Author's Note: Thank you so much to my lovely beta, Darcy, and to all of my reviewers and faithful readers. I hope you're enjoying the story and I appreciate your comments and support.
Healing the Wild - Chapter 3
The launch team approached the cargo docking station. They thought it best to avoid arousing any suspicion from the drug traffickers. Ford headed up the team, which included Chief Crocker and several members of his security team, Lt. Commander Hitchcock, Dr. Westphalen, and a few medical staff members.
As soon as they were docking and getting ready to go in, Commander Ford addressed the team.
"Alright, everyone, stay close. There's no telling what exactly is going on. Last I heard, the WSKRs did not show any signs of the attackers still being docked. Please keep your safety in mind when trying to help these people. Crocker, I want you and your team to secure the area. You all know what to do. Try not to provoke these people. With any luck, they've already gotten what they wanted and are on their way out. Doc, is your team ready for this?"
Kristin nodded. Like everyone else, Ford tried to ignore the fact that something seemed different about her.
"Alright, remember. Stay close. We have people to help."
They all exited the launch, ensuring Crocker and the security team stayed ahead.
When they arrived, Ford spoke up.
"We are with the UEO. My name is Commander Jonathan Ford of the seaQuest. We are here to help you. Who's in charge here?"
Sean Reese spoke up. "I am the coordinator here. My name is Sean Reese."
"Mr. Reese, I understand you have a few injured personnel."
"Yes, they are over there." He pointed to the corner of the room where most of the injured were located. The med team moved to them immediately, while Crocker and his team stood at the doors. Ford continued speaking.
"Do you have any idea what these guys wanted?"
"Well, I'm afraid we are not blameless, Mr. Ford." He spoke with regret. "We've had previous dealings with Alfredo Diaz and his men. You see, they have been using our facilities to grow certain substances which are not necessarily legal. They do this in exchange for our lives. We have been cowards, afraid of reporting them for fear of being attacked. It has been this way for many years. But this time, they found out a little more about our research. They wanted more than what they had gotten before. When we refused, they were not too thrilled. We're not sure what made them leave, but we know they'll be back."
Kristin overheard Reese speaking to Jonathan as she finished up bandaging one of the colony members who had a potential wrist fracture and a scrape on his forehead. She noticed most of the colonists were scientists and the majority of them were men…only a handful of women and children. She looked towards Reese as she finished up, hoping to find out more.
"Mr. Reese, my name is Dr. Kristin Westphalen. I am curious…what sort of research did they seem interested in?"
Reese paused for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Then, he nodded, noting the severity of the situation.
"Well, Doctor, it is something we've been trying to keep secret. If it falls in the wrong hands, it could be very bad…I assure you, this is not something we want to hand over." He didn't want to give this information to strangers, even if they were there to rescue them. Kristin could sense the man's hesitation and thought for a moment before realizing she may know what was going on.
"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the proliferation of life on the reef nearby would it?"
Sean Reese looked shocked at Westphalen.
"How…"
"Mr. Reese, I think I might know a little about what you are talking about. We are here to help. If I could have a word with you, perhaps, privately?" she asked, motioning to an adjoining room. Ford was looking at Kristin in confusion.
"It's alright, Commander. It's…secret research. Captain Bridger is aware of what I'm talking about."
Ford nodded in recognition. She looked back at Reese, who responded, "Alright, Doctor Westphalen. Let's talk next door."
Reese and Kristin walked over to the lab next door and had a seat. Reese looked around to make sure no one else was in the room and that they were alone.
"Alright, Doctor Westphalen. What do you know about our research?"
"Well, the only thing I know is that we stumbled upon a reef that only a few weeks ago was on the verge of dying. All of a sudden, it seems to have flourished, and we aren't sure why. What we do know, after studying a few of the fish and coral, is that they have levels of enzymes well beyond the normal range and that they are able to heal themselves and perform various cellular reactions quicker than normal. We haven't been able to isolate everything just yet, but only three of us on the entire ship are aware of what might be going on, including the captain. We figured it was best to keep this quiet until we understood what was happening."
Reese nodded his head. "And that is all you know?"
"Well, so far that's all we've been able to gather. We had just stumbled on this when you called."
"And you know nothing of what's caused this?"
Kristin shook her head. "I was hoping you'd be able to fill me in."
Reese took a deep sigh. "Well, I suppose you understand the implications of this research. In the right hands, it can save lives. But it can also be a Pandora 's Box of evil. You see, I typically study living organisms and try to mimic or enhance their abilities through technology. In our work, we've stumbled upon something accidentally…as these things tend to happen…and, while we are excited about the possibilities, we cannot ethically unleash this into the world. What you have seen in this reef is the original intention of the project. We were hoping to facilitate the healing process in dying environments. However, one of our enhancements proved to be a little more potent than expected. Mind you, we have only tested it on this reef, but it is having the effect we expected…we just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. We used this discovery on some of these creatures in our lab. After releasing them in the wild, they seemed to flourish and mate and create new life. What we're not so sure of is what the future holds."
"You released them without knowing what would happen?"
"Well, it's in the name of science, Kristin. We wanted to understand this potential cure…to save living reefs."
Kristin nodded hesitantly. "And this…Alfredo Diaz…is he aware of what you're doing?"
"I don't think he knows exactly what we've discovered. Although…he is aware we were working on something strong to help heal wounds…we have been providing him with other help." He looked dejected.
" Such as?"
"Well, it's a long story, but a few years ago, this group of men attacked our peaceful colony. As a means of negotiation, they promised they wouldn't hurt anyone as long as we helped them. We've helped them create biological capsules to store and transport their drugs. They can move around without the drugs being detected by security. And they fund our research and supplies. Desperate times, I suppose. We're not proud of it, but it keeps our people alive." He took a brief pause. "Last time they were here, they took my son in the process…they said they will keep him alive as long as he helps them deal drugs as a means of collateral. If we stop helping them, I will never see my son again. They said they would be back to collect more."
Kristin's heart sank after hearing this man's story. Surely, they had been through a lot in the past few years.
"Well, the seaQuest is the most powerful ship in the oceans. We will get your son back and we will help you deal with these people. Right now, we need to find out more about this…what exactly is it? A serum?"
"The best way for absorption is direct skin contact. We've been able to design a special capsule for it using cellular properties. The beauty of this dispensing capsule is it does not work on just any organism. The capsule's semi-permeable membranes are designed to allow for the absorption of the serum only if it detects a weakened or needy immune system. It knows if an organism is in need of healing and it allows for that transfer to occur instantaneously. In a matter of hours, a creature's enzymes are multiplied exponentially."
"That is extraordinary. It's the ultimate immune system."
"Yes, and as I mentioned before, it could be extremely dangerous if it falls in the wrong hands. If these drug traffickers, or any terrorists for that matter, get a hold of what we've discovered, they could use it to their advantage. They'd be almost unstoppable."
"Well, according to what you've told me, we don't know that for sure yet. Is this exponential enzymatic growth continual, or does it taper off eventually?"
"We're not really sure. I assume it hits some sort of threshold. Otherwise, the organism wouldn't be able to survive. It would almost be like a cancer."
Kristin nodded in understanding. "Do you have any samples here we can look at?"
Dr. Reese shook his head. "No, I've hidden what little serum we have left in one of the caves on the reef. I didn't want it to be found if Diaz and his men showed up."
"You wouldn't have happened to put it inside a metal chest, would you?"
Reese stared at her with wide eyes. "Don't tell me you found it."
"I suppose I did. We were simply scuba diving."
"Have you opened it? Did you directly touch the orb?" Dr. Reese seemed in a panic.
"I…well…yes, I rolled it around my hand when we first found it and later on the orb had changed color from blue to pink."
"Did you have any wounds or a weakened immune system?"
"Well, I did have a gash on my hand yesterday…which…was gone…this morning…" She slowly stopped talking as she lifted her healed and younger looking hand, and they both realized what had happened.
"Tell me, doctor…have you noticed anything else…different about yourself?"
Kristin looked at him in disbelief. She didn't have a chance to respond to Dr. Reese's question as the opposite door swung violently open and several armed men came racing in, pointing their weapons. She and Dr. Reese raised their hands in shock and stood up from their chairs. Immediately, four men stepped forward and grabbed each of them. One man with salt and peppered curly hair and a mustache wearing a grey suit stepped forward from the group and looked at them.
"Well, Sean, you disappoint me. It seems you've made new friends since we were here last. I wasn't aware you were throwing a party. Who are your new guests?" He smiled evilly at Kristin, who struggled to break free from the two men holding her arms. Dr. Reese didn't say anything. She knew this must be Alfredo Diaz. He stepped a little closer to her and noticed the badge on her uniform.
"Oh, so you got the seaQuest to stop by. Very impressive, Sean. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alfredo Diaz." He reached for her hand and kissed the top part of it gently, staring at her the whole time. Then he handed it back to the mercenary who held her. "And you are?"
Kristin looked down at the floor, unwilling to answer. Diaz grabbed her roughly by her chin, forcing her to look at him. The man holding her reinforced his grip, making her more uncomfortable. "Now, now, my sweet. Where are your manners? You answer me, or I will not hesitate to destroy you and your new friend. What's your name?" he spoke forcefully.
Kristin released a sigh as she reluctantly gave in. "My name is Dr. Kristin Westphalen."
Diaz smiled as he let her go. "That wasn't so hard. Now that we have those formalities out of the way, Dr. Reese, why don't you hand over some of your latest work and we'll be on our way."
Reese responded. "I don't have any more of the serum. It's all been used. And we don't yet know how it works."
"I hope, for your sake, that's not true. I'm sure you can make more of it. Oh, by the way, my men are taking good care of your little Jeremy." He smiled evilly. "Make sure you have everything you need to finish your work in a timely manner. I'll come back soon to collect my next shipment. In the meantime, we've already collected a few of our crops. It's a pleasure doing business with you, as always."
Diaz looked back at Kristin.
"Now, dear Kristin, why don't we let your friends know who's in charge here so we can leave, shall we?"
Back on the seaQuest bridge…
Captain Nathan Bridger stood in the middle of the cockpit, staring at Lt. O'Neill.
"O'Neill, what can you show us?"
"I've got full access to the security cameras on the Terra Guardi colony."
"Put it on the forward screen. I want to know every detail of what's going on."
"Aye, Cap."
He punched a few buttons and, suddenly, the main screen was alive with several security camera shots from around the complex. Some of them were devoid of people and just showed lab benches, plant fields, a cafeteria, and living quarters. One of the cameras showed a room full of people in a laboratory huddled together. He noticed his people tending to the colonists and scientists. Another camera showed Kristin and the man who had originally contacted the seaQuest being held by men he suspected were part of Diaz's group. And the guy speaking with them looked like it was Diaz himself.
"Damn!" He reached for his PAL unit. "Jonathan, you've got company next door. I think this is our man, Diaz."
No sooner did he speak those words than the doors to the room where most of the colonists and seaQuest crew were opened, and the large group of men came in holding up their weapons. Crocker and his security team took an equally threatening stance. Then, a man with grey hair walked in, followed by the men holding both Kristin and Reese.
The entire bridge watched helplessly at the main screen as O'Neill centered that camera view.
Back at Terra Guardi…
"Now, now, gentlemen. Can't we settle this peacefully?" Diaz spoke condescendingly, but then became serious as he grabbed Kristin, holding her close to him with one arm around her neck while he held up a gun aimed at her right side. "Put down your weapons. You don't want your lovely lady friend to get hurt, do you?"
Commander Ford assessed the situation and looked at Chief Crocker. "Do as he says, Chief." Crocker looked at his men and gave a nod; they dropped their weapons in response.
Diaz spoke up again. "Good. Now that we have that settled, I'm going to have to ask that you and your security team move to the corner over there. Now." He aimed a gun at the far corner of the room.
Ford and his men complied as he spoke up, "What do you want, Mr. Diaz?"
"Oh, I see you know who I am. Well, it's very simple. You see, my friend, Sean, and I had an…understanding…and he failed to hold up his end of the bargain. I am merely letting him know not to cross me again. I just came by to remind him of this. And now you will let me and my men leave quietly."
Dr. Reese spoke up as he struggled with the men holding him. "You won't get away with this, Alfredo."
"Oh, rest assured, Sean. I will. As for you, walk on over with the rest of your new friends." Diaz aimed his gun at Reese, as the man holding him let him go and he reluctantly walked over to join the rest of the crew.
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse us, gentlemen, we need to be going. But it was lovely meeting you. Franco, take the men back to the launch."
His men started making their way to the exit doors towards the launch. Diaz and a few of the men still holding Dr. Reese slowly made their way to the door, watching the seaQuest crew in the corner. Kristin was dragged by Diaz, looking at Jonathan, knowing they couldn't let Diaz get away. In a move that surprised everyone, even herself, she suddenly twisted out of Diaz' grasp with almost superhuman strength and punched him in the face, forcing him to drop his gun. She quickly picked it up, but before she could aim it at Diaz, one of his men quickly shot her in the side. She fell to the floor, holding her side in pain as blood started trickling out of the bullet wound.