Chapter 1: She can't be really gone.

2022:

Two weeks. It had already been two weeks since her world was completely destroyed. Dr. Kristin Westphalen looked in the mirror trying to straighten out her auburn hair. She sighed at her reflection as she set down the comb. Maybe Katie would be able to help her look presentable. The memorial service was today. She wasn't ready. She looked down at her left hand at the beautiful solitaire on her ring finger. Kristin thought about the day Nathan Bridger had given it to her. The day he finally had asked her to be his wife she had been so happy. If she only knew then that in less than a month she would be attending the memorial service for the only man she ever loved. There was so much left unsaid. She thought about the day she had left for the conference 3 weeks ago. She was only going to be gone a week. She rushed off just giving Nathan a kiss on the cheek in a hurry to do something that seemed so important at the time but meant nothing now. What she wouldn't give to have those last few moments back. Kristin hadn't even noticed the tears start to fall until Katie handed her a tissue.

"Are you okay?" Katie asked, tears threatening her own crystal blue eyes. Captain Katherine Hitchcock had served proudly one the Seaquest's first tour. She counted its crew to be some of her closest friends. As hard as it was to accept that they were really all gone, Katie knew she had to be strong. Kristin hadn't taken the loss of the captain well or Lucas for that matter and Lt. Benjamin Krieg was all but inconsolable at the loss of his young friend. She had to keep it together for them and even if she wouldn't admit it for herself too.

"I'll be alright," Kristin replied composing herself once more, "Do you think you could help me do something with this hair? I should think they'll have me committed if I walk in there looking like a loon."

Katie smiled at the jest as she picked up the brush and helped Kristin with her hair. A few moments later there was a small knock on the door and in walked Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg. Katie couldn't help but notice how much he had aged in the last two weeks. He still had his patented crooked smile but the spark in his eyes was gone. Ben Krieg had joined every search party he was allowed to and a few he wasn't but, no one had the heart to reprimand the Lieutenant. He didn't have family and he had lost his best friend. Sure, it was a teenager but, Lucas filled a void in Ben. Katie knew the pair had been spending shore leaves together and had even talked about getting an apartment together. She had often commented to Ben that he needed to mature but, she never meant it. She knew where other people saw Ben as a brother figure to Lucas, he saw a father. He was the boy's protector and he had failed. Not that it was in his control but, the feeling was still the same.

"Ladies," Ben said with a wry smile and a nod, " I pulled the car around. Secretary General Noyce sent the tickets to the service. It looks like we'll be seated together."

"That was thoughtful of him," Kristin smiled as she grabbed her belongings, "I had heard seating was going to be done in a lottery forum."

"Yeah, it was but they decided to just seat families together and seat people by the rank of their relatives." Ben looked down, uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Well, no time like the present I suppose," Kristin exited the room with Ben and Katie following right behind her.

The memorial service was a huge media event. The flag ship of the UEO, gone without a trace, all hands loss save for a few science officers who were unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the Atlantic with absolutely no explanation as to why other than they were order to evacuate by the Captain. Kristin walked quickly down the path shielded on each side by Ben and Katie. She felt a tug on her back and turned to see Manilow Crocker shielding her back from photographers. Once inside Katie went to find Noyce to see if there were any new developments in the search. While Ben excused himself to have a word with William Shan, a security chief on the first tour of the Seaquest, Crocker escorted the Doctor to her seat. The stage was full of flowers with a large memorial with the names of all hands lost imbedded in marble.

"Thank you for your help back there, Chief," she said as she reached her seat.

Chief Crocker nodded, "It was the least I could do, for you, for him," the old seaman looked down at a watch given to him by Captain Bridger at the end of his last tour, " I just can't believe he's really gone."

"I know," Kristin said trying once again to keep her composure, " I just wish I knew what happened. Nathan sent away most of the science staff, he knew there was trouble. But he couldn't have thought that this would be the end. He would have never allowed Lucas to stay."

"You're right about that Doc, but short of prying that boy away with a crow bar you know as well as I do, he couldn't have forced that kid off if he put his mind to staying."

Kristin smiled slightly at the quip as she remembered the teenagers resolve. It was true. Lucas would have never left the Seaquest in trouble if he thought he could help. As she sat waiting for the service to begin Kristin began scanning the room for familiar faces. Directly behind her said a man of obvious Hispanic descent. As she studied the rest of the row she realized this was the family of Sensory Chief Miguel Ortiz. He had often mentions his four beautiful sisters who threatened to give him grey hairs with their dating antics. She looked back at the patriarch of the family she realized how much Miguel looked like his father. The men both had the same deep brown eyes that on Ortiz always seemed to sparkle. To the other side of this man sat his wife who was huddled together with another woman, obviously of no relation. It took Kristin a moment to place what they were doing but when she realized it almost brought her to tears. The two women sat behind her praying the rosary. It only took a moment for Kristin to realize the other woman was the mother of communications officer, Timothy O'Neill. She smiled to herself wondering if the two women who were comforting one another in death knew how much their boys had meant to eachother in life.

The service was beautiful. Secretary General Noyce gave a beautiful speech about the crew and the family that they had formed together. He spoke of how there was no finer crew in the UEO fleet than that of the Seaquest and of the great loss this was to mankind. As the service wound down they reached the most difficult part for everyone, the reading of names. One by one each name was read followed by their title and birth date as a family member stood and placed a rose on the memorial. Occasionally there was no one to place the rose and Noyce would stand and do it himself in honor of the fallen. Kristin wondered how anyone could miss their son or daughters memorial but, then resigned to it having been a financial or health problem preventing some families. Surely no one was that callous. Until of course she heard it.

"Lucas Daniel Wolenczak, Chief Computer Analyst, December 23, 2004."

Kristin froze. She realized no one was getting up, could his father really have skipped his own son's memorial. Who was she kidding of course he could. Before she could move she felt Benjamin Krieg help her up from his seat. She looked at him surprised before he spoke with tears in his eyes.

"We'll do this together; he'd want it that way anyhow. We're his family."

Kristin nodded taking Katie and Ben's hands as they approached the memorial. Bill Noyce nodded his approval obviously pushing aside his anger towards Dr. Wolencazak. The trio was surprised to be met at the stairs by Chief Shan, Chief Crocker, Dr. Joshua Levin, and a hand full of other crew members who had all rushed to the stage realizing what had happened. Kristin smiled as they group placed roses on the memorial in honor of the boy. If nothing else it was a tribute to the lives the teenager had touched through his selflessness on board the Seaquest. After the group returned to their seats a few more names were read before Kristin heard it. The name she had been dreading.

"Nathan Hale Bridger, Captain…."

Kristin watched as eyes were drawn to the back of the room. Approaching the stage was a handsome young man in full UEO dress uniform. Kristin couldn't place him but he looked familiar somehow. He reminded her of Nathan, suddenly it hit here. Could it be? Her un asked question was answered before she could react when she heard the shocked Lieutenant next to her speak.

"Bobby?"