Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 15:37:24 -0700 (MST) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Choices - Chapter 15 Message-ID: Quantum Leap Choices by Katherine R. Freymuth Copyright 1998 Chapter 15 "Dana, darling!" Dana frowned in slight confusion at the woman at his door. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in New York." Zoe entered the apartment with a smile and slipped off a white jacket, laying it across Dana's couch. "I read your article," she told him. Dana frowned. "How? It isn't on the stands yet." Zoe smiled. "Yes, I know. I have my resources." She paused. "I'm disappointed in you, Dana, for not sending me a copy after all I did for you." Dana ignored the comment. "You came for you payment finally? I was wondering when this would happen." Zoe laughed grimly. "No, darling. I have my payment. I noticed the Admiral leaving your flat just now." "Yeah," Dana nodded. "What of it?" "Just an observation. Actually, I came to congratulate you on your story. It's perfect! What a beautiful piece of fiction! You really do have a wonderful knack at telling a convincing story." Dana frowned at her. "Wait a minute! Everything you told me, everything in that binder, was a lie?!" Zoe looked at the reporter. "Not everything. Just the relevant parts. Yes, Dr. Beckett is traveling in time. Yes, Dr. Fuller is his daughter. However, Mr. Perfect only alters history to 'make the would a better place' and rarely to change his own history or the Admiral's." She huffed. "The man is a virtual boy scout! He couldn't possibly do what is in that binder: rape, murder, theft." Dana glared at her. "You bitch! Why?" "Why?" Zoe repeated the question. "Because Dr. Beckett has interfered in our business for long enough." She paused. "And I have a score to settle with the Doctor and the Admiral. What better way to destroy their lives and the lives of those around them? Without assistance from the Admiral in this time, he'd be helpless in the past against us." "You mean, there are other time travelers - other leapers?" Zoe raised her eyebrows. "Of course, there are, darling. Don't be naive. Do you seriously believe that no one else could create a time travel project based on Dr. Beckett's theories? The man did publish his theories extensively throughout the world." "Then what do you have against him and Admiral Calavicci? Why did you give me falsified information and use me like a cheap suit?" Dana yelled at her, keeping his distance from her. Zoe slowly moved towards him. "Because he interferes. Because he has caused me a great deal of physical and emotional pain. They both have." She paused. "Dana, you have no idea what happens if I fail on a mission. Dr. Beckett can fail without consequences to him except to his conscience. But that is not so with me." She pulled off the white gloves she was wearing and then raised the sleeves of the black turtleneck shirt she wore above black slacks. Dana found himself trapped in a corner. He looked at Zoe's wrists as she raised her bare forearms to eye level. What he saw repulsed him but no as much as Zoe did. "Rope burns," Zoe explained the scars. "From being tied down and tortured for failure. - a failure that would have been a success if Dr. Beckett had not interfered." "What was the failure?" Dana asked, afraid of the answer. If he was allured by her before, he was now terrified of her. She lowered her sleeves and replaced her gloves as she spoke. "I failed to kill him. You see, we can't have someone putting right the wrongs we have done." Dana stared at her. "Oh, my gawd! You blame him for defending himself?" Zoe smiled evily before she walked away from Aptheker and to her jacket. Dana breathed slightly easier as he pulled away from the wall. "You can't get away with this," he told her. "I won't let you. I'll write that apology and then I'll expose you." Zoe laughed as she pulled something from her jacket. "I don't think so, Dana," she said with her back towards him. "I think you'll give credence to the lie and further implicate Admiral Calavicci in the process." Dana huffed. "What makes you think that?" Zoe turned around and aimed a pistol at Dana's heart. Dana stared at her in shock. "Because this is Admiral Calavicci's pistol." Before Dana could react, Zoe fired the gun three times. Dana collapsed to the floor with a groan of pain. Zoe approached him slowly and looked down on him. She could see his back moving up and down slowly. It was obvious that he was still alive. "I'm sorry, Dana," she said without a hint of remorse, "but we must do what we must." She put three more slugs into him, this time into his brain, before returning to the couch, slipping on her jacket, pocketing the pistol, and leaving the apartment. "Are you sure about this?" Verbina asked, seated at the conference table with Alex, Janet, the Chief of Medicine, Dr. Beckett, and Sam. The holographic Genine stood beside Dr. Beckett while Al stood just out of sight but close enough to hear every word spoken. Dr. Beckett sighed and placed his folded hands on the table- top, looking very uncomfortable. Alex lowered his head, not looking at anyone and trying very hard to hide his pain as another migraine hit him. All looked at him with concern but said nothing when he raised his head again and gave them a reassuring smile. The chief, however, did stand up and walked over to him to see if he was okay. "I'm almost positive," Dr. Beckett told all at the table. "What kind of surgery?" Janet asked. Dr. Beckett shook his head. "We can't be sure until we give him a complete examination." Alex was shoving the Chief's arms away from him. "No!" he exclaimed, standing up. "I won't be examined!" He marched away from the table and to a corner of the room. Everyone watched him walk away. The Chief started towards him. Sam stopped him. "No, Chief. Let me talk to him." The Chief nodded with consent as Sam stood up and walked over to Alex. "Alex..." "Leave me alone, Al. Please." "What are you so afraid?" Sam questioned to Alex's back. "Why won't you let the Chief look at you when you just let Sam do it?" Alex exhaled slowly. He turned around and looked at Sam. "I keep getting these horrible images of pain in my head and I don't want them to come true." Sam exhaled. "Alex, no one is going to hurt you here. You know that. I know you want to know what's happening to you. But you need our help. Sam's examination was tentative - something to give us an idea of what's wrong. If you want to know the truth, you have to go to the next step." Alex looked into Sam's eyes. "Al, I won't be examined. Not voluntarily. I can't do it." He paused before speaking slowly. "You'll have to put me out first." Sam nodded with understanding. He walked back to the table, leaving Alex alone in the corner. "Chief," Sam addressed the head surgeon in a low voice, "get a tranquilizer and give it to Alex." Everyone at the table looked at him with astonishment. "Why?" the Chief questioned. Sam took a breath. "Because it's the only way we'll be able to examine him. And he wants to be examined. However, he's too terrified to go to the infirmary voluntarily." Dr. Beckett stared at Sam. "Al, you're talking about examining Alex against his will." Sam frowned at him. "How can it be against his will when he just asked me to do this?" He looked at Janet and waited for a decision. "If it's the only way we can examine him, we'll do it." Sam and Janet stayed in the conference room while the others took Alex's limp form to the infirmary. It had taken three people to hold Alex still while the Chief gave him the tranquilizer, making everyone wonder if they were doing the right thing. "Are you sure about this, Al?" Janet asked Sam. Sam looked at the Admiral. "Having second thoughts?" he asked. Janet didn't answer. Sam exhaled. "Me too," he admitted. "Don't blame you," Al commented from behind the physicist. "The whole thing is a little weird." "What's wrong with him, Al?" Janet questioned. "Why is he acting so strangely?" Sam and Al shrugged simultaneously. "Wish I knew," both said. Janet stood up. "I'd better go up with them. You coming?" Sam took a breath. "Not yet. I want to be alone for a while." He looked at Janet. "I'll be right up." Janet nodded and left the conference room without another word. Sam looked at his Observer. "Tell me you have something, Al." Al took a breath. "Not a lot. I haven't been able to prevent the other Sam from being able to see me. However, Ziggy thinks it isn't necessary." Sam frowned at him. "What do you mean?" Al hesitated. "She suggests you collaborate with each other." "What?" Sam questioned in slight shock. "What about the psychological effect it might have on him? Ziggy said...." "No, actually Beeks said it," Al told him. "Ziggy thinks your younger self could handle the shock." Sam looked at Al questioningly. "Even if that were so, why the change of heart? Didn't she say I can't interfere in his leap?" Al frowned with questioning as he consulted the handlink. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and shock. "Sam, Ziggy says there's a ninety-four percent chance that the explosion was a suicide attempt on Alex's part." The two men looked at each other with disbelief.