Date: 18 Apr 1993 14:35:44 -0400 (EDT) From: Brian Willard Subject: Storm Brewing, Part II To: alt-ql-creative@cisco.com Message-Id: <01GX5QI45AOY90NE5H@UNCA.EDU> Organization: University of North Carolina at Asheville Storm Brewing Part II by Brian Willard While Sam was collecting his thoughts, Billy had opened the cellar doors and gone out to survey the damage. He was surprised to find that their van was still there, though tipped on its side. The house that had been above the storm cellar they were in was nothing but a massive pile of sticks. "I'm gonna radio for help, Darren," Billy called. "Okay...be careful," Sam replied blankly, still not sure if he belived what had just happened. Sunlight was now pouring in through the open cellar doors, though Sam could se nothing of the damage from where he was. He did however, see the image of an older man near the doors. He hadn't seen the man before, and wondered if maybe that was the owner of the house. "It's okay to go out there now, Samuel," the man said, with a slight British accent, "The storm's long gone. We did manage to get a videotape of the entire tornado using the imaging chamber, however. It's the first ever filming of the inside of a tornado!" Imaging chamber? How did this guy know about the imaging chamber? Or even his name, for that matter? But what scared Sam the most was the fact that this man also had a handlink. "Who are you...and where is Al?" Sam asked the older man. "Oh, dear! You must have been hit by a piece of flying debris, sir. Do you feel nauseous, Samuel?" the man asked. "No, I'm fine...and quit calling me Samuel!" Sam snapped. "And just who the hell are you?" "My name is Edward St. John sir, and I'm your partner in Project Quantum Leap. We built the program together, and during the experiment... well...something went wrong, and we were unable to retrieve you. I appear to you in the form of a hologram to help guide you through your journeys. As for this Al...I'm sorry sir, but I have no idea who you're taking about." "Al Calavicci is my best friend, and he's supposed to be my partner in the project! What does Ziggy say about all of this?" demanded the confused and anxious physicist. "Ziggy...Oh, you must mean Alpha. She says there's an 80% chance that you're here to complete a reconaissance observation of Hurricane Alicia, which hits the Texas coast on August 18, 1983, two days from now. Apparently you and a friend of yours...I mean Darren's...disappear in the proximity of the storm and are never found. Alpha's looking for the name of the other person who disappeared. Originally, Darren died trying to escape the tornado you just survived, and the recon mission was completed fine by another meteorologist. But since you're ...Darren's still the top meteorologist in the state, he is given the job and disappears." "So all I have to do is not go on that flight, right?" inquired Sam. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, sir. If you do not make this flight, the vital data needed for warning the residents along the coast will never come in, and thousands of people may die. You must see that the flight is successful, Dr. Beckett," said St. John, "I'm going to go back and see what else Alpha can find about the flight." "Can you also have her run a check on an Admiral Albert Calavicci of the U.S. Navy...he'd been an astronaut right now?" "I will, but I do not see why you are so worried about this man, Sam." St. John disappeared, leaving behind a very confused and very worried Sam Beckett. Sam still didn't know where Al had gone...and he prayed it was only Ziggy...Alpha?...having a good sense of humor. He made his way over toward the open cellar doors. TO BE CONTINUED... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Willard | "I'm just gettin' warmed up!" UNC-Asheville | Al Pacino - _Scent of a Woman_ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Revenge is mine, thus sayeth the hologram!" Sam Beckett, "The Leap Back"