Thank you so much to those who reviewed the last chapter. Your patience and positive feedback are greatly appreciated. They should also be rewarded soon. I know where I want this story to end up (finally!), and I believe I know how to get it there. There should only be two more chapters after this.
This chapter has a double dedication. First, to my great-grandmother, Grandma Rose, who I love and miss very much. The second is to my grandfather. He passed away when I was 10, but if he were still alive, today (February 18) would have been his 100th birthday. Happy birthday, Pop-pop! I love you, and I miss you!
A special thanks to Questfan for her kind words of encouragement during a difficult time.
Remember, the disclaimer was at the beginning of Chapter 1. So, here we go with Chapter 5, as always, starting with a brief recap of the end of Chapter 4...
Chapter 5
BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!
The second he heard the obnoxious sound, Ben's eyes shot open and he sat straight up. He looked around in a panic, expecting to be in med bay, the hospital, or dead - anywhere but where he actually was.
Somehow, he was back in his cabin! There was his duffle bag! And his toiletries! He bit his lip, wondering if he dared... He decided he did dare and hung over the edge of his bunk. Sure enough, there under the mattress was his cologne!
Ok, this can't be just a dream, Ben thought frantically. It can't even be a dream in a dream! What is happening to me?!
Get a grip, Ben, he told himself. Something weird is happening, and there has to be a reason.
Ben turned so that he was sitting on his bunk sideways and leaned back against the wall. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to think of what he should do next. The first time he'd woken up, he'd gotten dressed right away. Come to think of it, he thought, that's what I did the second time too.
Deciding that there would be no harm in just getting dressed, Ben got up and put on his uniform. What had he done next before? Aha! he thought. He'd gone to see Katie to ask her if she knew where Lucas was. Even though he knew Lucas would be at the Moon Pool, and he definitely wanted to speak to Lucas, he decided to go see Katie first. Although this time, he would take a different approach.
Ben stood at the entrance of the gym, watching Katie using the weight machine. He carefully went over in his head what he wanted to say to her. Finding the words he wanted, he slowly approached her.
"Hi, Katie," he said in an apologetic voice.
"Lieutenant," Katie acknowledged, just as she had the last two times Ben had approached her in the gym. Ben fought off the feeling of deja-vu that one word gave him.
"Katie, I'm really sorry to bother you while you're working out, but I need to talk to you," he said in his most polite voice.
His sincere tone stopped Katie mid-arm swing. "What's going on, Krieg?"
Ben looked around, noticing that the other crew members in the gym were looking at him with smirks on their faces. They were obviously amused by his attempts to be civil with his ex-wife. "Ummm, maybe it would be better if you came with me and we talked in the mess. Or maybe outside. I don't want anyone overhearing."
Katie started moving her arms again. "Can't this wait?" she asked, somewhat irritated but not showing the outright animosity she had shown the last couple of times.
"I don't think so," Ben answered. "This is really important."
Katie's arms kept moving, but she closed her eyes, as if praying for patience. After a few moments of Ben waiting while anxiously holding his breath, Katie opened her eyes and stopped her workout. "Ok, Ben, you have five minutes of my time out in the corridor." Ben let out his breath in a relieved sigh and smiled. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Katie asked after Ben didn't move. "Out!"
Ben gave her a sheepish grin and headed for the door with Katie following behind.
When the gym door closed behind Katie, Ben glanced up and down the corridor to make sure no one was around. Not seeing anyone, he turned to Katie and started, "Have you ever known, I mean been absolutely certain, that you were gonna die?"
Katie snorted and turned to go back to the gym. "Don't tell me you dragged me away from my workout because you found more fish poop," she said with disgust.
"No!" Ben insisted. "This is something else, something more important," he said earnestly.
Something in his tone made Katie turn to face him again. "What, Ben? What is so important?"
"Something's happening to me," he started, "and I don't know what it is." At her skeptical look, he continued. "I woke up this morning and got dressed. The problem is, I've woken up this morning and gotten dressed three times now!"
"You mean you woke up three times and got dressed three times?" she asked confusedly.
"No, I mean, something has happened, and I keep living the same day over and over again," he tried to clarify. "It's been today three times now, and the last two todays ended with me and Lucas dying in the shuttle on the way to Pearl!"
Katie eyed him suspiciously. "Are you on something, Lieutenant?" she asked.
"No!" he protested. "Every time I wake up in my cabin, I remember that I have to do inventory before shore leave starts -"
"You mean you haven't even started?!" she cried.
"No, but you don't yell at me about that until I come to get your list, which I know you've already got finished by the way. Anyway, after I realize that I need to do inventory, I get dressed, I come here to ask if you've seen Lucas, you insult my intelligence, and then you tell me to try the Moon Pool."
"Well that's the place he's most likely to be," Katie started. "You know, you might have thought of that yourself -"
"If I actually used half of the brains I was probably born with?" he finished for her. "Yeah, I know."
"How did you know I was going to say that?!" she asked in astonishment. "And how did you know I already have my inventory list done?"
"The same way that I know you're also not going to be wearing your necklace with your Naval Academy ring today." She looked down at the floor at the mention of her necklace. "So, are you going to help me figure this out?"
Katie took a deep breath and shook her head. "I don't think so, Ben. Try Lucas, he's the genius around here." And without waiting for a response, she went back in the gym, slamming the door behind her and leaving a very confused Ben standing in the corridor.
Entering the Moon Pool, Ben spotted Lucas waiting by the edge of the pool, right where he knew he'd be. Remembering what happened the last two times he approached Lucas, he called out to him from the doorway.
"Hey, kid!"
Lucas looked up and turned around, smiling. "Hey, Ben. What's up?"
"Not much," Ben answered. "Waiting for Darwin?"
"Yeah," Lucas said. "He was going to swim up to the surface and come back to tell me if the storms have started yet. I want to try and get off the boat tonight if I can, so I won't be stuck here."
"Good idea," Ben said with a smile. "Better than checking on the Internex, that's for sure. After all, meteorologists never know what they're talking about, right?" He laughed internally at the amazed look on Lucas's face. Not wanting to give up the moment, he continued, "There used to be a weather guy whose name was Stu Kerr, and he always said he would never give his forecast -"
"Without first looking out the window!" Lucas finished with astonishment. "How did you know I was going to say that? No, never mind, I don't want to know. Anyway, I just want to get off the boat as soon as I can. Want to come with me if it's safe?"
Ben's smile faded. "Well, Lucas, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. First of all, I have inventory to do before I can leave, and I know that with your help, I'd be finished by this afternoon. But, I also know that I - we can't leave the boat today, so there's no use in rushing through inventory."
"What do you mean we can't leave the boat today?" Lucas asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"Have you ever known, I mean been absolutely certain, that you were gonna die?" Ben asked.
Lucas laughed. "Not that crap again, no pun intended."
"No!" Ben insisted. "This is something else, something more important."
Ben then proceeded to explain to Lucas what he had told Katie, about how the day seemed to keep repeating. When Ben got to the part about him and Lucas dying in the shuttle, Lucas had a startled look on his face.
"Well, you're the genius," Ben said, mirroring Katie's sentiments regarding Lucas. "What do you think?"
"What do I think?" Lucas asked. "I think you're nuts is what I think."
"Just go with me on this. Please?" Ben pleaded. "I need help."
"I'll say," Lucas muttered under his breath. Seeing the anxious look on Ben's face, Lucas apologized. "Sorry, it's just that I don't know what you expect me to do."
"Just be you and use that brain of yours," Ben said. "What might be a possible explanation for this?"
As Lucas started to think, a fin appeared in the Moon Pool and started heading their way. Darwin's head broke the surface and Lucas stroked it, thinking about possible explanations (other than insanity) for what was happening to Ben. Ben remained silent, hoping that Lucas would come up with an answer.
After a couple of minutes, Lucas broke the silence. "Well, it sounds like there's some kind of time loop that's only affecting you. Or it's affecting us all, and you're the only one who remembers the day repeating."
Ben smiled. "You're good, kid, I'll give you that. So what do we do to break the loop?"
"I don't know, Ben," Lucas answered. "Maybe you've already done it. Maybe you're supposed to stop us from getting on the shuttle this afternoon. And if that's the case, then you can go get started on your inventory - yes, I'll even help you - and we can get off the boat after the storms are over."
"Lucas, you are brilliant!" Ben exclaimed, throwing his arm around the teenager's shoulders.
"So they say," Lucas responded with a smug grin.
"Let's get started," Ben said, leading Lucas away from the Moon Pool.
The rest of the day was spent completing the inventory. Trying to learn from his previous mistakes, Ben even took the time to get lists of everyone's personal items. He wasn't fortunate enough to avoid Katie's and Bridger's lectures about responsibility, but feeling certain that tomorrow would be a brighter day, he didn't think much of them.
After dinner, Lucas and Ben retreated to Lucas's cabin to enter the lists into a spreadsheet that would be sent electronically with the proper requisition form.
It was with a sense of satisfaction that Ben returned to his cabin that night. He smiled as he burrowed down into his bunk and started drifting off, content that even though shore leave would be postponed slightly, the new day would bring good things...
BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!
Ben was still smiling as he awoke to the sound of his alarm going off. He slammed his fist down on top of the annoying little machine, and he opened his eyes to the sound of beautiful silence. As he sat up, a sudden thought came to him. I don't remember setting that alarm last night...
The smile faded from his face.
It can't be, he thought. Lucas said that the time loop already broke because I stopped us from getting on the shuttle!
Ah, said a rational voice in his head that sounded just like Katie. Lucas said 'maybe' you'd already broken the loop.
No, he said to himself. I probably just forgot that I set my alarm last night.
But there was a doubt in his mind. It was a new day!
Wasn't it?
End of Chapter 5
Poor Ben. Is it a new day? Or does he still have something he needs to do? Hopefully we will find out soon.
As always, let me know what you think!
