Date: Tue, 01 Feb 1994 21:06:56 -0500 (EST) From: Brian Willard Subject: A Giant Leap for Mankind - Author's Notes Message-Id: <01H8DVNTT3DU94ER8Z@UNCA.EDU> Organization: University of North Carolina at Asheville "A Giant Leap for Mankind" by Brian Willard Author's Notes Up until now I have yet to read any followups to the controversial episode of "Mirror Image". Maybe it's that I just haven't been paying enough attention, or that nobody really wants to think about this new situation. However, I had been thinking over the past few months of the plot for my new story, but I couldn't figure out a way to integrate it. Suddenly it came to me that I could build it as a sequel to "Mirror Image", meaning that Sam no longer leaps into "host" bodies, and there is _almost_ no way for Project Quantum Leap to find him. I have made a few assumptions in this story that I hope you will not find too offensive, the first being that Al would go looking for Sam when he didn't return. The second and more important assumption that I have made is that since Sam no longer has "host" bodies that he is no longer bounded within his own lifetime, a.k.a. he is 140 years in the future. I base my assumption because if you recall from "Mirror Image" there was a character named Stahpah (forgive spelling) who was a leaper that also did not assume "host" bodies. Anyway, Stahpah turned out to be an uncle, I think, of Al's, and the Admiral mentioned that he had died some years before the time he had leaped into, which I can only figure means that a leaper, provided he/she does not use "host" bodies, can leap into any point in time, even beyond his/her own lifetime. Also, I incorporated the same idea that was used in "The Leap Between the States" for leaping Al into the future, into his own great-granddaughter. I hope that this is not too confusing, for it is vital for this story. Please forgive and do not be afraid to point out errors of any kind in this story, though I'm sure there won't be and historical conflicts, since it takes place in the year 2137. :-) I will be posting (hopefully) on a weekly basis, and I love to keep people on the edges of their seats, so enjoy! Sincerely, Brian Willard UNC-Asheville bwillard@unca.edu BTW, this story is made for all of you Al lovers out there!!!