Author's note: If you need a little break from this depressing story, I'll be posting a short fun crossover in a few minutes. Look for it on my profile.
"I had hoped to save you from witnessing this, dear." Zellar said sympathetically. "I understand it must hard for you to see it."
Kristin heard him speaking but couldn't comprehend what he was saying. Her full attention was on the tank in front her. Nathan was inside, shackled hand and foot to thick rubber portals in the walls. The links came through the couplings and were padlocked on the outside. The chains holding him had only enough give to allow a small range of movement. A breathing mask was strapped around his head, and connected to a small motorized air pump beside him. The tank was filled to the top with clear water.
"What are you doing to him?" She finally managed to gasp, rushing to Nathan's side. The chain could be heard clinking softly as he raised one hand and pressed it to the wall in greeting. His eyes, enlarged by the mask and water, were filled with sorrow.
"Nothing," Zellar answered after he was sure Kristin had taken in the entire scene. "He is healthy and whole. I even allow him out a few times a day to keep his muscle from atrophying. And," he smiled coyly, "to prevent any accidents. I'd hate the good Captain feeling ashamed of his own body."
"It is a shame though," Zellar continued, "the air pump is a tad finicky. It seems that we have to reset it once an hour. If we don't, it seizes up and stops functioning. But don't worry," He flickered his eyes to her disgusted face, smiling triumphantly. "As long as nothing… distracts us, we can easily maintain it."
"Why? Why do you need him here, like this?" She asked, still staring Nathan.
Zellar came to stand next to her, Kristin barely resisted slapping him again when she saw his smug expression. "He can do something that even I may not be able to achieve."
"What?" She hissed. "What could he possibly do?"
"Motivate you." He whispered the short statement, and with no threat in his voice, but Kristin stepped backwards in horror, finally looked at him.
"You're a madman." Kristin managed to spit out in revulsion.
"Ah, yes, precise as usual, dear." Zellar laughed.
She gapped at him, "what do you mean?"
He pointed at his guard in reply, "what do you think about Wendell here?" She only shook her head, refusing to play a game she didn't understand. "Would it surprise you to learn that he went to a mental institution for beating a man to death? The poor sod made fun of his name." Zellar paused, holding up a finger, "well, actually, I must correct myself. It wasn't the murder that sent him there. It was the unfortunate business of what he did with the body after."
He inclined his head, and in a gently chiding voice, addressed the man. "Twenty pieces would have been enough, Wendell. What you did seems like over kill."
"He shouldn't have called me Wendy." The large man pouted like a spoiled child. "It was rude."
"Indeed," Zellar nodded. "But," he turned back to Kristin, "as you can see, he is now polite, respectful, and obedient."
"I'm sure you pay him very well for his service." Kristin quipped dryly. She was desperate to keep him talking, to work out a plan and get as much information as possible.
Zellar shook his head, "no, not in the way you are thinking. You see, it seems that most everyone I've encountered called me crazy. Well, it's human nature to be around your own kind. So, I decided to make everyone my own kind."
"Meaning?" Kristin couldn't hide her frank curiosity.
He waved Wendell over, the man trotted happily to join his boss. "Imagine, if everyone on Earth was like this. Just a few injections, followed by a daily pill, and they become calm and docile."
"You can't medicate the whole world!" Kristin gasped.
"Why not?" He challenged smugly, "what percentage of the world is already on something for their fragile mental health? People even hand out pills to their children to keep them from wiggling too much in school. They're already conditioned to toss a miracle fix-it-all in their mouths and not worry about it."
Kristin shook her head, "That is completely different. Most of those people need them. Giving anti-psychotics to people who don't need them will cause mass chaos. They'll become violent, delusional, and even suicidal. You won't be able to control them."
"They will need the medication when I finish with them." Zellar explained calmly. "That is why you are here, I want you to develop a pathogen that will alter the mental status of everyone. I already have someone working on the best ways to spread it. After I allow some of the weaker ones to be killed off, it will be easy for me to distribute my medication. Perhaps it is not what the Greeks intended, but I believe it follows along the path of 'bread and circuses.' There will be peace and it will be thanks to me."
Kristin starred at him, her mouth hanging open in shock. "But how? Mental disorders are not contagious."
"Rabies and Syphilis are very contagious, and they affect the mind."
"Yes because they eat away at the brain until it kills the host." She sputtered, "this… this is just insanity."
Zellar smiled, a wild light in his eyes, "exactly, my dear." Seeking to sooth her, he placed a hand on her arm, but Kristin only flinched away from him. "All you need to do help me design the infecting agent. Then you and Captain Bridger can go. Properly medicated, of course. I don't want anyone to be left out."
Commander Ford cringed when he saw who was calling him. He just didn't have the extra energy to deal with this now. Sighing, and turning away from the questioning eyes around him, he pushed answer, "Yes, sir."
"Jonathan, have you heard from Nathan lately?" Bill Noyce asked in a frantic tone. "I've been trying to call him but it goes to voicemail."
"Yes, sir, I spoke with him yesterday. We made plans to meet Captain Bridger and Doctor Westphalen at a hotel then, visit the grave site together."
"When?"
Ford glanced at his watch. "1300 hours, we're already here getting our rooms. He should be around somewhere. I can have the clerk call his room."
"I'm sorry for overhearing sir," the clerk looked up from her computer. "But, did you say Captain Bridger? He never checked in yesterday."
Gripping the phone tightly his hand, Jonathan stared at her. "Are you absolutely sure?"
"Um, yes sir. I took his reservation. I know who he is, my cousin Lonnie was trying to get on SeaQuest before it went down. I… uh… was waiting to meet him to put a good word in for her," the clerk explained nervously.
Ford nodded and went back to the phone. "Did you hear that sir?"
"Yes, Jonathan, you need to find him. Use the whole crew if you want to."
"Why?" Ford asked sharply, Tim and Katie caught his tone and crossed the lobby to join him.
Noyce paused, "They're testing it again, but I just got the information from the lab. The DNA … it wasn't Lucas. He might be alive still."
"What? How is that possible?" He shook his head at the anxious faces, he didn't want to tell them anything until he knew more.
Noyce breathed out slowly, "the finger print records were changed in the system. I ordered a DNA test, and it looks like whoever did it couldn't change that data."
"Who was it then?"
"A young drifter who was convicted of several petty crimes. Everything from shoplifting to buying controlled substances. He must have gotten mixed up with something heavy to end up like this."
Ford started to growl before remembering he was speaking to a superior officer, "or just someone who doesn't care about destroying a human life used him to get to us."
"Do you have anyone in mind?"
"Now that we know the Doctor and Captain might be missing, a few people actually."
"You have carte blanche, I can get you any supplies you need, Commander, just find them."
"Yes, sir." Ford pocketed his phone, and ran a thumb across the bottom of his lip, thinking. He glanced up at Katie and Tim. "Start calling everyone and get them to meet here. Everything just changed."
Author's note: In the words of our esteemed villain... I lied... I'm not as evil and I pretend to be.
Also, a word about what I am saying about medication and mental illnesses before I get angry PM's. I am not mocking illnesses, or saying they don't exist. There a lot of people who need to be on medication for very real mental and emotional problems. Honestly, I am one of them. But, I also believe that some doctors are much too eager to toss a pill and have that take care of the issue instead of figuring out what is causing the depression, anxiety, or other issues. *Jumps on soap box* But come on, kids wiggle, kids are messy, kids are loud, kids are rude, kids don't obey social norms. It doesn't mean something is wrong with them, just that they are freaking kids!
Ok, rant over.