LEAVING HOME

Disclaimer: I do not own SeaQuest or it's characters. I'm just borrowing them for fun.

It hadn't been the same without Lucas. Ever since he had left the SeaQuest to pursue an alternative career in systems operations, the boat had seemed different somehow. The corridors themselves seemed to be missing their young prodigy.

Most of his friends where glad that he was leaving. Not because they didn't love him. But because they knew that he would be much happier. He was going where he belonged.

It had taken a lot of courage for Lucas. The only real home he had ever known was here. The only real family he had ever known was being left behind. But once he understood that they would still be there for him, even after he left, he began to work up some courage to pursue his dreams.

He was so desperately afraid of being alone. After Bridger had left him and hadn't stayed in contact like he had promised, Lucas was afraid that the same would happen with his other friends. Lucas wasn't sure how he would survive completely alone.

Lucas never thought he would cry over something so stupid. But he had. Just as he was about to leave, the docking bay was filled with people bidding him goodbye, all offering him hugs and words of support. Lucas had cried whilst he was holding most of them, not hard, but enough for him to feel like he was ruining his reputation.

He had felt like a teenage girl leaving highschool.

He had never been truly alone. Living as an adult was something that would be completely new to him. He was 22, but had never had to worry about paying bills, shopping, cooking for himself…. There were plenty of people willing to offer him advice on that one. In particular Tony, who was keen to hold one over him.

For the first few weeks he had managed just by contacting his closer friends occasionally via email or vidlink. As things got more stressful, he spoke for longer, on more frequent occasions.

Although, he was surprised how quickly he started to fit in at his new job and made new acquaintances, none of them he could call close friends, and he missed playing poker with his friends on SeaQuest.

It wasn't until Lucas Wolenczak had officially resigned from the UEO navy for 6 months that he started getting the phone calls.

The UEO wanted to check up on him, make sure that everything was going well for him. Lucas was almost flattered, even though he often came across quite full of himself.

Then they started calling him up for frequent meetings, asking him to sign non-disclosure documents, which he did willingly.

Lucas wasn't terribly concerned at all. That is, until they asked him to come back.

***

"Well, I appreciate the offer," Lucas Wolenczak stuttered slightly as he gave a lopsided grin, "But I'm happy now. I'm not interested in a position in the UEO anymore."

Three high ranking UEO officials had met with Lucas at his home to finish off some more paper work. All were middle aged men. Social etiquette was not their forte, but Lucas had done his best to accommodate them, assuming that their refusal of drinks was due to the fact that they weren't going to stay long.

One of the men chuckled slightly, "No, Mr Wolenczak, you misunderstand us. We're not asking you at all."

Lucas looked up from where he was bent over the table looking through the last of the documents.

"We're telling you," he finished.

Lucas looked up, still smiling slightly, not sure what to make of this.

One of the other men continued, "The UEO is offering you twice to three times the amount that you were being paid before, and you don't have to re-enter as an officer."

"Listen, I told you," Lucas said, focusing his deep blue eyes onto the man who had last spoke, "I'm not interested."

"Well," the first man looked at the other two helplessly, "I'm sorry about that, but, you know, that's the way it is."

Lucas looked at all three of them, "The way what is?"

"You're a genius, Mr Wolenczak," the second man told him patiently, "You have access to all our systems and you have detailed knowledge of all our classified information."

Lucas held up the paper work with a 'Duh' look on his face, "Isn't that what this is for?"

"We're still not entirely certain. That is merely contractual, we still can't put you in jail for doing something we can't prove you did."

Lucas looked completely baffled, "What are you talking about?"

The first man took over, "We're not talking about anything that has happened. Just what potentially could happen."

Lucas looked at all three of them, stunned.

"We also took the liberty of bugging you're phones and apartment, and we're not entirely convinced that you should be let go."

Wolenczak's mouth dropped open, "You did *what*!?"

They went to speak but he continued, "How could you bug my apartment without a warrant!?"

"You are a threat to the UEO, Lucas," the man who had not yet spoken told him calmly.

Lucas took a few steps back and blinked in shock, "I.. I don't believe this. This is ridiculous."

"When someone who could potentially overthrow the UEO single handedly within a very short amount of time gets offered a job by someone like Lawrence Deon, we don't think stepping in is ridiculous at all."

Lucas didn't know who said it. All he could focus on was the fact that the UEO had actually completely invaded his privacy and was now threatening him.

"I didn't even accept the offer!" Lucas exclaimed.

"That's not relevant."

"Yes it is," Lucas corrected forcefully, "Just like I won't be accepting yours."

"That's not an option."

"Like hell it isn't!" Lucas yelled.

He looked at them furiously, "How dare you question my loyalty anyway? I served with the UEO for six years!"

"That's irrelevant," the first man told him, "Many of us don't believe you would ever do anything to harm the UEO intentionally. But there are people who are aware of your abilities, and they will go to extreme lengths to exploit you to get to us."

Lucas looked at them angrily, "I am very well protected thank you," Lucas said darkly.

The first men pulled a gun from inside his jacket, "Are you certain?"

Lucas had the chance to look at them in shock and horror, before he felt the familiar prick of darts in his chest and collapsed to the ground.

PART TWO