Part Two

"The Dissonance of Dreams"

          The med bay filled with a sudden silence broken only by small beeps from various essential equipment restarting on generator power.

          Westphalen pushed herself off the floor and swiped at her loosed hair, a welt forming on her left cheek. Around her, she heard the groans of her medical and science staff as they picked themselves off of whatever they�d landed on. �Is everyone alright?� she asked in a concerned tone. She got scattered responses from around the room. �Brawly?�

          �Aye, ma�am,� Brawly�s tenor voice answered with a grunt.

          �Good, that�s one,� she sighed. �Count them off.� Her team rattled off their given number for emergencies, and she sighed in relief that all twelve had answered. All but one. �Lucas? Lucas!�

          �If I wasn�t sober, I am now,� Lucas groaned, slowly pulling himself up off the floor out of Kristin�s line of sight.

          Westphalen hurried over to him and checked him over. Being on a morphine high, he was relaxed enough that the few bruises he received weren�t as bad as they could have been. �Thank heaven you�re alright,� she breathed. �Sam?� She saw Lucas hang his head and his expression changed to more fearful when his blue eyes met her green ones.

          �I�m alright. What happened?� Samantha asked, fear edging her/his voice.

          Kristin only had time to inhale before Lucas answered his own question.

          �The core�s been hit. It looks like it fried everything. We�ll be luckily to get anywhere now.� He was frustrated and still in shock, yet the adrenaline rush was keeping back some of the anger, and the morphine was keeping him from making any major moves. He stood to get his bearings back, and wavered as the room spun around him. His head seemed to loose all its brain mass, feeling light as a feather and just as wispy.

          �Give me your arm,� Kristin demanded, then pierced a needle through his skin.

          Lucas flinched.

          *Ow.* Lucas saw Samantha rub her arm in the exact same spot.

          �It�s a stimulant. It�ll counteract the morphine.� She helped him to sit back on the bed.

          �I have to get to the core and find out what happened,� he insisted in a groggy tone, though he didn�t fight Kristin�s move to sit him down again.

          �Not like this you aren�t.� She looked Lucas in the eye. �Sam, --heaven knows why I�m entertaining this notion--but I know you can hear me, so I want you to keep him here while I try to contact the bridge, alright?�

          �Doc,� Lucas argued, seeing Samantha cross her arms behind her.

          �Lucas, don�t argue.�

          ~I�m not a kid. Stop treating me like one. ~

          �Aye, aye, ma�am.� Samantha wanted a hand to salute with, so she used Lucas�. �I�m you�re...uh...man.�

          Kristin shook her head and activated the comm. �Doctor to the Bridge.� Static. �Doctor to the bridge, this is Westphalen. Can someone hear me?� She waited a moment before trying again. �Captain, pick up if you�re there.� The comm continually refused to answer with anything else but static. �Damn,� she cursed in a whisper, releasing the talk button. �Alright. Brawly, Mathews, Cunningham, you stay here and try to get some of this equipment back online. The rest of you,� she paused, looking her staff over with a breath in the dim red light. �Search the boat for wounded. No doubt we�ll have a full plate once the comm system is running again.�

          Lucas spoke as she walked passed him. �If you�re going to see the captain, I�m coming with you.� He hopped off the bed, still light headed, but not as much as before. He felt Samantha�s agreement rather than heard it, and saw her nod her head.

          Kristin shook her head at the young computer genius. �Now�s not the time.�

          �Doctor, I know this boat just as well as anyone, if not better in some respects, and Sam can find her way around the ship in her sleep. I may have someone else in my head, but it�s not a crutch, and I�m not a child. We�re coming.� He held his ground with unwavering resolution. This wasn�t about to be the straw that would break his back, and he was relieved to know that Samantha agreed with him.

          Kristin grabbed Lucas� hand to steady him when his balance faltered. Reluctantly, she gave to his point. �Alright, but stay close.�

          Lucas nodded.

          �Teenagers,� she uttered as she walked out of the med bay, Lucas following behind.

* * * *

          Every crewman held his breath as the ominous sounds of bulkheads strained under the intense pressure of the waters. It resounded through the ship like noises from an old haunted house. Though the outer skin was quick in beginning the repairs on itself, the simple knowledge that there was a break in their protection made sweat bead on the heads of those who knew about the outer skin�s wounds, and those who feared it. The tension hung thick in the air as though it could be cut with a razor blade and maintain its shape.

          In the wardroom, the atmosphere was no different.

          Lucas sat at the side of the long table drumming his thumbs impatiently on its dark polished surface while Samantha leaned against the view screen and watched the others filter in around them. To his right sat Dr. Westphalen, Lt. Krieg, Lt. Ortiz, Commander Ford, Lt. Hitchcock, Chief Crocker, and Lt. O�Neill. None looked too pleased.

          *Cheery crowd,* Samantha quipped.

          ~Lets hope we can get some answers. ~

          Captain Bridger took his place at the head of the table facing the view screen.

          He had been through situations where he had to call on the expertise of the crew Each time they had answered with top performance, and he had confidence they would pull through again just as in the past. Hell, his first mission on this boat was in a similar situation when he was pitted against one of his brightest students--Captain Marilyn Stark.

          A low red light played on the figures of each person in the room, discoloring their skin.

          �Captain, with all due respect, we�d like to know what�s going on here,� Ben started.

          Bridger folded his hands calmly on the table top. �I know you all have questions, and regarding the secrecy of this mission, I�d expect you to,� he began, �but the fact of the matter remains: We�re not here to meet a convoy as I�ve told you. We�re here to solve the mystery of what happened to one.�

          Everyone�s eyes peered intently on the captain.

          �Those subs up there are part of a pirate faction called �Winter�s Raid.� They�ve been hitting UEO outposts for weeks in search of a mineral discovered in undersea mining.�

          *A mineral?* Samantha said seconds before Kristin.

          �The areas attacked bore only one similarity; they all contained the mineral Kl-24p.�

          Samantha looked wide eyed to where Lucas sat and straightened. *Kl-24p, that�s...*

          �That�s what we used in the VR experiment,� Lucas completed her thought, �but it�s only known use is as a super conductor for high amounts of electricity. What would a pirate faction want with it?�

          �The Tin Man keeps short circuiting?� Ben lightly folded his arms.

          �We don�t know why they want it,� Bridger said, �only that they were willing to attack a UEO convoy to get it. Unfortunately, that�s all the Intel. We�ve gathered.�

          �So, we�re stuck in the middle of a trench with three warrior subs, a cruiser hanging over our heads, and WSKR bits in the water because some big shot pirate wants to get rich from a rare mineral?� Miguel wanted to wring their necks.

          �Don�t forget running on minimal power,� Tim chimed in.

          Bridger interrupted. �It was supposed to remain classified, but in light of recent events, I felt it was your right to know.�

          *Gee, thanks.*

          Bridger stole his time before dropping this next time bomb on them. �There�s one more thing. There�s been a breech in security--a Leak.�

          �Why wasn�t I informed?� Commander Ford asked in a cool tone.

          Bridger leaned back. �No one was supposed to know about it in case the Leak discovered we were hunting for him and bugged out. Now,� he began, seeing disapproving looks on the faces of his officers, �I know it wasn�t any of you, but UEO regulation stands. And that includes you, Commander.� He got a resigned look from his ex-o. �I didn�t want to believe it, but it was on this boat.�

          �He�s the one who blew up the core,� anger edged Lucas� voice.

          Bridger nodded. �Noyce has reason to believe it was one of the personnel we picked up at the Stone Temple colony.�

          �There were a dozen new crewmen, cap. And I�ve checked all of them in the last twelve hours. They all came up clean,� Chief Crocker answered.

          ~Evidently you missed something, ~ Lucas thought with a frown.

          �Check them again. Find out who was in that sea launch.�

          �Aye, Cap.�

          �Sir, we�ve isolated the blast to the VRN system,� Lt. Hitchcock spoke up, more than a little irked. �Whoever sabotaged it had bypassed the protection protocols in a way that was undetectable by a quick pass scan. The damage is extensive sir, and we�re looking at a two week minimum just to repair it. Only my team and I have been in that area since the test run. No one but you, myself, Lucas, and Samantha know the codes.�

          *They got to the VRN? Oh great. Now what are we gonna do?* Samantha moved from the view screen to pacing behind Lucas.

          Lucas pushed back the urge to hit the table and settled for rapping his knuckles against his knee. ~What do you mean, what are we going to do? ~

          *That�s exactly what I mean, Wolenczak. That system was the whole cause of this mess. What if we need that to reverse whatever happened to us?* She moved to sit on the edge of the table to his right. Everyone else was completely ignorant to her presence.

          Lucas started to feel his heartbeat quicken. ~Calm down. All we need is eye contact. ~

          *With what?* Samantha asked dryly. She knew as did he--and everyone else on board--that her body was pretty much a shell, and that eye contact meant looking a dead body in the eye, which gave Lucas goosebumps. *This happened through an electrical surge when you broke the chip. We may need that surge again.*

          ~Not by what Dr. Levin said. ~

          *Dr. Levin wasn�t sure.* They didn�t know if they could pull it off at all. Levin had said that not even he could be a guide.

          All the blood drained from Lucas� face at once. He felt someone tapping his shoulder and turned to the right--but Samantha had disappeared and taken a place by the captain.

          �Are you alright?� Kristin asked quietly.

          �Y..yea..yea. I�m ok. It�s just the morphine,� Lucas stuttered. For the first time since this began, he entertained the thought of having Samantha Kinkade in his head for longer than a few days. He felt her move restlessly in the confines of his mind even as he saw her walk around the room. He grit his teeth.

          �Lucas? Hey, Lucas, snap out of it,� Miguel snapped his fingers.

          �Huh?� Lucas blinked, realizing he�d missed a good portion of the briefing, which normally didn�t take very long. Believing he knew where the briefing would have ended off, he picked up at the most logical place when involving the ship�s computer. �Oh, uh, yea. I can get to work on the system right away. You�ll need every hand you can get and I�m the best on this boat...�

          *You�re overdoing it...*

          �...I know the computer backwards and forwards.�

          There was an awkward silence that filled the wardroom as all eyes turned on the sixteen year old.

          Bridger was the first to break the thickness of it. �That�s not what we were talking about, but thank you. I would like you in on this.�

          �Right,� Lucas face went red, feeling like an ass, but covering it up with a placid look, like he meant to screw up. He was feeling a lot better until he felt himself speak. ~Sam.... ~

          �Captain, we spent a lot of time in there and Lu....er...I think the Leak fried it to cover his tracks,� Samantha added, acting like Lucas as best she could. �Something like the VRN could get a lot of money off the black market, and from what Lt. Hitchcock had said, he obviously knew what he was doing. Something that detailed and intricate takes a lot of expertise. In a way, it�s kinda cool.�

          ~Good idea. ~ Lucas thought. ~Even though I thought of it. ~

          *You weren�t going to say anything.*

          ~So you thought you�d take the initiative? ~

          *One of us had to. He had you pinned.* Samantha withdrew her energy from his arms and speech, and resumed watching the world through his eyes.

          Captain Bridger let out a breath and nodded. ��Cool� isn�t the word I�d use, Lucas. Chief, I want you to check out every member of Lt. Hitchcock�s team. See if they knew anything. O�Neill?�

          �Sir?�

          �Start digging through the comm messages over the last two weeks and look for anything suspicious.�

          �Aye, sir,� Tim answered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

          �Ortiz, put as much auxiliary power into the onboard sensors as you can and find every scrap of data gathered from the WSKRs on those attack subs. We need to know exactly who we�re dealing with.�

          �Yes, sir,� Miguel answered in a determined tone.

          �As for you, Mr. Wolenczak,� Bridger gave a small grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth as the boy looked attentive. �Get started.�

          �Uh, Yes sir.�

          �Dismissed.�

          Ben stood and walked to the door with Miguel. �Don�t worry. We�ll get you some new toys. I know some great contacts.� He gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

          �Who ever did this is seriously going to pay,� Hitchcock snarled as she walked down the hall.

          �Sure. You haven�t had a hide nailed to your door in weeks,� Ben joked.

          Hitchcock shot him a glare that would have shattered ice.

          Miguel brushed past the moral officer. �Smooth, Ben.�

          Ben hung back a moment, knowing it was an idiotic thing to say, then left the briefing room, leaving the door open.

          Lucas got up to leave the room with everyone else when Bridger grabbed him through voice. �Lucas. Stay.�

          ~Uh oh... ~ Hands in his pockets, he walked back. �Look, captain, I can explain what happened...�

          Bridger held up his hand to shush him. �I know, kiddo. It�s Samantha. I was watching you.�

          ~He was? grr. That means someone else could have noticed...--Lt. Ortiz... ~ Lucas scratched the back of his neck, whereas Samantha�s image looked at him and shrugged sheepishly.

          The captain�s next question sounded more like a father to a surrogate son. �How are you doing?�

          �Bordering on insanity, but considering the lack of personal privacy, Tha gu math. {I�m fine.},� he answered with a shrug.

          �No side effects? Nothing causing you pain or discomfort?�

          �No. Just a headache now and then��

          *Oh, ha, ha.*

          ��although we attributed that to cell memory capacity. To keep me from going bonkers, my mind created an image of her to interact with, but,� he pointed out, �the flying monkeys haven�t shown up yet.�

          *Key word there, Scarecrow,* she blinked for him.

          Bridger let it slide with a light �hmph.� �Kristin said you were asking for me earlier, and it sounded pretty important.�

          �Oh, that,� he remembered almost guiltily, facing the captain and biting his lip. �See, when we realized that she couldn�t survive outside, and her body hadn�t been repaired yet, she sorta...panicked.� The signs of a silent conversation crept over his face for a moment where he slightly glanced to the left at her image. �She says she�s sorry for trashing the med bay.�

          �Apology accepted.�

          A small cough caught their attention and both synchronously turned toward the door. Tim O�Neill froze like he�d been cornered by the cops. Silently, he berated himself for not being able to hold back the cough that betrayed him. �Um, I left my notepad on the table. The door was open.� He hoped the later would excuse his presence, as the air had suddenly grown thick.

          �How long have you been standing there, Lt.?� Bridger asked.

          �Long enough to be confused, sir,� he answered slowly.

          Lucas felt a wave of dread wash over him. Someone else knew.

          *At least it isn�t Ben.*

          �Didn�t anyone ever tell you that eavesdropping was rude?� Lucas stated.

          �I wasn�t droppin� no eaves, I swear,� Tim defended.

          Bridger noted the Tolkien reference, and Samantha chuckled out loud. There was a reason she liked Tim.

          Tim glanced over at Lucas, then to the captain, and scratched his ear. For a long moment, the void between the three was filled with the distinctive sense of yet another awkward silence until Bridger gestured to the table. �Lieutenant?�

          �Right,� Tim said quickly, reminded of why he came back in the first place, and scurried to grab his notepad. As he picked it up, he addressed the two in the room. �Sir, if you don�t mind my asking, I�d like to know what�s going on. What did you mean by all that stuff about Sam? She�s like a little sister to me, sir. If any news involving her comes up, I would like to know,� he said sincerely, only concern lacing his voice.

          �Captain...� Lucas approached Bridger, trying to push his point of wariness in spreading the word. But, as Tim had even asked the question, the damage was clearly done.

          Sam nodded but Lucas pressed her back. ~I don�t want anyone else knowing. ~

          *They�re going to find out sooner or later.* She moved closer to the boundaries between them. In her imagined mind�s eye, she approached the edge of his vision, arms folded, but in a relaxed manner across her blue shirt. A great deal of the tightness had gone from her mental voice. *I trust Tim. If I were to choose anyone to know, then I�d choose him.*

          ~It�s not that I don�t trust him, it�s that I�d rather the less people that know you�re in my head, the better. ~

          *He won�t tell.*

          ~You sure? ~

          *Positive.*

          ~So we�re up for 20 Questions. ~

          *It�s not that hard. Just answer truthfully, and whatever you don�t know, I�ll help with.*

          He knew she was positive. He could feel it. And he�d needed to hear it from her first in more of a supporting strength. �Ok.�

          Tim had noticed the switch in facial features from the invisible exchange, and his curiosity piqued.

          Lucas sighed and gestured at a chair. �Have a seat,� he said loosely. Tim remained standing.

          �I think you�d better sit down for this one, Lt,� Bridger advised.

          Tim blinked in confusion, then sat down in the closest chair and waited for the explanation.

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