Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 12:40:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] Door Into Forever (Part 7) From: Carolyn Wallace Ok--this is the last of it until next week! Have a great holiday! *** seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032 THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** PART 7 Friday, January 14, 2033 (cont) The group in the galley was smaller tonight, just Kate, Lucas and Tim. Henderson and Ortiz had other plans, and Piccolo had traded shifts with another crewman so he was still on duty. Kate was listening, fascinated, as Tim and Lucas told her about their adventures on Hyperion, when someone going through the serving line caught her attention. "Kate? You listening, Kate?" "Huh?" she said. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lucas, it's just... I don't want to be rude; I see he's in uniform, but is that person a GELF?" Lucas turned around to see where Kate was pointing. "Oh, that's Dagwood," he said. "Yeah, he's a GELF. Do you have a problem with that?" he asked defensively. "Dagwood saved my life the very first day he came aboard," Tim said. "He's saved all our lives on a couple of occasions." Kate looked at Lucas and Tim in astonishment, then understanding came and with it an angry expression. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but I was working for GELF rights back before I earned my first degree! Genetically engineered life form or not, anything with that much human DNA is HUMAN to me, whether he was born from a woman or decanted from a birthing chamber. Does that make things crystal clear?" Tim pushed his glasses higher on his nose with one finger. "I'm sorry, Kate," he sighed. "I should have known better." "You both should have," Kate said tartly. She looked at Dagwood with a slightly melancholy expression. "After all, we three KNOW what prejudice feels like, if not to the same degree." "Look, why don't I invite him over," Lucas said, rising from his chair with an apologetic expression on his face. "He loves Darwin, maybe he'd like to go with us after dinner." Kate decided to forgive them after all. "I'd like that," she said with a smile. As Lucas went to fetch Dagwood, Tim debated what he should tell Kate about the big GELF, then decided he would just let Nature take its course. How could he explain Dagwood in thirty seconds or less? Lucas returned leading a bemused looking Dagwood by the elbow. "Dagwood, this is our friend Kate Ruiz. Kate, this is Dagwood." Kate stood so she could meet the GELF on a more equal footing. He was quite imposing, tall and broad of shoulder and completely bald. But his skin contained the colors of the races of Man in their all beautiful variety, and his eyes were large and dark, like her own. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Dagwood," Kate said, extending her hand. Dagwood looked from Kate to Lucas, then down to the tray in his hands. He seemed to be slightly perplexed, but then he put down his tray and extended his hand as well. "PÉpleased to meet you," Dagwood said, his voice a soft, low rumble that Kate immediately liked. Kate took his hand and shook it gravely and he gave her a bashful half-smile. As they sat back down to dinner, Kate asked Dagwood what he did on the seaQuest. The GELF sat up straighter in his chair. "Dagwood is Sanitation Engineer, First Class," he said proudly, giving Kate a salute. Kate suddenly noticed that Lucas and Tim were staring at her quite intently. She also realized that Dagwood appeared to be the same age she was; assuming he had been aboard the seaQuest when it went to Hyperion, he had to be one of the first GELFs created, if not one of the prototypes. Apparently the process had not been... perfected... during his batch. *Oh, boys, give me more credit,* she thought to herself. "Actually, Dagwood, I'm a civilian; you don't have to salute me," she said gently. "In fact, I'm lucky they let me on the seaQuest at all." "If you are a civilian, why DID they let you on board?" Dagwood asked innocently, taking a bite from his hamburger that neatly bisected it. "Because the U.E.O. doesn't have anyone like me," Kate said truthfully. "I'm going to be Commander Kimura's doctor and help her pilot ships like she did for the Chaodai." "Why can't Dr. Perry be Commander Kimura's doctor?" Dagwood asked, still curious. "Because the Chaodai gave Kimura special mechanisms to help her be a pilot. To be her doctor, you have to be part doctor and part mechanic, and that's what I am. Dr. Perry is not." "Oh. Okay," Dagwood said, apparently satisfied. Tim and Lucas exchanged a relieved grin. Dagwood and Kate were going to get along just fine. "Kate's never met Darwin before, Dagwood," Tim said as he sipped from his water glass. "We thought we'd all visit him after dinner. Would you like to come with us?" Dagwood's face took on a look of great concentration as he slowly chewed his hamburger. After a moment, he swallowed. "Yes," he said with a nod, then began methodically eating his French fries, one after the other. "Great! It's a plan," Kate said, deftly spearing a cherry tomato out of her salad with her fork and popping it into her mouth. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Kimura out of the corner of her eye; the commander was once again sitting down at an empty table. *Not yet,* Kate thought to herself. *I'll give her a little time, then make sure I have an iron-clad good reason for having dinner with her. But I promise, Mama, I won't lose her to Judas' sin.* *** After dinner there was a momentary delay in visiting Darwin, as Lucas insisted that Kate change into a wet suit. "You can't really meet Darwin unless you're in the water with him," he declared. "But, Lucas, I don't swim," Kate said anxiously. "I never learned how." "Then stay in the shallow end of the pool," Lucas said pointedly. Kate looked at Tim with frightened eyes. "C'mon, Lucas, stop teasing her," Tim said. "Kate, we'll be right in there with you. You'll be perfectly safe--Darwin wouldn't let anything happen to you." "Um... if you can't swim, why are you on a boat?" Dagwood asked, his brows drawn in a questioning frown. "Right now, Dagwood," Kate said, "that is exactly what I want to know!" But against her better judgment she allowed Lucas and Tim to convince her that all would be well and dutifully went to the women's locker room to change. "It's just like a department store," Lucas called in after her. "Go to the rack and pick out one in your size. I just hope they have one big enough for you!" His only reply was a loud raspberry from the depths of the women's locker room. The men quickly changed and gathered at the entrance of the pool, waiting for Kate. Kate, on the other hand, was unfamiliar with the easiest way of putting on the skin-tight garment and it was some minutes before she finally emerged. Someone had thoughtfully placed a box of hair bands in the locker room; she'd borrowed one to tie back her shoulder length hair, but a few strands had escaped to curl about her ears and cheeks. The three men stared at her with varying degrees of politeness. "Wow," Lucas whispered. "And I thought she looked good in UNIFORM." Tim slapped Lucas on the back of his head. When Lucas turned to look at him incredulously, Tim said, "Watch it... that's my SISTER you're talking about." But some unconscious part of his mind noted that Lucas was right--Kate did look awfully good in a wet suit. Kate, who had heard part of the exchange and surmised the rest of it, ducked her head with a little shy smile. "Shall we go see Darwin now?" she asked. The dolphin wasn't in the pool when they arrived, but Lucas assured Kate that the minute Darwin heard them horsing around in the pool he'd show up. "What do you mean by 'horsing around'?" Kate asked warily as she stood by the edge of the pool. "Oh, you know, stuff like... this!" Lucas grinned evilly as he pushed her into the pool. Kate couldn't help herself; she gave a little scream as she fell in, arms and legs windmilling wildly. Tim and Dagwood immediately jumped in to rescue her, each taking an elbow and helping her find her footing in the shallow end of the pool. Kate came up, sputtering and blinking furiously. "I am going to give your computer SUCH a virus!" she told Lucas as she shook herself free from her rescuers so she could send a huge splash splattering in Lucas' direction. "I'm so worried," he mocked as he jumped in, deluging the other three. Tim and Dagwood wiped their faces with their hands and shook the water out of their eyes, Tim quickly taking his glasses off and rinsing them in the water. Tim turned to Dagwood as he put his glasses back on. "That boy needs to be taught a lesson," he said grimly, and Dagwood nodded. Kate looked on in approval as Tim and Dagwood headed in Lucas' direction. "Now wait a minute, guys, I was just having fun. Hey, c'mon now!" Lucas put up his hands as he backed away from the two striding through the water in his direction. Lucas suddenly decided that discretion would be the better part of valor and turned in a shallow standing dive, swimming frantically to the other end of the pool. "Get him, Dagwood," Tim cried, and the GELF immediately threw himself full-length in the water and swam to Lucas with big, graceful strokes. Lucas had run out of pool; if he swam any farther he'd end up in Darwin's swim tube and if he took *that* he'd soon run out of air. He tried to lever himself out of the pool, but before he could climb out, Dagwood had caught up with him, grabbed the back of his wet suit, and pulled him back into the pool. "Kate does not know how to swim," he lectured Lucas sternly as he dragged the young man back to the shallow end. "You should not have pushed her into the water." "You're the offended party, Kate," Tim told her as Dagwood brought Lucas in front of them, "choose your punishment." Kate stared thoughtfully at Lucas a moment, then a wicked gleam appeared in her eye. "Hmm, I don't know," she said slowly. "Do you think he's ticklish?" "You wouldn't dare!" Lucas said, suddenly struggling to get out of Dagwood's iron grip. "Just watch me," Kate assured him with a grin as she approached him, hands outstretched and fingers dancing. But before she could reach her helpless target there was a great splash and a chattering sound from the other end of the pool. "Darwin! Thank God!" Lucas said with relief. "Dagwood, let me down!" Dagwood looked at Tim and then Kate; both nodded their agreement, albeit grudgingly in Kate's case. The GELF dropped Lucas, who immediately turned to welcome his dolphin friend. "Darwin! Boy, am I glad to see you!" The dolphin made a clacking sound and the translating vocoder Lucas had installed in the pool sent the message to the speakers placed around the room. "Darwin glad to see Lucas." "Darwin, there's someone we'd like you to meet," Lucas said, turning back to Tim, Dagwood, and Kate. "This is Kate," Dagwood said as the dolphin approached. "She does not know how to swim," he added, feeling that this was important information for Darwin to know. There was a hiss and a whistle from Darwin and Kate heard the speakers say "Hello, Kate." "H-hello, Darwin," Kate said, awe-struck. Her first inter-species communication, and it sounded like she was just meeting someone on the street. "Kate should know how to swim," the dolphin said, bobbing his head up and down. "Darwin teach Kate to swim." "Oh, I don't know, Darwin," Kate said, a little frightened. "I've never been any good in the water. I only got in today so that I could say hello to you." "Swimming is EASY," Darwin insisted. "Tim help Darwin teach Kate." "Hey, why not 'LUCAS help Darwin'?" Lucas asked, a little stung. The dolphin turned his head in the young man's direction. "Lucas made Kate scream in the water. Lucas NOT a good teacher." Kate grinned. "Well, we know he's got great hearing," she said. "Start now," Darwin insisted. "Darwin teach Kate to float." With a grace that surprised her, the dolphin swam between Kate and Dagwood and pushed Kate toward the deeper end of the pool with his snout. She stumbled forward awkwardly, arms outstretched. Tim caught her hand and steadied her; Kate threw him a grateful look. "Darwin's right; you really should know how to swim," Tim said as he stepped closer to her. "And where in the world are you going to find a better teacher?" Kate smiled, but Tim could tell that she was extremely nervous. "The first thing you've got to do is relax," he said. "You've got to trust Darwin--he's not going to let you drown. Come on, take a deep breath; you're as safe as you can possibly be." Kate shook the tenseness out of her shoulders and obediently took a deep breath. It seemed to help quell her anxiety, so she took another one. "Kate lie on Darwin; Darwin help Kate float," the dolphin said as he hovered beside her. Kate looked at Tim questioningly; he nodded. He also noted that her hand still gripped his tightly. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "It's okay, I won't let go," Tim said. He smothered a smile before Kate could see it. Who'd have guessed that the almighty Nobel Prize-winning Doctor Ruiz was afraid of the water? God must have been feeling especially mischievous when He arranged for her to be assigned to the seaQuest. Kate tried not to squeal when she felt Darwin brush against her back. Instead, she tried to lean back and rest herself against the dolphin's broad body. His skin was warmer than she had expected, and his body was both firm and resilient. She felt Tim's other hand on the back of her neck as he helped her recline. "Spread your arms and legs, just like a sea star," Tim instructed, and Kate obeyed. She felt Darwin move slightly beneath her, centering her weight along his spine, and tried not to panic. "Now what?" Kate asked, her voice tense. "Now RELAX!" she heard Tim say, although his voice was a little muffled as the water lapped about her ears. "Your body WANTS to float--it's what it does naturally in the water. Enjoy it!" Lucas looked on from the edge of the pool, arms folded across his chest. "Ever feel like a fifth wheel?" he asked Dagwood wryly. Dagwood thought for a moment, then gently prodded himself with his fingers. "Dagwood feels like Dagwood," he said. "Not a wheel." "No, Dag, it's an expression. It means 'to feel useless.'" "I'm not useless--the seaQuest needs me." Lucas sighed. "Look, do you want to go play a video game?" Dagwood thought for a moment. "I thought we were here to see Darwin," he said finally. "Yeah, we were, but I'm just not very interested in spending my Friday night watching 'Swimming 101,'" Lucas replied. "Tell you what--you stick around if you want, I'm going to check out the rec rooms. I'll see you later." Lucas climbed out of the pool, waving at Tim as he passed. Tim nodded, but Kate, who had her eyes closed, missed Lucas' departure. Kate was beginning to think she was getting the hang of floating--in fact, it was kind of fun. She wondered if this was how the astronauts felt when they were in space. Then, briefly, she wondered what it would have been like to have had a REAL childhood, one where her brother Rick might have taken her to the local pool and taught her to float just as Tim was teaching her now. While her parents had tried to help her lead as normal a life as possible, Kate had insisted upon going to college, going to seminars, on living her MENTAL age and not her chronological one. It wasn't that she regretted the decisions of her youth, exactly--she hadn't been very physical as a child and learning was what had made her happy. It was just that at times like these, as she tried to do something most people learned as children, she wished that she'd listened to her parents just a LITTLE bit more. Her reverie was broken by a garbled clapping sound. She opened her eyes and saw Tim with a huge grin on his face. He was applauding herÉ from four feet away. Kate suddenly noticed that she couldn't feel Darwin beneath her and realized that she was floating free. Startled, she tensed up, and her arms and legs began to sink. She tried to correct for that, but she overbalanced and ended up sinking even deeper. Frightened now, Kate began splashing about, only to receive a firm shove right in the middle of her back. She found herself sailing halfway out of the water and into Tim's arms. Tim fell backward, only to be caught by Dagwood. Darwin swam around the three of them, making a clattering sound that the vocoder didn't translate, but which Kate suspected was dolphin laughter. She looked up into Tim's startled face, and she started laughing too. It was infectious--soon Tim joined in, and even Dagwood started to chuckle. "Well, it was a good start," Tim said as he helped Kate stand. "But maybe that's enough for Lesson One." "That's fine by me, Teach," Kate said, still giggling. Then she added, "Excuse me, Teacher-S," saluting Darwin as he swam around them one more time. "Kate float a little today--tomorrow float more," Darwin said. "Will you be free tomorrow?" Tim asked Kate. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I got to keep my landlubber 'nine to five' schedule, even though I have no idea what I'm going to do with my weekends," Kate said. "Well, now you do! Keep tomorrow afternoon free for your swimming lesson," Tim said, wagging a finger in her face like a teacher giving out detention. "Then after that we'll show you what people do for fun around here." "Sounds good," Kate said with a smile. She looked over Tim's shoulder. "Will you be able to come with us tomorrow, Dagwood?" "Um, sure. Fun is good," Dagwood said solemnly. For some reason, this broke Tim and Kate up all over again. After agreeing to meet at the pool at 1400 hours, the three got out of the water, the men heading to their locker room and Kate heading to the women's. She waited until Tim and Dagwood were out of sight, then she went back to the pool and knelt at the water's edge. Darwin obligingly swam up to her. "Darwin, may I ask you a question?" "Kate ask--Darwin answer." "Why did you pick TIM to help teach me to swim? Why not Dagwood, or even someone else? There must be better swimming teachers aboard the seaQuest than Tim." Darwin nodded, then said, "Tim thinks too much--makes Tim sad. When Tim teach Kate, Tim not think, Tim DO. Teaching good for Tim. Makes Tim laugh." "Oh," Kate said, a little amazed at how insightful the dolphin was. "Then thank you for picking Tim, Darwin. I don't want him to be sad, either." She gave the dolphin a friendly caress on the head and left the pool. Darwin watched her go until she had disappeared within the locker room, then nodded again. "KATE good for Tim, TOO," he said. With a deft flip of his body Darwin swam off into the body of the seaQuest. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- How has ONElist changed your life? Share your story with us at http://www.onelist.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 11:23:02 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] Door Into Forever Part 6 From: Carolyn Wallace seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032 THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. PART 6 *** Friday, January 14, 2033 The next morning was easier. Kate slept far better than she'd thought she would and woke up feeling as if she was already getting accustomed to her new schedule. She showered, immensely grateful for the private bath that was part of her guest officers' quarters, then made her way to the galley for something to eat. She ran into Lucas and had breakfast with him, and the two continued catching up on what had happened in each other's lives. After promising Lucas that they'd visit Darwin tonight without fail, she met with Dr. Perry concerning Kimura. Much to Kate's relief, Dr. Perry was not one of those "territorial" types who saw every change of duty as an attack on their authority. On the contrary, she had immediately insisted that Kate call her Beth and then pumped her for all the information she had on the biochip's latest updates. Kate liked Beth and hoped that they could be friends; Kate was gregarious by nature and she missed her friends in San Diego keenly. The morning flew by as she gathered Kimura's records and continued learning the seaQuest's procedures. Before she knew it, it was almost 1400 and time for her next appointment with Kimura. Kimura arrived at 1400 precisely. She walked into the room, closed the hatch behind her, and stood at attention. Kate had to smile, even though her stomach was knotted in anticipation of the confrontation to come. "I'm not an officer, Commander. Please, have a seat." "Have you reviewed my file?" Kimura asked coldly as she sat down. *Mental note,* Kate said. She doesn't like chitchat. Kate gathered some papers together, tapped them against the desk until they were even, then filed them in the drawer of her desk for later study. Kate took a deep breath. "Yes, I have. Dr. Perry gave me access to your medical records, and I reviewed Captain Hudson's reports about you. So here is the story from my perspective. You used one of the best friends I ever had and betrayed him so you could escape the Chaodai Empire. You took advantage of a crewmember's death to get yourself a commission with the U.E.O. and a position on the seaQuest. And from what I saw at dinner last night, you have not gone out of your way to endear yourself to your new crewmates." Kimura rose to her feet, a small, bitter smile on her face. "Then I take it our business is concluded," she said. "Sit down, Commander," Kate said, and Kimura was surprised at the iron in the woman's tone. *I assumed she was soft,* Kimura thought; *but perhaps I was in error.* "You are the best in the your profession, and the U.E.O. has paid dearly to get you," Kate said. "I am the best in mine, and they're paying dearly to have me. Why are they doing this? Because working together will benefit each of us and, more importantly, it will benefit the U.E.O., possibly the entire world. This is too important to be screwed up through lying, miscommunication or false modesty. "I don't like what you did to Tim; I personally think you could have accomplished your goals another way. But I wasn't there, I don't know what you went through, and it's not my business. My business is to maintain your health and well being and, eventually, give you control of your ship again; your business is to be the best pilot you can be. We don't have to like each other to achieve our goals, but we do have to trust each other. Obviously, you feel the same way or you wouldn't have had me review your file before accepting me as your doctor. So here's what I can offer you. I'll give you the very best medical treatment the U.E.O. has to offer. I will always tell you exactly what I think--not what will benefit me, not what the U.E.O. wants me to say, and most especially not what I think you want to hear. I'll never betray a confidence and I'll always listen to you as impartially as I can. I can promise you these things, but I don't expect you to take my word on them--you'll have to test them for yourself." "And what do you get out of this?" Kimura asked. "Your promise that you will never hide any information from me that might impair your physical condition. Knowledge. New ways to use the biochip, maybe new discoveries I can't even imagine yet. Knowledge is more important to me than money--it's the one thing I can never get enough of." For a moment boiling, caustic hatred flooded through Kimura, though her face showed no sign of it. She hated this Western woman with her beauty and her confidence, hated the thought of this... this CHILD having power over her when she would be at her most vulnerable. But not even in her heart of hearts did Kimura admit that she hated Kate for having dinner with Tim and his friends, laughing and talking as if she had always belonged there. "You spoke of trust, but trust is built from many things," Kimura said coolly. "Earn mine by trusting me. Tell me the one thing you would never want me to know." A small sun exploded hotly in Kate's chest. *How DARE she,* she thought. *I try to give her the benefit of the doubt and then she pulls something like THIS?* She was about to tell Kimura to go to hell and forget the whole horrible business when something happened. It had only happened twice before in the last four years, but when it did Kate paid the utmost attention to it. She heard her mother talking to her. *Wait, Katerina. Look at her and SEE!* And with that gentle thought, Kate looked at Kimura and had a vision--a vision of pain, of love twisted into hate, of strength twisted into fear, and of hope twisted into a despair so dark it blotted out all hope of light. Kate saw all this in the small space where Kimura stood before her. *'Katherine Isobel,' we named you,* her mother continued, *Our 'Pure Gift of God.' This woman needs the gift only you can give her. Remember Judas' sin, and help her, hija.* *Si', Mama. I will.* Still shaking slightly from the intensity of her vision, Kate stood up next to Kimura. She held herself ramrod straight and told Kimura her secret. "You were right to ask me about a conflict of interest. Tim isn't just a friend to me. He is the only man I've ever loved. And I love him still." Kate refused to look away, even though she could feel her eyes filling with tears. "So now you know what I would never have willingly told you. If I were you, I'd write it down as one of those 'to be opened upon my death' letters that all the spy movies have. Then you would have a wonderful hold over me, one that would ensure that your best physical interest will always be uppermost in my mind. Jealousy and revenge are time-honored motives for... foul play. If anything happens to you, I will be the prime suspect. And be sure to write down the name 'Brian Chen;' he's a scientist with the Foresight Institute and the only other person I've ever told this to--the prosecution will want witnesses to collaborate your story. "If that isn't enough for you, simply tell Captain Hudson you can't accept me as your doctor. I'll recommend a couple of replacements to him. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some reports to complete." Kate finally turned away, sinking heavily into her chair and pulling a file from her desk drawer. Kimura spun around on one heel and turned to leave, but Kate interrupted her. "Kimura--what I told you was for you alone. The day I find out you've told someone else is the day you lose the best doctor you ever had." "If O'Neill finds out, it will be because he saw it on your face. You had best practice YOUR inscrutable expression." Kimura stalked out of the room. Kimura walked down the corridor, strangely empty. She felt, not the triumph she'd expected, but an odd guilt, as if she had desecrated a temple. Who would have expected the woman to agree? she thought angrily. On the one hand, Ruiz had given her all the ammunition she needed; if she wanted to, she could get Hudson to kick Ruiz off the ship this very day. On the other hand, if she got rid of Ruiz, it would only give O'Neill and his friends another reason to hate her. What bothered Kimura the most was the way Ruiz had looked at her before divulging her secret. The woman's face was transparent; Kimura had seen the anger and waited gleefully for the words that would free her of this doctor-child. Instead, the anger had turned to a look of intense concentration, and then one of unfathomable sorrow. Kimura had felt naked beneath that gaze, as if the girl were seeing through her flesh down to her soul. And then the fool had told her her secret. The commander shook her head, annoyed with herself--she wasn't normally given to foolish fantasies. It didn't matter anyway; she had what she needed. She had a weapon, and she always felt safer with a weapon in her hand. Kate tried to read the report in her hand, but the words were distorted through the tears in her eyes. *If O'Neill finds out, it will be because he saw it on your face.* She lay her head down on her arms and let the tears come, telling herself they were caused by jetlag and an over-reaction to an unpleasant situation with her patient. *I'll help her, Mama,* she thought. *I promised. But who will help me?* A memory popped unbidden into her mind, not her mother's voice, but the memory of it. She'd been crying because she was homesick at her new college and she had begged her mother to let her come home. Sweetheart, that isn't what you really want, her mother had said. What you really want is to feel better. To do that, look around you. See what you can do to help someone else. Then, I promise you, you'll find everything else a little easier to bear." Kate sat straight up as if she'd just received an electrical shock. "Minerva, wake up," she barked, dashing the tears away with careless brush of her hand. "How can I help you, Katherine?" "Display inventory for seaQuest, specifically anything categorized as 'recreational' or any abbreviation or synonym thereof." Kate scanned the list quickly, a tiny smile growing on her face as her guess proved correct. "'When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.' Minerva, what time is it in San Diego?" "It is now nine thirty-two p.m. in San Diego." "Minerva, high-security call to Jenna Blakely; use her home number." There was a momentary delay as Minerva requested and received permission from the seaQuest communications computer to place a scrambled call to the United States, then another wait as the phone rang at Jenna's home. While Kate waited for Jenna to pick up, her hand unconsciously went to check that Tim's claddagh ring was still on its chain beneath her shirt. "Katherine?" a small blonde woman said in astonishment. "Where the hell have you been? You end one project and get whisked away for another and I don't get a WORD?" Kate's smile grew even broader as her good friend and business manager continued to berate her. When Jenna stopped to take a breath, Kate broke in. "Yes, I miss you too, Jenna, and I'll explain everything, I promise. But first I want you to put your 'Gandalf' hat on--I have job for the Fellowship of the Ring!" *** Tim O'Neill saw a flashing light on his console and punched up an explanation from his computer. A high-security call was being placed from the Bio-Engineering Lab, and in a moment the display showed that the call had been sent to San Diego, California. Tim nodded to himself; Admiral Sheffield's headquarters were in San Diego; Capt. Hudson had told him Kate would be keeping the Admiral posted on her findings. So he let the call go through and went back to his normal duties. *** After she had reassured Jenna and gotten her cooperation on her plan, Kate quickly prepared a preliminary report on Kimura for Capt. Hudson, making sure to e-mail a copy to the Admiral as well. She checked her watch--1645. Feeling a little better now that she had something to look forward to, she made backups of her computer files and cleared away the papers on her desk. Now for dinner with Lucas and the gang and a visit to Darwin. *Remember,* she scolded herself, *Tim is your big brother. He's just gotten his heart broken, and the last thing he needs right now is for you to do your "starry-eyed schoolgirl" act. Besides, you've gotten along fine without him the last ten years--if you have to live the rest of your life without him, you'll do just fine!* And with that firmly in mind, Kate headed up to the galley. *** Oliver Hudson sat at his desk and stared at the papers in his hands. In his left hand he held a printout of Dr. Ruiz's first report in which she stated that she'd reviewed Lt. Cmdr. Kimura's X-rays and CAT scans and felt confident that she would be able to assist Kimura in her general maintenance. Ruiz concluded her report by saying that her preliminary interviews with Kimura had gone well and, with Kimura's help, she had every hope of converting the results of her last U.E.O. project into a pilot-ship interface system far superior to that used by the Chaodai. In Hudson's right hand he held a thin manila envelope, heavily sealed. Kimura had given it to him that afternoon, with a request that he keep it in the safest place he knew. He had read the terse note written on the front of the envelope and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Kimura, is there anything you want to tell me?" he'd asked, more than a little concerned. "No, sir," Kimura had answered. She had paused a moment and then said, "I may ask you for that envelope back someday, sir. I trust it will be unopened." "Absolutely, commander," he'd shot back, a little annoyed that she'd even question him. She simply nodded and requested permission to leave. Hudson read the note once more. "January 14, 2033. Lt. Cmdr. Heiko Kimura. To be opened upon the event of my death." Hudson sighed and locked the envelope in his office safe. "Which one do I believe," he asked himself, "the lady or the tiger?" TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- How many communities do you think join ONElist each week? http://www.onelist.com More than 5,000! Create yours now! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 11:11:29 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] Door Into Forever Part Five From: Carolyn Wallace seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032 THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. PART FIVE *** Thursday, January 13, 2033 (cont) By the time Captain Hudson and Lt. Kimura arrived for their appointment, Kate had found and "borrowed" a carafe of coffee, and managed to quickly swallow a couple of sandwiches and some fruit. She had been through too many time changes in the last few days; what was 1400 hours on the seaQuest felt like 11:00 p.m. in her old "landlubber" time zone. But she knew from experience that she'd soon adapt, and a little judicious use of caffeine would get her over the rough spots. "Captain Hudson! Right on time," Kate said as the man knocked on the open hatch. "Dr. Katherine Ruiz, may I introduce Lt. Cmdr. Heiko Kimura, late of the Chaodai Empire." A slim Asian woman of medium height followed the captain through the hatchway. "I am honored to meet you, Dr. Ruiz," Kimura said with a small bow. "It is I who am honored," Ruiz said in Kimura's native tongue. "I know just a small amount of your life story, but it is enough to show me that you are a person of rare worth. To have the opportunity to work with such a person is one of the great joys in my life." "Captain Hudson mentioned that you were a gifted linguist," Kimura said in English. "You speak my language very well." Kate shrugged her shoulders. "I thank you for the compliment, but I know I'll never sound like a native speaker. I simply hoped to make you feel a little more at home. You and I will be working very closely together over the next few months; I hope to make it as enjoyable an experience for you as I can." Kimura looked sideways to the Captain. "I understood that my duties are that of a fighter pilot," she said. "And they are," Hudson agreed. "But for the next few months I want you to spend a couple of hours each day with Dr. Ruiz reviewing your enhancements. We don't want anything happening to you." Kimura considered this for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "I think I should make something absolutely clear right now, Captain," Kate said. "Commander Kimura, I want you to know that I'm not here as a spy for the U.E.O., looking to 'reverse engineer' your Chaodai technology. To be quite frank with you, far better spies than I have already examined that for us, and the U.E.O. is not interested in traveling that path. Nor am I here just to maintain your enhancements--we both know that they are almost useless to you without a Chaodai ship. My ultimate goal, and that of the U.E.O. is to give you that same power and control in one of our ships." Kimura turned just a little pale. "The U.E.O. is planning on rewiring me? What are the chances that I would survive such an operation a second time?" "No, commander, NO rewiring, I swear to you. The most that would be required would be the implantation of a chip, such as many people wear now with no discomfort at all." "This can be done?" Kimura asked warily. "Dr. Ruiz was one of the people responsible for the development of the biochip," Hudson said. "In fact, that's what earned her the Nobel Prize." "A prize that was shared by an entire team ofÉ" Kate stopped short as Hudson put up his hand. "I appreciate your modesty, Doctor, but it's unnecessary. I'll leave Kimura in your hands now. Admiral Sheffield told me I could expect a weekly project report from you?" The captain's tone somehow made the question an order. Kate stiffened slightly. "Yes, sir. If you'll e-mail me a copy of the correct procedures to follow, you'll have your report by 1700 hours each Friday." "Very good." Hudson nodded to the two women, clasped his hands behind his back and left the room. Kate closed the hatch behind him then turned around and slouched against the hatch with a sigh. "I thought he'd never leave!" she said theatrically. Almost against her will, Kimura smiled. "You... do not like the Captain?" Kimura asked. "Oh no, I like him a great deal. You'll always know exactly where you stand with a person like that, and he'll never do something behind your back. But he will always expect the best from you, and today I'm just too jetlagged to deal with that! Speaking of which," Kate said, heading to the desk on which her purloined carafe stood, "can I offer you a cup of coffee?" "No, thank you, I'm fine," Kimura said. She wasn't sure what to make of this strange person. Hudson assured her that Ruiz was one of the top people in her field, but the woman seemed barely out of her teens. That, and her decidedly unprofessional manner, evoked a response in Kimura that she wasn't quite sure she liked. Kate poured herself another cup of coffee and sank into the chair beside the desk. "Please, have a seat, commander. There are some things I'd like to discuss with you." Kimura obediently pulled a chair from a nearby table and aligned it with Kate's desk, then sat down. "In my own way," Kate said, "I'd like to think I'm like Captain Hudson. I prefer to speak plainly; I find 'polite circumlocutions' rather tiring. I want you to know that you can speak freely to me. I am a medical doctor, in addition to my other degrees; anything you say to me will be covered by doctor/patient confidentiality." Kate reached across the desk to pick up a stack of papers, which she then handed to Kimura. "So let's start 'speaking plainly' right now. I can already see by the look on your face that you're wondering why Captain Hudson left you in the care of a crazy child. Those papers explain who I am, how I got here, and why I'm the very best person to take care of you outside the Empire." Kimura tapped the papers against her knee with a tiny smile. "And I thought I had put on my best 'inscrutable' expression," she said. Kate smiled. "Oh, it was excellent," she assured the lieutenant. "It's just that I've seen so many variations of that look during my career that I'm especially good at picking it out. Besides," she shrugged, taking another sip of coffee, "I would have given you those anyway. You have a right to know that your doctor is the very best qualified person for the job. You're quite valuable to the U.E.O., you know; they don't want anything to happen to you." "Is that what you meant before?" Kimura asked. "About calling me 'a person of rare worth'?" "No," Kate said putting down her cup. She rested her elbows on her knees and clasped her hands in front of her, looking up at Kimura. "I wasn't joking about the spies. I know all about the Chaodai bioengineering process, and I think it's hideous. That you willingly volunteering for the procedure knowing that you only had a thirty percent chance of surviving, that you endured the pain of the process itself, that you survived... THAT is what I meant by 'rare worth.' God knows, I couldn't have done it." Kimura got to her feet. "I hear you had quite a shock this morning when you met your old friends," she said. Kate stood as well, a look of surprise on her face. "PLEASE tell me that story isn't already going around the ship." Kimura smiled sourly. "The seaQuest is smaller than it looks, Dr. Ruiz, especially when it comes to gossip. Read my file. Find out how I came to the U.E.O., then see how much 'worth' you find in me. I want to know that your old friendships won't cause you a conflict of interest. If my life is going to be in your hands, I want to know that you're on my side." With a small nod, Kimura walked out of the room, closing the hatch behind her. "Well," Kate said, sitting back in her chair and sipping her now lukewarm coffee. "I did say 'plain speaking.' Looks like she's going to take me at my word." She swiveled her chair to face the computer. "Minerva?" "Yes, Katherine?" "Create new medical file. Name spelled: K-I-M-U-R-A comma H-E-I-K-O comma L-T. space C-M-D-R. Name pronounced: Kimura, Heiko, Lieutenant Commander. Name pronounced also: Kimura, Heiko, Commander." "I have created a medical file for Lieutenant Commander Heiko Kimura." "Minerva, can you access the seaQuest database for other files under the same name?" "Accessing seaQuest database. Two files exist under the name 'Heiko Kimura:' a medical file by Dr. Elizabeth Perry and a U.E.O. military file. You do not have the appropriate access to view those files. That name also appears several times under the seaQuest ship logs; I can show you those entries." "Minerva, review seaQuest directory. Find e-address for Dr. Elizabeth Perry. Take a letter." "Ready for e-mail, Katherine." "Dr. Perry. Please excuse the brevity of this note; I'm still moving in and trying to get things going as quickly as possible. I would like to make an appointment with you to discuss Commander Heiko Kimura and our joint efforts for her care. Please let me know your availability at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Katherine Ruiz, MD, PhD. Minerva, end letter and send." "E-mail sent, Katherine." "Okay, Minerva, display seaQuest log entries." Kate scanned the words as quickly as the computer displayed them. The words were terse, the tone dry, a simple and efficient accounting of events as they unfolded; Kate could picture Hudson dictating them. And yet the concise recounting of Kimura's correspondence with Tim, the way she deceived him, how he saved her life and how she was offered a U.E.O. commission upon the death of a Lt. Fredricks, left her chilled and saddened. "Minerva, end display." Kate sighed and poured herself another cup of coffee. Dr. Callahan had told her long ago that the easiest way to deal with big problems was to attack them while they were still small, but did it have to be on her first day on the job? "Minerva, find the seaQuest duty roster." "I have access to the duty roster." "O'Neill, Timothy. When will he be off duty today?" "Lt. Timothy O'Neill will be off duty at 1600 hours today." All right, that gave her an hour and a half--time enough to review the thick binder of seaQuest information Captain Hudson had given her when she came on board. "Minerva, remind me to call Tim O'Neill at 1600 hours." "Reminder set, Katherine." Katherine sighed again, refreshed her cup of coffee, and opened the binder. *** Kate was immersed in the seaQuest's procedures when her concentration was broken by a beeping sound. It took her a few seconds to realize that the beeping was from her new ship's comlink. She slapped the "receive" button. "Kate Ruiz." "Hi, Kate. It's Lucas." Kate checked the time; it was 1558. "Hi, Lucas. Hold on just a second. Minerva, cancel reminder for 1600." "Cancelled, Katherine." "Okay, Lucas, what can I do for you?" "Are you still interested in meeting Darwin tonight?" "Sure." Kate decided to find out Lucas' plans and then work out a meeting with Tim. "Well, Tim and I and some of the guys usually have dinner together around 1700 in the Deck Four Galley. Want to join us, and then visit Darwin afterwards?" "Sounds perfect." "Then it's a plan. I'll meet you at your quarters in forty-five minutes, and we'll head up together." "See you then!" Kate agreed. Lucas said goodbye, and Kate closed her book, rubbed her eyes and yawned. *Oh well,* she thought, *maybe a quick shower will wake me up. Then I'll have dinner with the boys and take Tim aside for a little talk about our girl Heiko.* "Minerva, close up shop," Kate said as she straightened a few loose papers and put them where she'd see them first thing in the morning. "Okay, Katherine. I'll see you at home." The computer turned itself off; Kate knew that the terminal in her quarters was now activated and patiently awaiting her next command. *** Lucas knocked just as Kate put the finishing touches to her minimalist makeup. She swept the makeup off the counter and into the drawer below and ran over to open the hatch. "All ready to go?" he asked. "More than ready," Kate smiled. "I'm starving!" Lucas shook his head mournfully. "You haven't seen the food yet." It was a short trip to the dining hall, but long enough for Kate to give Lucas a very brief update on what she'd been doing the last ten years. "You know, I never figured you for a doctor," Lucas said. "A medical one, I mean. I always pictured you 'faint-at-the-sight-of-blood' type." Kate looked at him askance and Lucas realized he'd just put his foot in his mouth, considering the way Kate had arrived on the seaQuest this morning. Kate took in his suddenly hangdog expression and laughed. "I was," she admitted. "But as my engineering work began to focus on human interfaces, I got more and more frustrated dealing with medical 'middle-men,' and getting my MD became the next logical step. Fortunately, I have a very good therapist--without her I'd still be tossing my cookies in anatomy class." "And speaking of cookie tossing, here we are," Lucas said, pointing to the double doors at the end of the corridor. He opened the one on the right and bowed Kate through. She scanned the room and smiled wryly to herself. Whether you called them cafeterias, dining halls, mess halls or galleys, institutional dining was pretty much the same throughout the world. Some times she wondered if she would ever be able to get back to San Diego and her own kitchen. Then she caught sight of Tim and remembered her cloud's silver lining. "Come on, let's see if there's anything good left," Lucas said, taking her by the elbow and leading her to the serving line. Lucas opted for pepperoni pizza with a side order of fries; Katherine decided to be a little more sensible her first night on the "boat" and chose baked chicken, green beans, and a roll, with chocolate pudding for dessert. "All right, boys, make way for the celebrity," Lucas crowed as the two of them reached Tim's table. "Since when are you a celebrity?" a muscular young man with dark eyes and brown hair said. Kate guessed from his accent that the man was originally from New York, possibly Brooklyn. "Since the Pope declared that anyone who was your roommate had to be a saint," Lucas retorted. "But it's not me, it's Kate here. Move over, Piccolo!" The man Lucas called Piccolo gave Kate the once over and stood up with a low whistle. He bowed as he offered her his seat. "Allow me to rescue you from the riff-raff, young lady," Piccolo said with a grin. Normally, Kate didn't put up with that kind of nonsense, but since Piccolo had been sitting next to Tim, she decided to make an exceptionÉ just this once. She sat down and gave Piccolo a smile. "If I'm being rescued, then why do I suddenly feel so nervous?" she taunted. "Because my reputation has obviously preceded me. Tony Piccolo, at your service." "Katherine Ruiz," she said, offering him her hand to shake. "You can call me Kate." Tony took the proffered hand but, instead of shaking it, he kissed it. Kate looked at Lucas, one eyebrow raised sardonically. "Are all your friends thisÉ 'charming,' Lucas?" Lucas, who had grabbed a seat across the table, looked up at Kate in surprise. Half a slice of pizza had already been stuffed into his mouth. "Don't worry, Lucas, I'll do the introductions," Tim said wryly. "Kate, I'd like you to meet Miguel Ortiz and Lonnie Henderson. Lucas you know, and Piccolo you just met. By the way," he added in a stage whisper, "I'd rub some antiseptic on that hand, if I were you." "Ha, ha, ha," Piccolo said sarcastically, clapping his hands slowly. "Good one, O'Neill." "I'm pleased to meet you," Lonnie said with a shy smile, stretching her hand across the table. Kate shook the brunette's hand and returned her smile. "Me, too," Ortiz said, taking his turn shaking Kate's hand. Ortiz was darkly handsome and Kate wondered if there was anything going on between Lonnie and Miguel; she imagined that, by his looks, Ortiz was probably quite the ladies' man. "So, Katie, how you'd get stuck on this tub?" Piccolo asked around a mouthful of cornbread. Kate swallowed a bite of chicken before answering. "I'm the head of your new Bio-Engineering Department," she said. "Or perhaps more accurately, I AM the Bio-Engineering Department." "I don't see any rank," Piccolo said, waving a finger in the direction of Kate's shoulders. "Piccolo!" Lonnie hissed. "Behave!" "No, that's all right," Kate said lightly. "I'm a freelance U.E.O. consultant, Tony, I don't have any rank." "Yeah, and didn't Hudson love that!" Lucas chortled. "I asked him, 'What happened to your policy of no civilians on the seaQuest during the war?' and he just said 'Dr. Ruiz receives her orders directly from Admiral Sheffield. She is to be treated as you would the Admiral himself, and that's all you and I need to know, Ensign.'" Kate couldn't help but smile at Lucas' impression of Captain Hudson. "Oh, come on, Lucas, I'm sure it wasn't that bad," she said. "No, actually it was," Tim said scratching behind his ear. Kate looked over at Tim in surprise. "But I thought the seaQuest always had a contingent of civilian scientists." "That's ancient history, I'm afraid," Ortiz said. "The seaQuest is a ship of war now." "How awful," Kate said pushing her green beans around her plate with her fork. "So, Kate, how did you meet Tim and Lucas?" Lonnie asked, trying to change the subject. Kate brightened immediately. "Ah, that's easy. I met Lucas through Tim and Tim through my brother Rick. They went to college together." "That reminds me," Tim said. "I tried to look up Rick and your family when we got back, but I couldn't find anything. I couldn't even find out where Rick is stationed through the U.E.O. Where are they?" "Oh..." Kate stopped with a piece of chicken halfway to her mouth. "Oh Tim, I didn't realize... I didn't think." She put down her fork and looked at the people surrounding her at the table, her face unhappy. "Um, I'm sorry. This has been a great meal and I don't want to spoil it. Maybe we should talk about it later, Tim?" "No, Katie, it's okay. What happened?" The faces of her fellow diners reflected Tim's concern, and Kate sighed. "Rick was killed in a terrorist attack in October 2022. And Mom and Dad, well, they're gone too. There was an influenza epidemic in '29; thousands of people died--I nearly died myself." Tim felt as if the floor had been dropped from underneath him. Bright, smiling Rick; Kate's gracious parents, all gone? "Oh my God, Kate, it must have been awful," he whispered. "I'm so sorry!" "I'm the one who should be sorry," Kate said. "I should have realized you didn't know. The U.E.O. would have closed Rick's files, and as for me, I had to do a little disappearing act after the biochip came out. There were some Unabombers who didn't really approve of me, so I moved, had my phone number unlisted, and changed all my e-mail addresses." "Biochip... wait a minute--you're THE Katherine Ruiz!" Piccolo exploded as he pointed to Kate. "Uh, that's been established, Piccolo," Lucas said. "No, I mean KATHERINE RUIZ, the inventor of the biochip; God, you're telling me you guys never heard of her?" "There was this little business of being in suspended animation for ten years," Ortiz said dryly. "I know--I was right beside you in the freezer tray, remember?" Piccolo told Ortiz. Then he turned to Kate. "J.J. told me all about you," he said. "You were her hero." "Really, there were a lot of people who worked on the biochip; I don't know why I keep getting all the credit," Kate demurred. She bent over her plate, ostensibly to finish her meal, but Tim noticed that her cheeks were pink. "No, lady, your chip let her be a pilot again. That meant everything to her." "I'm glad I could be of help," Katherine said, taking a sip of water. "Is she still with the seaQuest? I'd like to meet her." Kate looked around to see the crewmembers looking at each other with wary expressions. "Um, J.J. was killed," Lonnie said carefully. "Kimura is her replacement." "Oh," Kate said. This "J.J." must be the Lt. Fredricks she'd read about. Her eyes flickered across the room to where Kimura was eating dinner at a table by herself. Kate sighed, then took a quick glance at Tim. This Chaodai woman must be made of pretty stern stuff, choosing to stay on the seaQuest after betraying one crewmember and replacing another. She licked the last of the pudding off her spoon and tossed her napkin on top of her now empty tray. "Well, I can say in all honesty that my first dinner aboard the seaQuest has been quite memorable," Kate said with a rueful smile. "I'm not so sure we should visit Darwin tonight, Lucas; the way this day has gone, I'll probably fall in and drown. Do you mind if I take a rain check?" "Uh, sure, Kate. We'll go whenever you want," Lucas said. Kate stood up and picked up her tray. She looked over and noticed that Tim appeared to be finished as well. Might as well bite the bullet now, Kate thought to herself. Make the night a complete failure. "Tim, could I impose on you to help me find my quarters again? I don't want to end my first day by getting lost, too." "What? Oh, oh sure," Tim said, getting to his feet and picking up his tray. "No problem." "It was a pleasure meeting all of you," Kate said to the people left at the table. Tim and Kate deposited their trays and dishes in the cleaning receptacle and walked to her quarters in an uncomfortable silence. Kate opened the hatch, turned on the lights, and then turned back to Tim. "Tim, could we talk for a minute?" she asked. Tim walked in, sat in the chair by her small desk, and looked at her, his face unusually hard and cold. "What do you want to know about Kimura?" he said. Kate closed the hatch behind her and took a seat on the bed. "How did you know?" she asked softly. "First, I saw you looking at Kimura over dinner. Then you glanced over at me and you looked worried. Second, you have a photographic memory; you didn't need anyone's help to find your way back here. Last of all, you look scared to death. Never play poker, Kate, your face will give you away." "Kimura told me to review her file," Kate admitted. "She knew you and I were friends and she wanted to know that, as her doctor, I'd be on her side." "And are you?" Tim looked off into space, his face drawn with silent anger. Kate sat silently for a moment, trying to put her conflicting feelings into words. "You're the best friend I ever had, Tim," she said finally. "I can't possibly condone what she's done to you. In my heart I know I'm the best person to treat Kimura and there's a lot I could learn from being her doctor, but my friendship with you means far more. I'll leave the seaQuest tomorrow if that's what it takes to protect it." Tim stood, pacing across the room as he ran a hand through his short brown hair. "But we really don't have much of a choice, do we," he said bitterly. "The U.E.O. wants Kimura, and Kimura needs you." "There are other doctors, other bio-engineers. I could recommend two right now!" Kate went over to Tim and put a hand on his arm. "Tim, I thought I lost everyone I ever cared about," she said quietly. "Then you... and Lucas... you've come back into my life like my own personal miracles." She hesitated a moment, then told him the absolute truth. "You mean more to me than anything in the world, Tim. If I stay aboard seaQuest, I have to know that my job isn't going to make me lose you all over again." Tim looked at Kate and saw a mixture of pain and pleading that touched his heart. *For pity's sake, O'Neill, she's lost her entire family,* he thought to himself. *If I cut her off because of Kimura, she'll have no one--and I'll be hurting her just as surely as Kimura hurt me. If I do that, then SHE wins. Besides, it won't be as if I'd be seeing her every day.* For a moment Kimura's face passed across his mind's eye and he had to steel himself against the sharp stab of agony it caused. He forgot all about Kate as he became lost in the two questions that haunted his sleep and echoed through his days. *Why couldn't it have been true? Why couldn't she really have loved me?* Then Kate slipped her hand in his, and the pictures in his mind abruptly changed. He saw Katie in her green velvet dress that first night he met her and he remembered how he envied Rick for his family. He stood beside Katie as she was confirmed, and remembered how touched he was the day she made him her "honorary big brother." And then his thoughts jumped to this morning, when she'd been so happy to see him and Lucas that she'd fainted at his feet. "Maybe it would be good to have my 'little sister' on board," Tim said slowly. "At least then you'd be where your 'big brother' could keep an eye on you." "Are you sure, Tim?" Kate asked. She longed with all her heart to be allowed to stay, but she had to work hard not to show how the words "little sister" had hurt her. Tim had already proven he could read her expressions; she'd have to be extra careful around him. Tim looked down at Kate. "Yeah, I'm sure," he said, and he put his arm around her. "I'm no Rick, but I'll do my best." Suddenly his heart felt a little lighter, as if by choosing to help lift Kate's pain, he'd lost some of his own. He impulsively dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "And my first official act as your big brother is to tell you to go to bed. You look exhausted." "Gee, thanks, 'bro,'" Kate said sarcastically. "Just what every woman wants to hear!" She turned her head quickly so that Tim wouldn't see the flush his brotherly kiss had evoked. Tim headed for the door. "Oh, let me know when you and Lucas visit Darwin," he said over his shoulder. "I'll go with you." "Sure thing," Kate waved as she turned down the coverlet of the bed. Once Tim shut the hatch behind him, she sat on the bed, shoulders slumped. "Little sister," she said to herself. She fell back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling, mentally picturing all the fathoms of water that lay above her. Right now it felt as if every ton of that ocean lay on top of her heart. She sighed, then got ready for bed. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Who is the most visited e-mail list community Web Service? http://www.onelist.com ONElist.com - where more than 20 million e-mails are exchanged each day! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 10:50:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] Mock Book Cover for "The Door Into Forever" From: Carolyn Wallace I've put a mock book cover for TDIF in the Shared Files Directory of onelist.com. This isn't the original art version (which my hubby and I are still working on) but one created using screen caps and scans and lots of Photoshop 5.0. =) To view it, go to onelist.com, log in, click on SQFANFIC, then click on SHARED FILE Directory. The file is called TDIF.jpg. Click on the file and it will be downloaded to your computer. When I tested this, the file appeared on my desktop, but it didn't display immediately. I had to tell my browser to open the file, and then it showed OK. The art is yours to do with what you will, but the regular disclaimers apply--I don't own the actors or their faces or the SQ art, etc, etc; I'm not making any money on this and I created the collage myself. (Am I safe now??) =) BTW, you may notice that the "Kate" figure looks an awful lot like my favorite Sunnydale bookworm. She came the closest to what Kate looks like in my mind, although Kate is taller than Willow is. =) I hope this works, because I'm going to be out of touch for a few days. I'm trying to get Part 28 done and posted tonight, then I'll be gone until Monday--I'm flying to N.C. to see my brand-new baby niece! Take care, Carolyn === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Congratulations to Molly Jones This week's FRIENDS & FAMILY WINNER! To enter, go to http://www.onelist.com/info/onereachsplash3.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 10:40:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] TDIF Part 31 From: Carolyn Wallace **** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 31 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Monday, May 30, 2033 (cont.) Lucas closed the final connection and turned to Captain Hudson. "It's ready to go, sir." "Thank you, Ensign," Hudson replied. For a moment he stared at the computer in front of him, overcome by a strong sense of déjà vu. Seated around him at the briefing table was the same team he had sent to Nereid--but with one chair conspicuously empty. Ford had reported what had happened at the colony calmly and with all requisite details, but Hudson could see that his normally unflappable executive officer was deeply concerned about Dr. Ruiz. In fact, Hudson didn't have to be a psi to realize that the entire team was shaken, O'Neill and Wolenczak most of all. Hudson straightened in his chair, laid his hands on the briefing table and looked out over the computer to his team. "First, I thought that you would all like to know that Dr. Ruiz has been returned to the seaQuest in stable condition." There was an excited rustle among the people seated at the table, but Hudson ignored it as he continued. "Nereid Colony is fairly new, still going through its "shakedown" phase. After stabilizing Dr. Ruiz' injury, it was the recommendation of their doctors that she could better be treated with the advanced facilities available on the seaQuest, and Admiral Sheffield and I concurred. Dr. Perry is performing surgery on Dr. Ruiz right now, but she agrees with the on-site physician's diagnosis and tells me Dr. Ruiz should recover completely." Tim bowed his head. *Thank you, God,* he prayed, his fingernails biting into his palms as he fought back tears. "Also, we were able to capture all of Mariah's crew AND the Marauder, Russ Ketchum. They've been delivered to the Admiral's custody aboard the INTREPID for transport to U.E.O. headquarters where they will stand trial." Hudson looked at each of his people in turn. "I won't apologize for not warning you about Nereid. You all understand 'the need to know,' and while I would have preferred to inform you, that was not my call. In any case, Admiral Sheffield is very pleased about the outcome of this mission. All he needs now is the pilot chip data." The captain activated the view screen in the briefing room. "Commander Kimura found this in Dr. Ruiz' computer files. Apparently it's a document she prepared in the event of her death, and the information we need is encoded within it." He played Kate's letter for them, each person hearing it with varying degrees of composure. Kimura and Lucas were a little better off than the others, having heard it once already, but Tony looked uneasy, Jonathan stoical, and Tim simply looked at Kate's picture the way Moses had looked at the Promised Land, from afar and with great longing. After the message had finished, Lucas turned to Tim. "So do YOU know what she was saying?" Tim swallowed, then nodded. "Yes. They're all references to author Robert Heinlein. Her brother Rick was a big fan of 'golden age' science fiction, and he got me and Kate hooked on it. You turn on the computer by calling her..." "'Teena,' isn't it, Mr. O'Neill?" Hudson completed the sentence for him. Tim looked at the captain in surprise. "Right--Minerva's computer twin was Pallas Athene, called 'Teena' for short. I wasn't aware that you read Heinlein, Captain." "Every military man should read STARSHIP TROOPERS at least once," Hudson replied. "It so happened that I did and that interested me in the rest of his works." Hudson looked down at the computer. "Wake up, Teena." The computer monitor lit up. The words "ENTER PASSWORD" flickered on the screen. "The passwords would be the ones used by Lazarus Long in METHUSALEH'S CHILDREN and TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE, yes?" Hudson asked Tim. "That's how I read it. Lazarus also used the alias 'Aaron Sheffield,' which would tie in with her comment about the Admiral. The first password should be, 'Life is short.'" Hudson typed in the phrase; the computer immediately printed, "'But the years are long.'" "There was something tricky about the last part, wasn't there?" Hudson asked Tim. "Yes, it contained a quote. Since you have to type it in, I'd use the same punctuation used in the books. If you'll allow me, sir?" Tim got up at Hudson's nod and walked over to the computer. "Not 'While the Evil Days Come Not'," he typed. The computer immediately displayed a menu listing of all Kate's files on the pilot chip. "There's your information, sir," Tim said, stepping back. "Very good, Mr. O'Neill. I'll make sure this gets to the Admiral." Hudson looked around the room. "That's all we needed. Considering the circumstances of today's mission, I'm relieving you all of duty for the rest of the day. Relax, get some rest. You are dismissed." The five crewmembers filed quietly out of the briefing room. It wasn't until they were in the maglev that Lucas realized that they'd all chosen the same destination--Med Bay. He laughed shakily. "It's too bad Kate will probably still be anesthetized. I'd love to see her face when she wakes up and finds the five of us staring down on her!" That comment earned him a few grins, but no one else spoke. Wrapped up in their own thoughts, the five completed the trip to Med Bay in silence. *** Tuesday, May 31, 2033 "But you told me she was going to be all right!" Hudson told Dr. Perry angrily. "And she SHOULD have been," Beth said, frustrated. Her dark skin was marred by even darker circles beneath her eyes. "She came through the operation just fine; we replaced the blood she lost... she should have awakened once the anesthetic wore off. Instead, she's gone into a coma." "Well, can't you give her a stimulant?" Hudson asked. "I've already given her everything I feel is safe. Any more might be riskier that the coma itself. It's as if... as if she were WILLING herself to die." "And that's your PROFESSIONAL opinion, I suppose," Hudson drawled sarcastically. "Don't get snide with me, Hudson," Perry snapped, her fatigue making her forget momentarily that she was talking to a superior officer. "I can drop ten feet of documentation on your desk within the hour showing you that a patient who DOESN'T want to live WON'T live, no matter who her doctor is! You find her a reason to live, and I tell you she will. If not..." The doctor shook her head. Hudson remembered something Ford had told him while explaining why he'd assigned Piccolo a watch over O'Neill. He stalked over to the com panel and keyed in the sequence for the ship-wide paging system. "Lt. O'Neill, report to Med Bay on the double," Hudson said. On the bridge, Tim looked at Miguel, his faced worried. "Captain doesn't sound too happy," Miguel noted. "You better get moving." "Oh, God," Tim said. "It's got to be Kate. Cover for me!" he said as he jumped to his feet. "You got it," Ortiz acknowledged. Moments later, a winded Tim stumbled into the Med Bay. "Lt. O'Neill, reporting as ordered, sir," he said breathlessly. "You want a reason for her to live, Doctor?" Hudson asked, turning to Dr. Perry. "There he is. Now make sure she does." Hudson turned to O'Neill. "You are to take orders directly from Dr. Perry until Dr. Ruiz wakes up." Hudson thought briefly of what would happen if the Admiral's pet scientist died on his watch. "And for all our sakes, you better pray that she DOES wake up." Tim looked at Dr. Perry as Hudson walked out of Med Bay, his face was a study in incomprehension. "Tim, you and I have to have a little talk," Beth said gently. *** "Hi, Katie," Tim said diffidently as he pulled a chair up beside her bed and sat down. "I mean 'Kate,' of course," he added immediately. "Uh, Beth said you needed some company, so I thought we might just talk for a while." Tim felt foolish, talking to Kate's comatose body. He looked up to Beth, but she just made talking motions with her hands and mouthed "Keep going." "So anyway, there's a lot we've got to talk about," Tim continued. "First of all, there are some things I need to explain..." After a while, Tim forgot the doctors and nurses were even there. He poured his heart out to Kate, willing her to hear his words and come back to him. He told her about his difficult childhood, about Pamela, about Mariah, and, finally, about Kimura. "So you see," he said. "I haven't had the best luck with women, especially beautiful women. And you... Kate, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!" Kate continued to lay on the hospital bed, unmoving. Tim took her hand in his. "I love you, Katie," he said softly. "I think I've loved you since the first time you walked aboard the seaQuest and you fainted at my feet. I just never dreamed that you might feel the same way about me. Instead, I let my anger and my self-pity blind me... I almost missed out on the best thing that ever happened to me. You've got to come back to me, Katie, so I can make it all up to you." He murmured endearments to her in Spanish, thinking that perhaps hearing her first language would reach her where English hadn't, but there finally came a time when he could think of nothing else to say. Before Tim could panic in the silence, Miguel dropped by, giving him a quick squeeze on the shoulder then admonishing Kate that she HAD to wake up quickly so that she could look after "the big goofball." "I've been watching over him for years, but I figure that's YOUR job now, so you better get up and get to it!" Miguel said heartily, but his eyes were suspiciously moist. *Dear God,* Miguel thought. *You know I'm not as faithful as I could be, but please, don't take her away from him. Tim deserves a lucky break, and he's got a heck of a lot more faith than I do!* Miguel's visit was just the first of many. Word of what happened got around the ship quickly, and as people heard, they came. Some still had bandages across their elbows from where they'd given blood for her. Tim heard stories about Kate he'd never heard before, of mysterious donations that arrived at just the right time, of siblings who had gotten into the school of their dreams thanks to her letter of recommendation, of little acts of kindness that had made a difference in their lives. It amazed Tim to realize what an impact Kate had made in the short time she'd been aboard the seaQuest, and he thought surely God would let Kate live, if not for him, then because of how much the world needed people like her. It also touched him that many of the visitors came, not because they knew Kate, but because they knew him. They'd heard about him and Kate and they wanted to make sure he was okay. And in the gentle warmth of their concern, a million icy years of loneliness melted away. He wasn't alone anymore. He had his friends, and he had Kate. She WOULD come back to him. He refused to think of what would happen if she did not. *** Lucas and Piccolo stopped by after their shift was over. "How's she doing?" Lucas whispered, hands stuck deeply into his pockets. "She's stable, at least," Tim forced himself to say normally. The urge was strong to whisper, as if to keep from waking Kate up, when in reality Tim would have given anything to hear her complain that they were too loud. "Anybody try setting off an alarm clock in her ear?" Piccolo asked airily, but Tim could see that Tony's eyes were red. "I'll be sure and suggest that to Beth the very next time she comes by," Tim nodded with a gentle smile. Piccolo nodded as if to say, *Be sure that you do,* then brushed a hand under his nose roughly. Lucas stood thoughtfully at the foot of Kate's bed, watching the sheets rise and fall with each breath she took. Eventually, he said, "You know, guys, I've been doing a little research into that Claddagh Foundation. Just to pass the time..." "Did you find anything interesting?" Tim asked, more to be polite than from any real interest on his part. "Actually, I did," Lucas answered. "And it wasn't easy, believe me; whoever designed their security system really knew what they were doing. I finally found out who their president was--some reclusive billionaire by the name of Kiman Datte." He pronounced the unfamiliar name "KEY-man DAH-tay." "Kiman Datte? What the hell kind of name is that?" Piccolo asked. Tim said nothing, secretly agreeing with Tony. The name sounded vaguely African, but it belonged to no dialect that Tim knew. "Yeah, I thought that was kind of weird, too," Lucas said, pulling a hand out of his pocket. "So I followed a hunch and this is what I came up with." In Lucas' hand was a scrap of paper, which he handed to Tim. The name "KIMAN DATTE" had been written across the top, then below that were written several variations on it. Circled in red were the words "TIM AND KATE." Tim looked up at Lucas, his mouth hanging open. "An anagram!" "A what-a-gram?" Piccolo asked, confused. "An anagram is when you take words and rearrange their letters to make new words," Lucas explained. "In this case, someone took the words 'Tim and Kate' and turned them into 'Kiman Datte.'" Lucas grinned wryly. "It all makes sense, if you look back on it. Kate found out where we spent the last ten years, knew how much we'd missed, and 'arranged' for the donation to be made. I wouldn't be surprised if she actually paid for it out of her personal accounts." "But she never said anything!" Tony protested. "We all talked about how much that shipment meant to us, and she never said a word." "I know, I know," Lucas agreed, running a hand through his hair. "But I'm thinking that's just the kind of person Kate is." "The Claddagh Foundation," Tim whispered to himself, looking at the ring hanging on a chain around Kate's throat. "I gave her that claddagh ring on her thirteenth birthday," he said, pointing it out to them. "It was founded five years after we went missing," Lucas added. "I think she meant it as a memorial." "Brian Chen tried to tell me," Tim said, looking off into space. "He told me Kate thought her first love died aboard the seaQuest. To tell the truth, Lucas, I thought he was talking about you." "Me?" Lucas squeaked in surprise. "She only knew two people aboard the seaQuest," Tim pointed out. "I sure as hell didn't think he meant me." "Uh, yeah, I guess," Lucas said, shoving his hands in his pockets once more. At this point, Dagwood poked his head through the door. "Is it okay if I come in?" he asked. "Of course it is," Tim said. "Yeah, we were just leaving," Lucas said at the same time, grateful for a chance to make his escape. Tim's admission had stunned him almost as much as the word of Kate's injury had. A picture flashed across his mind, one of Kate standing in his arms, smiling at him. Lucas gave his head a small jerk, willing the picture away. Kate loved Tim, and that was all there was to it. He'd get by; he'd done it before. Lucas clapped Tim on the shoulder, grabbed Piccolo by the elbow, and led him to the door. Dagwood watched them leave, then came forward and silently handed Tim a printout of a huge bouquet of roses. Tim looked up at the GELF questioningly. "When Brody's mother was sick, we brought her flowers," Dagwood said slowly. "The seaQuest doesn't have any flowers since they took out Captain Bridger's garden. So I asked a computer to print a picture of flowers for me." Tim smoothed the picture across his lap, then put it on the tray beside Kate's bed. "They're beautiful, Dagwood. I'm sure she'll love them." Dagwood nodded solemnly, then looked at Kate. He bent down to whisper in her ear, but Tim still heard every word he said. "Wake up soon, Kate. Darwin and I miss you." Then Dagwood turned and left. Tim had to swallow hard against the sudden lump in his throat. Lonnie came in a short time after Dagwood left. She saw the look on Tim's face and came around the bed, putting an arm around his shoulders and squeezing tight. Tim patted her hand, his eyes on Kate's face. "I brought something," Lonnie said, a little shyly. "I don't really know if it will help; it's just..." Tim nodded. "Go ahead," he said. Lonnie put a hand on his shoulder, then stepped around him to stand beside Kate. She took out a small crystal perfume bottle, pulled the stopper and waved it under Kate's nose. Tim caught the scent of the perfume Kate wore the night of Lucas' birthday party and remembered the feel of Kate dancing in his arms; he blinked hard and looked away for a moment. "I got it from your room," Lonnie told Kate softly. "I hope you don't mind. I just wanted you to remember when we went to Estrellita's and all the fun we had. We promised her we'd come back, you know, and you can't break a promise." Lonnie put the stopper back in the bottle and shut her mouth quickly, but not quickly enough to muffle her sob. She turned to Tim, knelt, and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, Tim, it's like Brody all over again," she said, crying, and Tim remembered Jim Brody dying, taking the shot meant for Lonnie. Tim stroked her back gently, but his mouth fell into a straight, grim line. "Brody DIED, Lonnie. Kate isn't going to die. I won't let her!" Lonnie looked up in surprise, her face streaked with tears. She glanced down at the perfume bottle she was holding, then took Tim's hand and wrapped it around the tiny vial. "Estrellita named this after Isis. When she gave it to Kate, she said the power of Isis' love was stronger than death. Kate seemed very surprised--I didn't understand it then, but now..." "It was because Kate loved me and I 'came back from the dead,'" Tim finished for her. "Then I guess it's my turn to do the same for her," he tried to say lightly, but his eyes fell on Kate and his face crumpled. He buried his head in Lonnie's shoulder and she held him, two friends crying together, striving to keep back the dark. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- How do you enter ONElist's WEEKLY DRAWING for $100? By joining the FRIENDS & FAMILY program. For details, go to Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 10:43:53 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] TDIF Part 32 From: Carolyn Wallace I couldn't leave Tim and Lonnie alone in the dark... so here's the dawn! =) **** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 32 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Wednesday, June 1, 2033 It was two in the morning, and still Kate lay unmoving on the bed. Tim had said the rosary twice over, going through both the Joyful and the Glorious Mysteries, but when he had tried to say the Sorrowful Mysteries, he found he couldn't continue. So he sat beside her, his rosary in one hand and her hand clasped in the other. He heard the door to Kate's room open and, assuming it was one of the nurses making the rounds, didn't even bother to look up. That is, not until a hand came into his field of view to place a delicate origami crane on Kate's chest. He looked up at Kimura with surprise. "They... they're supposed to bring good luck," Kimura said. She paused for a moment, then said, "I didn't think anyone would be here." She didn't say anything more, simply stood beside the bed, looking down on Kate with her arms crossed over her chest and an expression on her face that practically dared him to send her away. Looking at that expression, Tim realized that there was something wrong with Kimura's eyes--they were swollen. In an instant of clarity, he knew why she had come here in the middle of the night. Kate was her friend--and Kimura was as worried about her as he was. She hadn't come during normal visiting hours because she was afraid that he wouldn't let her in. For the first time since Kimura had joined the seaQuest, Tim didn't feel threatened by her. Instead, he felt... whole, as if an old would had suddenly been healed. "She needs all the luck she can get right now," he said quietly, turning his gaze back to Kate's face. Kimura stood for a moment more, a look of surprise on her face. Then she pulled up a chair and sat on the other side of the bed. The two let the minutes pass by in silence, each being there for Kate as she had been there for them. Finally, Kimura spoke. "I'm sorry, O'Neill." Tim got the feeling it took an enormous effort for Kimura to say those three words. "It shouldn't have happened," she continued. "I felt that something was going to go wrong, but I didn't say anything. I should have told Ford. I never wanted... I should have protected her better..." "There's more than enough blame to go around; you don't need to add your own," Tim said. "If Hudson had warned us, if the Admiral's men had watched Mariah more closely... hell, if we're looking for someone to blame, we can always blame KATE." He looked sadly at his love's face. "I would have gladly taken that shot for her; she didn't have to protect me. She should have let me take it." The two sat quietly for a moment, each one afraid of breaking the fragile peace between them. Once again, it was Kimura who spoke first. "O'Neill... Tim... can you explain something to me?" she asked hesitantly. "What do you want to know?" he replied. "It was Easter--I don't know how it started, but we ended up talking about Judas. Kate told me she'd always felt sorry for him because he was damned. I had assumed it was because he had betrayed Christ, but she told me that wasn't the reason, that the last sin Judas had committed was greater even than that. But she wouldn't tell me what it was." Tim smiled sadly. *Oh, Kate,* he thought to himself. *You saw it so clearly. Why couldn't I have understood things sooner?* "His sin was despair," Tim said. "He believed that God would never be able to forgive him for what he had done, so he killed himself. But God can forgive any crime. He would have gladly given Judas forgiveness if only he had asked for it." He looked at his watch, then at Heiko. "You better go. You'll be on duty in just a few hours." Kimura nodded and started to leave but turned around halfway to the door. "Tim... I know you're not God, but do you think you could ever..." She paused, as if uncertain as to whether or not she should continue. "It's all right, Heiko," Tim said quietly. "Any friend of Kate's is a friend of mine." Kimura thought for a moment, nodded, and left the room. Tim picked up the origami crane and put it beside Dagwood's bouquet on the tray by Kate's bed, where she would be sure to see it when she woke up. "I won't despair either, sweetheart," he said, kissing her on the cheek. He picked up his rosary and once more began to pray. *** Tim found himself walking through a large, dark room. Some kind of misty white vapor covered the floor, hiding his ankles and feet from view. At the other end of the room, he saw a bright doorway and two figures standing a little before it. Although they seemed to be some distance away, Tim could hear every word they said as if they were right beside him. "Katherine, you don't have to do this now," Rick Ruiz was saying. "There's no hurry. We'll all still be here whenever you arrive." "I have nothing to go back to," Kate said, and Tim trembled at the weary resignation in her voice. "There's nothing left for me on Earth. If God's willing to have me, I'm willing to come." "She doesn't really mean that. She's just feeling a lot of pain right now, and she wants it to stop," a woman's voice said at Tim's elbow. Tim looked over in surprise and saw a petite redhead with an elven face standing beside him. It was Wendy Smith. This didn't seem at all odd to Tim; he simply accepted the dead woman's presence as he had accepted everything else in this strange place. "It's my fault," Tim said, turning his gaze back to where Kate stood with her brother. "I loved her, but I never told her. She doesn't know." "So maybe you should... tell her?" Wendy suggested helpfully. "Kate!" Tim shouted, but whatever magic had let him hear her words didn't seem to work in reverse. Though he shouted at the top of his voice, she didn't appear to hear him. "The pain--she won't let go of it. It's drowning out everything else," Wendy told Tim. "It's not going to drown me out," Tim said grimly. He began running toward Kate, but the mist thickened into tar around his feet, slowing his progress and dragging him down. "Kate, you've got to come back to me," he shouted. "Katie, I love you!" Kate began to walk toward the bright doorway, Rick holding her hand. Tim kept screaming for her, but she didn't seem to hear. "Hmm, she's pretty stubborn," Wendy murmured. "But then again, so am I." The psychic closed her eyes, her mind reaching out to grasp the love and the fear that radiated from O'Neill and shunt it to the woman in the doorway. Kate turned around, stricken. "Tim?" she faltered. Her brother released her hand and slipped back through the doorway, a gentle smile on his face. "Kate, I love you!" Tim cried. "Katie, come back!" *** "Come back!" Tim was awakened by his own strangled cry. He looked around frantically and found himself in Med Bay in the chair beside Kate's bed. She still lay there, in that dreadfully quiet sleep that was far too close to death. Tim took her hand in both of his and rested his forehead on top of that. "Oh, Katie. You've got to hear me," he whispered, a tear slipping down to splash softly against his glasses. "Please don't make me live without you." Something stirred beneath his hand. His head rocked back in surprise and was rewarded by a soft sigh from Kate as her eyelids fluttered. Tim stroked her hand gently, hardly daring even to hope. "Katie, it's Tim, can you hear me, sweetheart?" Kate's eyes opened, focused, and she smiled at him. Tim's tears became a sob of joy as he clasped her hand tightly. "I heard you... calling me," she whispered hoarsely. "You're AWAKE," Beth said breathlessly as she ran into the room. The monitors had alerted her when Kate's brainwaves indicated consciousness and she'd arrived at a run. "Tim, if you'll be good enough to give me some space, I need to examine my patient." A nurse began to steer Tim away from Kate's bed, but he fought to stay. "No, please, you don't understand! I've got to talk to Kate!" "It's all right, Tim," Kate said, her voice a little stronger now. "I know... and I'll be here." Her eyes looked up at him full of love, and the pleasure was almost too sweet for Tim to bear. Ignoring the nurse's protests, he bent over and pressed his lips against her forehead. "I love you, Katie," he whispered in her ear. "I promise, I'll get better as fast as I can," she said. "Then YOU are going to take ME dancing." Tim smiled even as the tears rolled down his face. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and she snuggled her cheek into the palm of his hand. "Lady, you've got yourself a date," he said proudly. *** Thursday, June 9, 2033 The next few days went by in a blur. Tim and Lucas repaired the linguist computers for the Nereid Colony, but Tim only knew that because Lucas told him so--every minute he was on duty, his mind was busy thinking of Kate. He spent every spare moment with her, and, true to her word, she recovered at a remarkable rate. Within a week, she was able to leave the infirmary and return to her quarters, but Beth made Kate promise to come back for physical therapy and not to return to work for another two weeks. Tim was on duty when Kate was released, but the minute he was relieved he ran to her quarters. She answered his knock with a blithe "Come in;" as he walked through the hatch he found her straightening out her laundry one-handed, as the other arm was still in a cast, supported by a sling. "What are you doing?" he asked incredulously as he grabbed the clothes out of her hand. "You should be resting!" "I missed you too," Kate said with a smile. "Tim, I'm fine. Beth said take it easy, not 'do nothing.'" She closed the hatch behind him, then turned to him with a slight blush. "And now that we finally have two minutes to ourselves without a dozen nurses hanging around, don't you think we can find something better to do than argue about laundry?" she asked shyly. Tim swallowed hard, then stepped forward, taking her by her good hand. She put her arm around him and rested her cheek against his shoulder. Tim's heart started to race as he put his arms around her, gently because of her injury. He never knew anyone could smell so wonderful, despite having just gotten out of the hospital. "You always smell so GOOD!" Kate sighed, and Tim was surprised into a short laugh. "You won't believe this, but I was just thinking the same thing about you," he said, brushing his lips lightly against her hair. "That's a good sign," Kate murmured. "It shows we're a good match genetically." "What?" Tim asked in amazement. Kate saw the look on his face and laughed, too. "It's true," she said. "I can show you the studies. It's one of the best indicators for the success of a relationship." Kate fell silent for a moment then, without warning, her hand reached behind his neck and gently pulled his head down. Tim's eyes flew open wide, then fell closed as she kissed him. An electric shock seemed to spark from her lips, sending a warm jolt through Tim that shook him to his bones. His arms strained against her waist, striving to pull her even closer; he felt her hand slip down his back in response, pressing him against her even as her mouth opened beneath his. The pounding of his heart seemed to deafen him, and he felt his face grow wet. *But I'm not crying,* he thought to himself fuzzily as the kiss stretched out to eternity, then snapped back to the present as their lips finally parted. Kate was the one crying, though her eyes were bright with joy. "I'm sorry," she said with a trembling smile. "I've waited almost eleven years for that kiss, and I just couldn't wait any more. I hope you don't mind." Tim put a finger against Kate's lips. "Ssh," he said softly. He looked into her beautiful eyes, took her face in both his hands and leaned down to kiss her again. *** An endless, wonderful time later, Kate suddenly backed away from him and sat up. "I'm... I'm sorry, Tim," she said, her breath ragged. "Did I do something wrong?" Tim asked, instantly fearful of rejection. "No, it's just... I guess I'm just nervous," she said finally. "But Kate, I love you. You have nothing to be nervous about." "Ah... well," she said, her fingers anxiously twisting the coverlet beside her. "There's something I haven't told you..." A little rivulet of fear wormed its way through Tim's stomach. "What is it, Kate? Did Beth tell you something? You ARE all right, aren't you?" "I'm fine! It's just... Damn, there is no easy way for me to say this," she said. She looked into his eyes, her brows furrowed with worry. "Tim, if I'm going to be your girlfriend..." she began. "You ARE my girlfriend; I thought we settled that," Tim interrupted. "Well, that's just it. I don't have any experience at being a girlfriend. None at all," she said, stressing the words oddly. "I don't understand," Tim said. "You're twenty-six and you've never dated anyone? I can't believe that--you're too beautiful." "Oh, I've been on dates," Kate said. "They just never went much further than that. At first it was because I was so much younger than all the men I knew; there wasn't anyone who was seriously interested in me. Then after the seaQuest disappeared, I threw myself into my work, and it just seemed easier not to get involved. By the time I was ready to get into a relationship, I wasn't sure I knew HOW." "Is that all?" Tim asked, relieved. "You don't have to worry; I haven't had that many relationships either." "Tim, you don't understand the scope of the problem," Kate said, frustrated. "This?" she said, waving her hand over the rumpled covers on her bed, "This is as far--FARTHER really--as any of my relationships have ever gone. PHYSICALLY." "Oh?" Tim said. Then, as the meaning behind Kate's words struck home, he said "OH! Oh, my God..." "Now you understand," Kate said miserably. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Leaving all questions of sin aside for the moment, I really want to be ready, but I'm so afraid I'm going to disappoint you. I've done a lot of reading and I've seen some... well, anyway, it's all theory, if you know what I mean. And then there's this cast; I'm going to feel awkward enough without..." Tim couldn't help it; he started laughing and couldn't stop. "Why are you laughing?" Kate asked, infuriated. She threw the pillow at him awkwardly; Tim simply caught the pillow and kept on laughing. He put up his hand, wordlessly requesting her indulgence as the laughing fit finally eased. "Kate, you're incredible," he said, still chuckling. "You're amazing! Here I am, wondering how I will ever be worthy of someone as wonderful as you, and you're apologizing to me for being a virgin!" Kate looked at Tim in astonishment and suddenly she was laughing, too. The two ended up lying on their backs on the bed laughing, looking up at the ceiling and holding hands. Tim finally rolled over on his side and carefully brushed the hair out of Kate's face. "You don't have anything to be sorry for," he said. "If anything, I should apologize to you for NOT being a virgin. I'm supposed to be a good Catholic boy, after all." "Oh," Kate said. She didn't say anything for a moment. "Did... did you love her very much?" she asked finally. While she was obviously trying to be composed, jealously was still clearly written in every line of her face. Tim shook his head in wonder. Kate was actually jealous of him--amazing, amazing woman! "I thought I did," he said. "But you've shown me that all the loves I thought I had were nothing. I didn't even know real, honest-to-goodness fairy-tale love existed in this world until you showed it to me." "You really mean that?" Kate asked, her face suddenly hopeful once more. "I mean it," Tim said, and he bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "And just like in the fairy-tales, when the time is right, we'll BOTH know it." TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GET WHAT YOU DESERVE! A NextCard Platinum VISA: DOUBLE Rewards points, NO annual fee & rates as low as 9.9 percent FIXED APR. Apply online today! http://www.onelist.com/ad/nextcard1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 16:05:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] TDIF Part 33 From: Carolyn Wallace Chapter 33--I had NO IDEA this story was going to turn out as long as it has. At last count, it weighs in at just under 75,000 words! Thank you all for the feedback you've given me throughout this story, which now nears its end--only one or two more chapters to go... Hope you enjoy it! CAROLYN **** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 33 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Saturday, July 2, 2033 "Look, I don't know why you're so nervous," Lonnie said as she helped Kate pin up her hair. "It's not like this is your first date or anything." "Well, in a way, it IS," Kate said, smoothing a non-existent wrinkle from her dress. "We really haven't had a shore leave since Nereid, so it's all been videos in our quarters or dinner in the galley--nothing special like this." Lonnie grinned. "And just why is this so special?" she teased. Kate grinned back. "You know very well why--because of Tim." Lonnie stepped away and admired her handiwork. "He's gonna howl over you like a wolf at the moon!" she said approvingly. "An incoherent communications officer--Hudson will LOVE me for that," Kate sighed. Then she turned and looked at her friend. "But you're the one who should be worrying about wolves, Ms. Red Riding-Hood." Lonnie twirled, the skirt of her red velvet dress spiraling out in a ruby cloud. "One of my 'Estrellita Specials,'" she said. "I've just been waiting for the right time to wear it." A thoughtful look passed over Kate's face as Lonnie's remark reminded her of Lucas' birthday party, the Captain's Table, and a certain late-night confession. *Okay, Mom,* Kate thought, *I KNOW I said I'd leave this to you, but can I help it if I'm a meddler?* "Uh, Lonnie, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lonnie sat on Kate's bed and patted the space beside her. "Come sit by Mommy Lonnie and tell her your troubles. It's not that 'close your eyes and think of England' thing, is it?" Kate sat down and put her hands in her lap. "No, nothing like that. It's just... I'm so happy!" Lonnie put a hand to her chin and nodded sagely. "I can see where that would be a problem." "Come on, Lonnie, I'm serious! I'm so happy that I want to see OTHER people happy, too. Like you. And Jonathan." Lonnie looked away. "How did you find out about that?" she asked faintly. Kate crossed her arms over her chest. "By having two eyes and two ears," she said sarcastically. "By seeing the way he looks at you every time you enter the room. By hearing you sigh when he leaves it. By knowing first-hand what it's like to love someone and not feel that you can tell him." She took Lonnie by the hand. "Tim and I were too afraid to say how we felt, and because of that, I almost died. Life's too short, Lonnie, especially in your business. Tell Jonathan that you love him." Lonnie's bowed her head. "Can I ask YOU something?" she said shyly. "Anything." "What were you thinking--when you got shot? What made you do it?" "Ah..." Kate remembered what Jonathan and Tim had told her about Jim Brody. "You know, the funniest thing is that I remember looking up at Tim as I was falling. He had this look of... of HORROR on his face, and I... I was smiling. He was safe, you see, and I that's all I wanted--for Tim to be safe." "But... I know you love him and all, but most people would have tried to save YOU over Tim. You're this world-saving genius and Tim... well, he's just TIM." "EVERY life is precious, Lonnie," Kate said gently. "You can't measure them against each other, weighing who deserves to live and who doesn't. But don't get the idea that I saved Tim out of some noble sense of values. I did what I did because I was SELFISH--because I wanted Tim to LIVE, no matter what the cost. I decided what mattered; I made my choice, and I accepted the consequences. That's all any of us can do. And that's what Jim Brody did. You don't honor his choice by shutting down your life--you honor him by LIVING it." Lonnie turned and put her arms around Kate, trembling. "But what if it's too late?" Kate heard her whisper brokenly. Kate hugged her. "Then you find out, and you move on. But I don't think it's too late... and I'll bet you Jonathan doesn't either. I tell you what, let's go find out, okay?" Lonnie sat back, wiped her eyes delicately, and gave a shaky laugh. "Okay." "That's my Lonnie! Come on, we'll pick up Beth and it'll be the Three Musketeers all over again." "No, you go ahead, Kate," she said, remembering a promise she'd made to Tim. "There's something I need to take care of first." Kate shrugged and smiled, then left Lonnie in her room. Lonnie went to the mirror, repaired a tiny bit of damage to her makeup, then stared at her reflection in the mirror. She closed her eyes. "Please... don't let it be too late," she prayed. She took a deep breath and headed for the rec room. *** "Look, I don't understand why you're so nervous," Ortiz said in exasperation. "You already KNOW she loves you." Tim slid a finger inside the tight collar of his dress uniform and grimaced, wondering for the thousandth time why Kate had asked him to wear it tonight. "Yeah, I know. Just like I know if there's a way to screw things up, I'll find it!" "Relax, O'Neill," Piccolo said, lifting a beer to his lips and taking a long swallow. "You're in like Flynn--ya got nothing to worry about." "Yeah, well, I just hope you're right," Tim said forlornly. The three men sat at a table in the seaQuest's rec room, which had been turned into a dance hall for the evening. Lucas stood at the far end of the room getting his equipment ready; with the help of a few other musical crewmates he had whipped together a passable band. Over the impromptu stage a banner hung which read "Welcome Back, Dr. Ruiz!" Jonathan stood at the refreshment table nursing a glass of punch and wondering when Lonnie would arrive. The room buzzed excited conversations. Lonnie walked quickly through the door, her velvet gown swirling around her knees. Jonathan's breath caught in his throat as he was struck once more by how beautiful she was. But Lonnie didn't notice him; instead she ran straight to Tim. "She's getting Beth--she'll be here any minute!" Lonnie hissed. "Thanks, Lonnie." Tim got to his feet, his uniform cap in his hand and his eyes riveted to the doorway. Even with Lonnie's warning, however, he still gasped with wonder when Beth and Kate walked through the hatch. Lucas, who had been waiting for this moment, nodded to his band, and they struck up a stirring rendition of the U.E.O. hymn. The room burst into a standing ovation as Kate stood, surprised, in the doorway. She was dressed entirely in white, with a long-sleeved dress of white silk, a white belt, and white low-heeled sandals. The dress draped low across her shoulders, revealing that the marks of her wound had almost disappeared, while the gown's form-fitting skirt was made somewhat more practical for walking by means of a long slit up the side. Around her throat, Tim's ring glittered on its chain. She was the most beautiful thing Tim had ever seen, and his doubts suddenly returned full force. How could such a wonderful creature love him? His heart sank as he began to convince himself that he didn't deserve her. Kate searched the crowd and finally saw Tim standing there across the room. She took a step toward him and stretched out her hands, and the naked longing on her face dissolved his doubts like snowflakes in the sun. Throwing his hat to the table, he strode across the room and took her in his arms, to a renewed outburst of applause. Beth smiled and disappeared into the crowd while Lucas, grinning from ear to ear, signaled the band to end the hymn and segue into "The Last Days of Summer." "I think they're playing our song," Tim whispered in Kate's ear. "So they are," she said, smiling up at him. He rested his forehead against hers for just a second, then he gracefully swung her out onto the floor. And so the summer ends; winter, dark and cold, Wraps around my soul with icy fingers. But my heart feels your love, and I will not despair-- Not while the warmth of your kiss lingers. For a few moments, they danced in blissful silence while other couples joined them on the floor. Then Tim said, "I'm sure you know this, but you look absolutely gorgeous." Kate smiled. "Thank you," she said, her voice a little husky. "You... you look just like I remember you from the night of my Confirmation." "And... that's a good thing?" Tim asked. She nodded wordlessly and put her head against his shoulder. "That's why I wanted you to wear your uniform tonight," he heard her say, her words slightly muffled against him. "That's what you wore then... the happiest night of my life." Then she lifted her head and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Until now," she whispered. And so the winter ends, spring in all its joy Melts your icy heart and sets your love free. Your arms hold me close, and I know I am home, At last, my summer comes to me. Tim was finding it difficult to breathe. There were two questions he had to ask her, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to the first one. But he gathered his courage and asked. "Um, Katie, I mean Kate..." "From you, I'll accept 'Katie,'" she interrupted with a smile. "And why do you look so worried?" "Uh, not 'worried,' exactly," Tim replied. "It's just... there's something I need to know, even if asking it makes me look like a jerk." "What is it?" Kate asked, immediately concerned. "Well, anyone could understand me falling in love with you. You're wonderful! You're a genius; you're beautiful; you're kind..." "You left out 'rich,'" Kate said dryly. Tim laughed nervously. "So I did," he said, "And that just makes it worse. What I want... what I need to know... I just..." Kate looked him, her eyebrows raised in inquiry. "Why me, Kate?" Tim asked finally. "You could have anyone you want. Why me?" "Ah," Kate said, understanding spreading across her face like dawn. "Not an easy question to answer," she said. Tim's face fell. "There are so many reasons," she continued. "Because I like singing harmony to your melody. Because you know all the languages I know, and more. Because I like the way you lead when we dance. Because you taught me to swim without laughing at me ONCE. Because you've always been my definition of 'tall, dark, and handsome.'" "Geniuses must have different tastes than most people," Tim joked, glad that the dim lighting hid the flush that rose to his face. Ignoring his comment, Kate continued. "Because we share the same faith; because we like the same authors, the same movies. Because you have always been my best friend. Even when the difference in our ages was more apparent, you always treated me as an equal. I never forgot that." "But I would have done that for anyone," Tim argued. "I know," Kate smiled. "All the more reason to love you. And speaking of that, the number one reason I love you: when I'm with you, I do things I never thought I could. You bring out the best in me." "And the worst," Tim said wryly, running his thumb over the faint scar on her shoulder. Kate shivered at his touch. "I'm sorry," he said immediately. "Did I hurt you?" "Um, no," Kate said. Tim felt heat radiating from her face and realized she was blushing, too. "I didn't think I should mention it... that shouldn't be why you want to be with someone..." "Katie, what are you talking about?" Kate pulled him close and whispered in his ear. "When you touch me like that, my knees go weak," she admitted. Tim's arms tightened around her and he gently kissed her forehead. "That's okay," he whispered back. "I won't let you fall." *** "I don't think I've ever seen Tim look so happy." Lonnie looked up in surprise. She hadn't heard Jonathan approach; she, too, had been busy watching Kate and Tim. "Uh, no," she said. "I don't think I have either. And Kate..." Lonnie saw the look in Jonathan's eyes and faltered. She looked down quickly and took a sip from the punch cup in her hand. "I've learned a lot from Tim and Kate in the last few weeks," Jonathan said. "Most of all, I've learned that when you love someone, you have to tell them as often as possible, because you never know when they might be gone." The cup rattled against the table as Lonnie set it down with a trembling hand. "I know how upset you were about Brody's death. I gave you the time you asked for," Jonathan continued, "but I can't be quiet any more. I love you, and I want to be with you. I'll understand if you're still not ready; I... I just wanted you to know." He stood quietly beside her, his eyes scanning the dance floor and his heart breaking a little more with each moment she was silent. Suddenly, he felt her hand slip into his. He turned to her, holding his breath. "I love you, too, Jonathan," Lonnie said. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through. M... maybe you would let me start all over again?" Jonathan's smile was brilliant. "We could start with a dance," he suggested. Lonnie nodded, and Jonathan led her out to the dance floor. As Lonnie settled into his arms, she noticed Kate looking at the two of them with a broad grin. She returned it happily and Kate gave Lonnie a wink before Tim whirled her into an intricate turn. Lonnie rested her head against Jonathan's broad shoulder with a sigh and realized Kate had been right--it wasn't too late after all. *** "What are you smiling about?" Tim asked tenderly. "Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking about the strange way God answers our prayers," Kate said. "When I was fifteen years old, I asked God to help you wait until I was old enough to m... to be your girlfriend. If I had had any idea he would answer my prayer by having aliens kidnap the seaQuest and then having you spend ten years in suspended animation, I'm not sure I would have had the nerve to ask for it!" "Are you sorry with the way things worked out?" "Not at all," Kate said, smiling, her brown eyes depthless with love. "But you weren't going to say 'girlfriend,' were you," Tim asked teasingly. "You started to say 'mmm' and then you changed your mind. What were you going to say?" He was rewarded when Kate blushed again. "I was only fifteen years old," she protested. "What were you going to say?" Tim insisted. Kate hid her face against his shoulder. Her reply was unintelligible. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." "M...marry you," she whispered. "Oh," Tim said, then was silent for a moment. He could feel Kate's heart pounding against his chest and wondered if she knew his was beating just as fast. As they continued to dance he freed one hand so he could lift the claddagh ring on its chain. "We really should have this resized," he said nonchalantly. "Mm-mmm," Kate agreed, still a little flustered. "No, better yet," Tim said, as if a new idea had just occurred to him. "We should replace it!" He reached into his pocket with more calm than he actually felt. He pulled out the small velvet box and snapped it open to reveal the diamond and emerald ring glittering inside. "Katherine Isobel Ruiz, will you marry me?" he said, his voice shaking only a little. Kate stood stock still, her eyes wide. "Oh, Tim..." she breathed. Then she looked at him with frightened eyes. "Oh, Tim, are you sure this is what you want?" "Is it what you want?" he asked, his voice husky. "Well, YES, but I've know that since I was fifteen years old! We both believe that marriage is forever, Tim, and you've only known me for a few months... as an adult, that is." Tim looked at her with what he hoped was a suitably solemn expression. "In your professional opinion, Dr. Ruiz, would a marriage between us be a happy one?" "What? Tim..." "Please just answer the question," Tim insisted. Kate looked at him, her face serious and her brows drawn in concentration. Finally, her face cleared. "Yes," she said. "YES, Lt. O'Neill, I believe it would," she whispered back. "Then when the smartest woman on the planet tells me something's going to work, I BELIEVE it. I love you, Katie. I know that I will never, ever want to be without you again. So marry me." "Silly man," Kate whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek as she caressed his face. "If you're going to put it like that, I HAVE to marry you! After God went to all this trouble to make things right for us, I'd be awfully ungrateful to turn you down!" Kate closed her eyes and turned her face up to his. Still clasping the ring box in one hand, Tim held her tight and lowered his mouth to hers. Each kiss from her was an overwhelming wave of love and delight that washed over him and left him breathless. He pulled back just enough so that he could free the ring from its box and place it on Kate's trembling hand. Her face glowed. Those dancers close enough to see what had happened started to cheer, an ovation that grew as the word spread from the dancers to the crowd beyond. Tim and Kate waved to the crowd, Tim grinning like a jack-o'-lantern and Kate showing her engagement ring to those who had gathered around to see. "Speech! Speech!" The cry went ringing through the room. Tim glared at Ortiz, who simply grinned back and waved his beer in approval. Kate took Tim's hand and led him to the stage where Lucas gave her a microphone. The clapping quieted as the crowd realized she was about to speak. "Thank you, thank you everyone," Kate began. "Since I'm supposed to be the guest of honor, I'm going to take the privilege of going first. Before we say anything else, I'd first like to thank you all for this wonderful party." She paused for a moment to let the sudden applause fade away. "Now Tim has an announcement to make, but before I give the microphone to him, I'd like to make a toast. Could we have some glasses up here?" There was a short wait while Jonathan Ford threaded his way through the crowd with a couple of punch cups which he handed up to Kate and Tim. Kate raised her glass. "I know the last couple of weeks have been hard on everyone," she said. "For some of us things have been rough for the last decade or so." Here she gave Tim a look that was for him alone, and it warmed him through and through. "But thanks to the crew of the seaQuest," Kate continued, "I'm better than I've ever been. I'm even convinced that happy endings you pray for really do exist. And so my toast is to answered prayers," she said, her smile as dazzling as the diamond that glittered brightly on her left hand. "To answered prayers," the cheer went up. Tim drank the toast and kissed Kate on the cheek as he took the microphone. "Kate's the expert speaker, so I'll keep this short," he said. "Thank God!" a voice shouted out. "Thank YOU, Piccolo!" Tim quipped. There was a scattering of laughter from the crowd. "No, really, I just have an announcement to make," Tim continued. "In the best tradition of the 'happy endings' Kate mentioned... well, we're getting married!" A great cheer rose up from the crowd, then a wave of thunderous applause. Tim put his arm around Kate's waist and hugged her tightly. "I guess they approve," he said. "I believe they do," Kate agreed. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- ONElist announces "FRIENDS & FAMILY!" For details, including our weekly drawing, go to http://www.onelist.com/info/onereachsplash3.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1999 10:52:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever (Part 3) From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Saturday, November 13, 2021 *An excerpt from the personal journal of Katherine Isobel Ruiz.* Hi, Diary. Today was the perfect day! We had the Confirmation Mass this afternoon; Tim looked so handsome in his dress uniform. Then Mom and Dad treated us all to dinner, and I got to wear my new white silk dress and the diamond necklace Mom and Dad gave me as a confirmation present. Rick surprised me by giving me a corsage of pink roses, and the restaurant had a band, and Tim actually asked me to dance--one fast and one slow dance. I had no idea he knew how to dance; he was great and didn't mind teaching me at all. Mom got a picture of the two of us--I'll paste it in here. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I really do believe I'm going to marry Tim some day. In three more years, I'll be eighteen and Tim will only be thirty-two. It's a big age difference, but no marriage with *me* in it is going to be normal anyway, so why worry about it? I pray every night that God will let Tim wait for me until I'm grown-up enough to be "legal." I pray that God will make me pretty, too; but Mom says not to worry about that. She showed me pictures of herself when she was my age--she looked even worse, and she turned out okay. That's all the time I have to write tonight--I have that big symposium on biogenetics coming up next week, and I've got to start on my paper first thing tomorrow. I should get some sleep, but I don't know if I can. I know I'll just keep thinking about tonight and the first time my true love held me in his arms. *** Wednesday, June 1, 2022 "Hola, Rick. I didn't expect to hear from you today," Kate said. "Look, I'd love to chat, but finals are coming up andÉ" "Katherine, please!" Rick looked troubled. "I need to talk to you--I think you should sit down." Kate turned pale and wheeled her desk chair up to the viewscreen. "What is it, Rick? Is it Dad?" "No, honey, Dad's fine. I just heard something today, and I wanted to speak to you before you heard it on the news. Katie, sweetheart, I don't know how to say this except to just say it. The U.E.O. has officially declared the seaQuest as missing." The world seemed to rock around Kate, and her hands gripped the arm rests of her chair tightly to keep herself from falling. "Missing?" she said, her voice sounding strangely normal in her own ears. "No one has heard from them in over two weeks, and they're long overdue for their last rendezvous. Nobody knows what happened--there weren't any storms or military activity at their last known location. It's as if they just vanished off the face of the earth." "TimÉ" was all Kate could say. "I checked. Tim and Lucas, even Darwin, all were aboard the seaQuest when she disappeared. Look, Kate, I know this is a bad time to tell you this, with your finals and all, but I thought you'd rather hear it from me. If you need me to, I'll get emergency leave and come stay with you awhile. I know how close you were to Tim and Lucas." "No," Kate whispered. "No one did." "What was that, Kate? I couldn't hear you." "No," Kate said a little louder. "I know you've got duties of your own. I'll be fine. It was just a big shock. And missing isn't the same asÉ as dead," she managed to choke out. "They may show up any day now." "That's true," her brother acknowledged. "I just think that maybe you ought to prepare yourselfÉ" "I'll be fine," Kate repeated woodenly. "I think I need some time to get a grip on all of this." "Of course. I love you, Katie," Rick said. "Love you, too, Rick. I'll see you at Christmas." "Right. Take care of yourself." "I will. Bye, Rick." Kate turned off the phone without even waiting for Rick to return her goodbye. She sat for several minutes in her chair, the tears rolling silently down her face. She looked down and found she was twisting the ring on her right hand around and around. It was a golden claddagh ring with an emerald for the heart, a present from Tim on her thirteenth birthday. He had laughed as he claimed that since he was her honorary big brother, she had to be an honorary Irishwoman, and she ought to have something that signified that. He then explained the meaning of the ancient symbol. "The hands stand for friendship, the heart for love, and the crown for loyalty," Tim said. "There's a special way to wear it, too." He placed it on her finger with the point of the heart facing out toward her fingertips and the crown pointing up her arm. "Since you haven't mentioned any boyfriends," Tim teased, "you should wear it like this. This will show the guys your heart is free. When you fall in love, you turn the ring so that the crown faces out, and that will show everyone that you're taken." The minute Tim left for the seaQuest, Kate had turned the ring so that the crown faced outward. She looked over to her desk, where a picture of Tim sat smiling at her. Then she threw herself on her bed and sobbed her heart out--exactly like any other fifteen year old girl who'd just lost her first love. *** Tuesday, January 11, 2033 Dr. Katherine Ruiz finished typing and hit the SAVE key with a flourish. "We are DONE!" she cried, and her staff broke into applause around her. "No more cafeteria food," a woman shouted. "No more stale videos," a man responded. "LETTERS!" a couple in the back of the room cried out. Kate spun around in her chair and held her hands up for silence. As the staff grew quiet she gave them a bright smile. "Look, I know it's been hard, being isolated out here, but we all knew how important this project would be to our home countries and the U.E.O., and we all knew the consequences if word of this technology was released prematurely. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your dedication over the last six months and for the professional way you all dealt with the hardships that were part and parcel of this project. All that being said, the only thing I've got left to say as official head of the U.E.O. Deep Sea Bio-Engineering Project isÉ Brian, where's that champagne?" There was a soft "pop" from the right side of the room. "Once again I have anticipated your needs, Fearless Leader," Brian Chen called out. "Bring your glasses, everybody." "But I don't have glasses anymore since I had that laser surgery," Kate pointed out, unable to hide a wicked grin. "Argh! No more of Kate's awful puns!" an older woman said, and the room exploded with shouts of "Hear, hear!" Kate laughed with them and hurried to get in line for champagne. On the way she bumped into a petite brunette. "Oh, TerŽse, if you'll fire off that last data pack to our friends at Headquarters, we'll see if we can get our 'quarantine' lifted and at least get these good people their mail." "Ou’, Katherine. I tell you, I cannot wait to see my husband again! Six months is far too long for a French woman to be without her mate!" Kate smiled reflexively, but the communications officer's innocent words sent a pang of pain through her. She had never managed to find someone who could take Tim's place in her heart, even now that he'd be dead for ten years. The only thing that kept her from taking on nun's vows in addition to her doctorates was an irrational feeling that God meant her to be married someday. "But you better hurry up," Kate told God silently. "I want to be married sometime before I'm thirty!" *** Kate had stolen away from the party, a half-full bottle in one hand and her glass in the other, and headed back to her quarters. Sometimes these happy occasions were the hardest for her to bear, as they reminded her of all her loved ones who couldn't be here to share them. She walked into her cube-shaped room, not even bothering to turn up the lights, and poured herself another glass of champagne. "I'm home, Minerva," she said, using the voice trigger she'd designed to turn on her personal computer. "Welcome home, Katherine," the computer replied. "Bring up visual 'Family,'" Kate said. The computer obediently displayed a picture of her family, taken shortly before she'd received her doctorate in computer science from UNC. "Mom, Dad, Rick, we did it," Kate said, saluting the screen with her glass. "I wish you could have seen usÉ what am I saying, you can see us. I just hope Heaven has a high enough security clearance to let you watch," she joked. "Seriously, I think you would have been proud of me. I miss you all, and I love you. Keep a good word in for me, okay?" Kate sat silently for a moment, drinking a toast to her lost family. She held a long internal debate with herself and finally gave in to temptation. "Minerva, display visual 'Tim.'" The picture of Kate's family dissolved and was replaced by a picture of Tim in his dress uniform, taken the day she'd been confirmed as an adult in the Roman Catholic faith. "I did it, sweetheart," Kate said softly. "They didn't think we'd be able to pull it off, but we did. So, in my own way, I'm serving the U.E.O., too. I hope that you're watching down on me from Heaven, and that you're proud of your 'little sister.'" Kate knew she'd had more than enough champagne, because the picture of Tim began to blur through her tears. In an uncharacteristic fit of anger, she threw her empty glass against the wall. The glass perversely refused to break and bounced to her feet unharmed. "Damn it, when is it going to stop hurting?" Kate cried to the empty air. The computer beeped. "Incoming message, Katherine." Kate wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to have the team know she was crying of the night of their big success. She quickly composed herself and told the computer to accept the call. It was TerŽse. "Kate, our communications blackout has been lifted. There's a priority message for you from U.E.O. headquarters--top secret spy stuff." "No rest for the wicked, hmm? Okay, TerŽse, send it in." Kate spoke the access phrase that would activate her security decoder and unscramble the message. The message was text only, brief and to the point. Date: DECEMBER 29, 2032 From: U.E.O. HEADQUARTERS To: KATHERINE RUIZ, MD, PhD Security Level: YOUR EYES ONLY Message: FIGHTER PILOT HAS DEFECTED TO U.E.O. FROM CHAODAI EMPIRE. YOUR SKILLS NEEDED TO ENSURE SMOOTH TRANSITION OF TECHNOLOGY AND PROPER MAINTENANCE OF ENHANCED PILOT. REPORT TO U.E.O. SHIP SEAQUEST WITH ALL POSSIBLE SPEED. Signed: ADMIRAL ROBERT SHEFFIELD, U.E.O. BIO-TECHNOLOGY DIVISION. Kate took a step back, shock pouring like ice through her veins. Distantly, she heard the champagne glass finally shatter beneath her boot. "The seaQuest... The SEAQUEST?" Kate stared at the message for a good three minutes, then told Minerva to connect her to the communications officer. "TerŽse here, Kate. What can I do for you?" "Get me Admiral Robert Sheffield, U.E.O. Headquarters, on a secure line. I don't care if he's in a meeting, if he's asleep, if he's on the freaking toilet, I want to speak with him now." TerŽse's blue eyes widened, but she simply said, "Understood," and began punching the controls that would connect Kate with the mainland. TO BE CONTINUED>>> _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Who is the most visited e-mail list community Web Service? http://www.onelist.com ONElist.com - where more than 20 million e-mails are exchanged each day! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1999 07:20:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever (Part 9) From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER Part NIne By Carolyn M. Wallace When we last saw our intrepid crewmates, they were heading to the Hyatt Regency for a birthday party of biblical proportions.... +++ DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Saturday, January 15, 2033 to Monday, February 28, 2033 (cont) When the men got to the Regency, the concierge was there to greet them at the door. "The Wolenczak party? Of course; welcome, gentlemen. Right this way please." The man lead them through the lobby and an adjoining corridor and finally to an elegant ballroom. There was a stage at the other end of the room where a band was tuning up. Tables lined one long wall of the room, while a huge bar lined the other one. The center of the room had been cleared for a large wooden dance floor. Chandeliers sparkled overhead, candles twinkled on the tables, and highly polished brass gleamed along the bar. Over the bar a banner read "Happy 21st Birthday, Lucas!" Over the dining area a banner read "Happy *31st* Birthday, Lucas!" "Oh my gosh," Tim whispered. "All RIGHT," Lucas cried. "But if this is a party, where is everybody?" Ortiz checked his watch. "Sorry, Lucas; we got here a little early. I thought it would take a lot longer to get Tim into a tux." "Ha, ha," Tim said. He went over to the bar and ordered a Coke. The other men followed, Dagwood choosing a soft drink as Tim had, Piccolo ordering a beer, Ford a gin and tonic, and Ortiz a dry martini "shaken, not stirred." "What about you, birthday boy," Piccolo asked, gesturing with his mug. "You're legal now." "I've been legal for ten years, Tony," Lucas reminded him. "I just wasn't here to take advantage of it." "Start slow, Lucas," Jonathan suggested. "How about a beer?" Lucas glared at him, then turned to the bartender. "Scotch, neat please." The bartender didn't even raise an eyebrow as he picked up a bottle of Chivas Regal and poured it into a lowball glass. Lucas took the glass, looked at it for a second, then knocked it back in one swallow. He spent the next several minutes coughing his lungs out. "You can't put an old head on young shoulders," Jonathan said, shaking his head sorrowfully. "He's not going to have ANY head on his shoulders if he tries that again," Tim said, getting a glass of water from the bartender and handing it to Lucas. "Thanks, Tim," Lucas wheezed. He gulped the water gratefully. "Look, here comes the rest of the party," Ortiz said, pointing to the door. Lucas looked up to see many of his friends from the seaQuest arriving, all dressed in their best party clothes. "Oh, this is great," he smiled. "Tony, is she here yet?" "Patience, my son," Piccolo said, sipping his beer. "Not yet, but... oh, holy mother of God," he breathed reverently. His eyes had gotten as big as saucers, and the rest of the men turned to see what he was staring at. Beth, Lonnie and Kate stood in the doorway, gloriously radiant in their new clothes. They saw Lucas at the bar and began walking toward him. Tim was standing next to Piccolo. Tony turned to him and whispered, "Now if THOSE three beauties can't make you forget Kimura, O'Neill, you're either blind or you're already dead!" Tim stared, then swallowed hard. He noticed Beth and Lonnie, of course, how could he not? But it was Kate that took his breath away. Where was HIS Kate? This was no adolescent with braces on her teeth; no "little sister" learning how to swim. This was a GODDESS, and at that second Tim felt as though he'd lost his best friend. "Close your mouth, Tim, the flies will get in," Ortiz whispered with a grin. He hadn't been entirely sure what to expect when Kate had made him part of her plans, but all his doubts were laid to rest now. He knew in his bones that Kate Ruiz would throw one hell of a party. "Happy birthday, Lucas," the three women said in chorus, each one stepping forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Now you owe each of us a dance," Kate said, pointing a finger at Lucas. "You mustn't forget that." "No, ma'am," Lucas said, his head spinning. Between the scotch and the transformation of two of his closest female friends, he already felt as high as a kite. And Lucas wasn't the only one. Tim caught a whiff of Kate's perfume as she bent to kiss Lucas, and it had turned his knees to water. *No woman has a right to smell that good,* he thought to himself, almost angrily. She was his LITTLE SISTER; she had no right to be so beautiful. If she was beautiful, he couldn't trust her. He turned to the bartender and asked him to add some rum to his next Coke. Jonathan sipped from his glass so that no one could see his expression. Lonnie was a vision; he had never seen her looking so enchanting. It was hard to believe she had ever loved him, that he had ever held her in his arms. But after the death of their crewmate Jim Brody, Lonnie had ended their relationship, claiming that she needed time to put her feelings in order. Jonathan smiled sadly to himself. That had been several months ago; Lonnie's feelings must be complicated indeed. Lucas looked at Tony and cocked his head in the direction of the three women. "Is she one of them?" he asked. Tony nodded with a grin. "Piccolo, you weren't supposed to tell!" Kate said with a pout. "YOU'RE my fairy godmother?" Lucas asked in disbelief. Later he told himself it was the scotch that did it, but at that moment he just couldn't help himself. He grabbed Kate's face in his hands and kissed her. After a second's surprise, Kate returned it. "Oh, Kate, you're the BEST!" Lucas said when he let her go. "Kisser? I don't think so," Kate scoffed. "And don't let it go to your head--I only let you get away with that because it's your birthday." "The greatest one ever," Lucas said. At that moment the band began playing a jazzy dance tune. Kate clapped her hands. "And you're going to spend it dancing," she said, taking Lucas by the hand and leading him to the dance floor. "As Fairy Godmother, I get you FIRST!" "Come on, Dagwood," Lonnie said, grabbing him by the hand. "I don't want Kate to get ahead of me!" Beth stepped over to Jonathan. "Those girls are out of their minds if they think I'm going to be left behind. Come on, Commander, let's show them what REAL dancing is," she said, threading her hand around his elbow and leading him after the others. "Yeah, but who's going to show Ford?" Ortiz quipped. Jonathan turned back to Ortiz over his shoulder. "Jealousy is SO unbecoming, Miguel. You should really do something about it." Tim looked on as they all began to dance, sipping his drink and trying to sort out his suddenly confused feelings. One part of him was grateful Kate hadn't dragged HIM out on the floor, another part was jealous that she'd chosen Lucas first, and still another was angry that she'd made him feel any of these things at all. She was his LITTLE SISTER, damn it; he wasn't supposed to be feeling these things again. Hadn't he learned his lesson with Mariah? With Kimura? Lucas whirled Kate around the floor, and her skirt twirled up around her legs. "Oh my God, Tim, did you see that?" Ortiz breathed in astonishment. "I'm beginning to understand why Mom told me to marry a doctor!" Tim had seen, and he drank his rum and Coke a little faster than was good for him. It was indeed "one hell of a party." Once the dance floor had been broken in, it was never completely empty, even during the dinner. And the dinner was spectacular. The guests could choose from a menu that included everything from pizza and hamburgers to filet mignon and salmon mousse. Kate was having the time of her life. She couldn't remember when she'd felt so... LIGHT inside. She realized only then how much she had let Tim's "death" and the death of her family suppress her natural exuberance. She had been twenty-six going on fifty; now she felt re-born. The only flaw in her happiness was that Tim hadn't asked her for a dance. She'd danced with Lucas, Dagwood, Miguel--actually she felt as if she'd danced with half the men on the seaQuest, but Tim had yet to approach her. Kate knew that she could always ask him, but she was somehow reluctant. She had the strangest feeling she had done something to offend him, but for the life of her, she couldn't imagine what it was. *Attack problems while they're small,* she reminded herself. She had an inspiration and she went to the bandleader and made a special request. Tim was playing with the few remaining peas left on his plate, pushing them back and forth with his fork. He had put on a "happy face" for Lucas and the rest of them, but he didn't think that he was having as nearly much fun as they were. Kate's transformation had deeply disturbed him, and the more he examined that fact, the more disturbed he became. His reverie was interrupted by a gentle tap on his shoulder. "Mr. O'Neill, I believe they're playing our song," Kate said as he looked up at her. Tim looked at the band, then at Kate, confusion on his face. "Our song?" "Trisha Ladley's 'Last Days of Summer.' Remember? The night of my Confirmation?" It all came back to him--little Kate with her white dress and corsage of pink roses. Rick sitting with his parents. His asking Katie to dance, because he saw how enviously she watched the other dancers and because he knew how it felt to want to dance and never be asked. *Well, she's asking now,* he told himself. *For heaven's sake, it's just a dance, not a marriage proposal. Say YES!* "So they are," he said, rising from his chair and placing his napkin beside his plate. Kate took his hand lightly in hers and led him to the dance floor. Silently, he took her in his arms and they began to dance. And so the summer ends; winter, dark and cold Wraps around my soul with icy fingers. But my heart feels your love, and I will not despair-- Not while the warmth of your kiss lingers. Kate's heart was pounding so hard that she imagined that her necklace must have been jumping off her chest with every beat. *Do it,* she told herself. *Do it, or you'll drive yourself crazy wondering why.* "Tim," she said hoarsely. He was so handsome in his tux, he took her breath away. She swallowed and tried again. "Tim, have I done something to make you angry?" "Huh?" Tim said. He'd been lost in that incredible perfume and the feel of her body swaying in his arms. "I'm sorry," Kate said, mentally kicking herself. "I know it sounds stupid. I just had this weird feeling that I'd accidently done something to make you mad." "Oh, sure," Tim said. "You gave Lucas a wonderful birthday, you treated all of us to this great party--and those are just TWO of my pet peeves." Inside he was thinking *She KNOWS! How could she know? She can't, stupid. You're just being paranoid.* And yet, to his profound surprise, he found himself saying, "Of course, you DID kidnap my little sister and replace her with a beautiful woman I'm not sure I know." Kate smiled up at him. "Is THAT all? Believe me, Tim, she's still in here, under all the makeup and fancy clothes. She'll always be here for you." *That's enough, Kate, shut up, shut up before you tell him everything,* she told herself. And like the summertime, our love passed away. I settle now for being 'good friends.' But 'though my nights are cold, I will not despair-- For summer always comes again. The last strains of the song drifted away and the couples on the dance floor began heading back to their tables. "Thank you, Tim," Kate said, hesitant to let him go. "For the dance." "Any time, sis," Tim said lightly. *That's it, keep her at arm's length,* he thought. *Just keep playing the big brother and you won't get hurt. That's all she wants from you, anyway--a replacement for Rick.* *STILL 'little sister'? What am I going to have to do to make him see me as a WOMAN?* Kate thought to herself sadly. The two walked in silence to their chairs and tried to rejoin the conversation at their table, but neither of them had any great success at it. The rest of the party was still having a wonderful time. Whenever the band stopped for a break, the multi-talented crew of the seaQuest took over and borrowed their instruments so that the music wouldn't stop. Tony Piccolo, with the help of a few other aficionados of 1960's music, proceeded to bring down the house with his rendition of "Twist and Shout." Lonnie grinned to herself as she taught Dagwood how to twist, remembering the first time she'd taught him to dance. It seemed like yesterday to her, but by the calendar it was over ten years ago. Then she looked up to see Jonathan asking Kate to dance, and a little spike of pain shot through her heart. *Don't be a fool, Lonnie,* she thought. *Jonathan's a free man, remember? You set him free! He can dance with whomever he wants.* But she couldn't watching them and wishing she was in Kate's place. The end of Tony's song coincided with the return of the band. The leader took the microphone and looked out at the happy crowd. "Look, if you guys keep doing that during our breaks we're gonna get a complex!" he joked. Tony clasped his hands over his head and shook them in a prizefighter's victory salute as he left the stage; the crowd roared. "We'll get back to the music in just a second," the leader continued, "but first I have a couple of announcements to make. Number one, since you don't have to drive tonight, enjoy the open bar. The same limos that brought you here will be ready to return you to the seaQuest whenever you want to leave. But if you don't WANT to go, that's okay, too. A floor of rooms has been set aside for you for tonight; just head for the front desk, tell them you're with the seaQuest, and they'll take care of you free of charge." He waited until the cheering died away before continuing. "Finally, on behalf of myself and the rest of the members of Starlight, we'd like to wish Lucas a happy birthday and thank you all for inviting us here to play." Once again, the room filled with the sound of applause. "Now, if we could just get Lucas up here for a second," the band leader continued, "he has a very important task to perform." Lucas looked up in surprise. "What's he talking about?" he asked. "Well, go up there and FIND OUT," Kate admonished with a smile. With a grin of his own, Lucas got out of his chair and walked to the stage, waving at his friends as they applauded him. When he finally got to the stage he saw what was waiting in the wings and half turned away, rubbing his jaw in a fit of wry abashment. The female singers had gone into the wings while Lucas made his way to the stage; they returned now, wheeling a huge birthday cake covered with candles. "Come on, people, you all know how it goes," the band leader said, and he began singing "Happy Birthday to You." Instantly, the room was filled with voices, all wishing Lucas a happy birthday. When the song was finished, Lucas asked if he could have the microphone and the leader handed it to him with a bow. "I've just got one thing to say," Lucas began. He pointed to the multitude of candles on the cake. "I'm NOT THAT OLD!" "That's to make up for all the years you MISSED," Kate shouted from the back of the room, and a bubble of laughter made its way through the party. "Okay, okay, I'll give it a shot," Lucas said. He took a deep breath, let it out, took another, then finally turned to the cake. With painstaking precision, he began blowing out candles, determining how many flames he could extinguish with each tiny gust of air, and finally, he blew out the last candle with his last bit of breath. A cheer rose up. "We knew you could do it," Tony called up from the foot of the stage. "All RIGHT!" Lucas said with a triumphant smile. "Who wants some cake?" *** Heiko Kimura lay on her bed, knees clasped tightly to her chest. Her breath came in short, sharp pants as she tried to conquer the pain with the breathing techniques her Chaodai surgeons had taught her. "The pain will be a part of your life from now on," they had told her. "But it may not be often; it will not always be so bad, and it will pass." Heiko looked at her watch; this particular session had lasted three hours all ready. She felt the barest flicker of fear as she reached for the nightstand beside her bed with a shaking hand. The pain had never lasted this long before. She found the prescription bottle she'd been looking for, right beside the beeper Ruiz had left her. Heiko grabbed them both in one sweep of her hand, then stared at them as they lay in her palm. After a moment's consideration, she shook her head fiercely and put the beeper back on the nightstand. The seaQuest was on shore leave in a safe harbor; it was highly unlikely that she would be called upon to fight within the next twelve hours. Heiko popped the bottle open, shook out two blue and white pills, placed them in her mouth and swallowed, not even bothering to get a glass of water to wash them down. Then she lay back on the bed, trembling, as she waited for the powerful narcotic to take effect. *I can tell Ruiz about it at our next appointment,* she thought to herself. *She probably couldn't do anything about it anyway.* TO BE CONTINUED>>> _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Attention ONElist list owners! http://www.onelist.com/info/news.html Check out the new "DEFAULT MODERATED STATUS" option. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 12:39:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Archive From: Carolyn Wallace Okay--for those of you who've asked, the complete story is now archived at my web site. You can go directly to the table of contents by going to: http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace/tdiftoc.html This is the single most massive HTML project I've ever undertaken and I did it in two days, so if you notice bad links, missing story sections, REPEATED story sections, etc., please just let me know and I'll fix it ASAP. Thanks for your help!! Carolyn === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- ONElist: your connection to people who share your interests. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Jul 1999 08:47:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Part 10 From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Wednesday, March 2, 2033 Kate sighed as she hung her beautiful new dresses in her quarters' tiny closet and hoped that the wrinkles would work themselves out. The shore leave had been wonderful, even if it hadn't had the effect on Tim she'd hoped it would, but she and Lonnie and Beth had arrived back on ship at the very last minute, leaving them no time to unpack. Kate had gone on duty just a short half-hour after she arrived. On the bright side, everyone had told her that the party had been terrific, and she'd learned a few things about Tim from Lonnie Henderson, who'd been her "roommate" at the Regency. She smiled to herself. Who'd have ever guessed that Tim was a fan of Gauguin and Salvador Dali? "I know what someone is getting for HIS birthday," she hummed to herself as she continued her unpacking. She'd have Jenna find out what paintings might be available for sale; Tim's birthday was only two months away; she hoped that left her enough time. Whatever piece she chose, she'd have Jenna store it in her gallery at home and have a print sent to the seaQuest so that Tim could enjoy it without worrying about it getting harmed. It occurred to her that she'd never spent so much money at one time; Jenna was probably examining the receipts for signs of forgery. Kate shrugged; Heaven knew she had the money to spare. Between the inheritance from her parents, the life insurance on them and Rick, and the income her patents and other assignments brought in, she didn't think money was ever going to be one of her problems. Jenna was as brilliant an investor as Kate was a scientist; it was only too bad that no one had yet figured out a way for money to buy happiness. Kate went to her overnight bag and pulled out a clear plastic rectangle. She then went to her desk and plugged the piece into her tabletop hologram projector. A tiny Kate and Tim shimmered into life a few inches above the desk. "Wouldn't you rather do this with Lucas?" Tim's recorded voice said as the little figure looked off screen. "I'll have one taken with him later--right now, I want one with you!" Kate heard her voice say. "Uh, folks, I'm recording, you know," a disembodied voice said; it was the voice of the photographer. Kate watched as the two tiny people suddenly looked sheepishly at the camera. The tiny Kate waved. "Hi! This is Kate and Tim at Lucas' thirty-first birthday party, February 28, 2033," she said. "Say hello, Tim." "'Hello, Tim,'" he had said obediently. The image of Kate sighed and threw her hands in the air, and then the picture froze, leaving the little Kate looking exasperated and the small image of Tim with a slight, mischievous smile on its face. Kate smiled too, every time she saw it. She made a few adjustments on the front panel of the projector and the image zoomed out until only Tim's face was visible. At this magnification, Kate imagined she could see a twinkle in his eye as he smiled. She sighed again. "Oh, big brother, if you only knew..." A ship-wide announcement interrupted her musings. Tim's crisp voice emerged from the speaker in the ceiling of her room. "Sounding General Quarters. All hands, report to battle stations. Repeat, all hands to battle stations." Kate grabbed her lab coat and ran out through the hatch. She slapped the light switch as she ran, plunging the room into blackness except for the hologram of Tim on her desk. It shone in the dark like Shakespeare's "good deed in a naughty world." *** Kimura and Piccolo were already in their fighters, their instruments scanning the murky waters off the coast of Cuba. "I don't see a thing, Ortiz," Kimura heard Piccolo say through her headphones. "Tell me whatcha got." "By their signatures, four Macronesian fighters dead ahead of the seaQuest and closing fast." "Macronesian fighters don't have long range flight capabilities," Kimura said briskly. "They must have a carrier somewhere." "I'm on it," Ortiz replied. "I've got all our WSKRS out at maximum range, but I haven't found anything yet." Kimura programmed her ship for a long, sloping curve that would take her out from the seaQuest and back again, giving her sensors optimal opportunities to search for the enemy. This was the only time, paradoxically, when she felt she could relax, when she was doing was she was born to do and was accepted as a valuable part of the team, not as a "necessary evil." "What are they doing this far from home?" Piccolo said. From the tone of his voice, Kimura could tell that he really didn't care about the answer, he was just letting out some tension in talk; most of his attention was on his instruments, as hers was. He had done a sweep in the opposite direction from her ship, noting her pattern and complimenting it so that, between the two of them, their instruments covered the widest possible range around the seaQuest. Kimura nodded to herself; Piccolo was becoming a damn good pilot. She found herself... satisfied... when their duty schedules coincided. "Maybe they got lost in the Bermuda Triangle and they just want directions home," Tim O'Neill's voice came through her headphones. As Communications Officer, O'Neill monitored all ship-to-ship conversations. She realized, as O'Neill obviously had, that Piccolo was still nervous about his duties as a fighter pilot, and this was Tim's attempt to ease his friend's fear. Again, she nodded. This was a good team. She hoped Hudson appreciated how lucky he was. It had not been this way among the Chaodai, with each pilot totally immersed in the flight of his or her craft. There had been no banter, but there had been no need. They knew they were to fight or die; the ordeal they had already gone through left no more room for fear. Kimura shifted in her seat, offering thanks to whatever forces might be that the pain had dissipated before she'd awakened this morning. Then an amber light finally showed on her sonar screen. "Piccolo, enemy at 2 o'clock, 200 feet above your current position." "I see it," Piccolo said tightly. "No answer to hails," O'Neill said. "Ship is powering its weapons," Ortiz said immediately afterwards. "All ships fire at will," Ford barked. From the corner of her eye, Kimura could see a bright flare as Piccolo fired at his opponent, but she had no time to see how the engagement ended, as two more amber lights appeared on her screen. "I've got company," she said. "Macronesian fighters," she heard O'Neill say. "This is the seaQuest. Power down your weapons and surrender." The only reply was another flare of light, but this time the flare was heading in her direction. She pulled back on her stick and brought her fighter up in a tight circle. The ship rocked from side to side as the charge blasted through the water right beneath her. As she completed the roll, she fired two quick bursts. One Macronesian ship exploded in a shower of shrapnel, the other one rolled helplessly, one engine entirely cut away. "I repeat," O'Neill said. "Power down your weapons, surrender, and you will not be harmed." Suddenly Kimura saw the fourth fighter appear on her screen. It was directly behind Piccolo and rising fast. She leaned savagely against her stick, bringing her ship to port so fast that she was thrown violently against her restraining straps. "Piccolo, on your six!" she screamed, even as she fired. She watched Piccolo's ship sink like a stone just as the Macronesian fired upon him. The charge rocketed uselessly above him, just as Kimura's shot hit home. There was another explosion and Kimura winced and turned her head. That had been too close. Her ship was unexpectedly rocked from side to side as the blast wave from another explosion hit her. She turned her ship and checked her instruments; the ship she'd crippled had chosen to self-destruct rather than be captured. Piccolo's shot had apparently destroyed his opponent; her screen was now blank. "Damn," she cried in frustration, hammering her flight yoke with the heel of her hand. If only they'd been able to capture a pilot and interrogate him, find out what they were doing here so far from their strongholds. "At ease, Kimura," she heard Captain Hudson say. "You two did well out there. Come on home while we continue our search for the carrier." "Aye, aye, sir," she and Piccolo said as one. Kimura deftly turned her fighter about and headed back to the seaQuest. During the return to the seaQuest, it was as if Kimura herself, and not her ship, was on autopilot. She mechanically went through her docking procedures, then her checklist, making sure the little fighter would be ready for the next battle. If anyone had been watching her, they would have noted the animation fading from her face, to be replaced with a cool, almost statue-like expression. It was always this way for her; in battle she lived, and everything else was simply a drudgery to be endured until she was called to life again. In the back of her mind, a voice whispered, "What will you do when the battles are over?" but she refused to look that far ahead. Besides, there was always another war to fight. It was a sad commentary on humanity that her skills would always be needed. *** *Somewhere beneath the Atlantic Ocean...* "They didn't see us, ma'am, but they ARE looking for us." "Don't concern yourself. If Bridger couldn't find me eleven years ago, there's no way Hudson will find us now. Plot us a course back to the base; we'll continue our little 'test' at a later date." "Aye, aye, Captain. Setting course for home." "Oh, Parrish?" "Yes, ma'am?" "Send the usual condolence messages to the pilots' families, will you?" "Yes, ma'am. Consider it done." *** Kimura saw Piccolo in the passageway as she left the docking bay; he appeared to be waiting for her. She mentally counted to ten--conversation was not what she needed right now. All she wanted was a hot shower and the soothing silence of her quarters. She stiffened her shoulders and strode past him with a curt nod. However, Piccolo was not to be ignored. He fell into step with Kimura and followed her. "Got a sec, Kimura?" he asked. "Not really," she lied. "I have matters to attend to in my quarters." "I understand," Piccolo said. "I'll keep this short. I just wanted to thank you. For today, you know." "I was just doing my job," Kimura said. But somehow she couldn't just leave it at that. "You're a good pilot; we can't afford to lose you right now," she continued grudgingly. "Thanks!" Piccolo said, his face brightening. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go," Kimura said, turning down the passageway that led to the Maglev. Piccolo stopped and watched her walk away. "A good pilot, huh?" he said to himself, scratching his head. A new idea was occurring to him, one he wasn't sure he liked. The fact that he and Kimura made a good team was one he had already accepted, albeit reluctantly, in battle. What disturbed him was that he was beginning to wonder if they would make just as good a team OFF the battlefield. He shook his head angrily. That would be like betraying Tim, and while Kimura might be okay with that, Tony Piccolo wasn't. Tony Piccolo didn't betray his friends. The fact that he was beginning to think of Kimura as a friend was something he didn't even consider. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Attention ONElist list owners! http://www.onelist.com/info/news.html Check out the new "DEFAULT MODERATED STATUS" option. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 05:57:23 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Part 12 From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 12 By Carolyn M. Wallace When we last saw our intrepid adventurers, their evening of video watching was interrupted as Kate was called away on an emergency--Kimura was in trouble... DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Wednesday, March 2, 2033 (cont) The first thing Kate saw as she ran into Med Bay was Kimura strapped to a gurney, her limbs thrashing beneath their restraints and a look of pure terror on her usually impassive face. Beth quickly told Kate what had happened. "She came into the pharmacy about fifteen minutes ago, complaining of extreme pain and trying to get a refill on her prescription. The pharmacist noticed that the commander had gone through a month's worth of pills in two weeks, and was about to call you for confirmation when Kimura collapsed. They got her here, and that's when I called you in. The seizures started about five minutes ago." "Have you given her anything?" Kate asked urgently. "No," Beth said. "I couldn't predict how the drugs might affect her bio-technology. But I HAVE done an EEG... and it's normal." "But that's not possible!" Kate protested. Then the light dawned. "Unless the seizures aren't originating in her brain..." Kate turned to Kimura. "Commander, can you hear me?" she asked Kimura gently. "Ruiz! What's happening to me?" Kimura moaned through chattering teeth. "Take it easy, Kimura. You're going to be all right. Your implants are feeding false impulses to your muscles--that's what's causing the seizures." "I didn't think they could do that," Kimura managed to choke out. "I think something has gone wrong with the feedback sensors. To find out for sure, I'm going to have to operate." A look of agony passed over Kimura's face and Kate realized that implants were ravaging Kimura's nervous system as well. *This is bad,* Kate thought. *This is very, very bad.* "Kimura, I need your permission to operate," Kate insisted. "Believe me, I wouldn't be doing this unless I absolutely had to!" "Hudson," Kimura gasped. "Hudson has the letter." It took less than a second for Kate to realize what Kimura meant. "So you know you're going to be perfectly all right," she replied evenly. "I won't let anything happen to you." Kimura tried to nod. "I consent," she panted. Kate grabbed a nurse as he passed by. "Get the Commander prepped for surgery." Kate prescribed the same general anesthetic that the Chaodai had used when they'd installed the devices, hoping that they'd known what they were doing. Then she prepared herself to operate. "Saint Luke, guide my hands and keep my patient in your care," Kate said as she scrubbed for surgery. More than a simple prayer, it also activated a self-hypnotic suggestion, one that would help her remain calm and detached while she operated. Kate's problem was that she could empathize all too well with what her patients were going through--it made her an excellent diagnostician but devastated her during surgery. The self-hypnosis allowed her to push her own feelings into the background until the operation was over. Afterwards... well, she'd deal with that when the time came. She took a deep breath, allowed a nurse to help her with her mask and eye shield, then walked into the operating room. Thursday, March 3, 2033 "So what is it, Doctor Ruiz? What's the matter with her?" Katherine stared at her computer screen, reviewing the data one last time before answering the Captain's question. "It's not just one problem," Kate began. "Or more accurately, it IS one problem that's causing a whole host of others. At the crux of the matter is the fact that, since Kimura defected, her implants haven't been used. After all, there's been no way for her TO use them." Kate paused, rubbing her tired eyes before she continued. Then she increased the magnification of the picture on her computer screen and pointed to what looked like a lumpy thread. "When I couldn't find anything wrong with the mechanical system, I examined the metal-to-flesh interface. I removed this micro-wire last night from Kimura's lower back. I'd previously assumed that because the implants were made of inert materials, they wouldn't cause us any trouble--but I was wrong. Inert or not, Kimura's body doesn't like them. Calcium is being leeched from her system to encapsulate the implants, much like an oyster creating a pearl to protect itself from an irritant. When her implants were in active use, the microscopic amount of current running through the wires generated enough of a charge so that the calcium molecules were repelled. Now that they're no longer in use, however, the calcium is building up, putting pressure on her nerves. Since the micro-wires run throughout her spinal column, the build-up is disrupting the normal course of nerve impulses through her body, first causing the pain and now the muscle seizures." "Is there anything you can do for her?" Hudson asked. "I created a device to stimulate the implants--it supplies a small amount of current to the interface, and I'm hoping it will be enough to break up the deposits, or at the very least keep them from increasing. But as you can imagine, it isn't a pleasant experience for her. Right now I have her under sedation." Kate looked up from her screen to stare steadily at Captain Hudson. "And what I've done is simply a stop-gap measure; it won't solve the problem. Those implants have to come out." Hudson paced around the room, his hands clasped behind his back. "But she almost died getting them put in. Won't she face the same problems in removing them?" "Yes, she would--IF we used the same methods as the Chaodai." Hudson turned to Ruiz. There was a slight quirk in his lips that might on other men be called a smile. "Am I to infer that you know another method?" Kate had been thinking about this all night, ever since she'd cut Kimura open and saw the extent of the problem. "There's a scientist at the Foresight Institute--Dr. Brian Chen. He has the highest security rating, and he's worked with me on my last three projects. If anyone can do what I suspect MUST be done, it'll be Brian." "Then I suggest that you contact Admiral Sheffield and have him give your Dr. Chen a call," Hudson said briskly. "Aye, aye, Captain," Kate said, giving him a rather sloppy salute. Hudson simply raised an eyebrow, returned her salute (the CORRECT way) and left her office. Wednesday March 9, 2033 "Hey there, Kimura, how are you feeling today?" Kate looked down at her patient with a concerned expression. "As if I'd stuck my finger in a power outlet," Kimura grumbled. "And I can't get my hair to lie flat." Kate smiled. "You're complaining. I take that as a very hopeful sign." Kimura scowled. "This from a doctor who can't even keep her face clean." Kate looked surprised for a moment. She checked out her appearance in a nearby mirror, then smiled again. "That's SUPPOSED to be there. Today's Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. All the Catholics will be marked like this today... Episcopalians, too, I think. And I'm not supposed to wash it off; it has to wear off." "This isn't going to become a religious discussion, is it?" Kimura asked, a slight grimace on her face. "Not at all," Kate said coolly. "Just consider it your fact for the day. Now, how's the pain." "Not bad," Kimura said. Kate looked at her, then crossed her arms in front of her chest. "The 'brave little soldier' act does you more harm than good," she said. "If you're in pain, you have to let me know." "All right," Kimura admitted. "It's not as bad as it was the night of the seizure, but it's on a par with my worst days back ho- back with the Chaodai." Kate nodded, then made an adjustment to the medication band strapped around Kimura's bicep. "That should help," Kate said. "Remember, I want you to feel as little pain as possible. It's not like you'll be driving or anything any time soon." "I won't become... addicted to them?" Kimura asked hesitantly. "No," Kate said gently. "Studies done at the turn of the century proved that when you cured the cause of a patient's pain, their dependency on the pain-killer usually ended as well." "But my pain can't be cured. The doctors told me that I would have to learn to live with it." Kate sat beside Kimura on the bed. "That's very true," she said slowly. "IF the implants remain." Kimura's face became quite still. "You want to take them out." "Kimura, we have to. If we don't, eventually they'll cripple you. And if they don't kill you out right, they'll make you wish you were dead." Kimura felt the weakness wash over her and clenched her jaw furiously. "I rather be dead... than go through... that again," she whispered through her teeth. A tear escaped beneath her tightly closed eyelids; Kate noticed and turned away slightly. Kimura would never forgive her if she thought Kate had seen. "And I won't put you through it," Kate said. "I think there's another way. What do you know about nanotechnology?" Kimura stirred restlessly on the bed. "Little machines the size of molecules. Not too many practical applications yet." "None that the public is AWARE of," Kate said. "You remember I told you once about a man named Brian Chen? He's the one I told you to mention in your letter." Kimura nodded. "Well, nanotech is his field. I won't know for sure until I can discuss all the details with him, but what I want to do is have his nanomachines chip away at your implants molecule by molecule until they simply dissolve away." Kate turned back to face Kimura when she heard the woman snort. "You make it sound easy," Kimura said bitterly. "Not easy--I'm just hoping for possible. But this is a very serious operation; we can't afford to leave anything to chance. We have to know that the nanomachines will only attack the implants and not the natural structures of your body, that they will be able to break down the implants and that they can escort the debris from your body without causing further damage." Kate looked deeply into Kimura's eyes. "Heiko, I want you to get a second opinion," Kate said. "This is some damn powerful mojo I'm thinking of throwing around in your body--I don't want you to have any doubts about the course you decide to take. Do some research; I can recommend some places to start. Find someone whose opinion you can trust, and if it's humanly possible, I'll get them here to see you." Kimura turned her face to the wall. "Trust," she said. "It always comes back to that, doesn't it?" Then she laughed, a low, sour chuckle. "It doesn't matter--if there's a way to get these damn things out without killing me, I want it done. Not because of the pain, not because they might cripple me... do you want to know the real reason?" Kate licked her lips thoughtfully, then nodded. "Yes, I do." "Because ever since I was a little child, I slept on my back. I haven't had a really GOOD night's sleep in three years, Ruiz." "Well," Kate said. She was taken aback by the expression on Kimura's face; her inner pain for once clearly visible, as if she no longer cared who saw. "We'll see if we can't change that," she said gently, brushing Kimura's hand with her own. Kate immediately rose to leave, before Kimura could read anything sinister into the little gesture. "I'll be in to check on you a little later," she said briskly. "The nurses will know where to find me if you need anything." Kate turned and left, but Kimura didn't see it; her face was still turned to the wall. What she saw depicted against that blank gray expanse, no one would ever know but herself. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- ONElist members are using Shared Files in great ways! http://www.onelist.com Are you? If not, see our homepage for details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 06:06:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Part 14 From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Tuesday, March 29, 2033 Brian reviewed Kate's computer simulation one more time, then pushed his chair away from the desk. "By God, Kate, I think you've really done it! I know this is what we were aiming for with 'Deep Sea,' but I thought it would take at least a year before you'd actually have a bona fide interface." Kate grinned. "'Necessity is a mother.' Having Kimura has been a big advantage--at the very least it showed me what NOT to do!" "Ah, but don't forget that it was MY assemblers that let you pack all that extra circuitry into a biochip." He swiveled around in his chair, a look of mock terror on his face. "You DIDN'T forget, did you?" Kate laughed as she stepped behind him and clapped her hands on his shoulders, twisting him to face the computer once more. "Don't worry, you big baby, I've already got your name on all the reports AND the patents. No one is going to forget the name 'Brian Chen.'" Brian took one of her hands in his and stood to face her. "Katie, m' love, I don't think I've ever seen you so happy." Kate colored and pulled away. "Whoa! Non sequiter alert. I thought we were talking about the pilot interface." Brian shrugged off her concern. "The interface was only a matter of time. Your happiness looked like it was NEVER going to come." "What are you talking about?" Kate protested. "I've always been perfectly happy..." "Since you saw Tim O'Neill again, and ONLY since then!" "Brian, HUSH!" Kate cried, going to the hatchway and making sure no one had overheard his outburst. She closed the hatch with obvious relief. "You haven't TOLD him?" Brian asked incredulously. "You've been here for two and a half months and you haven't TOLD him?" "IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE," Kate snapped. She was immediately contrite. "I'm sorry, Brian." She sat down on the corner of the desk, her face troubled. "I was going to have to tell you about this anyway; since you're going to be operating with me on Kimura, you'll have to know." As Brian sat down once more, Kate told him as concisely as she could how Kimura had earned her berth on the seaQuest, why she hadn't told Tim how she felt, and about the letter which Hudson held. Brian whistled. "Man, Kate, for a genius you can be pretty dumb sometimes. Whatever possessed you to tell Kimura about Tim?" "My mother," Kate sighed. "Huh?" "Never mind... just trust me; it seemed like a good idea at the time." Kate stood up and began pacing the room. "You should see her, Brian. She has no friends, no one to talk to..." "Deservedly so!" Brian interjected. "That's not for us to judge," Kate said firmly. "If Kimura is ever going to be truly well, we have to heal her spirit as well as her body." "That's not my line," Brian scoffed, "I'm just here to make the itsy-bitsy machines go 'round and 'round." "Humor me, okay? Be nice to her, whether you think she deserves it or not. She's a human being in pain, and we have the opportunity to take some of that pain away. It's a responsibility you shouldn't take lightly. Her life is literally going to be in your hands." "In the microscopic hands of my assemblers," Brian corrected her, then seeing the stern look on Kate's face, he threw up his hands in surrender. "Okay, I promise to be good. The consummate professional--I'll make you proud!" "That's my boy," Kate grinned. "Now... how are we going ensure your assemblers only remove what they're SUPPOSED to remove?" "Ah, here's where you're going to have to help me," Brian said, sitting down at the computer. He pulled up Kate's analysis of the implants' composition. "Gold, silicon, ceramics--those are no problems, I can design the assemblers so that their 'hands' will only fit those molecules. But I'm not up on human anatomy; how much of that stuff occurs naturally in the human body, and how important is it?" "No ceramics, of course. Maybe traces of gold or silicon, but through accidental ingestion; they're not usually found in the body. Uh-oh..." Kate said suddenly. "What is it?" "Huh? Oh, nothing to really worry about--I just realized I have to check Kimura's dental work for any gold or ceramics, but that's not a huge problem. Anything your guys remove there, we can replace." Brian laughed. "I can just see her rising off the operating table, only to have all her teeth drop out!" "Don't even JOKE about that," Kate warned. "I'm serious, Bri, I'm not going to subject her to this unless I'm one hundred percent sure there aren't going to be any serious side-effects." "Lighten up, Kate. Look, my only major concern was how much programming it would take to have my critters remove JUST what they were supposed to--and you've removed that hurdle. This is going to be a piece of cake." "Brian..." "No, I'm serious. Here's what we'll do. I'll develop three types of assemblers, one for the gold, one for the silicon, and one for the ceramics. The instructions will be simple: go find one molecule of this material, bond to it, head for the bloodstream, then deactivate. Then the kidneys filter the blood and send my little soldiers out by way of the urinary system." "But how can we be sure they're all gone? How can we be sure they've deactivated themselves properly?" "Minutiae," Brian insisted, waving his hand dismissively. "We can work all that out. Maybe we put a little dab of barium on each assembler to mark it. Maybe we use dialysis instead of relying on Nature to 'take its course.' I'm sure you'll figure SOMETHING out." "Dialysis," Kate said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I like that--filter the blood directly, rather than hoping it all passes through her system. Then analyze the material caught by the filters..." "See, you're clearing it up already!" Brian smiled. "How soon can you create and program the assemblers?" Kate asked, suddenly excited. Brian rubbed he chin thoughtfully. "A week and a half? We ARE talking about a few billion assemblers here at LEAST." "And how long will take for the assemblers to remove all the implants?" Now Brian's face brightened. "No more than twenty-four hours; I'm sure of that." "A day? Really?" "Hey, my babies are tiny, but they're fast!" "That's better than I dared hope," Kate sighed with relief. "You get to work on the assemblers--I'll go tell Kimura the good news. No, wait!" Kate checked her watch, smiled, then called Kimura. "Kimura here," the commander said tersely. "Kimura, it's Kate Ruiz. I know this is short notice, but would you be available to have dinner with Dr. Chen and me tonight? There's some things we'd like to discuss with you, and I'd rather not wait until our next appointment." There was a brief pause. "I suppose that would be all right," Kimura said grudgingly. "Wonderful! We'll meet you in galley at 1700?" "Fine. Kimura out." Kate's smile grew even broader. *Finally, Ms. Kimura, you won't be eating alone!* Then she called Lonnie. "Hi, Kate, what's up?" "I just wanted to let someone know where I'll be tonight--I've got a dinner meeting scheduled with Brian and Kimura, so I won't be able to join you all." "Oh? Well, okay, but I'll miss you! It's going to be tough to ride herd on those boys all by myself!" "Who are you kidding?" Kate mocked. "You love being the queen bee!" "Ssh!" Lonnie hissed dramatically. "Do you want to reveal ALL my secrets?" Kate laughed. "I'll talk to you later, Lonnie." "'Bye, Kate." Lonnie signed off. Brian looked at Kate skeptically. She noticed his look and exclaimed, "What? What did I do?" "Oh, nothing. I'm just glad that super-sized Machiavellian brain of yours is working on the side of the angels, that's all!" "That's enough out of you, mister. Back to work; I've got an operation to plan!" *** "A day? It can be done in a day?" "I assure you, Commander," Brian said, "A day on the OUTSIDE, quite possibly less." "But there will be preparatory work you and I will need to do. Obviously, I'll want to remove the power cells and the other external apparatus before the assemblers are released, and I'm not nearly as fast as Brian's machines. I estimate a good seven or eight hours of surgery before we'll be ready for the assemblers." Kate turned to Brian. "Or should I call them 'disassembers' in this case?" Kimura sipped her tea, only her iron will keeping her hands from trembling. *To be free of it... to be free of the pain. That such a thing could come to be...* Something occurred to her and she glanced sharply at Dr. Ruiz. "What about after-effects? Will there be any long-term damage to my nervous system due to the implants?" Kate glanced at Brian, then back to Kimura. "I can't say," she admitted, looking Kimura in the eyes. "What the Chaodai did... no one ever attempted it before. And now we'll be doing something that even the CHAODAI have never done. We're in unexplored territory. What I CAN say is that after these operations you'll be as close to being the person you were BEFORE the implants as it's humanly possible to make you." Kate's gaze faltered before the ironical look on Kimura's face and she paused to put a forkful of lasagna into her mouth. *I will NEVER be that girl again, though the gods know I wish I could be,* Kimura thought bitterly. Kate suddenly choked on her food; she coughed and reached for her water glass. "Are you all right?" Brian asked, gently patting Kate on the back. "Fine," Kate gasped. "Just went down... the wrong way." She gulped her water gratefully. *I HEARD her!* Kate thought fearfully. *I heard her, but she wasn't speaking! Oh holy Mary, please tell your Son I don't need any more 'gifts' right now, PLEASE! And Mama, if that was you, I don't need any pushing! I KNOW what I have to do--can't you see I'm doing it?* Across the room, Tim and the rest of the gang turned back to their meals. "I guess she's going to be okay," Lucas said, sneaking a wistful look in Kate's direction. "Eating with Kimura is enough to make anyone choke," Lonnie said lightly. "Hey, I know we've all got problems with the K-girl, but she's been part of the crew for months now," Tony said. "When are we gonna start cutting her some slack?" "Um... when hell freezes over?" Lucas said innocently. Before Tony could say a word in protest, rescue came from a most unexpected source. "Drop it, Lucas," Tim said. Tony, Miguel, Lonnie and Lucas all looked at Tim in astonishment. "Piccolo's right," Tim added slowly. "What's past is past. Kate's just trying to do her job, and we'd all make doing that a lot easier if we stopped treating Kimura like some kind of... of outcast." Miguel looked at Lucas. "You know what you said about hell freezing over? I think it just did!" "How can you say that after what she did to you?" Lonnie asked, incensed. "After she took advantage of J.J.'s death like that?" Tim thought for a moment before answering; he'd been thinking about this off and on since that discussion he'd had with Kate her first night on the boat. "Look," he said finally, "the truth is, not a single one of us knows what happened to her among the Chaodai. Who knows... we might have done the same thing if we'd been in her position. J.J.'s death was horrible, but it wasn't Kimura's fault." "Tim defending Kimura," Miguel said, amazed. "I never thought I'd see the day." "I'm defending Kate, okay?" Tim retorted angrily. "Kimura is her JOB. Are we going to start treating Kate differently because she decided she had to have dinner with Kimura instead of us? What if she does it again tomorrow... or the next day? Are we going to stop talking to her, too? Is she guilty by association?" "No, of course not," Lonnie said, reaching across the table to grasp Tim's hand. "Kate's our friend. I know she'd never do anything to hurt any one of us. But can we really say the same about Kimura?" "We'll never know, will we," Tony said. "Because you're never gonna give her a chance." He stood up, throwing his napkin on top of his tray. "Kimura saved my life. Maybe I'm selfish, but that makes a difference to me." He picked up the tray and walked away from the table, leaving the others to finish their meals in an uneasy silence. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Congratulations MilitaryEFM. Our latest ONElist of the week. http://www.onelist.com How is ONElist changing YOUR life? Visit our homepage and let us know! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 09:05:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Part 17 From: Carolyn Wallace Well, this is it until Monday... have a great weekend, everybody! P.S. To Anne--a final answer to the question of just how hard I'm gonna hit Tim upside the head with it! =) *** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER Part 17 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Thursday, March 31, 2033 (cont) There was a knock at the hatch; Kate shouted, "Come in," without lifting her gaze from the papers in front of her. "Hi, Kate," Tim said. "Brian said you were working late and as your big brother, I couldn't let you go with din... oh my God, Kate, what happened?" Kate looked up, then lifted her hand self-consciously to the bandage on her cheek. She grinned ruefully. "Looks bad, doesn't it?" she said. "Kimura had another seizure just as we got hit and lost power. I ended up on the floor with her on top of me." Tim put down the dinner tray. "If I'd known that, I'd have gotten you the soup," he said lightly, but inside he was shocked. Kate looked like she'd been beaten up! For a moment he wondered if that was what had actually happened, but then realized that if Kate had lied to him he'd have known just by looking at her, bruises notwithstanding. He sat down in the chair across from Kate's desk and lifted the cover off her dinner tray. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I played it safe," he said. Kate sniffed the air appreciatively. "It smells good! I didn't realize how hungry I was until just now!" Tim had brought her a salad, baked chicken, rolls and chocolate pudding--almost exactly what she'd had her first night on the seaQuest. She smiled as she picked up the salad bowl and her fork. "I'd forgotten how nice it was to have someone looking after me," she said casually, putting a forkful of salad in her mouth. "My pleasure," Tim said, leaning back in his chair. "So what's keeping you working so late?" "I'm reviewing Brian's assembler designs for Kimura's operation." "Assemblers? You're going to use nanotech on Kimura?" Tim sounded shocked. Kate looked up at him in surprise. "Well, YEAH, that's the plan. Why does that bother you?" "Kimura didn't tell you?" "Tell me what?" Tim looked away uncomfortably. "I don't know if I should tell you this," he said slowly. "I don't THINK she told me in confidence, but if she didn't tell YOU..." "Stop the soul-searching and just tell me, Tim." "The Chaodai killed her parents with nano-bombs. They had tried to escape, and the Chaodai want to use them as examples. They injected her parents with the bombs, then exploded them... one by one." "Oh my God," Kate said, her fork clattering on her tray as it slipped from her suddenly slack fingers. "She didn't say anything to me... I acted as if she'd never even HEARD of nanotech." "Well, she has." Tim stood up. "Um... anyway, I just wanted to bring you some dinner. I guess I should be getting along." Kate stood as well, walking him to the hatch. "Thank you, Tim... for dinner and for... well, I'm glad you told me." "Any time, Kate." Kate thought it over and decided she would do it. *Surely I deserve this today of all days,* she thought. She leaned over and kissed Tim on the cheek. "Every girl should have a brother like you," she said, by way of excusing the kiss. "Yeah, well, like I said, any time," Tim replied with a smile, giving her a little wave as he walked out into the hall. He heard Kate close the hatch behind him, then turned around just to be sure. Satisfied that it was truly shut, his hand reached up to touch his cheek where she had kissed it, and a look of thoughtful concern crossed his face. *** "Damn!" "Is there a problem, Mr. Ortiz?" Hudson asked. "Sir, I just lost contact with the WSKR we put on the Marauder's sub. I can give you its last known location, but the sub... well, it's just GONE, sir." "Damn," Hudson spat. "That's what I said, sir," Ortiz agreed. *** Monday, April 4, 2033 "And here are the plans for the assemblers. I'd like to go over them with you," Kate said, handing a printout to Kimura. "This is the one for the gold removers, but the others work exactly the same way." "It looks rather... simplistic," was all Kimura said. "It is. It's designed for one job only--to find a molecule of gold, cut it loose, bond to it, then deactivate. Its 'hands' can only fit gold molecules, nothing else, and it has no other programming. And we're using sound waves of a very particular frequency as the energy source--turn off the sound, and you turn off the machines." Kate then used her pen to point out a green dot on the assembler plan. "That's a molecule of barium, so we can track it. That way we'll be able to follow their progress and make sure none of the 'wee beasties' get left behind when we're done. Not that they could harm you in any way even if they remained; I just want to be thorough." "So I see," Kimura said dryly. She crossed her legs and put her hands in her lap. "So when did Tim tell you?" Kate looked up in surprise, then looked guilty. "Please don't blame Tim; it's my fault. He saw me working on the assembler designs and got upset--then I forced him to tell me why. Kimura, I only wanted you to understand that THESE nanomachines can only help you--never hurt you." "I appreciate that," Kimura replied. "But if that's all we have left today, I'd like to go. I need to log some time in the simulator to keep my flight skills up." "That's all," Kate said, gathering the printouts together. "Enjoy your 'flight.'" Kimura smiled. "Maybe when you reinstate me I'll show my gratitude by taking you for a ride." "Is that a promise or a threat, Commander?" Kate asked archly. "Depends on how well the operation goes, Doctor," Kimura replied as she walked out of the office. *** Thursday, April 7, 2033 Ketchum chuckled to himself as he reviewed the material on his screen. "Good news, I hope?" Mariah asked. "Our U.E.O. friend is meeting Admiral Sheffield at the Nereid Colony on May 30th. She tells him that she will be bringing him a prototype of her new pilot interface." "So? We already have the plans; why does this matter to us?" Ketchum wheeled himself to the other side of the room where a hollow human-shaped metal framework hung in a lighted niche. "My dear Mariah, why should we go to all the trouble of building the interface ourselves, when we can pick one up from the creator herself? One that we know will have been tested, because she won't risk her career by giving the Admiral a product that doesn't work. I don't want to risk my mind and body any more than I have to." Mariah scowled. "If this woman is so damn good, how come you can hack into her system?" "Because I just happen to be BETTER," Ketchum snapped. "You may be the captain, Mariah, but it behooves you to remember who the real head of this operation is. We will BE at the Nereid Colony on May 30th, and your people WILL get me that interface!" He wheeled back to his console. "If it makes you feel any better," he added, "you can kill her, her escort, and the Admiral himself for all I care. Just because you're doing a job doesn't mean you can't have some fun along the way." "As you command, sire," Mariah said with a sarcastic bow. Then she turned on her heel and left the room. *** Sunday, April 10, 2033, 0330 Hours Tim stormed into the apartment, slamming the door behind him so hard that he knocked a picture off the wall. It fell to the carpet, where the cheap wooden frame promptly shattered. "Tim, what's wrong?" Rick asked, rising from the couch and dropping his book in surprise. "Where's Pamela?" Tim stood in the entrance to the living room, his fists clenching and unclenching. *I'm almost TWENTY YEARS OLD,* he thought furiously. *I am NOT going to CRY!* With a howl of rage, Tim punched the wall, knocking a hole in the plaster and burying his fist four inches within it. "Tim, what is it?" Rick yelled, frightened. "It was an initiation test--a triple-damned sorority initiation test!" "Oh my God," Rick stood beside him, obviously shocked. Tim pulled his hand out of the wall, noticing the blood on his knuckles with bitter satisfaction. "It wasn't a mixer," he said in a shockingly normal tone of voice. "It was a 'geek ball.' Every girl who was rushing had to bring one. They were going to vote on who had brought the most... the most..." Tim couldn't hold it back any longer. He collapsed to the floor, twisted by gut-wrenching sobs. Rick knelt, throwing his arms around his friend. "Just this once," Tim cried. "Just this once I thought she really... I thought..." "You thought WRONG," Kimura said coldly. "I didn't love you. I NEVER loved you. You were simply a means to an end--you should be glad you had your fantasy as long as you did." Tim couldn't raise his voice above a whisper, though inside he felt like screaming. "No... dear God, please let it be a lie! Please let her be lying..." He stumbled away from her in shock. "Are you okay, Ensign O'Neill? You look sad." A little girl put her hand in his and looked up at him sympathetically. Tim looked down on Katie, so sweet and innocent in her velvet dress. He knelt beside her so that he could look into her eyes. "Yeah, I guess I AM sad, Katie." "But why?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. "Because Kimura never loved me. Because NO ONE has ever really loved me," he said. "Au contraire," a teen-aged Kate said to him from his computer screen. "J'taime, mon frere. I love you--don't you remember? I end every single letter by saying 'Love you, Tim.'" "Like you love Rick," Tim protested. "Like a brother!" "Do you really believe that?" Kate asked. He caught the fragrance of her perfume and the collar of his tuxedo suddenly seemed very tight. She was so beautiful with the light of the chandeliers glittering off the golden threads in her gown. But before Tim could say anything, Lucas caught Kate's hand in his and whirled her off the floor, smiling happily. "You should have known," Piccolo told Tim. "A woman that good-looking ain't gonna be free, my friend!" "It doesn't matter," Tim protested. "She's my little sister. She's RICK'S little sister. I don't... I don't care for her that way!" "How DO you care for her?" Mariah asked, her hand poised over the control that would send the electricity surging through his body. Tim fought against the straps that held him to the chair. "I don't know! I don't KNOW!" he yelled frantically. Mariah smiled diabolically as she threw the switch. Tim felt the agony begin and couldn't help himself. His lips opened of their own accord; try as desperately as he might, he couldn't stop himself. He was going to tell her the truth... Tim sat straight up in his bed, the sheets snarled around his arms and legs. His skin was drenched with sweat; his heart raced. A quick look at his watch told him it was a little before four in the morning. He brought his knees up to his chest, wrapped his arms around them, then laid his head against his knees. For a few minutes he just sat there, rocking back and forth. "It was only a nightmare... only a nightmare..." Eventually, Tim looked over to his dresser. Still shaking slightly, he put on his glasses and got up. Slowly, his hand reached out to turn on the holographic projector. "Wouldn't you rather do this with Lucas?" "I'll have one taken with him later--right now, I want one with you!" "Uh, folks, I'm recording, you know." "Hi! This is Kate and Tim at Lucas' thirty-first birthday party, February 28, 2033. Say hello, Tim." "'Hello, Tim,'" The hologram froze. Tim stood before the picture, his face pale and icy-looking in the bluish light of the projector. A single tear rolled down his cheek. "J'taime, Katie. God help me, I do love you." He turned off the projector and sat alone in the dark. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Campaign 2000 is here! http://www.onelist.com Discuss your thoughts; get informed at ONElist. See our homepage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 09:02:14 -0400 (EDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Part 18 From: Carolyn Wallace Hi, gang. Here's the next section. Just to let you know, I'll be going on vacation starting Wednesday 7/21, so I'll post two parts tomorrow, and then that will be it until Wed. 7/28. ******IMPORTANT MESSAGE!!!!!! This section uses the "s" word once. I don't know if that blows the PG-13 rating or not--just thought I should let you know ahead of time. ****** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 18 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. *** Wednesday, April 13, 2033 "Well, we're all set, Kimura. Any questions?" "No," Kimura said, her mouth dry. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." "Good," Kate smiled. "Then if you'll just lie down on your stomach here, we'll put you to sleep. When you wake up, the implants will be gone, but you'll have lost about a day and a half." Kimura stood silently for a moment, hands behind her back, dreading the actual start of the operation. Kate could feel the woman's unease--it was a palpable force that hung in the room all around them. "I promise you, Kimura," she said, "you will feel no pain. I'll take the very best care of you." "I know," Kimura sighed, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Finally she brought one hand out from behind her back. "I want you to have this," she said, handing Kate a heavily sealed manila envelope. Kate read the brief inscription and looked up at Kimura with wonder in her eyes. "I asked Hudson for it yesterday," Kimura told her with a tremulous smile. "To tell you the truth, I think he was relieved to be rid of it." "Thank you, Kimura," Kate said softly. "I won't betray your trust in me." "I know that, too," Kimura said as she got on the gurney, "or I would never have given it to you." "Sweet dreams, Heiko," Kate whispered as the anesthesiologist fitted the mask over Kimura's face. *** Kate's eyes burned with fatigue, her back ached, and her left hand was starting to cramp, but she felt these things only distantly; they weren't part of the world she currently occupied. That world consisted only of the next wire to be cut, the next metal fragment to be carefully cut and lifted away, the next sponge cautiously wiping the blood out of her field of view. On another level of existence, a fraction of Kate's mind repeated her prayer to Saint Luke over and over again, maintaining the hypnotic calm that allowed her to operate on a woman she had begun to care for, a woman she now considered her friend. So many wires, so close to Kimura's spinal column and the fragile cord within. One careless slip of the scalpel and Kimura would be paralyzed from the shoulders down. But that fear was far away from Kate, safely locked away in the back of her mind, to be dealt with only when the operation had been completed. "Status," Kate croaked, her voice harsh from disuse. "Green lights all across the board, Dr. Ruiz," a nurse answered. "BP, respiration, heart rate, everything's good." "How are we doing on anesthesia? I promised her she'd feel no pain." "Doing fine, Doctor," the anesthesiologist answered. "She won't remember a thing." Another part of Kate's mind registered the fact that she could FEEL the truth of the anesthesiologist's words. Her newly recognized empathy registered an emotional void where Kimura lay, a null zone that surely would have been broken if Kimura could have felt pain at any level. But that part of her which was Katherine Ruiz the Surgeon was fully immersed in the matter at hand, the other fractions of her consciousness affecting it as little as a school of fish would disturb the path of the seaQuest. Finally Kate removed the last metal plate and the last bit external wiring, lifting them away and depositing them in a bowl beside the operating table. The outer evidence of Kimura's implants had been successfully removed. "End of Phase I, ladies and gentlemen," she said with weary pleasure, and there was a discreet smattering of applause from the other members of her surgical team. But Kate did not allow herself to relax into their approval; she still had to complete Phase II. The removal of the interface had left a bloody hole in Kimura's back about the size of Dagwood's hand; Kate now had to close that wound. She had started preparing for this moment two weeks ago, back when Brian had told her when his assemblers would be ready. That day she'd cultured some of Kimura's skin cells and began cloning them, creating a skin graft that would hold no danger of rejection. "Okay, I'm ready for the graft," Kate said, holding out her hand. The nurse was already at her side, waiting with the precious tissue. Kate placed it over the wound, carefully trimming the graft to fit, then sealing the entire area with one of the new surgical adhesives. The adhesive formed a tough, feather-light bandage that would help the edges of the skin bond together while protecting the area from infection. If all went well, Kimura would recover from this operation without so much as a single scar... on the outside, at least. At last Kate put down her tools, straightened her back, and turned to her team. "We did it," she said. "Let Dr. Chen know his patient is ready." *** Beth Perry left the operating room, stripping off her surgical mask and cap and gratefully running both hands through her hair, freeing it of the tight bun she wore during surgery. Slipping her hairpins into the pocket of her lab coat, she walked through Med Bay, making sure that her staff would be ready for Commander Kimura when the nano-operation was finished. Then she left through the Med Bay Waiting Room, on her way to the galley and the cup of hibiscus tea that had been calling her name for the last two hours. "Doctor Perry?" Beth tried not to wince as she turned around. *You knew what you were in for when you interned,* she reminded herself wearily. A familiar-looking young man stood before her; she searched her mind for the name. "It's Piccolo, isn't it?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am, Tony Piccolo," he said, a relieved look on his face. "We were at Lucas Wolenczak's birthday party together." Beth's face brightened. "'Twist and Shout,'" she said, pointing to him. "I remember." "Yeah, that was me," Tony admitted, ducking his head briefly. "Look, ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you... I was just wondering if there was any news on Commander Kimura." Beth smiled. "Tell you what, Tony, you come with me to the galley, let me get a cup of tea, and I'll tell you everything. Will that do?" Tony smiled. "Yes, ma'am, that'll do fine!" *** Beth sat down at the table with a thankful sigh. "To quote from the classics," she said, "'I'm getting too old for this shit.'" Tony muffled a snort. When he noticed Beth's inquiring look, he said, "I'm sorry. I'm not used to doctors that curse." "And I'm sure YOUR speech is always as pure as the driven snow," Beth drawled as she sipped her tea. Tony grinned. "No, ma'am, I can't say that it is. But we were going to talk about Kimura." "Ah, yes. Well, I can tell you the first two parts of the operation went very well. Kate was amazing--I've never seen a surgeon so... FOCUSED. She was almost like a machine herself--operated for seven hours without a single break. And Kimura is an extremely healthy young woman in all other respects; if the nanomachines do their job properly, I think this operation will go down as one for the textbooks." "So Kimura's going to be okay," Tony said, relief patent on his face. Beth smiled again, patting Tony on the hand. "She's going to be FINE," Beth said. "I'll stake my reputation on it. *** Kate had decided to use a CAT-scan to monitor the progress of the barium-tagged assemblers during the third phase of Kimura's operation. While Brian set up his equipment and the unconscious Kimura was moved into the CAT-scan room, Kate took a few minutes to grab a sandwich and freshen up after her grueling surgical session. When she returned, the nurses had already set up the dialysis equipment beside the CAT-scan. Brian looked up as Kate entered the room. "Just in time," he said. He handed Kate an IV drip bag filled with what appeared to be a clear saline solution. He laughed nervously at her skeptical look. "Believe me, they're in there--those are the silicon removers," he said. "I thought we'd do them first, because there's less silicon in her than gold or ceramics." "Opening-night jitters?" Kate asked as she carefully prepared the IV tubing. "Well, you know... the simulations are never quite the same as your first real test," he said, rubbing his hands together restlessly. "Everything is going to be fine, Brian," Kate said as she gently slid the IV needle into the vein in Kimura's left elbow. "I have the utmost faith in you." Kate then pushed Kimura's gurney and IV drip into the heart of the CAT-scan tube, making sure the dialysis connections had not been jarred out of place. Satisfied, she stepped back, turned the machine on, and hurried to the CAT monitor. Every five seconds the picture of Kimura's body was refreshed, clearly showing the network of wires that ran through her body. As the saline solution dripped into Kimura's vein, a network of tiny green dots began to appear as the nanomachines were released into her bloodstream. "All right, Brian, give 'em the juice," Kate ordered. Brian flipped a switch on his console, sending power to the sound wave generator he'd installed in the CAT tube the previous week. Kate heard nothing, but she hadn't expected to; like a sonogram, Brian's generator used sound at a level beyond human hearing. Instantly, the little green dots that had been drifting aimlessly through Kimura's blood abruptly began to congregate, lighting up a section of Kimura's spine with an eerie glow. "It's working!" Kate cried out joyfully. "They've found the silicon!" Over the next half-hour her excitement grew as, one by one, the assemblers claimed their infinitesimal bit of silicon and then wandered off in the direction of Kimura's right leg, where the dialysis tubing was picking up her blood for filtering. By the time they'd passed the one hour mark, the green dots had disappeared from Kimura's scan and the assemblers had been retrieved from the dialysis filters. Brian passed the filters through a scanner of his own design, then gave Kate a "thumbs-up." "All present and accounted for, ma'am," he said with a huge smile, which Kate happily returned. "Let's do the gold next," she said. "That's the biggest part--after that, the ceramics will be a piece of cake." "Works for me," Brian said, retrieving the appropriate IV bags. In the end, it took Brian's assemblers slightly less time to remove the internal sections of Kimura's implants than it had taken Kate to remove the external part. At six hours and twenty-three minutes, the CAT monitor revealed a normal scan--no wires, no nano-machines, only healthy human flesh and blood. Kate held her breath as Brian reviewed the last of the dialysis filters. "All here, Katie. This operation is DONE!" Kate felt like cheering, like flying, like singing from the rooftops, but what she did was simply say, "Okay, people, let's get Kimura out of that tube and make her more comfortable. You can reduce the anesthesia, but stand by with pain-killers when she wakes--I don't know what kind of post-op pain to expect from an operation like this." Only then did she turned to Brian, enveloping him in a bear hug. "Thank you, Brian," she whispered as she kissed him on the cheek. "You saved her." "Aw, hell," he said, embarrassed. "I just provided you the right tools--YOU performed the operation. Now, can we get out of here? I'm starving!" Kate laughed and linked her arm through his. "Come on, Bri. Dinner's on me!" "Dinner's on the U.E.O.," he pointed out as they left the room. "This IS their ship!" Kate laughed again, reveling in the freedom you can only feel when the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Start a new ONElist list & you can WIN great prizes! http://www.onelist.com See homepage for details on ONElist's new "FRIENDS & FAMILY" program. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 09:08:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Part 19 From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 19 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Thursday, April 14, 2033, 0115 Hours Kimura blinked her eyes sleepily, then rolled over. She stretched, only to send a twinge of pain flaring between her shoulder blades. Then her eyes snapped wide open as she realized it WAS just a twinge. The low-level ache that had been a part of her since she was made a Chaodai pilot was gone! She sat up in bed, then groaned slightly. "THAT was not a good idea," Kimura mumbled to herself. She felt groggy and off-balance and there was a horrible metallic taste in her mouth. "This will help," she heard a voice say, and a cup of water was thrust into her hands. Kimura drank gratefully, then looked up to see Kate smiling down on her. "Where did you come from?" Kimura asked when she'd finished the cup. "From over there," Kate said, pointing to a chair in the corner of the room. "Would you like some more water?" "Yes, please," Kimura said. Kate refilled the cup from a pitcher at the bedside table and gave it to Kimura, then sat beside her on the bed. "How do you feel?" Kate asked. "Probably better than you look," Kimura said, still trying to comprehend the changes in her body. "It's been a long day; cut me some slack," Kate said with a grin. "The operation was a complete success, by the way. You are now one hundred percent all natural human being. Are you feeling any pain?" "No," Kimura said. "Oh, there's a little pain when I move my shoulders, but it feels more like a pulled muscle than the pain I had before the operation." *The pain I USED to have,* she thought with amazement. *They're gone. I'm MYSELF again!* "Great," Kate said with obvious satisfaction. "Though I suspect that's because the anesthetic isn't entirely out of your system. A nurse will bring you some painkillers in an hour or two and, as always, if it gets worse, let me or the doctor on duty know. Oh, and over the next week you may have some itching on your back as the skin graft takes hold." "Can... can I see it?" Kimura asked, putting her cup on the bedside table with a trembling hand. Kate smiled gently. "Sure. Do you think you can stand?" Kimura swung her legs over the side of bed and stood up. She swayed a little bit, but Kate was immediately there to support her. "You're still recovering--it's perfectly natural," she reassured Kimura. Then she led the commander to the bathroom, turning her back to the mirror and handing her a large hand mirror. As Kimura lifted the mirror, Kate undid the hospital gown ties and carefully pulled the gown back. "The bruising you see is normal," Kate said, "it should disappear within a couple of days. What Kimura saw was a human back. Oh, there were some bruises, as Kate had mentioned, and a thin red line that surrounded an area about nine inches tall and six inches wide, but the implant interface was gone. She was herself again. Kate caught the hand mirror before it could smash to the floor. "I'm... I'm sorry," Kimura said. "It just slipped..." "It's all right, Kimura," Kate said soothingly. "I actually expected something like that. This must be a big change for you." "Yes," Kimura said faintly. "I think... I think I need some time to think about it." "I understand," Kate said as she helped Kimura back to her bed. "Me, on the other hand, I need some SLEEP. If you need anything, just ring for the nurses; they'll take care of you." After making sure Kimura was settled, Kate turned to leave, but Kimura called her back. "Kate?" She turned to Kimura. "Thank you." "You are very welcome," Kate said. "Thank you for trusting me." Kimura watched as Kate left, then laid back in the bed, pondering all that had happened to her since she first contacted Timothy O'Neill what seemed like a lifetime ago. *** Thursday, April 14, 2033 Tim hadn't seen Kate since Mass last Sunday; she'd been too busy preparing for Kimura's operation. In a way, he was glad; it gave him time to consider what he'd learned from his nightmare and decide what to do about it. Now he heard from Tony that the operation was over and a complete success. Maybe he should call Kate, talk to her, maybe ask her out. Then he berated himself for even imagining she would go out with him--he was like a brother to her; she'd probably never even THOUGHT about him romantically. "Still, she might need to unwind after all that surgery," he said to himself. "Maybe we could get together, watch a video or something." Before he could change his mind, he called her quarters. Instantly, Kate's face appeared on his screen. "Hi," she said. "Hi, Kate," he started to reply, only to realize Kate hadn't stopped talking. "I've just completed a fourteen-hour operation, and I am totally wiped-out. So unless you're Commander Kimura, Captain Hudson, Admiral Sheffield, or Secretary McGrath, I'm not available. Leave a message and I'll get back to you when I'm conscious again." Her image froze and the words "Leave a message" appeared at the bottom of the screen. "Oh, hi, Kate. I... um, I just thought you might want to uh... watch a video or something, you know, do something to celebrate the operation, and, well, anyway, give me a call if you want to." Tim broke the connection and threw himself on his bed. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN," he said. "Oh, THAT went well!" He rolled off the bed and back onto his feet, determined to find Tony and the gang and see if he could start up a poker game or something to take his mind off Kate. *** Good Friday, April 15, 2033 "How did you sleep, Commander?" Kate asked as she reviewed Kimura's medical chart. Kimura stretched as languidly as a cat. "Wonderfully well," she said. Kate smiled. "Sleeping on your back, I take it?" Kimura nodded, returning her smile. "So you can't be feeling that much pain," Kate surmised. "Ruiz, I tell you, compared to what I lived with every day, this is nothing. I feel... brand new." Kate sat in the chair beside Kimura's bed. "Reborn in time for Easter--a good omen, I think." Kimura's face, which had been as happy and open as Kate had ever seen it, suddenly closed over, becoming a blank mask. Kate immediately leaned forward, her face worried. "What is it, Kimura? I didn't mean to offend you by mentioning Easter; it's just on my mind because it's this Sunday." Kimura managed to give her a small smile. "No, Kate, it's not your fault. It was just... well, for you to compare me to Jesus, while the rest of the crew still thinks of me as Judas..." The sentence trailed off into nothingness. Kate felt an electrical spark travel up and down her spine. "Remember Judas' sin" her mother had said. Kate tried to speak casually, realizing she had to tread lightly if she was to preserve the fragile friendship between them. "You know, I always felt sorry for Judas, being damned, that is." Kimura snorted. "He betrayed his best friend to the authorities and ended up getting him killed! He deserved whatever he got." A bitter look passed over her face; Kate saw that Kimura fully understood that she had just condemned herself to Judas' fate. "But his betrayal was part of God's plan, a necessary step on the path to the world's salvation," Kate said. "And in any case, that's not why Judas was damned, at least not in the eyes of the Catholics." Kimura looked up in surprise. "Really? Then why WAS he damned?" "Because he committed a sin worse than betraying the Son of God." "What could possibly be worse than THAT?" Kimura asked. Kate rose to her feet. "You know, I believe I'll leave that as an exercise for the student," she said airily as she walked to the door. "You're not going to convert me, Ruiz!" Kimura called after her. Kate laughed from the doorway. "Believe me, Kimura, that was NEVER my intention!" With a final wave, she was gone, leaving Kimura to wonder just what DID go on inside Ruiz' head. *** Tim watched Kate out of the corner of his eye. She kept her face solemn, as befitted this service on the saddest day of the Christian year, but still, joy seemed to radiate from her like light through a stained-glass window. His heart ached as he wished that HE could bring that joy to her face. Then he realized what he was thinking and guiltily forced his attention back to what the priest was saying. Fortunately for Tim, Good Friday services were usually shorter than a regular Mass; no Masses were performed on Good Friday in remembrance of that horrible time when Christ had been taken from the world in death. Soon the congregation was dismissed and he and Kate made their way out of the chapel. "Oh, Tim, I got your message," Kate said. "It sounds like a great idea, but..." "But?" Tim braced himself for her rejection. "Well, I don't know if Tony's mentioned it to you, but he and the flight crew, they're sort of holding a surprise party for Kimura tomorrow, you know, 'Congratulations' and all that, and I promised Tony I'd go. I didn't know if you'd be interested." "That... might be a bit awkward," Tim agreed. "I'd do something tonight, but it just feels, well, STRANGE, celebrating on Good Friday, you know." "Some other time, then," Tim said easily. "Definitely," Kate agreed. "Okay, then. See you later." "Bye," Kate said. She watched him walk away, a lump in her throat. *He's still not over her after all this time,* she thought. *If he was, he wouldn't care so much about her party.* She walked back to her quarters, her joy over curing Kimura's pain dimmed by her failure to cure Tim heart. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- The planet's eCenter for health & well-being. PlanetRX. Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 10:34:29 -0400 (EDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Part 20 From: Carolyn Wallace Okay, gang, this is it for me until I get back from vacation. See you next week! Carolyn *** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 20 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Saturday, April 16, 2033 "So, are you going to Tony's party tonight?" Lonnie asked the dinner table in general. Tony and Kate weren't present; they were helping decorate the rec room, so Lonnie felt safe in raising the question. "Well, I've been thinking about it," Miguel hedged, glancing warily at Tim. "Of course, since Kate'll be there, we know LUCAS is going," he added, as a way of deflecting the question away from himself. "I would have gone anyway, Ortiz," Lucas retorted. "I think Tony made a lot of sense the other night--it's time we gave Kimura a fair shake." "How about you, Tim? You going?" Miguel asked. Tim looked up at his friend and realized that Miguel and Lonnie were staring at him intently. *Oh, great,* Tim thought to himself. *They're going to pin this all on me--if I don't go, they won't go either!* "Well, in a way, it's a party for Kate and Brian, too," he said. "And you know, Brian'll be leaving on Monday. So I guess I'll show up; we owe it to him to show him one good seaQuest party before he goes." "All right, then," Lucas said, rising from the table, tray in hand. "I'm going to get into my party clothes. I'll see you there." "See ya," Ortiz waved. *** "Okay, Kimura, I think I'm going to discharge you," Kate said as she reviewed Kimura's chart. "I can't see any evidence of side-effects due to the implants' removal, other than the general euphoria you seem to be wallowing in..." "Very funny, Ruiz. Just get me my clothes--I hate these damn gowns." Kate helped Kimura get into her uniform. She stood back and looked Kimura over critically. "What?" Kimura demanded, her hands on her hips. "I'm just thinking, the next time we're in Wilmington, I want to take you to Estrellita's. You'd be a knockout in the right clothes." "I'm a knockout in a fighter, and that's all that matters to me," Kimura insisted. "Oh, really? Hmm... why don't you come with me?" "Where are we going?" Kimura asked warily. "I thought you trusted me," Kate taunted. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this," Kimura said as she followed Kate out of the room. "And I have a feeling you're wrong," Kate smiled. She led Kimura to the rec room nearest Med Bay, surreptitiously checking her watch. *Right on time,* she thought to herself. She opened the rec room door and pushed Kimura through it. "SURPRISE!" Kimura stood in shock. The rec room was packed with flight crew, bridge officers, Med Bay personnel, nearly everyone she knew on the seaQuest. A big paper banner read "WELCOME BACK, KIMURA!" and crepe paper and balloons festooned every corner of the room. "YOU did this," Kimura said, turning on Kate. Kate put up her hands in surrender. "You can't pin this one on ME!" she declared. "Blame Tony Piccolo if you have to blame someone." "Piccolo?" Kimura said in surprise. "That would be me, Commander," Tony said, stepping forward and pressing a beer bottle into Kimura's hand. "We just wanted you to know how glad we all are that you came through the operation okay." Kimura stared at Tony in disbelief. Kate finally whispered in her ear, "The phrase you're searching for is 'Thank you, Tony.'" "What? Oh, yes, thank you, To-Piccolo. It's just, well..." "It's safe to say she was definitely surprised," Kate finished for her. "Now where's the music you promised me," she asked Tony. "I don't know about the Commander, but I definitely feel like dancing!" "Comin' right up, Doc," Tony said, saluting her with his beer and heading off in the direction of the music system. "Are you all right?" Kate said to Kimura under her breath. "Huh? Oh... yes. I think I am," Kimura said. *Finally,* Kimura thought to herself. *Finally I think it's going to be all right.* *** Brian was having a ball. It seemed he was very popular among the women of the seaQuest; the only dances he sat out were the ones where he simply had to catch his breath. Kate seemed to be having a good time, too, though he noticed she kept searching the room as if looking for someone. *O'Neill,* Brian thought to himself. *But of course, he won't come to a party for Kim...* His line of thought was abruptly broken as he saw Tim O'Neill walk through the rec room door. *Well, well,* Brian thought. *Maybe Kate's a miracle worker after all!* He watched Tim make his way to the refreshments, select a beer, then wander off to a dimly lit corner of the room, obviously trying to blend into the scenery. He also noticed when Tim finally caught sight of Kate, and he saw the look that passed over O'Neill's face when he thought no one was watching. *I know that look,* Brian thought. *Damn it, Kate, only YOU would think he was still in love with Kimura, when he's obviously head over heels for you!* He sighed, determined to bring these two together in spite of themselves. He walked over to Tim, taking the empty chair next to him. "Tim! Glad you could make it!" "Hey, Brian. Seems like a good party." "It is! Reminds me of the parties Kate used to throw during our projects." Tim laughed. "You should have seen the birthday party she gave Lucas a couple of months ago. Now THAT was a party." "Yeah, that Kate is one special woman." Brian rolled his bottle between his hands, trying to think of how much he could tell Tim, how he could encourage him, without betraying Kate's confidence. "You know, I used to have the biggest crush on her," he said noncommittally, taking a sip from his beer. "Really," Tim said, striving to keep his "poker face" on. "I never told her about it; I was too scared. She's so beautiful, so smart... I don't think she realizes how much she intimidates us poor men. But somehow, she guessed how I felt. She never let it interfere with our work, never gave me a chance to make a fool out of myself, just one night we were sitting around after work, kicking back some beers and talking, like you and I are right now, and I'm thinking 'This is it! This is my chance.' But before I can say anything, she starts telling me about the seaQuest. She talked for over an hour, about you, about Lucas and how much you both meant to her. Then very quietly she tells me that the love of her life disappeared with the seaQuest and that she'd never been able to love anyone else since that day. That she didn't think she ever would." Brian finished the rest of his beer in a single swallow. "She ended up crying in my arms, and that was eight years after you'd vanished. I knew then that I didn't stand a chance. But the very next day, Kate introduced me to Maggie. We were married a year later, and Kate was our maid of honor." He turned to Tim. "It's funny how things work out, isn't it?" "Sure is," Tim said, taking a deep drink from his bottle. The liquid tasted bitter in his mouth. *So she DOES love Lucas," he thought. *It's better I found out now, before I could do anything stupid.* "Anyway, speaking of Kate, she owes me a dance," Brian said as he got to his feet. "If I don't see you again before I leave, it was a pleasure to meet you." He put out his hand; Tim shook it automatically. "You too, Brian," he said. "Have a safe trip home." "Thanks, Tim." Brian wandered off to find Kate, happy in the knowledge that he done something to help his friend find the happiness she deserved. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- You can WIN $100 to Amazon.com by starting a new list at ONElist. http://www.onelist.com Weekly drawing is held each Friday. See homepage for details! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1999 10:01:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever Part 8 From: Carolyn Wallace You all getting tired of this yet? TOO BAD! I'll post it anyway! Bwah-hah-ha-ha! *THWAP* *BONK* *POW* Sorry about that, an ELF tried to take over my computer and I had to punch her out! =) OH! Many, many thanks to Sheri D. and Alexia for their help over the weekend. (You know why!) =) Carolyn +++++ THE DOOR INTO FOREVER Part Eight By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Saturday, January 15, 2033 to Monday, February 28, 2033 The next few weeks found Katherine adjusting to her new life on the seaQuest. During the week she continued examining and mapping the complex details of Kimura's implants, and establishing an efficient, if chilly, rapport with her patient. On the weekends, she had her swimming lessons with Darwin and Tim, gatherings in the lounges, and Sunday Mass with Tim in the seaQuest's tiny chapel. It had been during Mass that she'd discovered, much to her delight, that Tim had a wonderful singing voice. The two became an impromptu choir, with Kate singing harmony to Tim's melody and making the small sanctuary ring with music. But life on the seaQuest wasn't all sweetness and harmony. The first time Kate heard the call to battle stations, she'd been terrified. With no battle duty except to available should Kimura need her, she sat strapped into the chair in her office, hands clapped over her ears in a vain attempt to block out the shriek of klaxons and the horrible groans of tortured metal. After that, Kate volunteered for duty in Med Bay whenever they went to battle stations, if only to have something to do and someone to be with if the worst happened. She suspected that Beth Perry, who ran the Med Bay with all the skill of a master general, didn't really need the extra help but was perceptive enough to realize why Kate was volunteering and gracious enough to accept. Still, there were lulls in between battles, and Kate found herself strangely content. Several crewmembers had come to her and told her how glad they were that a civilian scientist was back on the seaQuest, and she realized that most of these people had joined the U.E.O. as much for the adventure of scientific discovery as for the opportunity to defend their planet's oceans. They told her about the ship's earlier doctors, Dr. Westphalen and Dr. Smith, and of Captain Bridger and the early days of the seaQuest. They made her feel welcome by including her in their stories. And, always, there was Tim. Now that she saw Tim almost every day, she was able to separate the real Tim from her childhood fantasy, and found herself loving the man far more dearly than the dream. She accepted that friendship was all he had to offer her right now, and for now that was enough. The seaQuest was about to have its first major shore leave since she'd come aboard, and Kate looked forward to it with all the excitement of a child at Christmas. Not only was she anxious to see the sun and the sky again, her weekly communications with Jenna had confirmed that the "Fellowship" had accepted her proposal and its fruits would be waiting for the seaQuest at the dock. And if all that wasn't enough, today was Lucas' birthday. By the calendar, he was thirty-one, but Kate wasn't going to let him miss a big TWENTY-FIRST birthday bash. *** Kate deftly finished her examination of Kimura. "All right, I think we're finished here; you can get dressed now. Oh, by the way, thank you for allowing me to switch our appointment to this morning; I don't know if you're planning to take advantage of our shore leave, but I certainly am. I want you to take this." Kate pulled a pager out of the pocket of her lab coat. "I'll be off-ship for the next two days; if you have an emergency that Dr. Perry's staff can't handle, press the red button." She pushed the button and Kimura immediately heard a beeping noise. Kate pulled a second pager out of her pocket and deactivated the alarm. "There's a locator in there as well--I'll know where you are and get to you as fast as I can." She turned to leave the room so that Kimura could put on her uniform in private, but hesitated in the doorway and turned back to Kimura. "Stop by my desk before you leave," she asked. "There's one last test I need to discuss with you." Kimura suited up quickly and efficiently and stepped into Kate's office. "You didn't mention any tests during my last visit. What kind of test is this?" "A personal one," Kate said coolly. She went to a cabinet, unlocked it and removed a large tray, which she carried to her desk. Kimura stared at the contents of the tray in sheer disbelief. "Cupcakes?" she asked incredulously, staring at the brown and white frosted mounds that lined the tray from end to end. "Vanilla and chocolate," Kate confirmed. "I made them for Lucas' birthday, and you're the only person I know who won't try to flatter me. Would you mind trying one and letting me know what you think? You don't have to; I'd just thought I'd ask." "You make cupcakes..." Kimura said, still trying to understand what was going on in Ruiz' mind. "Well, my mother always told me that cooking was nothing more than a chemistry experiment where you could eat the results. I think they're good, but I'm not always the best barometer for what normal people would think." The corner of Kimura's mouth lifted in a bitter quirk. "And I am?" Kate didn't reply; she simply waited for Kimura to make a decision. Kimura sighed impatiently, picked up a chocolate cupcake and broke it in two. She handed one half to Kate and waited, an eyebrow raised sardonically. Kate put the cake in her mouth, chewed and swallowed without comment. So Kimura shrugged and did the same. The pilot considered a moment and finally said, "Well, you won't kill them with it. It seemed terribly sweet to me, but most Western confections do." "Good enough," Kate said, picking the tray up and returning it to the cabinet. "Thank you, Kimura." When she turned back around, the commander was gone. Kate smiled to herself. *That's okay, Kimura,* she thought. *One step at a time--today a cupcake, tomorrow dinner.* *** "Captain Hudson?" "Yes, Ensign, what is it?" Hudson stared levelly at the young woman on his viewscreen. "Well, sir, it's about the shipment we just received." Hudson waited for the ensign to explain. When a moment passed without further elaboration, he sighed. "What about it?" "Um, I really think maybe you should take a look at this, sir, if you have a moment." "Is there something wrong, Ensign?" Hudson said. "Uh, not exactly, it's just... well, we'd feel a lot better if you'd come and take a look at this, sir, before we sign for it. It's... kind of unusual." Hudson rolled his eyes and looked at his first officer, Commander Jonathan Ford, who was striving not to grin and failing miserably "Perhaps she has a point, sir," Ford said, his smile bright against his dark skin. "You HAVE to know they wouldn't bother you unless it was truly something out of the ordinary." "Very well, Ensign, I'll be right there. Ford, you have the bridge." Hudson rose from his chair and stalked off in the direction of the Maglev. Ford took the captain's chair, quickly scanning the instrument panels in front of him and determining that all appeared normal. "What do you suppose is going on?" Ortiz whispered to Tim. "Ya got me," Tim said. "With our luck, it'll turn out to be a whole shipment of screen doors." *** Hudson walked into the cargo bay, more than a little annoyed at being called away from the bridge. "All right, Ensign, I'm here. What's the big mystery?" "Right this way, sir," the ensign said, fairly skipping as she tried to keep up with the Captain's much longer strides. They came to a stop before six large crates, each about six feet tall and three feet wide. Stenciled on the side of the box were the words "Property of the U.E.O. seaQuest" and a picture of two hands holding a crowned heart. "Here's the paperwork that came with it, sir," she said, stuffing a sheaf of papers into Hudson's hand. Hudson scanned the pages; the first was from the office of the Admiral, authorizing the delivery of a charity shipment to the seaQuest from some place called the Claddagh Foundation. The second was a copy of a letter addressed to the Admiral from the same Foundation and with the same crowned heart symbol in the upper right corner. "Dear Sir," Hudson read. "The Claddagh Foundation is a charitable organization entrusted with the happy duty of rewarding extraordinary examples of love, loyalty and friendship, as symbolized by the ancient Claddagh emblem. It has come to the attention of our board that such loyalty has been exemplified by the crew of the U.E.O. ship seaQuest, who, despite having been torn from their homes and families for ten years, willingly returned to active duty in defence of the U.E.O. at this terrible time of war. "Understanding the importance of morale in such difficult circumstances, the Claddagh Foundation wishes to endow the seaQuest with a selection of videos, musical programmes, books, and magazines with which the crew might brighten their leisure hours. If your office could simply review the attached list and let us know which programmes the seaQuest does not currently possess, we will happily donate the items it lacks. "Sincerely yours, James Anthony Dwight, O.B.E Secretary, The Claddagh Foundation" Hudson whistled. "Sir Jim himself," he said under his breath. If someone as powerful as James Dwight was the secretary of this foundation, he wasn't sure he wanted to know who the president was! The next page was a brief reply from the Admiral, thanking the Foundation for their interest and accepting their generous donation. To this was attached a list four pages long, and a quick review showed Hudson that it named all the Oscar winners for the last ten years, and all the hottest films, audio programs, books and games for the same period. Beside nearly every listing, the Admiral's office had penned "N.I.I." for "Not in Inventory." The last document was a shipping list, showing that the crate did indeed hold the donated materials and new audio-visual equipment as well. "Well, Ensign, everything seems to be in order as far as I can tell," Hudson said with a smile, handing the papers back to the young officer. "Unload it!" He walked back to the Maglev, feeling cheerful for the first time in weeks. He didn't know what pleased him more; the donation itself or the fact that the Admiral had to have caved in to heavy political pressure in order to allow the seaQuest to accept a gift that broke a least a dozen regulations. In any case, the gift would help him attack a problem that had been bothering him for months--how to reacclimatize those members of the seaQuest crew who had been cut off from the world for a decade. Now they would have a chance to catch up on what they had missed culturally while they were away. "Some days I almost believe in luck," he said to himself as he entered the Maglev car. *** "Lucas Wolenczak?" "That's me," Lucas called from his desk, his mouth half-full of cupcake--one of the left-overs from the batch Kate had surprised him with during lunch. One hand held the hapless cake, while the other was up to the elbow in wiring, as Lucas tried to correct a hardware problem with one of the ship's backup computers. "Delivery for you, sir." "Just leave it," Lucas said. "I'll get to it in a minute." "Um, sir, it's kind of too big to just leave here in the access way. We thought you might unpack it so we could get rid of the crate." "The crate?" Lucas asked, looking up for the first time. Two crewmen stood at his hatch, with a crate about three feet high and four feet long standing behind them. "What the heck is that?" he asked. "I didn't order anything that big." The first crewman looked down at the clipboard hung from a chain around his neck. "According to this, it's a Park XVR thirty-two hundred, whatever that is." "You're kidding!" Lucas said, leaping out of his chair and dropping the cupcake in his excitement. He grabbed a crowbar out of the second crewman's hand and began attacking the crate. Within seconds he had the lid off. "Here, you guys help me lift this out," Lucas said. The three men grasped the white plastic packing case and freed it from the wooden crate. A few moments after that, a brand new top-of-the-line synthesizer was standing in the middle of the room. "Oh my God," Lucas said in disbelief. "This is incredible!" "Uh, do you need us anymore, sir?" one of the crewman asked. "What? Oh... no, that's great, thanks." The men put the discarded packing material back in the crate and carried it away. Lucas ran his hands over his new instrument, marveling at the sleek lines and the intricate instrument board under the protective cover. He found a card attached to the side and ripped it open hurriedly. "Dear Lucas, "Happy twenty-first birthday. Yes, I know you're really THIRTY-one, but when has reality had anything to do with what a birthday FEELS like? "With love from YOUR FAIRY GODMOTHER." "Fairy Godmother?" Lucas said, happy but confused. "Well, I don't know who you are, lady, but I love you, too!" *** Lonnie Henderson and Beth Perry stood in the docking bay, small overnight bags in hand. "I feel kind of nervous," Lonnie admitted, "not bringing a suitcase or anything." "Me, too," Beth grinned. "But Kate was very specific." "'Speak of the devil and she appears,'" Kate rumbled theatrically as she walked into the bay. "That's right, ladies, no suitcases for us--we don't need 'em! And do you want to know why?" Lonnie and Beth stared at Kate with matching bemused expressions. Kate reached into the left breast pocket of her uniform and pulled out a debit card. The bottom edge of the card was a cloud-dotted sky, which faded into a dark, starry vista at the top of the card. "Because we are going SHOPPING. My treat!" Lonnie whistled. "I've heard about those cards, but I've never seen one! Where did you get it?" Kate grinned wickedly. "This, dear ladies, is what I got for spending six months locked beneath the ice of Antarctica working on special projects for the U.E.O.!" "Then you got gypped, my friend," Beth said with a shudder. Then she grinned. "They'd have to give me at least two!" "I'll put that in my next contract," Kate agreed as she put an arm around each woman and led the three of them to the waiting shuttle. "You know, between Antarctica and the seaQuest, I've been out of commission for eight months. If I don't get out there and do something wild, I'm gonna explode! You two are going to help me; you've been to Wilmington before. Where can a woman go to get pampering so decadent it ought to be outlawed?" "Um, I'm not sure," Lonnie said. "I never had the nerve to look up any kind of place like that." Beth buckled herself into her seat and then reached over to pat Lonnie on the hand. "We're going to Estrellita's," she said firmly. "And you're going to love it." The three women spent the next several hours in the skilled hands of Estrellita and her staff. They received facials and manicures and pedicures, massages and mud baths and makeovers. Then Estrellita herself escorted the three to her special, exclusive boutique adjoining the salon. While the women partook of elegant little canapŽs, models displayed the available fashions, everything from lingerie to cocktail dresses. "That corset the blonde is modeling--what colors does it come in?" Kate asked their hostess. "Snow, ecru, scarlet, and noir," Estrellita said promptly. "Great. I'll take one of each, size 12." "Kate, you wouldn't dare," Lonnie whispered with a giggle. "I have been a good girl since I was five years old," Kate said. "As of tonight, I am going to be very, very bad!" By the time dusk had fallen, the three friends had been transformed. Beth's hair had been swept up, away from her face, and pinned with tiny golden stars. Her makeup was deceptively demure, with a soft plum shadow for her eyes and a deep wine color for her full lips. She wore a dark purple velvet pantsuit that brought a rich hue to her chocolate-colored skin, while solid gold gleamed at her ears, throat and wrists. Black sandals completed her outfit. The waves in Lonnie's hair had been coaxed into a myriad of carefully tousled ringlets, then sprinkled with silver glitter until her hair shone like a halo around her face. It appeared that she was only wearing black eyeliner until she lowered her eyes and her lids gleamed with iridescence. Her lips shone with a shimmery pale pink lip-gloss to match the pink satin sheath and ballerina-style flats she wore. Over the sheath there was a layer of fine gauze dotted with tiny sparkling sequins. Around her throat was a circlet of gold encrusted with pink tourmalines; matching earrings twinkled in her ears. All in all, she looked like a fairy escaped from "A Midsummer Night's Dream." But if Lonnie had become a fairy, Katherine had been transformed into a lion-woman--a sphinx straight out of mythology. Her hair had been given a henna rinse to make her red highlights glow, then the hair had been blown into a wild, full mane. Her strapless gown was made of fawn-colored silk shot through with golden threads. The dress had a tight-fitting, low cut bodice and a full skirt, which ended a couple of inches above her knees. A gold lame' cummerbund hugged her slender waist. Her skin glittered with gold dust, brown and golden shadows brought warmth to her dark eyes, and a dark-honey gloss coated her lips. She wore a golden torque with a huge tiger-eye stone set in the middle of it, strands of gold with tiger-eye beads glimmered in her ears and wide gold cuffs encased each slim wrist. Gold pumps shone brightly on her feet. Beth and Lonnie applauded when she entered the room. "The boys aren't going to know what's hit them," Lonnie grinned. "Oh, wait, you haven't seen the best part," Kate said with an answering smile. She twirled on one foot and the skirt floated up in a perfect circle, revealing a somewhat discreet golden g-string. "You're a braver woman than I am, Katie," Beth said. She turned to Estrellita. "You don't happen to sell pepper spray, do you?" "Pepper spray--oh my gosh, we forgot PERFUME!" Kate cried in dismay. "Please don't concern yourself, Dr. Ruiz," Estrellita said. She snapped her fingers and a young woman carrying a silver tray entered the dressing area. More than a dozen tiny bottles glittered on the tray. "I actually got my start in the perfume business. It pleases me to gift my best customers with some of my special blends." Estrellita reviewed the bottles on the tray, a finger to her lips in concentration. Finally she nodded to herself and chose three bottles from the tray. "Thank you, Lorelei, you may go now." The young woman with the tray nodded and left the room. Estrellita stepped over to Beth and handed her a small, dark blue bottle covered with stars. "I sense that you are a strong woman, with great vitality. I call this scent 'Inanna;' it has wood and spice notes that will complement your strength." Beth gently pulled the stopper from the bottle and waved the bottle under her nose. She closed her eyes. "Mmm. This is heavenly. How did you know I prefer woods to florals?" "Trade secret," Estrellita said, putting a finger to her lips as if asking for silence. Then she turned to Lonnie. "But you, however, you DO favor the florals. They complement your sunny nature." Lonnie looked at her, open-mouthed. "How?" Estrellita just smiled and handed her a lilac-colored bottle. "This is 'Hebe,'" she said. "May wearing it bring you joy." Lonnie opened her bottle. "It smells like... like spring," she said happily, putting a careful dab of perfume on the inside of each wrist. Estrellita walked over to Kate. "And now your scent, Katherine. I think this is something you perhaps would not have chosen for yourself, but which you will find suits you well." She gave Kate a clear crystal vial chased with gold. Kate pulled the stopper and sniffed it delicately, and the aroma seemed to reach out from the bottle to caress her. She thought she could detect hints of musk and frankincense mingled with other fragrances she couldn't pin a name to. The combination was heady and gave her a strange feeling of both power and longing. "It's... I can't find the words to say how beautiful it is," Kate whispered. "What do you call it?" "I named it 'Isis,' after the Egyptian queen of the gods," Estrellita replied. Then more quietly she told Katherine, "The power of her love was stronger than death itself." Kate's head snapped up and she stared into Estrellita's eyes, eyes so dark they looked black. *You're a psi,* Kate thought to herself. The woman simply shrugged and smiled. *And perhaps I'm not the only one in the room,* Kate heard clearly in her mind. "I'll have the rest of your purchases delivered to your hotel. Enjoy your party tonight," Estrellita said, turning so as to include the other women in her statement. "And please visit us again the next time you are in Wilmington." "I believe I will," Kate said, clasping the precious perfume bottle tightly in her hand. *** "When are you guys going to tell me where we're going?" Lucas asked, exasperated, as he, Tim, Ortiz, Piccolo, Dagwood and Ford walked along the streets of Wilmington. "Just relax, Lucas," Tim said. "Look, even I don't know where we're going." "That's because Lucas's 'fairy godmother' was afraid you might freak," Piccolo said with a superior grin. "My fairy... you know who she is?" Lucas asked in astonishment. Ortiz grinned, then put a finger to his lips. "She swore us to secrecy." "What is a 'fairy godmother'?" Dagwood asked. "Someone who does incredibly nice things for you out of the blue, things so nice they seem magical," Tim explained. Dagwood thought about this for a moment. "So was Captain Bridger MY fairy godmother?" he asked innocently. Ford couldn't help himself; the sharp bark of laugher escaped his lips before he could stop it. "I'm sure he'd be complimented that you thought so, Dagwood," he added, by means of apology, but the smile remained on his dark, handsome face. The picture of Nathan Bridger dressed as Glinda, Good Witch of the North, remained indelibly etched in his memory. Fortunately for him, they had apparently reached their destination. "All right, everybody, here we are," Ortiz said. "This? This is a clothing store," Tim said, looking at the tuxedo-clad mannequins in the store's display window. "Yeah," Piccolo said. "Me and Ortiz, we're entrusted with the job of getting you gents decently attired for the evening's entertainment. Me, because of my excellent fashion sense, of course." "And me, because Ms. Godmother didn't trust Piccolo to carry THIS." Ortiz pulled out a debit card and flashed it to the rest of the men. "That's a 'sky's the limit' card," Lucas said. "I haven't seen one of those since the last time my dad tried to make up with my mom!" "So what do you say, gentlemen? Shall we go see if we can put a dent in this card?" Ortiz grinned. "This is all very nice, but I don't need any clothes," Tim said, waving his hands in a gesture of refusal. "Oh, no you don't, O'Neill," Piccolo said, grabbing Tim by the shoulders and pushing him through the door of the store. "She insisted that I give you my PERSONAL attention!" *** An hour and a half later, the men looked at each other and at themselves in the store's full-length mirrors. "Oh, Piccolo, you are a GOD!" Tony said to himself as he admired his black tuxedo, cut in the latest style. He had chosen a black silk shirt to go with it, eschewing a tie altogether. "That's a scary thought," Ford joked. He had to admit that he was rather pleased with his own appearance. He had chosen a black tux as well, but he wore his with a burgundy silk shirt, a black vest and a slim black tie; he felt it placed him light-years away from "Commander Ford" in his old U.E.O. uniform. "But it would explain a lot of things that are wrong in this universe," Ortiz added. He had picked an all white tuxedo ensemble, which nicely emphasized his dusky Latin features. "This is ridiculous," Tim said, pulling at his sleeves uncomfortably. "This outfit costs more than I make in two months!" Piccolo had insisted on a charcoal gray tux for Tim, which Tony had then augmented with a white, collar-less shirt and a forest green vest embroidered with a cranberry-colored paisley pattern. A diamond stud closed the shirt at Tim's throat. "Aw, Tim, it's my birthday," Lucas said. "Go with the flow, okay?" He looked at himself in the mirror, pleased with himself. He'd gone with a silver tux, a white satin shirt, a red cummerbund and a red bow tie. "I have never worn anything like this before," Dagwood said, looking at himself in the mirror with some confusion. "Is this the way I am supposed to look?" Tony had picked out a traditional tuxedo for the GELF, black with a gray vest, white shirt, and black bow tie. "You look very elegant, Dagwood," Tim assured him. "Just perfect." Tim had experienced a moment of fear when the salesman had first approached their little group; prejudice against genetically engineered life forms was still rampant in many areas. But whoever Lucas' good fairy was, she was evidently thorough, for the man treated Dagwood with great respect, answering the GELF's shy questions with deference and helpfulness. He also made sure that the unfamiliar clothes fit the large man correctly and that Dagwood was comfortable in them. Tim found himself almost as curious about Lucas' fairy godmother as Lucas was. "We're all perfect," Piccolo said with satisfaction. "We are one set of sharp-dressed men, and I believe we are ready for the party." "Will SHE be there?" Lucas asked, excited at the thought of meeting his "mystery woman." "Will she be THERE?" Piccolo echoed. "Who do you think ordered that limousine?" Sure enough, a long black limousine waited for the men just outside the store's entrance. "To the Hyatt Regency, my good woman," Tony told the chauffeur as they all entered the car. "Very good, sir," the woman smiled as she closed the door after him. TO BE CONTINUED>>> _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Find people who care about what you care about. http://www.onelist.com At ONElist: your connection to community. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1999 07:41:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 11 From: Carolyn Wallace This is it until Monday (my home computer is still in the shop.) And if part of this chapter sounds familiar, it's because this is the chapter I took my "teaser" from! =) I've got to tell you a "behind the scenes" bit of trivia--I actually started writing this story several months ago and was going through one of those "Gee, should I really be wasting my time doing this" kind of things (this was before I found all YOU guys!). In the midst of this soul-searching, my husband and I decide to take a trip to Ramapo, NY, and while we're driving down the road, I see that the van in front of us says "O'Neill's Carpet Cleaning." "Nah," I think to myself. "It's NOT a 'sign.'" Then I look in the next lane, and there's a car whose license plate reads "PICCOLO." "Okay," I said, "NOW it's a sign." =) I've kicked myself for not checking to see if either vehicle was a "Ford." =) So in remembrance of that pivotal event, I entitled the video our intrepid heroes watch "A Night in Ramapo." Now you know--"and knowing is half the battle!" =) Carolyn THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Wednesday, March 2, 2033 (cont) When Kate walked into the lounge she was hit was a wave of buzzing, excited talk. The small room was packed; it took her some time to press her way through the crowd to Lucas' side. "What's going on?" she asked. "Did the captain make an announcement about the battle?" "Nope," Lucas replied, grinning from ear to ear. "More like a late Christmas gift." He held up a video chip. Kate tilted her head sideways and read the title. "'The Women of...'" "Oops, wrong chip," Lucas said, pulling the chip out of her field of view and blushing furiously. He quickly searched through the chips in his hand and pulled out another. "'A Night in Ramapo'," Kate read. "Oh, that's wonderful! Is it one of your favorites, too?" "It might be--once I get a chance to see it," Lucas said with a smile. "Oh, Lucas, I'm sorry," Kate said, putting a hand over her mouth. "For just a second, I forgot." "Don't worry about it," Lucas said, giving her a hug. "Anyway, seems the seaQuest got some kind of charity donation--all kinds of movies and things that a lot of us have never seen." "Thus the crowd," Kate surmised. Lucas nodded. "Anybody know if they sent popcorn?" Piccolo asked as he and Ortiz squeezed their way next to Kate. "Well, if they didn't, I have some in my quarters," Kate offered. "Okay, that settles it! Party's at Kate's place," Piccolo offered. "Let's get out of here--I'm startin' to know how a sardine feels at canning time!" The little group escaped the lounge with some difficulty; Kate breathed a sigh of relief as they tumbled out into the relative quiet and coolness of the passageway. "You go ahead and get the popcorn ready," Piccolo told Kate. "Ortiz and me, we'll get some drinks." "I don't know if this is such a good idea," Kate said. "My quarters are pretty small." "Bigger than ours," Ortiz grinned as he went to follow Piccolo. "Besides, that just makes it cozy!" Ortiz looked at Kate and gave her the patented Ortiz "special smile." Lucas saw it and knew exactly what it meant--and he wasn't going to let Ortiz get away with it. "Cozy, my..." "Yes, Lucas?" Kate said primly. "Uh... never mind," Lucas replied. "Let's go get that popcorn. And just remember--when they get back, you're sitting next to me." At Kate's surprised look, Lucas grinned. "My privilege as your old pen-pal!" "Uh-HUH," Kate said noncommittally. When they got to Kate's quarters, she realized she'd left the holo-projector running; Tim's smiling face was still glowing on her desk. She quickly turned on the lights, went over to the desk and shut the projector down, keeping her body between Lucas and the desk and hoping that he hadn't seen anything she wouldn't be able to explain. "Minerva, movie mode," she said. "You get the popcorn, Katherine. My hands are full," the computer replied. Lucas laughed. "Kate, you must have had WAY too much free time on your hands," he said. "What can I say?" Kate smiled, a dimple appearing in one cheek. "'Idle hands are the devil's workshop.'" There was a loud banging at the hatch and Piccolo and Ortiz came in. "'Speaking of the devil,'" Lucas murmured to Kate, and she had to stifle a laugh. "Hey, we ran into Tim and Lonnie on our way. It's okay that we invited them along, isn't it?" Ortiz asked. "They told us you had 'A Night in Ramapo,' and I've always wanted to see that," Lonnie offered apologetically. "Of course," Kate said, though her heart started pounding as she caught sight of Tim's face behind Lonnie and Ortiz. "This is a comedy--the more folks you have watching it, the funnier it is!" "After a couple of these, the U.E.O. constitution will be funny," Piccolo averred, passing out cans to everyone in the room. Kate read the side of her can and whistled. "Geez, Piccolo, did you bring anything with a little less octane?" "Nope," Tony said smugly. "Ya wanna soft drink, you're gonna have to get 'em yourself." "Fine!" Kate countered. "That'll give me a chance to make the popcorn!" She unlatched an overhead compartment, opened it and pulled out a box of gourmet popcorn. "What do you guys want?" she asked. "Movie style, cheddar, caramel or 'zesty'?" "Call me old-fashioned," Tim said as he and Lonnie squeezed their way into the room, "but I vote for movie style." "Speaking of old-fashioned, this movie doesn't have anything coming out of the screen, does it?" Lonnie asked mischievously. "'Cause Tim just HATES that!" "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you," Tim said in exasperation. Piccolo and Ortiz looked at each other, then in perfect synch began singing "The Wedding March." "Da da DA DA, da DA da da!" Kate looked at Lucas, still holding a can of Tony's brew in her other hand. "Let me guess--they had one on the way over." "That's the way I read it," Lucas said, stretching out on Kate's bed. Kate shook her head and sighed, then headed down to the galley to make the popcorn. It took a few minutes to get everyone settled, but finally they were all seated, the movie was cued up, and Kate had returned with a huge bowl of buttery movie style popcorn and some soft drinks. She looked at her quarters, now wall-to-wall people, and grinned. "Lucas! You were supposed to save me a seat!" "I did!" Lucas said, patting the bare six inches of bed between himself and Tim. Kate laughed nervously. "You expect to ram a po' girl like me into a little ol' spot like that?" she asked. She was immediately greeted by a chorus of groans. "Aw, Katie, I thought you outgrew punning," Tim said, clutching his stomach in mock agony. "Oh, do you want me to SCREEN my remarks?" Kate said innocently. "Because I could, you know--REEL easily." "Arrgh! That does it!" Lucas cried. He lunged at Kate, grabbing her by the elbow and trying to pull her down to the bed. "The popcorn!" Kate screamed, as kernels went flying. Piccolo popped up from his seat on the floor and deftly wrested the bowl from Kate as she fell on to the bed between Lucas and Tim. "Minerva, play the movie," Lucas cried out, covering Kate's mouth with one hand. The screen remained blank, however. "Katherine, unauthorized user request. Please advise." Lucas looked down at Kate. "All right--you can give the order. But one more pun and you're gonna get the punishment you promised me!" He cautiously removed his hand from Kate's mouth. "I'll be good, Mister Wolenczak," Kate said in a little girl voice. "Minerva, play movie." As the computer obediently began to play the video chip, Ortiz turned off the lights. Suddenly, there was a sharp "eek" from Lonnie. She elbowed Piccolo in the ribs. "You be good, too, Tony," she warned. "Or I'll sew your gills shut!" *** It was a funny movie, but Tim couldn't help thinking he would have enjoyed it MORE if Lucas and Kate had enjoyed it LESS. They acted like a pair of... of TEENAGERS, giggling and laughing, even when there was nothing funny on the screen. He couldn't blame it on Tony's hooch, at least not in Kate's case; she had steadily refused each offer, sticking to soft drinks. Lucas was a different story. After a couple of drinks, his flirting with Kate became increasingly brazen, but that didn't seem to bother KATE at all. SHE was taking it all in stride. Tim took another sip from his soft drink. He really couldn't understand why he was so upset--Lucas and Kate would be perfect for each other. It wasn't as if Lucas would be dating someone on the crew; Kate was a civilian and therefore immune from charges of "fraternization." So there were some age differences; did it really matter? Each one was older than the other, depending on how you looked at it, making it all even out in some cosmic sense. Kate knew she was acting like an idiot, but she couldn't help herself. She could feel Tim's presence beside her like a red-hot iron held only inches from her skin. The urge to reach out and clasp his hand was almost overpowering. So she giggled and joked with Lucas, trying to ignore the warmth of Tim's body next to hers, the slight (and devastating) fragrance of his after-shave, the brush of his hand against hers as they both reached for popcorn. *Little sister, LITTLE SISTER!,* she repeated to herself like a mantra. It was sheer relief to discover that the bowl of popcorn was empty. "Oops, all gone--I'll go make some more," she offered. "I'll go with you," Lucas said, rising from the bed. "No, no. You stay here and watch the movie. After all, I've seen it already." Kate grabbed the bowl and the popcorn box and quickly left the room. "Ease up there, cowboy," Ortiz drawled from his seat on the floor. "You're gonna frighten the filly off!" Lucas stared at Ortiz. "What are you talking about?" The three on the floor looked at each other and burst into laughter. "You're joking, right, Lucas?" Lonnie said. "Give it up, Lucas. Everybody in the room knows you're flirting with Kate," Piccolo said, sprawling out across the floor. "Oh, come on!" Lucas retorted. "She's my FRIEND!" "Can't you tell how nervous you're making her?" Lonnie asked. "Kate's a laugher, not a giggler. You must be making her very uncomfortable." "And since when are YOU the big expert on Kate Ruiz, Henderson?" Lucas returned with a scowl. "Since we were roommates at the Hyatt," Henderson replied. "But if you don't believe me, ask Tim; he knows Kate pretty well. Tim, what do you think? You think Kate's comfortable with Lucas coming on to her?" Tim drained his drink before he spoke. "It looked to me like Kate was having a good time." "There, you see!" Lucas said triumphantly. "Oh, what does Tim know," Lonnie scoffed. "He's just a man!" "Why, you sexist officer, you!" Ortiz exclaimed. "Take that back right this minute!" There's no telling what brawl might have ensued if Kate hadn't picked that very moment to return. "Take this," she said breathlessly, shoving the popcorn into Miguel's hands. "I've got to go." "Kate, what's wrong?" Tim asked, concerned by the look on her face. "Kimura's in trouble," Kate threw back over her shoulder as she ran from the room. The five friends were left in darkness once more, their suddenly solemn faces lit only by the flickering glow of the computer screen as the movie played on, unheeded. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- ONElist members are using Shared Files in great ways! http://www.onelist.com Are you? If not, see our homepage for details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 06:00:27 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 13 From: Carolyn Wallace Okay, Anne, here you go! =) THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 13 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Monday, March 28, 2033 "I always knew that some day you'd come crawling back to me on your hands and knees, Kate Ruiz!" Kate looked up from her computer screen in surprise, only to smile with delight as she caught sight of the tall Asian man standing in the entrance to her lab. "Brian!" She leapt up and hugged him, then held him at arm's length. "Why didn't you tell me you were on your way? You said you wouldn't be here until the first!" Brian grinned. "April Fools!" Then he shrugged. "Truthfully, I wasn't sure how quickly I could wrap up my stuff at the Institute so I erred on the side of caution. Luckily for you, everything went without a hitch." "Well, come in, sit down! Can I get you a cup of coffee or anything?" The man took a seat and grinned. "What is it with you and coffee? That stuff's gonna kill you." "What is it with you and haircuts?" Kate replied, pointing to his shoulder-length black hair. "They WON'T kill you, but you still avoid them." "Aw, I just like giving the brass fits, that's all," Brian, dismissing her comment with a wave of his hand. "And speaking of brass, who did you have to kill to get me here? I could have sworn my contract with Foresight was unbreakable until your U.E.O. lawyers got a hold of it!" "I have friends in high places," Kate said, sitting back in her chair and pressing her hands together to form a steeple with her fingers. Then she leaned forward. "Believe me, Brian, I'd have given you more warning if I could have, but the Admiral was pretty irritated when I asked to bring someone else in on this; he refused to let me send you anything like a proper briefing. In a nutshell, the seaQuest has a Chaodai-enhanced pilot. Now those Chaodai implants have to be removed without killing or crippling the pilot. And the only thing that has a chance in hell of doing that is nanotech." Brian whistled. "It's never easy with you, is it, Ruiz?" Kate smiled. "Come on, Brian... if it were easy, it wouldn't be FUN! But enough of that for now." She got to her feet. "Have they given you quarters yet?" Brian nodded. "Not too far from yours, I'm told." "Great! Then let's get you settled in. You can tell me all about how Maggie and my little namesake are doing while you unpack." Brian smiled ruefully. "Um... I'm not sure you want to hear it. Maggie wasn't too pleased about losing me again so soon after getting home, and Kathy squalled her tiny head off." "That only shows that they both have good sense," Kate said, as she took her friend by the elbow and led him out of her office. "If I were them, I'd hate me, too!" *** Ortiz looked up from his meal, then whistled in surprise. "Heads up, Lucas, I think you've got competition!" "Huh?" Lucas followed the direction of Miguel's gaze and saw Kate walking into the galley arm-in-arm with a handsome Asian man. "You should have known," Piccolo said sagely. "A woman that good-looking ain't gonna be free, my friend!" "Kate never said ANYTHING about a boyfriend," Lucas insisted angrily. Tim said nothing, but privately he agreed with Lucas. *'Big brother,' huh? If she trusted you at all, she'd have said something, right? Only goes to show, you can't trust anyone...EVER.* His fork stabbed into a meatball with such force that it broke into pieces, almost flying off his plate. "Sorry I'm late, guys," Kate said as she and her guest approached the table. "I was catching up on some news from home and lost track of the time. This is my friend and fellow mad scientist, Dr. Brian Chen. He's going to be working with me for the next couple of weeks." "Nice to meet you, Dr. Chen," Lonnie said. "Please, call me Brian," the man smiled. "And these are my friends Miguel Ortiz, Tony Piccolo, Lonnie Henderson, Lucas Wolenczak and Tim O'Neill," Kate said, pointing to each of the crewmembers in turn. "Pay attention, there'll be a test later," she added, elbowing Brian in the ribs. "Come on, let's get something to eat." "Nice to meet you all," Brian said as Kate dragged him in the direction of the serving line. He waved good-bye with his left hand, and Tim felt as if the giant who'd been squeezing his heart suddenly let go. A thin gold wedding-band glittered on Chen's hand--he was married! *I'm just glad Lucas is going to be okay,* he lied to himself when he felt compelled to justify the relief he felt. "Too bad, Lucas," Ortiz said, taking a bite from his dinner roll. "Better luck next time." "Relax, you idiots, he's married!" Lonnie said, tossing her napkin at Ortiz' face. "Married? Really?" Lucas asked eagerly. "How do you know?" "There's this little item called a 'wedding ring,'" Tim said dryly. "Something Lonnie apparently looks for when meeting new men." Lonnie stuck her tongue out at Tim. "I just happened to see it when he waved," she insisted. "Though if he WASN'T married, I might have made a try for him... he's a heck of a lot better looking than YOU losers!" Lonnie ducked as a flock of napkins descended at her head. She laughed as she fought of the linen attack, then she caught sight of Jonathan looking at her from across the room. For a moment the laughter died in her throat, but then she turned back to her friends, forcing herself to smile. "So... anybody want dessert?" TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Attention ONElist list owners! http://www.onelist.com/info/news.html Check out the new "DEFAULT MODERATED STATUS" option. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 12:11:31 +0000 (GMT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 15 From: Carolyn Wallace Inside joke: My wedding anniversary is April 13--and my husband and I had the same concerns about it that Kate does here! =) And in case you were wondering, all the days of the week/dates I use in this story are correct--there's a site called "timeanddate.com" that will give you a calendar for just about any year you select... very handy for Questies! =) The weirdness the surrounds this story continues... on my way to work today I passed a van that had one word pasted on its back window: "O'Neill's." Then I passed a truck for the Hudson Paper Company, only to find in front of me (yes, you guessed it) a Ford Explorer. (And if that doesn't describe our boy Jonathan, I don't know what does!) Now on to Part 15. Remember, folks, (to blatantly rip-off and alter someone else's quote) it's not just torture, it's character-building! =) Carolyn *** seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032 THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 15 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Wednesday, March 30, 2033 "Kate! Come on it--have a seat." Kate smiled at Beth Perry and took the offered chair. "I got your memo," Beth continued. I've got an opening in Operating Room Three on April 13th. Will that be okay?" "The thirteenth? You had to schedule me for the thirteenth?" Beth smiled. "Not superstitious, are you?" Kate sighed. "No, of course not. I just hope Kimura isn't!" For a moment Kate simply sat there, staring off into space. Beth looked at her friend sharply. "What's up, Kate? You look nervous, and I DON'T think it's about the operation." Once more Kate cursed the fact that her face apparently broadcast whatever she was thinking. "I think I might have a problem," she said slowly. "And I'm not quite sure what to do about it." Beth sat forward in her chair and rested her elbows on her desk. "Anything I can help you with?" she asked, her eyes worried but kind. "Beth, how would I go about being testing for psychic ability?" *** Thursday, March 31, 2033 Dr. Ryan, the seaQuest's resident psychiatrist, removed the electrodes from Kate's forehead and handed her a paper towel. Kate wiped off the gel that had kept the electrodes in place and looked up at him thoughtfully. "'Give me the bad news, doc, I can take it,'" she said. Ryan laughed. "Most people WANT to find out they're psychic." Kate sighed. "Let's just say that if I were a psi, it would make my life a lot more complicated than it already is." "Well, you can relax then," Dr. Ryan said, reviewing the computer screen that was compiling the results of Kate's last test. He turned back to her with a smile. "You do have some psychic ability, but the tests show that it's at a fairly low level and almost entirely empathetic in nature--something you apparently already knew, at least on an unconscious level; that's why you had the problems with performing surgery. As for regular telepathy, well, your ability is very low and highly erratic. Frankly, I'm surprised you were able to 'hear' that crewman's thoughts at all... I would have to say that either the crewman had a high emotional investment in what he was thinking about, or you have a very close relationship with that person." "A little of both, perhaps," Kate admitted with a nervous laugh. *I see her nearly every day,* she thought. *I guess that qualifies as 'close.'* "And you must have been fairly relaxed yourself at the time; experiencing strong emotions keep most low-level psis from receiving." "Roger that," Kate agreed. *Which explains why I've never picked up anything from Tim. Damn, if I could only stay relaxed around him I might be able to find out... no. No! That would be wrong; I'd be invading his privacy.* She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "From what you told me," Dr. Ryan continued, "you've had good results in the past with self-hypnosis. If these telepathic episodes begin to bother you, give yourself a hypnotic block against them. If that doesn't work, come back and we'll arrange for a psi to come in and give you a hand." "Thank you, Bill," Kate said, rising to shake his hand. You've taken a load off my mind." *** Kate was finishing her daily examination of Kimura when the call to battle stations came. Kimura immediately hopped off the examination table and began to suit up. "Where do you think YOU'RE going?" Kate asked. "To my fighter!" Kimura said. "Like hell you are--I haven't cleared you for active duty." "Ruiz, it's been almost a month since the seizures," Kimura yelled. "I've GOT to get back in a fighter, or I'll lose my edge!" "Get in that fighter and you'll lose your LIFE!" Kate yelled back. "What if you have another seizure while you're in the cockpit?" "It won't happen--your device fixed me." "That 'device' hasn't been tested under battle conditions! What if it fails? Or worse--causes your implants to malfunction? You'd be a danger to yourself and others, Kimura; I will NOT certify you for active duty." Kimura turned on Kate, fury blazing in her eyes. Kate took a step backward involuntarily, then her jaw set and she stepped forward again. "You know you're unfit for duty. Why are you fighting me on this?" "Because they need me," Kimura spat. "No... because YOU need to FIGHT!" Now it was Kimura's turn to step back, a stricken look crossing her face as swiftly as a meteor crossing the sky. Kate stepped toward her. "For once in your life, Heiko, fight for YOURSELF, not for someone else. Yes, we need you, but we need you WHOLE. You've got to have this time to heal, and there's nothing wrong with that!" Kimura unexpectedly found herself with her back against the wall and nowhere left to retreat. Her head turned slowly from one side to the other, striving to look at anything but the woman in front of her. "I've got to be OUT there," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "They need me. If I'm not fighting..." "Then you're relying on someone else to protect you, someone you might not be able to trust." Kimura finally turned to face Kate, her eyes wide and startled. Kate took another step forward, her hands palm up at her sides, not reaching for Kimura, but available. "Heiko, Piccolo is out there. You've worked with him dozens of times... you know he's a good pilot. Hudson and Ford are on the bridge, directing the battle. You know they're good, or you wouldn't submit yourself to their commands." The sound of an explosion at close range echoed through the ship, and Kimura flinched. "If I'm not fighting..." "Then you're STILL a valuable member of the crew, Kimura. You're more than a pilot, you're part of the team." A million fragmented thoughts whirled through Kimura's brain. The last few weeks had taxed even her enormous strength of will, with the incessant pain, the drugs, the seizures, the attendant panic as she lost control of her body, the constant struggle to remain impervious to the ongoing disapproval of her crewmates. Fighting was the only thing that helped--and now even that had been taken away from her. If she didn't fight; she didn't belong. She was worthless, and they would get rid of her. A tremor went through her body; she gave a low, almost inaudible growl as she fought to bring herself under control. Kate wasn't sure if it would help or not, but she tried to "send" Kimura warm, comforting thoughts, the words she wanted to say, but did not dare. *You ARE wanted, Kimura, and not just because you're a hotshot pilot. You're wanted because you're KIMURA; you're needed because you have great things to offer the world. You don't have to despair; you don't have to give in to the darkness. There is a light, if you'll only reach out for it.* There was the reverberating clang of plasma hitting metal and the seaQuest rocked beneath their feet. Kimura was thrown forward against Kate; the two women fell to the floor in a tangle. The lights flashed once, twice, then went out. The terror gripped Kimura as it had not since that harrowing week she'd become a Chaodai pilot, the week of blood and pain, the week she'd lost her humanity on the operating table and left the hospital a monster... a monster... Kimura's fists suddenly flashed out, incoherent howls ripping from her throat. She tried to attack the darkness itself, but all her fists found was Kate's soft body, trapped beneath her. She pummeled Kate again and again, the blows falling as rapidly as her tears, as harshly as her screams. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around her, holding her close; Kimura fought even harder. After an eternity, the chaotic sounds Kimura heard echoing in the dark resolved themselves into order, into words. Slowly, the words took on meaning and strength, pouring over her fear and rage like cool rain over a forest fire. "You're safe, Heiko. I won't hurt you. You are NOT a monster; you're my friend. I won't let ANYONE hurt you. You're not a monster. I won't let anyone hurt you. Heiko, you're safe. Heiko, you're my friend." The emergency lights finally flickered into life. Kimura's stunned eyes looked down into Kate's face, torn and bloody where her fists had struck it. But that wasn't what broke her. It was the wry smile, shining gently through bruised lips, the friendly look in an eye about to swell shut. "You're safe, Heiko. I won't let anyone hurt you," Kate whispered. Heiko looked at Kate then collapsed, wracked by the guttural, heart-rending sobs of one who has forgotten how to cry. Kate held her close, stroked her hair. She recited the words "You're safe now," over and over again, like a litany. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Your anytime, anywhere sports store. Fogdog Sports. Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 22:19:34 +0000 (GMT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 16 From: Carolyn Wallace Hi, guys. Just got the bad news that my home computer won't be fixed in time for the weekend. So I'm gonna post this now, and Part 17 tomorrow... so I can start your weekend off with a bang! (No, not that--this story is PG-13, for pity's sake!) =) Carolyn *** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Thursday, March 31, 2033 (cont) "Three fighters down, sir," Ortiz told Hudson. "Six to go." "Damn the fighters, where's their carrier?" Hudson yelled. "Sir, sensors still show no evidence of a carrier," Ortiz insisted. "That's not possible!" Hudson bellowed. "Wait," Ford said. "Doesn't this sound familiar to anyone?" "If you have an idea, Commander, you better spit it out, because I am rapidly losing patience," Hudson said. "The Marauder," Lucas said, snapping his fingers. "His ship had that incredible camouflage mode." "Right on the money," Ford said, then turned to Captain Hudson. "The Marauder--Russ Ketchum--tangled with us a year or... I mean before the seaQuest went to Hyperion. If we could pull up those records..." Ford went to his station, typed in a few commands, then pounded his fist against the console. "They're gone. I forgot--Bridger erased our memory banks so that the aliens wouldn't get them." "Sir, I would have filed a copy with U.E.O. headquarters," O'Neill reminded him. "I could contact them and..." "Do it, Mr. O'Neill," Hudson ordered. "Commander Ford, how did you stop the Marauder's ship back then?" Ford looked uncomfortable. "Actually, sir, we didn't. His lieutenant, a GELF named Mariah, held one of our officers hostage. I granted them safe passage in exchange for the officer." "You did WHAT?" Ford straightened. "Captain Bridger supported my decision, sir. We were going to go back and track them down, but the seaQuest was captured by the Hyperions shortly after that, and, well, you know the story since then." Tim hunched over his console as he pulled up the records Hudson had requested. HE had been the officer Mariah held captive. Under torture he'd given her the codes that had allowed her to attack the seaQuest so effectively. That incident marked the lowest point in his life, and he had a feeling if Hudson found out that he'd been the hostage, he'd end up even higher on Hudson's "hate list." Finally, a green light blinked on his console and Tim breathed a sigh of relief. "Records are coming through now, sir," he told Hudson. "The only way we managed to hit his ship last time was by trial and error," Ford told Hudson as they reviewed the data. "We saw nothing but a pile of rocks, so we fired on the rocks. We hit them with our third shot." "Lucky you," Hudson said off-handedly, his attention on the document scrolling across his computer screen. Then a thought occurred to him; he glanced up at Lonnie Henderson. "Henderson, display the latest topographical map we have of this area and overlay that with our latest sensor sweep. Let me know if you find any differences between the two." There was the sound of an explosion and a war-whoop rang over the ship's speakers. "Scratch another Macro, boys, Tony Piccolo is HOT!" "Mr. Piccolo, you will kindly contain your outbursts to military data, is that understood?" "Yes, sir, Captain, sir!" Piccolo answered, but the pride in his voice was irrepressible. "Bingo!" Lonnie shouted. "HENDERSON," Hudson bellowed, about to give her a similar warning, but Lonnie interrupted him before he could finish. "I FOUND him, sir. 23 degrees east north east; he's disguised as a reef. "Torpedoes 1 and 2, fire on that reef," Hudson ordered. Ford relayed the captain's orders to the weapons crew; soon the bridge erupted in cheers as the torpedoes struck home and momentarily disrupted the other ship's disguise. "Ortiz, slap a homing device on that ship, will you please? I don't want to lose him again!" "Aye, aye, Captain," Ortiz replied, readying a WSKR for deployment. "Ladies and gentlemen, the hunt is on," Hudson said, rubbing his hands together in satisfaction. *** Brian Chen ran into Kate's lab. "Kate, are you okay? I heard screams, but I got lost in the dark and... oh dear God!" He found Kimura lying atop a battered Kate. It appeared to him that he'd interrupted the women in the middle of a no-holds-barred wrestling match. Kimura rolled off Kate and her gaze flickered quickly from Brian to Kate, a haunted look in her eyes. "It's okay now. Kimura had another seizure," Kate said calmly. "I was trying to restrain her when we got hit and lost the lights." "You all right, Kimura?" Brian asked, a little confused. "Y-yes. Ruiz held me until the... seizure passed." She stood up, staring at Kate with an unreadable expression, then she held out her hand to help Kate get to her feet. "I want to check that interface device," Kate said as crisply as she could. "Maybe one of the wires to the power cells got loose--that would account for the intermittent nature of the seizure. Then I'm afraid you go back to Med Bay for the night, just for observation, okay?" She looked at Kimura, her face concerned. Kimura nodded slowly. "I understand." Brian looked at each of the women in turn. Both looked pretty rocky, though Kate appeared to have gotten the worst of it. "You think her examination could wait until we get someone to look at YOU?" he asked Kate. Kate shook her head. "Just some bumps and bruises I picked up when we fell," she said. "I'll take care of them as soon as I'm sure Kimura is going to be all right." Brian looked at his friend and crossed his arms over his chest. "Then you better examine her quickly, because I'm giving you ten minutes before I call Beth Perry to examine you. Remember, I KNOW YOU--I don't trust you to take proper care of yourself!" Kate stuck her tongue out at him, then winced as the gesture shot pain through her split lip. "All right, smart aleck, get back to work. I'll see Beth as soon as I take care of Kimura." "You better," Brian warned, shaking a finger at her as he made for the hatch. "Or I'll tell your 'big brother,' and you wouldn't want THAT, would you?" Kate made a rude hand gesture and Brian laughed as he closed the hatch behind him. Kimura stood quietly as Kate began picking up some of the items that had fallen from their shelves when the ship had been hit, putting them back in place and locking the cabinet doors securely against any further unusual maneuvers. Finally, Kimura broke the silence. "You lied for me." Kate turned to her and smiled gently. "Did I?" she asked. "It certainly looked like a seizure to me. Not that I could see much in the dark." She walked around Kimura, taking a cursory glance at the interface device. "Hmm, there WAS a loose wire here, but it seems to be okay now. Tell you what, rather than stick you in Med Bay, why don't I give you a home monitor? That way you can rest in the privacy of your own quarters." She went to a drawer and pulled out a small box on a metal chain. "Wear this next to your skin for the next twenty-four hours. If you feel any problems coming on, push the red button; that'll alert the folks in Med Bay. If the device senses a rapid change in heartbeat, it will sound the alarm by itself, so don't watch any horror movies while you're wearing it, okay?" "I think I will be fine," Kimura said, taking the monitor from Kate. She slipped the chain around her neck, then straightened, looking at Kate steadily. "Thank you... Kate," she said, her face and her tone making the simple words an elegant expression of gratitude. Kate's smile grew slightly wider. "You're welcome, Heiko... any time." *** "Ketchum, they're on to us." "No, they're not," Russ Ketchum said from his console. His tone was distracted, as the majority of his concentration was on the shifting patterns of the computer screen before him. "I mean the SHIP! They know where our ship is!" "Then I suggest you move us somewhere ELSE, Captain," he said in the same abstracted way. "Do whatever you have to, just keep them distracted long enough for me to complete... YES!" The man straightened and spun his wheelchair away from the computer console, his eyes alight with triumph. "All right, Mariah, you've done your job. We can go now." The beautiful GELF woman sighed in relief. She activated her comlink. "Captain to the bridge." "Yes, Captain?" a male voice answered her. "Parrish, call back our fighters and..." "No!" Ketchum exclaimed. Mariah's dark eyes turned to him with barely concealed annoyance. "If we break off the attack now, they'll wonder why." "Why? Because they FOUND our SHIP! Because I'm not ready to risk it in a head-to-head battle with the seaQuest!" "Come now, Mariah, shy at this late stage of the game? I thought this was the fight you wanted, your long-awaited revenge on the U.E.O.?" Mariah snarled and, as quickly as a snake striking, her hand was at Ketchum's throat. "WHEN I take my revenge, it will be at the time and place of MY choosing. Do you understand?" Ketchum clawed feebly at her hand, his disease-weakened muscles no match for the GELF's superhuman strength. He nodded weakly and Mariah released him. "Is there a problem, Captain?" Parrish said over the comlink. "No... no problem." Mariah stared at Ketchum, who was still coughing and recovering from her attack. "Initiate evasive maneuvers and, once you've lost the seaQuest, head back to base." "And... our fighters, ma'am?" Parrish asked diffidently. "The usual letters of condolence to their families." There was a barely perceptible pause, then Parrish said "Yes, ma'am," and the connection was broken. Mariah walked over to Ketchum, who was sitting before his computer console once more. "This had better be worth it, Ketchum. Those are good fighters I'm leaving behind." Ketchum's eyes glowed in the light from the computer screen. "Freedom for me, power and wealth enough for the both of us... oh, yes, Mariah, I promise you, it WILL be worth it." *** Kate came back from Med Bay, her cuts bandaged and her aches soothed with a topical analgesic. She looked at herself in a mirror, grimacing slightly at the sight that greeted her. "I look like five miles of rough road," she said, quoting one of her brother's favorite sayings. Suddenly, there was a chime from her computer. "Katherine, your mystery date has received your love letter. You asked me to inform you when he picked it up." Kate turned, a thoughtful look on her face. "He did, did he? Hmm... Minerva, send a coded e-mail to Admiral Sheffield. The message is 'The project goes better than anticipated. Remember me to your family.'" "Your e-mail has been sent, Katherine." Her face still thoughtful, Kate returned to her work. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- ONElist: your connection to people who share your interests. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 11:13:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 2 From: Carolyn Wallace Okay, here's part two! =) *** The Door Into Forever by Carolyn Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Thursday, July 15, 2021 Lt. JG Tim O'Neill turned on his personal computer. A reminder box appeared on his screen: "Katie Ruiz turns fifteen years old on August 1." Tim smiled--what did people do before they had reminder programs, he wondered. He connected to the Internex and went to his favorite video store program. Katie's latest fad was all things Asian, so he selected a collection of anime in the original Japanese and arranged to have them shipped to her. Shopping accomplished, he checked his mail and found a message from Katie. "Small world," Tim chuckled to himself as he clicked her message open. A smaller window appeared on his screen and was filled by Katie's face. The poor kid was having a rough time with puberty; her face was spotted with acne and her adult teeth had come in crooked. He knew she was wearing braces behind those gapped teeth, but they hadn't worked their magic quite yet. The long hair that had suited her heart-shaped face had been replaced with a short cut that made her look all forehead, a human mushroom. Still, her enthusiasm was infectious, and she had adopted him as an honorary big brother; her messages were guaranteed to brighten his day any time they arrived. "What language shall we use today," Tim murmured to himself. "Bon jour, mon frere," Katie began. "French it is," Tim smiled as Katie continued in that language. "As always, I hope this message finds you well. I've been following the seaQuest newsgroup--you've been busy guys! "How has Capt. Bridger adapted to the new seaQuest? You know, I've been reading the scientific papers he published before going back to sea, and if he commands anything like he writes, he's probably a real stickler for detail. Honestly, if the ship ever started to leak (God forbid), you could start reading one of his papers and it would dry up ANYTHING! "I still haven't decided where I'm going for my next degree; Mom's pushing for Princeton again, of course, but I'm torn between MIT and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--they both have outstanding computer science programs. MIT is the traditional choice, but UNC has a lot going for it, too. Mom and Dad won't be happy with either one, since it will mean my leaving home, but I'm itching to try my wings." Katie seemed to run out of small talk; she took a deep breath and looked a little anxious. "Um, 'big brother,' I'm getting confirmed on November 13th, and I was just wondering--I know it's very difficult for you to get leave, so please understand that it's okay for you to say no--but I was wondering if you would be my Confirmation sponsor? If you can't get away, or if you're too busy, Mom can be your proxy, or if you just want to say no, I'll go with Rick--he's already got leave scheduled. If you can come, it would be a good chance for you two to get together again. I promise you'd have a great time. "Anyway, that's all I've got to say right now. Write back when you can. Tell Darwin and Lucas I said hello. Oh, and tell Lucas I read his last journal article, and it was a lot more colorful than Bridger's stuff. But don't tell the captain I said that! "That's it, I guess. Love you, Tim. This is Kate, signing off." Tim made a note in his reminder program that Katie was now going by "Kate." Apparently she was still a normal adolescent in some ways; despite her genius level intelligence, she was striving to appear more adult than she really was. Sometimes it astounded Tim how much he and Katie--Kate--had in common. Intellectually, she was smarter than he, or even Lucas (her fellow prodigy) was. But whereas Lucas had been blessed with blonde, blue-eyed, boyish good looks that had helped him fit in, Tim had traveled a much rockier road through his teen-age years. He remembered with a wince those countless times he'd been thrown against the lockers by brawnier peers who had found his gift for languages an excuse to pick on him, not respect him. Kate never mentioned any of her classmates in her letters, but he'd heard from Rick that Kate was in real danger of getting isolated from her own age group. No one knew how to treat her--as the adult she was mentally, or the teen-ager she still was emotionally. It was one of the reasons Tim had asked Lucas to be "pen pals" with her. Lucas was a couple of years older than Kate, but at least he understood what she was going through. "I think it's the reason genius level intelligence is so often linked with mental instability. I know it's the reason Mom and Dad enrolled Katie in therapy at an early age," Tim remembered Rick saying once. "Think about it--she doesn't have anyone she can really talk to! I mean, I can discuss a ball game with her, or the latest movie, but the things she really cares about, computer design and quantum physics and human evolutionÉ she might as well be talking to a brick wall as be talking to me. I happened to be walking through the room when she was on the phone with Dr. Rubin--the Nobel winner for medicine last year--and she was correcting his last paper! Her mental peers are thirty years older than she is. But can you imagine her talking to old man Rubin about the latest styles in make-up or the newest teen idol?" Tim shook his head ruefully. No, it wasn't easy growing up "special," but it was going to be easier for Kate if there was anything he could do about it. He pulled up the seaQuest site on his computer and completed the necessary leave request forms, then opened his e-mail program and began recording. "Bon jour, Kate," he said. "I'd be honored to be your Confirmation sponsor. I've already put in a leave request for second weekend of November. I'll let you know when I hear from the captain, but I'm sure he'll approve it. I'll look forward to seeing you and your family again, even if I have to put up with Rick to do it! "And don't think I've forgotten you have a birthday coming up. Be sure and record it for me, okay? Tell your mom and dad I said hi, and I'll write again soon. "Love, Tim." TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Looking for a new hobby? Want to make a new friend? http://www.onelist.com Come join one of 180,000 e-mail communities at ONElist! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 08:27:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 21 X-Status: X-Keywords: From: Carolyn Wallace I survived my vacation! =) (It was a high school reunion in Texas--you'd have to be there to understand!) Here is part 21. FYI, postings from me may be spotty the next couple of days. My husband broke his thumb over the vacation and between getting him to the doctor(s), catching up at work, and getting the house in order after the trip, I'm having trouble finding time to write! =( Carolyn **** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Wednesday, April 20, 2033 "Earth to Kate, Earth to Kate... hel-LO!" Kate's head snapped up. "Lucas, did you say something?" "Yeah, I asked you for that yellow screwdriver--three times!" Kate got up and handed him the requested tool with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." "I wish I had your knack for concentration," Lucas said with a smile. Kate slid back underneath the panel she'd been working on, a guilty look on her face. It wasn't the wiring of the simulator that had her attention; it was Tim. He'd been so... DISTANT the last few days. Brian told her that he'd seen Tim at Kimura's party, but she hadn't found him there despite looking for him at every opportunity. He HAD been at Easter Mass the next day, but Tim had barely looked at her, merely mumbling "Happy Easter" and saying something about going on duty. Then this morning she'd gotten an e-mail from him saying that he'd taught her all he knew about swimming and that he didn't see any need to continue her lessons. It had caught her like a kick in the gut. Kate shook her head savagely and focused on the board in front of her. *Forget about it," she thought, *and worry more about making sure these circuits won't short out!* Captain Hudson had been good enough to "loan" Lucas to her so that they could re-wire a flight simulator for use with the pilot interface. It would look pretty bad if the experiment failed because she'd been daydreaming. She sighed, soldered another connection shut, and pushed her hair off her forehead with the back of her wrist. "How's it looking, Lucas?" she asked, sliding another circuit board into the panel in front of her. "Pretty good, actually," he said absently, concentrating on connecting the wires under the simulator's main control panel. "I like your designs--very elegant." Kate laughed. "Not elegant--just plain, uncomplicated engineering," she said. "I'm of the 'Keep It Simple, Stupid' school." "Oh, the KISS School--you know, I tried to get into that once, but Captain Bridger said I was too young," Lucas joked. "Mmm?" Kate murmured, testing her work with a hand held sensor. "Not so young any more, Mr. 'I Just Turned Thirty-One.'" Now it was Lucas' turn to laugh. "'Don't trust anyone over thirty'? Is THAT what you're saying?" "'If the shoe fits...'" Kate replied. "At least that's something I won't have to worry about for a few years!" "Say, Kate, how would feel about catching a video Friday night?" Lucas asked. "Sounds fine to me--whose quarters?" "Mine okay?" "Will there be enough room for everybody?" Kate asked, screwing the cover of her panel shut. "Actually, I thought it would be just the two of us," Lucas said nonchalantly. Kate sat up so fast, she hit the panel. "Ouch!" she cried, putting a hand to her forehead. "Are you okay?" Lucas asked, dropping his tools and crawling over to her. "Yeah, yeah, just CLUMSY," Kate said ruefully. "Uh, Lucas, did you just ask me out... on a date?" She had to be very clear on this; she didn't want there to be any confusion. Lucas grinned. "That was my PLAN," he admitted. "I didn't think it would do you bodily harm, though." He reached out and gently stroked her forehead where she'd hit it. "What do you think? The seaQuest's two resident child prodigies--it seemed like a good idea to me." Kate looked into his eyes, so much bluer than the sky, and a lump formed in her throat. *Why NOT Lucas,* she thought. *He's sweet and gentle and handsome, and, as he pointed out, we have a lot in common. But... he's not TIM.* Her gaze faltered. "I don't think so, Lucas," Kate said gently. She heard a small sound and glanced up into Lucas' stunned face. He looked as if he'd just had the wind knocked out of him. "Oh, Lucas, I'm sorry. You're wonderful, and maybe it WOULD be a good idea but... I can't." "I thought... I thought you'd LIKE going out with me," Lucas said, his eyes searching Kate's face as if he could solve this mystery simply by looking at her. "And I would," Kate said, "if only my heart would listen to my brain. But it won't." She took a deep breath, sensing that he wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than the truth. "There's someone else." "You have a BOYFRIEND?" "No... I care for him, but he doesn't feel the same way." Lucas caught her hand in his. "Then why not give me a chance? Maybe I could help you forget him! Kate..." Having run out of words, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. His breath trembled against her skin, his hand shook in hers--it was a tender kiss, gentle and wonderful, the kind she'd always dreamed about receiving... from Tim. As Lucas pulled away, her eyes filled with tears. "Please don't hate me, Lucas. I can't stand the thought of losing you, too, but I CAN'T forget him. Believe me, I've tried!" The grief on Kate's face was real and raw and it shook Lucas to the core. "I could never hate you, Kate," he said, stroking her hand. For long minutes they sat there together on the floor, each one trying to cope with the pain that had so suddenly blossomed between them, trying to get back to the friendship that had existed such a short time before. Finally Lucas said, "Look, if you want, we can pretend this never happened." Kate raised her hand to his cheek and gave him a shaky smile. "No, I wouldn't want that," she said. "I want to be able to tell my grandchildren that the great Lucas Wolenczak once asked me on a date." "Yeah," Lucas said, getting to his feet, "And I can tell MINE that the great Katherine Ruiz once turned me down." Kate stood up also and gave him a hug. "Part of me will always love you, Lucas," she whispered in his ear. "I only wish it could have been the way you wanted me to." "Don't worry about it," he said, pulling away from her and forcing a smile. "But right now I better get back to work. I know Hudson is going to grill me on what kind of progress we made today." "Oh... right!" Kate agreed, crawling beneath her console once more. The two continued working in silence, each one afraid of breaching the tentative peace between them. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Free instant messaging and more at http://messenger.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Having difficulty getting "in synch" with list members? http://www.onelist.com Try ONElist's Shared Calendar to organize events, meetings and more! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Mon, 2 Aug 1999 10:02:52 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 22 X-Status: X-Keywords: From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 22 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Friday, April 22, 2033 Tony Piccolo looked around the doctor's office warily, a semiconscious reaction to the smell of antiseptic, which he always associated with needles. "So whatcha want with me, doc? Ain't Kimura your beat?" "Up until now that would have been correct," Kate nodded. "But with the removal of the Commander's implants and the successful testing of the pilot interface, I'm trying to broaden my market." She took a deep breath and looked Tony in the eye. "It was Captain Hudson's opinion that a man who's already undergone ONE experimental procedure might be willing to try another." Tony looked up at Kate in surprise. "Experimental... you want to try your interface on ME? Hold on a second, lady, I only let 'em give me the gills to get out of jail--end of story! Nobody touches Mamma Piccolo's little boy, capice?" "Si', bello. No one's going to force you to try the pilot chip. Actually, Kimura would be the best test candidate, since she's already had experience controlling a ship mentally, but I'm not sure this is the proper time to discuss it with her." "No kiddin'," Tony snorted. "She'd think you were throwing her out of the fryin' pan and into the fire!" Kate stiffened slightly. "Comparing the pilot chip to the Chaodai device is like comparing a... a squirt gun with a nuclear bomb! Unlike the psych chip, the pilot chip can only receive signals from the brain, not alter them. It then sends those signals to the ship so that a pilot can maneuver just as she normally would--only a thousand times faster. There's no pain, no invasive surgery, no..." "If this thing's so great, how come you don't got one?" Tony drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. Kate sat down, her cheeks flaming. "They wouldn't let me," she said faintly. At Tony's quizzical glance she laughed bitterly. "It seems the powers that be don't want to risk my 'precious brain' on an experiment--even one of my own devising. I thought that the success of the psych chip would have SHOWN them how little risk there is. I've performed every imaginable safety test AND had those tests reviewed by the Admiral's own researchers. The chip is as safe as it can possibly be--but someone has to be the first one to try it! I'd HOPED it would be me..." Kate stared at her computer screen, her brows drawn together angrily, her lips pursed. Tony looked at her for a moment, his face thoughtful. At last he shrugged. "Well then, now I understand." He smiled as Kate looked up. "When you can't get Kate Ruiz, who's the natural choice of the bigwigs? Tony Piccolo--the best 'second best' in the U.E.O." "Oh, no, Tony! I didn't mean it like that!" she cried. "Don't get your stethoscope in a knot, Doc, I didn't take it that way. I just realized it ain't every day someone hands you the chance to be the next Lindbergh. If this works, I'll be in the history books, right?" Kate grinned as she took his meaning. "Damn straight," she nodded. "So, I got to have an operation or what?" Tony asked, sticking his hands in his pockets. "A small, outpatient procedure," Kate said. "You'll be awake the whole time." Tony grimaced. "I'm not sure I like THAT--couldn't you put me to sleep?" Kate smiled again. "You won't feel any pain, Tony. We just need you aware to help us determine the proper placement of the output jack." "Oh great," Tony grumbled. "That sounds like LOTS of fun." "Tell you what," Kate suggested. "You think about this over the weekend, and if you still want to do this come Monday morning, I can have you ready to do a simulator test by Monday afternoon." "Wow--you're fast, aren't you?" Tony marveled. "Don't spread that around," Kate said dryly. "You know how vicious gossip can be." Remembering a rumor he'd once spread concerning Captain Bridger and a certain doctor, Tony coughed slightly, his face turning ever so slightly red. "Ah, right, gotcha," he said, saluting her. "See you tonight!" He left the office in a hurry, leaving Kate to wonder just what nerve she'd inadvertently hit with her last remark. *** "Where the heck IS everybody," Tony said as he sat down. "It IS Movie Night, isn't it?" Lonnie picked at her food dejectedly. "Tim claims he's behind on his communications logs, Lucas says he's got to go over some new computer system, and I don't know WHERE Kate is." "Probably working on her chip again," Miguel suggested, pointing at Lonnie with a French fry. "Nope," Tony said smugly. "Chip's all ready to go." "How do you know that?" Tony jumped and turned at the unexpected voice. "Commander Kimura," he said, rising to attention, his feet momentarily snagging on his chair. "At ease, Piccolo," Kimura said wryly. "I just happened to be passing by when I heard you say Ruiz is finished with the chip. I was just curious." Lonnie swallowed hard, then rose to the occasion like the officer she was. "Why don't you have a seat, Commander? I'm sure we're all curious about Kate's experiment." Kimura looked at Lonnie, her face expressionless as she considered Lonnie's offer. "If you're sure it wouldn't be an imposition," she said slowly. "Not at all!" Tony insisted, taking Kimura's tray and setting it down in front of the empty chair beside him. "Come on, take a load off!" Kimura raised an eyebrow at Tony's figure of speech but took the proffered seat. "Thank you." When she was seated, she turned to Tony again. "You said Ruiz finished the chip. How do you know?" Tony grinned. "Because she asked me to be the guinea pig, that's why. She said she could have me set up by Monday afternoon." Kimura looked down at her plate, the food abruptly unappetizing. Tony, seeing Kimura's face freeze into the wooden mask he knew so well, belatedly realized he'd done. He quickly added, "Of course, I wasn't her first choice--she said that was you. She just wasn't sure you'd be interested so soon after your operation." Kimura forced herself to bring a forkful of salad to her mouth. "That's funny," she said after she swallowed. "She didn't mention it to me." "I didn't think that it was necessary. Sorry I'm late, everybody," Kate said. She took a seat in front of Kimura. "Or more accurately, I simply assumed. I know, I know," she said raising her hands to ward off the open mouths all around her. "'Assume makes an ass of you and me.' I screwed up. Mea culpa, okay?" Kate's eyes flickered over the diners assembled at her table. *No Lucas,* she thought with relief. She still felt a little uncomfortable around Lucas since he'd made his feelings known. Truthfully, that was why she'd been late; she wasn't sure she should come. Then she'd decided to act as if nothing had changed, hoping that would ease them both out of this painful situation as quickly as possible. *But where on earth is Tim?* she thought. She gave herself a mental shake and looked at Kimura. "If you ARE interested, I'll give you the same choice I gave Tony," Kate said. "Think about it over the weekend, and if you decide you're ready to give the pilot chip a chance, I'll install it Monday morning. Sound fair?" "Yes," Kimura nodded, relief flooding through her (not that she would let them see it). *So she ISN'T trying to wash me out of the program,* Kimura thought. *But then I should have known better--why would she go through all this only to get rid of me this late in the game?" As she raised another forkful of food to her mouth, she caught sight of the character branded in the palm of her hand. This one that read "Life;" the one on her other palm read "Death." The two boundaries of the Chaodai--life and death. *Rui- KATE gave my life back to me; if there is anyone I can trust, it's Kate. And yet..." Kimura shook her head fractionally; old attitudes were ingrained into her as deeply as the brands on her palms, and changing them would be as difficult as escaping the Empire itself. "Kimura?" The commander looked up into Kate's questioning face. "Already planning your next flight, huh?" Kate joked. "What I SAID was we're going to my quarters to watch 'Xena: Joxer's Revenge.' Would you like to come?" Kimura grinned in spite of herself. "Well, I HAVE already seen it twice--but I could watch it again." "The woman likes 'Xena'--now why doesn't that surprise me," Miguel drawled. "How'd you see 'Xena' in the Empire," Tony asked incredulously. "I thought they censored everything like that." Once again Kimura raised an eyebrow in Tony's direction. "No, I don't suppose someone who managed to hack into the Internex, send signals flying through hundreds of different anonymous servers and escape the Chaodai could ever POSSIBLY arrange an illegal satellite feed." "She's got you there, Tony," Lonnie grinned. As they all bussed their trays, the women discussed who had made the best Xena. "I've always liked Frances Danvers' interpretation," Kate said. "It's a shame she only got to do one movie." Lonnie snorted. "She only got one movie because she wasn't XENA. Annette Hainig is ten times better than Danvers was." "No matter who takes on the role, Lucy Lawless will always be the REAL Xena to me," Kimura said firmly. "Well, of course!" Kate said, as if that went without saying. Then her face lit up. "Hey, have you heard that they may cast Renee' Tapert as Xena in the next film?" "NO!" Lonnie squealed. "Really?" As the women continued to chatter excitedly, Tony looked at Miguel. "I only watch because of the fights... AND the skimpy costumes," he said. "Amen," Miguel added reverently. *** Tim looked away from his computer screen to glance at his watch--1923. The gang would be at Kate's by now, watching whatever video they'd all managed to agree on. Lucas was probably curled up next to Kate at this very moment. He wondered if they'd started holding hands yet--wondered if they'd kissed... Anger flashed through him like wildfire. What had he done that God would punish him this way? Why was it that whenever he found himself caring for someone she either just wanted to use him, or she was in love with someone else, or she simply wouldn't give him the time of day? When was it going it be his turn? Or was this God's way of telling him to consider the priesthood? That last thought was finally enough to puncture his growing rage with self-deprecation and he laughed humorlessly. No, he was pretty sure if God wanted him to be a priest, He'd have said something before now. And it wasn't as if he'd never HAD a girlfriend--it wasn't even as if he was still a virgin. It was just... "Kate," he whispered to himself. How had he done this to himself, falling in love with Katherine Ruiz? She was as true and pure and brilliant as the stars in the sky--and as unreachable. He wasn't worthy of her. Instead, he should be happy for her, grateful that she'd been reunited with her true love after all these years. It was only right after her faithfulness to Lucas' memory. And yet Tim felt hollow inside, felt a void inside his heart that might never be filled again. He straightened his shoulders. "This is ridiculous," he said to himself. "She's an old friend--she was a friend YEARS before I was dumb enough to fall in love with her. So I'll get over it! I've lived this long without her; I'll be fine. There's someone for everyone; eventually I'll find the right girl for me." With that declaration firmly in mind, he began reviewing his communication logs once more, resolutely ignoring that small voice in the back of his mind that told him that all his fine words were a lie, that he HAD found the right girl for him--and she would never be his. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Free instant messaging and more at http://messenger.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Transfer your big list to ONElist and earn $500! For program details, go to http://www.onelist.com/info/biglistbon_intro.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 12:46:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 23 X-Status: X-Keywords: From: Carolyn Wallace Sorry it's been so long between posts--I came down with some kind of cold/flu thing and it really knocked me out. =( Carolyn ********* THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 23 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Monday, April 25, 2033 "Okay, Tony, just focus on that red light on the wall." Tony Piccolo stared at the spot on the wall, his hands clenched in his lap. To his left he could hear Kate making adjustments to his pilot interface--there were little clicking noises, a grinding vibration and occasionally a wet slurping sound that made his stomach churn. He stared at the wall until his eyes burned. "Tony, it's okay to blink," Kate said, her voice a mixture of amusement and irritation. "For pity's sake, RELAX; it won't be much longer." "Yeah--that's what you said half an hour ago," Tony muttered, being careful not to move his head. His care was not necessary, however, as his skull had been clamped in place by a device that looked as if it had come straight out of a Frankenstein movie. After almost an hour of surgery and adjustments, the muscles in his neck were aching with strain, but just when he thought he couldn't stand it any more, that he would have to tell Kate he had to stretch or go crazy, two hands grasped his neck firmly and began rubbing the tension away. Tony sighed gratefully. "Thanks, Kate, you're a life-saver. I was about to go nuts over here!" "You're welcome, but it's not me," Kate said absently, still adjusting Tony's new biochip. "I've got my hands full." "It's me, Piccolo," Kimura's voice sounded behind his head. "I know this particular drill better than most; I thought you could use a hand." The commander grinned as the man's muscles immediately tensed still further; she redoubled her efforts until she could feel the muscles begin to relax once more. "Consider this a 'thank you' for my get well party," she said. "I didn't know you were still here, Commander," Tony said, somewhat at a loss. "I figured you'd already be in the simulator by now." Kate snorted. "No one goes in that simulator with ME, Piccolo--at least, not for the first time. I have to be there in case your chips need additional adjustments. Once I'm satisfied that everything's working the way it ought to, then you two hot shots can rack up as much simulated flight time as you want." "You know," Kimura said thoughtfully, "I think I liked you better when you were just my doctor, not my engineer." Kate looked up at Kimura in surprise, then smiled when she saw the mischievous look on the other woman's face. "Well, what do you know about that, Tony," Kate said as she turned the minute screws that held the chip's cover in place. "She's teasing me! Another month or so, and I'll be able to pronounce her completely human!" Kate stood up, stretched, then quickly undid the clamps that held Tony's head. "All right, crewman, you're done. Pay the receptionist on your way out." Tony stood up, gingerly touching the small metal casing just below his left ear. "Hey, is it safe to shower with this thing?" he asked. "Damn! I KNEW I forgot something," Kate joked. When Tony's eyes widened, she laughed. "Of course you can! You can do anything you want--shower, swim, whatever! How many times to I have to tell you..." "IT'S PERFECTLY SAFE," Tony and Kimura said in chorus, then looked at each other in surprise. Kate laughed again, as much from the joy at seeing Kimura acting normally with her fellow pilot as from the satisfaction of completing two successful operations in one morning. "Okay, you two, what'll it be first: lunch, or the simulator?" Kimura immediately said, "The simulator," with Piccolo's answer coming like an instantaneous echo of hers. Kate nodded her head. "I thought as much. Let's go!" *** Piccolo and Kimura sat in back-to-back flight seats, each one facing a simulator screen and console. Kate showed them where to find the wire that would connect their chips to the flight computers, then helped them insert the jacks into their corresponding chip sockets. "Now I know you got all of this in the pre-op briefing, but I just want to remind you one more time that the circuit breaker is right here, where the wire enters the computer. The circuit breaker will blow immediately in the event of any unusual power surge, preventing it from reaching your chips, so don't worry if your ship takes electrical damage; you two will be protected. You can also instantly disengage the chip and take manual control by throwing the circuit breaker yourself." "Yes, Momma, can we go play now?" Tony asked innocently. Kate glared at him as she withdrew two thin bands from her lab coat pocket and began fastening his wrists to the arms of his flight seat. "What the heck? You gettin' kinky on me, Doc?" "You wish. These are to keep you from reaching for the controls accidentally; you've got to learn to fly with your brain, you know. But they aren't very strong. If you need to, you'll still be able to break the straps and get to the circuit breaker." Kate dusted off her hands and stepped back. "Ready to begin?" "Hey, what about Kimura? Not gonna play your little bondage games on her?" "Kimura KNOWS how do this," Kate said tartly, but she felt her cheeks grow hot. "For her it's just a matter of adjusting to a new system. You've got to start from scratch." "How am I going to do my checklist with my hands tied down?" Tony asked. On the screen before him the standard pre-flight checklist appeared. "Well-I'll-be-damned," he whispered. "I certainly hope not," Kate replied. "But you see how it works. Imagine you're doing what you'd normally be doing, and the chip will pick up those impulses and relay them to the ship--or in this case, the simulator." Tony looked at his checklist and saw himself going through the motions. He had to grip the armrests tightly, as his hands tended to twitch, itching to do the job they once had. But as item after item on his list went from red to green, Tony began to grin. He might just enjoy flying this way after all. *** "Ship at three o'clock," Kimura shouted. "I see him," Tony said. A mere look was all it took to target his lasers on the enemy ship, a wish to fire them. There was a flash on his screen, then his ship rocked as the force of the explosion rippled through the water. "Got him!" Tony crowed. He tilted his head slightly to the left and his ship followed the move, arcing smoothly to port. "You don't need to actually move your head, Tony," Kate told him gently. "Just THINK that you are--the chip will do the rest." Kate's words shocked Tony, not with their content, but because they reminded him that she was there. For the last hour he had been totally immersed in the simulation, his rapport with the ship growing with each passing second. His hands no longer jerked to reach the controls; they lay peacefully against the armrest as he flew by thought alone. "Kate, this is incredible," he whispered. "I mean, I know how you SAID it would be, but this... this..." "This is FLYING," Kimura said softly. "Yeah!" Tony agreed. Yet even as he agreed with her, he realized that there WEREN'T any words to describe this feeling, this sense of power, this FREEDOM. And part of him knew Kimura felt exactly the same way. "I'm glad you like it--but I think that's enough for the first day," Kate said. "Bring your ships home," she instructed, and the two pilots obeyed, the movements of their craft as graceful as any pas de deux Kate had ever seen. When the ships had been "docked," she helped them remove the connecting wires, then checked their chips. "Looking good," she said finally. "Of course, I'll want to review the records of the simulator run, but I think it's safe to say you two are doing just fine!" "When can we get back on flight duty?" Kimura asked. Kate grinned at the eager look in the commander's eyes. "I know it seems like you've been grounded forever," she said, "but I swear, I just need a few more days while we do our last tests and alter your ships, then you'll be back in the ocean again!" "What about the simulators," Tony asked. "Any restrictions on them?" "Yes," Kate said turning a stern gaze on him. "You must eat three meals a day and get eight hours sleep every night! I know how you pilots are!" Tony grinned. "Doesn't bother me--with this chip I can fly in my sleep!" "Not an experiment I'd recommend," Kate said lightly. "Now get out of here, you two. Get something to eat; get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." Tony gave Kate a jaunty salute and left the simulator room, whistling. Kimura stood in silence for a moment before Kate. When she spoke, her voice was slightly husky. "My life and the MEANING of my life. I owe them both to you," she said. Kate shook her head. "They were always yours," she replied. "I just helped you find them again." Kimura drew herself up, her salute a much more solemn version of the one Tony had given. Kate tried her best to return it in proper military fashion. "Now, GO," Kate said gently. "Eat, rest, celebrate. By this time next week you'll be flying again." With Kate's promise lighting her face, Kimura left the room. Kate stood alone, pondering what they had accomplished. They hadn't just created a new method of flight for the U.E.O.; with the proper equipment, they had created a way for injured people to walk again, for paralyzed artists to paint, infirm musicians to play once more... The true meaning behind today's successes overwhelmed her and humbled her. "Thank You," she whispered, her eyes uplifted. "Thank You, Lord, for making everything work out, with the chip, with Kimura, with..." Her prayer of gratitude was cut short by the memory of one man's face. Kate took a deep breath and lifted her chin. "Thank You for EVERYTHING, Lord, whether it came out the way I wanted or not," she finished. Then she shut down the simulators, turned off the lights, and left the room. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Start a new ONElist list & you can WIN great prizes! For details on ONElist’s NEW FRIENDS & FAMILY program, go to http://www.onelist.com/info/onereachsplash3.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 21:13:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 24 From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 24 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Tuesday, April 26, 2033 "Hello, Lucas," Kate said. Her voice echoed in the fighter hanger, but she was relieved that it was steady at least. This was the first time she'd been alone with Lucas since that day in the simulators, and her palms were sweaty. "Howdy, Kate," Lucas said, just a little too brightly. "Ready to wire up our sub-fighters?" Kate tried to relax. "Yup." She lifted the tool case she'd brought with her. "Just point me in the right direction. This SHOULD be just like re-wiring the simulators, right?" "No, not exactly, but that's why I'm here," Lucas replied. He led her to the open cockpit of a sub-fighter. "This one is Kimura's," he added. "I've already started connecting the interface motherboard to the ship's display functions." He pointed to a tangle of colored wires. "See how this differs from the simulator's display?" "Right, of course. I should have realized that," Kate said, her nervousness starting to fade as her mind absorbed the new information. "Then the impulse monitor would have to be connected to the on-board computer HERE, right?" "Exactly," Lucas said. *So far, so good,* he thought. *She's been here for a whole three minutes and I haven't made a fool of myself yet!* Then Kate leaned over to examine his work and he caught the faint smell of some herbal shampoo lingering in her hair. His hand immediately clenched into a fist. *If I ever find out who broke her heart...* he thought. He sighed and unclenched his hand. "Got it!" Kate said happily, standing up again. She turned only to find herself nose-to-nose with Lucas. He quickly backed away. "Well, then," he said, turning his back to her. "Piccolo's fighter is right there--I'll let you get to it." "Aye, aye, sir," Kate said, striving to lighten the mood that had suddenly gotten so oppressive. She walked over to Piccolo's ship and began to remove the computer's access panels. The two worked in silence for the next few hours, each immersed in the task at hand. When Kate finally completed her installation, Lucas checked over her work, then reviewed the alterations with the fighters' mechanics. "Dr. Ruiz has downloaded all the schematics to the database; if you have any questions you can call either her or myself, okay?" "Yes, sir," the chief mechanic nodded. "As a matter of fact, I reviewed them this morning." She turned to Kate. "If I may say so, Dr. Ruiz, you do beautiful work. The modular construction will make maintenance and repair much easier." Kate smiled at the compliment. "Thank you; that's what I hoped. The Foresight Institute is currently working out a contract with the U.E.O. for supplying the interface's nanotech components, but considering their construction, I don't think you'll be needing replacements for several years at least." The mechanic shook her head. "Never neglect Murphy's Law, Doctor. I'm putting in an order for replacements right away!" "As you wish," Kate laughed. She looked at Lucas. "So we're all done here?" she asked. "Looks that way." Lucas dismissed the mechanics, then turned back to Kate. "However, there is one thing you and I need to discuss." Kate felt a sinking sensation in her midriff. "Yes, Lucas?" she replied, licking her lips anxiously. "Darwin misses you." Kate released her pent-up breath in a sigh. "Oh... right. Tim told me I didn't need any more swimming lessons, and then I was preparing for the operations--I haven't had a chance to visit him in well over a week." Lucas began walking Kate to the hanger entrance. "Well, you might consider dropping by and explaining that to him. He thinks a lot of you." Lucas looked down at his shoes. "I was afraid..." "Afraid?" Kate asked gently. Lucas lifted his head. "I just wouldn't want you to stop seeing Darwin because of me," he said staunchly. Kate put a hand on his shoulder. "Now why would one friend keep me from seeing another?" she teased gently. Lucas gave her a crooked half-smile. "Just wanted to make sure, that's all," he replied. "I'll visit Darwin before dinner, cross my heart," Kate said. "I just want to make a report for Capt. Hudson and the Admiral, then I'll go straight to the moon pool." "I know Darwin will appreciate it," Lucas said. "Well, I've got to get back to the Bridge. See ya'." Kate watched as Lucas strode down the hall toward the maglev. He still looked so young to her, despite the U.E.O. uniform. She sighed and headed back to her office and her reports. *** "Kate missed lesson. Kate want lesson now?" Darwin asked as Kate timidly entered the pool. "Tim says he's taught me all he knows," Kate said simply. "He says I don't need any more lessons. I came just to see you." Darwin shook his head from side to side. "Kate still swims like calf; needs more lessons." Kate wondered if she should be offended, then realized that dolphin young were also called "calves." Then she really WAS offended. "You think I swim like a baby? I thought I was doing very well," she said, sending a splash in Darwin's direction. "Could be better," Darwin said, not at all impressed with her display of pique. "Kate call Tim; Tim help Darwin teach Kate." Kate flushed. "Uh, I don't think that's a good idea, Darwin. I think Tim's got other things to do." "Call Tim and find out," Darwin insisted. "Darwin can't call Tim--Kate call FOR Darwin!" Kate couldn't help smiling at the idea of Tim receiving a call from an irate dolphin. "All right, I will!" she said. She pulled herself out of the pool and picked up a PAL from the wall recess near the pool entry, then tapped the keys that would connect her to Tim's quarters. "O'Neill here." "Lt. O'Neill," Kate said in her most professional voice, "please hold while I connect you." Then Kate knelt by the edge of the pool and held the PAL out in the direction of the nearest vocoder speaker. "Go ahead, Darwin," she whispered. "Tim?" Darwin said. "Tim hear Darwin?" "Darwin?" Kate put her free hand over her mouth at the shrill squeak that came from the tiny PAL speaker. "How..." "Why Tim tell Kate she knows how to swim? Kate swims like a baby. Tim come help Darwin teach Kate to swim." "Uh, Darwin, I'm kind of busy right now. Could we talk about this later?" "Tim come to pool, talk with Darwin. Talk with Kate. Tim explain to Darwin and Kate." Kate couldn't hear the sigh that issued from the PAL, but Darwin's keener ears picked it up. "Doesn't Tim like Darwin any more?" the dolphin asked. "Of course I like you, Darwin!" Tim said, feeling increasingly bemused by this bizarre conversation. "Doesn't Tim like Kate any more?" the dolphin asked, and Kate could have sworn that the vocoder gave the translation an almost plaintive tone. "Of-- what the-- of COURSE, I do," Tim spluttered. "Look, Darwin, I'll be right there, okay? I'll come and talk to you right now; will that satisfy you?" "Darwin will be glad to see Tim," the dolphin replied. "Yeah. Bye," Tim said. Kate turned the PAL off and returned it to its storage. She walked over to the edge of the pool, standing over Darwin with her arms folded across her chest. "You are one pushy dolphin, you know that?" she said. Darwin swam around in a circle. "Catch fish by hunting, NOT by sleeping," he said. If Kate had seen that expression on a human, she would have called it "smug." As it was, she simply shrugged her shoulders, dove into the water, and raced Darwin to the opposite end of the pool, working off the surge of adrenaline caused by Tim's imminent arrival. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- ATTN ONELIST USERS: stay current on the latest activities, programs, & features at ONElist by joining our member newsletter at Click ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 18:26:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 25 From: Carolyn Wallace In this section, I've introduced something I've never seen on seaQuest, something I'm not sure even they have in the "real" Navy. (What is it, you ask? You'll know it when you read it!) But whenever I'm faced with something in this story that I'm not sure about, I just keep repeating to myself, "I'm OK--It's an Alternate Universe." =) Enjoy! Carolyn **** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 25 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Tuesday, April 26, 2033 (cont.) Tim walked from his quarters to the moon pool as slowly as he could. As much as he enjoyed spending time with Darwin, spending time with KATE had become more than a little awkward lately. Ever since he'd found out that Kate was in love with Lucas, he'd done his best to distance himself from her, hoping that his feelings for her would fade with absence. So far he'd had no such luck. Still, the prospect of seeing her in the water again, splashing and laughing with Darwin like some kind of mystical water sprite, tempted him unbearably--and THAT was why he'd cancelled her lessons. He wouldn't be going there now if Darwin hadn't insisted on it. He'd even considered asking Miguel or Dagwood to come with him, using them as unwitting moral support, but then realized they'd probably want to get Lucas in on the "fun," too. The only thing more painful than seeing Kate was seeing Kate with Lucas. Tim frowned. Why HAD Darwin insisted on continuing Kate's lessons? Despite the dolphin's assertion that she "swims like a baby," Kate had actually become quite a strong swimmer, well able to handle herself in the water. Sure, they hadn't covered scuba or anything like that, but still... Tim stopped dead in the corridor, an awful suspicion striking him head-on. Darwin was trying to get him and Kate together! Tim muffled a groan and cursed all his late night confidences with the dolphin; how many times had he told Darwin that he just wanted someone to love--someone to love him? Darwin had seen him and Kate together and decided they'd make a good match. *Too bad Darwin doesn't know about Lucas,* Tim thought ruefully. *Oh, well, I'll just make the best of it and explain things to Darwin later, when Kate's gone.* And with that he put on his best bluffing face and strode into the pool room. "Hey, you two," he shouted jovially. "Did you start without me?" Kate spun in the pool, her hair scattering water droplets that glittered jewel-like in the light. "Teach!" she cried. "About time you showed up!" She swam to the edge of the pool with Darwin close behind her. Tim knelt on one knee at the side of the pool and scratched Darwin on the side of the head. "So, Darwin, why are you insulting my star pupil by telling her she swims like a baby?" "DOES swim like baby," Darwin said, nodding his head vigorously. "Does NOT," Tim declared. "I think you just like having Kate and me around to play with you." "Still much to teach," Darwin insisted. "Still much for Kate to learn." Kate KNEW the dolphin was speaking of swimming, but she couldn't help thinking of other things she had yet to learn and wondering what kind of teacher Tim would be with those. She was abruptly grateful for the chill waters of the pool; perhaps they would keep her blushes from being so obvious. Tim turned to Kate with a smile. "I think he must be talking about scuba," he said. "Heaven knows, you're a good enough swimmer to meet all the U.E.O. requirements with room to spare!" Darwin swam around in a circle, then flung himself into the air, curling his body and diving back into the water. "My goodness," Kate chuckled. "I guess you got THAT right!" "Yes, yes," Darwin agreed. "Teach Kate scuba. Kate swim underwater with Darwin. Darwin take Kate all through seaQuest." "Okay, then, you and I will teach Kate scuba," Tim promised. "But NOT TONIGHT! I really do have a lot of reports to catch up on." Kate looked contrite. "I'm sorry, Tim. I DID try to explain to Darwin, but..." "He's one pushy dolphin," Tim finished for her. Kate looked up in surprise. Tim couldn't possibly have heard her say that to Darwin; how did he... Then she smiled. *Great minds really DO think alike,* she thought to herself. "So how's about we go back to our old Saturday schedule?" she suggested, turning her impish grin on him. Tim looked down into her laughing face and felt his heart skip a beat. *Smile, SMILE,* he ordered himself, and managed to match Kate's grin. "Sounds fine," he said. "Will that work for you, CAPTAIN Darwin?" he asked ironically. "Works GOOD," Darwin affirmed. "Then I'll see you both on Saturday," Tim said as he waved good-bye. *And I'll be sure to come early and have a little talk with Darwin,* he promised himself. *** Thursday, April 28, 2033 Lonnie was checking her e-mail when there was a knock at her door. Surprised, she opened the hatch to find Kate standing there, looking frazzled and anxious. "Kate, come in, what's the matter?" "This is," Kate said, handing Lonnie an embossed ivory card. "'To Dr. Katherine Ruiz,'" Lonnie read. "'Captain Oliver Hudson of the seaQuest DSV requests the pleasure of your company at the Captain's Table, Friday, April 29, 2033, 2000 hours.'" She looked up at Kate. "And this is a problem because..." "Because I don't know what it is! I mean I've heard of the Captain's Table, but I thought that was something in old movies, you know, ocean liners, cruise ships, that sort of thing." Lonnie put her arm around Kate and led her to a seat on the bed. "Nope, the U.E.O. has them too, and being invited to it is a terrific honor! He must really be pleased by your work with Kimura and Piccolo." "But what do I wear to something like this?" Kate asked in frustration. "Is it formal, or should I wear my U.E.O. jumpsuit, or what? The invitation doesn't say!" "If Hudson went to the trouble of sending you a formal invitation, he'll be in dress whites. You'll be fine in an evening dress--something a LITTLE more modest than what you wore to Lucas' birthday party," Lonnie joked. That drew a small smile from Kate. "I THINK I can manage that," she said. She turned to Lonnie. "You DON'T think it will be just the TWO of us, do you? I've never quite gotten used to Capt. Hudson--I think it's something about those piercing eyes of his." Lonnie took Kate's hand and patted it comfortingly. "If he's holding a formal Captain's Table, then it's customary for him to invite some of the high ranking officers. Jon--Commander Ford will be there, I'm sure, probably Kimura, Beth Perry, maybe. I haven't heard anything, but as a lieutenant, I'm kind of low on the pecking order." *So Tim probably won't be there,* Kate thought to herself. That was for the best; she'd be nervous enough just dealing with Hudson. "Come on," she told Lonnie as she got to her feet, pulling Lonnie up with her. "Help me find something to wear, will you?" "Sure thing," Lonnie said. Then she stopped. "Hey, if you're going to be dining with the Captain tomorrow, I guess Movie Night's off, huh?" "No way," Kate declared. "You guys pick out a double feature--I'm bound to catch PART of it!" The two women giggled as they left Lonnie's quarters, looking for all the world like two schoolgirls making plans for the "big dance." TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Congratulations to Molly Jones This week's FRIENDS & FAMILY WINNER! To enter, go to http://www.onelist.com/info/onereachsplash3.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 17:29:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 26 From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 26 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Friday, April 29, 2033 Lonnie had given Kate a "crash course" on what to expect, so when the knock came at her door at 1945 hours, she was ready. She opened the hatch and saw a young ensign with whom she was unfamiliar; his name patch read "A. Calavicci." "Yes, Ensign Calavicci?" "Ma'am, it is my happy duty to escort you to the Captain's Table. If you are ready?" "Yes, thank you." Kate turned out the lights and closed the hatch behind her, pausing to straighten the large lace mantilla that was serving her as a shawl tonight. The mantilla had been a gift from Kate's mother, an heirloom passed from mother to daughter for almost a hundred years. The once white lace had turned ecru with age, but it was still as exquisite as the day Kate's great-great-grandmother first wore it, and it looked stunning against the halter-neck, ankle-length gown of black velvet that Lonnie had chosen for her. Kate had completed her homage to her ancestors by pinning up her ruddy hair with a black lacquered comb and wearing silver bracelets, feeling that if she had to beard the captain in his den, she would need all the support of her relatives on "the other side." She took the arm the ensign offered, an old-fashioned custom she found amusing in this most modern of navies. She wondered she would have gotten the same treatment if she'd been a fellow officer, and resolved to ask Lonnie about it later. Kate's confidence was further improved as she noted the appreciative looks she gathered from the crewmembers they passed in the corridors. *Too bad Tim can't see me like this,* she thought. *Hmm, maybe I'll go straight to Lonnie's quarters after the dinner and give all my fellow movie-watchers a surprise.* "Captain, may I present Dr. Katherine Ruiz." Kate was jerked out of her musings by the realization that they had arrived, that Ensign Calavicci was introducing her. She quickly put a smile on her face and accepted the hand Capt. Hudson was extending to her. "Dr. Ruiz. I'm delighted you could attend," Hudson said. Kate suppressed a small shiver; even at its most courtly, Hudson's deep voice had a deep, almost growl-like rumble that made her feel very young and very vulnerable. Years of university dinners came to her aid; however, "I was most honored to receive your invitation," she replied smoothly. Kate sneaked a quick look around the room, a very elegant, wood-paneled chamber with brass chandeliers. Just as Lonnie had guessed, Beth, Heiko, and Commander Ford were there, but Kate was delighted to find that Tony Piccolo was present as well, looking nervous and uncomfortable in his dress uniform. Place settings for six gleamed on a rectangular mahogany table around which were arranged tall, carved chairs. Kate hoped that the Navy's old-fashioned gallantry would extend to helping her with her seat; the heavy wooden chairs looked almost too big to move. Hudson dismissed the ensign and led Kate around the room. "Perry, Kimura and Piccolo you know," he said as they passed Beth and Heiko, both in dress whites, "but I don't know if you've met Commander Jonathan Ford, my executive officer." "We met at Ensign Wolenczak's birthday party, didn't we, Commander?" "I'm flattered you remembered, Doctor," Jonathan said with a smile and a small bow. Two crewmen, one with a large round tray, entered through a side door. Silver dish covers glittered on the tray beneath the light of the chandeliers. "Let's be seated, shall we?" the captain said, helping Kate with her chair. She murmured a thank you; Hudson had placed her at his right, across from Commander Ford. Kimura sat at Kate's right, with Beth across from her; Tony took the chair at the foot of the table. Once they were all seated, the two crewmen began serving the meal. "Dr. Ruiz, I wanted to thank you in person for the work you've done on the pilot chip," Hudson began. "I was on the bridge yesterday when Kimura and Piccolo took their first test flight, and I have to say I was MOST impressed with the increase in performance and maneuverability." Kate smiled. *That explains the invitation,* she thought to herself. "Well, Captain," she replied, "that WAS what we were hoping to accomplish--the superior performance ability of the Chaodai pilots without the detriments attached to the their procedure." "And you've succeeded," Ford said. "If this can be duplicated for the other pilots of the U.E.O., we'll have a decided tactical advantage. We may finally be able to end this war." "AND get back to the business of being explorers again," Beth added. "Hear, hear," Hudson agreed. "So you think that we CAN do this with the rest of the fleet?" he asked Kate. She nodded. "Given the consent of the people involved, of course, there's no reason why we couldn't do it for every pilot we have, land or sea. But it will be up to Admiral Sheffield's people to organize THAT project. Once I hand over my data and prototypes to him in May, my work will be complete." Tony looked up from his plate in surprise. "So will you be leaving us then?" He looked somewhat disconcerted at the prospect; Kate threw him a smile. "Actually, I misspoke. My work on the INVENTION will be finished. My contract with the U.E.O. states that I'm to remain on seaQuest for six months after that date, to document the workings of the pilot chip over time, establish maintenance procedures--tying up the loose wires, as it were." "And the seaQuest will be grateful to have you, Dr. Ruiz," Ford said. His dark brown eyes fastened on hers with a questioning look. "I've heard very good things about you from the crew," he added. "Have you ever considered making a career of the U.E.O.? You could write your own ticket!" A small thrill of alarm went through Kate. *Careful, girl, careful. Watch what you say--and HOW you say it!* "I did indeed consider that at one time," she said. "My older brother was U.E.O., and, when I was much younger, I resolved that I would follow him out to sea one day. But after his death, and the disappearance of the seaQuest so shortly after that, well, my advisors convinced me that my 'gifts' were far too valuable to risk that way." "And yet you are here," Kimura said quietly. Kate turned to Kimura, her face soft. "Some times the rewards far outweigh the risks." She lifted the edge of her mantilla. "This has been in my family for almost a hundred years; it's a rare piece and worth quite a bit of money. My friends say I'm crazy, taking it all over the world with me where it could get lost or damaged. And yet, if I left it behind, -I- would feel lost. To me the value is not in the mantilla itself, but what it stands for--home, family, the people who love me. And for those, I would risk anything." "A worthy sentiment, Doctor--one I think we all share," Hudson said. He lifted his glass. "Ladies and gentlemen, a toast. To home and family." "To home and family," his guests echoed and raised their glasses high. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- ONElist now has T-SHIRTS! For details and to order, go to: http://www.onelist.com/store/tshirts.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 19:49:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 27 From: Carolyn Wallace Aaaah! More of the story that would not die! I think I'll be able to FINALLY wrap this up in a week or so--this is now officially the LONGEST thing I've ever written. (As I'm sure you've all guessed by now!) =) BTW, near the end of this chapter, Kate gives Tim a painting as a birthday present. If you'd like to SEE what she gives him, go to: http://shum.huji.ac.il/~marian/impressionists/pg3.jpg This is from the Impressionist Painters' Web site at: http://shum.huji.ac.il/~marian/impressionists/paulgauguin.html I LOVE the Internet! Enjoy, Carolyn ***** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 27 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Friday, April 29, 2033 (cont.) It was an excellent meal. Captain Hudson had been quite gracious, much to Kate's surprise; her friends had given her the impression that he was something of a martinet. When it was over, Kate was amazed to see how late it was--the time had passed quickly as Hudson and his officers enthralled her with their most entertaining stories. *I suppose I've missed the movies,* she thought to herself with a sigh. *Just as well--although I'd love for Tim to see me all dressed-up, it wouldn't be kind to Lucas. There will be other occasions, after all.* A voice intruded into her thoughts. "May I have the privilege of escorting you to your quarters, Doctor?" Kate looked up into the dark, handsome face of Commander Ford and smiled. "Why, thank you, Commander, I'd be delighted." She allowed Jonathan to help her from her chair, then turned to the captain. "Thank you once again for a lovely evening, Captain Hudson. I had a wonderful time." "The pleasure was all ours, Doctor Ruiz," Hudson replied with a bow. "Good evening, all," Kate said with a nod to her fellow guests. "I'll be seeing each of you on Monday?" "Sure thing, Doc," Piccolo replied with a cocky grin, his nervousness gone and his natural exuberance back in full force. Kate saw Beth smother a smile (unsuccessfully), while Kimura simply rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, Doctor, we'll be there." Kate allowed Jonathan to lead her from the room. When the door was safely closed behind them she said, "And now that THAT'S over, Commander, please call me 'Kate.' Any friend of Lucas and Tim's is a friend of mine." "Thank you, Doc- Kate. I appreciate that." They walked back to Kate's quarters, Jonathan making small talk about the pilot chip and the success of the first test flights. The longer he talked, the more Kate sensed there was really something else on his mind, something he wanted to discuss with her, but wasn't sure how to bring up. Curious, Kate waited until he had walked her to her door, then said, "Commander..." "'Jonathan,' please," he interrupted. "Jonathan, I get the feeling you have some questions for me. Would you like to come in and discuss them?" Jonathan looked surprised, then thoughtful. "It's late," he said. "I shouldn't trouble you." Kate opened the hatch, turned on the lights, and waved her hand in the direction of her desk chair. "It's no trouble, Jonathan." Jonathan hesitated, then walked in and took the offered chair, while Kate closed the hatch behind them. "I wouldn't even bother you with this," he said, "except that you seem to be very good with people. Anyone who could integrate Kimura into this crew has GOT to be." Kate took a seat on her bed. "Kimura is a good person who got off to a bad start. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the crew realized that." "I think you're being too modest," Jonathan said, "but that's neither here nor there." He threw a cautious look in her direction. "I'm not sure how to start," he admitted. Kate tilted her head to one side. "Why not take the toughest thing first? Then everything after that will seem easy." This surprised a short laugh out of Jonathan. "All right, I will. But I warn you, it entails me asking you a very personal, very painful question." "Oof," Kate said, the exclamation coming out as a gust of breath. "Okay--consider me warned. But I don't promise to ANSWER your question once you've asked it. "Fair enough." Jonathan leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped. "When your brother died, how long did it take you to get over his death?" Kate sat back, a little shocked, but answered his question. "In some ways, I'm not over it to this day. But if you're talking about the initial pain, the anger... well, that's hard to say. His death and the loss of the seaQuest robbed me of my three best friends. It affected me horribly. I guess it was almost a year or more before I stopped crying every time I thought of him. His death was so sudden, so unfair. When my parents died, it was different; we had a chance to prepare, to say good-bye. That made things a LITTLE easier--I only had to deal with their loss. I wasn't enraged as I was with Rick's death, although in some ways their deaths were just as unfair. I was older, too, and that helped. I guess all I can tell you is that grief is its own time--the clocks of the normal world can't measure it, and it's different for every person and in every case." Jonathan stared at his fingernails. "I guess I knew that," he said slowly. "I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else." "Are you grieving for someone, Jonathan?" Kate asked softly. Jonathan smiled ironically, though he never lifted his gaze from his hands. "Yeah, in a way I am. You could say I lost them to death." "I could--but let's say I won't," Kate replied. "Do you want to talk about it?" The commander got up and began pacing across the room. Every thing he'd kept silent the last few months seemed to rush into his throat, trying to strangle him. He heard his own voice before he even realized he was talking. "I loved... someone. For the first time in years, I finally opened up my heart and let someone get inside me. Then a friend of ours died--no, worse than that, he died saving her life. I was sorry that he died, but... I was so grateful she was ALIVE! It made me feel sick inside, as if I was actually glad he was dead, but I WASN'T!" He turned to Kate, his hands stretched out helplessly. She looked at him kindly. "As an officer, you're surely familiar with 'survival guilt'?" she asked. Jonathan chuckled ruefully. "Familiar with, yes. Good at dealing with it? No. And neither was... she." Kate got the feeling that he'd been about to say the woman's name, but that he had saved himself at the last moment. Still, in her mind she saw a fragment of a picture, a blurred image of a woman with short, dark hair. *Lonnie,* she heard, just as clearly as if Jonathan HAD spoken it. Suddenly SHE was the one feeling guilty, as if she'd been caught ransacking his private possessions. *I swear, God, I'll only use the knowledge to help him, never to hurt him,* she prayed, trying to stem the guilt that flooded through her. Jonathan, unaware of Kate's inner discomfort, continued. "She told me she couldn't deal with it. She asked... she asked that I not see her any more, not until she'd had time to recover, to get over his death. I guess she wanted time to prove herself worthy of his sacrifice. But it's been months now, and I'm afraid..." Jonathan turned his head to the wall, unable to look Kate in the eyes. "I'm afraid if something doesn't change soon, I'm going to lose her forever." Katherine got up and stood beside him. She didn't ask him if he was a religious man, didn't tell him to pray for guidance. Somehow she knew that was the wrong approach with this man, so used to being the one in command. Instead, she put an arm around his shoulders. "There were times in my life when I lost things I thought I absolutely HAD to have to be happy, to simply EXIST. I couldn't see how I could go on without them. That's when my mother told me something I've never forgotten. 'You may THINK you've been passed over now, but you haven't--life doesn't work that way. What you REALLY need will come to you--'What is FOR you will not pass BY you.' She said it like it was a quote, God only knows from what." She squeezed Jonathan's shoulder lightly. "But as unscientific as it sounds, the older I get, the more I find she was right. 'What is for you will not pass by you,' Jonathan. It WILL come to you, and you'll appreciate it all the more for the time it took to find you. You've just got to hang on until it arrives." Jonathan managed to smile. "You give a hell of a pep talk, you know that?" "Nah. I'm just good with people," she grinned. Jonathan took her hand. "Thank you, Kate. I've wanted to talk to someone about this for so long, but..." "But it's a small boat, and I have the advantage of being an outsider," Kate said. "I understand. Consider it covered by doctor/patient privilege," she continued. "No one will hear about it from me. Jonathan squeezed her hand. "Thanks," he said again, then turned and left the room. Kate made sure the hatch was fastened behind him, then turned her gaze to Heaven. "I took care of Kimura, Mom. I'm leaving Jonathan and Lonnie to YOU--I've got enough to worry about with Tim and Lucas!" She ran her hand through her hair, shaking it free and removing the comb as she did so. "Thank goodness tomorrow is Saturday," she said to herself with a yawn. "I can't deal with late nights the way I used to!" Then she remembered that THIS Saturday was the day they started her swimming lessons again. A wave of adrenaline coursed through her system, and she threw herself on her bed with a groan. "So much for sleeping," she sighed, pulling out a book and deciding to read until her eyes were exhausted enough to close. *** Saturday, April 30 to Wednesday, May 25, 2033 Despite Katherine's misgivings, her swimming lessons resumed without incident. Over the next couple of weeks, Tim taught her how to use a snorkel and a re-breather, and soon she was following Darwin throughout the seaQuest, delighting in her 'dolphin's eye-view' of the vessel. The time she got to spend with Tim, Saturdays in the pool and Sundays in the chapel, were the bright spots in her weeks, weeks that were now crammed with her preparations for turning the pilot chip project over to Admiral Sheffield and the U.E.O. As May thirtieth approached, she found herself strangely calm, accepting of the way Tim held her at arm's length, accepting of the dangers she knew the thirtieth would bring. She realized that, in some way, she'd been preparing for this day her entire life, and the memory of what she'd told Jonathan rang constantly in her mind. *What is for me will not pass by me,* she would think, closely followed by the prayer, *Not my will, but Thine be done.* As Jonathan needed to wait for Lonnie to recover, so she needed to wait until Tim's heart healed from the damage Kimura had done in her desperation to escape the Chaodai. Kate shook her head. "No more time for woolgathering," she told herself firmly. "You're only trying to put this off, and that won't do!" She took one last look at herself in the mirror, then picked up the large flat package that had been lying on her bed. She gave the huge red bow an entirely unnecessary fluffing, then, taking a deep breath, headed off to Tim's quarters. Tim was combing his hair in preparation for a trip to the lounge with Lucas and Piccolo. He was afraid they were throwing him a surprise birthday party, and then he was afraid that he was an idiot to think they'd do anything like that for him. There was a knock at his door. "Come on it, guys," he shouted as he quickly washed his hands. "Uh, if you think I'm a guy, I'm DEFINITELY not wearing enough make-up," Kate joked. Tim spun around, stunned. "Kate!" he squeaked, then coughed. "I'm sorry... I was expecting Lucas and Piccolo." Kate grinned. "I know. I thought I could beat them to the punch." Suddenly shy, she thrust her burden in his direction. "This is for you." "You didn't have to do that," Tim said as he took the present from her. "Why do people SAY that when they know that you DID," Kate pondered. "Go on, open it!" Tim ripped off the bright wrapping paper, revealing the back of a black picture frame. He turned the frame over and saw... beauty. Orange palm trees swayed in a lemon-colored sky, while beautiful Tahitian women sat on pink sand beside a flowing brook. Lilies bloomed at their feet, and, in the distance, people danced on the warm green grass. His finger traced over the words proudly emblazoned in red beneath their protective glass. "'Nave Nave Moe,'" he whispered. "The 'Miraculous Source,'" he added from memory. "Do you like it?" Kate asked anxiously. "I'd heard you liked Gauguin, but I wasn't sure if you had a favorite or not." "What? Oh, no, this is wonderful!" Tim smiled self-consciously. "I've always wanted to be able to paint like him," he said. "I love all his works." Now that his initial delight had faded slightly, he noticed a long, cream-colored envelope taped to the lower left corner of the glass. "What's this?" he asked Kate. "Um... the papers." Kate stared at the ceiling, refusing to meet his eye. "The papers?" Tim put the print down on his desk carefully, removing the envelope and tearing it open. He scanned the documents; they were from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. A cold chill started in his stomach and spread throughout his body. "You didn't!" he said. "I could, so I did," Kate said with a shrug. "What ELSE am I going to spend my fortune on--gigolos?" Tim looked at Kate frantically. "I can't accept this! It's too much--it's not right!" Kate crossed her arms and frowned at him. "Why? The original is still on display; it's not as if I've deprived the world of the opportunity to enjoy it. I just thought you'd like to know that it belonged to you, that you COULD have it if you wanted to." Her insides quaked with dread--this wasn't going the way she'd hoped at ALL. Tim stared at the print in horror. He couldn't imagine the amount of money Kate had spent on this... this PRESENT. "It's not... appropriate," he said finally. "It's too big." "You didn't have any trouble when I lavished money on LUCAS' birthday--why is this different?" "Because it IS!" he shouted. Because she loved Lucas, not him. Because he'd trade all the paintings in the world for one minute in her arms. "Because you shouldn’t waste your money on ME," he added at last. Kate bit her lower lip hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to humiliate her. "It's MY goddamn money," she said, hating the tremble in her voice. "I'll spend it any way I damn well please." Tim turned to her, shocked by her profanity. The hurt on his face finally broke her. "Happy birthday," she sobbed as she bolted from the room. *Oh, God, how could I have been so STUPID!* she thought as she ran back to her quarters. *STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!* Tim knelt on the floor, his fingers grazing the glass of his print. *What have I done?* he thought as a tear rolled down his face. Then he stood. "No," he said. "I did the right thing. It's wrong for me to accept such a gift from her when she's going with Lucas." Scrubbing a hand across his face, he went over to the sink to wash his eyes with cold water. It wouldn't do to let the guys know he'd been upset--he'd never hear the end of it. Straightening again, he looked at himself in the mirror. "Happy Birthday," he said to his reflection. His reflection said nothing, only stared back at him morosely. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- ONElist members are using Shared Files in great ways! http://www.onelist.com Are you? If not, see our homepage for details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 19:30:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 28 From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 28 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Wednesday, May 25, 2033 (cont.) "Surprise!" Tim waved to the crowd, a sickly grin on his face. Tony slapped Tim on the back. "Didcha think your buddies would let you down on your birthday? Hey! Somebody get Tim a drink!" he yelled to the lounge at large. "Already taken care of, my friend," Miguel said, slapping an open beer bottle into Tim's hand. "Don't panic--it's ginger ale," he whispered in Tim's ear. "I know you're not big on drinking, and if Tony had HIS way, you'd spend the day after your birthday wishing you were dead!" "Thanks," Tim said, but he wished Miguel hadn't been QUITE so considerate. He already wished he'd were dead--a beer or two might actually cheer him up. "Happy birthday, Tim," Lonnie said, stepping forward to kiss him on the cheek. She placed a vid-chip in his free hand. "It's 'Key Largo,' digitally re-mastered, but NOT doctored. No special effects, nothing flying out of the screen, just plain old black and white." "Thank you, Lonnie," Tim said, genuinely touched that she'd remembered. He slipped the chip into his pocket. Maybe he'd watch it tonight, after he escaped from the party. "Hang on, I got something for ya, too," Tony said, dodging past other party guests as he ran to the other end of the room. "Don't go nowhere!" Lucas came up to Tim carrying several packages of various sizes all piled on top of one another. "Miguel and I went in together on these. Hope you can use them." Tim opened the smallest one first, a foot-long package about as big around as his fist. He stared at the objects thus revealed while a whirlwind of conflicting emotions went through him. "Paintbrushes." "Yeah, we know how hard it is for you to get supplies, what with us always moving around," Miguel said. "So we thought we'd help you get stocked up." "Now you can paint any time you want to," Lucas added. "Thanks, guys... I don't know what to say." And Tim meant that literally. Their gift, while thoughtful, only reminded him too strongly of the gift he had spurned. He wondered where Kate was, and if she was all right. As if she had read his thoughts, Lonnie asked, "Where's Kate? I can't believe she's missing the party! Did she give you her present yet?" "You KNOW about her present?" Tim said in amazement. Lonnie shook her head. "No, she wouldn't tell me a WORD, not even when I was dying of curiosity. All I know is that she was very anxious about whether or not she could get it, and then when she found out she HAD, she was on Cloud Nine. She's been planning this for months!" Tim felt sick. No wonder Kate had been so upset! She'd gone to a lot of trouble for his birthday and he'd thrown her gift back in her face. But how could he have done anything else? "Lucas, you want to check her quarters?" Miguel asked. "NO!" Tim and Lucas said at the same time. Lucas stared at Tim, who began speaking quickly. "She DID see me, actually--she gave me a print of a Gauguin painting, Lonnie. But she wasn't feeling very well, so she went back to her quarters to rest." *There--that wasn't QUITE a lie,* Tim thought to himself. Before anyone else could ask any more embarrassing questions, Piccolo finally returned with his gift. "There ya go, Timmy," he said. "Enjoy!" Tim raised an eyebrow at the word "Timmy," but opened the package obediently. Out fell a long-sleeved, v-necked, navy blue satin shirt shot through with silver threads. Tim held the shirt out at arm's length, looking at it with an expression of absolute bewilderment. "Thought it was time ya had some decent clothes for when we go bar-hopping. I got your measurements back when we had our tuxedos fitted." "I... I HONESTLY don't know what to say, Tony," Tim said. Tony grinned. "Think nuthin' of it. Just do me a favor--when you wear it, ditch the undershirts, okay? They ruin the whole effect." Lonnie, Lucas and Miguel, who had been struggling to hold off their laughter, finally succumbed. They started with snickering and worked themselves into full-fledged guffaws. "Tim..." Miguel gasped as the fit passed. "Satin..." Lonnie squeaked, giggling hysterically. "Undershirts," Lucas wheezed. "I'll have you know that satin is THE hot fabric for men right now," Tony insisted. "Hell, I bought three of those just for myself." When his friends turned and stared at him, he added smugly, "Chicks LOVE running their fingers over it." "CHICKS!" Miguel and Lonnie screamed as one, doubling over in a renewed fit of laugher. "Thanks, Tony," Lucas said, clapping an arm around Piccolo's shoulder. "I haven't laughed like that in weeks!" "Hey, Tony! Loan one of those shirts to Lucas--I bet Kate'll LOVE 'running her fingers over it!'" Miguel chuckled. "Not on your life, Ortiz," Lucas said easily. "I'm more of a velvet man myself." He was relieved that Miguel's off-hand remark didn't have the sting it would have a few weeks ago. It still hurt, Kate's turning him down, but he comforted himself with the fact that at least his FRIENDS didn't know that. Lonnie looked at Miguel. "VELVET!" The two collapsed all over again. "Um, what is so funny?" Dagwood asked as he approached the group of friends. "Tony's fashion sense," Lucas said. Seeing the GELF's bemused look, he added, "Don't worry about it, Dag, I think you had to be there." "I'm sorry. I was finishing my present for Tim," Dagwood apologized. "That's okay, Dagwood, you didn't really miss anything," Tim assured him. "The party's just getting started." "Oh, good," Dagwood said, relief plain on his face. "Here is your present," he said, handing a picture frame to Tim. Tim looked down at the picture, a drawing of a dolphin, a man with glasses, a red-haired woman, and a GELF splashing disjointedly in the most incredibly ultramarine blue pool that Tim had ever seen. The drawing was crude and the colors harsh, but Tim knew what it was. "Oh, Dag..." he said, his voice choked. "Did you do this?" "Captain Bridger told me that the gifts he liked best were the ones his son made for him. So I made this for you, because I wanted you to have the best. It's you and me and Kate playing with Darwin," he said, in case Tim hadn't recognized the scene. "We had fun." "Yes, we did," Tim said. "Thank you, Dagwood. I love it--I'm going to hang this in my quarters where I can see it every day." "I'm glad you like it," Dagwood said happily. Then he turned to Lucas. "Have we had the cake yet?" "No, we haven't. How about it, Tim? Ready to do the honors?" "Sure! I could use some cake about now." So his friends led him to the refreshment table, where Tim was soon occupied with cutting and distributing pieces of cake. *** Kate lay curled in a ball on her bed, clutching her pillow to her chest. She had long since cried herself out; now she was occupied with berating herself. *So you accepted that Tim was still in love Kimura, huh? You were willing to wait for him, right? Then why did you get so upset about his reaction to the Gauguin? Because deep down in your heart, you were hoping you could BUY him! That if he realized you were rich, realized all the things you could give him, maybe he'd start looking at you in a new light.* *No! I can't be THAT shallow,* Kate protested to her conscience. *Besides, Tim already KNEW I was rich.* *There's a big difference between KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE. God knows, you sure rubbed his nose in it. Maybe he felt that accepting such an expensive present would put him under an obligation to you--one he wouldn't want to fulfill.* *Tim knows me better than THAT!* Kate argued. She tossed about on the bed angrily. Maybe she hadn't tried to buy Tim's affections, but hadn't she hoped that she'd get more than a simple "thank you?" Hadn't she daydreamed that her present would somehow change her in his eyes from a little sister to a woman as romantic as any of Gauguin's Tahitians? That he would recognize it as the gift of love it really was? She rolled over onto her stomach. "Tim was right," she said at last. "The print would have been enough." She rested her head on her arms. *A Gauguin is not a 'friend' present--not even a 'little sister' present. I HAVEN'T accepted the fact that he's still in love with Kimura. I wanted to give him the biggest present I could because I love him, and I want him to love me back.* She sat up, tired of wrestling with her conscience. "Minerva, take a letter." "E-mail open, Katherine. To whom is your letter addressed?" "Lt. Timothy O'Neill, see address book." "Ready, Katherine." "Tim, "You were right--I was wrong. I haven't had a "big brother" to buy presents for in a while, and I got carried away. I'm sorry that made you feel uncomfortable. I'll see that ownership of the Gauguin is returned to the Hermitage immediately. "If it matters, I only wanted you to have the happiest birthday ever. I hope I didn't spoil it for you." Katherine paused, then ended her e-mail as she had when she was a child. "Love you, Tim. "Kate." *** Kate had almost managed to fall asleep when Minerva rang a soft chime. "I have a letter for you, Katherine." "Who's it from," Kate asked with a yawn. "Lt. O'Neill." Kate sat up straight. "Read letter." "Dear Kate, "I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You were only trying to give me the same wonderful birthday you gave Lucas, and I should have realized that. Please don't think you ruined my birthday; I had a great time with Tony and the gang, and I'll cherish the print you gave me forever. "Thank you for respecting my feelings about the original--a masterpiece should never belong to just one person, but to the world. I want you to know, however, that I deeply appreciate the gesture, and I will always be proud of once owning a Gauguin. "Love, "Tim "P.S. By the way, you should know that everyone at the party asked after you. I told them you weren't feeling well--I hope that was okay. "P.P.S. I saved you some cake." Kate laughed at this last, even as she brushed away a tear. Relieved that their friendship seemed to have weathered the storm, she told Minerva to save the e-mail and drifted off into a much happier sleep. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- You can WIN $100 to Amazon.com by starting a new list at ONElist. Drawing is held each week through August 20. For details, go to http://www.onelist.com/info/onereachsplash3.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 18:49:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, part 29 WARNING: THIS IS LONG! From: Carolyn Wallace Okay, it took me longer than I thought, but I hope you'll find it was worth the wait. The crew of the seaQuest, on "an express elevator to Hell, going DOWN!" We reach the beginning of the end... =) I also couldn't find a good place to divide this chapter, so here it is all at once. **** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 29 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Sunday, May 29, 2033 Hudson reviewed his notes, then looked up at the crewmembers seated around the briefing room. Dr. Ruiz sat beside her charges Piccolo and Kimura, while Ford, Wolenczak and O'Neill sat across the table from them. *A good group,* Hudson thought--not that he would ever tell THEM that. He'd had his doubts about O'Neill at first, and Ruiz hadn't impressed him at ALL her first day, but they'd proven themselves to be extremely good at their jobs, and that was all he asked from his people. He glanced at his watch--time to get this briefing over with. "As you all know," Hudson began, "Dr. Ruiz has successfully completed the first half of her mission for the U.E.O.--the development and installation of a piloting bio-chip. Tomorrow, Dr. Ruiz will be meeting with Admiral Sheffield to turn over her notes and the prototypes." Kate shifted nervously in her seat and coughed; Hudson turned a sardonic eye on her. "I'm sorry, Captain, but--no offense, Tim--I'm wondering why Lt. O'Neill is needed for this mission." "He ISN'T. As I was about to EXPLAIN," Hudson said, rolling his eyes, "Dr. Ruiz, Commander Ford, Piccolo and Kimura will meet with Admiral Sheffield. While you're delivering the pilot chip, Wolenczak and O'Neill will be assisting the communications officers for the Nereid Colony; they've requested assistance with their translation programs. Apparently some unpleasant political incidents occurred because their computer did not translate transmissions from the U.E.O. correctly. Diplomats have smoothed out the rough spots, but they still need a linguist and a computer specialist to review their system and prevent this sort of thing from happening again. Mr. O'Neill is fluent in all the major languages of the U.E.O., along with the Polynesian dialect that is the language of the colony." "I said I KNEW it, sir," Tim interjected. "I didn't say I was FLUENT. But I have brushed up on it, and I'll be able to tell if their program is translating correctly." Without even looking at Tim, Hudson continued, "And Mr. Wolenczak is our resident computer expert." The captain turned to Kate. "Do you have any objections to the U.E.O. killing two birds with one stone, Doctor?" "No... of course not," Kate said. "I was simply curious," she added lamely. *Damn!* she thought. *Nereid is the LAST place I want Tim and Lucas to be tomorrow.* Once more she fidgeted in her seat; she felt guilty about not telling the crew about the possible dangers they would face tomorrow. She remembered Admiral Sheffield's injunction; however, and his assurances about the security crew he would have waiting for them at the dock. She could only hope they were as good as the Admiral said they were. "Mr. O'Neill, Mr. Wolenczak..." Hudson handed each man a data disk. "You'll find examples of the translation errors and code on these. Look them over tonight; they may give you some clues as to what the problems are." "Thank you, sir," Tim said; Lucas nodded his thanks as well. Tim looked at the disk in his hand--anything to keep him from looking at Kate. *She doesn't want me to be there--she must still be mad at me about the Gauguin.* He strangled a sigh and focused his attention back to Hudson's briefing. "For once it looks as if we've got an easy assignment," Hudson was saying; no one noticed Kate's small, involuntary flinch at those words. "So get your materials together and be at the shuttle bay at 1000 hours tomorrow morning. Dismissed." Kate immediately rose to go to her lab, her mind on her final preparations for the project transfer. She didn't see the eyes, both blue and brown, that turned to follow her out of the room. *** Russ Ketchum rubbed his hands together. "Finally!" he said, then wheeled himself around to face Mariah. "They'll be at the colony at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. I'll want you and your task force in place by 10:45. We've got to make this quick--get in, grab the data and the chip, then get out." "ME and my task force? My people are perfectly capable of handling this; my place in on my..." Mariah noticed Ketchum's raised eyebrow and corrected herself, "OUR ship." Ketchum smiled unpleasantly. "I'd feel SO much better about this if you handled it PERSONALLY, Mariah. Besides, while I realize Capt. Hudson is a poor substitute for Bridger, I'd assumed you'd want to taste SOME U.E.O. blood." Mariah did not return his smile. "We're stealing their great new technology and selling it to their enemies. That's all the blood I need." Ketchum slammed his hand down on the arm of his wheelchair. "You will BE there and you will get me that chip!" he shouted. Mariah crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at him; he changed his approach. "Don't you understand?" he asked, wheeling himself to her feet. "You're the only one I trust--and I'm trusting you with my life, my FUTURE. Please, Mariah--do this for me. It will be the last thing I ask of you." "You'll give me my own ship?" Mariah asked, her eyes lighting up hungrily. "Yes, yes, your own FLEET of ships, if you want. When we sell the chip to the Macronesians, you can buy your own navy--and with the chip, I'll be able to take care of myself." Ketchum wheeled over to the powered walker hanging in its niche and ran his hands lovingly over the metal framework. "All right," Mariah acquiesced. "I'll go brief my team now." She left the room, but Ketchum didn't even notice. His hand was still caressing the suit that would set him free, his mind whirling with the possibilities tomorrow would give him. *** Monday, May 30, 2033 Kate looked around her lab one last time, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Satisfied, she picked up the two PALs on her desk. One she activated and left beside her computer terminal, the other she held in her hand. She stepped into the examining room, closed the door behind her, and activated her PAL. "Minerva, download program 'Pilot' to disk," she ordered. "Downloading now, Katherine," she heard the computer reply. Kate grinned and carefully secured the PAL in her breast pocket, then went back into the lab and retrieved the data disk. She picked up the bag containing the prototype chips and turned to her computer. "Minerva, stay awake. I'll be needing you soon." "Acknowledged, Katherine," Minerva responded. The computer would now remain activated until it received a command from Kate to "go to sleep." Kate nodded to herself and headed to the shuttle bay to meet Ford and the others. *** The shuttle trip was uneventful, but that didn't ease Kate's nerves. She knew that the strike WOULD come; she just didn't know WHERE. Kate glanced anxiously at Tim and Lucas, then at Piccolo and Kimura. Should she warn them? Should she tell Commander Ford? She'd come to love the people of the seaQuest like a second family and she didn't want anything to happen to them. Kate looked down at her hands, twisting in her lap, and calmed them. She had her orders, just as they did. She wouldn't fail the Admiral at this late date--and he wouldn't fail her. He'd protect them. Kimura, sitting still and silent in her seat, noticed Kate's nervousness and wondered about it. *Kate's expecting trouble--but frankly, so am I. Defense measures seem lax for such an important occasion; Hudson didn't even bother to send any security officers with us.* Momentarily Kimura speculated on how Kate would react in a fight--what would she try to save, her project, her crewmates, or her own skin? She knew the answer the instant she asked the question: Kate would protect O'Neill. A very faint, enigmatic smile crossed Kimura's lips; O'Neill was in for quite a surprise some day. *I'll just have to keep an eye on BOTH of them until the project is safely out of our hands,* she decided. "All right, everybody, get your gear together," Ford announced, interrupting Kimura's reverie. "We'll be docking in two minutes; Admiral Sheffield and his group will meet us at the dock." "Ya know, I've never met an admiral before," Piccolo said with a grin. "And the Admiral has never met a walking fish before, so you're even," Lucas joked. Tim didn't join in the banter. Kate hadn't spoken to him since the briefing yesterday and it was eating him up inside. He knew intellectually that their friendship was safe--her e-mail had assured him of that--but he still couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed, that he would never again recapture the special closeness he'd had with her. He left the shuttle when the others did, his body on autopilot. "Dr. Ruiz! It's wonderful to see you again!" A tall man with dark hair, graying at the temples, and a thin, neat mustache stepped forward to take Kate by the hand. Behind him, two burly security guards stood at attention. "Admiral Sheffield," Kate said with a smile. "I believe I have a present for you. But first, let me introduce some of the people who've made this possible. I think you know Commander Ford." Jonathan nodded briskly in the Admiral's direction. "These are our pilots, Heiko Kimura and Tony Piccolo..." Tony accepted the Admiral's handshake grinning ear to ear. "And Ensign Wolenczak and Lt. O'Neill are here to help the colony with their translation program. Ensign Wolenczak was also extremely helpful in adapting the pilot chip interface to the seaQuest's fighters." "A pleasure to meet you all," the Admiral said. "And now if you'll follow me, we'll take care of the transfer and let Mr. Wolenczak and Mr. O'Neill get to work." "I don't think so," a female voice drawled. As one, the crowd turned to see a tall GELF woman holding an energy pistol on them. The two security guards tried to go for their weapons, but a warning shot from the GELF stopped them. She waved her free hand and ten soldiers appeared from an adjacent hallway and surrounded the small U.E.O. group, relieving them of their weapons... and Kate's precious bag. "Mariah," Jonathan spat. She nodded at him. "Very good, Commander Ford. It's nice to know you still remember me after all this time." She stepped toward the Admiral. "The U.E.O. is getting soft," she sneered. "Defeating your so-called 'security' was laughably easy." Mariah hefted the bag in her hand--the bag that held the prototype pilot chip, its interface, and all the data needed to create them. "It makes me glad I'm on the Macronesian side. They'll be so grateful once I hand this over to them--and a grateful winner is a useful ally." "I wouldn't be so sure," Admiral Sheffield remarked casually. "The Macronesians don't look kindly on failure." Mariah was about to make an angry retort when she heard the whine of an energy rifle powering up. She turned around and the pistol was shot from her hand. "Everybody DOWN," Kate shouted. She grabbed Tim by the hand and pulled him to the floor with her as U.E.O. troops seemed to solidify from thin air. While energy charges flew and soldiers fought desperately hand to hand, Kate grabbed the PAL from her breast pocket. "Minerva, can you hear me?" "Yes, Katherine, I can hear you." "Execute program "Odysseus." Execute program "Seppuku." Then Kate threw one arm around Tim and the other around her head and waited for the firing to stop. *** "Sir!" "What is it, Ortiz?" Hudson asked from the captain's chair. "I'm receiving a signal--from what appears to be an empty sector!" "Onscreen, Mr. Ortiz!" The captain reviewed the W.S.K.R.'s data display while Ortiz played his mysterious signal over the speakers for the captain to hear. Hudson slammed his fist against the arm of his chair. "It's the Marauder!" he cried. "Henderson, broadcast this on all channels." "Aye, sir," Lonnie said. "Unknown ship off the Nereid Colony, make your business known or prepare to be attacked." Hudson watched Lonnie as she monitored all signals in the area, but she only shook her head. "I've just got the signal Ortiz found, sir. Nothing else." Hudson shrugged; he hadn't expected an answer, but there were rules to be followed, even in war. "Is the signal moving?" Hudson asked Lonnie. "No, sir. No change." "Then target two torpedoes on that signal, lieutenant." "Targeting torpedoes on signal," Lonnie replied quickly. "Ready, sir." "Fire!" The stealth ship made no move to escape as the deadly torpedoes raced toward it. When they hit, disabling the ship's disguise and revealing it to the crew of the seaQuest, the bridge rang with cheers. "We've got you now, you bastard," Hudson whispered to himself. "All right, lieutenant, target lasers on their propulsion system. We don't want them leaving the party too soon." "Uh, I'm not sure that will be necessary, sir," Ortiz interrupted. "Explain." "Sir, when their stealth shield was disabled, the W.S.K.R.s were able to get me more information. From what I can tell, power is down, weapons are down, computers are down... only life support appears to be functioning, and that's at minimal levels." Hudson smiled. *Well, Dr. Ruiz, seems your Trojan horse worked after all!* he thought. "All right, then, let's get some shuttles in the water before they try to use their escape pods. I'm sure the Admiral will want to speak to the famous Marauder himself." Briefly, Hudson allowed himself a moment of regret that he wasn't able to warn his team of the dangers the Admiral expected at Nereid. Then he straightened his shoulders and dismissed the emotion as nonproductive. They were his crew; they would understand about "the need to know." But the Admiral had better damn well keep his promise about protecting them. *** "That's the last of them, sir." "Thank you, lieutenant." Admiral Sheffield turned to help Kate and the rest of the seaQuest team off the floor. He was grinning broadly. "You did it, Kate, you did it!" Kate, watching as the Admiral's forces secured Mariah and her crew, gave him a shaky smile. "So it would appear," she said. As she noticed the puzzled looks on the faces of her friends, Kate explained, "Admiral Sheffield approached me about a year ago. It seems the Marauder was hacking into U.E.O. mainframes, stealing sensitive information and selling it to the Macronesians. With my help, the Admiral set a trap with something Ketchum couldn't resist--the pilot interface." "He'd be able to get out of the wheelchair!" Lucas exclaimed. "Not to mention selling the data to the Macros for a healthy profit," Jonathan pointed out. "It doesn't matter what you do to us," Mariah exclaimed as two security men held her arms while a third handcuffed her. "Ketchum already has your data--grabbing the prototype was just insurance." Kate looked at Mariah sadly. "Not very GOOD insurance; it's all phony. I couldn't risk bringing the real chip here while Ketchum was still on the loose. The DATA he has won't do him any good. I knew he had my computer tapped, so I never put anything truly useful on that machine. Instead, I used a stand-alone computer to hold the real data; take a computer out of the network, and there's no way it can be hacked from the outside. And I wouldn't count on him to rescue you, either. I salted the data with a virus--a program that I activated about ten minutes ago. Your ship should be completely disabled by this point." "Seppuku," Tim chuckled, amazed at Kate's victory over the world's most notorious computer criminal. "'Ritual suicide.' The Marauder literally hacked his ship to death." As the full import of Kate's words sank into the GELF's brain, a red haze seemed to fill her mind and her blood thundered in her veins. Failure, defeat, ruin--at the hands of the U.E.O. At the hands of the seaQuest. They'd send her back to prison... With an inarticulate howl, Mariah wrenched herself free, one knee rising to hit the groin of the man in front of her, doubling him over so that she could grab his pistol. "I WILL taste U.E.O. blood, Ketchum," she screamed. Her hands, handcuffed together, wavered as she decided which one to kill first. Almost at random, she chose. There was something familiar about that face--the brown hair, the glasses. He would be the first to go... As Mariah grabbed the gun Kate knew who her target would be. Maybe some impulse from the woman's mind alerted Kate, maybe God was giving her one chance to save the man she loved. She didn't question where the knowledge came from, she simply acted on it the instant she received it, for that alone would allow her to beat the GELF's superior reflexes. When Mariah fired, Kate was already pushing Tim out of the way. Kate felt a searing heat blaze across her left shoulder like lightning's kiss. She saw the shocked look on Tim's face as she fell, and she smiled. He was safe. A number of security people fired even as they saw Mariah try to escape; she went down with blood pouring from a dozen wounds. As a man tore the pistol from her hand, she smiled triumphantly. "I died free..." she whispered, then said no more. "Katie, why?" Tim asked frantically. He tried to rip a strip of cloth from his uniform, then, failing that, unzipped it and tore a swath of cloth from his undershirt, pressing it over the gaping wound in Kate's shoulder. "We're supposed to protect you, not the other way around." "Couldn't help it," Kate whispered, with a weak smile. Then the smile left her lips. "I already lived through your death once, Tim," she said, looking up at him. "I couldn't go through that again." "Aw, jeez, no," Tony said as he saw Tim and Kate on the floor. "Get a doctor," the Admiral barked. "Dr. Ruiz is hurt. And get those damn Macronesians out of my sight!" Ford looked at the remains of his team as the horror of Kate's injury struck them. Lucas' face was white; it looked as though the young man might faint. *I've got to get them busy, before they can dwell on this,* Jonathan thought to himself. "Lucas, you and Kimura head back to the seaQuest," he ordered. "Find Kate's real computer and bring the data back here for the Admiral. And tell Dr. Perry to prepare for surgery. Piccolo, you go with the Admiral's people and find that doctor!" Lucas opened his mouth, his face angry, when Kimura grabbed him by the elbow. "You're the only one who will know what to look for, Wolenczak," Kimura hissed. "Ford will take care of Kate." She glanced at Ford and nodded; he returned it, grateful for her quick understanding. "The medics are on their way," Ford reassured Kate as he knelt beside Tim. "Just hang on, Kate." "Should we move her?" Tim asked Jonathan, trying not to scream as he felt his fingers grow wet with Kate's blood. "No," Kate coughed. "I need pressure on the wound until it can be bandaged properly. You won't be able to do that if you're trying to carry me." She looked at the gore staining Tim's makeshift bandage and gave him another small smile. "Just my luck... usually energy weapons are self-cauterizing." "Don't worry, Kate," Jonathan said. "We'll have you fixed up in no time." Kate's eyes never left Tim's face. "You know," she said, "there's something I've always wanted to know, and I might not get another chance to ask. The night of my Confirmation, when you danced with me... if I had been older, would you have kissed me?" Tim managed to laugh, though unshed tears swam in his eyes. "If you had been older, you'd have been dancing with a score of pretty boys. You would have never even noticed me." "No!" Kate protested, then coughed as pain spasmed through her. "You... you were the only one I ever saw." "Ssh, save your strength," Tim said. "We can talk about this later, when you're better. Where are those doctors?" he asked Jonathan urgently, forgetting all about rank in his panic for Kate's safety. "I'll find out," Jonathan said, rising to his feet. "It's going to be all right, Kate," Tim said, pulling her even closer. "I swear, it's going to be all right." "I should have told you earlier," Kate whispered. Her face had grown frighteningly pale over the last few minutes. "But I knew how badly Heiko hurt you... I told myself I'd wait until you were over her. But you're not GOING to get over her. Just as well, I suppose." "Kate, what are you talking about?" Tim asked, confused. She tried to reach into her jumpsuit, but her hand fell halfway. "Around my neck..." Tim reached into the back of Kate's collar and found a silver chain. His fingers worked it out carefully until it came free with its burden--the gold and emerald claddagh ring he'd given her on her thirteenth birthday. "I outgrew it after a while; I should have had it resized--never got around to it. But when I wore it, I always wore it with the heart facing in. For you, Tim," she whispered. "My first, my last, my only love." Tim was stunned. "But I thought you were in love with Lucas!" he said, his heart hammering against his chest. Kate looked at him, puzzled. "Turned Lucas down... couldn't forget you..." She sighed and closed her eyes. A great pit seemed to open beneath Tim's stomach. Things suddenly fell into place--the swimming lessons, Brian's confession, the Gauguin... HE was the one Kate loved... she had loved him all along. "Oh, Kate, you've got to hold on. Heiko doesn't mean anything; do you understand? You're the one I love, Katie. Do you hear me, Kate? You're the one I love!" But Kate's eyes were still closed. If she heard him, she didn't show it. "Don't leave me, Katie," Tim whispered. "You can't tell me this and then leave me; you just can't!" "Tim... Tim, let go," he finally heard Commander Ford say. "Tim, you've got to let the doctor through!" Tim looked up at Jonathan, his face a mask of wordless anguish. The doctor bit down the sharp words on the tip of his tongue and simply took Kate from him, helping the medics get her on a stretcher and quickly examining the wound. He caught Ford's eye and called him over with a curt jerk of his head. Ford rushed to the doctor's side. "From what I've seen so far, this doesn't look too bad," he said quietly. "She's lost a lot of blood, but I think she'll be all right. Your lieutenant, on the other hand, looks like he's about to go into shock. Get him back to his quarters; keep him warm. If he can eat a little something, so much the better. He's in no condition to go back to duty." "Understood," Ford nodded, his face solemn. He went over to Tim, sitting on the floor and staring at his hands covered with Kate's blood. Tony, who had returned with the doctor, was kneeling beside him, trying to get him to stand. "Yo, O'Neill, there's nothing more we can do here. C'mon, I'll help you get cleaned up, we'll get some coffee, then we'll see how Kate's doin'." Tim looked up at Ford as he approached, his eyes lost and confused. "She said she loved me," he said. "Aw, jeez, Tim," Tony said. Uncertain as to what to do, he compromised by putting a hand on Tim's shoulder. "All this time she's been in love with me and I never knew. And now... now I'm going to lose her, and I never got to tell her, I never got to say..." Tim's face crumpled; he tore off his glasses, threw them to the floor and covered his face with his bloody hands. Tony picked up the glasses without a word and stowed them in his pocket. "Belay that talk, Mr. O'Neill," Ford barked. As he'd hoped, Tim straightened to the authority in his voice. When he was convinced he had Tim's full attention, he continued more quietly. "The doctor thinks Kate will be fine. In fact, you probably saved her life," he added, striving to erase the hopeless look in O'Neill's eyes. "He said that?" Tim asked. "Well of course he did!" Tony said, exchanging a quick look with Jonathan. "Hell, someday you'll be telling this story to your little Nobel-winning grandkids. Until then, let's get you cleaned up, okay?" "R...right," Tim said, wiping his face against his sleeve. "You know it!" Tony exclaimed, handing him his glasses. "Come on. Let's get back to the seaQuest, then we'll see if we can find a decent cup of coffee somewhere on the old tub." "Get some food in him and get him to his quarters," Ford told Tony quietly as Tim got to his feet. "I'll check on Kate. If I hear anything, I'll let you know." "Aye, aye, sir," Tony acknowledged. Ford turned to Admiral Sheffield, who was discussing Kate with the colony doctor. "Sir, with your permission, my team would like to return to the seaQuest. I'm afraid that Mr. O'Neill will be in no condition to review the colony's computers today." "Understood, Commander," the Admiral replied, his voice gruff. Then he looked Jonathan in the eye. "Kate Ruiz is like a daughter to me. We'll take good care of her. Be sure you tell Lt. O'Neill that." Jonathan realized that Sheffield had overheard everything Tim had said, and his admiration for the man grew. "Yes, sir. I'll do that, sir." He saluted the Admiral, then made his way back to the dock where Tim and Tony waited. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Transfer your big list to ONElist and earn $500! For program details, go to http://www.onelist.com/info/biglistbon_intro.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 17:14:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever, Part 30 From: Carolyn Wallace THE DOOR INTO FOREVER, Part 30 By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** Monday, May 30, 2033 (cont) As Jonathan, Tony and Tim walked through the seaQuest, crowds parted, conversations stopped, and worried looks followed after them. "We gotta get you cleaned up, Tim," Tony whispered. "You're scaring the kids." Jonathan said nothing, but silently agreed with Piccolo; with his bloodstained face, hands and uniform, O'Neill looked like HE was the one who'd been shot. "But... what about the colony?" Tim asked in a daze. "I was supposed to look at their computer." "You're OFF-DUTY, O'Neill--doctor's orders," Jonathan said firmly. "Piccolo will get you settled. Then I want you to get some rest. The colony can wait--the Admiral said so himself." They passed a men's washroom and Tim obediently went inside. Tony was about to follow him when Jonathan laid a hand on his shoulder. "Stay will him as long as you need to, Tony--I'll clear it with the Captain. I don't think he should be alone right now." Tony nodded grimly. "If the Admiral's crew hadn't beaten me to it, I'd have killed Mariah myself. Kate... well, she's okay for a brain, know what I mean?" Jonathan sighed. "I know exactly what you mean. But the Admiral's people will take good care of her. I'm sure she'll be back running you through hoops in no time." Tony gave Ford a small half-smile. "From your lips to God's ears," he said, then went to look after Tim. *** Lucas and Kimura went through Kate's lab, looking for the computer on which she'd stored the real pilot chip data. "This won't do any good, you know," Lucas said truculently. "Even if we DO find it, Kate will have it guarded--passwords, voice codes--we won't be able to get the data without her." "Ruiz knew what she was getting into," Kimura objected. "She's thorough; she'd have prepared for any contingency." Her words sparked a sudden memory and she walked over to the computer Kate called Minerva. Kimura tried to think of how Kate might have worded such a request, then decided she would have been straightforward about it. "Minerva, this is Lt. Commander Heiko Kimura. Kate is dead." Lucas' head jerked up angrily. "What the..." Kimura halted his outburst with an impatient motion of her hand. "Do you have a letter for me?" she continued. "Yes, Commander Kimura. I have a priority letter that may be accessed by the following U.E.O. personnel: Hudson, Oliver; Kimura, Heiko; O'Neill, Timothy; Piccolo, Anthony; Sheffield, Robert and Wolenczak, Lucas. I also have a personal letter for each of those people, with the instruction to read those only AFTER the priority letter has been read." "Display the priority letter." "Voice identification required. To identify yourself as Heiko Kimura, please say, 'A person of rare worth.'" Kimura swallowed, remembering her first conversation with Kate what seemed a lifetime ago. She repeated the phrase and the computer opened the file. Kate's face filled the screen, her expression solemn. "Hello, my friends. First of all, I apologize for recording your voices without your knowledge. I hope you'll understand now why that was necessary. If you are reading this letter, I am dead, and you are looking for the pilot chip data. I've tried to make this as easy as I can for you, without leaving the project vulnerable. "Tim and Robert, you should get these right away, but Heiko, Lucas or Capt. Hudson, you may have to get help. If Tim and Robert are unavailable, contact Jenna Blakely; she'll understand. Minerva has her address and phone numbers. "First, the computer. There is a cabinet behind my desk with a voice-activated electronic lock. Open it with the same phrase Minerva gave you to open this letter." Kimura walked over to the cabinet and repeated, "'A person of rare worth.'" The light on the lock turned green and Kimura could here a faint click as it unlocked. "To operate, the computer must be addressed by its nickname. It works the same as Minerva--you might say the two are twins." Lucas looked at Kimura. "What the hell does THAT mean?" "We'll have to ask O'Neill, I suppose," Kimura said with a shrug of her shoulders. "After you have activated the computer, you must type in a password. The computer will respond, after which you must enter a second password. These are the same passwords the Admiral's namesake used while travelling under his most famous alias, though you'd have to be as old as Methuselah to remember it!" Once again, Lucas and Kimura looked at each other blankly. "Now all the data will be at your command. Since I won't be there to fight for it, please see that it's used, not just for military purposes, but to improve the lives of all who might benefit from it. That's the only memorial I ask. "Please don't feel sorry for me. I've had a wonderful life, filled with more miracles than any one person deserves. I've loved every minute of the time I've spent on the seaQuest, and I'm proud that I was able to serve the U.E.O. as my brother, Lucas, and Tim have. Now Minerva has a personal letter for each of you. Some of you may find additional letters attached to your own; for example, Lucas, I've attached a note to Darwin on yours. I hope you won't mind reading it to him for me." Lucas choked back a sob and brushed a hand roughly across his eyes. Kimura discreetly ignored him. "Thank you all for everything. Take good care of each other, because if you don't, I'll come back to haunt you!" Kate shook her finger at the camera, smiled, then simply said "Good-bye." The screen went black. Kimura and Lucas were silent for a few minutes. Finally, Lucas began to say, "Minerva, display..." but Kimura stopped him. "Don't," she said, her voice rough. "Not yet. Not now." And for once, Lucas didn't argue with her. They left the room in silence, heading to the bridge to let Commander Ford know what they had learned. TO BE CONTINUED>>> === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- How do you enter ONElist’s WEEKLY DRAWING for $100? By joining the FRIENDS & FAMILY program. For details, go to http://www.onelist.com/info/onereachsplash3.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Delivered-To: andy@atechnet.dhs.org Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 10:39:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Carolyn Wallace To: sqfanfic@onelist.com Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] The Door Into Forever--CONCLUSION! From: Carolyn Wallace The last chapter... This feels very weird, folks. I hope you've enjoyed the story and that, if you have, you'll like the ending as much as you've like the rest of it. Carolyn **** THE DOOR INTO FOREVER Part 34: CONCLUSION By Carolyn M. Wallace DISCLAIMER: seaQuest DSV/seaQuest 2032, their characters and situations are copyrighted by the SciFi Channel and Amblin' Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should it be inferred. Author's Note: It's only fair to warn you up front that this seaQuest story is set in an alternate universe--one where Miguel Ortiz did not die on an alien world, but survived to return to Earth and fight another day. You can also assume that this explains anything else that appears to be an error in seaQuest continuity. This story is rated PG-13 for mild language, violence, and the suggestion of sex. There's nothing in it worse than what you'd find in a network TV drama. *** The applause died away as Captain Hudson, wearing his dress whites, walked through the crowd toward the stage. Jonathan, catching a glimpse of Hudson's face, muttered an expletive under his breath. "I'm sorry, Lonnie," he said, "I think Hudson's on the warpath and I'm going to try and calm him down while Tim still has a career!" Lonnie squeezed his hand. "Go! I'll wait for you." Jonathan couldn't help himself; he looked back at her and grinned like a kid. "I'm going to hold you to that," he vowed. Lonnie just smiled and waved her fingers in farewell. Jonathan quickly followed in Hudson's wake as the captain made his way onstage. Hudson put out his hand for the microphone in Tim's hand; Tim gave it to him without a word, his face even paler than usual. "It occurs to me that I should be angry with you, Mr. O'Neill," the captain began. "I have a job to do and you've just made it that much harder. It also occurs to me that certain regulations concerning public displays of affection might be called into play here." "No, sir, they don't apply," Jonathan shouted from the foot of the stage. "And how is that, Commander Ford?" Hudson asked. "Tim--Lt. O'Neill--isn't IN public. He's at home--with his family." There was a cheer that swelled from the back of the room right up to the people at Hudson's feet. He scowled down at Jonathan. "Commander Ford," Hudson bellowed in the microphone, and the room became deathly still. "I couldn't have put it better myself," he finished with a ghost of smile. There was a gasp through the room as crewmembers started breathing again. He turned to Kate. "What O'Neill has done is stolen my thunder--I have an announcement to make to you, but I think you'll find it somewhat anticlimactic compared to his. First, a letter for you." Hudson put the microphone under one arm as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a folded letter and a small, flat, leather case. "'From Secretary General McGrath on behalf of the United Earth Oceans Organization to Dr. Katherine Ruiz, greetings,'" Hudson read. "'For services performed for the U.E.O. in the creation of the piloting biochip and fighter interface; for services performed in the capture of Dr. Russ Ketchum, also known as the Marauder; for services performed in the capture of the terrorist Mariah and her crew; and for services performed in the heat of battle to protect the crewmembers of the U.E.O. vessel seaQuest, it is our honor and privilege to award to you the U.E.O. Medal of Valor.'" Kate looked at Tim in wonder; he stood straight, tall and proud beside her, all the love in his heart shining down on her through his eyes. Hudson continued. "'This is only the third time in the history of the U.E.O. that the Medal of Valor has been given to a civilian recipient. Your actions at the Nereid Colony, however, have not only convinced us that this award is truly merited by you, but that your continued presence on the seaQuest is an outcome devoutly to be wished. At the recommendations of Admiral Robert Sheffield and Captain Oliver Hudson, it is my personal pleasure to offer you the position of Chief Scientist aboard the seaQuest, with the task of overseeing the on-going research on the piloting biochip until this terrible war has ended. At such time, we hope that you will stay on to oversee the establishment of a new division of civilian scientists aboard the seaQuest as her mission is transformed from the necessities of war to the promises of peace. "'With all hopes that you will accept this offer, I remain "'Sincerely yours,' etc., etc.," Hudson finished. He looked at Kate. "May I give the Secretary your answer, Dr. Ruiz?" Katherine straightened, raising her chin. She looked Hudson in the eye. "'Yes,' Captain," she said. "My answer is 'yes!'" The sudden cheer died away as Hudson solemnly opened the flat leather case, withdrew the gleaming medal, and pinned it above Kate's heart. Then he snapped to attention and saluted her. Tim immediately did the same. Then it was Jonathan, Lucas, Miguel, Lonnie, Tony, Kimura, Dagwood--every crewmember in the room abruptly came to attention and saluted their newly assigned shipmate. Kate, overwhelmed, did her best to return their salute, at which point the crowd erupted into pandemonium again. Tim picked Kate up around the waist and lifted her clear off the ground, hugging her tightly. "I won't have to leave you on shore--we'll be together," he said happily. "Always, Tim. I promise you that," Kate said. *** Tuesday, May 31, 2033 Kate entered the phone number she'd been given and twisted her hands together anxiously. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves as the connection was made at the other end. *Smile,* she told herself. *Everything will be fine. It doesn't matter if he says "yes" or not, as long as he COMES!* The receptionist put Kate's call through rather quickly, and Kate's smile became more real. Sometimes there were advantages to being the current U.E.O. "500-pound gorilla." Then the "hold" pattern disappeared and she was on. "Sir! Thank you so much for accepting my call. You don't know me, but I'm shortly going to become Mrs. Timothy O'Neill..." *** Tuesday, October 11, 2033 "Honey, what's wrong?" Kate and Tim were in her office, reviewing the day's responses to their wedding invitations. Tim had just read a printout and put it down with a heavy sigh, prompting Kate's question. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that Captain Bridger isn't going to be able to come." "Oh, Tim, I'm so sorry," Kate said, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "I know how much you wanted him to be here. I was looking forward to meeting him." "He said it would conflict with a family obligation," Tim continued. "Can't argue with that, can I?" "Guess not," Kate said, picking up another printout and making a notation in her notebook. She whispered a little Act of Contrition under her breath. *** Saturday, November 19, 2033 The beautiful strains of Pachabel's Canon in D Major filled the small chapel and Tim turned around slowly. "This is it, Tim," Ortiz whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "Last chance to escape. Go, run... I'll cover you!" "Not on your life, Miguel," Tim whispered back. "I don't care if Mariah and all her terrorists come back from the dead to attack the ship--I'm not leaving this room until Kate and I are married!" Jenna Blakely walked gracefully down the aisle, resplendent in a golden tea-length gown. Sprigs of baby's breath and white sweetheart roses had been tucked into her upswept hair, matching the small bouquet in her hands. As she reached the altar, she gave Tim a wink. Tim smiled back. And then he saw Kate. The wedding dress was a confection of ivory gauze and tiny glittering sequins over a floor-length satin sheath, its simple, sweetheart neckline framing the familiar chain and ring that Kate now displayed at every opportunity. Her hair had been put up with a just few gently curling tendrils framing her face, and over her hair was pinned the lace mantilla handed down to her by her mother. Her face was incandescent, lit from within by joy and love. There was an excited buzz from the crowd and it wasn't all because of Kate Tim finally realized. That's when he looked to see who was bringing his beautiful bride to him, and his smile became dazzling to behold. "Captain Bridger!" he whispered in delight. Nathan Bridger gently placed Kate's hand in Tim's, squeezing Tim's hand as he did so. "I TOLD you I had a family obligation," he said with the grin Tim remembered so well. "Yes, sir," Tim said, his heart swelling as the meaning of the Captain's words sank in. "Welcome home, sir." Bridger simply nodded and took his seat in the front row. Tim turned to Kate, his eyes shining. "Pretty sneaky, 'sis,'" he whispered. "Consider it part of your wedding present," Kate whispered back. Her voice trembled slightly, but her smile was sure and for him alone. "If we may begin..." the priest said quietly. Tim and Kate turned to him, their hands clasped together tightly as they prepared to receive the sacred sacrament of matrimony. *** "You should have seen him before the ceremony," Ortiz was telling Kate. "His hands were shaking so badly, Piccolo and I had to button him into his uniform!" "Kate was as cool as ice," Lonnie countered approvingly, punctuating her comment with an airy wave of her fork. "Had breakfast, got dressed--just as if it were a normal day." "Only to fall apart once I reached the altar," Kate said ruefully. Overcome with emotion, she had barely been able to say her vows through her happy tears, while Tim's vows had rung clear and true through the little chapel. "That's okay, sweetheart," Tim said, giving his bride a little hug. "It's in the rules--only one of us can fall apart at any one time. I'm pretty sure Father Campbell went over that in the Pre-Cana sessions." "I don't remember that--I must have been succumbing to impure thoughts at the time," Kate replied rakishly. "Here's to impure thoughts," Piccolo said, tapping his glass with his knife. Within moments, the galley was filled with the sound of chiming cutlery. So, in keeping with tradition, Lt. O'Neill kissed his wife, and the crowd cheered. *** Kate picked up her overnight bag, then came up to him and gave him a soft, sweet kiss. "Why don't you open the champagne while I get changed?" she whispered. "All right," Tim said, his heart starting to pound. As he removed the protective cage from around the cork, he realized that Kate had left the bathroom door ajar. He found this more than a little distracting; it took some time for him to work the cork out of the bottle. Finally the cork came free with a "pop" and Tim poured the champagne into the flutes, inordinately proud of himself for opening the bottle without an explosion of wine. He picked up the glasses and turned around, only to find that Kate was already there. The elaborate coiffure was gone now, leaving her beautiful auburn hair glowing in soft curves about her face and neck. She wore a white negligee cut low over her breasts; the silk clung to every curve until it fell away just above her bare feet. Over the negligee she wore a long-sleeved lacy peignoir that was practically transparent. Tim stared at her in astonishment. "Oh my God," he whispered, his voice husky. Kate twirled about slowly, making the silk and lace float about her. "I take it you approve, Mr. O'Neill?" she smiled. "Very much, Mrs. O'Neill," Tim nodded. Kate stepped up to him and took one of the glasses. "To our wedding night," she said, her dark eyes filled with love. "To our wedding night," Tim echoed. They each sipped their champagne, then as one they put their glasses down and simply held each other in their arms. "I'm so afraid I'm going to wake up," Tim murmured, as he buried his face in her hair. "This is all too wonderful... I'm afraid it's all a dream." "No dream now, my love," Kate said as she slipped her hands beneath the lapels of his jacket and helped him shrug it off. "Or if it is, it's my dream come true." She undid the buttons of his shirt, slipping it to the floor as she gently kissed the base of his throat. Then she lifted his undershirt, pushing the fabric up and away so she could kiss the skin exposed underneath. Tim felt her warm breath on his chest and felt his heart race impossibly faster. When the undershirt had followed his shirt to the floor, she slid her hands around him, running them lightly up and down his back. Suddenly she bent down and flicked her tongue across his chest. A flash of pleasure shot through Tim so unexpectedly that he couldn't help jumping. "Oh... so THAT'S what they're for," Kate murmured wickedly. "I always did wonder." She pulled him closer so that she could do it again... and again. Tim could feel himself responding to her caresses so intensely that he was almost frightened. If he felt like this when Kate was just kissing him, what would making love to her be like? That single thought abruptly became the center of his universe. Kate's hands were at his belt, trying to undo it but having difficulties with the buckle. He took her hands away, quickly kicked off his shoes, removed the recalcitrant belt, then let his trousers fall and stepped out of them. He picked Kate up in his arms and carried her to the bed, gently putting her down and lying beside her. He kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around him, her body seeming to melt against his without resistance. "Now, Katie Ruiz-O'Neill," Tim murmured in her ear, "we find out how your theoretical knowledge stands up in practice." *** "They lied, you know," Kate whispered sleepily as she snuggled deeper into the comfort of his arm. "Who lied, sweetheart?" Tim asked with a yawn. "The BOOKS!" Kate said. "They said that women shouldn't expect the first time to be very good." "Oh they did, did they?" Tim said, tremendously pleased by his wife's implied compliment. *My wife,* he thought happily. "What did they say about the SECOND time?" he asked, turning on his side to face her. "Well, they said it gets better, but that must be a lie, too," she said, lightly tracing the curve of his cheek with her finger. "Because I don't see how it possibly could!" "I'm surprised at you, Katie," Tim said with a frown, putting his hand on her hip. "Condemning a theory without even testing it? That's not very scientific of you." "Lt. O'Neill, I'm not sure I like that look in your eyes," Kate teased. "You will in a minute," Tim said. "I promise!" *** It was still dark when Tim woke up. He found himself alone in the bed and for one horrible second he thought it all had been a dream. But then his fingers brushed against the gold band on his left hand, wide, solid and comforting, and he grinned to himself. He was married, all right. He put on his glasses and realized that a light was shining under the door of the sitting room of their suite. He took a moment to slip a robe over his black silk boxers, still a little shy at the thought of walking around the place half-naked, and opened the door to the sitting room. He found Kate there, curled up in a huge red leather chair, reading. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" he said. "Couldn't you sleep?" Kate immediately bounced of the chair, book still in hand. She threw her arms around him and kissed him. "Mmm, hello, dearest husband. I was just too happy to sleep, and I didn't want to wake you, so I came in here to read." She held the book out to him. "Our wedding present from Jenna--a first edition Heinlein." "The Door Into Summer," Tim read from the cover. "One of the few I never got around to reading! What's it about?" "It's a love story. It takes some time travel and a decade or two in suspended animation to make everything work out, but in the end they live happily ever after." Tim stared at her in surprise. "You're kidding, right?" "Nope," Kate grinned. "Amazing how life imitates art, isn't it?" Tim pulled her close. "Only you can't be my door into summer. You're my door into FOREVER." "Forever and ever, Tim," Kate said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Forever and ever." THE END === Carolyn's Scrapbook... take a peek! http://www.geocities.com/~cmwallace __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GET WHAT YOU DESERVE! A NextCard Platinum VISA: DOUBLE Rewards points, NO annual fee & rates as low as 9.9 percent FIXED APR. Apply online today! http://www.onelist.com/ad/nextcard1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------