Chapter 2
Early the next morning, Aspen sat in front of her mirror and combed slowly, methodically, through her shoulder-length blue-tinted hair. It was mornings like these when she missed the sun. The sun burned all the bad dreams away. Aspen tried to concentrate on the mundane facts of her job, on the up-coming banquet and her responsibilities, but the past few months still haunted her. It all began over a year ago, almost on the very spot where the DMD II now sat. Aspen shut her eyes and remembered.
She had been there, at the DMD, when it was destroyed. She had watched helplessly as the lab, her lab, filled with water and she had been completely prepared to drown. Perhaps drowning would have been the easier option.
In that moment, when the water filled her lungs and blackness closed around her, Aspen discovered herself. She didn't have to drown, and so she didn't. That's all she could really remember from that time but she knew so much more now.
She learned most of it at the hand of a power-mad warrior. He knew what she was. He knew how to exploit the raw energy she hadn't even realized lay at her fingertips, and he had almost made her into a killer. But that was over. Killian had failed, and she was free. Right?
The fact remained, that Killian lived. He grew more aggressive every day and it was only a matter of time until humanity discovered the existence of the race, her people, living beneath the oceans.
Aspen tried to remind herself that this wasn't her problem, not at the moment anyway. Her race weren't all war-mongers and they were keeping Killian in check, for now. "No," Aspen told the mirror. "Humanity must be introduced to my people carefully. We can't wait for them to stumble across Killian." But that wasn't how the council saw things. Isolation always worked before... Why stop now? Aspen sighed and straightened her sensible matched dress shorts and top. It was time to leave for seaQuest. She smiled and crossed her fingers. The Banquet didn't seem like a terrible burden to bear. All things considered, it felt like a vacation.
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Lucas thumbed the vocorder off and grinned. It was working normally. He mentally reviewed his tour as he walked to the launch bay. First we stop off and view Dr. Pierce's snails. Then down to Dr. Westphalen's newest cultures. And off to hydroponics where we impress guests with pretty flowers grown with artificial light. And finally, the finale, the amazing talking dolphin. Lucas chuckled to himself. He'd see if she aproved his tour. His PAL chose that moment to beep at him. Though startled, he didn't damage any equipment this time. "Lucas, here," he answered.
"Lucas, buddy, it's Ben, and I have a Dr. Matthews here for the guided tour," Ben said. He coughed and added, "You lucky dog."
"Thanks Ben," Lucas said and pocketed his PAL. Lucky? He rounded a corner and came face to face with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. This could not be the harpie who tore a new hole in him yesterday.
Ben grinned and brushed past Lucas. "Close your mouth, kiddo."
Close your mouth? It took a moment for the comment to register and Lucas snapped his jaw shut. "H-i." His voice broke. Lucas would have loved to sink right into the floor. It had been a months since his voice stopped changing, how dare it betray him. He took a deep breath and tried again. "Hi, I'm Lucas Wolenczak. Welcome to seaQuest."
It took Aspen a few seconds to actually take the proffered hand. She was at least as surprised as Wolenczak. She had been expecting, well, an adult. While shaking his hand, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "What on Earth are you doing on seaQuest?"
Lucas frowned and led her toward the snail stop. "Giving you a tour at the moment," he quipped.
She grimaced internally. I just pushed one of his buttons. "That's not what I meant," Aspen replied.
"I know," Lucas answered. "You want to know what a fifteen-year-old is doing on a Navy vessel. Well it's pretty simple. I work here. Not only is this a military vessel, it specializes in research," Lucas said in his most condescending voice.
"If you're going to be this sarcastic with the esteemed guests I don't know if this is going to work out," Aspen retorted. Offended or not, hadn't this kid ever heard of professionalism. You're snapping at him Aspen. Who are you to talk? You're the one who is supposed to be an adult.
"Right, yes ma'am. Of course ma'am." Lucas buzzed through a brief description of what was special about Dr. Pierce's snails.
Aspen stopped to examine the specimens and completely forgot about her guide's atitude. "He's really doing a beautiful job," she gasped while viewing a rare green sea slug.
Lucas glowed as if the research were his own. Okay, so the lady wasn't all bad. She was beautiful, and she had a head on her shoulders, and she was beautiful... "Come on, Dr. Westphalen's display is across the hall."
The cultures required a lot more explaining and there was a lot less to see. Aspen frowned when Lucas finished. "Don't get me wrong. You're doing a beautiful job, but you might want to compress this station down when you're dealing with politicians or corperate types. They'll get bored fast, with nothing to distract them."
"I think I have enough sense to tell when I'm losing my audience. You acted interested. Sorry," Lucas said and started toward the hydroponics lab. If she was bored she should at least have yawned or something.
"I was interested." Aspen had to jog to catch up with him. "Are you like this to everyone or am I getting the royal treatment because I'm a guest?"
"I'm sorry, okay?" Lucas said. He opened the hydroponics lab and waited for Aspen to enter. "I don't always take criticism so well," Lucas explained. He couldn't hide the blush that rose on his cheeks when she smiled at him. God he was acting like such an idiot.
"I don't know many men who do. You'll probably grow out of it," Aspen quipped.
Lucas smirked but accepted the banter without snapping back. For some unknown reason his mood was improving. Of course, hanging around with a drop dead gorgeous woman had nothing to do with it. "Well this lab is Captain Bridger's pride and joy. He does most of the up-keep work himself."
"It is beautiful," Aspen said, while gazing at her watch. "I wish we had a little more time to spend, but it is getting close to seven, and I need to be back on the Discovery before people start arriving. A great finale, though."
"Wait! You haven't seen the finale. This is the lead in," Lucas said. "You can't miss this." He took off at a jog. Aspen glanced back down at her watch and frowned.
"Wait up, Wolenczak. The last thing I need is to get lost in this dang boat," Aspen shouted. They jogged for several minutes. Lucas disappeared around a corner. Aspen almost ran over the top of him. Instead, she came to a skidding stop a couple of feet away from the moon-pool. Lucas was stroking a dolphin and fiddling with a yellow box. "Okay kid, I hope this is.." Aspen never finished her statement.
"Darwin hungry. Lucas get fish," some unseen speakers whined.
"Did... was that... did the dolphin just talk?" Aspen finally managed.
"Yeah. This is why I'm on seaQuest. Well one of the reasons. The vocorder project is mine," Lucas said. He smiled and his eyes shone with pride.
Perhaps no one but a Marine biologist could truly appreciate the vocorder and all its implications, Lucas told himself. Because Aspen's reaction went far beyond anything he'd ever encountered before for the device. She cried.
"Why hasn't this technology been made available for other research vessels and installations?" Aspen was trembling, and she had to sit down.
"I'm still tweaking it. Besides, the UEO funded its developement. They'll decide when it's made available. I really don't have a say in that."
"You made this?" She asked as though she could hardly believe it. When Lucas nodded, she hugged him tight. "You wonderful egg-head. If people can listen to that and believe in its intelligence and its right to live then maybe.. Thank you." Aspen release the suddenly cautious teenager. Aspen wiped her eyes and smiled.
Lucas smile was a little forced. "Are you okay?"
"I'm wonderful. Now hurry up. It's nearly seven and we need to be at Discovery now," Aspen said, suddenly all business.
Lucas nodded and led the way to the launch bay. Aspen hung behind for a moment and stared back at Darwin with hope. If humanity could accept a dolphin's intelligence and right to live, maybe they would be willing to embrace another species, so much more like their own.
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Lucas arrived at the launch Bay with Aspen in tow. There was a flurry of activity as the extra security personnel and company prepared to depart for the Discovery. Captain Bridger arrived on the scene in full dress uniform. He looked a little sour and uncomfortable until he spotted Kristen and then he just seemed to glow. Lucas rolled his eyes and approached Ben. "Hey, Dr. Matthews and myself need to be over at Discovery, five minutes ago," Lucas whispered. "Can you squeeze us on this launch?" Lucas whispered conspiratorily.
"Lucas, the Captain's on this launch. What do you think?" Ben asked. "Just wait here until I can get these guys off and we'll get you on your way."
Bridger tapped Lucas on the shoulder and smiled. "Well, did your tour pass muster?" Bridger asked. He tried not to show it but he didn't put it past the kid to tank the whole tour thing and get out of a day's boring work.
"Was there ever any doubt?" Lucas asked with a smirk. "Have fun."
"You too Lucas." Bridger boarded the shuttle. Then Westphalen stopped in front of the teen.
"Don't let then damage anything in the labs, Lucas. Some of these people can be pushy. Stand up for yourself," She admonished.
Lucas rolled his eyes again. "I can handle it."
"All right, bye then," Westphalen said and she followed Nathan into the shuttle.
"So when do we get out of here?" Aspen asked now that Lucas appeared to finally be through discussing the matter with the fellow in charge.
"Ben didn't say exactly." Lucas shrugged.
"Lucas, Dr. Matthews! You're chariot awaits," Ben called.
"Ask and ye shall recieve," Lucas tossed over his shoulder.
"Lead on Moses." Aspen followed Lucas onto the docking platform.
"Give us a break. You've been waiting five minutes not forty years," Lucas answered.
"Go on," Ben ordered. "We've got a line here."
"Just us, in one shuttle?" Lucas asked.
"Ensign Fischer, and MR-2, are your tour bus and driver for the day. I assigned them exclusively for your use," Ben answered with a grin.
"Wow, now I just feel important," Lucas said. Ben pushed him toward the hatch and Aspen followed.
"Bye, Lucas," Ben said.
"Later, Ben," Lucas half-shouted as the doors cycled shut.
"Kids," Ben muttered to himself with a genuine smile on his face. Then he was mobbed by a group of the security detail in need of a shuttle.
Lucas joined Ensign Fischer in the copilot's seat and left Dr. matthews to her own devices in the back of the shuttle.
Aspen leaned back in her seat and tuned out the other occupants of the shuttle. She mentally composed her arguments to the council for full-discloseure: Humanity is ready to meet the civilization that is sharing their world. They are invading the oceans at a rapid pace. If Killian doesn't reveal us, the humans may find us on their own anyway. If Killian destroys us... the humans will fall as well. Without our help they will never learn to harm Killian before it's too late.
She frowned anticipating their old arguments: Humans are too destructive. Diligent hiding has sufficed for centuries now. They'll never completely conqueor the ocean. Killian will be contained... We will not give humans the power to combat Killian when that same power could be turned back upon ourselves...
Aspen clung to the hope that she could unite the two worlds in which she belonged, before Killian destroyed them both.
"Dr. Matthews, we need you to buckle in," Lucas said from the front of the shuttle. "There's an unidentified craft in the water and it's..." Lucas stopped mid-report as the shuttle shuddered.
Fischer flicked open a channel to seaQuest. "SeaQuest, this is shuttle MR-7. Did you register any unidentified craft there. We had a visual sighting of something, but we're not finding anything on sensors. Any info you have would be appreciated."
"MR-7, this is seaQuest. Sensor data for the last few minutes is being scanned hold please," O'Neill reported. "Patching Cheif Ortiz through."
"WHISKERS aren't showing anything out of the ordinary in your area," Ortiz said. "Can you give me a description of the phenomenon?"
"Yes sir," Fischer began. The shuttle shuddered again and moaned as though under great stress. The sound was loud enough to carry over the comm to Ortiz.
"What exactly was that?" Miguel asked, professionalism for the moment gone.
"That's a real good question," Lucas answered. "I don't see or read anything."
"She's getting a little sluggish at the controls," Fischer reported. "But we're past the half-way point. It will be safer to proceed to the DMD."
"Not now. God not now," Aspen whispered. And all Hell broke loose.
Without warning the shuttle began acccelerating toward the ocean floor as though it were being thrown by an unseen force. With a bone jarring crash the shuttle collided with the floor, it wavered for a moment at the trench on which the DMD perched and it toppeled over. It fell for... Lucas counted the seconds in his head 5.. 10.. How long until they reached crush depth. His ears popped 20.. Without warning the shuttle crashed into one of the trench walls and jerked slowly to a stop. Lucas cracked his eyes open. He was hanging by his seat restraints. The shuttle was facing the abyss nose down. The lights were flickering inside the shuttle and he couldn't feel the rustle of air from the life-support vents. Water was running steadily down onto the controls and sparks were beginning to fly. "I think we hung on something," Lucas said. He reached for the radio but it let off a shower of sparks and the lighting died. Carefully Lucas released his restraints and dropped onto the control screen. "Ensign Fischer? Dr. Matthews?" Lucas felt his way slowly over to the pilot's seat. He couldn't see anything in the pitch blackness. His hands found the slumped form of Fischer. "Ensign? Dr. Matthews, are you okay?" Lucas's voice bordered on hysterical. The instrument panel sparked again and Lucas jumped. In the sustained flicker of light he saw the bloody mess Fischer's face had become and he drew as far away from the Ensign as he could.
Aspen was listening to the ocean, to the sounds around the shuttle. They were surrounded. God only knew why Killian was waiting. If he wanted to kill her for her betrayal fine, but why had he decided to do it now, when others would be caught in the middle. "Lucas, are you okay?" Aspen finally addressed the distraught young man.
"I'm okay," Lucas gasped. "Are you all right?" The control board sparked one last time and died completely. Finally, some of the emergency lights chose to flicker on.
Aspen decided to stop worrying about the unseen strike force and to focus on the problems at hand. "I'm okay," Aspen answered. "Is Ensign Fischer okay? Can you tell anything?" She unstrapped herself and slid slowly down the side of the shuttle. The water was all the way up to the pilot's seat. Soon Fischer would be under water if they didn't help him.
"I think he's dead," Lucas whispered.
Aspen stretched herself across the seat and listened to Fischer's chest for a heart beat. "No he's alive. He's just unconscious," Aspen said. "You're going to have to help me get him out of this seat and to the back of the shuttle. Lucas nodded. The frigid water was up to his waste. Lucas pulled himself up to the dry side of the pilot's seat and Aspen handed the Ensign up to him. They continued up the shuttle until they reached the back row, where they strapped Fischer in.
"SeaQuest will be here to rescue us. They watched the whole thing. We may need the rebreathers though. It may be hard to get us out of this ravine and that leak just seems to be getting worse," Lucas said emotionlessly. The entire left side of the shuttle was buckled from their first impact. Lucas wasn't having much luck opening the emergency rebreather's case, embedded in that wall.
Aspen slid the right case open easily and removed the two rebreathers within. "Here are two," Aspen said.
Lucas nodded and continued trying to pry the large container open. "This one has six more in it."
Aspen worked her way over next to Lucas. From her angle she saw the problem. "It's never going to open. The bulkhead has it pinned."
Lucas pulled one more time with all his strength. "It has to open. We need those rebreathers," he gasped. In frustration, Lucas hit the buckled bulkhead. That slight impact made the shuttle groan on its precarious perch, and it slipped down several feet, throwing Lucas into the next to last row of seats. Aspen tumbled back all the way into the growing pool at the front of the ship. She rose out of the ice-cold water without even a chill bump. The hull vibrated and the leak began to gush water. Aspen climbed her way back up and strapped one of the rebreathers onto Fischer's face.
She thrust the other rebreather at Lucas. "Take it."
"No, we'll have to share. SeaQuest will be here," Lucas replied. The water was rapidly filling the remaining area of the shuttle.
"Take it. I don't need it," Aspen whispered.
"I'm not gonna watch you drown, so just..." Lucas began. Aspen placed her hand over his mouth silencing him.
"This is a secret Lucas. What I'm going to show you can't ever leave this place. I gave my word to my people and I need yours." Lucas nodded slowly. "I don't need the rebreather." Aspen climbed down into the rising water and slipped into phase with the ocean.
Lucas stared. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It wasn't possible. But it was real. On seaQuest he had thought she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever see but now he knew he was wrong. She was more beautiful than he had ever imagined, but whatever else she was, she wasn't a woman. It was difficult to tell where Aspen ended and the ocean began. Lucas imagined that if he touched her his hand would pass right through. Her eyes stared back at him, daring him to deny what he was seeing.
Aspen pulled herself back out of the water and waited for Lucas's reaction. He just stared at her for a long moment. "What are you? What did you just do? That was, is, impossible." The water was rising quickly. Lucas's words came in shocked gasps as the cold water covered his chest.
Aspen never got a chance to answer his questions. Killian finally made his move. The water inside the shuttle, near the pilot's seat began to glow with an eerie pale blue light. "Put on the rebreather, Lucas and try to make yourself inconspicuous. This may get ugly. Killian isn't above killing children."
"Who?" Lucas mumbled around chattering teeth. He gripped the rebreather between his teeth and the water covered his head. Aspen pushed him down behind the seats.
Her voice was like a warm caress in the freezing water. "You'll be safe if he doesn't notice you." Aspen tried to reassure Lucas. A controlled reaction flashed and half the wall disintegrated. A tall regal man advanced into the cabin. His body was covered with dramatic sharp armor and his long white hair flowed out behind him.
Lucas fought panic. He opened the valve on the rebreather completely and shook it, but it wouldn't work. His lungs were already burning. Lucas jerked up in panic. He slammed the rebreather into the bulkhead and tried to breath again. Black spots swam before his eyes and he turned toward Aspen. He gripped her shoulders and a bubble of air escaped his mouth. His hands spasmed and he finally lost consciousness.
Aspen let Lucas drift back and she spun around to face Killian. "Why here? Why now?" Aspen shouted. "You could have challenged me any time, a thousand times without putting anyone in the middle."
Killian just smiled smugly. Aspen summoned the blue fire that she had such talent to channel and realized that she was quite capable of killing her former mentor.
Before she could release her impromptu weapon, a red flash filled the cabin. A burning consuming pain pierced Aspen's chest. The blue energy which only a moment before danced with ferocity died away and Aspen crumbled in upon herself.