From: Sean Smith X-From: rkwong@engin.umich.edu (Roberta Chi-Woon Kwong) Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: "Quanta" part 5/17 Date: 17 Apr 1995 22:07:37 GMT This is being posted for Sean Smith , who is having some difficulty posting from his account. Please direct all comments to him. Apologies if any line noise remains in these posts. -------------------------------------------------- Dana slipped the cream colored blouse on over her head, and paused to fluff out her hair with her fingers. Her body running on automatic, she began buttoning the sleeves while she thought. She decided to put her navy blue pants back in her bag. She instead put on a dusty rose skirt, and grabbed a matching blazer. She smiled at the image. Dana laid the jacket on the bed, and pulled on her shoulder holster. She put on the jacket, and straightened the shoulders. She smiled ruefully at her image in the mirror, and headed out the door. * * * Sam sipped his coffee, and had another spoonful of his oatmeal. Dana was recapping the case, and pointing out possible avenues of investigation over a late breakfast in the local diner. They were sitting across from one another in a claustrophobic little booth under the dirty windows. Dana warmed her hands with her cup of coffee as she spoke about genetic engineering. Her perspective was markedly different than his own, often referring to the perils inherent in tampering with genetic material. Sam would have found this far more interesting if it weren't for the feeling that Scully was eying him oddly. "Mulder, when did you start eating something other than orange juice and croissants for breakfast?" Her eyes flicked back and forth between the bowl and Sam's startled face. "Just thought I'd try something different today. So, why don't we check out um, the Davies house?" "I just called and there's no answer." she paused, looking around before continuing, "Look, Mulder, can we talk?" Sam had the sinking feeling that he was about to walk naked into the line of fire in a very old war. "Sure, Dana, shoot. I mean, go ahead." He flushed. "I know why we're here, Mulder." She gazed at him levelly. "Sure, we're looking for Davies Holland." Of all the things to follow, 'can we talk,' this was not what Doctor Beckett had thought of. "Mulder, it's no use. You talked in your sleep the other night." She silently pleaded. Sam started thinking, and fast. It sounded like Al might have been right about Dana and Fox; apparently they _were_ doing much more than just sitting around in that car the other night. He had to come up with the right answers for Dana, and fast. Otherwise, she might find out he wasn't Fox Mulder, and he'd be stuck. "So, um, what do you think, Dana?" Good, noncommittal response, he thought. "I'm not sure what to think. I want to be angry with you, for dragging out here on a moments notice for a bogus investigation. I want to be mad at you for tricking me into coming here with you. But I know why you did it." Her blue eyes intently searched his hazel ones. His eyebrows came together. He was still trying to understand the part about the bogus investigation. "You do?" "Yes. Mulder, talk to me. I know Pfaster hurt you...as much as he hurt me." Her eyes dropped to the table, and the line of her mouth spoke volumes about how much that admission cost her. Sam didnUt know what any of this was about, but he reached out and took her hand, sympathy and care in his eyes. He then heard the hiss-clang of the imaging chamber door, and knew Al was walking up behind him. Al leaned over between Sam and Dana, and looked worriedly at Sam. "Bad news. We have to talk, pronto." He fidgeted with his cigar. "Not now." Sam murmured under his breath to Al. "Not _now_?" Dana Scully gaped at her friend and partner. "How could you say that, Mulder?" She pulled her hand away. "No! No, not you Dana. Um, my pager...it went off. It's, not a good time for somebody to call me, see, so I said 'Not now.'" Sweating, Sam tried to appease his partner. "When did you get a pager? And why don't I have the number?" Her look laid more blame than her words. "I just got it...from the Bureau. It's...its how I got them to go along with the bogus investigation." "You mean Director Skinner is calling? And he knows why we're here?" The thought of her emotional state being the subject of office gossip paled her. God forbid, it linked her and Mulder. "No, its not like that. I've got to go, and, um, call in." He stood up, and smiled his apology. "Mulder, you've got a mobile phone." "Right," He patted the bulge in Fox's jacket that heUd forgotten, "But, I can't call this number using a mobile phone." "You haven't even looked at the pager, yet." "I have to go, I'll be right back." Sam nearly ran getting out of the diner, and down the street. Scully looked around in confusion. She didn't know what just happened, but it felt like she'd just been jilted. She let out her breath explosively, and tossed her napkin onto her plate. Outside, Sam rounded a corner and ducked behind an unhealthy looking tree. With a small pop, Al appeared next to Sam, multicolored handlink flashing softly. Sam ran a hand through his hair, and opened his coat. RWhew, Al.S Beckett looked around to see if anybody was watching him. They would only see him conversing with empty air, and he didnUt want to attract attention. RNice save in there, Sam. I could teach you how to date women yet!S RAl...tell me youUve got a reason for pulling me out of there. I just made FoxUs relationship a living hell.S Sam gestured toward the diner one-handed, and leaned into Al to make his point. RBetter than a dying hell, Sam.S Calavicci was subdued. RWhat?S RIUm sorry Sam. We just found out. Dana's naked body turns up in a field nearby, at noon, January Sixteenth. Tomorrow.S he wished he could at least touch SamUs shoulder; the immediate sag of shoulders said the kid could use it. RSam, she wasnUt IDUe d until Ziggy matched the picture to the ones I took of Scully.S RYou what?S SamUs pain shifted to anger quickly. RPurely for research purposes. It just turned out that theyUre useful.S Sam paused, pain returning to his eyes. He looked at the ground for a moment before gazing at his friend. RAl, what happens to Fox?S RWe donUt know, Sam.S He spoke softly, with regret. RWhat do you mean, you donUt know? ZiggyUs plugged into every database around. There has to be some record of him somewhere. FBI agents donUt just vanish.S Sam was mad, and hurt by the loss of someone whose hand heUd been holding not a minute before. The idea that he couldn't help infuriated him. RIUm sorry Sam. These two do. The FBI has no records. There are no birth certificates, nothing.S Al waved his cigar as he talked. RHow can that be? When I leapt into FoxUs family twenty-two years ago, there were records for him then.S RSometime between now and then, you changed history.S RWhat? I havenUt done anything...except maybe sleep.S RZiggy thinks something youUve done altered history, and now all records of these two people are gone. And in,S Al tapped his handlink, Rtwenty-six hours, her dead body will be found in a field ten-point-two miles from here.S ROh, boy.S * * * Fox walked slowly to the nearest wall, and rested his forehead against the smooth, glowing surface. Despite the light, it felt cool to the touch. Nonetheless, the deep blue glow hurt his eyes, and he brought both hands up cover his tired eyes. ROkay, Doctor. Now your turn. Where am I?S RThatUs a little complicated. I-S RTry me.S he turned around like a hunting cat; deceptively slow and completely dangerous. Dr. Beeks sat in a straight backed chair in the middle of the Waiting Room, and Donna sat on the table. Both seemed very serious. Surprisingly, it was Donna who answered him. RFox, what goes on here affects many people. Several of them are in danger now, and we need to talk to you about what you know. It could save lives, Fox.S She talked softly but earnestly. RIf you can sit down we can try the hypnosis again.S RI donUt have to say or do anything. And I donUt have a clue what youUre talking about, what TpeopleU are in danger. All I know is that you want me to start talking about some government cases. If IUm working for the government, then I shouldnUt be telling you a damn thing. Case closed. And stop calling me Fox.S He rubbed at the persistant headache he felt in his temples. Donna drew a breath and slipped down off the table. They'd done their best to use conventional techniques to restore his memory, and help him through the pain of his neural damage, but they werenUt enough. And there simply wasnUt time for any more arguements or therapies. There was one last procedure she and Verbena had discussed before, but hadnUt wanted to try. However, two people were running out of time four years ago, and they needed to know what was going on. Donna took a deep breath. RMulder, some time in your past somebody used a device on your mind. They made you forget things-S RLike youUve done now.S There was enough venom behind his words for the accusation to sting both physicians. RNo, not like this. We need for you to remember your past. What happened to you recently may have weakened the...damage...done to you before.S Dr. Beeks interrupted, RThere is a chance that you can now remember what happened to you before. If you can do this, it might be enough for you to remember the rest of your life. We might be able to repair the damage done to you. That headache of yours, Mulder, itUs a symptom.S Mulder drew a deep breath, and watched the ceiling. Thankfully, it was not glowing. RWhy should I trust you?S He _wanted_ to remember, and this dragged him in. RBecause we trust you.S And Dr. Beeks walked to the door of the Waiting Room and opened it. Slowly almost stiltedly, Fox walked to the door. Eying TBena warily, he stepped through, and looked around the Antechamber. He palmed the control pad to open the door, and when it responded, he looked back over his shoulder at Donna. She nodded to him. He stepped through, and into the halls of Project Quantum Leap. Fox paused only momentarily to gain his bearings. Then he set off, heading straight for the control room. The two doctors followed him along, but neither spoke. When he arrived at the doorway, he found it once again open. He stepped through, examining the room as though entering for the first time. He gaped in awe. It was a large room, with one full wall devoted to giant windows overlooking a beautiful desert plain. The other three walls shimmered, as though made of water. Within them, a moir pattern played, looking for all the world like the dance of static. A translucent control panel stood to one side, composed of red, yellow, green, and blue blocks. Perhaps it would have appeared to be a childUs toy, were it not for the play of lights below its surface. The ramp Fox had mounted the day before, and its attached corridor, were now dark, and quiet. Overhead, a hemisphere of shimmering lights seemed to reflect swirling water from deep within. All in all, there was no single item he could point to and say to himself, TI understand that.U Now more than ever he felt uncertain and out of place. Gooshie and Tina looked up to face their new guest uncertainly. There was a moment of quiet in the control room. The ripple pattern on the hemisphere over FoxUs head shifted, and a contralto voice floated down. RHello Agent Fox Mulder. Can you provide me with the information the project needs? No record of you or your partner, Agent Dana Scully, can be found in any database. With the obvious exception of a photo confirming her imminent death.S Fox found himself staring dully at the sphere, as he realized it was a computer. And not just any, but an artificial intelligence. He knew it could be done. He knew heUd been looking for something like this. He just couldnUt remember _why_. RAgent Mulder, there is a sixty-seven percent chance your increase in respiration and heart rates are due to surprise. There is a thirty percent chance they are due to a recovered memory.S RDeath? Recovered memory?S He remembered a girl with dark hair and eyes. RA phenomenon wherein individuals experiencing trauma suppress or TforgetU memories they no longer are capable of consciously tolerating. These memories later surface, as the individual is reminded of them, or is once again capable of dealing with them. I am going to remind you of as much as possible while stimulating your neurons, in a blatantly _un_scientific attempt to shock your human brain into remembering as much as possible about your past. Your partnerUs life, and your own is at risk, unless y ou can provide enough information to determine who is attempting to kill her. Is this clear?" RUh, no...S Fox was starting to get scared by the overwhelming presence of what all this represented. RRecovered memory is a phenomenon wherein individuals experiencing-S Ziggy started to repeat her spiel. RNo, no. I mean, what partner? How is somebody trying to her? Why? And how do you know they will if it hasnUt happened yet?S He found his voice, and tried to present confidence he didnUt feel. RThis is your partner, Dana Scully,S Ziggy projected an image Al took of her with his handlink on one of the shimmering walls. It showed her sitting, having breakfast. RThere is no one trying to kill her here. However ThereU is several years after her death. IUm afraid weUve pulled you out of your normal time frame, and into this project. The risk is of her demise in the past. Where a researcher named Samuel Beckett is taking your place.S RThis place...its a time machine?S RThat is an inaccurate way to describe the situation...but yes.S RHow can he be taking my place?S RYou have already noticed that you no longer see yourself in the mirror. The image you see is Dr. BeckettUs. That is what everyone else sees. And in your time, everyone sees Dr. Beckett as you. It is a side effect of the process." RHow-S RAlthough your questions are incredibly fascinating for a computer that can do a billion floating-point calculations while assessing the works of Mozart, we are short on time. May we proceed?S The disembodied voice sounded sarcastic. Mulder was a beleiver, and all he had heard simply felt right to him. He thought a moment. RAlright, what do I have to do?S * * *