CONTINUING EDUCATION

Door 12

By Kiddo

In Loving Memory of Jonathan Brandis

Disclaimer:

I don't have any rights to the TV show "seaQuest DSV," and I am not making any money by writing this.

A special "Thank You" goes to my wonderful beta-reader Jackie and dolphinology for the Review.

A few stations later, they came to a spot on the path where two trees stood just a few feet apart. Stretched between the trees were some ropes. The whole thing looked like some kind of spider-web.

A woman of about 25 explained the rules. "Welcome to the spider-web. You can see that the holes in the web are of different sizes and heights. Your task is to climb through the web. The difficult part is that each of you has to use a different hole; the same hole cannot be climbed through twice. Also, you are not allowed to touch the ropes, which means you have to help each other to get through it. Understand?"

The seaQuest crew nodded.

"Okay, then. Let's get started," said the woman with a smile.

Westphalen studied the web. "I think it would be best if we first try to come up with a strategy and then work on getting through this."

Bridger nodded. "I agree. Otherwise, we'll just have the highest holes left at the end, and no one will be left on this side to help the last one through."

"Then we just leave the lowest holes for the end," said Kreig. To him, this seemed the most logicial solution.

Tim O'Neill shook his head. "No. I think that we should use one of the lower holes at the beginning so that we have one person on the other side of the web. After all, we need someone on the other side when we start helping people through the higher holes. Otherwise, this won't work."

The others nodded in agreement.

Crocker glanced briefly at the others. "Then I'll climb through one of the lower holes. After all, you'll never be able to lift me to one of the higher ones." Manilow chose one of the holes and climbed through it without touching the ropes. When he stood up straight again, he looked at the others. "Okay, who's next?"

Together, they decided that they would help Ortiz through one of the mid-height holes. They managed it without any major problems.

Next, Katie Hitchcock was lifted through one of the higher holes. That wasn't as easy because it was between 4 and 5 feet off the ground. The dark-haired woman had to stiffen her body like a plank so that the others could pass her through it.

Bridger looked at the web and then at Lucas. The highest and smallest hole had been saved for their thin teenager. "I say we try to lift Lucas through the highest hole now."

The computer genius groaned inwardly and accepted his fate. He had known since the task had been explained that he would be the one to go through this hole. Oddly enough, he was always the lightest, thinnest or smallest, and often all three. If there had been tasks or other activities like this at school, he would have been the one to do them. It was almost like some kind of curse.

A few moments later, Lucas was on the other side of the web. After that, they lifted Dr. Westphalen through one of the higher holes. Then, O'Neill and Krieg followed through two of the mid-height holes. And at last, Jonathan Ford and the captain climbed through the lower holes.

And with that, the task was successfully completed.

Written November 2004 – Translated November 2005