Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 11:26:49 +0000 From: loeffler@istar.ca To: seaquest-ff@escapenet.org Subject: (SQFF) (Fwd) E; SQ fanfic Always Captured - Part 1 Message-Id: Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Now you can quit being so hard on me about Kimura. I told you who questioned my motives with her that things were going to change and they are. :-) Part One It was late at night for Tiffany. She should have been in bed asleep long ago, but sleep didn't come easy these days. She sat in the mess hall, sipping on some hot chocolate. They told her it would relax her. She didn't think she needed to relax so much as she just needed to get the nightmares out of her head. They tormented her. She had experienced nightmares before, but these were different. She couldn't get rid of them. Her eyes were trying to close, but she kept them open. She didn't notice the figure walking toward her. "Hi Tiffany. May I sit with you?" She looked up. It was Kimura. Tiffany nodded and Kimura sat down. "I'm not bothering you, am I? You look lost or in your own world." "Not my world, just one of rats." "What do you mean?" "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. I need some sleep. I have to be on duty in five hours and sleep isn't coming easy these days." Kimura looked down. She had got a cold drink for herself. "Why are you here then? You should be in bed." "I can't." Tiffany looked at her. "I keep having these dreams about rats. There's one big rat who keeps coming up to me and staring me in the face. He says I'm invading his territory and I have to get out or he will eat me. I see him over and over again. It's so realistic. I can't get rats out of my mind." "Rats? Why rats? Have you seen some on this ship or something?" "No. Perseid Colony. They were my cell mates in jail. Ugly looking things. Not as big as I had thought rats were though, but these ones in my dreams, well, they're gigantic. Over active imagination I guess." "I heard about your experience there. I know what the dreams are like. I haven't slept much since I came on here over a year ago. I keep seeing the Chaudai coming after me. I dream that they find out I'm still alive and they come on here, take me away and do horrible things to me." "I thought I had a problem with rats. At least my nightmares should fade out soon and eventually go away, but yours have been going on for over a year. You must have seen some horrible things when you were with them. I've only heard rumours about what they do." Tiffany could feel compassion toward her now. There was a time when she didn't care what Kimura thought or felt. Now she had learned Kimura wasn't as bad as people thought. She had been brought up differently from others. She had a lot more fears to overcome than other people. "I did see some atrocities. They are unfeeling and extremely cruel. I saw that when my parents tried to escape. They didn't care about them. They made me watch what happened so I would know what would happen to me if I ever tried the same. I will never forget that. In my dreams they come and do worse things to me. If I had been in my fighter when they blew it up, it would have been a better way to die than to suffer their tortures." "Kimura, you were five when your parents died, weren't you?" "Yes, and please, Tiffany, I would like you to call me by may first name, Heiko. No one uses my first name and I would really like it better." "Sure, Heiko. I'm sorry. I never really thought. Anyway, I was four when my parents died, so we have something in common. My parents were killed in a car accident, instantly. But I know what it's like to grow up without them and without their love." "Yes, I guess you do. That's something we have in common, but my upbringing was very different from yours. At least you had someone to love you. I lost all human love when my parents were killed. I was trained from age five to be a soldier." "That's a lot of training to try and undo now." Tiffany was starting to feel more towards this new friend she had. She wanted to reach out to her but didn't know how to." "I just wish others would consider that. I hate the staring and the whispers. I know I'm not well liked here, but I couldn't go anywhere else. This is all I know how to do." "But now we're at peace. You'll have to learn to handle it." "There won't ever be peace as long as the Chaudai are around." "Yeah, you have a point there. Well, I think I should try to get some shut eye. You should too. Heiko, if you ever want to talk, I'll be there for you. Just come and see me, OK?" Heiko smiled. At least she had one friend on here. "Thanks, yes I'll do it. I'll try to get some sleep now too." The two ladies went back together since their quarters were beside each other. Heiko seemed relieved a bit. "Thank you, Tiffany, I feel better now. Maybe the Chaudai will stay away for a while." "And the rats too. Come to think of it, there isn't much difference is there?" She smiled. Heiko smiled back. They said good night and each went into their own quarters. In the morning Tiffany was back in the lab working. She had managed to get some sleep after leaving Heiko. Tim was on the bridge. Things were quiet and everything seemed to be running well. Commander Ford was in charge of the bridge at the moment. Captain Hudson was doing his rounds, checking things out and making sure all was going smoothly. He came on the bridge and looked around. Everything looked good here. All was shinny and polished up and everyone were doing their jobs properly. It was a smooth running ship. "Captain, I think you should hear this." It was O'Neill. What was so important that he couldn't let Commander Ford hear it first? Hudson came over. "What is it, O'Neill?" "I'm not sure sir. I may have misheard it, but I think this may be very important." "O'Neill, let Commander Ford judge if it's important and then you two can let me in on it." "Sir." Tim looked up again. "If this is what I think ..." He stopped. He put it on audio, so the three of them could hear it. " ... need help ... (crackling sounds) can't do ... (crackling sounds) been too long ... (more crackling) bridge ... (silence then more crackling) Ro ... Brid ... " Then it went silent. "Sir, that's a distress call and if I read it right, it's from Robert Bridger." Hudson looked over at Ford. He knew about Robert from his father Nathan. It couldn't be him. "Lieutenant, Robert Bridger went missing over twenty, no over twenty-one years ago now. It couldn't be him. I know Nathan thinks he's alive, but that's hard to believe. Where could he have been all this time?" "I don't know sir, but you can listen to the message again from the beginning. I recorded it. Listen to the whole message and see what you think. The first part is clearer." "Put the recording into my office, Mr. O'Neill. I'll listen to it before making up my mind. I'll let you know." Tim nodded and passed the message to the captain's office. Hudson left to listen to the message himself. In his quarters he kept going over and over what he heard. O'Neill had a point. It did sound an awful lot like he was saying Robert Bridger. Hudson knew that was impossible, but then was it really. If Robert Bridger had sired a son about eight or nine years ago, then obviously he had been alive then. Maybe he was still alive. Where could he have been all this time. What happened to him? He called to O'Neill. "O'Neill, get Wolenczak to come to my office immediately." "Yes, sir." Tim found Lucas and gave him the message. Lucas entered into the Captain's office, but wasn't sure of what was happening. He thought maybe he had been spending too much time with Darwin. Hudson didn't like Darwin. He thought a dolphin didn't belong on a military ship. Lucas tried to spend as much time with Darwin as he could, but he never spent as much as he used to. "Sir, Wolenczak reporting." "Wolenczak, I have a delicate task for you. O'Neill has picked up what looks like a distress signal. I need you to check it out, analyse it and if possible try to clear it up so we can get some bearing on it. I also need to know from whom it came. Understand this, though, you are to tell no one what you are doing or what it is about. This is a need to know project. Understand?" "Yes, sir." Lucas was wondering why this was so important. "Can you do it in privacy in your own quarters?" "Sure, that shouldn't be a problem. May I ask why this is so important?" "No you may not. You'll find out when you listen to it. Dismissed." "Yes, sir." Lucas left. Hudson just sat there. He had to verify the facts before calling Nathan. A couple of hours later, Lucas called the Captain. "Sir, I have the information you want." "In my office Ensign." Lucas hurried to his office. Hudson had told Ford and O'Neill not to talk about this with anyone. They were also in his office. They all watched as Lucas came in. "Sir, it is a distress signal and as far as I can see it's from Robert Bridger." Hudson heaved a big sigh. This is what Nathan Bridger had been waiting for. He reached for his communications link. "Sir, the distress signal is at least six years old at a guess." Hudson looked up. "Six years old? That's impossible." "No sir, I did some research on this to confirm it. About seven or eight years ago someone invented a new distress signal called SOS6. It was issued to all active operatives during the war. It was a special one which was made to be sent out if captured by the enemy. The special gun type of casing holding the signal box was so strong and made so powerful, that when the signal was released, it was sent up into space and would stay there like a satellite. It was made to give off a signal every hour for six days. Then it would stop. One year from the day it was sent up, it would give off another signal for six days. It would do this five more times. After the initial signal, it would give off six more, once a year, unless it was knocked out of space and back into earth's atmosphere where it would burn up." "Now I think I remember that. Yes I remember them talking about it but didn't know it had actually been released." Hudson said thoughtfully. "The idea was good. That way hopefully someone other than the enemy would catch the signal and rescue the person. Once rescued then they could knock the signal box out of space so it won't keep giving signals. It had to be recalled after two months though. They found out that when the enemy caught someone sending one up, they would target it and shoot it out of the air before it got to give out the signal. Another problem was that it's signal could get mixed in with others and end up being scrambled. That may be why no one has picked up the signal until now. Then of course there is the fact that it could get knocked out of space accidentally before the person had been saved. Not all of them were returned. There are five unaccounted for." "Robert Bridger must have had one, but that won't mean he is still alive now." Ford said. "Yep, and he released it six years ago as far as I can figure. The signal of this one is too weak and there is too much static. I would say this is the last signal it would be releasing." "And I picked it up." O'Neill said. "Yes you did and you caught the name. Good job. I have to get hold of Nathan and tell him." "But sir," Lucas interjected. "This signal is six years old. We can't say where he is now." "I know and that is why you three have to keep this under your hats. I don't want any rumours running around this ship. We'll try to figure it out. Any other info you can give us, Wolenczak?" "Yes, sir. It looked like Macronesia had him. From what I could tell, well, here, you can see for yourself. Here is a transcript of what I have written. I tried to clear it up as much as possible but it was hard. I wish we had a copy of the first couple of times it went out instead of the last. Anyway this is what I could get." Hudson looked at the paper. There were no sentences. He was unable to piece one together, but the words said it all. "Macronesia. Robert Bridger. Lieutenant 8759428. Captured. Cover blown. Traitor in organization. Belinda dead. Can't last much longer. Been too long. Can't do it alone. Need help." It was just a bunch of phrases, but it seemed to tell the story. "I tried to get more but it was too far gone. He basically repeated the message over and over, sometimes changing the order of the sentences. I can't do any better. I even tried to trace that number. I'm sure I got it right, but when I tried, I got locked out. There was nothing under his name and the number locked me out. Even I couldn't get through." Lucas added. "Well, it's better than nothing. Although, after six years, there won't be much of a chance of him being alive. Macronesia wouldn't hold onto to him this long without using him for leverage. His father should know what we have found. I'll try to find something out for you. In the meantime. Say nothing to no one. Understand?" "Yes sir." The three of them said. It gave them a lot to think about. Tim was on a break and went to the galley for food. Tiffany was there. "Hey, Tim, what's going on? Everyone's talking about secret conferences and hidden signals. What's happening?" "Sorry, Tiffany I can't even tell you." "Why not? I'm a superior office and I won't pull rank, but if there's something serious going on, I should know about it." "Tiffany, it's the Captain's orders. I can't say anything." "OK then, I'll let it go. He'll tell me in due time." They ate together and talked about other things. She told him about the nightmares and how she had met Heiko the night before. "You know, we really should be more lenient on her. After all she has been through a lot." "That's a laugh. You saying that. You hated her when you came on here." "Yes, I know Tim, but people change. She just needs some understanding and someone to talk to. She was quite nice last night. She prefers her first name being used." "Yeah, I guess you're right. She's seen things we can't even dream about. What about these nightmares you're having? What are they about?" She told him the jest of them. "I can remember Uncle Ollie saying, years ago, that we all have to come to face our fears and sometimes the way we do it is in nightmares. I guess that's what's happening with me now." Tim smiled. He knew that Perseid colony had affected her more than she had said, but he didn't know about the nightmares until now. He wished he could help, but this was something she would have to work out herself. Meanwhile Captain Hudson had been talking to Secretary General McGrath. He was arguing with him. He wanted to know what had happened to Robert Bridger. How did he turn up after all these years? And most of all, why wasn't his father told about him being alive. McGrath was trying to explain. "Oliver, you have to understand. SeaQuest had been missing for three months when we found Robert alive. We thought his father was dead and he accepted that. We had no way of knowing what had happened." "But Nathan came back almost two years ago. He should have been told." "By the time Nathan came back, Robert was missing again. We couldn't get his hopes up." "No, but finding his grandson has already done that." "Yes, we didn't know he had a grandson. He and his wife Belinda were agents for us during the wars. We didn't know they had a son until Nathan came up with him. When the boy was left in Brussels, it was all kept hush who he was." "We're on our way to pick Nathan up now." "Yes, and I want you to make a short detour and pick someone else up. Someone who might be able to help you with your job of finding him and someone to identify him if you do find him." "OK, but in the meantime I want you to tell me all that you know about Robert Bridger and don't hold anything back. We need to know what we're up against." "Right, I'll give you everything we have on him. Oliver." Hudson looked up. "I really do hope that you find him and that this info helps you." "You should have given everything to Nathan when he came back. He would have been able to use the info and SeaQuest and then maybe we wouldn't be going out looking for him." "You may be right, but remember we do operate on very secretive terms and during war, we have to be extremely cautious who gets what information." "Yeah, right." Hudson sat and listened as McGrath told him the whole story. More to come ... End of Part One. Sorry you'll have to wait for the whole story. I'm in the middle of moving now and am not sure when I'll get the next part into the computer, but maybe this weekend. Sherry Sherry Loeffler loeffler@istar.ca fanfic page: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/7534/intro.html "Give whatever it takes, even if it takes more than you got." Tony Piccolo to Lucas on By Any Other Name - SeaQuest DSV. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 09:12:55 +0000 From: loeffler@istar.ca To: seaquest-ff@escapenet.org Subject: (SQFF) Always Captured - Part 2 Message-Id: Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Sorry I'm so late in getting this in, but I'm moving and it's really hectic around here. I'll try and get the rest of the story into the computer before we actually move next week. BTW I decided to change the timing of the distress signal to three years rather than six years. In reading the story over, I realized six years is an awfully long time for a signal to keep going. Three years sounds more feasible. Always Captured - Part 2 Disclaimer: The acatual SeaQuest characters belong to Tamblyn and not to me. I take claim to Lt.-Cmdr Tiffany Rose and I guess I may take claim to Robert Bridger, although he was mentioned in the series, but I have brought him to life, so to speak. SeaQuest and it's crew do belong to Tamblyn and Universal studios. No copyright infringements are intended. The story itself belongs to Sherry Loeffler. Two days later all officers were commanded to be in the wardroom at 0800 hours. Tim and Tiffany came in together. The first person they saw was Captain Bridger. "Well, nice to see you two. How have you been?" "Great! It's good to see you. I heard you were on board with a special guest I hear, but no one knows who it is. What secrets are you keeping from us?" Tiffany gave him a hug and smiled. Just then another officer came over who Tiffany didn't know, but Tim was surprised. "Well now, who is this lovely addition to the crew? Benjamin Krieg at your service." "Down boy. I hear she's taken. Lieutenant Krieg, this is Lieutenant-Commander Tiffany Rose. And you know Tim." Captain Bridger introduced them. "Nice to see you Ben." Tim and Ben shook hands. "Ben Krieg. I've heard a lot about you." "All good I trust. On the other hand, don't believe everything you hear from others. I am the true source of information." "Well," Tiffany smiled. "Let's just say, some of it, but it's nice to meet the legend of SeaQuest. My sources are Tim and Lucas." "I'm not too sure about Tim, but I bet Lucas has all good things to say." Ben smiled. "Actually, you're right. He misses his 'big brother' so to speak." "Maybe, what the young man needs is a big sister." "I'm passing on that one thank you." Tiffany could sense that this man was all Tim said he was. He was a real flirt. Captain Hudson came in and cleared his throat. "Let's all sit down now and get to business." Tiffany sat beside Tim. Hudson was at the head of the table. Captain Bridger was on his left and Commander Ford on his right. Krieg sat beside Captain Bridger. Tiffany was beside Ford with Tim on her right. Also around the table were Lt.-Cmdr. Heiko Kimura, Lt. Henderson, Ensign Wolenczak and Ensign Piccolo. None of them knew what this was about. Everyone was curious. Hudson broke the silence. "I know you have all been wondering what is going on here. We will satisfy your curiosity now. I believe you all know Captain Bridger. On his left is Lt. Benjamin Krieg. Lt. Krieg has been called back to active duty specially for this assignment. A few days ago, Lt. O'Neill intercepted a distress signal, which seems to be apporximately three years old. It has been confirmed that this distress signal originated from Lt. Robert Bridger." He stopped. Everyone had a surprised look on their faces. Krieg was the first one to speak up. "But sir, I don't understand why I've been called back to active duty." "Lt. Krieg, we are going to try and find Lt. Bridger. We have three years to trace and you probably knew him the best from the academy. I realize that was a long time ago, but we need all the help we can get. We need someone who knew him to go into wherever he is and get him out. A friendly face will help." Captain Bridger spoke up. "I thought of you Ben, because he may need a friend when we do find him. He may not realize these people here are friends. He's been captured twice that we know of and may not know who his friends are. You knew him in the academy and you have combat training. You're also familiar with refugees and how to get people in and out of places in secret. That's the kind of help we need, Ben. That's why you're back on active duty." Krieg thought it over. "OK, I can see where I can help. I didn't want this active duty. I didn't understand what was going on, but now I do want to help. If Robert is alive, it would be a privelege to be one of the ones to rescue him. But why, after all these years? How do you know he's alive? No one has heard from him." "That's not exactly true. I got the story from McGrath two days ago. Captain Bridger has been informed of what has happened all these years and why everything has been kept a secret." "I'm letting Captain Hudson tell you all what has happened these past twenty or more years with my son." Captain Bridger looked concerned. He knew he was close to finding his son, but he was also apprehensive. Could he still be alive? What about his grandson? What would he tell him? He had so many questions and no answers. Captain Hudson continued. In 2012 Ensign Bridger was lost at sea. Or so everyone thought. What no one knew was that he had taken a hit in the head during a battle. He fell off the boat and it was thought that he drowned in the ocean. He was found on the coast of Wales, dying. Apparently when he was washed ashore, he had the sense to take off his uniform and identity badges and hide them. He didn't know where he was. He might have been in enemy territory." Hudson paused. " A family found him whose daughter had recently graduated from nursing school. She had come home to help with the family business of farming because her parents weren't well. Her name was Belinda Roth. Her father brought Robert back to their house. She nursed him back to health, but his memory was gone. The lazer which hit him had damaged that part of his brain." People were watching both Hudson and Bridger. They were stunned that something like this could happen. It was like in a novel or a vid show of some sort. "Robert was given a new name and decided to stay there to help Belinda's family. They put pictures up around Wales, but no one knew him. He was afraid that he was actually a criminal and was on the run. So they stopped trying to find out and he just built a new life. He eventually married Belinda and she is the mother of Michael, Nathan's grandson." It was a lot for people to take in. "About ten years later he was walking with Belinda in the small town and they stopped to look in a second hand shop. There he saw his old uniform. It had been found years ago by someone who recently sold it to get some money. He recognized the UEO symbol, but not the name. On a hunch, he went in and bought it. They contacted UEO and found out who he really was. Unfortunately this was after SeaQuest disappeared, so his father could not be told." People looked at Captain Bridger. He now knew his son had been alive all along. So close and yet so far away. Bridger was looking down. "Robert decided to continue with the UEO navy. It was a major decision for him and his wife supported him. Belinda also joined the UEO and they worked together. When the war broke out, a special task force was formed. Robert and Belinda were asked to join it. What they did was infiltrate enemy territory as a newly married couple. Their cover was that they were recently married and wanted to spend their honeymoon in whatever place they were infiltrating. It was an unbreakable cover, or so they thought." Hudson paused and looked over at Captain Bridger. "As a couple Robert and Belinda made a big difference in the war against Macronesia. They managed to infiltrate many places, thereby stopping many battles before they began. They were an essential part of the defence the UEO had against Macronesia. There is a plan to honour them, with Robert's father in attendance at a special UEO event. But to continue on. They had taken a six month leave in 2026, when Belinda's mother passed away and her father was very sick. That seems to be when their son, Michael was born. The UEO didn't know about him. It was kept a secret until Nathan found him." Captain Bridger just nodded. "Belinda's father passed away and Michael was left with Belinda's sister. They came back to duty, but managed to take time off between missions, presumably to be with Michael. In 2030 the family had been vacationing in Brussels when they were called back to duty. It was so sudden, they didn't know what to do and someone suggested leaving Michael at the embassy. He was looked after by a family from the embassy. They went on a mission to the middle of Macronesia. No one had gone in as far as they did and this was an especially sensitive mission. That was the last which was heard from them. That is, until O'Neill picked up this signal." "Sir, there is one thing which bothers me." Tony spoke up. He wasn't sure he was allowed to say anything. He hadn't been an officer for long and wasn't sure of protocol. "Yes, Ensign, go on." "Well, why didn't the UEO say anything when Captain Bridger was found. I mean they could have at least let him know his son wasn't killed twenty years before." "You have a good point, Ensign. That's just what I asked. Apparently the UEO didn't feel it was necessary since Robert was now missing again." "Whew, I don't think I'd be too happy about that." Tony added. "I'm not, Tony. You're right. It was a lousy way to treat me. However, that's in the past and what we are concerned about now is the present. Is Robert alive and can we find him?" Captain Bridger wasn't happy about the situation, but nothing could change what had happened. "What we're concerned about now is how to find him. We're going to have to trace his steps from when he was captured and go as far as we can with it. Hopefully, this will lead us to him or at least tell us what happened to him." Captain Hudson continued. "We are now headed for Macronesia. That's the last time anyone knew of him. If we can find out where he went and just what happened on that mission, we stand a chance of finding him." "Um, sir?" Tony spoke up again. "What about his wife Belinda?" "From the distress signal, it seems that Belinda was killed, but we'll find out for sure when we get there. Any more questions?" Hudson paused. "Yes, sir." Tiffany spoke up. "How could that signal have been around for three years or so and why has no one picked it up until now?" Lucas was the one to answer that one. "The signal that he sent came from a distress signal devised about five or six years ago. It was made that it would give off the distress signal for three years. Each time thought it got weaker. As for why no one picked up the other signals, there are many reasons for that. The original signal may not have been picked up because there were no other boats in the area at that time. Also this particular item had some problems. If there were a lot of other signals being sent from other ships or from the land, then it may have got scrambled up in the other signals and no one separated them. There could have been some other interference such as static storms or other things which kept the signal from being picked up each time. It was only a fluke that Tim picked this one up." He looked over at Tim. "Sorry, actually I guess it was good ears that picked it up." Tim smiled. Tiffany nodded. That sounded good to her. Hudson also nodded. "OK then, you are all dismissed, but with this word of warning. What has been said in this room remains here and goes no where else. Does everyone understand?" There were numerous "Yes sir," and "Aye sir," replies all around the room. Everyone knew that it had to be kept secret so there wouldn't be any rumours. They all left. Tiffany was beside Tim. "Nice going Tim. Captain Bridger must be proud of you for finding that signal." Tim gave a sort of half smile. "I was just doing my duty. I picked up a distress signal and followed through on it." "You are being modest. Most people would just ignore it if they couldn't make it out." "Hey, kiddies, wait up!" Krieg rushed up to them. "What's the hurry? I thought we could spend some more time together." He looked at Tiffany. Just then Lucas came over. "Ben, she's taken. Let it go." "Taken?" Ben looked at Tim. Tim went red and wasn't sure what to say, but Tiffany was. "Yes, taken by my work and things to do. Give it a rest Krieg. Believe me, I'm not your type." Tiffany said before Tim could say anything. "Well, you never know unless you spend some time with me." "I intend spending as little time as possible with you, Lt. I have work to do." With that Tiffany smiled at Tim. "Later, Tim." He nodded and she went her own way, leaving the three men. "Ben, do you have to flirt with every woman?" Lucas asked. "Besides, Ben, she's right. She's not your type." Tim added with disgust in his voice. "Well it was worth a try. Who's she taken by?" Ben asked. Lucas nodded at Tim. "Tim? Whoa, sorry there guy. I didn't mean to intrude." "It's alright. She knows how to handle you anyway." Tim went back to the bridge. "A bit touchy there isn't he?" "I think he's still feeling funny about the situation. He's really gone head over heels over her and the whole ship knows it, but her." Lucas told him. "Really? That sounds like our Tim. Shy to the bone. Well Lucas, let's you and I have a talk about what's been happening on this ship since I last saw you." They went away to talk. Ford was back up on the bridge. He was wondering how Captain Bridger must be feeling. He thought his son was dead, but the UEO had known he wasn't. What a situation to be in. Captains Bridger and Hudson were in Hudson's office. Hudson felt awkward about it. This used to be Nathan's office. He felt like he should turn it over to him. "Nathan, you know if you want your own office, there's no problem with that. I'd be glad to give it back to you while you're on this ship." "Oliver, of course not. This is your office now. I gave it up, remember? Anyway I may not be on here long. Once we get to Macronesia, I want to be among the shore crew." "Nathan, you should stay on here until we find out just what is happening. I planned on Krieg, Piccolo and Tiffany going with me. We'll be able to handle it ourselves. If there's any indication that Robert is there, then I'll call you." "I prefer to go myself. He's my son." "That's why you should stay. We don't know how they're going to handle this. We don't want his father killed on the eve of seeing him again. You have to stay, Nathan." Hudson didn't say it but it sounded like an order. "Yes, I guess you're right, but keep in touch. I'm going to go crazy waiting to hear from you. I'm not sure I'd even recognixe him after all this time. I keep wondering what he will look like and if he'll recognize me." "You'll recognize him when you see him. I know you will and he could never forget his father. McGrath told me that Robert never really believed you were dead. He had said to several people that you couldn't leave him that way and that you'd be back. It's amazing that you did come back. You could have been stuck up there. He had faith though, just like you've had faith these past couple of years." "Yes, you're right. I thought we'd never get back. It was quite an experience. One I don't want to have again." "I can see that. Well how is Michael doing anyway?" "Growing strong. I can see so much of Robert in him already. He has Robert's mannerisms, his gestures and even this special look Robert always had when he was going to do something he thought I wouldn't approve of. He really is Robert's son. I know it. No doubt about it." "I'm glad for you Nathan. Family's important. I've always thought that anyway." "I know. You and Tiffany are very close, aren't you? How do you find it, working together on SeaQuest?" "Yes we are close and I'm still not sure about working together. It's been great most of the time, but then, when something happens, like when I got hit on the bridge. Tiffany said she couldn't handle that type of situation again. She was really scared for me. I don't know. And then on top of it she goes and falls in love. I can't believe it." "Falls in love? Not Tim O'Neill?" Hudson nodded. "Yep, it's him." "You know he's a great officer. I know you two have had your problems, but he is good and he's also a fine man. She won't do any better than him, Oliver." "Yeah, I already figured that out. But I'm still a bit leary about it. Working with relatives is not always good. It's bad enough with her and I." "It's as good as you make it Oliver. Don't worry. They'll be alright. They're both sensible young adults." "Well, not that young now, but I know it'll work out." They talked some more about the ship and how things were handled now on the ship. Then they went for a meal. Both were anxious to get to their destination. They both wanted this mystery solved. They both also wondered how it would end. Was Robert alive? Or had he been killed, this time for certain? They both hoped it would end well, and they were afraid to let each other know their feelings. They didn't want the other one to know they had apprehensions about this mission. Shortly after they ate, Hudson got a call from Ford that they were approaching Macronesia. They went to the bridge to watch the approach on the screen. Tension was great on the bridge. End of part two. More to come ... Sherry Sherry Loeffler loeffler@istar.ca fanfic page: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/7534/intro.html "Give whatever it takes, even if it takes more than you got." Tony Piccolo to Lucas on By Any Other Name - SeaQuest DSV. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Resent-date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 20:52:24 -0500 (CDT) Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 20:41:59 +0000 Resent-from: seaQuest-ff-request@escapenet.org From: loeffler@istar.ca Subject: (sQ-ff) Always Captured - Part 3/4. Resent-sender: seaQuest-ff-request@escapenet.org To: seaquest-ff@escapenet.org Reply-to: seaQuest-ff@escapenet.org X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.53/R1) Priority: normal X-Mailing-List: archive/latest/57 X-Loop: seaQuest-ff@stgenesis.org Comments: Authenticated sender is Sorry this is so late. I'm still in the middle of moving, but the big stuff has been done, the computer is moved and I was only offline for three days. It all worked out in the end. Only one more part to this story to get in here after this one. Hope all of you remember what happened in parts one and two. :-) Part three of Always Captured. Disclaimer - As per usual, all SQ characters and the ship are the copyright of Tamblyn and Universal. The story itself is mine though and copyright to Sherry Loeffler. They came in slowly to port. It was now early morning. Hudson watched the screen. It looked peaceful. It was hard to believe that this country was the start of strife, terror and war in the world. Years ago Bourne and Dion Intl. terrorized the rest of the world with their super weapon, changing continents and destroying the world. They grew in personnel as well as their methods of horror. Hudson knew the war wasn't really over. There was too much damage, too many hurting people and too much distrust of each other. It was a start though, when the powers that be, on both sides, sat down together to start negotiations. It gave people hope to see that. "Commander Ford, you have the bridge. I'm taking Rose, Krieg and Piccolo with me. Nathan why don't you just relax for a while? We'll find out what's going on. Don't worry." "I can't relax Oliver, you know that. He's my son." "I know, just try though." Captain Bridger nodded. He was very concerned. He knew he was getting close and that made him more tense. The four UEO people stepped out of the shuttle. They were dressed casually, not in uniform. They didn't want to attract attention. "I've never actually been here. It's funny, but I've fought in the war so many times, but never saw the country I was fighting against." said Tiffany. "I've been here all too often. There's a lot of bad memories here." Ben told them. "Sir." Tony nodded toward a sign. "Over there." His eyes looked over to the right. There was a sign advertising the mono-rail shuttle going into the interior. It listed the places it stopped at. "That's what we want. Piccolo. The Northern Territory, Macdonnell Ranges." Hudson started to walk over. "I'll get our tickets." He came back with four tickets. "It doesn't leave for another two hours. We've got time to snoop around." "How about some grub? I'm starved." Tony pointed to a nearby restaurant. "A man after my own heart. Tony, let's check this place out." Ben smiled. Tiffany rolled her eyes. "Typical men. Guys, one of you is enough. We don't need two of the same type." "Hey Tiffany, two are much better than one." Ben laughed. Hudson interrupted. "Just don't do anything rash or to cause a disturbance. We have a priority remember." "Aye sir." They both said. "And don't call me sir. It's Hudson." Ben and Tony looked at each other. "We don't want to be noticed. I'm going to check around, see if I can ask some questions, discreetly." "Thanks a lot, leave me with these two." Tiffany wasn't happy. "You three can do the same, but, be discreet. We'll meet back here at 09:30 hours." Hudson started walking down the street. Tiffany decided to go on her own. Ben looked at Tony. "Let's go in here and see if I can find some of my old contacts." They went in. At 09:30 Hudson and Tiffany met back at the rendezvous point. Tony and Ben were nowhere to be seen. "I didn't find much. They don't want to talk very much about the war around here. What about you Tiffany?" "I talked to a lady who's a real chatterbox. She said a lot, but didn't say much, you know what I mean? She talked about a young couple who match Robert and Belinda's descriptions. They stayed at her rooming house for a week. She thought they were really cute. She remembers them, because, even though they were on their honeymoon, they were really nice to her, you know, not just looking at each other all the time, but they were concerned about her and how the war was affecting her. They used to come downstarirs at night and talk to her a lot. Apparently they were taking the scenic shuttle, not the express, into the interior to the Macdonnell Ranges." "Good work, that's the shuttle we're on. I figured if they were supposed to be on their honeymoon, they wouldn't want to take the express. They probably had a compartment. We have one too. We're going to follow their steps exactly if we can. Now we just need the other two. Where did they go? The shuttle will be leaving soon." They both looked around. Tiffany pointed to the restaurant/bar. They went into it. The interior was very dim and smoky. There was a smell of drugs, likely illegal drugs. Hudson headed to the bar. "Hey, there, Hudson, my old buddy. Bout time you came in here." Ben came up to him and slapped him on the back and winked. "Where? ..." Ben interrupted him. I knew you would find this place alright. This is the best and the most greatest and the most, well come over here and see." He led Hudson to a table. Tiffany watched from a distance in case this was a male only thing. Tony was sitting there with three women who were hugging him and he looked like he was really enjoying it. He was grinning from ear to ear. Tiffany smiled. She imagined how he would tell this story back on the ship at his poker games. "Hey, Cap. What do you think? I'd like to take at least one of them back." Hudson wasn't sure how to proceed. "No, I don't think so Tony. So what's up here?" He hoped they were playing at undercover stuff. He did not approve of his crew acting this way. "Hudson, my friend, just follow me and you will have the time of your life." Ben turned and looked over at Tiffany. He motioned for her to come over. "And my sweet little thing here can come along too. The more the merrier." "Ben, you get your hands off ..." "Sweet thing, this is your Benny now. Be nice." Tiffany looked at Hudson who nodded. She wasn't sure what was expected of her, but it looked like she had to go along with it. "OK Benny, dear, let's go." They followed the girls out through a back way, down a hall and out into the open. The girls each gave Ben and Tony a hug and a kiss before leaving them. They looked at Hudson, but he shook his head. Hudson turned to Ben, but before he could say anything, a man came down the alley. "Benjamin, I couldn't believe it when I heard. You're back, and with some friends. I heard it almost went bad after you left here." "Yeah, well, these are the people who picked us up off that iceberg. They saved us and now I'm helping them with a favour." "Oh, yes and I think I know who you're looking for. A young couple on their honeymoon, right?" Ben nodded. "Yes, there was something abut them that didn't ring true. They went into the interior, to the Macdonnell Ranges and I never saw or heard of them again. There's a colony there that was built about ten or so years ago. It was used as an outpost. You see, our enemies wouldn't dare come into the interior of this country, so we just put our main outpost there. It was a terrific idea. Anyway, that's where they headed, to Simpson's Retreat. It's just at the edge of the mountain range and the Simpson's desert." He looked from one to another. "But there's nothing there now. It's been deserted for the past few months, since they started negotiations." "Where's the nearest town to it?" Hudson asked. "I guess, it would be Nedlands. It's about five miles away from it." "That sounds good. Thank you very much for your help." "Anything to help Ben here. He's still a hero around here." The man smiled at Ben. They shook hands and then Hudson noticed the time. "We've got a shuttle to catch in five minutes. Thanks again and I hope things change around here soon for you." "They are changing, don't worry. Ben started it and the ball is still rolling." He left them and they rushed down to the station to catch their shuttle. It was set up on a rail high above the ground. The train would travel along this rail to stations and people could see the country side. The train glided along. It was a smooth trip but Hudson was still tense. Tiffany was entralled. It was a five hour trip so they had lots of time to admire the countryside. She pointed out the animals running wild. "They're called wallabies. Exclusive to here. Beautiful creatures. They almost became extinct, but about 12 or so years ago people started Save the Wallabies clubs and now they're growing in numbers." Ben explained. He knew a lot about them and pointed out the kangaroos and koalas. In the desert they saw dingos, camels and even the infamous Tasmania Devil. "Look Unc, up in that tree! There's a Koala family! How cute!" Hudson looked at it and smiled. Tiffany was just like a tourist not a military person. That was good, since it helped their cover. He couldn't forget he was military. They passed through the Simpson desert. At the edge of it they could see abandoned buildings. It didn't look like there was any activity at all. The buildings were dilapidated, but they knew they had to find out for themselves. There may be some clue still there that would help in their search. Soon they came to Nedlands and got off. They looked around. The town was nestled in a valley between two mountains. There was a lot of greenery here and flowers around. This was so different from the desert they just came through. "We'd better get walking." Hudson said. "It's a five mile walk from here." They headed back, unaware of someone watching them. They had lunch on the train, but stopped at a small convenience store for some supplies, just in case. All the time there was someone watching their every move. They walked the five miles without incident. When they came to the retreat, they saw several different buildings. There was an air hanger which had collapsed long ago. No more planes were coming in here. They walked over to a large building and went inside. The boards creaked with every step. "If we walk right, we could come up with some kind of music out of this squeaking. You know, each of us just move the right way and we make our own sound. Put it together and we can make music together." Ben said with a smile. Tiffany smiled, but Hudson glared at Ben. "Um, sorry sir, I just wanted to relieve the tension." "It won't help to make jokes, Lt. This is serious business." "Yes sir, I know." Ben looked at the others. Tiffany smiled. Tony shrugged his shoulders while looking around. "I tried before, Lt. He doesn't like to smile." "I like to keep to the business at hand, gentleman." Hudson said firmly. "Well, I came to the conclusion a long time ago that no one on this boat has a sense of humour. It helps to keep your mind off the fears." "Ensign, you are close to insubordination. And fears are good for you. They keep you alert. We all have to be alert now." "Yes sir." Tony decided to be quiet for now. He had a reputation as a wise cracker and it was not hard to keep it up. Ben knew how he felt. That was one of the many reasons he left the navy. He couldn't be himself. He had to be what others wanted him to be and he hated following the rules. There wasn't much in this building. It looked like it was originally a bunkhouse. There were some beds leftover and some footlockers. They looked into the lockers to see if there was anything left, but found nothing. Then Tony called out. "Sir! Over here! I think this may be something." He had in his hand a book or a journal. It was from one of the officers. Somehow it got left behind. He had found it under a bed at the very back of the bed. It must have been missed when they packed up. He had flipped through it and found an interesting passage. "Sir, right here. Look at this part." He handed the book to Hudson. Hudson read from the journal. "'There was a new couple wandering around the base today. They said they were honeymooning, but I don't believe them. They look like they were looking for something. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Billings they call themselves, but he looked familiar. I can't place him, but there's something about him.'" Hudson stopped. "That sounds like Robert and Belinda." He flipped over a couple of pages. "'I knew it! He looks just like that UEO Captain who went missing. He's got to be Bridger's son. I'm going to report this. Maybe it'll get me a promotion.' Sounds like Robert looked a lot like his father and that was what blew his cover." "Yes he did, sir. When I first came on SeaQuest, I was surprised at how much Robert had looked like his dad." Ben confirmed. "That was pretty lousy for them. Let's see if there's anything more." He flipped through a couple of more pages. "'Well, I'm proud of what I did. I don't know what they're up to, but at least we know they aren't honeymooning. They're both in the brig.' He must have been talking about Robert and Belinda. He blew their cover. But how did Robert get the signal off and how was Belinda killed? It sounds like she was still alive." "I can answer that question for you, whoever you are, but first I want to know why you're here and why you're reading a very personal journal." They turned around. No one had noticed they were followed from Nedlands and someone had watched every move and heard every conversation. They made so much noise themselves, they didn't hear anyone else. That person was looking at them with a laser in his hand. "I'll take my journal now, if you please." He came over and took the book out of Hudson's hands. "By the way, if you're interested I did get the promotion. I made it to Captain." Hudson stood straight. "What do you want with us? We're just tourists. We thought it'd be interesting to look around this deserted base and see if we find anything interesting. We found the journal and looked into it." His bluff wasn't going to do any good. "No, you aren't tourists. I've been watching you ever since you got off in Nedlands. You, sir, carry yourself like a military man. I'm not sure about the rest of you. You are also defintely looking for something specific. You started searching right away in here and your interest in my journal is not just a passing interest. You know the people involved. What do you want here?" "First tell us who you are and what right you have to detain us with a laser." "Oh, yes. I can see you aren't armed." He put the laser back in the holster. "I'm Captain Kidder of the Macronesia army, formerly Lt. Kidder, who wrote these words. I wondered what happened to my journal. Thanks for finding it." Hudson decided to be truthful. "We're here to find out what happened to Robert Bridger. He was missing in action, but a few days ago we picked up a delayed distress signal from him. We're back tracking his steps." "Ah, yes, the spies who infiltrated us. I remember them. It was about three years ago. I had recognized him. He and his wife went to the brig. You read that. For two weeks they were both questioned extensively, but gave us nothing. Why are you interested in this?" "Sorry, I'm Captain Oliver Hudson of the UEO flagship SeaQuest. This is Lt.-Commander Tiffany Rose, Lt. Benjamin Krieg and Ensign Anthony Piccolo. Nathan Bridger is back on the ship." "Yes, I see now. Why didn't you just ask our government for the information?" "Macronesia isn't exactly the friendliest nation around. They also don't always give out honest answers. I know. I've been here before." Ben spoke up. "Ben Krieg. Yes, I know who you are now, but you weren't a Lieutenant then." "No, I had quit the navy, but have been recalled to active duty for this mission." "Well, it's all a matter of public record, you know. We don't have anything to hide." Ben coughed on that one. "Really Lt., we don't." "What happened to them?" Hudson was impatient. "Oh, well, that's simple. About two weeks after they were caught, they tried to escape. Robert broke into the supply office, where the things we took off him were. He found what we thought was a gun, but it seems it was a distress signaler. One of our men saw him shoot it off and thought he was firing into the air. We didn't know what it was. Anyway, if he hadn't taken the time to get that he may have escaped with his wife. He and his wife were running and his wife was shot. She died instantly. He fired that gun, just before he was caught again. We let him have a funeral for her, you know." "Then he is alive. Where is he?" Tiffany was getting excited. She was anxious to let Captain Bridger know where his son was. "Well, Commander, I'm sorry to say that information is not a matter of public record. Actually, we don't like to talk about it and I'd rather not say." "You had better say. We outnumber you and we can make you talk." Tony put in. "No, if you'd like to take a look outside, you will see that we outnumber you." They went to the door and stepped outside. They heard several clicks. There were about two dozen men with firearms ready to shoot. The four UEO officers stood still. Captain Kidder came out and motioned for them to put their arms down. Captain Hudson tried some diplomacy. "Captain Kidder, I appreciate you sharing with us what happened three years ago. I'm sure you can understand that this is very important to Nathan Bridger. He hasn't seen his sone for over twenty years." "Twenty years! How's that?" Hudson explained about him missing in action once before and then he only said that SeaQuest was lost at sea for ten years. Captain Kidder was sympathetic. "I can see why he's so anxious to find him, but I'm afraid he may be disappointed." "Why is that? Don't you still have him?" "No, I'm sorry we don't. A few months ago just before we started negotiations with UEO, we had a run in with some hostile neighbours of ours. At the same time there was a revolt in the brig and several people escaped. Robert Bridger was one of them. They were being held in one of our underwater penial colonies. They escaped into the ocean where there was supposed to be a ship waiting for them. Instead they found a surprise and were captured again. This time it wasn't us. At least we were humaine to them. I doubt if their new captors were." "Captain this is so important to Captain Bridger. Please tell us who took your prisoners." Tiffany was pleading. They were so close. It couldn't end here. "I'm afraid Commander, that this time the people who escaped from us would not be able to escape again. No one escapes from the Chaudai. The Chaudai tried to demolish our underwater colonies and we fought them, but it was no use. We managed to drive them back, but they took our prisoners with them. We lost them to the Chaudai. I'm sorry. It's unlikely he's still alive." "Captain, thank you for your time and this information. We'll get back to the ship now, with your permission." "Certainly Captain Hudson. I want to promote this peace treaty we have now. I'm fed up with the war and all the killing. You can go in peace, and I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." "You've helped us a great deal. Thank you." They left and went back to get the shuttle. Each had their own thoughts. They knew how cruel the Chaudai could be, but there was an ace in the hole, back on the ship. Kimura might be able to help them. End of Part Three. Sherry Sherry Loeffler loeffler@istar.ca fanfic page: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/7534/intro.html "Give whatever it takes, even if it takes more than you got." Tony Piccolo to Lucas on By Any Other Name - SeaQuest DSV. ---------------------------------------- seaQuest-ff-request@stgenesis.org Subject: unsubscribe Resent-date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 16:24:21 -0500 (CDT) Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 16:11:24 +0000 Resent-from: seaQuest-ff-request@escapenet.org From: loeffler@istar.ca Subject: (sQ-ff) Always Captured - Part 4/5 Resent-sender: seaQuest-ff-request@escapenet.org To: seaQuest-ff@escapenet.org Reply-to: seaQuest-ff@escapenet.org X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.53/R1) Priority: normal X-Mailing-List: archive/latest/206 X-Loop: seaQuest-ff@stgenesis.org Comments: Authenticated sender is Sorry this is so late. I got moved alright, but there have been a lot of complications to it and I couldn't spend time putting my story in the computer. I also found that part 4 was going to be too long, so I had to divide it. The good news is that the whole story is now in my computer and so you will receive parts 4 & 5 today. That will be the whole story. Thanks for your patience. Disclaimer - as usual, most of these characters are not mine, but belong to Tamblyn, Universal and any other company involved in the making of SeaQuest. Lt.-Cmdr. Tiffany Rose is my own character. Part Four: It seemed like a much longer trip back then when they came. There was no excitement, no wonder at the countryside and very little talking. Hudson wondered how he could tell Nathan that his son was once again missing. "Unc, Heiko may be able to help us." "Who's Heiko?" inquired Ben. "The lady you met at the meeting with the serious face, oriental." "How can she help?" "She used to be Chaudai." "Used to be? I didn't think anyone ever got out of being Chaudai. I've heard a lot of rumours about them." Hudson intervened. "The rumours were probably true. She's told us a lot about them and what she's seen." "But can we trust her, sir?" Tony asked. He looked at the others. "I mean, I'm not so sure about her. She's, well, she's different, kind of like she's ready to pounce on someone, you know, like a cat, watching everything, waiting for her time." "I know what you mean Piccolo, but we have to trust her sometime. And we need someone with inside knowledge. She's all we have." Hudson told him. "I've spent some time with her and I think we can trust her. The question isn't trust, but whether she would want to get involved. She wants to put them behind her." Tiffany added. "It's worth a try. We'll meet with her as soon as we get back. First I need to talk to Nathan alone." Hudson stated. They all nodded and went back to their own thoughts. It was late at night when they got back. Hudson called a meeting of the original officers for 08:00 hours. Tiffany, Tony and Ben were instructed not to talk about what had happened, but to get some rest. The next morning they were back at the table, seated as before. Hudson started the meeting by summarizing what happened the day before. He had told Captain Bridger the night before. The others were stunned. Hudson continued. "At least this showed us we are on the right track. We now know where Robert Bridger was up to a few months ago. We also know how Belinda was killed. We've made some progress. I talked to McGrath for quite a while last night. He wants us to proceed, that is, if we can." He stopped and looked at Kimura. As usual her face was like stone. There was no inkling of how she felt about this. She didn't move. Her eyes had been on Hudson all the time and she was still looked at him. He continued. "Kimura, I know this may be hard for you, but we need to know what happened to robert after he was captured by the Chaudai." Kimura turned and looked at Captain Bridger. "You don't really want to know what they would do to him." she stated. "Yes I do. He's my son. I have to know what happened to him and if he could still be alive." "The Chaudai don't keep prisoners of war. They torment and torture them until they have no use for them and they beg to be killed. They usually die a slow death." She wasn't trying to scare him, but she just stated facts. "It doesn't matter Kimura, I still have to know." Bridger said. Kimura couldn't understand the feeling of family. She failed to realize that Captain Bridger needed some closure on what had happened to his only son. Captain Hudson interrupted them. "Nonetheless, we've been given instructions by McGrath to find out. Anything you can tell us will help, Kimura." "Heiko," Tiffany said. "We can't quit now. We have to keep going. Is there anyone we can contact who might help us or at least," she paused and glanced over at Captain Bridger. "Or at least, let us know what happened to him?" "There's the High Command. He's the one who knows everything. It's probably still Yuk Chang. Next to torment and torture, they love to keep others in suspense as to what's happening. He probably won't tell you much." Hudson ordered Tim to get him on vid-link. "Kimura, I think you should go over to the side so he doesn't see you." She nodded and obeyed. It took a few minutes but soon Tim had him on screen. "High Command Chang, it's a pleasure to see you. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." The face of a very stern man was on the screen. His look told them that Hudson was interrupting and that he didn't want to talk to him. "I hope you have a good reason for this interruption, Captain. I am a very busy person. I do not have time for idle chit chat." "Neither do I sir. I'm trying to locate a group of prisoners of war who were originally captured by the Macronesians. Apparently a few months ago you caught them when they were trying to escape from Macronesia." "I know nothing of this." "You were trying to take over Kranton, a Macronesian underwater penal colony. There was about a half dozen men." Hudson didn't want him to know there was one man of particular interest to him. He didn't even introduce Nathan to him. "We do not _try_ to overtake, we always succeed. It must have been someone else. People often get us confused with other Chinese sects." "Ah, yes, but I was told it was definitely the Chaudai. No one has the underwater technology you have. You excel above all others." "That is why we never fail." Hudson's plan to butter him up wasn't working. "Well, I'd appreciate it if you could check into this for us. The UEO is trying to negotiate world peace and this would be a step toward it." "We do not negotiate." With that he cut the communications. "He's a real sweetie, isn't he?" Tiffany observed. "You will not get any information from him." Kimura spoke up. "But if Robert's dead, why not tell us?" Captain Bridger wanted to know. "Because it gives them power over you. They know something you don't know." "They'll do anything for power then. So what do we do now?" Ford asked. "Now, Commander, it's up to Kimura to tell us what she knows about their penal system." Hudson looked at her without blinking. "Can you draw us a map in and out of there? We'll find out for ourselves if Robert or any other UEO people are in there." "I can, but it'll be difficult for you to penetrate their system." "We can handle difficult, Kimura. That won't stop us." Hudson gave the command to get nearer Chaudai territory. Kimura made a detailed map of the inside of the head office. She explained how someone might get in unnoticed and where to go. She added that they may have changed things since she was last there, so they had to be extra careful. Hudson had to choose who would go. He needed Tony to be ready with a fighter when they came out. It would be too dangerous for Kimura to go. That left Tiffany, Ben and Tim. Kimura could handle the communications and she understood the langueage, so Tim got ready to go. Kimura showed them how to get in underwater. Ben was shown how to use a fighter with Chameleon. Chameleon was their advantage. At least the Chaudai wouldn't see them and the fighters would be invisible while they were inside. If they found Robert or anyone else, they were to contact SeaQuest and get a mini-sub sent. There was only one mini-sub with Chameleon in it. Commander Ford would be ready with the sub for when needed. It sounded easy in theory, but they were all apprehensive. The best laid plans can fail. However, they set off in positive moods. They couldn't have any communications. Tim was in the lead. All three had to keep at the same speed so they didn't bump into each other. They were going to where some old unused air ducts were. These ducts had originally been designed as output ducts for the air recycling inside. Kimura told them that when they redesigned the system, they blocked up these ducts and used an entirely different system. These ducts had been unused for the last four to five years. There were five vents. As soon as Tim hooked up to one, he was to turn Chameleon off then on, so the others would know where he was. Tiffany was next. She would do the same and then Ben would connect to a duct. They all got hooked up to the first three vents with no problems. They waited for a full three minutes after Ben hooked up to make sure they were not detected. After that each one went into the vent and slowly crawled to the point where the five vents met. Tiffany was there first, then Ben came and then Tim. They still had to keep quiet. Sound travels far and fast in these vents. Each one had a detailed map of the area thanks to Kimura. Tim started off first, Tiffany followed and Ben came up behind. Soon they came to where the old ducts met with the new. Ben came up to help Tim undo the bolts holding the metal slabs separating the old from the new. They came off easily. Tiffany thought too easy. As the men moved the slabs, she took a peak through. The newer ones were wider and she could feel the air flowing through. It was refreshing. She started in and waited for them to bolt the slabs back on. Kimura siad they never checked the vents unless there was a problem, so they should be safe. They kept crawling until they reached an area over a hallway. They could hear the people going through and talking. They paused for a few seconds and then continued. According to the map they had to cross the whole building and go into another building where the cells were. Finally they reached the area they wanted. Tim pulled the vent cover off, looked, saw no one and then jumped down. Ben stopped Tiffany and he jumped down. As soon as he landed, eight Chaudai warriors came out of nowhere with weapons ready to kill. Tiffany held back. She didn't think they saw her. She scrambled to get away. She heard shouting, but didn't understand the language. On the ship Lucas had taken over for Kimura for a while on communications. He was anxiously monitoring them, when suddnly he heard a distrss call. It was Tiffany. Captain Hudson ordered him to put it on audio. "Tim and Ben have been caught. They knew we were coming. It was too easy. I think I've eluded them for a time. Later." She cut communications. Lucas turned to Hudson. Everyone was looking at him. Hudson stared at the screen. His fists were clenched. He looked at Ford. Kimura had just come back on the bridge. "Sir," Ford coughed. "Permission to lead a team ..." Hudson cut him off. "We can't risk any more people in there. Piccolo get into a fighter with Chameleon and be out there, ready for anything." "Aye sir." Tony looked at Kimura. She looked down. Another message came in from Tiffany. "They closed off the exits. Our fighters have been destroyed. I'm going to find my way back and see what I can do." She ended it again without waiting for the okay to go ahead. Piccolo left. "Commander, make sure the mini-sub is ready. All we can do now is wait." "Aye sir." "Henderson, keep track of Piccolo. We don't want anymore missing." "Aye sir." "Kimura, keep monitoring communications for anything." Before she could get back on the comms, Lucas turned to Hudson. "Sir, there's a message from the High Command, wanting to know why we're still here." "As if he didn't know. On screen Wolenczak." He nodded to Kimura to keep to the side. "Captain Hudson, I see that you are still around. As I told you, we know nothing of the people you talk about, so there is no need for you to be here still." "We are just waiting for orders, sir, from UEO head office. When we receive them, we'll be on our way." "Please make it soon, Captain." "Yes sir." Hudson nodded to Lucas and he closed communications. "Hopefully, that will bide us some time." "Shall I contact UEO for further instructions, sir?" "No, Wolenczak, we_are_waiting_for_them." "Aye sir." "Kimura, back on comms. You are almost as valuable as O'Neill in the knowledge of foreign languages. Especially the Chaudai language." She nodded and took over from Lucas. Hudson couldn't do anything. Two very valuable crew members were missing, not to mention a Lieutenant, who had been forced back into duty against his will. He didn't know Tim O'Neill that well, but wondered how he would handle Chaudai interrogation. From what Nathan had told him, Ben Krieg could handle himself under any circumstances, but Tim wasn't used to this part of military life. Tiffany wasn't used to it either. The Chaudai jails would be much worse than when she was in the Perseid jail. He looked over at Kimura. Her face was set like stone. She showed no emotion. These were the people who had killed her parents and had trained her to kill. Surely she had some feelings inside her for them. He hoped it was feelings of hatred. End of Part Four - Part five will follow shortly. Sherry Sherry AKA Mizpah the Good News Clown loeffler@istar.ca fanfic page: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/7534/intro.html Happiness is catching, we get it from one other. - Author unknown. ---------------------------------------- seaQuest-ff-request@stgenesis.org Subject: unsubscribe Resent-date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 18:36:26 -0500 (CDT) Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 18:22:01 +0000 Resent-from: seaQuest-ff-request@escapenet.org From: loeffler@istar.ca Subject: (sQ-ff) Always Captured - Part 5 & end. Resent-sender: seaQuest-ff-request@escapenet.org To: seaQuest-ff@escapenet.org Reply-to: seaQuest-ff@escapenet.org X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.53/R1) Priority: normal X-Mailing-List: archive/latest/208 X-Loop: seaQuest-ff@stgenesis.org Comments: Authenticated sender is Part Five and the end of this story. Back at the Chaudai head office, Ben and Tim had been separated. They were both questioned and beaten. Neither gave any information other than name, rank and serial number. Tim blacked out several times during the interrogation. Finally they threw him into a large cell while unconscious. When he came to and looked around, he could not see anything. It was a very dim and very damp cell. He hurt so much he didn't want to move. Then he heard a groan. He tried to see who it was. "Ben, is that you?" No answer. If Ben was in worse condition than him, he may not be able to speak. Suddenly the door opened and light flooded the area where Tim lay. He squinted his eyes and tried to see who it was. Someone was thrown in. The door closed and they were in darkness again. Ben lay on the floor, then lifted his head. "Tim?" "Yeah, it's me. There's someone over in the corner. I heard a groan." They both heard another groan. Ben crawled over. "Hey, buddy, you OK?" He stopped. The man was frail, just skin and bones, but there was no mistaking the resemblance to his father. "Robert!" Robert turned his head. He didn't seem to recognize him. He just stared out of those sunken, sullen eyes. His left leg was bent, out of shape, unnaturally and his right one was straightened out in front. "Robert, it's me, Ben Krieg." Robert's eyes flickered. "Ben Krieg?" The voice was very weak, barely a whisper. "Remember me, from the academy? We were friends. We used to hang out together. We even did a raid on the women's quarters, remember that?" Ben smiled. Robert shook his head. "I can't remember anything. The pain's too much." "It's OK Robert. We're gonna get you out of here. Your father's on the ship, waiting for us." Robert almost seemed to brighten up. "Dad? How?" "Never mind now. Can you walk?" Tim had come over slowly. "Left leg got broke months ago. They wouldn't let it heal properly. They broke right leg three days ago." "Tim, do you think your girlfriend got out?" "I think she did. From what I could hear you and I were the only ones captured. She might have made it back to SeaQuest." "I hope so. She's our only chance." Tim looked around. There were a couple of old mattresses on the floor. "We can take the material off these to carry him." He said. "But we've got to find a way out of here." Then they heard a noise from behind one of the walls. Ben put his hand up. They waited. Tim recognixed it. It was the old Morse code people used to use. Ben realized it too. Tim started to translate. "It's Tiffany. She didn't get caught." He waited. "She didn't go back to SeaQuest either. She can hear us." He looked around and realized there was a vent shaft but the cover had been sealed so it couldn't come off. He tried to pull it, but it was no use. "Over here Tiffany. The opening is here." She made her way over. Ben came over. Tiffany held a finger up to her mouth to indicate no talking. Tim and Ben pulled at the cover while Tiffany pushed. It was no use. Tiffany motioned to them. They had all been given some concentrated explosive when they left. Ben's and Tim's were taken away from them, but she still had hers. She only had enough to loosen one side, but that helped. Ben and Tim went over to the door and started coughing loudly to cover the sound of the explosive. It only made a soft sound anyway. They got it open. Tim and Tiffany made a stretcher for Robert. It was difficult, but they got him up into the vent. They did this all in silence. Tiffany still had her map. They dragged Robert back through the vents and into the old vents. He kept going in and out of consciousness. Kimura had marked an area not used where they could hole up if needed. They made it there and took a rest. Tiffany spoke first, but in whispers. "What happened? How did they know?" "They knew from the first moment we came in. They followed us through the vents." Tim told her. "Kimura?" Ben asked. "No, it wasn't her. That was my first thought. I could understand them when they talked. It was a fluke actually. They were preparing to flood all the unused vents, since they realized they gave an opportunity for anyone to infiltrate their area. They were checking out which vents to flood and how to do it when we came in. We would have been clear if it hadn't been for that. They detected movement and figured someone was in the vents. They didn't know how many. Of course, knowing that SeaQuest was out there and inquiring about prisoners of war, helped them come to the conclusion they were being invaded." Tim paused. It was clear he was in pain. He was badly bruised. His shirt was ripped and they could see the bruise marks. "Tim, how badly are you hurt?" Tiffany asked. "A cracked rib or two I think. I'll be alright." "You take it easy. Ben and I will drag Robert." "Yeah, pal, take it easy. We've come this far. Not much further to go." Ben told him. Tim tried to smile, but each breath was hurting. They heard a noise. It was a gurgling noise. It reminded Tiffany of when her and Tim were on the island. "Bet they're about to flood the vents now. They probably know we're in here, so our deaths can be accidental if anyone investigates. If they can't have us, no one can." Ben said. Tim started to lead the way. Ben was pulling Robert and Tiffany followed. The noise was closer now. Tiffany knew they were near an exit. She tried to contact SeaQuest. She didn't know if she got through. On SeaQuest Kimura was monitoring the Chaudai transmissions. "Sir," she called to Hudson. "Two men had been caught, but they broke out with the help of a third person. They also took with them another prisoner. They're in the vents now, but the Chaudai are preparing to flood the vents and drown them." "Ford, get that mini-sub out and stand by." Ford left. Captain Bridger rushed over. "Oliver, I have to go too. Jonathan will need help." Hudson thought for a moment and then saw the anguish on Nathan's face. "OK Nathan. Ford may need some help." Kimura looked up at him. "Sir, permission to get into the last fighter with Chameleon. Piccolo may need some back up." Hudson looked over at her. She was taking a risk. If she was captured by the Chaudai, they would know who she is and they would have no mercy. "Are you sure?" "Yes sir. I need to help." "Permission granted." Kimura rushed out. Tim had reached the exit. He couldn't tell if there was help out in the water. "Tim you're gonna have to loosen up the porthole. When the water comes, we'll be swept out, otherwise we'll be killed with the pressure of the water against the porthole. Let's hope there'll be someone friendly there to meet us when we get out." Ben said. "Robert, can you hear me." There was no response. "He won't make it. He isn't conscious enough and won't be able to hold his breath." "It's OK. I have my breathing device." Tiffany handed it to Ben, then ripped a piece of her shirt off in a strip. "Use this to tie around his head and mouth. It'll keep the device in his mouth. Cover his nose too" She called on her PAL to Ford. "Commander we're coming out soon. Four of us. Better turn Chameleon off when we come out, so we know where you are. Three of us don't have underwater breathing equipment. Tim has broken or cracked ribs and needs medical help. Robert is unconscious most of the time. Ben also needs medical treatment." She cut it off without waiting to see if she got through. She could hear the water coming. Then the water hit. The force smashed them against the wall. Tim yelled in pain, but was drowned out with the water. The porthole opened and they were forced out. Tiffany could see the mini-sub. She had hold of Robert by one arm and Ben had the other. They started to swim out then four Chaudai fighters appeared. They fired, when suddenly a SeaQuest fighter materialized and fired back. It was Tony. He hit two. Tim swam toward the sub with Tiffany and Ben following with Robert. The Chaudai fired again. Tony was trying to hold them off so the others could get to the sub. Then out of nowhere, another SeaQuest fighter appeared and fired. Tiffany could see Kimura. Two more were hit. Three more Chaudai fighters came on the scene. The fighters were so busy with each other, Ford could manoeuvre the sub over to them. Only two could go in the water/airtight compartment at one time and that was really pushing it. Ben indicated for Tim and Tiffany to go in. Tiffany was out of air. She felt light headed. Tim grabbed her arm and pulled her in. The next thing she knew was that she was inside the sub. Captain Bridger helped them in and to reclining seats. She had no strength to move. Tim didn't either. His side was hurting and he just wanted the pain to stop. Ben and Robert came in after them. She could hear Ben gulping for air. She tried to sit up, but Captain Bridger pushed her back down. On his other side was his son. "Robert." She gasped out. "Is he ...?" "He's alive, but just barely." Captain Bridger responded. Tony and Kimura held the Chaudai off until the sub was gone, then they followed. SeaQuest had started to leave, slowly, so as to get back into neutral waters as soon as possible, but also wanting to give the sub and the fighters time to get back. When the mini-sub reached her, Robert, Tim and Ben were rushed to the infirmary. Captain Bridger went with Robert. Tony and Kimura soon came in and SeaQuest was well on it's way through UEO waters. This would be another incident the Chaudai would not talk about. Tiffany was anxious to get to the infirmary. She needed to get dry and get some warm clothes on. The medics had told her to rest, but she went to the infirmary as soon as she could manage on her own. Tim and Ben were lying in beds beside each other. Ben seemed to be sleeping, but Tim opened his eyes when she came in. "Hello, hero." Tim smiled. "I'm not a hero. I didn't do anything heroic." "Oh, no? Resisting Chaudai interrogation isn't heroic? Putting up with the pain of cracked ribs and escaping anyway, isn't heroic? And rescuing Robert? Come on Tim, don't be so modest." "You were there. You helped rescue him." "Actually it was a team effort." The voice came from Ben. "You know, this ship hasn't changed. A guy can't get any rest around here when he needs it." He smiled. "You know, we work together pretty good as a team, what'd ya say?" "No thanks, I'll leave the heroic stuff up to you guys. I was terrified." Tiffany said. "We all were Tiffany. That's a part of courage. If you're not terrified or afraid, then you'll do stupid things and mess us. It's the fear that keeps us going. It kept Robert going all these years." Ben paused and looked over to the partition separating them from Robert. The surgeons were trying to straighten out his legs. Captain Bridger was sitting against a wall. He got up and came over. "The fear and the hope of rescue. That's what keeps prisoners of war going. You three did something special for me. I want to thank you for your bravery. I don't know what's going to happen with Robert, but I know that you've given me something back, I thought I'd never get back. Thank you." The three of them looked at each other. None knew what to say. Tiffany broke the silence. "From what I hear around here, Captain, this crew would do anything for you. You are still held in high regard on this ship and I'm proud to be a part of the crew. I'm glad you've finally found him, although he has a lot of recuperating to do." "Yes, he does, but I have the time to help him. And we have his son to raise as well. I wish I could have known Belinda. But I can know her through her son and my son." He turned and went back to his seat. They watched him. "You know, I really miss this ship. Getting out there and fighting to get Robert back, made me realize that I do miss her. I may consider asking to come back." Ben told them. "That'd be great Ben. It'd be good to have you back." Tim told him. "Except, watch out for those glowing rocks!" Tim smiled. Ben laughed. "Tim told me about those. He said that only Ben Krieg could find value in fish poop." Tiffany added. "Yeah, well, we don't mention those things Tim. Actually I was thinking you two may need a counsellor, you know, someone to come to and tell your troubles to, especially your ..." "Ben! I don't need you on my back too." Tim interrupted. "But you do need someone to watch your back, buddy." Tony came in followed by Kimura. "Heiko, thank you for doming out the way you did. You really saved us." Tiffany saw the look on Tony's face. "Oh, you too, Tony. Thanks for keeping them off our backs." "Well, I hope you do appreciate it. We risked our lives too, eh Kimura?" "We did what we had to do. That was all." Kimura didn't even smile. "I guess what it comes down to is that we all did what we had to do. We worked as a team, all of us. Tiffany looked around. Yes she was proud to be on the SeaQuest team. "Well, it's back to our mondane assignments on here now. For a while at least." Tony added. "For you maybe, Tony, but I have a lot of work to do." Tiffany said. They looked at her. "Well, those people took out three of our fighters with Chameleon. Not only that they nicked Tony's fighter and knocked Chameleon offline there and they also nicked the mini-sub and now Chameleon isn't working there either. Lucas and I have a lot to do now." "Well, work never ends around here, except for these two who get to relax in bed for a few days. Must be nice." Tim frowned. "You wouldn't think it was so nice if you had my ribs now, Tony." "I think we had better let you two rest. And Ben, do me a favour and just leave me out of your discussions with Tim for a while, please. That's getting too personal." Tiffany said. They all left. Ben looked at Tim and shrugged his shoulders. Tim just smiled and closed his eyes. He liked it when Ben called her his girlfriend. He must take some time to talk to her about it and soon. EPILOGUE: Robert was sent to a special hospital to recover. He was badly undernourished and dehydrated. He did not gain full consciousness for a few weeks. When he did, his father was by his side, as he had been since he was found. Robert smiled at him as he recognized him. Three months later, when Robert was released from the hospital, Captain Bridger took him back to his island. There he was reunited with his son. Captain Bridger shared stories with Robert and Michael about Carol and what she was like. Robert shared stories with his father and son about Belinda and the life they had led. The three of them had a lot of catching up to do and a lot of learning about each other. Lt. Tim O'Neill recovered from his wounds and was back on duty two weeks after the incident with the Chaudai. Lt. Ben Krieg applied to stay on active dute and asked to be assigned to SeaQuest again. His application was accepted, but he had to go back to the academy for more training before being assigned to a ship. The chances of him coming back to SeaQuest looked good, since he received a good recommendation from Captain Hudson. It didn't look like Kimura was recognized by the Chaudai and so she was able to stay on SeaQuest without fear of them coming after her. She had faced her worse fears and the nightmares had stopped and she was now getting some much needed restful sleep. THE END. Sherry Sherry AKA Mizpah the Good News Clown loeffler@istar.ca fanfic page: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/7534/intro.html Happiness is catching, we get it from one other. - Author unknown. ---------------------------------------- seaQuest-ff-request@stgenesis.org Subject: unsubscribe