Chapter 2
Piccolo stood on the seaQuest bridge, nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. He had waited for Lucas at the club but he'd never returned. He had even back tracked to the restaurant and no one had seen him since they had left earlier. He hadn't been able to ask their waitress if she had seen him, she was already gone by the time Tony had gotten there.
Thinking maybe Lucas had decided to ditch him, to brood over that girl he had told him about, he had gone back to the boat to check for him. He'd had no luck. Instead the entire on board crew had hit the bridge at a dead run, when Lucas' PAL had begun sending a distress signal. Most of the primary crew had already returned to the boat and had wasted no time getting to their stations.
"Captain, I'm receiving a distress signal from Lucas' PAL , twenty six degrees forty seven minutes north, eighty degrees two minutes west," Lt. O'Neill called from his station . He was still trying to cram his head set on as he rattled off the message.
Captain Nathan Bridger was behind Lt. O'Neill as fast as his feet would carry him. "Let's see it Lieutenant," He barked. O'Neill quickly punched up a display of the coordinates on the vidlink. Lucas' signal blinked red and stationary on shore.
"Put me through," Bridger demanded. Flicking switches and pressing buttons, O'Neill finally shook his head.
"I can't sir. There's no response," he told him, he cast his eyes up at him worriedly.
"Commander get up there and see what's going on," Bridger commanded. Commander Ford nodded curtly.
"Yes, sir. Dagwood, Brody you're with me," he announced and disappeared from sight, heading for the disembarkation hatches, Dagwood and Brody following behind swiftly.
"Mr. Piccolo," Bridger said turning neatly on one heel.
"Yes sir." Tony snapped to attention and quaked in side. He just knew he was about to get raked over the coals. He really didn't want to tell him Lucas had disappeared on his watch... again.
"I thought Lucas was with you?" Bridger asked, his voice was stern but curious.
"Yes sir, he was. But, he forgot his wallet. When he went back for it he never returned, sir," Tony explained, his voice dropping off at the end fearfully.
"Why didn't you report this immediately?" Bridger demanded. Tony looked down briefly under the weight of the Captain's steady gaze .
"There wasn't time sir. I back tracked and looked for him. When he wasn't there I came to look for him here. I just got here sir." Tony swallowed hard and prayed. Captain Bridger was more than a fair man and a good captain, but no one wanted to be under his scrutiny when he was angry.
"Alright," Bridger said patting Tony on the shoulder. "Take it easy we'll find him." It hadn't passed Bridger's notice that Tony looked like a mouse about to be eaten by a hungry cat. Tony nodded.
"Yes sir," he said, but it didn't make him feel any better about the situation. Turning back to O'Neill's station the captain flicked a switch.
"Commander what have you got?" he asked hopefully. The Commander came back immediately, his voice loud and clear over so short a distance.
"Almost there Captain." There was a brief pause and everyone on the bridge could hear words just too faint to make out. "There it is," Brody called out in the background.
"Commander?" Bridger asked again, he heard a sigh on the other end of the connection.
"You're not going to like this Captain. We found Lucas' PAL, but he's not with it," he relayed. Bridger closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Okay, are there any signs of where he might have gone?" Bridger asked.
"No Captain, but there are footprints leading down to the water," Commander Ford answered. "And Captain..." he paused , concern filling his voice. "There are drag marks, some one didn't leave here willing."
"Understood, get back to the boat," Bridger told him. There was a leaden silence for a moment.
"Yes, sir," Ford said, then the link went quiet.
He leaned heavily on the con for a minute before giving orders. All eyes were on him, and all of them looked worried, you could have heard a pin drop.
"Henderson get us in the water, they have to have taken him somewhere off shore. Ortiz see if you can find their fuel residue trail. O'Neill keep monitoring for signals, this is Lucas we're talking about, if anybody can get a message to us it's him. And recall the rest of the crew. Dr. Smith to the bridge," he ordered. There was a chorus of "Aye aye, sir." and then the sounds of quiet but swift action. Where ever Lucas had gone to, they would find him.
#****#
Lucas came to slowly, his vision was clouded and all he could manage to see were faintly colored blobs moving around him. All he could hear were snatches of muffled voices. His head was killing him. He groaned in pain despite himself, one hand going to his head as he tried to sit up. He was immediately pushed back down.
"He's coming out of it!" a male voice growled from who ever had shoved him back.
"Well knock him back out! We can't risk him getting loose and in control of the computer system!" another male voice commanded. Lucas coughed and tried to speak. His voice was raspy, his throat dry. How long had he been out? It felt like he hadn't had anything to drink in days.
"Who are you? What do you want?" he managed to get out, though he still couldn't see or hear well enough to discern his surroundings. He could tell he was under water though. On a shuttle of some type probably.
"Don't worry about that Mr. Wolenczak. You'll find out soon enough," snapped the voice of the man who was apparently commanding at least one other.
"Wolenczak? Lucas Wolenczak? Are you insane? Is he insane? He's part of the seaQuest crew! Do you know what they are going to do to us when they find us?" the other man rambled.
"Just knock him back out, before I throw you out the air lock," the commanding man ordered.
"Yes sir," the other man said, he didn't sound happy about it.
"You won't get away with this." Lucas growled. Damn it, why couldn't he get his motor skills back faster? He could hear shuffling and then felt the distinct sensation of a hypo-spray pressed to his neck, heard the hiss of the injection.
"Oh, but we already have and the seaQuest will never find us," the commanding man assured Lucas as he faded back into oblivion. The last thought he had was to wonder who the "he" the other man had mentioned was, and what did "he" want?
#***#
"Can you sense anything?" Bridger asked for the third time in an hour. They still hadn't come across anything to track where or with whom Lucas had gone. The fact that someone hadn't left willingly from the location where Lucas had disappeared concerned him. He knew it was Lucas who hadn't left willingly. It was the only thing that made sense.
Wendy Smith shook her head, dark hair falling forward to fringe her face like wings. "No Captain. I've tried. Several times. I keep scanning but I can't sense him. He could just be out of range. I don't know." Her eyes were very worried, her face was a lined mask of concentration.
"Damn it!" Bridger cursed, slamming his fist down on the con station panel. No one on the bridge said a word. "Doesn't anyone have anything for me?" he half demanded, half pleaded. Everyone shook their head, exchanging concerned glances.
"Captain, we are trying. But it's like who ever took Lucas just disappeared. So far we haven't found a single trace," said Commander Ford.
"I've tried every thing I can think of and the WSKRS still haven't picked up anything," Ortiz said dismally.
"I can't pick up anything on sonar either Captain. Who ever it was is being very quiet about it," O'Neill added quietly. "The only thing I can hear is a pod of dolphins about five klicks from our current position Captain."
There was a splash from the bridge pool, followed by a series of clicks and whistles. Darwin had come up to the bridge, his slender beak poked out of the water. He moved about the pool in slow agitated circles.
"Darwin help. Darwin find Lucas," he pleaded via the vocorder. Bridger leaned over the edge of the pool, rubbing the dolphin's melon affectionately.
"Yes my friend. I know you want to help. Maybe you can find something we can't," Bridger said softly.
"Darwin good hunter. Find Lucas like find fish," Darwin assured him. Bridger nodded at him and smiled.
"I'm sure you will. Go, find Lucas for us. Good luck Darwin," he told him. Darwin bobbed his head in answer then dove back under the water and disappeared through the aqua tubes. Bridger really hoped Darwin could find Lucas, they were certainly having no luck.
"Let him out, maybe he will find something we can't," Bridger ordered.
"Yes sir, I sure hope so Captain," Lt. Henderson responded from her station.
"So do I," Bridger said, watching Darwin exit the ship, his re-breather on, as he swam in search of his friend.
#***#
When Lucas came to again he was no longer in the shuttle, his vision and hearing were still hazy and his motor functions weren't exactly working correctly, but where ever he was, he was lying on a medical bed. He fought for his voice again, licking parchment dry lips.
"Where am I? What do you want?" he asked again of no one in particular. He wasn't even sure there was any one in the room with him.
"You are at El Orquídea Jardines Resort, Mr. Wolenczak and I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay. As for what I want, well let's just say I'd greatly enjoy it, if you'd stay and help me with my work for a while," answered a calm, male, English accented voice.
Lucas tried to force his body to regain its senses faster, the headache he'd had before was twice as bad now. Had he heard of El Orquidea Jardines before? It sounded familiar for some reason. What work was the man talking about?
"What work? Who are you?" Lucas rasped, his voice was coming back more now, his vision and hearing were clearer too. Now he could see a washed out, blurry image of a man standing not far from the bed. His motor functions were taking longer to recover, it felt like his limbs were made of lead.
"In answer to your question I am Dr. Ryan Sanborn. And as for my work well, you'll see in all due time, have no fear," the voice replied.
Lucas tried to bide for time, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know what this man's work was. He had to think, force his brain and body to cooperate.
"Can I have some water, or something?" he asked, there kill two birds with one stone, stall and get some fluid into him, his tongue felt like a dry cloth crammed in his mouth.
"Of course," the voice assented. No sooner had the voice consented than Lucas felt a hand under his head and a straw pressed to his lips. He drank, quenching his thirst. He had downed the whole glass before he knew it. The anonymous hand laid his head back on the bed again gently. So he wasn't alone in the room with this man. Who ever he was.
Lucas racked his brain, he had heard about this place before somewhere he was sure of it. He had no idea who Dr. Sanborn was, the name escaped him, either he had never heard of him before or he just couldn't remember through the fog induced by the tranquilizers. Then it hit him.
"Wait a minute, I do know this place. This is the Puerto Rico Trench, the Mona Rift. This place was shut down, evacuated, ten years ago. An sea quake wiped the whole place out. It was all over the news," Lucas argued. If this really was El Orquídea Jardines Resort, it shouldn't have been here, it should have been turned into scrap long ago.
"Ah, so you have heard of it. I didn't think, given your age at the time, you would have. Yes it was evacuated, and yes it was badly damaged by seismic activity ten years ago. If there had been anyone here at the time, they would have died, but I've turned it into a serviceable facility again. You'll see soon enough Mr. Wolenczak," the voice assured him.
"What do you mean help you with your work?" Lucas asked angrily. This guy was really beginning to tick him off. He had abducted him, tranquilized him, drug him at least one thousand miles from New Cape Quest, and he was acting like he was making him a job offer over lunch! He was also avoiding directly answering anything Lucas asked.
"I think that you, Mr. Wolenczak would make a fine addition to my facility. You'd be working with some of the greatest scientific minds in the world," the voice responded casually, unperturbed by the angry edge to Lucas' voice.
The anger actually seemed to help, maybe the adrenalin was making the tranquilizer burn off faster, he could see almost normally now, his hearing was fine and he could move weakly. When he did move he realized he wasn't just lying in the bed he was secured to it by restraints.
"This is a hell of a way to make a job offer," Lucas spat, pulling against the bindings as his strength began to ebb back in. He could see the man now, the man didn't look particularly dangerous. Though he was lanky like Lucas, he was taller. In his forties, with a receding hair line and closely cropped brown hair. His glasses kept slipping down his nose. Just a run of the mill guy in a lab coat looked back at him.
Dr. Sanborn chuckled and tutted regretfully as he came closer to the bed. "Yes, well, I couldn't have you attempting to run off before you were able to consider my offer. Now could I?" he chided.
"It doesn't sound like I have much of a choice," Lucas threw back. The man laughed at him, that just made Lucas angrier.
"Yes well that's one way of looking at it. I see you are coming about just fine, shall we take a look about the grounds?" the Doctor asked him.
"I'd rather not," Lucas shot, chaffing his wrists and ankles against the restraints.
"I'm afraid that wasn't a request Mr. Wolenczak," the man said and moved away from the bed, motioning to some one just out side the door of the room. In stepped two guards, armed with plasma guns. They moved forward, one drew his gun and aimed it at Lucas, the other moved to remove his restraints. With the gun trained on him, Lucas didn't dare make a break for it. Not yet anyway. Instead he sat up wobbly and glared at the doctor as his arms were placed behind his back and cuffed.
"Is this really necessary?" he complained, he glared unblinking at the doctor. The man chortled.
"For you Mr. Wolenczak? I'm afraid so. I can't have you getting loose and risk you gaining access to the computer system. I am well aware of how good you are with such things," the man told him.
"Go to hell." he said. The doctor looked offended.
"Such rudeness isn't necessary Mr. Wolenczak. Come along I have so much to show you," Dr. Sanborn said extending a hand as if to envelope him in a friendly embrace. Instead Lucas was escorted along with two guns trained on him. He stalked along after the doctor and pummeled his now functioning brain cells for a way to escape. The place didn't look anything like a resort, not now. What ever it had looked like, now it was white walls, steel and the cold stillness of a research facility. That was surely what this was, it couldn't be anything else.
As they moved along Dr. Sanborn pointed out various rooms filled with computer equipment, banks of CPUs, servers, and databases. Personnel wandered about as if they weren't even there. The place was minimally staffed from the looks of things but there were still enough to be a problem if Lucas tried to make a sudden run for it. They passed some rooms the Doctor chose not to show him. That was more telling that what he did. What was Dr. Sanborn hiding?
"I'm afraid you will be seeing things a bit in reverse. I'd like to show you the rest of my work before I show you my main project, however, they are all interconnected. This is the nursery, the next generation of my research if you will," Dr. Sanborn explained as they came to a wall covered with ceiling to floor windows. Lucas moved to the windows and peered in. Inside were six children, boys and girls, none could have been more than, two or three years old, and some were still infants. They played happily on the floor along side employees, or napped in cribs. He felt his heart stop for a beat.
"Why do you have children here? What have you done to them?" he demanded. The very idea that this man might be using children in some sort of research made Lucas' skin crawl. Doctor Sanborn looked horrified.
"Nothing! You really do misjudge me. I'd never hurt a child! It's against my philosophy. These are the children of the scientist here. Why two of them are my own," he criticized, pointing out a little boy and an infant girl with his hair and eyes.
"One day they will help me continue my research," he added thoughtfully. Lucas glared at him.
"I have a feeling what ever research you're doing isn't worth helping with," he said sharply.
"Oh, I would ask you to please with hold judgment on that until you've seen everything, Mr. Wolenczak," the Doctor said as they moved on. The doctor continued showing Lucas more rooms, a galley, nothing of any really consequence. He stopped before two large doors that looked like they would be more fitting on a docking bay that an interior room. Lucas looked them over wondering what was behind them.
"This Mr. Wolenczak is where you will see my greatest accomplishment. I'm sure you will be very impressed," he said practically glowing. What ever it was he was very proud of it.
"I'm sure I won't," Lucas retorted. For the first time the Doctor shot him an angry look, but quickly covered it and hit the side button that let the doors open with a whoosh.
As they walked inside, Lucas saw that the room was circular, all the walls were covered with computers, very advanced computers. They had virtually controlled panels not keyboards. People rushed back and forth between them, others "throwing" things from one screen to another. The only place not occupied by the computers was a curtained off area, beyond which Lucas couldn't see. Despite what he had said Lucas was impressed with the breadth of the place. State of the art computers, equipment whirring away. If the circumstances had been different he might actually have enjoyed visiting the place. Instead all he wanted to do was get loose and get his hands on one of those computer consoles to get in touch with the seaQuest.
"Yes, see I told you, you'd be impressed. I have found a way to prevent crime, to know when and where it will happen before it does. Ways to solve crimes that have happened already. I may even be able to predict natural disasters and wars before they happen and avoid them altogether," Dr. Sanborn rambled on proudly. Lucas looked tense and skeptical. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like this.
"How?" he asked suspiciously. The Doctor didn't say anything, he only motioned for him to follow, prodded by plasma guns, Lucas had little choice but to follow.
The doctor lead them to the curtained area, pulling them aside with aplomb. "I'd like you to meet the scientists who work on my little project. This is only a small sample of course, I have many more working for me at other locations but this will give you the basic idea," he announced.
Lucas peered around the curtain and his blood ran cold. There were no scientists up working busily at their stations. Instead he saw a long row of medical beds, six of which had still forms lying on them, a multitude of wires and tubes running to and from their bodies. At this distance it was impossible to tell if the wires and tubes ran to them or in them.
"Oh my God. What have you done?" he breathed his heart beat picking up rapidly.
"Done? I've managed to create a system that will eradicate crime! You see before you three of the world's leading scientists in various fields of study and three psychics. You see the psychics devote all their time to trying to see crimes that have yet to occur. The scientists themselves work on solving cases no one else has solved yet or those the psychics saw but not in enough time to stop. The computer interface allows them to work at speeds no human has ever dreamed of, prevents them from being distracted by less worthy pursuits," the Doctor explained coldly. His voice betrayed not a single feeling of sympathy for the people lying on those beds.
He wrapped an arm around Lucas' shoulders and pulled him toward the beds, Lucas stared down at the men and women they passed. He felt sick, the wires and tubes weren't just on them, they were in them. Some looked like regular medical equipment, probably to keep them alive, but the bundle of wires that ran from their heads made his skin crawl. The wires were linked into a separate battery pack and CPU networked into the main system. The doctor had said the children in the nursery were the children of the scientists here. It dawned on him that the Doctor had to be breeding children from these people without their knowledge. They were the next in line to join their parents in this sick experiment. He stopped and looked at the Doctor, horror on his face.
"These people are wired into computers! You're using them like some kind of sick information hub!" he told him. The Doctor looked stern and stepped toward him.
"Mr. Wolenczak, the ends justify the means. They are in no pain. They are helping to make the world a better place. Better than it has ever been. One day they will be heros!" he defended himself, he was beginning to look angry but Lucas was on a roll and his anger had gotten the better of him.
"You abducted them, just like you did me didn't you? That waitress, you had her steal my wallet so I'd go back for it. You set me up! You're insane!" he railed. He realized to late that he'd pushed the man too far, his face was flushed and he had hauled back his hand. Lucas tried to step back but felt plasma rifles stop his progress. The Doctor struck him hard across the face, nearly toppling him. Lucas fought to right himself, trying to ignore the last body in the bed by him. He didn't think he could stand to see another of their faces, lying there like they had been laid out for a funeral. Despite his best efforts he did see the face of the person in the bed and he felt his knees go weak, he sagged, bracing himself on the bottom rung of the bed for support.
The golden blonde hair had been cut shorter, to the shoulders. The eyes were shut as if in sleep, a respirator tube was wedged in the mouth, but there was no mistaking the face.
"Alex," he breathed.