Temporary Duty

by A.T. Jackson

Disclaimer: seaQuest and all the characters in it belong to Amblin Entertainment, Sci-fi Channel and anyone else with a legal claim to them. I am writing this for fun and I am not making a profit. This applies to all subsequent parts.

Notes: The Outriggers are figments of my imagination, so I claim ownership of them. Please consult me if you wish to use them. Any resemblance to people, living or dead is purely coincidental. Tarsinia is a fictitious place invented for the purpose of this story and any similarity to an existing locale is accidental.

I spell O'Neill as O'Neil, because I can't break myself of the habit, I have a friend whose last name is spelled O'Neil and it's pure reflex.

This is my first completed work of fiction, of any type. I did receive editing help, but all errors, grammatical, factual or otherwise are my own. Constructive criticism, suggestions, advice and comments are encouraged and welcomed and can be sent directly to me at outriggerblue@yahoo.com.

Finally, I have to thank Alexia, who convinced me that this story was worth writing and encouraged, coaxed, pleaded and threatened me until it was actually finished.

Rating: PG-13, for mild swearing and some violence/torture and bloodshed (not too graphic) in later parts. Alexia said she'd put it at 15, for those of you understand that rating system.

Copyright: A.T. Jackson 1998, 1999.

Temporary Duty

Lucas Wolenczak looked at the outside of the building and wondered if they were in the right place; it was more conventional than he had been expecting. The tall concrete structure looked like an average office building; somehow he had expected something more sinister looking. Glancing at Lieutenant Tim O'Neil, he wondered if the communications tech was having the same thoughts. However, since the request had come in from the Outriggers for assistance, he had not had much time to think.

According to their leader, Commander Hunter McKinnon, they were in need of a computer specialist and a linguist. Since the seaQuest was due to be docking for minor repairs, Captain Nathan Bridger had consented to the loan of two of his crewmembers, especially after Admiral Walter Ramsey had applied some pressure.

The Captain's agreement of the assignment had eased some of the initial anxiety pangs. Almost everyone had heard about the Outriggers: a specialized group broken up into smaller units that handled everything no one else wanted. Its members were supposed to be highly unorthodox and unafraid of anything that might happen. It had even been said that most of them had a death wish, hence their willingness to take extraordinary risks. A close knit group, they rarely associated with anyone outside of the organization.

Their request for help had come as a surprise; usually the Outriggers handled their problems among the organization. Bridger had been somewhat reluctant to give in to the request, although the Admiral had assured him it was a routine assignment. While Bridger knew most of the rumors to be exaggerations, experience had taught him that nothing involving the Outriggers was routine.

"I guess we better go in," Tim finally said. "This is the correct address," he added.

"All right," Lucas agreed. He was glad that Tim was with him on this particular assignment. Bridger's assurances aside, he felt distinctly nervous about working with the Outriggers.

Inside, the building was empty except for one woman, seated at a desk. There was a door behind the desk and another off to the side, as well as an elevator located on either side of the room. There appeared to be a hallway off to the left, although there were no markings to indicate where it might lead. The two approached her, figuring she could direct them to their destination. Lucas found the silence somewhat eerie; on the seaQuest nothing was ever this quiet.

"May I help you?" the woman asked politely.

"Uh, Lieutenant Tim O'Neil from the seaQuest. We're supposed to meet Commander McKinnon here," Tim said.

"And you would be?" she questioned, looking at Lucas.

"Lucas Wolenczak. I'm, uh, here to meet Commander McKinnon as well."

"I'll need to see some identification," she instructed them. She accepted their cards. "I'll be right back," she said, disappearing into the door behind the desk.

They waited for about five minutes until she returned with two men. "They need to check for weapons," she told them calmly.

"Just stand still; it won't take long," one of the two said. Since the two men were dressed in identical black jumpsuits with no identification, there was no way to tell them apart. Lucas found the whole thing bizarre, since no one had ever considered him likely to be carrying any kind of weapon. "It's standard procedure," the man added as he finished checking them out. "We'll need to see your bags now."

Lucas and Tim watched while the two men carefully unpacked all of their belongings and searched them. Both were grateful they had not packed anything that might be embarrassing.

"They're clear," the second man told the woman.

"Okay. Thank you. Just a few more minutes," the woman informed them as she quickly typed something into her computer.

"That was certainly fun," Lucas said under his breath, earning a sharp look from Tim.

"They're pretty security conscious," Tim finally commented.

Three minutes later, another woman appeared, whom they recognized as Commander McKinnon.

"Commander Hunter McKinnon," she said, introducing herself. She wore a jumpsuit similar to the two security men, the only difference being she had a blue triangle on the right shoulder.

"Lieutenant Tim O'Neil."

"Lucas Wolenczak."

"Welcome to the Outriggers, gentlemen," she said. "Sorry about the security procedures beforehand, but we have to be careful. I'll show you to your quarters and then take you on a quick tour of where you'll be working." She turned quickly and headed down the hall without pausing to see if they were following her.

Lucas and Tim followed behind her, trying to keep track of where they were going without much success. The hallway seemed long and they made a lot of turns. All the doors were painted the same color with no numbers to distinguish one from the other.

"We're short on space, so you'll have to share," McKinnon said, opening a door to reveal a room that held two bunks and little else. Both were grateful that the door had a sign on it, which read "guest", since, otherwise, they feared they might not find it again.

"That's fine, ma'am," Tim said, hoping they would have little time to spend in the small room. It had obviously not been designed for more than sleeping.

"You can leave your stuff here and I'll show you the lab where you'll be working."

McKinnon kept walking straight; this time, they noticed the doors had names on them, which they took to mean the rest of the crew lived down here as well. Since their guide made no comment as they walked, they could only assume they were right.

Finally they arrived at an elevator. McKinnon removed a card from her pocket and swiped it through some kind of reader.

"Entrance into the lab is secure," she commented. "You'll have to be escorted to and from." Lucas and Tim nodded their understanding, both feeling more than a little overwhelmed by their surroundings.

They watched as she pushed a button in the elevator and then punched in what they assumed was a security code. A few minutes later, they stepped off the elevator and McKinnon led them to an unmarked door. As in the elevator, she used a card and entered a code before the door opened.

"This is primarily where we work," McKinnon told them, without telling them what exactly they did. Looking around, they saw a large white room with separate cubicles, most of which seemed to empty. In the back corner sat an array of computers, which seemed to control most of the operations in the lab. There were also two doors on the right wall with no identifying marks.

"As I explained, we're having some computer problems; we think someone brought back a virus on our last assignment. We're not sure if it was an accident or deliberate, which is why we need your help," she explained to Lucas quickly.

"And we need you because our linguist, who was on loan to another company, ran into some unforeseen difficulties and we have some documents that need translating," she continued, speaking to Tim this time. "No one recognizes the language, although one of the linguists said it 'looked vaguely familiar'. Hopefully, you can translate it," she added.

"The rules here are very simple: you don't talk about your work with anyone outside of the unit. And you're stuck here until you finish," she concluded. "Once you finish, you are to remain silent about anything you learn here. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am," Tim said, which Lucas quickly echoed.

"Good. Don't worry; it's not as bad as it sounds," she said. "Most of us have kept our sanity," she added with a slight smile. Like all Outriggers, she had heard the rumors about the group and generally did nothing to correct them. They succeeded because no one knew quite what to expect from them. "While we do not anticipate being called out at this time, you should know that, if we are, you two will be deployed with us," McKinnon informed them, deciding she better explain this detail before they went any further.

"Excuse me?" Lucas asked.

"You heard me. As long as you're here, you are part of my unit; if we have to go somewhere, you will have to come too. It's the way we work."

"Is Captain Bridger aware of this?" Tim asked although he feared the answer; he knew if Bridger had known beforehand, the captain never would have agreed to send them.

"Admiral Ramsey should have informed him, yes," McKinnon told them.

"Somehow I think the Admiral forgot that piece of information," Lucas said, trying hard not to imagine Bridger's response if this actually came to pass.

McKinnon shook her head in exasperation; she should have known better than to let Ramsey handle the request, but one did not argue with an admiral. "As I said, the situation should not arise."

"Commander?" A man appeared before the trio. Like McKinnon he wore a black jumpsuit with a blue triangle on it. He appeared to be about the same height as McKinnon and wore no identification.

"Yes, Dawson?"

"The computer is refusing to accept our data again."

"We'll be working on that problem soon," McKinnon assured him. "Please have Commander Rodriquez join me," she requested.

"Yes, ma'am," Dawson responded, flashing another look at Lucas and Tim before he walked away.

"You will be working with Commander Rodriguez," she told Lucas. "He handles our engineering problems. I'm afraid our computer specialist is currently unavailable, so Rodriguez is the closest we have."

Lucas nodded his understanding; his mind still caught back on the pertinent detail about deployment. While usually willing to undertake a certain amount of risk on the seaQuest, even the remote possibility of ending up somewhere with an Outrigger unit was more than his mind wanted to digest.

"Lieutenant Commander EJ Rodriguez," McKinnon said, introducing the man whom had joined them. As the others before him, Rodriguez wore the black jumpsuit, which Lucas and Tim were beginning to understand was the standard Outrigger uniform. "Lucas Wolenczak."

Lucas felt the man looking at him and knew what he was thinking. It was what everyone thought when they first met him: that he couldn't possibly know anything that would help them.

"Nice to meet you," Lucas said politely. Looking at Rodriguez, he wondered if the Outriggers had some kind height requirement. Thus far everyone they had see had been within an inch of the same height from one another. He had a feeling that seeing them all together would be somewhat nerve-wracking.

"You too," Rodriguez said somewhat dubiously. "Commander, could I have a word with you?" he asked.

McKinnon looked at him for a moment before speaking. "I have to get O'Neil started first; why don't you show Lucas where this all started and I'll get back to you," she suggested, knowing what he wanted to ask and deciding to forestall him for the moment. Ramsey had assured her that Lucas was more than capable of handling this particular task.

"Certainly," Rodriguez agreed.

"I'll see you later," Tim told Lucas, as the teenager followed after Rodriguez.

"I certainly hope so," Lucas muttered, earning himself a quick look from Rodriguez and sympathetic smile from Tim.

"I'll introduce you to the person that's currently handling our communications needs," McKinnon told Tim. "She'll be able to show you everything you need."

"All right," he agreed, following her. The sooner he got started, the sooner they could leave. Like Lucas, the thought of deployment loomed large in his mind. He wanted to avoid it at all costs.

"This is Lieutenant Sara Adamsen," McKinnon said moments later, stopping next to a woman wearing a headset.

"Nice to meet you," Adamsen greeted him, removing her headset. "O'Neil, right?"

"Uh, yes, ma'am," he said, still feeling more than a little nervous.

"Good. We can use your help," she said. Tim felt relieved; she seemed a little more welcoming than the rest they had met thus far.

"I'll let you get started. I have to go check in with the rest of the crew," McKinnon told them. "I'll see you later."

"So this is where it all started?" Lucas asked, looking at the computer which appeared innocuous enough.

"Yes," Rodriguez answered shortly.

"You know what file it started with?"

"We're not sure. It started right after our last mission. Three people had files that they retrieved and uploaded into our system," Rodriguez admitted. "We're just not sure which file did it."

"You have the three files?"

"They were destroyed upon uploading. Security reasons."

"Okay," Lucas said with a sigh. "It'll take a little more time that way, but I think I can help you out. I assume you do know the names of the files."

"Yes."

Lucas sighed, inwardly this time, and hoped this assignment ended soon. Working with Rodriguez was not going to be a lot of fun. He was used to working with the seaQuest crew. Rodriguez made Commander Ford look gregarious.

"How does this computer link in with the rest of the systems?" he asked, having noticed that most of the cubicles, empty and occupied, had terminals in them.

"They're all connected. We all handle different aspects of assignments and often need access to a variety of information obtained by the crew. Access is determined by log in and security clearance."

Lucas nodded his head, still thinking about the problem and trying to figure out exactly how to start. "So not every one has total access."

"Only Commander McKinnon has total access to all information. And, of course, her superiors."

"So anything uploaded into this system could have been accessed by any one of the terminals in the lab?"

"That's right, depending on the confidentiality of the material."

Lucas ignored the tone of Rodriguez's voice, which said that he had not needed Lucas to point that out to him. "Let's start with the three files. I'll have to see if I can trace the source first. Then we'll worry about how it got here."

"I have to work on another project; let me write the files down for you," Rodriguez told him, as he scribbled on a sheet of paper. "Just make sure you don't take this out of the lab."

"Of course," Lucas wondered how anyone survived in such a security conscious job and hoped he would never find out. Sitting down at the computer, Lucas realized he was going to need access to the system. "How can I log in?" he questioned when Rodriguez did not seem to be forthcoming with the information. Lucas knew he could get into the system, but it would go much faster if he followed proper channels.

"Type in your name, last name first," Rodriguez replied. "Then type in the password."

"That would be?" Lucas prompted.

"Socrates. McKinnon came up with it."

"Okay," Lucas said, deciding to change the password before doing anything else. Although he did not consider himself any where near as security conscious as the Outriggers, he did not want the password to be common knowledge. Then he called up the first file on the list.

Rodriguez stood watching him for a few minutes before he went to one of the cubicles and started working. Lucas was content to work on his own; in fact, he preferred it that way, especially if Rodriguez was his only choice of partner.

"So this is what you have?" Tim asked Adamsen, who had called up the file on her terminal.

"Yes. Our linguist is unavailable and no one else can figure it out. We tried the other units, but we only have a few who know some of the more uncommon languages and they're all on assignment. Commander McKinnon was told you had enough experience to figure it out."

"I'll do my best. Is there somewhere I can work on this?" Tim did not want to spend the entire time in this small cubicle, no matter how friendly Lieutenant Adamsen seemed. He wanted a little space to study the language, which did not look familiar.

"Yes, I'll set you up on the system next to mine." "Why are there so many terminals? There aren't that many people working in here."

"Sometimes we have more than one thing going on at a time; having the extra space lets us keep everything separate. It avoids confusion."

"Oh."

"You can work here; no one's using it right now." Adamsen led him to the cubicle two away from hers. "All you have to do is log in."

Tim looked at her in surprise. "How?"

"McKinnon added you to the system earlier," she answered matter-of-factly. "You'll want to change your password though. She used Aristotle. She likes the Greeks."

"Okay." Tim sat down at the terminal and logged into the system. With Adamsen's help, he located the right file before she returned to her own station. Tim stared at the document, finding, upon closer examination, that it did looked familiar, but unable to place where exactly he had seen it before.

"Hey, it's lunch time," Rodriguez told Lucas, as he walked up behind him, causing the teenager to jump. He had not heard anyone approaching him.

"What?"

"Lunch," Rodriguez repeated. "You have to eat with us, otherwise they won't let you in."

"Okay, just a second," Lucas said, typing in a few more lines on the computer. "Let me finish this."

"Sure."

A quick glance at the time told Lucas he had already been working for two hours. Although he was not really ready to eat, it did not seem like a good idea to refuse. The Outriggers seemed to have very regulated schedules. Plus, Rodriguez and McKinnon were the only two he knew; if Rodriguez said it was lunchtime, he was not about to argue. "Okay."

"We'll stop and see if Adamsen and your friend are ready," Rodriguez said, leading him around to the other side of the room. "Hey, you ready to eat?" he asked Adamsen.

"Always," she said with a quick grin. "Who's your friend?" she asked when he did not introduce Lucas.

Her question earned a glare from Rodriguez before he answered. "Lucas Wolenczak, Lieutenant Sara Adamsen." "You must be with O'Neil."

"Yes, ma'am."

"They must teach etiquette on your ship," Adamsen commented as she stood. "No one else calls me ma'am, and now it's happened twice in one day."

"They don't know you yet," Rodriguez muttered under his breath.

"I heard that."

"Didn't doubt it."

"Let's get O'Neil," Adamsen said, knowing better than to engage in this type of conversation with Rodriguez; the only one who ever got the best of him was McKinnon. However, it was one of the qualities that made him human.

"Oh, hi," Tim said, looking up from the computer screen, slightly startled to see the three standing there.

"Lunch time. You have to go with us; we're your escorts," Adamsen explained.

"Okay. Do I need to log out or anything?" he asked, remembering all the other security measures.

"No, entrance into the lab is restricted. No one will see that's not supposed to," Rodriguez answered. "If they do, we'll kill them."

Both Lucas and Tim felt fairly certain the man was joking, but it was hard to tell since he did not even give a flicker of a smile. Neither one offered a comment to the statement, figuring it was best to leave it alone.

They went out the same door they had entered the lab by, then headed down the hall to another elevator. At least Lucas thought it was different. He was so turned around, he could no longer tell for sure. Rodriguez swiped his card and entered a code and waited for them to enter before punching a button.

"Mess is in the basement," Adamsen told them after a minute.

The elevator opened right at the mess hall, which was a large room filled with people sitting in groups. Unlike the lab, which had been almost totally silent, the room was filled with conversations, not just among people at a table, but being shouted across the room.

Lucas and Tim followed Rodriguez and Adamsen through the line and then to an empty table off to the side. Lucas looked at the food on his plate, tried to identify it and then thought better of the idea.

"Just eat it and don't think," Adamsen advised. "If you don't think, you won't taste it, I promise."

"Thanks for the advice," Tim said dryly as he took a bite. "I think we can assure Ben that we don't have the worst food in the UEO."

"Don't worry; we won't give away any specifics about the food," Lucas said when Rodriguez looked ready to say something. "Don't want to reveal any classified secrets." Rodriguez gave him a look, but both Tim and Adamsen smiled.

"Hey, Rodriguez, you guys so desperate you're adopting children now?" someone yelled as they walked by.

Lucas felt himself blushing as he looked down at his plate. "Well, they offered us someone from your group, but we already knew you weren't up to the challenge, Morgan," Rodriguez replied with a slight edge to his voice.

"Watch out, Morgan; you don't want to go there," Adamsen added before the man could say any more.

Before anything else could be said, a voice came over the central system. "Outrigger Red report to your briefing room. Outrigger Red to briefing."

Lucas and Tim watched as two tables in the corner suddenly emptied in a flurry of movement.

"What's going on?" Tim asked.

"Outrigger Red is being deployed," Adamsen answered.

"How do you know who's who?"

"The patches," Rodriguez answered, touching his blue triangle. "It's not just a fashion statement; it's our unit designation. We're Outrigger Blue."

"No one explained that to us," Lucas said in Tim's defense, not caring for the tone of Rodriguez's voice.

"This is not going to make McKinnon happy," Adamsen commented.

"Why not?" Tim asked nervously, the earlier conversation in the forefront of his mind.

"Because it's puts us up in the rotation," Rodriguez explained patiently, making both feel like he was speaking to small children. "McKinnon is never happy when we go up on the list."

"How far up on the list?" Lucas asked, although he was not certain he wanted to know the answer.

"We're in the cage. Green is on deck."

"It makes us second; Outrigger Green will be the next unit deployed," Adamsen clarified, knowing Rodriguez was being deliberately obtuse and not wanting to help him.

"So, if Outrigger Green gets deployed, you'll be next," Tim stated.

"No, we'll be next," Rodriguez corrected him with a little more humor than Lucas or Tim thought necessary. "If we go, you'll be with us."

"It shouldn't happen," Adamsen reassured them quickly. "Usually deployments don't happen back to back like that. You should be out of here before we go."

"Well, if it happens, I'm glad we don't have to tell the Captain," Lucas finally said with a wry grin.

"No kidding," Tim agreed. "Somehow I don't think anyone mentioned your little rule to him."

"Not our problem. Sullivan will draw that detail," Rodriguez commented with a shrug. "Or McKinnon. That'll put her in a good mood."

"Hey, Ryan, you know what's up?" Adamsen asked, as woman carrying a tray approached them.

Lucas saw the blue triangle, so assumed she must be another member of the unit. She gave him and Tim a curious look as she sat down.

"Wolenczak and O'Neil? Who's who?" she asked, taking a drink of water as she spoke.

"O'Neil," Tim answered automatically.

"That would make you Wolenczak. No offense, but you're a little young to be in the Navy," she said to Lucas.

"It's the new head start program; they start us early," he told her. He got really tired of explaining how he had ended up on seaQuest.

"You ought to get along just fine with Rodriguez."

"This is Lieutenant Commander Jenna Ryan," Adamsen introduced the woman, since she hadn't bothered to do it on her own.

Lucas was still trying to figure out her comment about Rodriguez, since he did not see the connection.

"So, what's the word?" Adamsen asked. "Ryan knows all the inside information."

"They're going to put out a fire," Ryan told her with a shrug.

"A fire?"

"Yeah, well it's a special fire," she admitted.

"You going to explain that?"

"Someone started a fire at the embassy; there are six ambassadors trapped in a conference room. They think we should get them out."

"They get all the fun," Rodriguez said with a sigh.

Tim could think of many things he found fun; he felt fairly confident that none of those activities involved fire. He could tell from the look on Lucas' face that he felt the same way.

"And people think being on seaQuest is exciting."

"Yeah well, we'd better get back to work," Rodriguez told him as he stood up. "See you later, Ryan."

"Okay, listen, be nice, Rodriguez. I know it goes against your grain, but try," Ryan spoke to him after Adamsen had led Lucas and Tim over to put their trays away.

"What? I'm always nice."

"Sure you are. Just don't go out of your way to frighten them. You know as well as I do, they could get shipped out with us; we do not want them convinced we're totally insane."

"You worry too much, Ryan."

"It's one of my jobs."

Rodriguez gave her a wave and joined the other three. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are," Adamsen told him. "You see what's for dinner?"

"No, I try not to ruin my afternoon by looking."

"Very funny."

"Any time."

Lucas returned to his computer problems, while Tim took another look at the document Adamsen had given him. Staring at the screen some more, Tim began muttering the phrases, which only earned him a passing glance from people who walked by. He had noticed that the lab did not really have that many people in it.

As he read the words on the screen, he wondered exactly how many people were on a team. He also wondered how one got selected for the Outriggers. Did they go through standard training or were they specially selected before-hand ? He avoided thinking about the deployment clause.

In his musings, Tim realized that the words were indeed familiar, he just was not used to seeing them together. Whoever had written the document had done so in some kind of code, which combined several languages.

Lucas was doing his own mutterings, most of which were not understandable to Rodriguez, who was working on the computer next to him, although Rodriguez thought he heard a few insults, directed at the computer, which he had never heard before.

"What do you think virus scans are for?" Lucas asked himself. "To kill time between jobs? What about a backup system?"

"Did you say something?" Rodriguez asked, being far more used to working in silence. Plus, he still had doubts about whether or not Lucas could even solve the problem; he had been working a long time on it and did not seem to have any ideas so far.

"I'm talking to myself," Lucas answered absently. "Was it all information or just specific information the system won't take?"

"All information."

"Any other problems?"

"No."

"Thanks," Lucas said, returning his attention to the computer. He started typing commands in, hoping to find an answer soon. The longer he remained in Rodriguez's presence, the more he wanted to finish.

If he were on board seaQuest, he would have been at least talking about the problem with one of the others: not only that, the atmosphere was more friendly. He supposed it was because he knew the people there, but here he was an outsider. Lucas felt comfortable talking things out with Hitchcock or Bridger, or Westphalen or even Ford for that matter. Rodriguez did not inspire him to just start talking.

Plus, he felt like he had to prove himself. Even though he had not said anything, Lucas knew Rodriguez seriously doubted his ability to fix the problem.

Shaking his head, he continued reviewing the information on the screen, moving slowly to make sure he left nothing to chance.

"So, whoever wrote it used a combination of French, Italian, Portuguese, German and Spanish," Tim explained to McKinnon, who had been summoned by Adamsen when Tim told her he had figured out the language.

"Can you translate it for us?" McKinnon asked, getting straight to the point; she had already gotten more information than she really wanted on the subject, since Tim tended to get excited about things like this.

"It'll take some time, because of the grammar and the flow, but yes."

"One problem solved," she said with a sigh. "May things continue to go our way. Do you need any help?"

"Not really. Where do you want to record the translation, since your system can't accept new data?"

"Set him up on the VRT," she instructed Adamsen. "And I need you on the transcriptions of the last assignment logs," she added.

Adamsen made a small face, which got her a stern look from McKinnon.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly. "There's just a lot of recordings. When do you need them?"

"Tomorrow afternoon at the latest," McKinnon told her, earning a groan from the lieutenant. "Sullivan's already called me twice for the information. And he remembered that the VRT is not on the same system as the rest of the computers, so he's not buying that reason any more. Speaking of which, I have to speak to Rodriguez and Ryan about getting their reports finished."

"Okay. I'll get O'Neil set up and then start on it."

"What's VRT?" Tim asked, as McKinnon walked off.

"Voice recorded transcription. Come on. I'll explain on the way to the booth."

Tim followed Adamsen to four cubicles at the front of the room. They were enclosed with a glass door in front

"Anyway, you just call the information up on that terminal," Adamsen continued explaining. "And read your translation into the headset here," she added, handing him the headset. "The system records it and puts it in text format for us to save or print out later or whatever we need to do. It saves you from typing it all in. It will show on the screen there for you to see what it's recording."

"Okay. I think I can handle that."

"Good. I'll be in the booth on the end. I have to feed our mission tapes into the system and edit them."

"Edit?"

"Yeah, Sullivan is not fond of colorful language," she replied with a smile. "So we have to get rid of the profanity. Generally it isn't a problem, but we have to make sure."

"Oh."

"So all you have to do is sit down and start talking. Let me know if you need anything."

"All right. Thanks."

Tim took a few minutes to call up the document and scan it again. He hoped the contents proved somewhat interesting. If he was going to be translating, he preferred something that at least attracted his attention, although he figured, with his luck, it would be some kind dull, instructional manual.

No one on the Outriggers had explained exactly what they thought the document was or why they wanted it translated. Of course, he had already noticed that the Outriggers were not the most talkative people.

Finally, after a few moments of study, he began slowly speaking into the headset, finding it awkward at first, but he eventually found himself settling into the idea.

"Rodriguez," McKinnon said, approaching him and Lucas at the computers in the back.

"Yes, Commander?" Rodriguez responded wearily. Whenever she greeted him in that tone, it was never anything he wanted to hear.

"Reports."

"Uh, I'm working on it, Commander."

"Really? So I can expect by 0800 tomorrow?"

"That soon?"

"We've been back long enough; Sullivan has already contacted me twice."

"I'm trying to finish this," Rodriguez said, indicating his current project. "You know this is not my field."

"You're going to have to break off for now. I need your report."

"All right," he gave in with a sigh, knowing she was right, but he really disliked paperwork. "I'll get on it."

"Good. How's it going?" she asked, turning her attention to Lucas.

"Just fine, Commander. The files are big, so it's taking a while to investigate the cause of your problem, since there are several places where it might have been tagged on to the data," he explained.

"Do you have any ideas?" McKinnon really needed this problem solved; the team relied on the computer system heavily and having it functioning like this made their jobs difficult. Unfortunately, the problem was not considered big enough to get them removed from the rotation list. Captain Sullivan had already explained that, if anything happened, they could use another unit's computer systems.

Sullivan was a pragmatist about these matters; he did not care that each unit had a special affinity for using their own equipment. If he needed a group in the field, they had to make do with what was available.

"Not yet," he admitted. "Although, since it just seems to be responsible for blocking data entry, I'd have to guess that it was not planted."

"I have to go work over there," Rodriguez interrupted, speaking to Lucas and pointing to a cubicle at the corner of the room. "You can come get me if you have questions."

Lucas nodded his head, and waited to see if McKinnon had any further questions for him, which she did.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, it really doesn't hurt your system that much," he explained. "If it corrupted the existing data or something like that, then it would be more serious. Right now, all it does is deny you the right to in put new files. The information is still there; it doesn't alter it."

"Yeah, but we need to be able to add to our databases," she pointed out.

"True, but that's not a really major problem."

"Maybe not for you, but it is for us; we haven't been able to update the mission files since this all started. If we get called out on something, we need to be able to import whatever data we need. We cannot exist with what's on there now."

"I understand that. Once I find the file that caused the problem and see how it's doing it, I should be able to fix it for you," he said patiently. "But, basically that's all the virus does: stops you from adding new data, which doesn't seem to really have that much of an effect. If I was going to plant a virus, I would want it to do something, like corrupt the data itself, so you couldn't use it. I mean, if this system won't take your information, then you could just take it to another one. No big deal."

"I see your point," she conceded, thinking about what he was saying. "Well, hopefully, you're right about that part."

"I won't know for sure until I trace the full source, but that's what I think."

"Then I guess I better let you keep working. Besides I have to go make sure Rodriguez is actually working on his report and not playing video games."

Lucas stared at her for a moment; the image of Rodriguez doing anything other than his assigned task was a little hard to take in.

"Hopefully I'll get to the cause of the problem by the time we stop for the day," he offered, having figured out that she really wanted the computers working properly.

McKinnon gave him a short nod, and then turned and walked away, headed in the direction of Rodriguez. Lucas turned back to the computer screen and started working again; having told her he thought he could find the cause of the problem, he figured he had better get to work.

McKinnon went to find Rodriguez, since she knew he wanted to talk to her about their new help. "What did you want to talk to me about earlier?" she asked him innocently.

Rodriguez looked up from his terminal. "It's not what, but who," he corrected, looking over his shoulder.

"He can't do any worse than any of our people," McKinnon told him.

"I don't find that inspiring, Commander. He is just a kid."

"Yes, but a very smart one."

"He has access to all our files."

"Well, from what I've been told, he has access to a lot of files; he's supposed to be able to get into any system around."

"This is supposed to make me feel better?"

"He comes highly recommended. He sounds like he knows what he's doing and he's certainly making an effort. And he hasn't crashed our entire system in the process," she added pointedly.

"That was Burns," he protested.

"Yeah, well, it shut us down for two days; we can't afford that. So far, he's avoided disrupting our work. I call it progress."

"Yes, Commander," he said reluctantly. "But what happens if we go out?"

"We do what we have to, Rodriguez," she said firmly, not that the idea pleased her any more than it did him.

"Maybe our luck will hold; we've managed to avoid it in the past. Have they found replacements for Zimmer and Petrie yet?"

"Not yet. They're waiting to see how long the two are out of operation before they make a decision."

"They going to retire one of them?"

"You know they don't tell me those things until they make the decision."

"Yeah, but you can usually tell."

"Not this time," she admitted with a sigh. "I have to go find Ryan; I'll see you later."

"I'll get the report done."

"Make sure that you do."

By the time Rodriguez returned to get him for dinner, Lucas had only made marginal progress. The first two files were clean, so he knew the third one should be the one with the virus; however, he still had to find the problem and fix it. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and sighed.

"Any luck?" Rodriguez asked him.

"Not yet. I should find the problem in the third file."

"Good. It's time for dinner. I told Ryan we'd get her when we went; we'll pick up your friend, too. Adamsen's still working."

"Hi," Ryan said with, a quick smile when they approached her station. "Give me a minute to save this," she added, typing on the keyboard. "I don't want to lose this one."

"McKinnon would appreciate it, I'm sure. She's been after me about my reports all afternoon."

"Hey, Hallowell, you want to join us?" Ryan called to a man sitting at the station behind her.

"No, I'm going later."

"All right. Let's get O'Neil. I don't think Adamsen's going to see daylight any time soon."

"Hi," O'Neil said when Lucas opened the door to the booth; he had been involved with his translation.

"Dinner time," Ryan informed him.

"Rodriguez, McKinnon's looking for you!" someone called.

"What is it, Chandler?"

"Something with the shuttle. You better go find her; she's not a happy camper."

Lucas thought the description was an odd one to apply to the Commander, but he kept his mouth shut, especially as Rodriguez scowled darkly.

"Make sure you escort them to quarters," Rodriguez reminded Ryan. "I'll see you later."

"You'd think he was in charge of security," Ryan said dryly as he left. "One of these days he'll remember that it is my job," she added, leading the way out of the lab.

This time, the mess hall was empty.

"Pretty quiet," Tim remarked, looking at the vacant room.

"Well, there's more latitude in the dinner hours than the lunch hours. They only serve for two hours at lunch; dinner's open until midnight," Ryan explained.

"I wouldn't get the beef, if I were you," she advised as they got in line. "Go for the spaghetti; tomato sauce covers a variety of sins."

Both Lucas and Tim accepted her advice, although the spaghetti did not look much better than the beef, in their opinion. Sitting down, the trio ate in silence for a few minutes.

"So tell me about life on seaQuest," Ryan requested, wanting to learn more about the two and figuring this was a good way to find out.

"What do you want to know?" Tim asked, looking up from his dinner, not knowing where to start.

"Well, what kinds of assignments do you get? What's your captain like? Who do you hang out with? What do you do for fun?" she elaborated.

"We do whatever the UEO wants: sometimes we go on rescues, other assignments are just mapping missions or to gather samples for further study," Tim replied. "We are a research vessel as well as a military ship," he reminded her, noting her odd look.

"Oh, that must be interesting. I mean, I can just imagine McKinnon and Rodriguez being on a ship with scientists."

"There are problems," Lucas agreed, thinking of Ford and Dr. Westphalen.

Tim nodded, following his train of thought. "Our XO, Commander Ford, is a definite military man," he explained. "The head of the science department is also the chief medical officer, Dr. Westphalen; she's not real keen on the military part of our existence. They've been know to have words."

"Who mediates?"

"Captain Bridger," Lucas answered, grimacing at the taste of the unidentified vegetables on his plate. "He's into the research, but he understands there's a need for the military."

"Is there a lot of tension? Because of your dual purpose?"

"Some times, but we're kind of used to it now, even Ford and Westphalen," Tim replied, with a shrug. "And we have fun together."

"What kind of fun?"

"Depends on who's involved. It can be a simple game of poker or Krieg's scheme of the week."

"Who's Krieg?"

"Our morale officer. He's always got something going."

"I'm guessing that it's not always on the level?"

"That's an understatement," Lucas said with a laugh.

"So how many people are on an Outrigger unit?" Tim asked, deciding it was time to turn the tables.

"Active or support?" she questioned.

"What's the difference?"

"Actives are deployable, support stays home."

"If you have support, why are we deployable?" Lucas asked. "Shouldn't one of them be available?"

"If we had anyone in the support staff with your skills, we would be using them now."

"Why don't you?"

"In general, the Outriggers have had several busy months; a lot of our support staff has been sent on loan to other units, either for deployment or to help with the support of another unit. Plus, a lot of the support staff are not considered deployable for one reason or another. Some have been injured in the field; they're still valuable, but they can't used on an actual assignment."

"So how many do you deploy?" Tim asked.

"On average, between ten and fifteen. Our unit, in particular, works with ten. McKinnon thinks any more and you risk having chaos."

"How long has she been the commander?"

"Two years. A lot of people thought the promotion came too fast."

"Do you?"

"No. She's good. But I'd tell you the same even if I didn't believe it. We don't take our complaints outside of the unit," Ryan said firmly.

Both nodded their understanding; they both knew they would defend anyone on the seaQuest from outside insult.

"So, will you stay together until retirement or will you get moved to other units?"

"Generally, members stay with the same team; it's what makes us successful. We've been together for three years now. We work well together; we know our strengths and our weaknesses. We know how to compensate for one another."

"You ever been sent out with outsiders before?" Lucas asked.

"No. We've never been sent on assignment with anyone from outside the organization. At least, not under McKinnon's command. She tends to bring us back from our missions unharmed; that's why we like her."

"That's good to hear."

"There's a first time for everything," Rodriguez said cheerfully, joining them at the table. His comment earned him a glare from Ryan and silence from Lucas and Tim.

"Rodriguez always like to keep his eye on the bright side of life."

"I'm a realist, Ryan."

"That's one view," she agreed. Rodriguez scowled at her, but offered no further comment on the subject.

"What time do you two want to stop work for the day?" Rodriguez asked, changing the subject.

"When do you usually stop?" Tim inquired.

"Depends, but usually by twenty-one hundred hours. McKinnon thinks getting sleep is important, even when we're not going into the field. She knows we would work all night if she let us," Ryan answered.

"We're familiar with that problem on seaQuest."

"Don't look at me," Lucas protested. Tim did not say anything further; he just smiled at the teenager.

"And it's not like you've never worked all night before."

"See, now you've created dissension in the ranks. Good job, Ryan."

"Anyway," Tim continued, as if no one else had spoken, "we'll work until you guys are ready to stop. I'd like to get more translated and Lucas hates to leave the computer any time."

"Okay," Ryan said. "If you want to stop sooner, you have to let us know. You two finished?" Both nodded. "Okay, let's go back. See you later, Rodriguez."

Making their way back to the lab, the trio was silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Lucas returned to the computer problem, hoping to have an answer, but not sure if he would by the time they stopped. Tim returned to the booth to renew his efforts at translation. He noticed Adamsen still worked in one of the other booths.

"So, have you fixed it yet?" Rodriguez asked Lucas two hours later.

"No," Lucas replied shortly. He still had over half the file to go through before he finished. It would be his luck that the problem would take so long to find, he decided. "Did you want something?" he queried, when Rodriguez continued to stand behind him, which he found disconcerting.

"No, not really."

Lucas stifled a sigh and resisted the urge to scream. Somehow, he had a feeling no one in the lab would care as long as he did not disturb their work. He continued scanning the information on the screen, doing his best to ignore Rodriguez.

Rodriguez watched Lucas for about ten minutes, before going to back to his own work. He just found it hard to accept they were relying on a teenager to save their computer network, no matter how highly recommended he came.

"It's very dark tonight," Tim read, slowly into his headset. He was still trying to figure out what he was translating. It seemed like a journal for the most part, but it was a strange one. At times it was very personal: at others very cold and calculating. s he read on, Tim made a note to ask Adamsen what exactly he was translating and why they needed it done. Thus far, he had not found anything the might remotely seem of interest to the Outriggers.

"Okay, time to put you guys to bed for the night," Ryan said, opening the booth and causing Tim to jump.

"That time already?"

"Well, it's 2030; it's time to wrap it up. There's always tomorrow."

"Let me save this and I'll be done. What about Lucas?"

"I'll get him and meet you back here."

"Okay."

Ryan stopped to speak with Rodriguez first. "I'm going to take them back to their room. You want to pick them up in the morning?" she asked.

"Sure. Tell them I'll be there at oh-six-thirty for breakfast."

"Will do."

Lucas was staring intently at the screen; he only had three more areas to check on the final file, so he hoped he had almost found the source of the problem, which was a good start. That was why he almost jumped out his chair when Ryan spoke to him. "Time to go to your room."

"Just a second," he muttered, typing in a few commands. "Okay, that leaves me with the last two to check in the morning. What time do we start?"

"Rodriguez will pick you up for breakfast at oh-six-thirty. And I'll warn you, he's not a morning person."

Since Lucas thought that description fit any time of day, he resisted making any comments. He looked forward to being back in the room with just Tim. He had not seen him much during the day and wanted to hear what Tim thought about their current assignment.

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning. As I said, Rodriguez will pick you up for breakfast. Have a good night," Ryan said, upon delivering them to their door. "He's at the end of the hall," she added, pointing in the general direction of the other rooms.

"All right," Tim acknowledged.

"Well, one day down," Lucas said, as they each sat down on a bed.

"Yes, and, hopefully, not too many more to go."

"You really think they'd make us go out with them?"

"Definitely. Something tells me the Outriggers have their rules for a reason and I have no doubt that they adhere to them," Tim commented, opening his bag and starting to pull out the various items he needed to get ready for bed.

"Well, I wouldn't want to see the captain's reaction if it happens."

"No, but we'll probably hear it," Tim told him with a small smile.

"You have to admit it is kind of cool being here; I mean, you hear all the stories about them, but few outside of the group really get to see any of it," Lucas pointed out.

He opened the only other door in the room to reveal a very small bathroom. Since the quarters were rather spartan, he was surprised by its presence. Although further consideration of the matter made him realize that, with the Outriggers insisting on escorting outsiders, private facilities made sense.

"Yes, but I'd like to limit my participation to being strictly an observer."

"I agree. The thought of going any where with Rodriguez scares me and McKinnon is just as bad."

"They certainly have a high degree of professionalism," Tim agreed, stepping into the bathroom, as Lucas turned his attention to unpacking his own bag.

"And the security. I thought Crocker worried about it a lot."

"They do a lot of classified jobs. Plus they're supposed to be unorthodox in their methods. They don't want any secrets leaving the building."

"I'd noticed. No one's every really considered me a big security risk before."

"I know what you mean. I think they consider any outsider a risk though."

"No kidding. At least they think you know what you're doing. Rodriguez doesn't think I'm capable of handling their problems."

"Did he say that?" Tim asked, before taking a swallow of mouthwash. He wasn't sure what he could about it, but he did not like the idea of anyone disparaging Lucas' abilities.

"He didn't have to; he just comes and lurks behind me."

For a moment, all Lucas heard was the sound of Tim gargling. "Lurking isn't illegal, just nerve-wracking."

"Trust me, Tim, I'm used to people doubting me. I mean, I understand that he doesn't know me, but neither one of us would have been recommended if we weren't qualified."

"Give it time."

"I don't plan on being here long enough to give it time," Lucas retorted as Tim reemerged from the other room. Lucas took his place and quickly got into more comfortable clothes for sleeping and brushed his teeth. He rejoined Tim, wearing boxers and a T-shirt.

"Good point. Come on; we'd better get to sleep. I have a feeling Rodriguez will be here right on time," Tim told him, lying down on his bunk. Since Lucas was still standing, he figured he could take care of the light.

"You're probably right," Lucas agreed. He would have liked to talk a little more, but he did not want to keep his friend awake. Instead, once they both had settled on their bunks, he lay awake, staring up at the dark room. His mind reviewed what he had learned on the computer that day.

Tim heard Lucas roll over for the fifth time and realized that the teenager was not sleeping. "Can't sleep?" he asked quietly.

"No. These beds are not designed for comfort," Lucas remarked, adjusting his position yet again.

"I know. I thought I was tired enough to fall asleep; it's been a long day."

"I figure they're designed to make visitors want to leave as quickly as possible," Lucas said with a quick laugh.

"Wonder what the others are doing now," Tim mused, turning to face Lucas's bunk.

"Ben and Miguel are probably out looking for women; Commander Ford will have agreed to stay on duty," Lucas proposed thoughtfully.

"Hitchcock will be overseeing the repairs, even though they're minor and will probably go faster if she would just leave them alone," Tim continued.

"The Captain and Crocker were going to meet up with mutual friend of theirs and I think Dr. Westphalen was going along."

"And here we are, stuck working."

"Guess we're just the lucky ones."

"No offense, I'm not feeling too lucky right now."

"I know what you mean. It's not like I had plans or anything, but I was looking forward to being off the ship," Lucas said with a sigh. "I didn't expect to be working in a place that resembles a high security prison."

"Well, let's hope that the next time someone needs to borrow crew they don't need communications or computer help."

"So, what do you think? How long before Ben gets himself in trouble?"

"He's probably already found it."

"Good point."

"You want to try sleeping again?"

"Yeah, I don't want to fall asleep on the job; that would really impress them." Lucas shifted his position again, hearing Tim do the same. A few minutes later, he heard the lieutenant's measured breathing, indicating that he had fallen asleep. It took Lucas longer to fall asleep; his mind raced, thinking about the computer problems. He had always found it hard to turn his brain off at night, especially when working on a problem. Finally, he fell into a dreamless slumber.

The next morning, Rodriguez showed up right on time. He looked like he had not gotten much sleep the night before.

"Ready?" he asked shortly.

"Yes, sir," Tim said, as he and Lucas left their room.

The walk to the mess was silent. Lucas and Tim eyed the food with the same suspicion they had on their previous meals. Both opted for the eggs; at least they thought they were eggs. Sitting down, Lucas tried to swallow his food without really tasting it.

"So, you think you'll get the computers working properly today?" Rodriguez asked, once he had consumed about three cups of coffee in rapid succession.

"I hope so," Lucas replied.

"Good. We need to get the new information into the systems before they call us out again."

"You think that's going to be soon?" Tim inquired, trying not to sound too nervous.

"I certainly hope not," he answered. Lucas and Tim looked at one another, not sure if he meant it as a slight to them or just as a general comment. "But you never know. Sometimes it's slow, other times we barely get time to relax," he continued, not seeing their reaction to his first comment. "You guys ready?"

"Yes." Neither one saw any reason to linger over the meal, especially since Rodriguez was not the most talkative person.

Back in the lab, Tim went over to Adamsen before he resumed his translation. He hoped she would answer some questions.

"Good morning," he greeted her.

"Morning," she returned. "Need help getting started?"

"I just had a few questions."

"Okay, I'll answer them if I can."

"This document I'm translating. What is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, why do you need it translated?"

"We picked it up on our last assignment," Adamsen answered, somewhat evasively. "Anything we don't understand, we have to take a look at."

"But it's like a journal of some type, nothing really that interesting."

"If HQ wants it translated, that's what we do," she told him with a shrug. "Besides, it may be relevant to the mission."

Tim nodded his head, trying to understand, but knowing he was missing something in the conversation.

"Well, thanks," he said, realizing he was not going to get any information from Adamsen. It did not really matter; he could translate it without fully understanding why they needed it. He had just been curious. "Can I work in the same place as yesterday?" "Yes."

"Yes!" Lucas said to himself, softly. He had finally located the virus. Now he just had to figure out the precise problem and how to fix it.

"Find anything?" Rodriguez asked, checking with him for about the fourth time in the last hour and a half.

"Yes," Lucas replied, his attention still focused on the computer screen in front of him. Besides, Rodriguez was really starting to annoy him, so he was not anxious to engage in a lot of discussion with the man.

Rodriguez waited for a few minutes, trying to figure out if Lucas planned to answer him, if he was intentionally ignoring him or if he was just involved and not fully paying attention.

"What is it?" he prompted.

"Just a minute," Lucas spoke impatiently. He wanted to finish tracing the source of the problem and trying to talk while he did was not going to work. "Okay, I've located the source," he said, turning to face Rodriguez.

"Which file?"

"The last one, uploaded by Petrie. Looks like it was accidental."

"So what's it doing to our system?"

"I'm not positive," Lucas admitted. "I need to try a few other things, but it looks like your computer thinks it has run out of space."

"What?"

"It thinks there is no room for additional data. That's what I think; as I said I have to do a few things to verify it first."

"Can you fix it?"

"Probably, but I have to test the parameters of the problem first. It could be as easy as reminding the computer that there's still plenty of room available. I'll have more answers once I run some tests," Lucas explained, hoping that Rodriguez had other work to do.

"Are these tests going to shut us down?"

"They shouldn't. But I can't make any promises," Lucas replied truthfully.

"If you take it down, you get to explain it to McKinnon," Rodriguez said, giving a short laugh.

Lucas turned to look at him, trying to figure out if Rodriguez had made a joke or if he was completely serious. However, the other man just stared back at him, his expression impassive.

"The days have run together," Tim read into his headset, watching as the words appeared on screen. The translation was going slower than he would have liked, but, given that the document contained numerous languages it was not surprising.

Tim shook his head; none of it made any sense to him. The writing went back and forth. He had yet to figure out if it was a personal diary or someone's mission log. His curiosity was getting the best of him and he wished Adamsen had been willing to tell him more about the document.

McKinnon walked through the lab, stopping to talk to people at the other stations. "How is the translation going?" she asked Adamsen.

"All right, last time I checked. He was asking about the document though."

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth: that we picked it up on our last assignment," Adamsen replied. "I think he was just looking for a point of reference to make the translation easier."

"Well, hopefully, when he finishes, it will have something we can use," McKinnon commented. Both women turned as an alarm sounded from the other side of the room, where Lucas was working. "If you'll excuse me." McKinnon was already half way across the room before Adamsen could respond.

"Guess that was the wrong thing to try," Lucas mumbled to himself, ignoring the stares he was receiving, as he worked to shut off the alarm. Experience had taught Lucas how to tune everything out but his work.

"Is there a problem?" McKinnon asked, having reached him and speaking before Rodriquez had a chance, since he had returned at the sound of the alarms.

"We were already awake," Ryan pointed out, as she arrived. As security chief, she checked out any alarm.

"What did you do?" Rodriguez's question was more blunt.

"I was trying to solve your problem," Lucas said, turning, at last, to face his audience. Lucas knew that he was getting a little irritable. The long day yesterday, coupled with a restless night, had left him somewhat cross. He really did not want to deal with Rodriguez's attitude at the moment.

McKinnon gave Rodriguez a stern look, which caused him to refrain from any further comment. "So you have located the problem?"

"Yes, Commander," Lucas answered. "Your computer thinks it has run out of space. I was trying to run diagnostics to remind it there was plenty of space."

"And that's when the alarm sounded?" she guessed.

"Yes. I set the alarm to go off if the diagnostics scan was going to do further damage to your system."

"So that was intentional?" Ryan questioned.

"Yes, ma'am. This virus is an odd one, so I thought it might have a few qualities we had not seen yet. I wanted some kind of warning that would enable me to abort the scan if it was going to harm the system."

"So what happened?" McKinnon asked.

"It was going to corrupt the existing files," Lucas admitted.

"Did you know it would do that?" Rodriguez inquired, with a certain amount of interest.

"As I said, this virus is unusual. I didn't want to have it surprise me, so I put in a safeguard to make sure we did not pass the point of no return."

"Do you still think it was accidental?" McKinnon queried.

"I do. When I looked at the file, it did not seem to be deliberately added to the system, although it could be that it was an intentional virus, but not for your system."

"What do you mean?"

"You got these files from other systems; it could be that they were planted to take out the original locations and you just got it as part of the package."

"They're supposed to scan everything before they retrieve," Ryan told him.

"I've never seen anything like this one; it's hard to scan for something you don't know about," Lucas observed. "In general, I think it just happened. Data files get corrupted in transit. I could trace it back if you want."

"Get the system fixed first. Then, if there's time, I would like to know the origins if possible," McKinnon ordered. "But having our systems operational is our first priority."

"All right," he agreed.

"If you'll excuse me, " Ryan said, realizing that her presence was no longer needed.

"How do you fix it?" Rodriguez asked. "You do know how to do that?"

Lucas mentally counted to ten, reminding himself that patience was a virtue. "There are two solutions," he finally offered, knowing that he should exercise restraint, but unwilling to resist the opportunity.

"What are they?"

"The first would be to wipe your system and reload it from scratch," Lucas proposed, knowing the reaction it would produce.

"We cannot wipe our system and reload it!" Rodriguez shouted, causing a majority of the lab to turn and stare again. "If we had wanted to do that, we would have! You were called in to fix the problem, not tell us what we already knew."

"I have to present all of the options," Lucas said innocently.

"Rodriguez, why don't you go back to work," McKinnon suggested, noticing the glint of mischief in Lucas's eyes. McKinnon had the feeling that Lucas had just reached the end of his patience in dealing with Rodriguez . While she understood his frustration, she decided it was time to remove the problem. "I'll finish discussing the solution to our problem with Wolenczak and let you know what we decide."

"Yes, Commander."

"Now, what did you really have in mind?" she asked him.

"I was just presenting the options," Lucas assured her.

"I'm sure you were. However, you also knew how Rodriguez would react," McKinnon responded with a knowing smile. "He provokes this kind of behavior all the time."

Lucas decided not to comment any further on that particular topic. "With a little bit of time, I think I can write a software solution to your problem," he informed her. "It would make the system think that you had reduced the size of your database, therefore leaving it with enough space. Plus, I'd have it erase the initial virus."

"How long will it take?"

"I can't say. Probably most of today and part of tomorrow. It depends on how the virus reacts."

"Well, do what you need to do."

"And you would be wise to set up a back up system for your files, so that, if this happens again, you could still be fully operational while you fixed it."

"I'll discuss it with our superiors. Now, I think I'll go tell Rodriguez that you won't be pulling us down. Oh, will you need to take us off line to complete this?" she asked, as the thought occurred to her.

"I can do it system by system, on the databases. It will take a little bit of time, but it wouldn't interrupt your work as much."

"Let's do it that way; I don't like the thought of having all of our systems down at once."

"No problem."

"Do you need any help?" she asked.

"Not at this stage. Maybe when it comes time to implement it."

"All right, I'll let you get to work."

McKinnon headed over to where Rodriguez was working.

"He's going to write a software program to fix our problem," she said, startling him.

"That's good. Did he really think you were going to let him shut us down?"

"Of course not. He was just pulling your chain."

"Why? What did I ever do to him?" Rodriguez asked.

"I think your disbelief in his abilities was starting to get on his nerves."

"Well, he wasn't progressing very far, very fast."

"Just try to keep your attitude to yourself. If we get deployed, I need to know that there won't be a problem."

"There won't be."

"Good." Although he would never admit it to McKinnon, Rodriguez had to admire Lucas' actions. Rodriguez appreciated anyone who defended himself, even covertly.

Adamsen rapped on the door and then opened it, when Tim did not seem to hear her. "Time for lunch."

"Oh, okay. Is Lucas coming with us?"

"Ryan's collecting him now."

"It's lunch time," Ryan told Lucas, with growing impatience. She had been trying to get him to leave the computer for several minutes.

"Just a second," Lucas pleaded.

"Your second ended five minutes ago," she informed him. "I'm hungry; Adamsen and O'Neil are waiting."

"Okay, okay," he conceded, turning away from the computer.

"It will be here when you back, I promise."

They walked over to where Tim and Adamsen were waiting. "You guys get lost?" Adamsen asked.

"Cute. No. He wasn't quite ready to go yet," Ryan said with a nod at Lucas.

"Rodriguez coming?"

"Not right now. Orange is having trouble with its shuttles; he got sent over to help them out."

"Let's go then."

"So, did you really tell McKinnon that one of the options was to wipe the system and reload?" Ryan asked Lucas, once the quartet had settled at a table with their meals.

"It was a possibility," Lucas said somewhat defensively.

"It's probably a good thing that you had another choice to offer."

"I had to present all the solutions and let her decide."

Tim looked at Lucas, wondering what he was not saying. He recognized the tone of voice, which sa Lucas had been up to something.

"You certainly got Rodriguez going," Ryan observed, looking at him and wondering if that had been his intention. She had not quite figured out either one; on the surface Lucas and Tim acted like most temporary personnel. However, she was starting to suspect there was more to them than what they had seen.

"Well, I haven't seen him that riled in a while," Adamsen said. "Not since Chandler crashed the shuttle."

"True," Ryan agreed. "That's one way to get a reaction: ruin one of his toys."

"So, how'd you guys sleep last night?" Adamsen asked, changing the subject.

"Okay. Your bunks are not real comfortable," Tim replied.

"What can I say? Comfort is rarely a concern in our field."

"Are all the rooms that small or just the guest rooms?" Lucas asked.

"They're all about that small, but we don't share."

"We don't spend a lot of time in them," Ryan added. "Normally, we're not this high up on rotation and, if we haven't had the technical problems, we'd be done with our mission reports and be off base, so to speak. Unfortunately, because we are second on the list, we have to stick around. Plus, McKinnon hasn't signed off yet."

"What do you mean?"

"The commander of each unit has to sign off that the mission is completed. That's when the reports have been filed with Sullivan and the data recorded into our database. Until we're finished, we can't leave."

"What if you get sent out?"

"McKinnon will sign off pending our return. While we're gone, support staff will finish the details and Sullivan will determine if it's sufficient for him. Then, when we get back, McKinnon will have to conduct a final review of the process and take care of the official details. Usually we're cleared before we leave on the next assignment."

"Sounds very complicated," Tim told her.

"It's all part of being an Outrigger," Adamsen told him. "We have rules for everything. And McKinnon has made us learn them all."

"All of them?" Tim repeated.

"Yes. The first two weeks you spend memorizing the Outrigger Code of Conduct," Ryan verified. "And she gives you an oral test on it."

"Why?" Lucas queried.

"The rules come in handy," Adamsen answered. "McKinnon just spits them out automatically, right down to the last word. Most of us just recall the general idea, except for the big ones."

"You all ready to go?" Ryan asked, deciding it was time to end this particular conversation. She had a feeling McKinnon would not want them telling Lucas and Tim the major rules at this point in their assignment, if ever.

They left the dining area and got into the elevator.

"So what do you think of us so far?" Adamsen inquired.

"It's different," Lucas commented.

"We're not used to the high security," Tim explained. "On seaQuest there's restricted access sometimes, but never quite like this."

"You get used to it."

"I don't think I'd want to," Lucas stated. "Besides, I don't think I'd meet the height requirement."

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked. "There's no height requirement."

"Have you looked at yourselves? You all are about the same height with maybe an inch difference."

"He's right," Tim agreed. "It's kind of disconcerting."

"Just worked out that way, I assure you," Adamsen said.

"Well, here we are, back to work. We'll get you for dinner," Ryan told them.

Before anyone could comment, the announcement filled the room. "Outrigger Green, please report to your briefing room. Outrigger Green to briefing."

Lucas and Tim looked at each other, while both Ryan and Adamsen masked their expressions.

"This is not good, is it?" Lucas finally asked.

"Ryan, I need to see you and Rodriguez," McKinnon ordered as she walked by the small group.

"We'll get you for dinner at seventeen hundred," Adamsen told Lucas and Tim. "Make sure that, when you stop for dinner, you are completely shut down by then," she instructed.

"Why?" Tim questioned, puzzled.

"Regulations. We're on call. We're not allowed to work more than eight hours at a stretch until we go out. It's to insure we get plenty of rest."

"I really don't like the sound of this," Lucas commented.

"Well, think positive; maybe you'll get out of here before we get our summons."

"I think I'll start working now," Tim said, heading for his booth.

"Me, too."

McKinnon, Rodriquez and Ryan sat in a small conference room.

"What are our chances of being called out?" Rodriguez asked.

"Same as always."

"What do we do about O'Neil and Wolenczak?"

"Hope they complete their job before we called," Ryan said.

"We can't count on that," McKinnon stated. "After dinner, Rodriguez, get them into Karneering. Their files are clean, but we need to verify they're medically deployable."

"Okay."

"And Ryan, you better work on getting them some clearances. We get assigned, it's not really going to do to be escorting them all over the place."

"Of course," Ryan agreed.

"Work stops at seventeen hundred today, except for Karneering; he's going to have to do the medical checks. But it shouldn't take him too long, since we have just returned. No one's had any time to hurt themselves."

"Do you want me to get gear ready for them, just in case?" Ryan inquired.

Rodriguez looked at her. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves."

"Yes," McKinnon assented. "If we get deployed, we're going to have to move."

"Can't Sullivan move us down on the list?" Rodriguez asked.

"What justification?" she asked.

"The fact that we have civilians on the team should be enough."

"Rodriguez, Yellow and Brown are both off the list right now. They had too many injuries on their last assignments. Red and Green just went out; Black and Purple have not yet returned. The three units behind us are in from the field more recently than we are. And they aren't civilians; they are Navy."

"Well, O'Neil is Navy," Ryan corrected. "Wolenczak isn't."

"Sullivan doesn't care, neither does the Admiral. He's lives on a UEO vessel; that makes him fair game."

"What are you saying?"

"They both told me that, if we go out, we are to follow regulations."

"Too bad no one thought to tell them before they agreed to come," Ryan observed.

"We can't change the facts now. We just have to make the best of them." Ryan nodded her head, understanding that McKinnon was being pragmatic about the situation.

"Let's just hope none of this becomes necessary," Rodriguez remarked.

"Let's see if we can get the rest of our last mission filed by tomorrow, at least what we can get finished with the computers not functioning. I'll check with Wolenczak and see if there's a way to speed the process up."

"I'll talk to Karneering about the physicals," Rodriguez assured her.

"I'll need to borrow both O'Neil and Wolenczak for measurements, to make sure we have their size," Ryan added.

"Let me talk to the two of them first. I need to let them know what's going to happen if we get deployed."

Lucas idly chewed on a pencil, while he worked on the software program. Thus far, his first attempt had been unsuccessful. Fortunately, he had caught the problem before he tripped any alarms. Under different circumstances, he would have liked to spend more time studying the virus itself; however, his main concern was to get the problem fixed. He concentrated on the screen, typing quickly, his mind about three steps ahead of his fingers as he worked on the solution.

McKinnon walked up behind him silently and cleared her throat. "Sorry," she apologized, when he jumped.

"What can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you and O'Neil."

"All right, let me save this."

"Well, three nights down, five more to go. Why did I ever think this was a good idea?" Tim read to himself. From what he read, Tim realized that the writer of the document had to be an Outrigger. He was still trying to figure out what was so important about the work record. Unfortunately, he had not had any time to ask McKinnon and he suspected she would not answer him if he did.

"We need to talk," McKinnon told him. Like Lucas, she had startled him and he jumped.

Tim set the headset down and then saved his work. "What about?" he asked, although he had a feeling about the topic.

"Let's go to the conference room," she said. She led them to the room she had recently occupied with Rodriguez and Ryan. "I just need to review some details with you, since we are now next on the list for assignment."

"Do you think you'll get a mission before we finish up here?" Tim asked, sitting down at the table. Even if it had just been him in the situation, he would not have liked the idea. Having Lucas along made him particularly nervous. Tim did not doubt the teenager's abilities; he had seen Lucas handle pressure on the seaQuest plenty of times. However, that was different; the crew on seaQuest knew Lucas. The Outriggers were complete strangers. Tim was not sure he wanted to rely on them for their safety.

"I don't know. Under normal circumstances, I'd say not likely. But the last few months have been far from normal, so we have to proceed with the idea that you might get deployed with us."

"What does that mean for us?" Lucas inquired.

"It means that we have to proceed on the idea that you will go into the field as part of the team. First, since you are escorted every where, getting to briefing won't be a problem for you. You'll just go with them. If you're in the lab, find Rodriguez, Ryan, Adamsen or myself. If we're called at night, wait for Rodriguez; he'll pick you up in your quarters," McKinnon instructed. "Second, Ryan's going to work on getting clearances for you. If we get assigned out, we can't be escorting you. Also, she's going to get your measurements, since you'll need to wear our uniform on deployment." Both nodded their heads, indicating that they followed what she had to say so far. "After dinner, Rodriguez is going to take you to Dr. Karneering, our unit physician. He needs to make sure you're medically cleared for deployment."

"When is Captain Bridger going to be informed of this?" Tim asked.

"Captain Sullivan and Admiral Ramsey are in charge of notifying him of the details," McKinnon replied evasively. She knew both her superiors well enough to realize that the unit would be en route to their destination before they informed Captain Bridger. She did not approve of such tactics and hoped that neither Tim nor Lucas pressed the issue. McKinnon knew that Sullivan and Ramsey would not appreciate her sharing her thoughts on the matter with the two borrowed members of the seaQuest crew. "If you have any other questions, let me know."

"Not right now," Tim answered, speaking for both.

"I'll let you get back to work."

"I really hope we get out of here before they get deployed," Lucas remarked to Tim, as they returned to the main room.

"I'm with you on that one," Tim agreed. "All we can do is hope for the best."

By the time they had to stop for the day, Lucas figured he had about half of the program written. He hoped Tim was close to finishing the translation.

"Rodriguez is meeting us in the dining room," Ryan told him, walking up to where he worked. "After you get your physicals, I need to take measurements and pictures."

"Great," Lucas mumbled.

"Well, camp is never fun."

"Excuse me?" Lucas questioned, giving her a funny look.

"Sorry, that's just what we call it some times, when we're going in the field," she clarified. "We call deployment 'camp', it's kind of a bad joke," Ryan continued, deciding that it might have been wise not to say anything at all.

Lucas shook his head. "And you wonder why you have a reputation for being mentally unbalanced?"

"I don't wonder about it at all."

"Most people would not think going out on some classified mission as camp."

"True, but that's why we do it. Keeps things in perspective."

"Let's go get Tim," Lucas said, wondering if he would ever fully understand any of the Outriggers.

"Dinner time already?" Tim asked.

"Yep. Don't forget to log out and all that. We're done for the day," Ryan reminded him.

"I'm almost finished," Tim remarked.

"In a hurry to leave us?"

"It's nothing personal."

"That's what they all say."

"Don't take the stew." Rodriguez spoke into Lucas's ear, almost causing the teenager to drop his tray. "Sorry," he apologized, although Lucas got the impression he was not sorry at all.

"What's wrong with the stew?"

"Last time they served it, half the unit came down with food poisoning."

On that note, Lucas opted for the chicken casserole, although it did not look much better. "Thanks for the advice."

"Any time."

"Does the rest of your unit eat or is it just our presence?" Tim asked, having noticed that they rarely saw the other members of Outrigger Blue during meals.

"Yes," Rodriguez answered.

"That certainly makes things clear," Lucas mumbled under his breath.

Ryan stifled a snicker, since she was the only one who had heard the comment. "During working hours, we don't like to have everyone out of the lab at once, in case someone needs information or in case of a security breach," she explained. "Plus, you're outsiders; it means they'd have to be on good behavior."

"I understand, I think."

"We're kind of like family, so we act naturally around one another. When someone new comes along, you feel obligated to make the right impression. Most of them would rather act naturally."

"Kind of like when we have to wear our dress uniforms and act properly when we get important visitors on seaQuest," Tim remarked.

"No offense, but what do they do with you?" Ryan asked Lucas.

"Put me on display," Lucas said with more than a trace of sarcasm. "Everyone that comes on board wants to see the genius. Fortunately, Bridger lets me hide in my quarters."

"He's afraid to take them there," Tim said smiling. "They might never find their way out."

"Messy are you?"

"He has a lot of equipment in it."

"How long are the physicals supposed to take?" Ryan asked Rodriguez.

"Karneering said as long as he needed."

"So any where from five minutes to six hours?"

"Something like that. You know, he hates it when you try to pin him down."

"No kidding," she agreed. "He's been known to order extra tests, if he thinks you're trying to rush him."

"We'll keep that in mind," Tim commented.

"You want me to bring them to supply or the briefing room?" Rodriguez asked, checking the time.

"Briefing. I need their pictures. We can do their measurements."

"We?"

"It'll go faster."

"Why do I always get roped into helping with your tasks?"

"Because you're a sweetheart," she said with a grin.

"Just don't let anyone else know."

"I wouldn't worry about anyone discovering your secret," Lucas muttered.

This time Ryan couldn't restrain herself and laughed. "Sorry, private joke," she said, covering her mouth. "You better get them up to Karneering; he hates waiting."

"She's right." Rodriguez glanced at the time again. "If we're late, he'll take my blood just for fun."

"See you later."

"We have to go up to the medical department; it's one floor above ours," Rodriguez explained. The elevator stopped and they followed him down a long hallway, past several doors, until they reached one with a blue triangle that read Dr. Joshua Karneering. "Hey, Sophie," he greeted the woman at the desk. "O'Neil and Wolenczak to see the doctor."

"I'll let him know you're here," she said. "Have a seat." She opened the door behind her, presumably to get the doctor.

Since there were only three chairs in the waiting area, they had little choice. Rodriguez sat between Lucas and Tim.

"Who's first?" Sophie asked from the door.

When neither spoke, Rodriguez made the decision for them. "Wolenczak."

Lucas usually avoided going to see the doctor under normal circumstances, so having to see one now did not make him happy. However, he had little choice, so he followed Sophie.

"Dr. Joshua Karneering," the doctor said, shaking his hand. "You are?"

"Lucas Wolenczak."

"This is a pretty straightforward exam. It's just to make sure you are as healthy as your records say. I've found that someone people are not always entirely honest when it comes to medical health, so I like to verify them for myself."

Since Lucas had been guilty of evading the truth when discussing his own health, he did not offer any comment.

"What do you need?"

"Your outer clothes off and this on," Karneering said, handing him a gown. "Then we'll do height, weight, check your eyes, ears, lungs. Nothing major."

"You think you'll get called out before we leave?" Tim asked Rodriguez, mainly to pass the time.

"I don't know. You never can predict what's going to happen. The world is a crazy place. I'd like more time before going back to camp, but we don't get to make those choices."

Tim stared at him for a few minutes, before understanding what he meant. "Do you all call it camp or is that just something you like to call it?"

"It's an inside term. We use it as a term within the group, although we don't use it as often as we used to."

"Okay." Tim thought about asking the origins of the name, but decided he probably did not want to know.

"Don't worry, if we get deployed, McKinnon will make sure you two are safe."

"I know she'll do her best."

"That's all any of us can do," Rodriguez observed. "McKinnon takes her job seriously. She places a high priority on the safety of the unit."

"I really don't want to find out," Tim informed him dryly.

"Well, hopefully, you won't have to, but sometimes you don't have a choice."

"Let me take some blood and you'll be finished," Karneering told Lucas. "See, it wasn't so bad after all."

"I'll reserve judgment until after you take the blood," Lucas remarked, averting his eyes as the doctor completed his task.

"Okay, you can get dressed."

"Thanks, Doctor." Lucas stepped behind the curtain again, quickly getting back into his own clothes.

"Red or green?" Karneering asked, when he re-emerged.

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I forgot you're new." Karneering held up two lollipops. "Red or green?"

"Green," Lucas replied, finding the whole thing kind of amusing. He could not remember the last time a doctor had offered him candy after an examination.

"Excellent choice," the doctor assented. "You can send in the other one."

"Your turn," Lucas told Tim, returning to the waiting area.

"You must have done well; he only gives green to the patients he likes," Rodriguez remarked, noticing the candy in Lucas's hand. "He always offers me orange."

"Is that bad?"

"It's not good."

"Okay, let me check your eyes," Karneering told Tim. "So how do you like it with us so far?"

"It's different. I don't think I'd want to be assigned here permanently. But it is something few others get to try."

"Very true. And, despite the impression they may given you, everyone knows that the two of you would not have been sent here if they thought you were not up to the task."

"I think everyone would also like to avoid testing that theory, Doctor. Myself included."

"True."

"He says he'll see you next," Tim informed Rodriguez, as he emerged from his physical.

"What? I'm not scheduled to see him," Rodriguez protested.

"He said it would save him time if you would do your recheck now," Sophie interjected.

"Great," he said. "I'll be back."

"He give you one too?" Tim asked, holding up his sucker as he sat down.

"Yeah." The duo sat in silence for a few minutes. "I have this bad feeling that somehow we're going to end up being deployed with them."

Tim looked at him. "We're going to be out of here tomorrow," he stated, with greater conviction than he felt. "You'll finish up with the computers; I'm almost done with the translation. Then we'll be back on seaQuest and ready to enjoy some leave."

"I hope so."

"It's going to work out."

"Let's go," Rodriguez said as he exited the doctor's office. "Man's a sadist," he mumbled.

They rode the elevator up two more floors. "This is the top; all the briefing rooms are here," Rodriguez informed them.

"Why?" Lucas asked.

"We usually deploy via the air. So, if it's a rush job, we're closer to the landing pad."

"Oh."

Ryan was inside waiting for them. "Karneering grab you?" The briefing room consisted of a large table, with outlets for computers to hook up into. There was a large vid-screen at the back of the room, as well as a podium with a microphone.

"Yes," Rodriguez grumbled.

"Let's do the measurements first. You do Wolenczak; I'll take O'Neil."

"Let's get this over with. Stand on the chair," Rodriguez directed Lucas.

The measurements took a little bit of time, particularly since Ryan did not fully trust Rodriguez and insisted on double checking some of his notations.

"Just checking; we want the outfit to fit."

"Why ask me to help in the first place if you're going to do them all over again?"

"Don't whine."

"I don't whine."

"Stand in front the blue back drop there," Ryan instructed Tim, pointing to the blue cloth hanging on the back wall. "Smile. We don't want this to resemble a prison shot."

"Sorry," Tim said, feeling nervous. For some reason, getting the pictures taken made the whole thing seem real.

"No problem. Okay your turn," she advised Lucas.

"You're worse than he is."

"I don't like having my picture taken."

"Just relax. It'll be over soon."

"We done here?" Rodriguez asked Ryan a few minutes later. "I'll take them back to their room."

"Okay, I have turn these in to supply," she said, indicating their measurements. "I'll see you guys in the morning. You getting them for breakfast again?"

"Sure."

"Good night."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning at the same time," Rodriguez informed them, upon arriving at their room.

"Okay," Lucas acknowledged. "I feel like I'm about ten and being put to bed at seven," he commented to Tim, as they each settled on their bunks.

"I know what you mean. I didn't exactly come equipped for free time. But I guess I also expected more interaction."

"It could be worse; they could lock us in every night."

"Probably haven't thought of it, yet," Tim remarked, opening his bag. "I'm not ready to go to sleep, but I do want to get out of uniform."

"I'll change after you."

"I think next time we get an offer for something like this, I'm going to decline."

"I'm not sure we had much choice. Sounded like the admiral told Bridger they would be using us."

"You have a point," Tim called. "It's one of the problems with being in the military."

"I'm not in the military."

"You're close enough," Tim pointed out, returning to his bunk.