Greetings loyal readers and sorry for the long delay. Ben and I appreciate your patience. Since summer has ended we have both been quite busy. On top of that we ran into a bit of roadblock with chapter 29, which we're still working through. We didn't want to send this chapter off prematurely. We think we have everything in place, so you now get to enjoy the next chapter of Lady Lex. While I'm not a big fan of time travel, I like what Ben did here. And he certainly left me in a tight spot. The question is, of course, what would you, the reader, do if you were in Douglas's position?
The Boys of the Lady Lex Chapter 27 "Bumps in the Road" Written By Douglas DD and Benjamin TC
Ben felt himself running down the dark corridor. He felt some invisible force hold him back as he slowly made his way forward into the unknown. He felt like he was in slow motion. He could hear his own heart beat go thump thump as if it too was in slow motion. In the distance he heard a cry of panic, a cry of fear, a cry of help.
Ben reached a big, black metal door. He heard a pounding on the door that echoed through the dark corridor. The pounding, too, was in slow motion like his heart beat. He heard the voice from behind yelling and screaming to be let out. Ben reached for the door and used all his might but the door wouldn't budge. The harder he tried to open it the more frantic the voice on the other side got.
Ben was sweating profusely and was starting to panic as he tried to open the door that just wouldn't budge. He yanked, he pulled, he rammed his body into the door hard hoping to budge it loose, but with no luck. The door just wouldn't open. Ben's heartbeat grew louder and faster as the cry for help grew softer and slower. Ben was crying because he knew he had to open the door but he couldn't. He tried and tried but just couldn't open it. Then it happened. The voice on the other side grew deadly silent.
Ben had this ill feeling in his stomach. The gravity around him felt like he was on Jupiter. He knew he had failed. He knew he had to open that door and he had failed. He turned around and there stood a black and white ghostly image of a boy.
"You killed me, Ben!" The voice was eerie and sent cold chills down Ben's spine and made his hairs stand up end with goose bumps.
Ben started running again. This time away from the voice. But every corner he took there stood the ghostly image that echoed the eerie words "You killed me Ben!"
Ben would run into this image and do a 180 degree turn and try a different route, desperately trying to get out. But no matter where he ran to the nightmare managed to get ahead of him somehow.
Finally Ben got to a point where he couldn't run no more. He was surrounded by images of this little boy. A boy no older then 11 or 12. It was the same boy but multiple images of him. All of them speaking in a reverberating, ghostly tone. "You killed me, Ben!"
The ghostly images began to close in on Ben. Ben's heart rate increased. He could feel his breath...his life being taken from him. The images of the boy all reached out to grab Ben as it said "You killed me Ben!"
Ben screamed out loud and sat straight up in his bed. He was breathing hard and covered in sweat. He felt warm moisture down between his leg. He had wet the bed with fear. He looked over next to him. He started to feel better knowing that he had fallen asleep next to Douglas after they made such wonderful love with each other. Ben reached out and touched the sheet covered figure. He needed some comforting from the boy he loved desperately. The figure rolled over.
Ben's heart stopped. It wasn't Douglas lying next to him. It was the boy. The ghostly looking boy. "You killed me, Ben!"
Ben screamed and fell out of the bed kicking, trying to get away. Tears and sweat were running down his face. He kept kicking and screaming hoping it would keep this boy away from him.
"Ben, wake up!! Wake up Ben!! You're having a nightmare!" Douglas shook Ben.
Ben suddenly woke up. He was covered in sweat and tears and his heart was pounding like a jackhammer. He was breathing rapidly and had problems catching his breath. Ben had a hard time at first figuring out where he was. He then realized he was on the floor of his room with Douglas kneeling next to him. His bed was torn apart and soaked with urine, sweat and tears.
"Ben? You okay?"
Ben didn't say a word. He just sat there in silence. His heart rate and breathing slowly went back to normal as he sat on the cold hard floor. Douglas sat next to him and held him tight. Douglas held onto Ben not saying a word and not forcing Ben to say a word. He just sat there holding his love, comforting him, assuring him that he was there and that he was okay.
Finally over an hour later of just sitting on the floor, Ben finally spoke. He had calmed down enough to speak. "Douglas, I can't do it anymore." Small tears crept their way down his still very pale face.
"Do what my love?"
"I can't pilot anymore. I can't be here anymore."
"Why can't you? Ben you only had a bad dream. I'm m sure it's just because you are nervous about tomorrow, taking the `Lexington' into warp drive for the first time in twenty years."
"Douglas, I just can't do it. First thing in the morning I am going to Uncle Steve and Mike and tell them both that I can't be the helmsman when we take her into warp. Gary can do it."
"Ben what's gotten into you? You worked and trained hard for this. You deserve this."
Ben finally stood up. Now he was pacing back and forth in his small room. "No Douglas, I don't deserve this. I don't belong here."
"I know you and your brothers don't belong here but it's better then jail isn't it?"
"That's the point Douglas. I belong in some jail. I don't belong here learning how to pilot a shuttle craft and being the youngest pilot in JSFA history to take a ship this size into warp speed. I don't deserve the glory that it will bring. Douglas I killed a boy younger then me." By this time tears were flowing down Ben's cheeks again.
"Ben I can't change what happened to you and your brothers. If I could I would, but I can't. I know it must be hard living with the guilt you have to live with, but you have to let it go."
"I can't just let it go Douglas. Do you realize the day I make history tomorrow, Kiran, the boy I helped kill, would have turned 12 years old?"
"No, I didn't realize that. Then dedicate this trip to his memory."
"That won't bring him back, Douglas." Ben started to leave his room.
"Where are you going? You can't go out past curfew."
"I need time to think. Okay.?"
Not knowing what else to say. "Ben, I love you!"
Ben stopped in the doorway and turned and faced his love. "I know." Then the door shut as he walked away leaving Douglas alone in the dark.
The day had finally arrived. The SFA "Lexington" was ready to leave Mothball Graveyard to test out her warp drive and if all went well, she wouldn't be returning. Instead she would be taking up orbit around her new home of Phosphorous Prime.
TJ set at his navigation station double checking and triple checking all of his calculations. He looked over the empty seat next to him at Douglas who was half heartedly going over his check list. He felt TJ's eyes on him. He turned and looked at the empty helm next to him.
"Ben, please come," whispered Douglas silently to himself. Douglas hadn't seen Ben since he left their cabin in the middle of the night after Ben's nightmare.
Douglas quickly turned his head as he heard the swooshing of the bridge doors open. His smile turned to a frown as he saw Gary come onto the bridge.
"Cadet Banks, take your station," said Mike. Mike was disappointed that Captain Hatcher had granted Ben permission to give up his position on the bridge. Mike liked Ben a lot and it was Ben that Mike wanted at that station. Not Gary, but Ben. Mike didn't mind Gary too much, but Ben had the demeanor of a pilot and it was Ben that Mike really wanted to pilot them out of the graveyard, hopefully for the last time.
Johnny Cooper was back to being his rude, cocky self. He was barking off orders left and right, having Mike correct him a few times. Why Mike ever convinced Johnny to beg for a second chance was beyond him.
Gary sat down at the helm. Douglas unintentionally gave him the cold shoulder. Gary wasn't a bad guy, but it wasn't Gary that Douglas wanted sitting next to him. It was Ben. Gary looked over his station and made a few minor adjustments. He saw that some music was programmed at his station. Gary purposely hit the delete button. Then he took the pair of sunglasses sitting their and tossed them to the side out of his way.
"That's it!" Yelled Douglas. He stood up from his station and started to exit the bridge.
"Cadet Daniels, where are you going?" asked Lieutenant Commander McKay, the Operations Officer.
"I am going to get our helmsman. But if I can't get him, then you better find yourself another Operations Officer because I'm not doing this without Ben." Douglas then stormed off out off the bridge.
Ben sat in the pilot's seat of the "Wonder Boy". His body was there, but his mind was else where. He couldn't get the image of the boy...Kiran out of his head. He's been having this dream for several weeks now and it kept on getting worse and worse. He didn't know how much more he could take.
"I'd thought I find you here." Ben didn't turn or budge as Douglas spoke. But very soft he said "Aren't you suppose to be on the bridge?"
"That's funny; I was just going to ask you the same thing."
"Douglas, I can't do it. I thought I could, but I can't."
"I know. From day one everyone expected us to be super human or something, I guess. Everyone expected us kids to pull something this huge and extraordinary off, but in reality we're just plain simple run of the mill kids, nothing more nothing less."
"I wanted to Douglas. I really did. But it just wouldn't be right. I could barely live with myself now. I know I couldn't live knowing I made myself a better person because I was responsible for a death of a friend. It wouldn't be fair for me to get the glory when a lifeless body lies six feet underground because of me."
Douglas sat in the seat next to Ben. He felt the hurt and guilt Ben's heart had buried deep inside. Ben still didn't look at Douglas. He just sat there looking out the windshield, past it, through it, looking at his past. Not seeing Mothball Graveyard Station, not seeing the debris around it, not seeing the stars beyond it, but seeing only haunted images of his past.
The two boys sat there in silence, not sharing a single word between them. Although nothing was said, a strange force was bonding them together all the more. Douglas wanted to tell Ben to get his head out of his ass and get it up to the bridge, but he remembered how he mourned his mother and how everyone grieved differently. He also remembered his mom telling him one time when he was younger that sometimes the best words to be said are the ones not spoken.
"I hate to break up this little party here guys, but we have a ship to take into warp," said Mike as he climbed on board the "Wonder Boy".
"Sorry Mike. I already gave Uncle Steve my resignation as master helmsman. I'm just going to be an ordinary cadet here from now on," said Ben still not taking his eyes off his past.
"I know. Gary is already sitting in your seat on the bridge. But I would like to have you in it instead."
"I'm sorry, but I can't. I just want to stay here for the time being."
Mike wanted to whack some sense into Ben, but there wasn't time. He would much rather have Ben at the helm than of Gary, but in the state of mind that Ben was in, maybe it wouldn't be wise to have Ben at the controls after all. Mike was beginning to learn that it is hard to be an XO and friend at the same time. No wonder Commander Creevey always seemed to be by herself.
"Douglas, I have your backup, Travis, on standby."
"Tell Travis to man ops. I'm staying here."
"Douglas, you can't," said Ben.
"Ben, I'm not manning that station without you by my side."
"Douglas, I don't you, I can't man it. I just can't."
"I know you can't. I'm not forcing you to. But I can't man my station either. Because my place is with someone who I love and care about so very much during their time of pain. Ben, the "Lexington" and her crew means a lot to me these days, but not as much as you mean to me. I love you Ben and I am not leaving your side."
Ben had tears forming in his eyes again. So much he wanted to man that station for Douglas, but he just couldn't bring himself to it. The hurt, the pain the guilt was just too strong to do so. He shot a look at Douglas that silently said "Thanks and I love you so much."
Douglas looked a Mike. Mike nodded and exited the "Wonder Boy". He was going to inform Travis that he was now temporarily acting as Ops Officer while Gary was temporarily acting as helmsman.
Douglas and Ben just sat in silence together waiting for the old ship to take movement again.
Trev sat alone in the lounge staring out into space. The same view stood before him that was in front of Ben, but he too was looking into his past. Today was his best friend's birthday. Trev hadn't shed a single tear for Kiran's death and this troubled him. How could one not shed a tear for his best friend's death?
"Master Collins, looking at the stars are we?"
Trevor jumped. He never heard Harrison Wolfe. "Hi, Mr. Wolfe," said Trevor in a solemn tone.
"It's not easy living with guilt, is it?"
"I have no guilt," assured Trevor.
"Master Collins, if you are going to lie you need to do it in a manner that it doesn't show on your face."
Trevor turned his attention back out the window as Harrison standing next to him, staring out too.
"Mr. Wolfe."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever killed someone?"
Without hesitation, Wolfe answered the young lad's question. He wasn't going to lie to him, but he wasn't going to get into any details either. "Yes I have."
"Did you cry?"
"Once."
"Does it mean I am bad person if I didn't cry?" The fact Wolfe had killed someone didn't phase Trevor. Not because he thought his teacher was capable of killing someone, but because he was to engross with the thoughts that were on his mind regarding Kiran's death.
"You are referring to your friend's Kiran's unfortunate death?"
"You know his name?"
"Yes, your brothers told me about the incident when we were on the `Lady Hawke' together."
"And you still want to teach me the ways of stealth even though I am a killer?"
Wolfe turned and faced Trevor. He turned the young boy around so he could look into his eyes. "Master Collins, you are no killer. What happened that dreadful day was an accident. You performed a practical joke that went haywire."
"But I didn't cry for him and I was his best friend."
"Trevor, just because one doesn't cry over the death of his best friend, doesn't mean you are a bad person and not worthy of teachings."
"But Andrew cried a lot when Kiran died. Ben even cried. I tried to cry. I wanted to cry, but no tears would come out."
Wolfe could tell that Trevor was more disturbed and upset by the fact of not crying of the death of his best friend, then him being the reason of his death. For the short time Wolfe been working with the boy, he could tell the reason for this was that he was using the excuse of not crying over his best friend's death to keep him form admitting that he was the reason his best friend had died.
"Master Collins, when you found out that Kiran had died in that bunker, what did you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did you laugh?"
"No!!! I was too angry to laugh. Kiran dying wasn't funny."
"Did you have pleasure when you found out that Kiran died? A lot of killers who enjoy killing get erections when they kill. Did that happen to you?"
"No. I didn't get an erection when Kiran died. I went home and threw things."
"You threw things?"
"I was really angry. I took my baseball and threw it through the closed window of my bedroom. It felt good. So I took some books and my glove and threw them against the wall too. I knocked stuff of the desk and dressers in my room. I threw everything out of my closet. I ripped posters and pictures off the walls. I threw trophies off the shelves. I even smashed up a few models I had. But not once did I cry."
"Master Collins, did Ben or Andrew do anything like that after Kiran died?"
"No, they just cried or stayed to themselves. I am the only one who got angry and threw a fit."
"Because Andrew and Ben didn't show anger that Kiran died, does that make them bad people?"
"No way! Andrew and Ben are both cool. Ben is a great big brother even though they both been ignoring me since we been here. I think they blame me because we are stuck here."
"Is that why you don't talk to them much? You think they are mad at you and blame you for being sentenced here?"
"Maybe."
"Trevor, Andrew and Ben let their grief out through tears. It sounds to me that you let your guilt out by a temper tantrum. That is perfectly okay. You don't need to shed tears to show remorse for what you done."
"I didn't do anything. I just played a joke."
"A joke that cost your best friend's life."
"I didn't know he was going to die. I would have never shut the door."
"Of course you didn't know. Like I said, you are not a bad person. You are not a killer. If you were, you would have shut that door even if you knew he would die."
Then for the first time, Trevor finally admitted it to himself since the accident happened. "But I am a killer. I killed my best friend." At that moment a single tear formed in his eye and began to trickle down his cheek. Another shortly followed, by another and another. "I killed him. It's my fault." Trev quickly buried his head into Wolfe as his shirt began to soak up long over due tears. Wolfe grimaced a little as Trevor brushed up against his wound, but he knew the boy had to get his guilt out. Guilt over killing someone wasn't always easy to shed. He knew that from first hand experience. Like the guilt he had to get rid of when he killed that young lady in the steam room back on Earth.
Trevor was too involved with crying and getting rid of the guilt that had built up the past six months that he didn't notice the Lady Lex begin to move. He didn't take notice the hum of the ship changed as gears were shifted into warp drive. He didn't notice the scenery change out the window. He just cried and cried into Wolfe's arms as Wolfe helped talk Trevor through the process of getting rid of guilt and remorse. Wolfe knew this was only a beginning of a long healing process, but Trevor finally took the most important step, the first one. He finally admitted it to himself what he had done. Trevor had admitted it to others but he never admitted it to himself and there was a big difference. Wolfe didn't know what it was about this young boy, but he felt connected to him. Maybe because Trevor reminded so much of himself when he was his age so many years ago. Maybe because he never had a child of his own and this was the first time in his life he could actually let himself get emotionally close to someone. He held onto the boy like a father would hold on to his son during a moment like this. The rest of the morning, Wolfe was there for his student as Trevor accepted a life's lesson learned.
Engineering was filled with cadets and regular crew members working hard. Captain Ely Storm was barking out orders as they prepared the warp engines to take over for the impulse engines. This was a big milestone that everyone was working hard to achieve and the time had finally come.
Ely was rechecking all the wires and panels to make sure all gages were correct. They couldn't afford anymore set backs. This warp test had to be perfect. With all the sabotaging that was happening since this project started he wanted to make sure nothing happened here. For if there was a warp drive explosion that would surely be the end of the "Lexington" and her crew.
He walked over to a control panel and saw a switch was out of place. He knew someone would try this. He pushed the switch up. The warp engines begin to react in a negative way. Ely quickly tried to fix the problem but the warp engines were beginning to reach critical levels even before they gang warp speed.
Ely began barking off orders. They were going to have to eject the warp core. Ely was upset. He knew this was going to set them back now. Chief Anderson went to the panel as the alarms sounded above. He set that one switch back to the original position and soon the warp engines began to go back to normal. The warp engines did not needed to be ejected.
Ely stood there, realizing what he had done. He knew that switch belonged where it was. He been in SFA for over 40 years and never made a mistake like that, not even as a rookie. He should have known right away what was causing the warp engines to overheat. Just like he should have known what caused the power outage during their first trip around the block. Just like he should have known the correct impact time when the "Wonder Boy" was hurling towards the Lady Lex. There was a reason why Ely had retired after the "Excalibur" was decommissioned and now he knew he should have stayed with his grandson teaching him the finer points of fishing.
Andrew and Nipper sat on board the "Lady Hawke". This is where they wanted to be when the "Lexington" goes into warp for the first time in 20 years. They were unaware what was going on around them. They didn't know that Ben and Douglas were in the "Wonder Boy" alone with each other. They didn't know that Trevor was alone with Mr. Wolfe in the lounge just a few decks above them. They didn't know that commotion that was going on in the engineering room. All they knew was that they wanted to be with each other on the "Lady Hawke" when they went into warp.
Andrew's thoughts weren't on Kiran's death like Ben's and Trevor's minds were. For one thing Andrew forgot that today was Kiran's birthday. But more importantly he was beginning to learn how to move on with his life. He hated the Lady Lex at first but it was the Lady Lex that brought him to his love, Nipper.
Both boys immediately took off their uniforms and got onto a cot that had a view of the galaxy. Andrew started kissing and hugging Nipper. Nipper opened his mouth and let Andrew's tongue enter his mouth as Nipper's tongue happily greeted Andrew's.
"Andy I love you so much," said Nipper as his hands roamed Andrew's body.
Andrew stopped kissing Nipper and just snuggled up to him as the ship started to move. "Just think our brothers are up in the bridge about ready to make history," said Andrew.
"I hope sometime we will get a bridge station to man sometime. That will be so cool."
"Yeah it would."
"Andy?"
"Yes?"
"I want you to do me the way I did you the first time the Lady Lex went into space." Andrew remembered how he lost his boy cherry to Nipper, the boy he loved very much. Since then, Nipper had entered like that a few more times, but not once did he enter Nipper. He wanted too but he wasn't sure if Nipper wanted too and he didn't want to pressure the boy he loved into anything he didn't want to do.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
Nipper then crawled down and started licking Andrew's hard boner. His tongue strolled up his tiny shaft and back down again. He licked around Andrew's balls and up underneath to that sensitive spot. Then he traced the blue vein back up Andrew's cock and licked his pee slit. Andrew left out a small whimper as the pleasure went through him.
Andrew pulled Nipper's back around over to him. But instead of taking Nipper's hard dick into his mouth, he spread Nipper's cheeks apart and started to lick his rose. Nipper left out some whimpers as well. When Andrew's tongue pierced into Nipper's hole, Nipper took Andrew's dick into his mouth. Both boys were pushing their saliva on to the dick or anus getting it nice and wet.
The "Lexington" started to move. The boys couldn't feel the vibration of the ship as they were too into what they were doing. Andrew then rolled Nipper onto his back and climbed on top of him. He spread Nipper's cheeks apart and placed his hard cock against Nipper's rose.
The two young boys looked at each other and they saw nothing but love in each other's eyes. Andrew began to push his dick in. Nipper let out a moan as Andrew's cock had entered Nipper for the first time. Both boy's embraced each other and began kissing passionately as Andrew began to thrust in and out of his hot, tight, virgin ass.
"Fuck me, Andy" yelled Nipper as he felt feelings he never felt before as Andrew brushed against his sweet spot. Andrew's balls began to slap against Nipper's cheeks. Both boys were moaning and groaning with extreme pleasure.
Just as the view turned to white streaks and the impulse vibrations turned into warp drive vibrations, both boys let out a loud scream. Nipper had a no touch cum at the same time Andrew shook violently with his orgasm.
Andrew pulled out of Nipper's butt and hanging from the tip of his dick, still connected to Nipper's butt, was a thin clear strand of cum. Andrew couldn't believe it. He finally had his first wet cum. The day he been hoping for so long.
"Nipper, I finally had a wet cum," said Andrew excitedly.
Nipper was very excited too. Because dripping from his dick was his first wet cum too. Both boys immediately got into the 69 position and started to suck each other, tasting each other's cum for the first time. Within moments both boys had a second cum. These were wet too, but only a tear drop came out of both hairless cocks this time. The boys then snuggled up to each other and watched the view and soon fell asleep from their post orgasmic emotions.
With the "Lexington" in Warp drive in a routine pattern, unless a cadet had watch, they would spend the days in classes. There were no shuttle craft classes scheduled because they couldn't launch the shuttle crafts while in warp drive.
Douglas was worried about Ben. They been in warp for one week and Ben hadn't yet set foot back on the bridge. Douglas to didn't step foot on bridge either. The next time he would step foot back on the bridge is when Ben was ready to take over his position as Master Helmsman. Mike assured Douglas that regardless how much time it took, that position would always be open for Ben as well as the Ops position for himself.
Ben's nightmares continued to get worse. He would wake up several times a night. But each time he woke up, Douglas was there next to him, holding him, comforting him. Douglas being by his side like he has been was the only thing that kept him from totally losing it. He loved Douglas more then ever, yet he felt like he was letting Douglas down.
Douglas was patient with Ben. He knew Ben was hurting inside and that he been hurting since the first day they met. But recently things cascaded into the way the things are now. Douglas was beginning to think that Ben was acting the way he did about the Tina incident and the Scooter incident because Ben's emotions were all mixed up over Kiran's death.
But Douglas knew that he loved Ben and that Ben truly loved him. He was going to be with Ben all the way as he battled the demons inside of him. He knew he wasn't going to let Ben fight this battle by himself. He was there for his boyfriend and his boyfriend knew that and loved him for that.
Trevor scurried down the vent shaft. In his backpack were the book that Mr. Wolfe gave him and the paper he wrote about it. He opened up the vent screen and crawled out. Sitting on the desk was yet another book with a new note on it.
Trev put his book and report on the table and picked up the book "The Redheaded League" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Trev read the note:
Master Hawke,
You have come a long ways in your training.
But your observation of your route was almost
Nonobeservant. You set off tiny sensors telling
me of your arrival. Read this and learn from
Sherlock Holmes and how is observed things to
help him deduct from elementary reasoning.
Mr. Wolfe
Trevor was pissed. For sure he thought he was going to succeed at this mission. But he failed. He took the new book and instead of crawling through the vent shaft again, he decided to just walk back to his room. Of course he had to dodge a few watches, but he made it back without being seen.
"Did you do it?" asked Ian.
"No," said Trev. He threw himself on his bed and turned to the first page of his new book.
Ben sat in the pilot's seat of the "Wonder Boy". He might not have been able to step on the bridge, but he felt very comfortable sitting in the pilot's seat of the "Wonder Boy". It seemed like it was the only place he could be to sort out his feelings. Douglas sat next to him saying nothing. He was just there for support.
"Hey guys," said Mike as he climbed onboard.
"Hi Mike," said Douglas.
Ben didn't say anything. He just sat there with his mind in a different place, battling demons that ran deep in his soul.
"I'll make this quick. I know I told you that I will hold your positions open for you, but tomorrow we are going to start practicing for military missions pertaining to the Olympics. When we do, Travis and Gary will be the permanent Ops officer and Master Helmsman unless you two tell me now that you will do it. I can't hold this open anymore."
"Mike, you said!" said Douglas
"I know what I said, Douglas. Unfortunately this hurts me to have to do this. But as XO I have to do what is best for the ship and as much as I want you and Ben in those positions, I'm gonna have to give those positions to the cadets who have been doing them for over a week."
"I can't do it Mike. I'm sorry. Give it to Gary," said Ben. He wanted to do it so bad, but he just couldn't.
Douglas paused for a second. "Are you sure, Ben?"
"Yes, Douglas. I'm sorry, but I just can't do it."
"Mike, let Travis become the new Ops officer then."
"Douglas, you can't!!"
"Ben, I told you from day one, that I am with you all the way. You are not alone in this private war of yours. You are more important to me then some silly old position. I love you Ben Collins and I will help you get through this. I don't know how, but I will. I promise you that."
Ben looked at his love and then gave him a big hug. "Thank you."
Mike so much wanted to hold the positions opened for them, but the time has come. He had to fill them permanently. But Mike would hold them open until tomorrow morning in hopes that they would change their minds.
Johnny sat in the Captain's chair on the bridge. Captain Hatcher was sitting in the XO chair. Johnny been true to his word but he still was having some minor disciplinary problems, but nothing that would cause Hatcher to remove him from the chair permanently.
The ship lurched forward as if it hit a pot hole in the road. Then it hit another bump and finally a third that caused the ship to fall out of warp. The third bump however had a bit of a drag to it. Alarms and lights were going off.
"What the hell happened?" asked Johnny.
"I'm getting strange readings," said Travis sitting at the ops station.
"Captain, I am picking up various distortions in space. Almost like holes," said Scooter sitting at his science station.
Commander Creevey went over to the science station. She began running tests and checking out readings. She wasn't liking what she saw. Captain, these holes in space appear to be space time continuum fluxes."
"Engines all stop!" order Hatcher. Gary immediately stopped the "Lexington" so she was just sitting still in space. "Tell me about these holes Commander."
"The best I can tell, these holes are disturbances in space and time. It's like a time warp Captain. These holes can take us to different parts of time. But this is just my best guess from the readouts I have here."
"Any idea what caused it?"
"I am running tests, but I can't make a determination at this point."
"Get on it Commander and lets see what's going on out here."
"Engineering, report!!" bellowed Hatcher on the intercom system
"Whatever we hit captain put a strain on the warp engines and impulse engines," said Ely's voice over the comm system.
"How bad is it?"
"Bad enough that I had to shut both systems down. Warp engines will be down at least five days, maybe longer. Impulse engines I can have repaired in two days."
"Get working on it right away Ely."
"Captain, there has to be at least fifty time holes out there. It's like a mind field out there. Lord knows what would happen if we drift into one," said Commander Creevey.
"Helmsman, it is your job to ensure we don't drift in one of these, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Sir," said Gary who was a bit nervous. Kalon was standing right next to him ready to take the helm if need be.
"Captain, it appears that the holes are unstable. Two of them already sealed themselves."
"That's some good news then."
"The first one that we hit is already closed. The second one I estimate will close in 3 hours. The last one, if my calculations are right, will close in three days. My best guess is that all of these holes will be closed within a week. But I can't tell you if more will appear or not. I will continue to run more tests."
"Keep on it, Commander." Hatcher turned to Johnny Cooper who was still sitting in his chair all confused and not sure what to do or say. Mike wasn't even there to help him out because he had went down to tell Ben and Douglas that they had to give up their command positions if they didn't start doing them. "Cadet Cooper, you're the commanding officer. What's your recommendations?"
Douglas and Ben sat in the "Wonder Boy" watching the stars streak by. Then something caught Ben's attention. It was a black, infinite rippling hole. Then he saw another and another.
"Douglas look!" Ben pointed out the odd features of space.
"What are they?"
"I don't know." Then the "Lexington" lurched when it hit the first bump. "Holy shit, that wasn't good. We better get to the bridge and tell them."
Ben was so excited that he didn't even think about calling it on the comm system, only that he had to get to the bridge. Ben and Douglas both got up. Ben was halfway through the hatch when the "Lexington" hit the second bump. Douglas lost his balance and fell backwards slamming back into the pilot's seat.
"You okay?" screamed Ben.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Douglas stood up. Then the Lady Lex lurched forward and dragged for a few seconds. Douglas felt a strange sensation. His surrounding was all mixed and garbled. That portion of the "Wonder Boy" had slipped into one of the time holes.
"DOUGLAS!!!!" yelled Ben. The front of the "Wonder Boy" had become distorted. He swore he saw a blurred picture of what appeared to be Earth as well as the front portion of the "Wonder Boy". Ben Started inching his way forward, hanging onto the bulkhead so he wouldn't get sucked into this strange vortex. He was trying to save his boyfriend. Just has he made it to the edge of the vortex, the "Lexington" stopped moving and the front of the "Wonder Boy" was pulled out of the time hole. The front of the "Wonder Boy" was back to normal. Except for one thing. Douglas was gone.
General Elihu sat in the war room on his Kriton Flag Vessel. He had just learned that one of two prototype Kriton vessel had exploded during some test operations. The General wasn't happy, but just waved it off as a bump in the road and he knew he could over come it. He knew there was going to be a war between Earth and Kriton and he knew the only way they could take the planet Earth was by sneaking up on it. The way he found way to launch a sneak attack to catch them off guard was to create war ships that could travel through self made worm holes, travel through subspace, and pop out right on the edge of Earth. It would not only sneak them behind the Earth defense lines, but would foil the plan of that fool Admiral Whitaker. This accident was a set back, but it wasn't going to stop him with his plans to conquer Earth.
Douglas wandered around not knowing what to do. One moment he was on the "Wonder Boy" and the next moment he was on Earth. But the thing he had a hard time swallowing was that some how he managed to travel not only to Earth but he traveled back in time. He spent the last day figuring out where and when he was. Some how he managed to travel back in time where it took him to Virginia six months back.
Douglas had wandered into a park. His heart sunk when he saw four boys playing soccer on this beautiful Indian summer fall day. He recognized three of the four boys. They were Ben, Andrew and Trevor. He wasn't sure who the other boy was.
He headed their way when he saw the soccer ball being kicked into an old bunker. Then it dawned on Douglas. Not only had he traveled back in time, but he had traveled back to the point where Kiran had been killed.
He watched Trevor shut the door and the three brothers wondered off. Kiran was pounding and screaming on the door, but no one could hear him. Douglas knew he was in there. Douglas was so excited. All he had to do was go over to the bunker and let Kiran out. Then Ben will no longer have the guilt and depression that he had over this. He had the chance to change history so his love didn't get in trouble with the law and be sentenced on board the Lady Lex. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. If he set Kiran free then Ben would never come to the Lady Lex. And if Ben never came to the Lady Lex, that meant he would never meet the love of his life. "God, what do I do?" asked Douglas
To Be Continued...