Thankyou to all the lovely reviewers. Yeah, I actually surprised myself by coming back, but I guess my closet elfiness was tired of being ignored! Anyway, it's always helpful to hear what people think about what you write so thanks for taking the time.

Chapter Two

8 days earlier …

"You have got to be joking!"

Bridger looked up at the teenager and tried not to smile. "You know, Lucas, not everybody on the planet is online twenty four hours a day. Believe it or not the world did still turn before the computer was even invented!"

Lucas rolled his eyes and nodded. "I know that, Captain, but … seriously? Not even a basic Internex port? C'mon!"

"So do you maybe think the job is beyond you?" Bridger quickly turned and made a pretense of returning to his seat to cover the bemused look on his face.

"It's not that! I just … it's just that … well … the name Luddite springs to mind!"

"That's not fair. These people haven't destroyed anything. They have just decided they want to live life at a different pace."

"I know that, Captain but if they wanted to live so disconnected from the rest of the world, why do they now need me to bring them out of the Stone Age?"

"I'm guessing you've read about the Amish people, right?"

Lucas just nodded at him as he leaned back in his chair.

"Well they migrated to a new land and took their own culture with them. For a long time they lived outside the "normal" pace of things and they were ridiculed for doing things differently. A lot of their rules and ways of doing things seemed very foreign to the modern world around them. Some things even seemed contradictory to outsiders. And yet they survived and even thrived. Their religious beliefs and their family were the most important things to them and they believed that their lifestyle was the best way to preserve that."

"But, Captain, there aren't any traditional Amish people left. They eventually realised they had to join the rest of society."

Bridger nodded slowly. "Sadly, yes. Lucas, how many cultures have been swallowed up by bigger, stronger, better-armed cultures over the centuries? How many people groups have been decimated because they wouldn't change their lifestyle to suit newcomers?"

Lucas frowned at the words. "Too many I guess."

"Exactly! Well the people of Hope Colony don't want to be the next statistic in the history books. They chose to live in relative isolation and preserve a lifestyle that they wanted for themselves and their descendants. They obviously do have technology but nobody is quite sure what is there since outsiders haven't been allowed in much. The fact they have shunned the Internex was believed to be about keeping others out more than anything else. Now, apparently their leadership has decided they want to broaden their horizons."

"And that's where I come in. But, Captain, I don't see how I can possibly redesign an entire colony!"

"They aren't asking you to. Lucas, Admiral Noyce thought you would jump at this chance. He wants an evaluation from you of what they need and some ideas on how the UEO can help them implement it. He felt that you would be able to gain their trust since you aren't military and you aren't coming at this from a place of intellectual superiority."

"Yeah I can imagine some of the industry tech-heads getting in there!" Suddenly another thought occurred to him. "Hey, it isn't that far from Node 3. Can I bring Nick along?"

It was Bridger's turn to roll his eyes now. "I can just see the headlines now. Frankenstein and Wolfman play SIMS with underwater colony!"

"Come on, Captain! We may have some vintage games but there are a lot better programs than SIMS to work with."

Bridger stood up and walked around the desk before settling on the front of it. "So? What do you think?"

Lucas chewed the inside of his lip for a moment before answering. "Why not? Maybe when I'm done they'll rename the colony after me!" He grinned at the captain before standing up. "How soon before they want me there?"

"We can be there by late tomorrow afternoon if you are sure you are OK with going."

Lucas headed towards the door, his mind already beginning to tick over. He suddenly spun back towards the captain. "They do have electricity there don't they? I mean I won't need to take my own generator?"

"Get outta here!" Bridger waved an arm at him as Lucas ducked out the door.

"This should be interesting!" he muttered to himself as he sat back down.

"Bridge, get me through to Admiral Noyce."

Lucas shifted Micah onto his back again before heading down the stairwell. The pain in his side was constant, but he managed to push it aside for the moment. He wasn't game enough to look too closely as his priority was to get them to the Stinger. Everything else would just have to wait.

He was torn between hurrying down the stairs and going cautiously to keep an ear out for guards coming up from the bottom. He knew the guards from above would break through the door any minute now so if anybody came through the lower door it was all over. Eventually the need to hurry won out and he raced down the stairs as fast as he dared. He was surprised at how much he was puffing, but he pushed on and finally reached the bottom door.

He fully expected it to be locked as the one above was and was surprised when the rail moved under his hand. He carefully eased the door open and waited to see if anybody was in the vicinity. He could see part way into the launch bay and was dismayed to hear two guards on the other side of the room. They could only be there for one purpose; guarding the Stinger to block his escape.

He eased the door shut and felt like banging his head against it. There was no way they could go back up and now apparently there was no way they could go out that door either.

"I need a diversion," he muttered to himself. "Something to draw them away." He scratched at his head while he tried to recall the colony schematics he had been reading over the past week. Micah shifted on his back and Lucas turned back to him.

"Can I put you down for a minute?" Micah's eyes widened but he didn't say anything.

Lucas took that as a yes. Well at least it wasn't a no, so he crouched down and helped the boy slide onto the floor. "We have to be very quiet, OK?" Again Micah just stared at him as Lucas placed a finger over his own lips.

He glanced around and tried to remember if there was anything helpful leading into the stairwell. A few feet back up the stairs he noticed a ventilation grid and he clambered back up the stairs towards it. He wasn't sure if he could fit through but there weren't any other options that he could see. The fascia over it was fairly easy to pry loose and he began to ease his legs into the hole. Micah was still standing at the bottom of the stairs and he waved a hand to him. "C'mon! We can both get through here."

Micah hesitated before Lucas waved at him again. He thought he was going to have to crawl back out of the hole and retrieve the child, but finally Micah stumbled towards him. He wriggled further into the space and reached out for Micah's hand. "We can hide in here away from the bad men. They can't hurt us in here."

Micah nodded slightly before moving towards the hole. Lucas reached out for him and managed to squeeze the child past him into the darkness of the access tube. It was a tight fit but he hoped that meant no adults could immediately come after them. He pulled the grill back into place, knowing it wouldn't take long for the guards to figure out where they had gone. If it bought them a few more minutes then it was a bit more time he had to think how to get to the Stinger.

"OK, Micah, I'm right behind you. You have to crawl forward but I'm right behind you." He hoped the frightened child wouldn't freeze in the dark but he gradually began to wriggle forward.

As they inched slowly into the darkness Lucas could hear the sound of a door crashing open above them. Heavy footsteps pelted down the stairs past them and another door crashed open at the bottom. He half expected to hear gunfire but there was nothing but loud cursing.

Bridger stepped through the clam doors and onto the Bridge. He took a sip of coffee before walking over towards Commander Ford.

"Anything interesting to report from the watch, Commander?"

"Steady as she goes, Captain." He smiled slightly before continuing. "Actually, Sir, we did see a few interesting rocks a while back. Should I get Ortiz to get you a WSKR view?"

Bridger smiled in return. "That exciting huh?" He glanced around as the crew smoothly changed shift around him. The handover process was always the same but some days it was definitely easier than others.

O'Neill had barely had time to slide into his seat and place his headphones on before a priority UEO communications signal began to flash at him.

"Captain, I've got a priority call coming in from Admiral Noyce."

"Well put him through, Lieutenant; main screen."

The UEO logo flashed momentarily on the view screen before it gave way to the Admiral's face.

"Good mor … "

"Nathan! When was the last time you spoke with Lucas?"

Bridger was surprised at the abruptness of the question but didn't waste time answering, "The day before yesterday. I was going to call him last night but got busy and realised it was too late his time for me to call. Why?"

Noyce frowned and scrubbed a hand over his face before answering. "I don't know how to tell you this but the leader of Hope Colony has been murdered and his six year old son is missing." He paused a moment to allow that to sink in before continuing. "They think that Lucas did it."

Bridger almost laughed except the look on his friend's face was entirely serious. "What! He's been there all of five minutes! And how could anybody possibly think Lucas could murder somebody? And kidnap a child? Bill, what the hell is going on?"

Noyce leaned forward in his chair. "Nathan they claim to have proof. Lucas is clearly visible on security footage going into their quarters and later leaving there dragging the child out with him. His fingerprints are all over the place."

"I don't care! There has to be a reasonable explanation for that. Come on Bill! Do you seriously think Lucas could have murdered somebody?"

"No, of course I don't but he's squarely in the frame. And that isn't the worst of it."

"What could possibly be worse?"

"The security officer in charge has issued a shoot on sight order."

"What happened to a trial before hanging? Or don't they believe in giving a man a chance to prove his innocence?"

The Admiral shook his head. "Apparently they already cornered him but he refused to give himself up. They say he has a child as a hostage and the use of deadly force has been approved to save the child."

"Bill, this is preposterous! What sort of proof are they talking about? Where's the footage? If they actually have something I want a copy of it."

Noyce frowned as he leaned down to punch a button on his desk. The main view screen on the seaQuest split into two images as closed circuit footage began to flow through. It was patchy and of poor quality; most likely from a very old system. That didn't stop each of them from clearly seeing Lucas knocking on a door and being ushered into a room. The footage sped up as the Admiral fast-forwarded it before coming to the part where the door flew open. Again, Lucas was clearly visible as he cautiously stepped out into the corridor. He dragged a small child behind him and fled out of view of the camera.

"Is that it? He came out of someone's room with a child?" Bridger crossed his arms and glared at the Admiral.

"It wasn't just "someone's" room. It was the residential quarters of Samuel Aroro; the Hope Colony leader. Apparently the time clock on the footage matches for his estimated time of death. The boy is his son, Micah and I'm sorry, Nathan, but there's more."

Bridger swallowed hard and looked back at the screen with trepidation. "What more?"

Again the screen split in two as more CC footage flowed through. Lucas could be seen doing something to a control console beside a door. The child was standing beside him and as Lucas opened the door he pulled Micah through with him. Even though there was no sound with the footage, everyone on the bridge could see as something ricocheted off the door.

"What was that?" Ford leaned in closer to the captain.

"Apparently they still use projectile weapons on Hope Colony, Commander."

"Are you serious? Where would they get ammunition these days?"

Ford could see Bridger clench his fists and what had begun as an easy shift change had suddenly become a whole different scenario.

Noyce punched the button again to clear the footage and he stared wearily at his friend. "Nathan, we are trying to get a UEO team in there but the colony has told us to stay out. They think we've brought Lucas in to sabotage them and nobody wants to talk to us."

Without turning to look, Bridger curtly issued orders for the helmsman to set course for Hope Colony at full speed.

"Well they are damn well gonna talk to me!"

A/N I had chunks of this chapter written when I posted Chapter 1 but I only have a sketch of the next chapter so it might be a while.