm Kristen," the doctor said warmly. "It's good to see you up and about."
Lucas didn't answer. Robert looked at his friend in surprise: the boy was still holding Westphalen's hand, staring into her eyes with an undisguised look of awe. Robert was startled: he had seen such naked emotion on that face only once before, and then it had been rage. He cleared his throat. Lucas started, and the mask snapped back into place so quickly that Robert almost heard the clang. He nodded gravely, releasing the woman's hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Doctor," he said with feeling. Westphalen gave him an odd look.
"Well, I'm afraid I'm on my way somewhere, but I hope to see you around sometime," she said, smiling again.
When she was gone Robert turned to Lucas in surprise. "What was all that about?"
Lucas was silent for a long moment, seeming to be listening to something Robert couldn't hear. Then he sighed and shook his head. "She sounds like someone I... used to know," he said softly.
Robert waited to see if anything else would be forthcoming, then grinned. "Come on," he said, clapping his friend on the back. "Let's go and get some coffee."
"Hey," Ortiz said around a mouthful of unidentified pasta-based mush. "Don't look now, but guess who just walked in here?"
Krieg, O'Neill and Crocker turned to look. Robert had just entered the mess followed by a young man in a bright orange jumpsuit, who was in turn followed by an armed security guard. Ortiz rolled his eyes. "OK, guys, don't make it too obvious, will ya?"
O'Neill leaned over the table. "What is he doing here?" he hissed.
"Is that the guy?" Crocker asked in a low voice. Ortiz nodded.
"Who else would it be?"
"Guys, guys," Krieg said in an undertone. "Let's not make the kid feel any more of an outsider than he already does, OK? Just act natural."
For a moment there was silence at the table. Then O'Neill pushed his tray away. "I can't eat this," he said.
Krieg stared at him. "You were pretty happy to eat it a minute ago," he said accusingly.
"Yeah, well," O'Neill pushed his glasses back onto his nose, "I lose my appetite when I get nervous. Is he watching me? I feel like he's watching me."
"Relax, Tim, he's not even looking this way," said Ortiz. Then he grinned. "Mind you, from some of the stories that have been doing the rounds, this kid could probably kill you from across the room without even looking at ya."
O'Neill looked sick. This time it was Krieg's turn to roll his eyes. He stood up without speaking, picked up his tray, and walked over to the table where Robert was sitting with his young friend. The lieutenant looked up and grinned.
"Hey, Ben," he said, looking relieved. "This is Lucas."
Ben smiled at the young man, who looked up and met his gaze. For a moment, Krieg faltered, daunted by the intensity of the boy's eyes. Then he regained his composure. "I've heard a lot about you," he said.
"Likewise," said Lucas laconically.
Ben sat down at the table. "So, how're you enjoying the famous UEO hospitality?"
Lucas raised his wrists slightly off the table so the chain of the handcuffs jingled. "I've had better," he noted.
"Oh. Right." Krieg swallowed. He was beginning to see what O'Neill meant about being nervous. "So, uh, what have you guys been up to?" he asked. Lucas said nothing. Robert looked at him for a moment, then shrugged and began telling Krieg about his day. Soon the two friends were engaged in a lively conversation. Both made an effort to include Lucas, but he answered questions addressed to him with monosyllables and otherwise sat silent, stony-faced. Eventually, the burly security man leaned forward and spoke to Robert. He sighed.
"Time for us to take you back," he said apologetically to Lucas. The boy rose without a word.
"Nice to meet you," said Krieg. Lucas nodded in acknowledgement.
"See you later," said Robert, sounding a little embarrassed.
As soon as they were gone, Krieg found himself surrounded. "Well?" demanded Ortiz. "What was he like?"
Krieg looked at his three friends, and grinned.
"I bet that kid's phenomenal at poker," he said.
Braithwaite looked his submarine over carefully. They had taken something of a beating in their last border skirmish when a stray Chaodai torpedo had scored a lucky hit. Still, although the sophisticated stealth system had failed in its original purpose – to snare seaQuest – it was proving itself very useful against lesser foes. Braithwaite had even heard that the Chief of Staff, his confidence boosted by his new weapon, was thinking of trying to take back some of the Free Nations territory that had been lost in the last few years. Braithwaite himself thought this a little foolhardy, but he reminded himself that unless they regained some more productive land, there was no way the navy would be able to outfit a second ship with the stealth system, even if they had still had Wolenczak.
That thought brought him back, as it always did, to the seaQuest. He felt humiliated and angry: the boat had been within his grasp, and at the last moment it had slipped through his fingers, taking his best officer with it. Such a waste. His new XO was a good, loyal soldier and a smart man, but he was no Wolenczak. The Freedom had been in dry-dock for two weeks already, and there were still problems with the computer: some of the memory had been fried in the impact, and the technicians were still trying to recover it. Braithwaite couldn't help thinking that Wolenczak would have had the system on its feet days ago.
Well, there was no time for wishful thinking. Braithwaite was a man of action, and he needed a plan. The best way of getting hold of vital components without having to pay for them out of the Free Nations' ever- dwindling coffers was to steal them from other confederations. Braithwaite grinned as he began to formulate a plan; when the Freedom was ready, they were going hunting.
Wow! Loads of people reviewed the last one! It's getting hard to keep all your photos on my mental altar! I guess that means y'all deserve an update.... You know who you are: sara, Pheniox-Skye, ano, Mar, Kiddo, Diena, pari106, PhoenixTears80 and Fiona.
Mar: I wonder if you could clarify what you said in your review? You were right to notice the importance of the "who's right in war" argument – it's one of the first parts of the story I wrote – so I'm interested in your thoughts, but I didn't understand if you thought that "me right, you wrong" was a more appropriatelogical response – and for whom?
Kiddo: Yeah, I get the idea I lost a few people at the beginning. I'm so pleased you decided to give my story a second chance, and that you like it – it means a lot : ).
pari106: have I mentioned how much I like your fast – and kind – reviews ; ) ? (And that goes for the rest of you too – what shiny stars you all are...)
Well, I'd better stop waffling then...
Pro Patria Mori
Chapter 12
Bridger was zipping up his jumpsuit when he heard, to his surprise, the sound of jaunty whistling coming down the corridor. He was even more surprised when the whistler stopped outside his door. There was a knock, and the door swung open, revealing his son, Robert, framed in the doorway, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
"Morning, dad!" he sang out, beaming.
Bridger raised his eyebrows. The boy still didn't know how to behave appropriately when on duty. "Lieutenant," he responded coolly. For a moment Robert's smile faltered, then it slipped determinedly back into place.
"I take it you have something to report?" Bridger asked.
"Yeah," Robert said, stepping into the room and sitting down, stretching his legs out in front of him. "He's talking!"
Bridger knew immediately who he was referring to. He forgot Robert's behaviour for a moment. "What does he know about the stealth technology?"
"We haven't talked about it yet," Robert admitted.
"Then what have you talked about," Bridger asked, surprised.
"Oh, life, death, war," Robert replied breezily. "You know, stuff." His face grew suddenly animated. "Dad, I was wondering if I could show him the boat?"
Bridger's eyebrows nearly went into orbit. "What?!" He realised he'd made a mistake allowing Robert to conduct the interrogation. He'd thought it would be good for the boy to face his attacker, but now he seemed to have lost all sense of reality. "Robert, that man is an enemy soldier! We can't just let him roam around the boat!"
"Dad, he's a UEO citizen," Robert protested. "We can't just keep him locked up for ever! And we'll never gain his trust if he's stuck in the brig. I'll keep an eye on him, I promise."
Bridger stared at him in astonishment. "Robert, last time that man was free on board this boat he almost killed you! He almost killed all of us."
"I know, but that was different," Robert's face was pleading now. "Dad, I really think you need to give him a chance."
"I said no, Lieutenant, and I meant it!"
Robert stiffened. He stood up sharply and saluted. "Aye, captain," he said, infusing the last word with such bitterness that Bridger almost flinched. The captain watched his son leave, shaking his head in amazement. The boy thinks with his heart, he thought sadly. Just like his mother.
"I hate to say it, Captain, but he may have a point."
Bridger rolled his eyes at the commander. Ford seemed to have more or less come through his teething problems and was shaping up to be a fine XO. He had all the qualities of a good soldier. "Don't tell me you're going soft on me too, Jonathan."
Ford shook his head seriously. "He is a UEO citizen sir, he does have rights."
"He lost his rights when he attacked my boat and killed my crew," Bridger said sharply.
"Well, I think it might make him more likely to tell us what he knows if we can convince him that the UEO is his real home. We can keep a guard on him at all times."
Bridger shook his head. "Well, alright," he said reluctantly. "But Jonathan, you're responsible for his conduct. He is not to be taken to the bridge, or shown any classified experiments. Understood?"
"Aye, sir," said Ford.
"Welcome to the corridor outside the brig," Robert said, beaming, his arms flung wide. Lucas looked around.
"Nice," he said, his voice deadpan. "Homey."
Robert grinned even wider. They made a strange group as they made their way down the corridor: the smiling lieutenant, the serious-faced teenager in his bright orange jumpsuit, hands cuffed at the wrists, and the beefy security guard with the outsized gun. The few crewmen who passed them stopped and stared. All three men ignored them.
Robert had been overjoyed when Ford had told him of his father's change of heart. It was a full week now since their conversations had switched from monologue to dialogue, and although Lucas still spoke rarely, Robert felt that the rapport between them had deepened. He felt protective towards the younger man, although he knew in his heart that Lucas was much more equipped to deal with danger than he himself was.
"Come on," he said, taking his friend's elbow. "I want to show you something."
He led the party to the moon pool, and knelt beside the pool, slapping the surface of the water gently with his palm. After a moment, Darwin's sleek grey head emerged, cackling happily. Robert rubbed his jaw, and turned to grin at Lucas, the stopped. The boy was still standing some distance away, the security guard a grim presence behind him. His face was wearing what Robert had come to think of as the 'military mask'.
"What is that thing?" he asked, and if Robert didn't know better he could have sworn he saw fear in his friend's eyes.
Robert laughed incredulously. "He's a dolphin!" He stared at his friend. "Haven't you ever seen a dolphin before?"
"Not this close," Lucas muttered.
"Come on," Robert beckoned him. "He won't bite." Lucas stepped closer and crouched at the edge of the pool. Robert took his bound hands and placed them on the dolphin's head. Lucas' body was rigid with tension.
"Darwin, this is Lucas," said Robert to the dolphin. Darwin nodded his head up and down in the water and chattered. "He likes you," said Robert with a smile. Lucas stared at the animal, and for a moment his mask slipped, showing a mixture of fear and wonder.
"What is he doing here?" he asked.
"My dad's been trying to develop a sign language to communicate with dolphins," Robert said. "Darwin understands over 60 hand signals now. To be honest with you, I was pretty pissed off to find out he was on board, but he's a very disarming gentleman, aren't you Darwin?"
Lucas was staring at his hands resting on the dolphin's head. "He's intelligent?"
"Oh, yeah," Robert grinned. "Dolphins are smart in a way we still don't understand. He hasn't mastered the hand signals himself yet. No hands."
Darwin snorted, spraying water over the two young men. Robert laughed. "Careful!" he said to Lucas. "You almost cracked a smile there! You might hurt your face!"
But Lucas wasn't looking at him anymore. At a slight sound in the room behind him he had stiffened, and was now staring back. Robert turned in surprise to see Doctor Westphalen standing there.
"Doctor!" he grinned, getting to his feet. "Come and meet Lucas!"
Westphalen stepped forward with a gentle smile. "We've met before, but not officially," she said, holding out her hand. Lucas took it awkwardly between his chained palms. "I'm Kristen," the doctor said warmly. "It's good to see you up and about."
Lucas didn't answer. Robert looked at his friend in surprise: the boy was still holding Westphalen's hand, staring into her eyes with an undisguised look of awe. Robert was startled: he had seen such naked emotion on that face only once before, and then it had been rage. He cleared his throat. Lucas started, and the mask snapped back into place so quickly that Robert almost heard the clang. He nodded gravely, releasing the woman's hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Doctor," he said with feeling. Westphalen gave him an odd look.
"Well, I'm afraid I'm on my way somewhere, but I hope to see you around sometime," she said, smiling again.
When she was gone Robert turned to Lucas in surprise. "What was all that about?"
Lucas was silent for a long moment, seeming to be listening to something Robert couldn't hear. Then he sighed and shook his head. "She sounds like someone I... used to know," he said softly.
Robert waited to see if anything else would be forthcoming, then grinned. "Come on," he said, clapping his friend on the back. "Let's go and get some coffee."
"Hey," Ortiz said around a mouthful of unidentified pasta-based mush. "Don't look now, but guess who just walked in here?"
Krieg, O'Neill and Crocker turned to look. Robert had just entered the mess followed by a young man in a bright orange jumpsuit, who was in turn followed by an armed security guard. Ortiz rolled his eyes. "OK, guys, don't make it too obvious, will ya?"
O'Neill leaned over the table. "What is he doing here?" he hissed.
"Is that the guy?" Crocker asked in a low voice. Ortiz nodded.
"Who else would it be?"
"Guys, guys," Krieg said in an undertone. "Let's not make the kid feel any more of an outsider than he already does, OK? Just act natural."
For a moment there was silence at the table. Then O'Neill pushed his tray away. "I can't eat this," he said.
Krieg stared at him. "You were pretty happy to eat it a minute ago," he said accusingly.
"Yeah, well," O'Neill pushed his glasses back onto his nose, "I lose my appetite when I get nervous. Is he watching me? I feel like he's watching me."
"Relax, Tim, he's not even looking this way," said Ortiz. Then he grinned. "Mind you, from some of the stories that have been doing the rounds, this kid could probably kill you from across the room without even looking at ya."
O'Neill looked sick. This time it was Krieg's turn to roll his eyes. He stood up without speaking, picked up his tray, and walked over to the table where Robert was sitting with his young friend. The lieutenant looked up and grinned.
"Hey, Ben," he said, looking relieved. "This is Lucas."
Ben smiled at the young man, who looked up and met his gaze. For a moment, Krieg faltered, daunted by the intensity of the boy's eyes. Then he regained his composure. "I've heard a lot about you," he said.
"Likewise," said Lucas laconically.
Ben sat down at the table. "So, how're you enjoying the famous UEO hospitality?"
Lucas raised his wrists slightly off the table so the chain of the handcuffs jingled. "I've had better," he noted.
"Oh. Right." Krieg swallowed. He was beginning to see what O'Neill meant about being nervous. "So, uh, what have you guys been up to?" he asked. Lucas said nothing. Robert looked at him for a moment, then shrugged and began telling Krieg about his day. Soon the two friends were engaged in a lively conversation. Both made an effort to include Lucas, but he answered questions addressed to him with monosyllables and otherwise sat silent, stony-faced. Eventually, the burly security man leaned forward and spoke to Robert. He sighed.
"Time for us to take you back," he said apologetically to Lucas. The boy rose without a word.
"Nice to meet you," said Krieg. Lucas nodded in acknowledgement.
"See you later," said Robert, sounding a little embarrassed.
As soon as they were gone, Krieg found himself surrounded. "Well?" demanded Ortiz. "What was he like?"
Krieg looked at his three friends, and grinned.
"I bet that kid's phenomenal at poker," he said.
Braithwaite looked his submarine over carefully. They had taken something of a beating in their last border skirmish when a stray Chaodai torpedo had scored a lucky hit. Still, although the sophisticated stealth system had failed in its original purpose – to snare seaQuest – it was proving itself very useful against lesser foes. Braithwaite had even heard that the Chief of Staff, his confidence boosted by his new weapon, was thinking of trying to take back some of the Free Nations territory that had been lost in the last few years. Braithwaite himself thought this a little foolhardy, but he reminded himself that unless they regained some more productive land, there was no way the navy would be able to outfit a second ship with the stealth system, even if they had still had Wolenczak.
That thought brought him back, as it always did, to the seaQuest. He felt humiliated and angry: the boat had been within his grasp, and at the last moment it had slipped through his fingers, taking his best officer with it. Such a waste. His new XO was a good, loyal soldier and a smart man, but he was no Wolenczak. The Freedom had been in dry-dock for two weeks already, and there were still problems with the computer: some of the memory had been fried in the impact, and the technicians were still trying to recover it. Braithwaite couldn't help thinking that Wolenczak would have had the system on its feet days ago.
Well, there was no time for wishful thinking. Braithwaite was a man of action, and he needed a plan. The best way of getting hold of vital components without having to pay for them out of the Free Nations' ever- dwindling coffers was to steal them from other confederations. Braithwaite grinned as he began to formulate a plan; when the Freedom was ready, they were going hunting.