Chapter 5

- Secrets -

"So Josh, tell me what happened on your boat?" Nathan said a few minutes later when he and Josh, the Captain of the Blue Bird were settled in his office.

"Honestly Nathan, I have no idea. One minute every thing was fine, all reading were normal. Then the engines overheated, all the main systems started blowing, everything went down. It was chaos within minutes," Josh sighed tiredly. "Do you think you can help us?"

"Perhaps, but I won't promise anything. I'll have Lucas look into it though. Get him to transfer any salvageable data to one of our computers, see what he can come up with."

"Lucas? Civilian?" Josh questioned.

"Yes, Chief Computer Analyst actually. He is only sixteen so he can't enlist, thank God! He's a member of the science team."

"Wow, I didn't know the UEO accepted children on a military submarine."

"One, the seaQuest is a research vessel before a military one. Second," Bridger smirked. "Lucas is no ordinary child."

"Still, can't be easy having a kid on board. It would probably drive my crew crazy."

"True, it isn't always easy. Just last night Lucas threw one of those famous teen-aged tantrums, I still haven't had time to talk to him about it yet."

"Why isn't this kid in school?"

"Ah, like I said he is no ordinary kid. He graduated Stanford, top of his class. He's a genius. And if anyone can figure out what went wrong with your boat it will be him. I should probably go get him started on that now."

"Yeah, I should go check on my men too."

Nathan headed for the bridge, still thinking about Lucas. He didn't understand what had set the young man off last night. He kept reexamining the scene in his head. He felt like he was missing something. If he could only figure out what had happened, he could understand what was happening with his youngest crew member.

A man entered the moon-pool and looked around. Not seeing anyone, he went to the pool and grabbed the vocorder. As he pulled a syringe from his pocket he kept one eye to the door. He slowly injected the contents of the syringe into the back of the device. The purple liquid penetrated the protective casing. A few minutes later, when the man was satisfied with his work he put the syringe in his pocket and left the vocorder on the floor. He left the moon-pool without a backwards glance, but with an evil smile on his face.

The Captain glanced around the bridge, Lucas was still working diligently at his station. He debated on whether or not to disturb the young man. He looked to be deep into his work, but then again Lucas was always deep into his work.

"Lucas," he called softly as he approached so as not to startle him.

"Sir."

"I would like to know if you can access the main computers of the Blue Bird. We need to know what happened over there."

"Yeah, let me check. Give me a few minutes."

"Alright."

A few minutes later Lucas turned back to the Captain.

"No, impossible."

"How is that impossible? Lucas, I need that information."

"Captain, I cannot access that computer. The system must have fried. There is only one way to recover that data."

"I'm listening."

"I have to go to the Blue Bird and access directly to the hard drive," Lucas said softly, knowing the reaction it would produce.

"No! Lucas, you can't believe that I would send a child onto a submarine with the possibility of it exploding. Out of the question."

They stared at each other for a bit before Lucas broke the silence. He knew the Captain was scared, he understood that but it didn't change the facts. He tried to explain the situation to the Captain again.

"Captain, we are loosing time. The only way to recover that data is for someone, meaning me, to go over there and get it."

"No, you can tell someone else how to get it. Explain what you need to Lt. Shan." Bridger responded harshly.

Lucas threw his pencil down with a growl. "Why will nobody listen to me? Why even ask me, if you aren't going to listen?" he yelled his frustration and lack of sleep finally getting to him.

"Lucas! Stop this yelling right now. Give the directions to Shan."

"Fine, does Shan have the skill to hack into the Blue Birds computers?" Lucas held his voice slightly calmer.

"No, he can't." Nathan sighed.

"Bingo! Give the Captain a prize. No he can't do it. I'm the only one on this ship that can. So I have to go over there."

"If I let this happen, you will obey Chief Crocker. Understand. If he tells you it's time to go you close down and go. Understand."

"Yes, I understand and will obey. Just like a good little puppy," Lucas rolled his eyes.

Nathan looked and Lucas and shook his head. 'This Kid, what am I going to do with him?' he thought.

Lucas left the bridge and went to feed Darwin. He stroked the dolphin for minute before grabbing the vocorder that someone had left on the floor.

"Hey fish-face, you hungry?"

"Yes Darwin hungry. Much unknown people," echoed the synthetic voice.

"Yeah, a submarine had some problems and we had to help them," Lucas didn't put the vocorder down as he began feeding his friend.

He was thinking of the upcoming mission to the Blue Bird so Lucas was unprepared for Darwin's question.

"Why Lucas have nightmares?"

Oh my God, think Lucas. He should have expected this question but he didn't want to talk about this, neither did he want to lie to his friend. He looked around to see if he was alone. With no one around, he made his decision

"Well, fish-face, I haven't really ever told anyone this so don't go telling anyone okay. I.. I don't even know how to say it really."

"Lucas just tell."

"A while ago, someone hurt me," Lucas started with a shaky voice.

"Who? How?"

"Who?" he cleared his throat. "A really bad man. Umm, how? Well, what he did to me? He kidnapped me when I was young. He tor... he tortured me. He trapped me in a whi... white room. He use rope to tie me on a table or on a bed…" his voice broke, he couldn't go on. His whole body began to tremble. He closed his eyes, tears dropped silently on is cheek.

"Why?"

"Why did he do it? I don't know Dar. I don't know," Lucas took a deep breath and wiped at his face. "I have to go get ready for this mission. Fish-face, promise me you won't tell anyone what I just told you. It's a secret."

"Darwin don't tell. Secret safe."

Lucas looked at his friend for a few seconds then left the moon-pool. He actually felt a little better for having told one of his secrets. But by the time he made it to the launch bay his headache had returned.

T.B.C.