========================================================================== CRASH Kathy Wolenczak a.k.a. Kathleen Brown ========================================================================== Timeline: SeaQuest 2032 Author's E-Mail: kwolenczak@hotmail.com ========================================================================== September 12, 2032. _seaQuest_. Hallway, B-Deck. A shy, quiet, very young new officer is walking down the hallway, looking lost. She's very slender, with long blonde hair tied back with a simple Navy blue hairband. Her head is lowered, we can't see her face. Lucas comes tearing out of Med-Bay, quite eager to leave. However, in his haste, he doesn't look where he's going and smacks head-on into the girl. She falls heavily to the floor. Lucas simply stands there, stunned, unmoving, as the girl checks to see if she's all in one piece. He suddenly realizes he's just _standing_ there and kneels beside her. LUCAS (panicked) Oh, God, I'm sorry, are you all right? She mumbles something inaudible as she pushes her long bangs from her eyes. She looks at him and stops, seeing that the man apologizing to her is not simply some jerk. She recognizes him, but tries to downplay it. He doesn't notice her pause and gently holds her hands as she stands. He smiles at her, trying to catch her attention. She looks away, and he sees her shyness as being aloof. But inside, seeing her and her lowered head, quiet presence, something....some primitive instinct in the back of his mind, is telling him to be kind to her. LUCAS (concerned, smiling) Are sure you're all right? I'm so sorry. She nods softly, looking down at the metal grating of the floor. Her hair fell from it's band and hangs there, long and soft upon her shoulders. Lucas aches to reach out and touch it and feel it against his cheek. LUCAS You're new, aren't you? (well, of course, idiot) She nods softly, her gray eyes seeking him out for a brief second. Lucas finds himself breathless. LUCAS (using humor to get her to lighten up) Well, first day's always kinda scary. I remember, I couldn't find the head for 2 hours and it seemed like the galley switched decks every single mealtime. Then again, I was only 15, I didn't have real good perception then. The girl looks up at him again. This time her gaze sticks, he sees her eyes flicking left and right, she's studying his eyes. He realizes he's rambling, and this girls probing gaze, almost as electric as a psychic's, is beginning to make him feel uncomfortable. LUCAS You want me to show you around? She shakes her head softly, still not speaking. LUCAS (grinning) Do you talk? She looks at him, trying hard not to smile, with the hint of sarcasm in her eyes. LUCAS (grinning) Not to people who mow you down. Well, at least I'm making progress. Okay. Bye. (he turns to leave, then turns back.) Oh wait, who are you? (he leans toward her, reading her uniform) "K. Olivier". Well, all right, K, I'll be seein' ya'. He walks down the hall. The girl closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, opens her eyes, and speaks. KATHY (starting out loud, going softer) Kathleen. You can call me Kathy if you like. He turns, smiling. He walks back and holds a hand out to her. LUCAS Ensign Lucas Wolenczak. (She nods. She knows, she's read his profile a hundred times) Enlisted? KATHY For a trial basis. LUCAS What's your assignment? She turns her left shoulder toward him. Red, a science team insignia. She shrugs. KATHY (not meeting his eyes) You gonna give me that tour or what? He smiles. Moon Pool. Lucas leads her in, they're having a pleasant conversation. LUCAS (looking sideways at her) How old are you? She looks at him. KATHY (getting uncomfortable, afraid to blow her cover) What's it matter? LUCAS You look young is all, you should be proud of yourself. You can't be older then.....18 and I'm being _very_ liberal. KATHY You're saying I look like a kid. LUCAS (feeling _real_ stupid) Oh, No, it's just that..... KATHY Relax, Lucas I have every right to look like a kid, I'm only 16. He stares. LUCAS Wow. KATHY Why 'wow'? LUCAS (having a hard time trying to find the right words) I mean, you look at _least_ 17. How'd you get in the Navy so young? Same as me? KATHY I'm no Lucas Wolenczak. I couldn't crack your GPA. LUCAS (grinning) Really....? KATHY Yeah. People've been trying for years. LUCAS I know. (beat) So you went to Stanford. KATHY (sighing, looking away at the water) I'm still _going _ to Stanford. LUCAS What's your major? KATHY (matter-of-factly) Cetacean Science, Pre Vet. Neurology. LUCAS Wow. Genius? KATHY 159. Just bright. He smiles. KATHY I've read your work. The Vo-Corder program, 100 pieces of Dolphin wisdom. LUCAS Big Ocean-- KATHY Big Fun. Lucas smiles warmly at her. KATHY Also that article "Aquatic Soil Evaluations in the Caspian Sea." LUCAS Ugh.... She smiles. KATHY I thought it was good. LUCAS You lie, no you didn't. She smiles. KATHY (rhetorical question) When you go over to your girlfriend's house for dinner, do you tell her parents there's a bug in your salad? Lucas laughs. Darwin swims in. Kathy walks over to him, smiling, amazed. Lucas follows her, carrying the Vo-Corder. She looks at it in his hands. KATHY (shy once again) Can I use it? LUCAS (protectively) You know how? KATHY Yeah. He gently places it in her hands. She looks at it a moment, then speaks softly, unsure of the volume to it. KATHY Darwin? DARWIN Hello, mermaid. Lucas laughs. LUCAS It's been a while since he's called anybody that. DARWIN Lucas mermaid mate. LUCAS He thinks... KATHY I know. (beat, glancing at Lucas) Maybe another time, okay, Darwin? Lucas laughs softly. DARWIN (impatiently) Lucas mermaid mate now. LUCAS (blushing furiously) Go away, Darwin. Darwin seems to laugh and swims off. Kathy turns, smiling. KATHY (awestruck) Wow. That's amazing. LUCAS You handled that well, he's always trying to set me up. He thinks I need a girlfriend. KATHY (grinning) Do you? He shakes his head, smiling, blushing again. LUCAS Can we not talk about this? She nods quietly, seeing his discomfort. He gets quiet, walks over to the science area of the room. Kathy follows, watching as he types a moment on a POC. He's quick. KATHY What're you doing? He looks up, startled. She doesn't understand why he should be. KATHY What's wrong? LUCAS (interested, smiling) Where did you grow up? She laughs softly, realizing her accent is showing through. When she speaks, it becomes apparent that her voice holds a distinctive southern twang to it, bringing Lucas visions of women on plantations in long dresses drinking lemonade in the summer while going to cattilions to court their men. KATHY Western Virginia. He's very interested. LUCAS (trying to picture it) What was it like there? KATHY (smiling, reminiscing) I lived on a farm with my father, he owned a lumber company so of course we could afford it. I spent my free time riding horses and reading everything I could find on the ocean. I wanted for a long time to be on _seaQuest_ when I got older. But I never dreamed I'd be stationed on _seaQuest_ at 16. LUCAS You rode horses. KATHY I'm pretty good. Wanna see a picture of my horse? LUCAS Sure. As he patiently waits, she takes out her wallet. She leafs through her UEO ID, her drivers license (driving age is 15 and 8 months in Virginia), and gets to pictures. One of her and her father, a tall outdoorsman, and...Lucas' mother? Huh? Anyway, she continues to look through the pictures, passed one of Lucas at 17, when _seaQuest II_ was just commissioned, to a picture of her on a large gray horse, wearing tall black boots, gray pants, and a black tank top, looking, honestly, quite lovely. She smiles and takes out the picture, showing it to Lucas. He smiles. KATHY (protectively) He's my baby. LUCAS (not quite the most interested he could be) What's his name? KATHY Harley. His father's name was David, so his show name is "Harley, David's son". It's so lame, I know..... Lucas laughs softly, obviously he didn't think it was so lame. Lucas hands her back the picture and smiles at her, caught in her eyes. She looks away to put the picture back, he looks away as he realizes he was staring. LUCAS What's your assignment again? She's interrupted as Tim calls down to the Pool. O'NEILL Hey Lucas, can you come down to the bridge, we're shorthanded with Williams on maternity leave and the new sensor chief hasn't come down for duty yet. Lucas looks at Kathy, she shrugs and smiles. He shakes his head. LUCAS We'll be down in a minute, Tim. Lucas lets go of the comm button and looks at her. KATHY It's a hobby. They walk out into the hall together. LUCAS (interested in getting to know her better) Do you have any brothers or sisters? KATHY (she looks at him, somewhat startled.) Uhm.....yeah. Five, actually. All my Dad's kids from a first marriage. Bryan's 21, Kelly's 19, and Hunter and Jake are both 17. I haven't seen my oldest brother for a long time. LUCAS How'd you get into dolphins? KATHY I've always loved the ocean. Every summer my family would go to the islands and I'd spend the entire time either on, in, or staring at the ocean. LUCAS (thinking alone the lines, Bermuda, Hawaii) Which islands? KATHY Assateague. Chincoteague. LUCAS (laughing) What? KATHY Off the coast of Delmarva Virginia. (she looks at him, he still has no idea) You have no idea, do you? LUCAS None whatsoever. She smiles at him. They continue slowly down the hall, taking the long way, in no hurry to get to the bridge. She turns to him. KATHY (wanting to know _him_ better) Tell me about yourself. He looks at her, stunned. KATHY I've been pouring my guts to you all morning, are you saying you aren't willing to do the same? LUCAS No, it's just that.... There isn't much about me to know. KATHY (smiling) I don't believe that one bit. LUCAS Why? KATHY Fine, I admit it, I know mostly everything about you. I've read your work, UEO files.... LUCAS (aghast) You read my UEO files? She nods, afraid she's done something to upset him. LUCAS How? She looks away, shy again, very uncomfortable, even a little scared. Lucas grabs her arm and turns her toward him. She pulls away, frightened. He takes her upper arm on the other side, too. KATHY (loudly) Let me go!!! He looks into her eyes. She's scared. LUCAS (furious, betrayed) How'd you get in there?! KATHY Through the computer! LUCAS (giving her a quick shake) HOW?! KATHY They're just numbers, Lucas!! He lets her go. He's amazed now. LUCAS (quietly) You hacked UEO codes. KATHY (making light of it) Lucas, I went for a ride on Harley while my machine tried the numbers and when I came back I was in. It wasn't hard. UEO really needs to hike up their security. LUCAS (to himself, in a way) Yeah, I'm workin' on it. I've only known one other person who could do that. (He snaps back to reality) What'd my records say? KATHY Nothing I didn't already know. LUCAS (wanting to know if she read about Paul and Christine) How long ago was this? KATHY While you were off of seaQuest. LUCAS What was that for again? KATHY (knowing) You want to know if what I _think_ it was is what it truly is. He nods, admitting it. KATHY (sighing) It said you were off _seaQuest_ for psychological counseling following the death of a friend. LUCAS (thinking "that's pretty lame") That's the best they could come up with? For 3 _months_? God.... Oh, I'm sorry I grabbed you, I was afraid......nevermind. KATHY There's something you didn't want anybody to hear. He nods softly. KATHY (me, because I'm more special than everyone else) Will you tell me? LUCAS (looking at the floor, walking) Later. She looks at him, unsure _what_ to think now. Bridge. The two young people walk in, climbing the stairs to the starboard platform. Hudson looks over and is not happy. HUDSON (patronizing) Ensign Wolenczak, who is this? A friend from a rival high school? Lucas doesn't appreciate this abuse. Kathy sighs softly and stands. KATHY (saluting, standing at attention) Enlisted Woman Kathleen Olivier, Sir. My duties include WSKRs specialist, French Translator, and I'm entering into a veterinary apprenticeship tomorrow. HUDSON (disbelieving they'd actually _do_ this to him) How _old_ are you? KATHY I'll be 17 in 2 months, Captain. Hudson shakes his head. HUDSON (softly) Good God. KATHY I'm the officer Secretary General McGath promised you, Sir. Hudson looks at her closely. HUDSON You two look nothing alike. KATHY He's adopted, Sir. Hudson nods absently, giving her a halfhearted salute. Kathy sits, sighing softly. LUCAS Wanna fill me in here? KATHY McGath is my uncle. LUCAS WHAT!?!?! Everybody turns to them. Kathy puts on her headset and looks at her screen, smiling. KATHY (looking at her console, smiling) The simulators are never as pretty as they are in real life. Miguel turns to her. ORTIZ You're right. Kathy smiles at him. KATHY (in recognition, these two seem like old friends) Hey Miguel. ORTIZ Comfortable? KATHY I could sleep here. ORTIZ Sometimes we do. KATHY I can't wait 'till I get my certification and get into Med-Bay. ORTIZ Lucas can show you around there if you like. He spends enough time there. LUCAS (_very_ hostile) Shut _up_, Miguel. KATHY (trying to keep the peace) Lucas, he was only kidding. LUCAS (typing) I don't _care_. Kathy sighs, obviously this is something he needs to work through. She doesn't know him well enough to make judgments, but based on what she's seen, how Miguel's spoken of him to her during their e-mail correspondence, and the way the crew acts towards him, this young man has been through something awful recently. Kathy looks down at her screen, listening to the sonar pinging in throughout the bridge, feeling the trickle of sweat down her back, smiling at the realization: she is on _seaQuest_. Something out-of-the-ordinary appears on her screen, she quietly whispers through her headset to Miguel behind her. KATHY Miguel? ORTIZ I see it. You tell him. KATHY I don't know how.... ORTIZ Learn through experience, darling. She swallows and calls out. KATHY (all business, none of her fear showing through) Captain, I'm reading a vessel tailing us at 50 meters and closing. HUDSON (giving a glance at Kathy) Hail them, Lieutenant. O'Neill places the call. O'NEILL (I didn't expect one) No response, Sir. HENDERSON Sir, four torpedoes port side impact in seven seconds!! HUDSON Brace yourselves, people! The ship is struck. Kathy is thrown from her seat into the wall behind the platform. Lucas kneels by her side and helps her up. She's definitely disoriented. LUCAS (all concern) Are you okay? KATHY (shakily) I hit my head, it's nothing, I'll be okay. Lucas looks at her forehead, seeing blood trickling from a small cut. Kathy is dizzy, having a hard time getting the balance to stand, even _with_ Lucas' help. Lucas turns to Hudson, who is just walking up the platform, having incapacitated the evil ship. Hudson actually looks concerned. HUDSON Is everything all right? LUCAS (frightened) She fell and hit her head. KATHY (not wanting to be any trouble) I'm fine, Lucas. HUDSON (sighing) Take her down to Med-Bay, make sure she's all right. KATHY (desperately) I'm _fine_. LUCAS (trying to tell her it's not such a big deal to accept help) It can't hurt just to get you checked out. He helps her stand, shakily. She pulls away, then goes limp, passed out. Lucas grabs her and lays her on the floor, looking up at Hudson, not hiding his fear. Med-Bay. Wendy places a stethoscope around her neck and looks up from Kathy's supine form to face Lucas. LUCAS Is she all right? WENDY She'll be fine. It's just a mild concussion, nothing to be really worried about. She'll get a few mild headaches, and it'll fade away. I'll give her some medication for the headaches, but only time will cure it. Lucas nods softly, gazing at her sleeping face, her long blonde hair. WENDY (trying to get Lucas to look up, to tear him away) She's young, Lucas. LUCAS (softly) Doesn't matter. WENDY You wanna know how much she weighs, Lucas? LUCAS It doesn't matter. WENDY 97. He looks at her. LUCAS How tall is she? WENDY Five foot-three. I'm wondering if there's something wrong with her. LUCAS Not everyone who's slender is anorexic. When I was fifteen I weighed ninety-five, too. (beat, he gently touches Kathy's hand) So....is she gonna be okay? WENDY She just needs to rest. You should do the same. He nods softly. He leans down to kiss Kathy's forehead, then sighs, stands, and leaves. Wendy gazes at the young girl who's stolen Lucas' heart right out of his chest. Lucas' quarters. He's online, typing, on the UEO net. He places a search "Olivier, Kathleen". He gets a couple hits. Medical records, School records, no police file, not that he expected to find one. He looks in her medical files. Sure enough, 2 months ago she was diagnosed as anorexic. Hmm......how does he approach this? Start a conversation? Say nothing and hover over her whenever she eats? Tell her his story? Wendy interrupts. WENDY Lucas, Kathy's waking and she's asking for you. LUCAS I'll be right there. He gets off-line, saving the files to his hard drive. Med-Bay. Lucas walks in. Kathy's alone, lying in bed, waiting for him. She smiles. LUCAS Hey. How're you feelin'? KATHY Headache.... He nods softly, sitting on her bed. LUCAS Anything I can do? KATHY Take me to dinner. At the mention of food, he tenses. He looks at her, nodding softly. KATHY Is everything okay, Lucas? LUCAS Yeah. I didn't want to tell you this earlier, but, um....I'm anorexic and bulimic. KATHY You read my medical files. You read my medical files and now you're trying to "one-up" me?! What the hell is this, Lucas, I have an _illness_, not only did you invade my privacy but you're making fun of me!! LUCAS I would _never_ make fun of you!! I'm not lying, if I was I'd say I _didn't_ read your files, but the truth is, once I saw how thin you are I thought about it. I'm sick, too, I'd never lie about that. You know I'm on antidepressants and antipsychotics, what makes you think I _wouldn't_ have an eating disorder, look at me! She stops and thinks. KATHY It's kindof scary how much you and I have in common, Lucas. He nods. KATHY (ashamed) I'm sorry I thought you were trying to jerk me around. LUCAS And I'm sorry I yelled. Now let's fight how upset we are and at least give a decent meal some semblance of effort, okay? She smiles and nods. Later. Galley. Lucas and Kathy are together, in uniform, having dinner with Ortiz and Tony as they laugh over lame punishments they got as kids. They're exceptionally loud and obnoxious, but Lucas doesn't want to leave so he won't look like a sissy in front of Kathy, and Kathy doesn't want to leave because these are Lucas' friends. Ortiz starts laughing about the time his mom sent him to his room because he stayed on the vid too long, when in his room he had a TV, computer, video games, and stereo. He would get in trouble just so he could get sent to his room. Tony and Ortiz laugh hysterically. Lucas suddenly joins in their laughter, it is very forced, very fake, and terribly mocking. He forces out the laughter as he tells a very un-funny story. LUCAS I remember once, when I was four...after 6 hours I pissed myself and my mom....she...she locked me in a closet for 27 hours! He forces out several more "Ha" 's as Ortiz and Tony become frightfully serious. Lucas looks at them, serious, furious. LUCAS Bastards. Lucas picks up his things and leaves. Kathy stands and runs after him into the hallway. KATHY Lucas! He's standing by the doorway, tears streaming down his cheeks. Kathy walks over to him. KATHY Lucas.... He stands and heads off down the hall. LUCAS Leave me alone. KATHY Lucas. Lucas, STOP. Listen to me. Lucas, I'm your sister!!! He turns and looks at her. LUCAS I don't feel like being jerked around. KATHY I'm not jerking you around. Your parents divorced when you were 14, because of reasons they _still_ haven't told you. Two months later your mother married my father and three months later I was born. You mother had a child, Lucas, and I am that child! LUCAS You're lying. KATHY No, I'm not. LUCAS Prove it. KATHY When you were five you climbed up onto your Dad's computer desk and fell and that's how you got that scar on your nose. It was May 12, 2008 when you were first diagnosed as having Leukemia. You had colic real bad when you were 2 weeks old. Your first word was "love". Your parents were in the middle of having a fight and you held out your arms and started to cry and just kept saying "love" over and over again. Your English teacher published a poem that you wrote when you were fifteen while you were in stasis, it was called "I have a secret". Your online girlfriend broke up with you and you locked yourself in your room listening to the secret song on "Jagged Little Pill" for 3 days. God, Lucas, take a look at us, this is genetics at it's _finest_. Lucas has tears in his eyes, he's slowly realizing that what she's saying makes _sense_. KATHY I had closet sessions, too. Most was 13 hours, Dad'd come home and let me out as soon as he found me. (beat, looks at him) Mom made _wicked_ Ziti. He looks at her. LUCAS Oh my God. She nods softly. He's speechless, doesn't know what to say. LUCAS What can I do for you....what do you need? They're both crying, it's been a tough day, their emotions are shot to hell by now. KATHY Since I was five all I've ever needed from you is to be held, Lucas. He gently takes her into his arms, she rests her head on his chest, and he goes numb with the feeling of her hair against his cheek, holding her close to him. Miguel walks out of the galley in search of them and gives a "Go Lucas!!" kinda grin, thinking this is sexual. It could not be less sexual, nor more loving. The End. ========================================================================== K.W. Copyright Kathleen Brown May 1997