Lucas paced the captain’s quarters running his hands through his hair, more than a little agitated. “What do you mean no one on this ship can do anything? What about Dr. Levin? Isn’t his specialty the paranormal? He has to know something.”

          A moment ago, he was the happiest person on earth, but as of fifteen seconds ago, nearly every piece of joy he’d felt evaporated like steam from boiling water. He felt the weight of weariness press on him as soon as he’d been told the news.

          Bridger and Westphalen both watched him pace back and forth, each wondering in their own way what to do, and both knowing only one answer.

          “Levin does know of one way, Lucas, but it’ll mean you’ll have to leave the SeaQuest for a while,” Westphalen spoke up.

          ~Leave... ~ Lucas finally stopped and gave her a resigned look. “Ok. Ok, so what it is?” he asked

          The two adult scientists exchanged glances, then Bridger faced Lucas, speaking as though he were in a briefing. “It’s an institute for the study of psychic phenomena.”

          Lucas couldn’t have acted more surprised if he tried. “You’re talking about the Chatton Parapsychology Center,” he stated as he walked the space between the small chair and coffee table opposite the couch where he saw Samantha perched on the back.

          Bridger nodded. “You know about it.” Why was he not surprised?

          The teenager stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Yea, I know about it. Their security system is almost as advanced as a priority-one UEO file.”

          Westphalen stared at him, her voice sharpening. “Don’t say what I think you’re going to say.”

          *You hacked into their system?* Samantha smiled. *Sweet. Hope it was worth it.*

          “It was a long time ago,” he argued, feeling as if he had to clear this case. “I didn’t take anything, I just did it just to see if I could. And...I won fifty bucks from Wolfman.”

          Kristin’s irritability showed as she rolled her eyes and rubbed her hands on her pant legs lightly. “All legality in past aggressions aside, we both think it’s the best course of action for you two to take.”

          Lucas blinked, withdrawing his hands. “You’re going to send us to a bunch of spoon-benders?”

          “Right now, those ‘spoon-benders’ may be your only chance,” Kristin added.

          “Great. So I become a guinea pig for the next ‘Wonders in Spyer Science’ convention.” Lucas flopped down into the chair and leaning against his hand for a moment almost pensively, his eyes down and off at an angle to the distance.

          “They have resources and techniques that are more effective than anything we have on the SeaQuest.” Nathan approached Lucas calmly and rested a hand against the back of the chair in which Lucas sat.

          “Do you wanna talk to Sam?” Lucas breathed.

          Nathan nodded. “Sure.”

          Samantha glanced up with Lucas’ eyes for less than a moment.

          “I’m sorry, Kiddo.”

          She nodded his head, accepting it but keeping his eyes on a ship-in-a-bottle sitting on a table against the far wall. “Sounds like you’ve figured it out. What could you do?”

          “Levin told us what happened in his quarters. You did what you could and you tried, Lucas, that’s all that matters,” Bridger consoled, taking a seat in front of the dispirited teenager.

          “It’s Sam,” Samantha dropped Lucas’ voice to a near whisper. “Lucas is resting.”

          Bridger patted Lucas’ leg, keeping in mind that the one he was addressing was use to being a woman, and use to actions like that. “I wish there was some way to tell which of you was speaking so I wouldn’t feel like such an idiot,” he tried with a small grin.

          Samantha glanced up at Bridger with Lucas’ blue eyes and a serious mien. “We’re going to be stuck like this forever, aren’t we.”

          “You know that’s not true,” Westphalen interjected.

          “Yes it is,” Samantha snapped, sitting up. “The transfer can’t happen because my brain’s been fried, there’s no way to get back except for a bunch of psychics who probably have no idea what to do anyway, so all I have is the rest of my life in the body of someone I’ve known for only two months with the original owner still occupying it.”

          “You haven’t merged yet,” Nathan began, exuding hope in that statement.

          “Yet,” Samantha allowed. “But we’re sharing each other’s dreams now, and switching control is becoming easier every day, and when we used the VR--,” she stopped. She couldn’t tell them how detailed the experience had been. “Tell me that’s not a bad sign.”

          Bridger stood, setting his jaw. “Give it a chance to at least see if it works. If not we’ll try again, and again, and if that doesn’t work we’ll try something else, but I’m not giving up on you, Lucas.”

          “I’m not Lucas, I’m Sam!” Samantha shot up and slammed Lucas’ fist down on the table, rattling the glass set there before the meeting. “Samantha Haley Kinkade, born April 18th, 2000 to a Lawyer and an Egyptologist in San Francisco!” she jabbed a finger at Lucas’ chest. “Speak to me like I’m here!” She paused, taking a breath and speaking softer, her--his--voice quivering slightly. “Speak to me like I have an identity.”

          There was silence for a moment. The thrum of the ship’s engines grew to encompass the entire room in a thickened liquid sound.

          “You have an identity, Samantha, and that’s what separates you from Lucas,” Westphalen broke the uncomfortable edge and stood as well, facing Lucas as he turned away. She could tell that he--or rather Samantha--was trying to hold back emotion because she was biting his lip hard enough to turn it white.

          Bridger gently placed his hand on Lucas’ shoulder. “Go to the institute. If anything, it might help you learn how to deal with this.”

          Samantha turned toward Bridger, peering into his eyes, then did something Lucas would have never done--she laid his head against the captain’s chest. “I’m afraid. I don’t want to die,” Lucas’ voice trembled as well as his body as the tears she was fighting failed to remain in check. She felt Lucas emerge slowly from the depths of his mind as he came awake, but didn’t move. She didn’t want to move. She needed understanding and comfort, and the captain had given it to her.

          Nathan wrapped his arm around the youth, reminding himself it was Samantha, and rubbed Lucas’ back in comfort. “We won’t leave you. You can trust us on that, Samantha,” he told her softly, reminded of just how much he missed being a father, and as such how much he missed his own son, Robert. Lucas had adopted Bridger as his surrogate father, though both never actually voiced it. And now he felt that--although he held one--he now had two children to guard, two people who turned to him when they could go nowhere else.

          Lucas slid back into control and looked up, briefly wondering why he was crying. He pulled away, wiping at the unexpected tears and wrestled with what bits he’d caught of their conversation. “Uhm...,” he began

          Bridger cocked an eyebrow. “Lucas?” he asked, making sure it was really him.

          “Yea, here. I was just...” ~Was I asleep? Ah man, I must have zoned.~ he wiped a tear off his cheek, somewhat confused, “why was I crying?”

          “Samantha got a little emotional.” Westphalen moved to stand by the captain. “You don’t remember any of what just happened?” she asked curiously, shaking her head slightly with worry.

          Lucas frantically searched his memory, finding bits and pieces of the conversation that--when put together--made absolutely no sense. “Er...some.” He sighed in irritation. “She does this to me a lot--messes with my emotions. When I feel her getting oversensitive, I sit back and ride it out. It’s kinda what I use to do with my mom when she’d rant to my dad.”

          Bridger felt now he was on safer ground. “We heard what Samantha thought, but what about you?”

          “What, the institute? If it’s the last chance we have, then I’m game. Just tell me what to do,” Lucas stated assuredly, feeling the familiar tingle that was Samantha solidify into an image only he could see.

          She stood beside him, wiping at her eyes. *Sorry. I’m with you. Really, I am, Luke,* she turned away and looked out the windows, arms folded across her chest. It surprised her a little that he hadn’t objected to being called Luke.

          “She agrees,” Lucas relayed, then looked after her, ignoring the others in the room for a brief moment, and--to them--looked to be talking to thin air. “Ok, but you didn’t have to cry about it.”

          *I know, but I think I needed it,* her image turned to him. *Or rather, you needed it. We’ve been through hell, Lucas. A few tears never hurt anyone.*

          “Maybe in private.”

          Samantha pasted on a half grin, determined to bring herself out of this sudden dejected hole she’d dug in the last few minutes. *Come on. Don’t tell me you don’t feel like someone just took an anvil off your shoulders.*

          Lucas had to give her the benefit of the doubt. He did feel better. “Alright. Ok.”

          Bridger simply waited, watching until the teen turned back to them.

          Lucas took a deep breath. “When do we leave?”

          “In two days.”

          Lucas glanced at them, scratched the back of his neck in thought, then stuck his hands in his pockets and resigned a shrug of acceptance. “To Oz.”

* * * *

Two days later...

          Two days later...

          “Earlier today, the business world had its foundations shaken with what seems to be the betrayal of one of its own.”

          The stiff, clean cut image of a reporter set down a stack of papers and folded her manicured hands on the clean wooden desktop, fastening the cameras with a dignified air. Her brown hair framed her oval face and crept along the collar of her apple red dress.

          “Charges have been made linking the fortune five-hundred mining corporation owner, Edward Phalwell of Phalwell Industries, with dealings in smuggling black market technology and minerals to unallied nations. Investigators believe that he was directly involved with conspiracies in the UEO ranks, namely one ensign Maxwell Jeffries, and one Colonel Eric Corvain--an eight year member of the navy, gone rouge after loosing his position as captain of the Laramis, where he joined the pirate faction “Winter’s Raid,” giving himself the title of colonel.” The screen split to a video of the accused being led from a courthouse. “Though both Corvain and Jeffries were accused of the theft and distribution of outlawed technology for undersea mining, Phalwell denies any rumors linking him with the former captain, the UEO spy, or the recovered merchandise.”

          ”In other news, the small town of Vinita, Oklahoma was devastated by a freak tornado this afternoon that wiped out a trailer park near the edge of town...”

          Bridger severed the satellite link and turned to a stout man in the uniform of an admiral sitting at the head of the table. “Substantial evidence, and the government is still dancing with the lawyers. Makes you wonder when the world went mad.”

          Admiral Noyce leaned back and linked his fingers. “I’ve wondered that for years, Nate, but no one’s been able to give me a straight answer. We’ve got Phalwell in a corner and he knows it. Given time--and enough charges--he’ll be repaying his debt to society behind bars.”

          “He deserves whatever he can get.”

          Noyce caught the venom behind the words and leaned forward as his long time friend set down the remote. “Is this about Lucas and the Kinkade girl? I thought they’d be patched up by now.”

          Bridger sat straight, though he looked as if he were the victim of a forced debriefing. “There’s something I didn’t tell you right off, Bill,” he began, folding his hands on the table and preparing himself. “When Samantha was knocked unconscious during the test, it sent a surge of electricity through the system that blew the panel Lucas was working under.”

          Noyce spread his hands. “But they’re alright?” He wondered where this was going.

          “Lucas is, yes, but Samantha suffered major head trauma.” Bridger hesitated, finding this hard to put to voice. “Her consciousness was transferred to Lucas just before the VRN blew. They’ve been sharing the same body for a week.”

          Now Noyce leaned back in thought as he willed himself to accept what he was told. Nathan wasn’t one for tall tales and he knew this was no joke simply by the expression on his friend’s face. “You mean to tell me that a malfunctioning piece of experimental technology is responsible for a sudden case of split personality?”

          “Yes sir.”

          Noyce peered at his friend, seeing the captain’s face remain as it was, and whistled. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He put a finger thoughtfully to his bottom lip, then suddenly leaned forward and poked the same finger at Bridger. “Then that’s it. Once the psychic community finds out about this, Phalwell will have run out of places to hide and we’ll have him right where we want him.”

          Nathan shook his head. “No, Bill. No one else can know. I shouldn’t even have told you, but I trust you to keep this under wraps.”

          “But if it’s the proof we need, then...”

          “I can’t, Bill.” Bridger regarded his friend apologetically. “You have to understand that if any word of Lucas and Samantha get out, they’ll never lead a normal life again.”

          “It could put Phalwell away for good.”

          “It’ll ruin two of the most intelligent and promising people I’ve come to know,” Bridger paused slightly, “and the world will loose something far more important that it will ever know.”

          Noyce faltered. As much as he wanted to debate this, he knew his friend was right, so he resigned the battle with acceptance. “So be it.”

          Bridger felt relieved and he leaned back, letting the admiral know how thankful he was by a look of gratefulness that was universal. He knew he could trust Noyce with anything, and reveled in the fact that the media and the rest of the world would remain in the dark--as two peoples’ fate was better left to global ignorance.

* * * *

Later that day...

          Darwin’s sleek form glided past the clear, smooth tube running through Lucas’ quarters and he bumped the glass with his beak as the teenager packed his bag. “Lucas leaving?” the vocorder in his room relayed.

          “Only for a while, Darwin. I’m coming back.”

          “Darwin wish Sam and Lucas good swim.”

          Samantha had to smile at that, and her image touched the glass. Her hand passed through. *Thanks, Dar.* Maybe it was her other half she picked up on, but she felt she was going to miss Darwin greatly.

          “Thanks, Dar. Keep an eye on things, ok, pal?” Seeing the dolphin made his heart pang with sadness, for he didn’t know how long it would be before he’d see his best friend again.

          “Darwin be good!” the vocorder proclaimed as the dolphin barrel rolled in the water. “No need for sadness. Darwin see Lucas again.” And with that, the dolphin chirped his own farewell missed by the translator, and swam out of sight.

          Lucas stuffed another change of cloths from a pile sitting on his bed into his black SeaQuest duffel bag. For some odd reason, he had everything folded and separated in order: shirts in one pile, pants, underwear and socks in another, and some other items sitting off to the side by themselves in a cluster of toiletries and computer disks. He slid the laptop into the side compartment of the bag, wondering how in the world she’d managed to get him to organize everything. He stuffed the disks in beside it and zipped it closed.

          *It won’t fit if you do it your way.* She sat cross-legged on the bed, watching him, but feeling every one of his movements as he packed.

          “There’s nothing wrong with my way. At least it doesn’t look like my mother packed it.” He stuffed in the pants and shirts and started on the pile of underwear.

          *My mother never argued.* She rearranged the socks for him with one hand while he shoved the rest of the solid items in the bag. *It kept me from having to talk to her before I’d leave. Sometimes she got pretty nosy, ya know?*

          “My hand, Sam.” Flexing his hand, he pushed her back out of major control. “If it fits, it fits. I don’t care.” He punched the cloths, making sure they’d all fit, and reached under the bed, pulling out a box of books and packed four of them, then shoved it under the bed again. When he looked up, he saw a brown, beat up bear with a missing eye sitting on his bag. It had been sewn at the edge of the neck. Tentatively, he picked it up.

          *I found it under the bed last night when you were sleeping. It coincided with your dream.* She watched through his eyes as they scanned the bear, turning it over in his hands.

          “You never told me you sleepwalked,” he questioned, putting the bear on the bed and packing the rest of his things. He moved across the room to the shelf and took down a few disks.

          She shrugged. *I never thought I’d be here long enough for it to matter. You have your quirks too, Lucas Wolenczak.*

          He didn’t answer but continued packing. His hand ran across the bear’s soft fur.

          Samantha took over his right hand and picked it up once more--her image mimicking Lucas’ movement--though he hesitated. *Take it.*

          “Guys don’t sleep with bears,” he argued and tried to put it down, but couldn’t move his arm. He tried to force it down. ~Let go, Sam. ~

          She withdrew from control. *Then let me take it. That nightmare was freaky, ok? I might want something to cuddle.*

          Lucas placed the bear in the bag with a sigh and zipped it closed. “I swear if anyone catches me sleeping with a one eyed bear, I might as well tattoo ‘Mama’s Boy’ to my forehead.”

          He shouldered the bag as Samantha silently laughed, picked up the duffel and guitar case from her quarters, and climbed the short steps out of his room. Looking back once more, he locked the door behind him.

* * * *

          Lucas entered the launch bay and was immediately greeted by five people. The captain, Admiral Noyce, Westphalen, Ben and Tim all silenced their conversations as Lucas approached. Apparently Bridger had ordered everyone out of the bay so it was relatively empty. “Admiral? What are you guys doing here?”

          “You didn’t think we were going to let you leave without saying good-bye, did you?” Ben said meeting Lucas in the middle. He regarded the guitar case hanging from Lucas’ hand. “Nice.”

          Lucas shrugged. “She wouldn’t leave without it.”

          Ben patted him on the shoulder. “Have fun.”

          “Oh yea,” Lucas said sarcastically, “all night parties till the cows come home.”

          Tim moved forward and shook his free hand. “We’ll miss you, buddy. Take care.” He cleared his throat. “Um, Sam, tha mi an dochas nach fhada gu an till iad. [I hope it won’t be long until you return.]”

          Samantha smiled and chuckled slightly. “I hope so, too, Tim. Toiradh. [good-bye].” she said, then ignored Lucas’ objections as she hugged Tim, who faltered a bit at the sudden--if brief--show of affection.

          Lucas backed away with an embarrassed smile, said, “See ya,” and climbed the steps to the launch. Tim glanced to Ben, who couldn’t quite contain a small bout of chuckles.

          Admiral Noyce held out his hand. “That’s one hell of a story. Good luck, son.”

          “Thank you, sir,” he said, taking the admiral’s hand before turning to the captain and Dr. Westphalen.

          “Come along, Lucas. I’ll meet you down there,” Kristin put a hand reassuringly on Lucas’ shoulder before descending the metal ladder.

          Lucas glanced to Tim and Ben--who gave loose salutes good-bye--then to the captain. He took a deep breath, building his strength to face the unknown territory of a psychic institution, and stepped up to the ladder. Nervousness broke through that wall of strength and he realized that his palms had been sweating. “Let’s do it.”

          He passed the black vinyl guitar case down and gripped the ladder with both hands, flexing his fingers, then stepped into the roomy sea launch. Bridger climbed down after him and took his seat up front with Kristin, both passing looks of hope through a silent conversation. The servos whirred as the doors to the launch bay clamped shut and locked, separating air from ocean. With the exterior chamber pressurized and the outer launch bay doors opened, the sea craft shot through the doors out into the open sea smooth as silk, speeding away from the long undersea vessel.

          Samantha sat to his right, worrying her face with her hands. Lucas mimicked her motions like a twin. She turned toward the back of the sea launch and forced his eyes to follow that of her image’s. Out of curiosity, he allowed it, though when he did, he felt a slip of fear from her. In the back, partially seen from their seats, was a medical gurney on which lay the still, lifeless body of a young brown-haired woman. Her face was placid and peaceful.

          Slowly he got up and walked to the back, peaking around the corner for a better look, though almost wished he hadn’t. His breath seized up at the sight of Samantha, for this was the first time since the accident he’d laid eyes on her. He stepped closer to the side of the bed while Samantha’s image stayed at the door.

          *I don’t want to get closer,* she breathed. *Please, Lucas.*

          ~We’re going to have to some day, ~ he thought softly. He stared at her for a moment, just trying to take everything in. Cautiously, he reached down and touched Samantha’s hand, waves of apprehension flowing through him at the simple tactile sensation. His skin tingled, burned as her consciousness surged through his hand from the touch, and she made him inhale, overwhelmed from the impression it sent through his fingers.

          He forced his eyes to look at her face, her smooth features, still lips, closed unmoving eyes. Lost in the motions, he slowly withdrew his hand as the sense of Samantha’s fear turned to a numb realization.

          Samantha’s image stood next to him, looking down at herself. How dead she looked. Utterly lifeless and pale, like a porcelain doll. She felt Lucas’ heart beat quicken. Never in her life had she thought she’d ever be looking at herself from the other side of her own skin, or from the eyes of another.

          “Lucas.”

          He jumped at the sound of his own name.

          Kristin put a hand on his shoulder and spoke calmly. “Why don’t you go sit down, now?”

          Lucas looked at her, saw the caring in her eyes, and turned away back to the seating area.

          Westphalen glanced from Samantha’s body to Lucas, and wondered just how it felt to look at your own face and question if you were dead. A part of her didn’t ever want to know.

          Lucas sat down and gazed through the window at the massive form of the SeaQuest DSV steadily shrinking, melding into the dark blue waters of the ocean depths until--as he watched--it became no more than a blur, a speck--

          Nothing.

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