From: AKulsum@aol.com
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 00:04:27 -0500
Message-ID: <961115000426_1882566006@emout09.mail.aol.com>
Subject: road 9/9

"The Road Taken" pt. IX
Epilogue

  Al exited the Imaging Chamber thinking to himself that he could sleep for a
month. Verbeena was waiting there for him. "Congratulations," she said. "You
did it." His only response was a weary smile. "Um, could I talk to you a
moment in my office?" she asked. He nodded and followed her into the small
room.
  She closed the door behind them and sat down behind her desk. "Did she come
back?" she asked bluntly. Al closed his eyes for a moment to try and figure
out the answer for himself. He was not used to Sam's changes affecting his
own time line; it had only happened a few times before. 
  Finally, he opened them, and Verbeena saw the answer even before he spoke
it. "No."
  She sighed. "I don't get it. She was determined to go back. I don't see how
she could have swiss-cheesed it all when she went back. We've had positive
results working with the leapee in the past."
  Al shrugged noncomittedly and Verbeena saw that all the ground he had
gained over the past few days was fast slipping away. "Ziggy," she called
out, "can you trace the airline records to find out if Katrina Rimsky flew
from Miami to-" she paused.
  "Statesville, New Jersey," Al supplied.
  She nodded and continued, "within, say, the next six months after Sam's
leap out?"
  There was a small pause and then Ziggy said, "I'm afraid not. The only
flight she took was to a small town in upstate New York on April 23, 1957."
  Al sat forward in his chair. "Elmyra?" he asked.
  "Affirmative."
  He sat back again. "That's where we lived when she left us. I guess she
never found me." His words were quiet, without infliction. "I guess she
didn't remember when I told her where I was in her time. Probably
swiss-cheesed it."
  "I'm sorry," Verbeena said. She rose and patted Al briefly on the shoulder,
then she left him alone with his thoughts.
  He sat very still for a couple of moments, afraid to break his own silence.
"Ziggy?" he finally asked, knowing he had to.
  "Yes, Admiral?"
  "Locate Katrina Rimsky as of this date."
  "Katrina Rimsky died five years ago on May 4, 1995 of a stroke," Ziggy
responded.
  "Thank you, Ziggy," Al said, still quiet. He sat a moment longer, then got
up and left the office.