The pod broke the surface of the water and the floatation ring engaged allowing
the tiny vessel to stabilize and the occupants to escape. On Brody's command
Dagwood opened the hatch. A gust of sea spray blew into the cabin. "Nice
balmy day for a sail," Brody hollered over the wind as he tossed the raft
out and watched it inflate. He hauled it back by the line he held till it
was butted up against the hatch. "O. K. Everybody gather up your gear and
hop in."
"Are you sure it's safe, Lieutenant? It looks awfully small and tippy," Dagwood
worried.
"Lot safer than this pod. With seas this high it could turn upside down at
any minute. YOU GO FIRST, ORTIZ. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN DRILLED IN THIS."
"WHAT?" Ortiz hollered back.
"INTO THE RAFT. HELP THE OTHERS." He motioned with his hands and Ortiz got
the idea.
Ortiz threw his ditty bag into the raft and jumped in. He got his sea legs
in a minute and reached up to help Lucas. The raft and the pod bobbed like
corks and Lucas was knocked to his knees. "YOU ALRIGHT?" Ortiz yelled over
the noise of the wind. Lucas nodded. "CRAWL TO THE FAR SIDE. HANG ONTO THAT
ROPE." Lucas obeyed. Ortiz reached up to give Dagwood a hand. Dagwood was
so heavy that, for a minute, Ortiz was afraid they'd both fall overboard.
Somehow the big man kept his balance and crawled over by Lucas. Brody threw
some things into the raft and jumped in. Almost reluctantly Ortiz let go
of the pod and the two vessels parted company.
Sea spray hit their hands and faces with the intensity of needles. "WE NEED
SOME SHELTER. HELP ME WITH THE CANOPY," Brody hollered to Ortiz who did not
understand the words but helped him pull the canopy out of its compartment
and set it up. The canopy afforded some protection from the wind and the
rain that began minutes after it was in place but the motion of the high
seas was very evident. It didn't take too long before a very green looking
Ortiz groaned "Oh God." He lifted up the canopy on his side, stuck his head
out and got sick. He didn't look much better when he let himself fall back
into the raft and refastened the canopy.
"I don't believe it!" Brody laughed. "You're Navy and you're seasick!!"
"That's why I went to submarine school," Ortiz moaned miserably.
Again Brody laughed but Ortiz was too sick to care.
"Look on the bright side, Miguel," Dagwood said sympathetically. "At least
you got your hearing back."
Ortiz tried to nod but the motion made him feel more nauseous. He put his
arm over his eyes and tried to go to sleep.
"Looks like he's down for the count," Brody said sarcastically. "Here, Lucas,
see what you can do with this radio while I check our supplies."
"What should I do, Lieutenant?" Dagwood asked.
"Watch him. See that he doesn't fall overboard." Brody shook his head as
Ortiz once more dove for the railing.
Dagwood dutifully grabbed Ortiz' legs.
"The radio is wet, Lieutenant," Lucas said with disgust.
"Well, take it apart. Piece by piece and dry it out. What else have you got
to do, anyway?" Brody fought for patience. 'What could be worse than being
stuck in a survival raft with two untrained civilians and a seasick sailor?'
Brody asked himself. Two hours later he knew. He also succumbed to Mal de
Mer and joined Ortiz in hanging over the floatation collar of the raft as
it rode up 15 foot waves then slammed back down to the sea only to be picked
up and tossed about some more. Dagwood held each of them by the belt while
Lucas struggled with the radio. Finally it sparked to life.
"M R 4 calling seaQuest. Come in seaQuest!" Lucas hollered
over the ever worsening storm.
"Captain!" Lt. O'Neill called to Bridger who was standing at the navigation
station.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Sir, I have Lucas."
"Put it on the speaker. Are you alright, Lucas?" Bridger commanded.
"I'M FINE, CAPTAIN, SO'S DAGWOOD," Lucas hollered above the storm. "BUT LT.
BRODY AND ORTIZ ARE VERY SEASICK."
This report met with various chuckles around the bridge.
"IT'S NOT REALLY ALL THAT FUNNY, "Lucas flared angrily.
"No, it isn't," Bridger said with an air that silenced all laughter. "Lucas,
there should be seasick pills in with the emergency supplies.
"WE TRIED THAT. THEY CAN'T KEEP ANYTHING DOWN. WE NEED TO GET THEM BACK ON
SEAQUEST. WHEN ARE YOU COMING?"
"I'm afraid we've been ordered ahead to New Atlantis."
"YOU'RE JUST DESERTING US?!!"
"Of Course not. The UEO has dispatched someone. Help's on the way."
"WHEN WILL THEY GET HERE? AND I'D REALLY APPRECIATE THE TRUTH." Lucas
was emphatic.
"Tomorrow afternoon." Bridger was honest.
"THEY COULD BE DEAD BY THAT TIME. ORTIZ IS BARELY CONSCIOUS NOW."
"Lucas, I'm going to have Tim patch you into med-bay. Maybe Wendy can help
you out, but hang in there. You're doing fine."
"I WON'T BE DOING FINE TILL I'M OUT OF THIS RAFT," Lucas vowed.
"Oh, he sounds like he's having the time of his life," Bridger muttered.
"He'll be okay, Captain," Kreig said. "He got through it the last time just
fine, didn't he, Jonathan?"
"Kreig's right, sir. And we had hurricane conditions then," Ford agreed.
"That's right," Bridger suddenly remembered. "He's been through this before."
"Course, none of us got seasick," Kreig smirked.
"What the hell are you doing on my bridge again?"
"Just leaving, sir," Kreig assured him ducking out of sight.
Captain Katherine Hitchcock donned a waterproof poncho and shoved hard against
her cabin door. It opened out into the rain and wind. Hand over hand she
made her way to the bridge. Their present course skirted most of the storm
but she liked to be on the bridge when anything unusual was happening. With
great difficulty she yanked the bridge door opened and stepped inside. She
had the urge to shake like a dog but contented herself with just brushing
as much of the rain away as she could before she walked up to the wheel.
"Good evening, Captain," gushed Alexander, her first mate. He was the most
flamboyant GELF she'd ever met. Alexander was an artist at heart, not a seaman.
The GELFs were so efficient, she found herself having to find work for them
at times. She has assigned Alexander the task of painting the bridge tower.
To her complete surprise, the GELF painted a detailed mural depicting the
high points of their voyage. She didn't have the heart to tell him to paint
it over in plain nautical gray. They could do that when the Carlton
was in dry dock for routine maintenance after this tour.
"Good evening, Alexander. How's everything going?"
"Everything is fairly routine except that we've picked up an emergency beacon."
"Not another one." She was disgusted. "Probably some more drunken partiers
wanting to watch the rafts deploy like the last four, but with weather like
this maybe we should check it out. See if you can get a fix on the registry
of the signal."
"Aye, sir," Benjamin answered, as he was still on duty.
She wanted to correct him but let it go and tried to wait patiently for an
answer.
"Here we are, sir. This beacon is registered to a launch belonging to the
seaQuest."
"The seaQuest?! Well, they wouldn't be joking around. Lock in on those
co-ordinates, Alexander."
"As you wish, Captain," Alexander complied but Benjamin raised an objection.
"Captain, those co-ordinates take us off course and decidedly closer to the
storm. Are you sure that ---"
"I'm sure that Maritime Law clearly states we must offer any and all assistance
when people are in trouble. Lock in those co-ordinates. All ahead full. How
long till we rendezvous?"
"Even at our accelerated speed it should be nearly three hours," Alexander
reported.
"I'll be back in two hours. I'm going to make ready for a sea rescue." She
went back out into the storm. This would put them behind schedule but she'd
take her ship through a storm to help anybody and she'd take it through hell
to help the seaQuest.
It was nearly four hours since he'd spoken to seaQuest. The storm
showed no real sign of abating but the seas were a little bit flatter. At
least Wendy had told them how to help Brody and Ortiz a little bit. Brody
lay on his side wrapped in a blanket. He quietly moaned with each breath
but that was not as unnerving as Ortiz' deathly silence. Ortiz
was extremely
pale and his lips were cracked and bleeding. Wendy had said they had to drink
to keep from dehydrating but Ortiz would not cooperate. Dagwood had tried
to hold a wet cloth to his mouth but that tortured his cracked lips. Ortiz
was as limp as a rag doll as Dagwood patiently sat him up to try again. Lucas
signed and fought to retain control of his own ragged emotions. The story
of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner sprang unbidden into his head. He'd been
six the first time he'd read it and it had given him nightmares for years.
Now he was in the mariner's place helpless as he watched his shipmates die.
He shuddered.
"Are you cold, Lucas? There's more blankets," Dagwood offered kindly.
"No thanks, Dagwood, I'm alright."
"I don't like this little rubber boat at all," Dagwood admitted.
"You don't feel sick, do you?" Lucas worried.
"Dagwood never gets sick." Dagwood found the idea humorous. "You're not sick
are you, Lucas?"
"Me? No. I was the champion roller coaster rider of my block when I was a
kid. Motion never bothered me. The wilder the ride, the better I like it."
"If this was a roller coaster, would you like it?"
"Yes, I probably would."
"Why don't you pretend it is a roller coaster? Then maybe you wouldn't look
so worried."
Lucas smiled. "It shows huh? And here I thought I was being so cool."
"Is it uncool to worry about your friends?"
"No, Dagwood, it's cool to worry about your friends," he said softly. "But
I'm sure they will be alright. They are not so sick any more. The Captain
said help would be here tomorrow."
"I hope that is soon enough."
"Me too, Dagwood, me too." He leaned his head back on the flotation collar
and closed his eyes. He let the motion of the sea lull him to sleep.
"Captain, I really must object," Alexander repeated. "I don't believe
it is proper for the captain to go on a rescue mission in seas such as these."
"Protocol says....."Benjamin began.
"To hell with protocol!" she flared. She'd never imagined she would ever
say those words. "I'm the only one that's been trained in sea rescue. I've
got to go. William, Martin and James, you're with me. Once we're in
the dingy, the rest of you lower us over the side. That's an order!"
Katie peered through the oppressive blackness of the storm in search of the
survival raft. She knew that the GELFs, with their genetically improved vision,
would spot it first even though she used her night vision binoculars. It
was William who called. "Over there, Captain. To the port 15 degrees!"
"Make for the raft with all due speed," she called even though she did not
yet see it. She trusted their vision.
Lucas thought he heard a familiar voice calling his name but he did not want
to awaken.
When
the persistent voice was joined by a jolting shake of his shoulder he was
forced to open his eyes. He couldn't believe what he saw. "Hitchcock,...are
you a dream?" he gasped sleepily.
"That's the nicest thing any one has said to me all day," she laughed.
He had forgotten that laugh and the way it made him feel. He remembered the
hours they had spent together designing the Stinger. He remembered the crush
he had had on her and hoped she'd never guessed it. He didn't care about
being cool at the moment. He threw himself into her arms praying she was
not a mirage.
She hugged him for a minute and then became all business. "We'll take you
back to my ship," she said. "What's your situation? Anyone injured?" She
spotted the lumps beneath the blankets.
"No." Lucas, too, became more businesslike. "But Lt. Brody and Chief Ortiz
have been very seasick. I'm afraid they are badly dehydrated."
Ortiz she knew. She had, in fact, recommended he stay on the seaQuest
in her final evaluation of him. He was an excellent Sensor man even if he
did need to be leaned on every now and then to keep him in line. She didn't
know any one named Brody but what really surprised her was the presence of
a GELF.
Lucas saw her stare at him. " This is Dagwood. Dagwood, this is, uh, Captain
Hitchcock."
"I am very pleased to meet you, Captain," Dagwood formally extended his hand.
She took it without hesitation. "Pleased to meet you too, Dagwood. WILLIAM,"
she hollered over her shoulder.
To Lucas' surprise a GELF poked this head into the opening of the canopy.
"Yes, Captain?" William answered.
"Help Lucas into the dingy, then come give us a hand. We've got two stretcher
cases here."
Lucas noticed that William was not quite as big as Dagwood but seemed equally
strong as he pulled him to his feet. He handed him off to a second GELF who
helped him into the waiting dingy. This man's strength made him feel like
a small child again but with the height of the seas, he was glad of it.
"I'm James," the GELF told him. "This is Martin."
"I'm Lucas." Lucas nodded in greeting.
Martin handed him a poncho which he gladly donned as the rain and the sea
spray soaked him to the skin. Next William and James lifted Ortiz out. He
was wrapped in a blanket that was made of a thermal quilted material that
looked like aluminum foil but was supposed to be very warm. Ortiz still shivered,
so Lucas covered his head as best he could with the edge of his own poncho.
Next came Brody. He covered Brody's face with the other side of it. He thought
they should both stay as dry as possible.
William then helped Dagwood out of the raft and Captain Hitchcock leapt
back into the dingy with the grace of a gazelle. She had a line on the raft
and the dingy came about and headed back to the Carlton. The weather
was too noisy to allow any conversation. It was so dark that Lucas was surprised
when the side of the ship towered in front of them.
William leapt to the iron ladder and helped him up. Lucas trudged up it,
not daring to look back. When he got to the rail two female GELFs helped
him onboard. The rolling of the deck made him feel very unsteady. They must
have anticipated this problem because they held on to him till he got his
balance.
"Are you alright?" one hollered above the storm.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"All the same, you'd better come to the infirmary," she insisted.
"No, my friends are sick. They need help."
"You will all come to the infirmary. Anna is waiting. She's our medic. She'll
know what to do." The woman dragged him down the deck. He craned his head
around to see William climb up onto the deck carrying a blanket clad bundle.
He couldn't be sure who it was. James followed with the other. He could see
Dagwood and Hitchcock and Martin climb onto the deck. Martin also carried
a bundle. He realized it was their deflated raft. Martin and the other woman
stowed the dingy while Hitchcock followed the procession to the infirmary.
The infirmary seemed overly bright compared to the dark night.
"These two are just wet," Hitchcock indicated Lucas and Dagwood, "but we
have two who are very badly dehydrated."
William put his bundle down. Anna unwrapped the blanket to reveal Ortiz who
groaned at all the motion. "He looks awful," Hitchcock commented. "I've never
seen him this pale."
"You know him, Captain?" Anna was surprised.
"Yes. I served with him on the seaQuest."
"I'll take care of him," Anna promised. "Corrine, William, get him out of
those wet clothes while I check on the other one." She walked over to the
second bunk where James had deposited Brody. He had also begun to unwrap
him.
"LOOK!" James called to the others.
"Well, well, well," Anna said noncommittally "Lt. Brody."
"You know HIM?" It was Hitchcock's turn to be surprised.
The noise had caused Brody to awaken from his fitful sleep. "Anna?" he rasped
in what he had left of a voice.
"Yes, Lieutenant, it's Anna. I'm going to fix you right up. Just relax."
"I gotta get up." Brody suddenly made the attempt but he was too weak.
"Ut ut ut, Lieutenant, you are my prisoner now," she chuckled. "I
say you stay put."
"But my men?"
"Everyone will be fine. Now you lay still or I'll be forced to sedate you."
"Where the hell am I?" he tried to demand forcefully but couldn't pull it
off.
"You're onboard the Supertanker Carlton. I'm Captain Katherine Hitchcock.
We just retrieved you and your team from your survival raft. You just relax
and let Anna take care of you. We'll talk later."
"If I'm dreaming don't wake me," he smiled
She'd forgotten about bad pick up lines and flirting sailors. "Since you're
practically delirious I'll let that slide. But don't let it happen again,
Lieutenant." She turned smartly. "Come on, Lucas, Dagwood. Let's get you
into some dry clothes and find some hot food for you. We'll check back on
them in a little while."
"I'm hungry," Dagwood admitted.
"William, show them where they can get hot showers and give them some dry
clothes then get them something to eat. I'll meet you in the mess hall."
Hitchcock went back to her quarters. She buzzed the infirmary. Anna answered.
"How are our guests?" Hitchcock asked.
"Like most humans, they are not the most co-operative of patients but I'm
sure I can handle them."
"I'm sure you can, too," Katie laughed "Are they still seasick?"
"The dark one is not merely seasick. He has an injury to his middle ear probably
caused by water pressure which is causing severe vertigo."
"Is that serious?"
"No. I can repair him."
Hitchcock laughed to herself at Anna's choice of words. "What about the other
one?"
"I can find no sign of injury to Lt. Brody. He was apparently suffering only
from motion sickness. Both are severely dehydrated though and I am rehydrating
them with IV fluids. They should be much better by morning."
"OK, Anna, thank you. I'll leave you to your work."
"Good night, Captain." Anna switched off her intercom.
Katie sat for a minute thinking then she reached for her private line and
keyed in the codes she knew all too well. She almost felt like she was calling
home. Did she miss the seaQuest that much?
Lt. jg Tim O'Neill sat at the communications console. His watch was over
but he was still catching up with his communications logs. Ben Kreig must
have made 100 calls trying to replace the cargo that had been lost when the
shuttle self-destructed. He really didn't like to think about that. He knew
his friends were stuck in a survival raft in a storm. This was what he hated
about the military. Individuals didn't matter. It was only the mission that
was important. He'd had to train in one of those rafts in a pool and he'd
nearly gotten sea sick then. He could imagine what it would be like in the
open sea during a storm. An involuntary shudder overtook him.
"Are you alright, O'Neill?" Cmdr. Ford asked him. Ford also worked late on
some 
papers.
Ford spent much of his off duty time on the bridge trying to drink it all
in and learn everything there was to learn.
"Oh yes, sir. I was just thinking about Miguel and Lucas and the others,"
he admitted quietly.
Ford suddenly looked tired. For a split second he dropped his command facade.
Tim could see Ford was worried too and hated these orders as much as he did.
"They'll be alright," he said, trying to convince them both.
"Once they are back on seaQuest," Tim finished trying to hide the
disgust he felt that they would not be rescuing them themselves.
"Once they are back on seaQuest, their real troubles begin," Ford
smiled.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Brody and Ortiz will never hear the end of it. Two Navy guys folding and
two civilians not," he laughed.
Tim laughed too. He needed to. He wore his headset around his neck so he
wasn't sure he heard it. He put them back in place. "We have a call coming
in from.." he paused for a minute as he placed the voice "....Captain Hitchcock
of the Channing Supertanker Carlton."
"Katie," Ford smiled broadly not even realizing he'd spoken aloud. "Go ahead
put it on the screen."
O'Neill obeyed and tactfully made no response to Ford's obvious delight at
her call.
"Jonathan," Hitchcock smiled in greeting.
"Captain Hitchcock," he returned with respect.
"What are you two still doing on duty at this hour?" she teased them.
"We might ask you the same thing," Ford teased back. "I thought tanker captains
kept bankers' hours."
"Well, normally that's very true, Jonathan. But tonight we had kind of a
special event to break up the routine. We found a little something that
seaQuest lost."
"You picked up the raft?! Are they alright?" Ford yelled. His worry causing
him to drop his military decorum momentarily.
"Lucas and Dagwood were only wet and hungry. Ortiz has a middle ear injury
that my medic can fix. Brody was only seasick but still managed to be obnoxious."
"That's Brody alright," Ford laughed
"They'll probably be back on their feet by tomorrow. How can I get 'um back
to you?"
"That might be a problem. We've been ordered to New Atlantis at full speed.
The UEO was going to dispatch someone to pick them up. Where are you heading?"
"Back to home port."
"Which is in the opposite direction," Ford thought outloud.
"With this weather they could never copter them off my deck."
"Under the circumstances, I guess your stuck with them. When they reach port
have them contact the UEO office there to arrange transport. It looks like
we'll be stuck at New Atlantis for a while, so I guess they will have to
come there."
"Do I detect a note of disapproval in your voice?"
"Only about that scientific boondoggle."
"Hey, that boondoggle is not funded by the public. My boss is footing the
bill. I wouldn't mind seeing it myself."
"You wouldn't happen to have any leave coming up?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Why don't you come with them, as my guest. I'd love to show you the new
seaQuest."
"I'd love to see it."
"It's a date then. So to speak."
"So to speak," she agreed.
"Don't take any grief from Brody."
"Me? Jonathan, you know better than that."
"If anyone can whip him into shape, it's you," Ford laughed.
"I don't think I will have to. You see my crew is made up of GELFs from the
old GELF colony. They all know Lt. Brody very well. I don't expect to have
a lick of trouble from him. GELFs are very loyal."
"I know. We have Dagwood, remember."
"How did a GELF get onto seaQuest?" she wondered.
"It's a long story. We'll save it for New Atlantis."
"Until then."
"Good night, Captain. And thanks again for your assistance."
"Good night, Commander, Lieutenant."
The screen went dark. "I'd better go tell the captain," Ford decided.
"I could buzz him," O'Neill offered.
"Good news I like to deliver in person," Ford told him. "Besides you look
beat. Why don't you call it a night?"
"I've only got three more log entries to make. Then I will," O'Neill promised.
"Good night, Commander."
"Good night," Ford called over his shoulder as he left the bridge.
O'Neill went back to work but pondered what he'd seen. He had never been
aware of anything between Ford and Hitchcock but there must have been. Still,
it was no one's business but their own. None of this would go any farther.
He was in communications but was not a gossip.
Rupert Channing slammed the report down on his highly polished desk. "Are
you absolutely certain about this?" he barked at the nervous young man in
the thousand dollar suit who stood across the desk from him.
"Yes sir. The seaQuest has been ordered to New Atlantis."
"Damn! I was so specific with Kristin about having no military involvement!
I'd better get down there. Make the arrangements."
"Yes sir." The young man left the office and Rupert wheeled himself around
to the holographic image of New Atlantis on a projection table in the center
of his massive office. He gazed at it lovingly. "No one is screwing up my
dream - not even seaQuest."
The next morning Brody and Ortiz joined Lucas and Dagwood for breakfast in
the cozy little mess hall of the Carlton. Since the crew was so small
it was more family style than military style.
"Look at this, Dagwood," Lucas teased, "they're walking around under their
own power. Good thing us civilians didn't get seasick."
"I didn't get seasick," Ortiz said simply as he reached for some coffee.
"Anna says all that water pressure injured something in my middle ear. Guess
that's why I couldn't hear."
"Did you hurt your ear too?" Dagwood asked Brody.
"No," Ortiz laughed. "He was just plain old seasick."
Brody glared at him. He thought quickly, "Course with seas like that who
wouldn't have been."
"We weren't," Dagwood pointed out. "GELFs don't get motion sickness. And
Lucas was a roller coaster champion when he was a kid."
"Oh, I hated roller coasters," Ortiz commented. "I always barfed when...."
"Do you mind?" Brody snapped as he was about to take a bite of scrambled
eggs. He was starving and had dished himself up a healthy serving of eggs,
sausage and biscuits. He noticed that Ortiz had only taken juice and coffee.
"You'd better eat something."
"No thanks. I can sit at the same table with food but I'm not ready to actually
eat any yet."
No one had noticed Anna come up behind them until she stood at Ortiz' shoulder
and set a plate in front of him. There was a piece of dry toast and a poached
egg on the plate. "You will eat," she said simply.
"No really." He smiled his most charming smile. "I can't. Thanks all the
same."
Anna picked up the plate. "Corrine," she called to the gelf on kitchen duty.
"Put this through the blender then bring it back to me along with the turkey
baster."
"What for?!" Ortiz gasped.
"If you cannot make yourself eat. I will have to make you eat."
"Alright, already! I'll eat it. Oy!" Ortiz took the plate back.
"See that he does," Anna told Dagwood.
"Yes ma'am," Dagwood saluted smartly, happy to have an assigned task.
"She's worse than my mother," Ortiz grumbled after Anna had left. "Bland
food like this could kill a Cuban," he continued to complain as he
cut up the toast.
"Are you expecting someone?" Lucas asked Brody, whose eyes had been scanning
the room. He looked up each time the door opened.
"I was just wondering where Captain Hitchcock was." He tried to sound
blasé.
"Been and gone," Lucas reported.
"Maybe I'll go find her," Brody stated casually.
Ortiz laughed.
"Something funny?" Brody was ready to fight.
"No, no, it's just that - can I give you some friendly advise, off the record?"
"What?"
"Forget about it."
"Forget about what?"
"You know what. Captain Hitchcock. When she was on the seaQuest we
used to call her the Iron Maiden behind her back. She's all business, believe
me. A real perfectionist. Nothing was ever good enough for her."
"Meaning she wrote you up?"
"Not just me. Everybody. Even O'Neill once and you know he's practically
vying for sainthood as far as his job performance is concerned."
"Maybe she just hasn't met the right guy yet."
"I'm tellin' ya, Lieutenant. You're barkin' up the wrong tree," Ortiz cautioned.
"Finish your breakfast. As CO here, it's my duty to report to the Captain
and arrange for transport back to seaQuest." Brody got up and left.
Ortiz shook his head as he continued to play with his food. He pushed the
plate away. Dagwood pushed it back. "Dagwood, I've had enough."
"You haven't had any, you just moved it around the plate. I've been watching.
Eat. Doctor's orders."
"Are you going to sit here and watch me all day?"
"If that's what it takes."
"Now you sound like my mother," Ortiz grumbled and forced himself
to take a bite of food.
Brody spotted the captain in the wheel house. He stood by the railing just
below the stairs and gazed out over the ocean. Now that the storm had passed
it was even more magnificent than before. A school of marlins played in the
distance. A feeling of serenity came upon him. He never even heard the captain
approach.
"This must be odd for you."
"What leaning
on the rail, instead of over it?" He'd caught the tease in her voice and
assumed it was do to his recent bout with sea sickness.
"No, that's not what I meant." Her pale blue eyes caught his for a moment
then glanced out to the horizon. "I meant being here with the GELFs again.
Lucas told me you were once their warden."
"I never treated the GELFs badly," he flared. "I don't think there's anything
wrong with them just because of the way they were created. I actually have
a lot in common with them. I was genetically engineered myself, you might
say. My mother was artificially inseminated. She wanted a baby but no husband
if that makes any sense." He had no idea why he had shared all that with
her. It had just come out before he'd had time to think. If she was going
to consider him a freak he might as well find out about that now. He was
not expecting the reaction he got. She grabbed his arm and spun him toward
her.
"Oh, but it makes perfect sense," she said enthusiastically. "I sometimes
feel that way myself. I love children. I want to have children one day."
"What about a husband?"
"No thanks. Been there. Done that."
"It would make things easier."
"I don't care about the easy way for myself, I only worry about the child.
What was it like without a father? Did you feel like you missed out?"
"I have nothing to compare it with. But it would have been a whole lot easier
to have had a dad around when she died."
"Oh, I'm sorry. This was too personal. I shouldn't have asked you about it.
I guess being with the GELFs so much has made me forget all my people skills
which I was never overburdened with to begin with," she laughed.
"I know. The GELFs are honest. I wish we could be more like them. If I were
a GELF, for instance, I could say you have a great laugh. And you would know
it was not just a come on, but an honest comment. But, of course, I'm not
a GELF and if I said that you'd have to be suspicious and get angry and,
well, it would just be a mistake."
"If you want to go fishing, maybe I could find you some gear." She saw right
through him.
"Fishing's good. I like fishing," he smiled. He turned his back on the rail
and looked at the mural on the bridge tower. "This is nice."
"Yeah, um." She was slightly embarrassed. "I have discovered that you must
be very specific when ordering GELFs to paint something." She laughed again
then became more serious. "I contacted seaQuest. They've been ordered
on to New Atlantis so you guys are to come into port with me. Once we make
port we'll arrange with the UEO for passage to New Atlantis. I've been invited
to come see it with you."
Brody brightened but tried to be subdued. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot
of each other then."
"Well, I do have ship to run here. But why don't you, and I mean the four
of you, come to my cabin for diner. I'd love to hear how you guys ended up
where I found you. See you tonight." She turned and headed down to the engine
room. She left Brody at a complete loss in knowing where he stood, exactly
as she had intended to do.
Captain Nathan Bridger sat by the moonpool in sea deck absently playing catch
with Darwin. Dr. Wendy Smith approached him. "Penny for you thoughts," she
offered.
"Offering to buy what you can snatch any time," he teased.
"You know me better than that." She pretended she was insulted. She reached
over and petted Darwin's melon. "I heard about Lucas and the others. I'm
so glad that ordeal is over with."
"We all are," he agreed.
"So, that's not it. What has you so worried?"
"Do I look worried?"
"In a word - yes."
"Well, I'm not so sure it's worried. More anxious."
"About New Atlantis?"
"Yeah."
"Not about who you might meet there?" she teased.
"What's that crack supposed to mean?"
"An old friend of mine is there, too. Dr. Josh Levin. You know him. He was
on seaQuest last tour. It was he that suggested I put in for duty
here."
"I'll have to thank him for that." Bridger was his usual gallant self.
"The point is, I'm looking forward to seeing Josh. I'm not anxious about
it."
"Are you
psychoanalyzing me?"
"Just helping you do it for yourself. It's perfectly alright to have feelings
for Dr. Westphalen. I've seen her. She's a beautiful women as well as being
brilliant." Wendy threw Darwin a fish. "I'd be more worried if you didn't
have those feelings. If I were you, that is."
"What are you getting at?"
"As Lucas or Tony would say - Go for it."
"And since when do I take romantic advise, or any other kind from those
two?"
"Everything is simple at their age. Maybe that's how it should be."
"I don't think you're long enough in the tooth to be doling out such sage
wisdom."
"Well, as your doctor, I'm telling you to enjoy yourself a little and don't
scowl so much. You'll get wrinkles." She turned and headed for the door.
"I happen to like my wrinkles. They make me look distinguished," he called
after her.
"Bridger
decide?" Darwin chirped.
"Decide what?"
"Which mate?"
"Shut up!" Bridger splashed the dolphin playfully. "If you're going to get
ideas like this I won't let you hang around Lucas and Tony anymore."
"Lucas and Tony not want one female for mate. Want all females for mates.
Humans very strange."
"You got that right, Pal," Bridger laughed.
Rupert Channing jr. got out of a black Mercedes sedan. He had to put on
his shades against the bright Island sun. Two barefoot, little boys in shabby
shorts ran by hitting a can with a stick. Farther down the shell rock road,
chickens scratched. Derelict cars rusted in the sun. He paid no attention
to any of this. He crossed to a corrugated tin building that served as a
combination boat house and warehouse. The door was poorly hung and warped.
He had to really put his shoulder into it to get it opened.
It was comparatively dark inside. He removed his shades. A dozen seedy looking
men lounged around in here. Some played cards. Some played pool. All drank
beer. Rupert walked up to the card table and addressed the leader. "Everything
ready for tonight?"
"All set, Boss. Not to worry. By midnight the Carlton will be in Davy
Jones' Locker."
"I don't want any screw ups."
"You won't get any." The man stood up. He towered over Channing. "You paid
for the best. You got the best. Simple as that."
"The boat? " Channing decided to change the subject.
"Wanna see it?"
"Yes."
"It's your operation. Hey, Kung Fu," he called to a lithe oriental young
man who was working on martial arts moves. "I got a game goin' here. Show
the man his boat."
Kung Fu wore his long scruffy hair tied back in a ponytail. His fu manchu
beard and eye patch gave him an evil look. He was dressed completely in black
and moved silently as a cat. He eyed Channing for a minute with his good
eye. "Dis way." He motioned for Channing to follow him.
They walked deeper into the boat house. Channing found the heat oppressive
in the tin building. Kung Fu had been working out, but he did not break a
sweat. "How'd ya lose your eye?" Channing asked by way of conversation.
"Oh, I din lose it. I have it in a box in my pocket. Wanna see?"
"No," Channing blanched.
Kung Fu shrugged and walked up to a hulking old fishing boat that hardly
looked sea worthy.
"This is it?"
"Genuine reef hugger boat. On the outside, at least." A smile touched Kung
Fu's lips making him look that much more sinister.
Channing followed Kung Fu onto the boat and below decks where he was shown
all the latest gear. The fishing boat was just a facade for a very sophisticated
weapon of destruction.
"Everyting be fine. Jes like las time," Kung Fu promised.
"Just make sure any surviving crew thinks it was reef huggers. That means
no guns. Reef huggers never use guns. But you don't have to be so careful
about the crew's lives. This crew is all GELFs except the captain and she's
a woman. This should be even easier than before." Channing laughed and Kung
Fu joined him.
To be continued.......
Screen captures courtesy Patt. Be sure to check out her great website seaQuest screen captures & sound files