Date: Thu, 7 Nov 1996 17:16:01 -0700 (MST) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Coup d'etat - Chapter 6 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Chapter 6: Planning and Preparation It was another half an hour before Al left the Waiting Room with difficulty, thanks to the Waiting Room door's refusal to open. He sighed and shook his head. as he entered the Control Room. "Well, I'm glad that's over," he muttered, his hands in his pants' pockets, his cigar in the center of his mouth. "Sam's leaped. How's Ziggy?" he asked Gushie. Gushie, who had been working at Ziggy's terminal, raised his hands in frustration. Al, seeing Gushie's reaction, raised his right eyebrow and took his cigar out of his mouth. "Don't ell me you, of all people. can't figure it out?" Gushie, thanks to his boyish appearance, despite his thick red moustache, looked more that sheepish; he looked absolutely embarrassed. "I can't figure it out," he confessed. "I have no idea why she won't open doors or give out information. It's almost as if she were angry with us for some unknown reason." Al gave a sick little laugh. It was exactly what he told Sam. He walked up to the colorful console and put the handlink on top of it. "Want to talk about it, Zig?" he asked in a friendly voice, leaning gently against the console. Ziggy, in response, gave a high-pitched electronic wheeze. A second later, Al was jumping back away from the console. "Oww!" he exclaimed from Ziggy's shock. "What was that for?" He held his right hand gently, looking at it carefully. The shock didn't do any harm. A moment of silence passed before Ziggy replied to Al's demand. "I apologize, Admiral," the sexy female voice told him genuinely. "I am very worried." "Worried?" Al said loudly, still nursing his aching hand. "The last time you were this worried, you gave Dr. Beeks a free flying lesson. And she wasn't in a plane either!" He shook his hand, finally gaining much needed circulation in it. "Now, what the hell is the matter?" He hesitated a moment. "It's not another leaper, is it?" he asked, remembering why Ziggy shocked Verbina Beeks so hard that the doctor flew across the room. "No, Admiral," Ziggy answered firmly. "There is not another leaper." "Then, what is it?" Al demanded, even though he was relieved by the answer. Ziggy hesitated for a few seconds. It was unusually long for the hybrid-computer. Or so Al thought. "Ziggy?" he questioned, waiting for an answer. "There have been many unusual entries into the main computer system," Ziggy said quietly. "Such as?" Al asked, curious as to what she was referring. "Requests for information on the Complex such as its layout, the number of personnel, the location of several important areas..." "Were the requests authorized?" Al asked in a patient voice. Ziggy hesitated again. Al tilted his head in confusion. Ziggy was hesitating far too often these days. "The requests were authorized," Ziggy started. "However, the information requested should already be known to everyone authorized for the information." Al sighed. "Ziggy, I think you're getting a little paranoid about all of this." He took a step closer to her. "Look, if it willl make you feel better, I'll look into it. Okay? Just relax. I'm sure everything is fine." "I hope you are right, Admiral," Ziggy said in a worried tone. "Sure, I'm right," Al told her. "Now," he said, looking at his watch, "it's nearly seven o'clock. I'm going home for the night and I'll check on your problem tomorrow." He walked to the door which, to his relief, opened immediately. He stepped out of the Control Room, leaving Ziggy and Gushie alone together. "Why didn't you open the doors for the Admiral before?" Gushie questioned, confused. "I had other things on my mind," Ziggy replied, giving an almost human shrug to her voice. Gushie frowned slightly before shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, well. Let's take care of the wrap-up for the leap so we can call it a day. Okay?" "Very well, Dr. Conelf," Ziggy answered. Her voice, however, didn't indicate much enthusiasm. ************** Al sighed as he entered his home in Stallion Springs. It was past seven o'clock and his family was home, each doind a different task. Christy, Al's youngest daughter, was at the kitchen table, working on her homework. Her older sister, Angela, was watching television. *Star Trek*, Al noted, shaking his head. "Star Trek" was never one of his favorite shows, especially since he was now involved in a project that was better than science fiction. Upon hearing the door open, Angela turned her head and smiled as she noticed her father's expression. "Hi, Dad." "Hi, honey," Al told her, taking off his navy jacket, which was accented by diamond-shaped cut-outs in the lapels and which matched his navy pants and light blue dress shirt. "Where's your mom?" "She's in the office," Angela answered. "She's planning for some big inspection she has to make tomorrow. Isn't tomorrow when they're supposed to make the announcement?" Al smiled. "You're proud of her, aren't you?" "Well, not everyone becomes Surgeon General," she pointed out as she returned to her watching television. Al slung his jacket over his shoulder with a smile at his daughter and walked through the kitchen, giving Christy a pat on her shoulder. She responded to the pat with a wave and returned her attention to her advanced mathematics homework, once again impressing Al with just how intelligent his fifteen year old daughter was. Al continued going down a short hallway which led to the office. It was a bedroom that had been converted into a library/ computer room for the family's use. He stopped at the door and looked into the room. There, as Angela had said, was Beth, her back to the door. She was leaning over the computer table, a small stack of papers in front of her. Al leaned against the door frame and smiled. "Hi," he said softly. The sudden sound made Beth jump slightly. She turned to face Al. "Hi," she laughed nervously. "Did I startle you?" Al asked, apporaching her. He tossed his jacket onto the back of a nearby chair as he walked. "A little," Beth admitted. "You're home a little later than usual." "Had a little trouble at the office," he told her, kissing her on the forehead. "So, how is it? You're not writing a bad reviews on us before you see the complex, are you?" Beth laughed, looking up from her paperwork yet again. "Of course. I need something to blackmail you into doing what I want." "Really?" Al asked, turning her around in her swivle chair. "I didn't know you needed to blackmail me to do whatever you want. I thought it was just your good looks." He went down on one knee and took her hand, kissing it. Beth giggled. "Seriously, I was checking my schedule for tomorrow. I havew the inspection of your complex, the announcement, and the press interview." She sighed. "I'm going to be exhausted!" "Don't forget the celebratory party," Al reminded her. Beth sighed. "Why did I ever accept this nomination?" "Because it's the chance of a lifetime," Al told her. He took a breath. "Come on, mia capitana," he said softly. "I'll make us some coffee and we can discuss everything tomorrow morning." He stood up. "You have it all planned out already?" Beth asked. Al smiled. "Of course, I do. It's my complex, you know." Beth looked at Al carefully. "And what about seeing Sam?" Al hesitated a bit. "Sam?" "You know. Sam. Your best friend and best man when we renewed our vows for our twenty-fifth anniversary?" Al took a breath. "I don't know, Beth. We'll see." Beth smiled. "It would be good to see him again. He's too involved with that project of his." Al hesitated. "Let's get your itinerary ready," he told her, making her wonder if she had said something wrong. ---------------------------- Chapter 7 coming soon. Rob and Kat Freymuth