seaQuest är inte min.
An all-expenses paid trip on the space shuttle for all my reviewers: Ahn-Li Steffraini, sara, Crimson Amber, Zoe, pari106, ano and PhoenixTears80. Or failing that, a two-for-one offer on toothpaste? I'll see what I can afford....
Ghosts
Chapter 4
"OK, who's in?" Krieg asked, grinning round the table. Lucas looked at his cards: full house, aces and fives. He threw a note into the centre of the table and sighed inwardly. He had only been aboard the seaQuest for a few days, but he was beginning to wonder why he had ever wanted to come back. People stared at him as he walked past; Ford obviously hated his guts; even his own room-mate was plainly terrified of him. Lucas had been trying to stay out of the quarters as much as possible, spending large portions of the night working on the vocorder in the moon pool so that the poor man could get some sleep, but he knew it couldn't go on that way. He tried to remember the feeling of peace and contentment he had felt before, the feeling that had made him want to stay on seaQuest. But there was something missing. Robert. Although the four men sitting round the poker table were arranged at equal distance from each other, there was a gaping hole that they were all aware of. Lucas felt the tension in the air as the bets mounted up. That's because of me, he thought sadly. They can't relax because I'm here. And he's not.
Suddenly he lost all his appetite for playing, although he had been looking forward to this game since he had arrived on board. What a fool he was, to think that cards could change anything. He stood up abruptly, throwing down his cards. "I've got to go," he announced.
Krieg looked up in surprise. "What about the game?"
"Yeah, whatever. I fold," Lucas muttered, and left.
As Bridger approached the moon pool he could hear the sound of low murmuring. He entered the room as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb whoever was there. His suspicion was right: Lucas was kneeling by the edge of the pool, rubbing Darwin's melon and speaking to him softly. The soft fall of his hair hid his face, and he did not see Bridger arrive. Darwin did, however, and chattered noisily. In an instant, Lucas was on his feet and turned round, hands in a defensive position. When he saw Bridger, he relaxed for a moment, then stiffened to attention.
"It's OK, Lucas," Bridger said with a smile. "Neither of us is on duty."
Lucas relaxed, and suddenly he looked like what he was – a sixteen-year- old, and a lost-looking one at that. Bridger approached the pool's edge and knelt down himself. "Hey Darwin," he said fondly, rubbing the dolphin's jaw. "Can't sleep?" he said to Lucas.
The boy sighed and sat down on the pool edge. "No."
Bridger nodded. "Me neither."
They were quiet for a moment. Darwin swam away and then came back, chattering. Suddenly, Bridger almost jumped out of his skin as a strange, inhuman voice said:
"Lucas! Lucas!"
Bridger turned sharply, but the moon pool was deserted and dark. He looked at Lucas.
"What the hell?" he whispered, wondering if someone was listening. Lucas opened his mouth, but Bridger raised his hand for silence, crouching by the pool, looking around cautiously. Darwin chattered again, and Bridger tried to motion him to be quiet.
"Lucas!" said the voice again.
Bridger threw caution to the wind, and stood up. Whoever, or whatever, this was, he damn well wasn't going to hide from it on his own ship. "Who are you?" he asked. "Show yourself."
"Um, Captain?" Lucas was standing up too, and his expression was somewhere between embarrassment and amusement. "It's Darwin, sir."
"What?!" Bridger stared at him as if he had gone mad. "Darwin's a dolphin! He doesn't speak English!"
Lucas cleared his throat, embarrassment winning over in his expression. "Well... I kinda... I didn't have time to tell you, what with...." Bridger stared at him, not comprehending what he was trying to say. Lucas looked at his feet. "I fixed the computer to translate what he says."
Bridger was dumbstruck. Of course, during the time when Lucas had been a prisoner on the boat and Robert had still been... During his first stint as captain of seaQuest he had been aware that the kid was working on something like that, but that seemed like a life-time ago. And he remembered that it hadn't worked.
"Lucas!" said the voice again. Lucas looked somewhat anxious. Bridger realised that he was staring at him. He shut his mouth. And then grinned broadly.
"This is fantastic!" he said, with true emotion in his voice. Lucas looked relieved.
"It's not perfect," he said. "So far the computer only knows one word..." he trailed off, and looked at the captain anxiously once more. "I'll teach it your name tomorrow," he assured him.
"My God, Lucas! Do you realise how amazing this is?" Bridger was beside himself. And then something astonishing happened.
Lucas smiled.
The smile lit up his face like the sun. Suddenly the grave, serious soldier was replaced by an excited and pleased young man. Bridger found himself almost more bowled over by the change in him than by the vocorder itself.
"Lucas!" said the strange voice, and the smile slipped off the boy's voice as quickly as it had come, as if he had been startled out of his candidness. He looked slightly embarrassed again.
"I'll just shut it off, it's getting pretty annoying," he said, and picked up a mass of wires and components from the floor. Bridger was still staring at him.
"Are you really only sixteen, Lucas?" he said suddenly. Lucas looked up at him sharply, and frowned.
"Yes, sir, as far as I know," he said, his face suddenly a mask once more. "Why do you ask?"
Bridger shook his head in wonderment. "You know, I was working on something like this for years, but I never managed to make it work. Eventually I had to give up."
Lucas straightened up. "I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to tread on your toes."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Bridger said, unable to wipe the grin from his face. "I'd love to have a look at the designs sometime."
Lucas nodded curtly. "I'll go and fetch them now, sir."
Bridger shook his head again, this time in dismay. "Lucas, you need to lighten up a little!"
Lucas frowned. "Sir?"
"Come on! You're a kid! You've got to relax!" Bridger laughed, feeling almost hysterical. Lucas was staring at him with an odd expression on his face. For a moment there was silence, Bridger fighting the impulse to burst out laughing. Then suddenly, he sank down to sit on the edge of the pool.
"I miss Robert," he said, staring at a point some distance in front of him.
Lucas sat down next to him with a deep sigh. "I miss him too," he said after a pause.
"It's just not the same around here without him," Bridger added, feeling that the words were hopelessly inadequate, but unable to find any others. For a moment he felt Lucas' gaze on him, then the young man turned his face away.
"No," he whispered. "No, it's not."
They sat in silence there for a time, as they had a week or so before, watching the sun set in fiery splendour. Now they saw nothing but the bleak, gunmetal grey walls of the moon pool. Yet somehow Bridger felt more comforted now by the silent presence by his side. But there was something else they needed to discuss.
"You know, Commander Ford's pretty upset about what happened on the bridge today."
"He was wrong." There was no defiance or anger in the young man's voice. In fact, there was no emotion at all.
"He was doing the best he could with what he had. If you had told him what you were doing, he would have allowed it."
"I don't think so."
Bridger sighed. "I know Jonathan can seem... cold sometimes, but he is a good soldier. Not only that, he is the XO of this ship. You of all people should know how important discipline and hierarchy are in this environment, Lucas. I know it's hard for you to adjust to not being in command, but you have to obey orders, just like the rest of us."
"Will I be banned from the bridge?" Bridger looked up sharply. Had someone been spreading rumours?
"No, no you won't," he said, in what he hoped was a reassuring tone of voice. "Just try to get along with Commander Ford in future. You two are more alike than you think."
Lucas nodded, looking unconvinced. Bridger sighed, getting to his feet. For a moment he rested his hand on the young man's shoulder.
"Well, I guess I'm off to bed," he said, faking a yawn. Lucas looked up at him. "You know, this really is an amazing achievement," Bridger added, gesturing at the mess of wires Lucas still held in his hand. The boy nodded gravely.
"Thank you."
"You should get some sleep," Bridger added.
"Thanks, Captain, but I think I'll stay here for a little while longer."
"Whatever you want," Bridger said. As he exited the moon pool, he heard the low murmuring start up again, and smiled sadly.
An all-expenses paid trip on the space shuttle for all my reviewers: Ahn-Li Steffraini, sara, Crimson Amber, Zoe, pari106, ano and PhoenixTears80. Or failing that, a two-for-one offer on toothpaste? I'll see what I can afford....
Ghosts
Chapter 4
"OK, who's in?" Krieg asked, grinning round the table. Lucas looked at his cards: full house, aces and fives. He threw a note into the centre of the table and sighed inwardly. He had only been aboard the seaQuest for a few days, but he was beginning to wonder why he had ever wanted to come back. People stared at him as he walked past; Ford obviously hated his guts; even his own room-mate was plainly terrified of him. Lucas had been trying to stay out of the quarters as much as possible, spending large portions of the night working on the vocorder in the moon pool so that the poor man could get some sleep, but he knew it couldn't go on that way. He tried to remember the feeling of peace and contentment he had felt before, the feeling that had made him want to stay on seaQuest. But there was something missing. Robert. Although the four men sitting round the poker table were arranged at equal distance from each other, there was a gaping hole that they were all aware of. Lucas felt the tension in the air as the bets mounted up. That's because of me, he thought sadly. They can't relax because I'm here. And he's not.
Suddenly he lost all his appetite for playing, although he had been looking forward to this game since he had arrived on board. What a fool he was, to think that cards could change anything. He stood up abruptly, throwing down his cards. "I've got to go," he announced.
Krieg looked up in surprise. "What about the game?"
"Yeah, whatever. I fold," Lucas muttered, and left.
As Bridger approached the moon pool he could hear the sound of low murmuring. He entered the room as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb whoever was there. His suspicion was right: Lucas was kneeling by the edge of the pool, rubbing Darwin's melon and speaking to him softly. The soft fall of his hair hid his face, and he did not see Bridger arrive. Darwin did, however, and chattered noisily. In an instant, Lucas was on his feet and turned round, hands in a defensive position. When he saw Bridger, he relaxed for a moment, then stiffened to attention.
"It's OK, Lucas," Bridger said with a smile. "Neither of us is on duty."
Lucas relaxed, and suddenly he looked like what he was – a sixteen-year- old, and a lost-looking one at that. Bridger approached the pool's edge and knelt down himself. "Hey Darwin," he said fondly, rubbing the dolphin's jaw. "Can't sleep?" he said to Lucas.
The boy sighed and sat down on the pool edge. "No."
Bridger nodded. "Me neither."
They were quiet for a moment. Darwin swam away and then came back, chattering. Suddenly, Bridger almost jumped out of his skin as a strange, inhuman voice said:
"Lucas! Lucas!"
Bridger turned sharply, but the moon pool was deserted and dark. He looked at Lucas.
"What the hell?" he whispered, wondering if someone was listening. Lucas opened his mouth, but Bridger raised his hand for silence, crouching by the pool, looking around cautiously. Darwin chattered again, and Bridger tried to motion him to be quiet.
"Lucas!" said the voice again.
Bridger threw caution to the wind, and stood up. Whoever, or whatever, this was, he damn well wasn't going to hide from it on his own ship. "Who are you?" he asked. "Show yourself."
"Um, Captain?" Lucas was standing up too, and his expression was somewhere between embarrassment and amusement. "It's Darwin, sir."
"What?!" Bridger stared at him as if he had gone mad. "Darwin's a dolphin! He doesn't speak English!"
Lucas cleared his throat, embarrassment winning over in his expression. "Well... I kinda... I didn't have time to tell you, what with...." Bridger stared at him, not comprehending what he was trying to say. Lucas looked at his feet. "I fixed the computer to translate what he says."
Bridger was dumbstruck. Of course, during the time when Lucas had been a prisoner on the boat and Robert had still been... During his first stint as captain of seaQuest he had been aware that the kid was working on something like that, but that seemed like a life-time ago. And he remembered that it hadn't worked.
"Lucas!" said the voice again. Lucas looked somewhat anxious. Bridger realised that he was staring at him. He shut his mouth. And then grinned broadly.
"This is fantastic!" he said, with true emotion in his voice. Lucas looked relieved.
"It's not perfect," he said. "So far the computer only knows one word..." he trailed off, and looked at the captain anxiously once more. "I'll teach it your name tomorrow," he assured him.
"My God, Lucas! Do you realise how amazing this is?" Bridger was beside himself. And then something astonishing happened.
Lucas smiled.
The smile lit up his face like the sun. Suddenly the grave, serious soldier was replaced by an excited and pleased young man. Bridger found himself almost more bowled over by the change in him than by the vocorder itself.
"Lucas!" said the strange voice, and the smile slipped off the boy's voice as quickly as it had come, as if he had been startled out of his candidness. He looked slightly embarrassed again.
"I'll just shut it off, it's getting pretty annoying," he said, and picked up a mass of wires and components from the floor. Bridger was still staring at him.
"Are you really only sixteen, Lucas?" he said suddenly. Lucas looked up at him sharply, and frowned.
"Yes, sir, as far as I know," he said, his face suddenly a mask once more. "Why do you ask?"
Bridger shook his head in wonderment. "You know, I was working on something like this for years, but I never managed to make it work. Eventually I had to give up."
Lucas straightened up. "I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to tread on your toes."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Bridger said, unable to wipe the grin from his face. "I'd love to have a look at the designs sometime."
Lucas nodded curtly. "I'll go and fetch them now, sir."
Bridger shook his head again, this time in dismay. "Lucas, you need to lighten up a little!"
Lucas frowned. "Sir?"
"Come on! You're a kid! You've got to relax!" Bridger laughed, feeling almost hysterical. Lucas was staring at him with an odd expression on his face. For a moment there was silence, Bridger fighting the impulse to burst out laughing. Then suddenly, he sank down to sit on the edge of the pool.
"I miss Robert," he said, staring at a point some distance in front of him.
Lucas sat down next to him with a deep sigh. "I miss him too," he said after a pause.
"It's just not the same around here without him," Bridger added, feeling that the words were hopelessly inadequate, but unable to find any others. For a moment he felt Lucas' gaze on him, then the young man turned his face away.
"No," he whispered. "No, it's not."
They sat in silence there for a time, as they had a week or so before, watching the sun set in fiery splendour. Now they saw nothing but the bleak, gunmetal grey walls of the moon pool. Yet somehow Bridger felt more comforted now by the silent presence by his side. But there was something else they needed to discuss.
"You know, Commander Ford's pretty upset about what happened on the bridge today."
"He was wrong." There was no defiance or anger in the young man's voice. In fact, there was no emotion at all.
"He was doing the best he could with what he had. If you had told him what you were doing, he would have allowed it."
"I don't think so."
Bridger sighed. "I know Jonathan can seem... cold sometimes, but he is a good soldier. Not only that, he is the XO of this ship. You of all people should know how important discipline and hierarchy are in this environment, Lucas. I know it's hard for you to adjust to not being in command, but you have to obey orders, just like the rest of us."
"Will I be banned from the bridge?" Bridger looked up sharply. Had someone been spreading rumours?
"No, no you won't," he said, in what he hoped was a reassuring tone of voice. "Just try to get along with Commander Ford in future. You two are more alike than you think."
Lucas nodded, looking unconvinced. Bridger sighed, getting to his feet. For a moment he rested his hand on the young man's shoulder.
"Well, I guess I'm off to bed," he said, faking a yawn. Lucas looked up at him. "You know, this really is an amazing achievement," Bridger added, gesturing at the mess of wires Lucas still held in his hand. The boy nodded gravely.
"Thank you."
"You should get some sleep," Bridger added.
"Thanks, Captain, but I think I'll stay here for a little while longer."
"Whatever you want," Bridger said. As he exited the moon pool, he heard the low murmuring start up again, and smiled sadly.