From: Lenora McCoy Subject: "Quantum Leap: A Visit to a Weird Planet" (3/5) Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 22:53:32 -0700 Organization: Sprint Internet Passport Message-Id: <336EC75C.AD1@technologist.com> "Quantum Leap: A Visit to A Weird Planet" by Lenora McCoy (part 3 of 5) Al's mind was working double time as they drove to the Brown Derby. He was in the front seat of Scott's red convertible -- which was a similar model to Al's own Testarrosa Ferrari. In the back seat were Don Bellisario and Deborah Pratt -- the show's executive producers according to the script cover. But, to Al, they were Troian Claridge and Dr. Timothy Mintz. And, of course, Scott was so much like Sam, it was disconcerting! His spirits lifted when he saw the Brown Derby. He'd always wanted to eat at the Brown Derby. He just wished the circumstances were different. "Admiral, Gooshie is expecting you in the Control Room in ten minutes." "Thanks Ziggy. That gives me enough time to change clothes." Dean gave Al's closet a critical eye, and sighed. Like it or not, he had no choice but to wear something of Al's. He thought for a few moments, and decided on the red suit with white, red and black shirt, bolo tie and red fedora. He quickly splashed some water on his face, changed clothes, stuffed the handlink in his left jacket pocket, and carefully tucked a couple of Chavelo cigars in his inside jacket pocket along with a lighter. He stood in front of the mirror to check his reflection. "Pretty good, if I do say so myself." And with that, he left Al's quarters and headed for the Control Room. Al sighed as they left the Brown Derby. He'd made it through dinner without any mistakes, and he'd made mental notes of everything they'd talked about. He decided to write everything down before he went to bed and leave the notes in Dean's trailer so Dean wouldn't be lost if --- when! he got back. "So, you gonna break into Don's office after hours tonight while the lot is deserted and give yourself all the good lines?" Scott joked as he walked Al back to Dean's trailer. Al guessed that, at least during the week, Dean lived in his trailer, but he bet he went home to a wife and kids on the weekends, judging by the children's drawings in the trailer. "Yeah, right. You know I already have the good lines!" Al countered. Scott laughed as they reached the trailer. "Good night Dean. See ya in the morning -- in make-up at dawn!" Al waved goodnight as Scott walked away. He went into the trailer, found a pair of pajamas, and pulled out the folding bed. He got comfortable, and began reading the script from the point where he had fallen asleep. He figured he'd better memorize his lines, even though Scott had called him the ad-lib king several times that evening. But it was hard to concentrate. Al wasn't so much worried about his own situation as he was worried about Sam. He did feel a little assured by the fact that this Dean Stockwell seemed to be a caring person and Al figured that Dean would probably do his best to help Sam. And, Al was even more reassured by the fact that the script showed that Sam ended up fine. Al fervently hoped that part of the script followed what was really happening at the Project as well as the beginning had. After finishing the script and memorizing the scenes they were scheduled to shoot in the morning, Al laid back and fell asleep. "There is no change in the odds, Admiral. But, Ziggy has found some more information. She's uncovered the autopsy records of Janice DiCaro." "Anything helpful?" Dean couldn't remember what was in the script at this point. He hadn't read that far ahead, so he was going on instinct now. "Not really." Gooshie seemed to be holding something back. "Gooshie!" he said menacingly. Gooshie flinched. "Nothing that would help Dr. Beckett or affect the odds. But, the records are there for you to access through the handlink in the event that Dr. Beckett needs them." "Damn. Ziggy hasn't found anything helpful?" Gooshie shook his head. "What about Dr. Beeks? Has she had any progress with Stone in the Waiting Room?" Ziggy replied before Gooshie had a chance. "The visitor is currently asleep. Dr. Beeks had a twenty minute conversation with him immediately after your meeting with her, but no relevant information was uncovered." "Damn! How's Sam doing?" "He is currently asleep. You have time to sleep before Dr. Beckett meets with Pam Rosselli tomorrow morning." "Okay, give me a wakeup call half an hour before Sam's meeting, okay?" Gooshie nodded, and Ziggy replied, "Yes, Admiral. Pleasant dreams." When Dean reached Al's quarters, he took a long, hot shower and got into bed. He was asleep the instant his head hit the pillow. The next morning, Dean awoke to a blaring bugle sound. After a moment of confusion, he realized it was a military-style walkeup call. "Enough, Ziggy! I'm up!" he yelled. The bugles immediately stopped. "What time is it?" "Oh-seven-hundred hours, Admiral. Dr. Beckett is awake and preparing to meet with Pam Rosselli in one half hour." "Thanks Ziggy. Any progress on getting me home?" "No. I still cannot determine the cause of the switch." "Oh well. Keep working on it Ziggy." Dean shaved, washed up and the stared into Al's closet deciding what to wear. He tried to remember what Jean-Pierre had whipped up for this week's episode. He finally decided on a white suit with peach shirt and bolo tie. He lit a cigar and began smoking it as he made his way to the control room. Gooshie handed him a new handlink, "This handlink has been loaded with all the data on Peter DiCaro's trial and the autopsy results for Janice DiCaro." Dean thanked him and headed into the Imaging Chamber. He stood on the silver disk, checked his watch, and yelled to Gooshie, "Gooshie, center me on Sam!" Images swirled around him for a moment and then fanned out to show Sam and his surroundings -- at this point, Sam was driving to Peter DiCaro's office. Ziggy had placed Dean in the back seat, behind Sam. "Hi Sam. Sleep well?" Sam glared at him in the rear view mirror. "No," he growled, "You have anything new?" "Nada. But Ziggy pulled up all the data on Peter DiCaro's trial and Janice DiCaro's autopsy and maybe we'll find something useful in there." "Great." They drove the rest of the way in silence. Pam Rosselli met them at the door to DiCaro's office. Sam and Rosselli immediately began to go through DiCaro's things. When Rosselli found DiCaro's appointment book, Sam lit on it immediately. " . . . who he saw, what he ate," Sam was saying. "Or who. Uhh, when they put Mrs. DiCaro back together they were missing her heart." That jogged Dean's memory. He'd been reading over the autopsy records and there was no mention of a missing heart. "Uh, the heart business never came up at Peter's trial. If the coroner made a report it wasn't in the records," Dean told him. After a little more looking, Sam made to leave, but Rosselli stopped him. "Does this mean that dinner tonight is on or off?" "Dinner?" Dean looked at the handlink and shrugged. He had no data. "Dinner, tonight, my place, nine." Dean decided he's better keep Sam on a tight rein. "Say yes." "Why?" Sam asked. "That way I won't have to go looking for you while you're sneaking around the DiCaro place again!" Dean didn't want to stretch the link between the Project and Sam any more than they had to. "Why not." They left DiCaro's office and Sam decided to head for the office of Mason Crane, the psychiatrist. ----------------------------To be continued--------------------------- -- Lenora McCoy, confessed Obsessed Leaper, Al-coholic, and Dean-drooler AdmiralCalavicci@hotmail.com AdmiralAl@star-trek.com http://www.geocities.com/Area51/4401/ CalavicciQL@juno.com Author of "Quantum Kirk" and other stories (list and/or requests by e-mail)