Chapter Four


UEO Pearl Harbor

Lieutenant Denice Jackson was restless as she continued her sensor data analysis while awaiting word about what her reconnaissance team found on that island. She knew it belonged to Nathan Bridger and a small part of her hoped it was good news she'd receive when Lieutenant Commander Bridger reported in on the situation. She was having a problem concentrating on the data coming in so she figured she'd have one of the other analysts monitor things for the time being. Just as she was starting to send off a message to one of the analysts in her department, her vid-link rang.

"Jackson," she said as she answered her vid-link. Lieutenant Commander Robert Bridger showed up on the vid-link. "Lieutenant Commander, I assume you are calling to report on the situation at the island?"

"Yes, Lieutenant. And you will not believe what I found," Bridger reported. Jackson looked at Bridger curiously, seeing the slightest hint of a smile on his face. While Bridger rarely showed emotion, she knew that slight hint meant it wasn't Bourne up to something nor was it some kind of marine animal population.

"What did you find, Bridger?" Jackson said, her stomach in knots. The suspense was killing her. Usually a very patient person, this situation was completely different.

"I found the SeaQuest crew! Captain Nathan Bridger, Commander Jonathan Ford, Lieutenant Lonnie Henderson, Lucas Wolenczak, and others that were known to be on SeaQuest when she disappeared were all there on the island," Bridger reported. Jackson's eyes lit up.

"What? SeaQuest has been found? Did you find out where they have been for the last ten years and how come they just suddenly appeared a few hours ago?" Jackson fired off questions emphatically. She didn't realize the tone of voice he used when he mentioned Nathan Bridger's name. She knew they were father and son, but she didn't know that Nathan had no clue that his son had been alive all this time. While they were close friends, whenever Denice asked about his family, Robert had always changed the subject.

"No, I was shocked to find the crew alive and wanted to report it immediately," Bridger stated. He had a lot of conflicted feelings and thoughts racing through his head at the moment. He had thought his father and the rest of the SeaQuest crew was dead, and now he knew they weren't. He knew his life going forward was going to be difficult for some time now that his father knows he had been alive all this time. "Hold on, Jackson," he quickly stated as Jackson heard some voices in the background.

Jackson waited for the Lieutenant Commander to return to the vid-link. She assumed there was some more information coming in. She heard the voices but couldn't make out what was being said. She used the time to quickly send off a priority message to Secretary General McGath to be prepared for a teleconference regarding developments upon Bridger's island. A message was received quickly after transmission that McGath will be interrupted and informed.

Bridger reappeared on the vid-link. "The med team that accompanied the reconnaissance team has looked over the crew. For the most part, they are healthy. They are all showing signs of extreme exhaustion and some crew members have some injuries but all in all they are ok," he reported. "I have another team out in the waters surrounding the island looking for SeaQuest herself but so far there is no news regarding the search for the sub."

A message flashed on her vid-link stating that Secretary General McGrath was waiting to be patched in. "Bridger, hold on. Secretary General McGath is ready to be patched in to be informed of the situation." She started typing some commands and soon the vid-link screen divided to show both Bridger and McGath.

"Jackson, Bridger, what is the situation on that island?" McGath asked impatiently. The fact the hearing he was in was very important and he was pulled out of it meant there was some significant development in the situation on the island.

Lieutenant Commander Bridger was the one to speak up to address the Secretary General's question. "Sir, as you know, the data analyst division at the UEO base in Pearl Harbor had picked up a significant bioreading on an island near the Yucatan Peninsula that was owned by the late Captain Nathan Bridger of SeaQuest. Upon arrival at the island, the only word I could use to describe what we found is unbelieveable. Sir, the crew of SeaQuest has been found. Bridger, Ford, Henderson, Wolenczak, and the rest of the crew were on the beach," Bridger reported. "Our med team has examined the crew and aside from signs of severe exhaustion and some suffering injuries, they are in perfect health." One of his team members said something in the background and he turned around quickly to receive the updated information.

McGath gasped and sat back in his chair, obviously surprised. He had believed long ago that the SeaQuest crew had been killed and the ship lost at sea. After a month of searching for the SeaQuest and years of people monitoring the oceans just in case they could find the SeaQuest wreckage, he never thought they'd truly find them, much less alive. "I don't believe it. Ten years missing and they show up on Bridger's island? And they are all completely healthy?"

Bridger turned back towards the vid-link after conversing with his team member. "Sir, I have some additional information I just received. Apparently, not all of the crew is accounted for. There are three crew members missing: Dr. Wendy Smith, Sensor Chief Miguel Ortiz, and Lieutenant James Brody are unaccounted for." Both Jackson and McGath gasped at the news. Jackson knew Brody personally from when he was in charge at the GELF colony before it went into revolt over a decade ago.

McGath stared at the vid-link. His mind was reeling with the news of the missing crew members and wondered how come they were unaccounted for. He quickly typed a message to his assistant to prepare transportation for himself to the island. "Is there any sign of SeaQuest herself, Lieutenant Commander?" With everything that has happened since her disappearance, that was one of the biggest questions on his mind at the moment.

Bridger quickly consulted with his ensign who was monitoring all the sensors and returned to the vid-link. "No, sir. So far, our sensors and search teams have not been able to find any sign of the SeaQuest anywhere in the vicinity of the island." That news didn't sit well with McGath at all. He needed SeaQuest back and back fast before Bourne did any more damage.

"Jackson, are your sensors picking up the SeaQuest anywhere in the world?" he addressed his data analyst. He knew her station could easily scan the globe in a few minutes for any signatures.

"No, sir. I have employed all our satellites to look for any signature of the SeaQuest and we have not been able to find her at all," Jackson informed the Secretary General. She knew that the Secretary General wouldn't like hearing that information, but she had to give him the answer. "I have several analysts running several scans looking for her, but at this moment, there is no sign that SeaQuest is anywhere."

McGath growled at that news. It wasn't good that they could not find SeaQuest. "Jackson, I want you to send more launch shuttles to the island. Enough to bring the entire SeaQuest crew to Pearl Harbor for questioning. I want to know where SeaQuest has been for the last ten years. I will be arriving in Pearl Harbor later today. I want some answers when I get there," he said curtly. He gave Jackson the particulars and she assured him someone would be there to escort him to the base. "Keep scanning for the SeaQuest. And Bridger, get the crew ready to be transported to Pearl Harbor." With orders given, he cut off the vid-link from his side and sat back. He couldn't believe it. The SeaQuest crew had been found. But where had they been for the last ten years?

Jackson quickly got the orders compiled and issued for more launch shuttles to be sent to Bridger's island. She looked at the vid-link where Lieutenant Commander Bridger was still there. "Put me on a dedicated channel, Bridger," she stated. She wanted to make sure Bridger, the closest thing to a friend she had, was holding up ok.

Bridger put his headset on, typed in a few commands, and returned his focus back to Jackson. "What is it, Denice?"

"Robert, how are you holding up? I know it must be a complete shock to find the SeaQuest crew after they've been missing for ten years, not to mention coming face-to-face with your father for the first time in over 20 years." She was worried for her friend. He never spoke about his father, so she figured there was some estrangement between the two.

"I am OK, Denice. Just shocked to have found the SeaQuest crew. I haven't even begun to process the fact of coming face-to-face with my father. I don't have the time right now to deal with that aspect," he told Jackson. "I better start getting these people ready to be shipped off to Pearl Harbor for questioning. I'll see you back in Pearl Harbor." He quickly said goodbye and ended the vid-link transmission. He had a lot of work ahead of him and only about an hour to get it done before they headed back to Pearl Harbor.

Jackson sat back and thought about all the information. The SeaQuest crew had been found. That means if they could find SeaQuest, her life would be changing dramatically, as her commission to serve upon SeaQuest was still in her record so if they ever found her, she'd have to leave her home in Pearl Harbor.