Chapter 4
Aspen fought frantically in the dark. The weight on her chest, it wouldn't let her breathe. It wasn't like the time when she almost drowned, that hadn't been a real danger, it hadn't hurt like this. And Aspen had to admit it, even before she knew what she was, she hadn't feared the water or drowning. Even when she had been holding her breath and counting the last seconds of her life, she hadn't been afraid. This... suffocation, was different. Killian's words came back to her.. "We can kill our own." Is this your revenge Killian? I betray you and you want me dead, how kind. I thought you would have been more creative. The blackness thickened and Aspen could only pray that death was finally claiming her.
But instead, with the pain came consciousness and eventual clarity. It was pitch black but the water felt wrong, thick and metallic. Aspen summoned enough energy to light her surroundings. At first the weak blue light blinded her. She blinked the stars out of her eyes and a broken woman's face stared at her through blood tinted water. Aspen screamed and panicked. She slipped deep into phase with the ocean and fled the shuttle. Once outside, she collapsed again. Her chest burned in protest to her sudden movements. Aspen shut her eyes and tried to summon help. "Why didn't I stay and let you train me Cannon?" She whispered to herself as she tried to manipulate the ocean to carry her message. The taste of the blood was still in her mouth, hair, skin. ~Help me... please... Help me~
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Captain Bridger stood quietly on his Bridge and tried to compose himself. It was time to address his crew, to tell them that two of their own were dead. Kristen had tried to get him off the bridge, to talk to her. She was worried. But she wasn't a psychiatrist and couldn't make him consult her, not yet anyway. All the concern and empathy, he didn't need that right now. It would just break him down. And he had to be strong, until whatever had attacked his crew had been identified and stopped.
"Captain, the channel is open, whenever you're ready," O'Neil reported.
Nathan took a deep breath and began. "Attention all hands. It is my sad duty to inform you of the tragic deaths of two of your shipmates. As you all know, a shuttle wreck occurred at seven hundred hours this morning. Of the three souls onboard, two are now dead. Another of your crewmates died while selflessly trying to save their lives." Bridger paused looked around the bridge. It was standing room only. A wall of familiar faces, all asking the same questions. What happened? Why? How? What now? Bridger blinked back the blurring in his vision and continued. "Dr. Mathews, a scientist from the DMD, and Lucas Wolenczak were lost this morning. Ensign Debbie Butler, died in the rescue attempt. Admiral Noyce assures me that Ensign Butler will not want for post-humorous medals." Bridger crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. "We will not be conducting memorial services for either of our people until the investigation of this incident has been closed. It will be closed, and soon. Body recovery will not be possible, due to the danger posed by the unknow threat. But that isn't why we are postponing the memorial service. When I say farewell to Lucas and Ensign Butler, I will know what killed them. It wasn't a random accident that destroyed Shuttle MR-2. It was an unknown force. A silent, powerful, invisible force that decided to pick a fight with us today. I'm ready to fight back. Ignorance is not acceptable. Starting today, right now, seaQuest has one mission, to seek and neutralize our enemy. We did not start this fight, but we will finish it. Thank you. Captain Bridger out."
"The crowd on the bridge gradually dispersed. They weren't satisfied or even comforted. But they were ready to fight.
"Captain, are you sure that Noyce was okay with our conducting the UEO investigation of this, incident?" Ford asked. "We're a little close to it, sir."
"That doesn't make us any less qualified. Besides Bill Noyce still owes me. He knows better than to try and pull the rug out from under me on this one. I want answers." Bridger turned and approached Katie at the hyper-reality probe station. "Are we ready to begin the search for the wreckage?"
"Yes sir," Katie answered somewhat distractedly. "I'm entering the trench now."
"I want the visual on the main screen," Bridger commanded.
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Aspen curled up into a tight ball and shivered. She wasn't supposed to be able to feel the cold when she was part of the ocean. But she'd never been injured while in phase before either. It was so dark and still. But Aspen didn't have the strength to summon enough energy to light the area. She could only wait and pray that Cannon received her message. Yet again she slipped into a restless sleep.
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Katie piloted the hyper-reality probe carefully and efficiently. Across the sea floor at the bottom of the trench. The debris distribution indicated that the largest portion of the wreckage would be found here. "Captain, I think the bulk of the wreckage is..." Katie began. "Dear God..."
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Aspen started awake. Bright white lights were trained on her. "Damn you Killian," She whispered. "I won't die easy!" She pushed her self up and summoned the blue fire into a powerful ball in front of her. But no... Human technology? Aspen let the energy orb die and wrapped her arms around her chest. Black spots swam before her eyes and she had to fight to remain conscious. With a concentrated effort, she faded from view and disappeared into the ocean. I have to get away. Isolation has been broken.
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"Captain, she wasn't registering on sensors. She wasn't there, but when she started that light show, we got a thermal increase..." Ortiz paused long enough to verify his data. "Identical to the signature before the shuttle's light show."
"It's time to find out who and what Dr. Matthews is," Bridger said. He paused. It was a job he would have put Lucas on. "O'Neil, turn over your station. I want you to find out everything there is on Dr. Matthews."
Only moments after O'Neil turned over his station the young technician who took over reported, "Captain, you have an incoming message. It's from the Savanna, a Captain Chance Calloway."
"On screen," Bridger commanded. The main vid-screen came to life with a youngish man with blond hair. He was U.S. Navy.
"Captain Bridger, I am Captain Chance Calloway, special projects. As the official US investigator in this incident, I would like to join you onboard seaQuest. You're much closer to the scene of the accident than the Savannah and we don't have any subs in the immediate area."
"This incident is a UEO affair. It was one of our shuttles. We don't need your interference with this investigation," Bridger replied.
"All of the people on that shuttle were U.S. Citizens, and two were civilians. I have already spoken with Admiral Noyce. The decision was made over your head, sir. It is understandable if you don't want to send any of your people into danger on a shuttle. I'm a pilot, and I can make my own way down."
"Fine," Bridger answered and the connection closed. He turned back to Hitchcock. "Have you made any more progress?"
"Yes, sir," Katie replied. "I'm cutting into the main wreckage now."
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Aspen had been able to pull herself barely fifty feet before she had to relinquish her invisibility. She let herself drift toward the ocean floor, but strong arms wrapped themselves around her and didn't let her fall. "Cannon?" Aspen sobbed. "Oh God, Killian attacked a shuttle. Isolation is broken, and it's my fault."
Her savior tilted her head up and she finally got a look at him. "No..." A white haired man stared down at her. Her anger gave her strength and she pulled away. "Are you going to fight me now that your lackeys have me sufficiently injured. Think you have a chance now?" Energy gathered and danced around her. "Fight me now Killian. You killed defenseless people today, a child. But I'm not a child and I'm not defenseless."
"I don't want to hurt you, Aspen. That's why you're not dead. I wanted to give you a chance to come home again. I can't trust you, but I can forgive you and protect you from the death that is coming," Killian said. His eyes were cold and empty. They showed no remorse or pain for the death and pain he inflicted. "Humans are a disease. I am the cure and you must not interfere."
"If you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me," Aspen replied. The energy around her jumped and snapped but was gradually fading. Her channels seemed to contract. She couldn't pull the energy. "What is happening to me."
"Nothing deadly," Killian answered. "You've been neutralized."
Aspen drifted to the sea floor and crouched low in pain. "You bastard... Can't... Hurts..." She wrapped her arms around her chest and rocked slowly.
"Stop trying to channel and the pain will pass." Killian offered her his hand. "Come with me?"
"Not in this lifetime," Aspen hissed.
Killian nodded. "I hope you survive. You have your mother's spirit." And he vanished into the ocean.
Aspen let her head droop down toward her knees.
"Cannon?" Aspen whispered. "Where are you?"