From: la095at8@csulb.edu (Michael Ejercito)
Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative
Subject: Oval Office-part 6
Date: 13 Dec 1995 05:49:52 GMT
Organization: Cal State Long Beach
Message-ID: <4alpi0$pie@garuda.csulb.edu>
Summary: Sam leaps into President Dwight David Eisenhower


part 6

   It was 1:00 p.m. Sam was sitting down on a leather chair behind the 
President's desk. He needed information about Operation Gecko,information 
that Ziggy could not access from the CIA database. He picked up the 
telephone receiver and dialed a number on the rotary dial. Sam heard a 
voice over the telephone. 
   "Hello,this is the director of central intelligence. How may I help 
you?"the voice said.
   "This is President Dwight David Eisenhower,"Sam replied. I need a copy 
of the Operation Gecko file."
   "Okay,Mister President,I could give you the file tomorrow morning. Is 
there anything else?"
   "No."
   "Goodbye,Mister President."
   "Goodbye."
   Sam put the receiver on the telephone and hung it up. He wished he 
could just have the director of central intelligence e-mail the requested 
document. He looked at Eisenhower's appointment book,and he saw he was 
going to have a busy day. He heard a knock on the door. Sam got up from 
the desk and opened the door. 
   A man dressed in a suit walked in. "Hello,Mister President,"said the 
man. "Here is today's mail."
   "Thank you,"said Sam. "You are dismissed."
   After the man left the Oval Office,Sam looked at his mail. There were 
ten letters written to him. He opened the letters and read them. This 
added to his paperwork,he thought. He took out a piece of lined paper and 
wrote a reply. 
   Later that evening,Sam met with civil rights leaders. They went to the 
White House Red Room. The Red Room had a red carpet and red 
curtains,appropriate for its name Mamie Eisenhower was there,wearing a fancy 
drtess and serving as the hostess. Members of the White House staff were 
in the Red Room serving food. Sam heard a door slide open. Al entered the 
imaging chamber and closed the door. 
   "Hello,Sam. Who are you meeting with?"asked Al. 
   Sam just looked at him and smiled. "I'll talk to you later,"said Al. 
   One of the civil rights activists,a black man in his fifties,said,"Let 
me introduce myself,Mister President. I am Nathaniel Briggs. My 
associates and I are here to discuss civil rights issues with you."
   "You must have heard what I said at the Republican Party meeting last 
night,"said Sam. 
   "Yes,we heard your pledge to enforce the Supreme Court decision of 
Brown versus The Board of Education of Topeka,Kansas. We hope it will be 
the first step in breaking segregation."
   "Oh,yes,it will. I assure you. You may not know this,but there will be 
more people like you to fight for social equality. People will march for 
social equality. They will use boycotts and sit-ins. Leaders will adress 
the whole nation through television. People will see the fallacy of the 
separate but equal doctrine. The walls of segregation will tumble down 
just as the Berl.." Sam was about to mention the Berlin Wall,but he 
remembered it was not erected until 1962. "When the walls of segregation 
come tumbling down,the path to social equality will be open." In this 
short speech,Sam thought of the Montgomery bus boycotts,the student 
sit-ins,the 1963 March on Washington led by Doctor Martin Luther 
King,Junior,the Civil Rights Act of 1964,the Voting Rights Act of 
1965,and even the 1995 Million Man March which happened after the O.J. 
Simpson trial. 
     "That was another good speech you made,"said Al. "Are you trying to 
brighten Eisenhower's image?"
   "Well,that is what we are striving for. I am glad we have your 
support,Mister President,"Briggs said to Sam. 
   "There are a lot of surprises awaiting you in the future,"said Sam. 
Sam knew that in December,a few months ahead,a woman named Rosa Parks is 
going to refuse her seat on a bus,and Martin Luther King would form a 
boycott. 
   "You know,Sam,I was off duty during the 1963 march,"said Al. "I got to 
march and I heard Martin Luther King tell his I Had a Dream speech."
    Sam looked at Al. He continued speaking to Briggs. "Anyway,do you 
have a plan to accomplish your goal?"
   "Besides getting your support,we hope to get Congress's 
support,"Briggs replied. "We will support candidates who will support 
social and racial equality. And we will raise the consciousness of America."
   "I know you will,said Sam. 
   After a few hours,the civil rights activists left. "It was nice 
meeting you,Mister President,"Briggs sais. "Thanks for your support."
   "It was nice meeting you too,"said Sam. "I wish you good luck."
   As they left,Al said to Sam,"We need to talk."
   Sam said,"Mamie,I'll be going to my office right now."
   "Okay,Dwight,"she said. 
   As Sam left the red room,Mamie said to one of the servants,"Could you 
please vacuum the room?"
   "Yes,madam,"said the servant. 
   Sam and Al were in the Oval Office. Sam was sitting down in the 
leather chair behind the President's desk. At least they had a place 
where they could converse,he thought. 
   Sam asked Al,"What do you have to tell me?"
   "Ruthie's fiance,Dennis,is dead,"Al said in a monotonous voice. 
   "Who? What?"
   "He was killed in action while serving in the Congo War."
   "When did he die?"
   "He died this morning. I heard it from Beth,who heard it from 
Ruthie,who heard it from Dennis's family. I called Ruthie about it. She 
sounded depressed."
   "I am sorry to hear about it."
   "She loved him,you know. I could understand why she loved him. I met 
Dennis. He was a good kid. I don't know what he could have done,because 
he was cut down by chaingun fire. Beth told me how she felt when I was 
missing in action. Of course,Ruthie knows Dennis will never come back. 
His remains will be buried on the twentieth. She had high hopes for him."
   "I know how it feels to lose someone you love in a war. I know that 
those politicians in Washington wanted to protect Zaire from the 
communists so they can have its diamonds. I understand the importance of 
those diamonds. Ziggy uses them as semiconductors. Still,it is a 
tragedy." Sam had a look of surprise on his face,as if he remembered 
something."Al,did Congress vote on the new budget?"
   "They must have. Today's newspaper said that they would vote on it 
today."
   "Did they pass it?"
   "I don't know. I'll have to check tonight's news."
   "Will the President sign the bill."
   "The President stated he supports the bill and will sign it if it is 
passed."
   "Will Congress abolish Project Quantum Leap?"
   "They were talking about it,but it would not be announced on the 
news. We are top secret."    
   "If they abolish it,I won't be able to leap. Just think,we are doing 
this for diamonds."
   "Well,it seems computer companies support this 
war-Apple,IBM,Hewlett-Packard,Intel,NEC,just to name a few. For their own 
interests,of course. Do you remember the Persian Gulf War?"
   "Yes,Al."
   "Well,one reason the war was fought was to protect U.S. oil interests. 
Just as this war is fought for its semiconducting diamond interest. In 
fact,in 1977,General Franklin C. Martin testified before the Senate Armed 
Services Committee that the U.S. would go to war over Zaire before it 
went to war over any Arab oil state. It turns out he was correct."
   "Well,Al,I'm sorry for Ruthie's loss. I hope she gets over it someday."
   "You never get over it,"said Al. "I have to go now. Goodbye,Sam."
   "Goodbye,Al." Al opened the imaging chamber door and left.  
   Sam sat down in his chair and looked out the winmdow into the darkness 
of the night. 
   The next morning,Sam was eating breakfast in the White House dining 
room. The light from the morning sun shone through the windows. A servant 
came up to him and said,"Mister President,here is the morning paper."
   "Thank you,"Sam said to the servant. "Could you get me some orange juice?"
   "Yes,Mister President."
   Sam read the title of the newspaper. It read,"THE WASHINGTON POST 
OCTOBER 11,1955." He saw the imaging chamber door slide open and saw Al 
enter the imaging chamber. 
   "Good morning,Sam,"said Al. 
   "Did Congress pass the budget?"asked Sam. 
   "How would I know? I'm only a servant,"the servant said in response. 
   Al replied,"Yes. Look here." Al showed him the New York Times,dated 
June 15,1999. The headline read,"President signs budget bill passed by 
Congress to finance war." Below the headline,it read,"Many programs cut."
   "I hope they did not abolish Project Quantum Leap,"whispered Sam. 
   "Well,I..,"said Al before he was interrupted by his communicator. 
"Sam,there is someone from the Pentagon who wishes to see me in the main 
lobby." Al opened the imaging chamber door and left. Sam looked at the 
spot where the door appeared. He hoped there was no trouble. 
   Al was in the elevator headed towards the main lobby. He heard a 
familiar "Ping" and the door opened. He went out into the lobby. The 
lobby was elegant. The floor was covered in marble tile. Marble columns 
connected the floor and ceiling. Houseplants were strategically placed 
along the walls of the lobby. This indicated that the facility was 
originally built as a temporary seat of government in the case of a 
nuclear attack. 
   "Admiral Calavicci,"a voice called out. Al looked and saw three people 
near the entrance. He went up to them. Two of them were Navy 
officers,while the other was a Marine officer. The marine appeared to be 
a colonel. The Navy officer on the right appeared to be a commander. And 
the Navy officer in the middle appeared to be a fleet admiral. 
   The fleet admiral was a short man. His white hair could be seen from his 
cap. Al stood straight and saluted him.
   "Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci,"he said to the fleet admiral in a 
stiff voice. "Is there anyhting you have to say,sir?"
   "I am Fleet Admiral Edward St. John,"the man replied. "By order of the 
President of the United States,I am here to shut you down."

  To be concluded in part 7