Date: Sat, 29 Jun 1996 12:14:16 -0700 Message-Id: <199606291914.MAA00383@burnout.cts.com> From: jekel@cts.com (Julie Jekel) Subject: "Top Secret" part 11 TOP SECRET a Quantum Leap/Lois and Clark/X-Files crossover Project Quantum Leap Stallion's Gate, New Mexico January 24, 1996 Admiral Calavicci stormed into the Control Room, the color of his face varying curiously from anger-red to fear-white. Ironically, either one matched his outfit, which consisted of a red jacket, pants and fedora, white shirt, shoes and hatband, and a tie striped in red and white. Although no one on the Project would say so to his face, the outfit made him look rather like a candy cane. "Gooshie!" he howled. Even though he had seen the Admiral come in, the programmer jumped at the sound. There was something so unnerving about the way Al said his name when he was upset. Of course, the fact that Gooshie was a naturally nervous person didn't help any. "How can Ziggy be picking up the signal of another handlink?" Al demanded, the anger still in his voice causing the little programmer to shrink away from him. "There IS no other handlink!" "That's what we'd always thought," Gooshie stammered. "I know we haven't BUILT another one. But apparently there IS another one in existence." "How?! How is that possible? The technology is highly classified and..." "Admiral," Ziggy's omnipresent voice interrupted. "This other handlink is a more sophisticated model. It seems to follow a design much more like one I am currently developing than the one you use." She sounded puzzled. "Can you trace it?" Al asked. "No," the computer replied petulantly. "It is not presently in use. That ceased shortly after we determined that there was in fact another handlink operating." Al swore softly, his brows knit tightly together in frustration. "So what do we do?" "There is nothing I can do unless the other handlink is activated again," Ziggy admitted, annoyed. The Admiral couldn't help but smile a little. The Computer did not like being forced to admit she had limitations. Still concerned and a little shaken, Al glanced back in the direction of the Imaging Chamber. Sam was waiting for the information that would enable him to do what he was supposed to do on this Leap. The Observer knew his friend would start worrying if he didn't come back with something soon, and the last thing he needed right now on top of everything else was to get Sam worried. "I'm going to get back to Sam," he decided reluctantly. "Call me if you find out anything else." Gooshie nodded. "What are you going to tell him?" Al paused in front of the ramp to the Imaging Chamber, his eyes gazing uneasily into nothingness. "I'll think of something." Clark Kent's Apartment Metropolis Clark set two mugs filled with a steaming liquid in front of the two agents who were sitting on the couch, taking turns studying the mini-Ziggy, as they had taken to calling the thing. "I thought you might like some hot cocoa," he explained. Scully nodded gratefully, taking a small sip to test the temperature of it. Her eyes widened in surprise. "This is good!" Lois smiled, coming up behind her fiance and wrapping one arm around his waist. "It's Clark's own special recipe. Vision-heated to just the right temperature, and then super-stirred." "Oh." Scully half smiled, half grimaced, still having trouble adjusting to the idea that Clark's powers were real. "Of course." Lois's description of the cocoa's preparation seemed to catch Mulder's interest. Whereas before he had just given it a cursory, disinterested glance, he now picked up the cup, sniffed it, then took a sip, setting it down again with a thoughtful look on his face. "Have you gotten anything more out of it?" Lois asked, nodding at the device. "Not much," Mulder admitted. "The buttons aren't exactly labeled." "You know, for a black project, it's interesting how much information is floating around about it," his partner commented, setting down her mug and reaching again for the file. "A black project?" Clark asked puzzled. Scully nodded. "A black, or dark, project, is one that is so Top Secret that even its existence is classified. Basically, as far as the general public is concerned, it's invisible, nonexistant. A Top Secret Background Check Clearance or higher is required to work on one." "Although sometimes the name is applicable for other reasons," her partner muttered bitterly. The reporters exchanged a curious glance, but resisted the temptation to ask for details. Lois reminded herself. With a sigh, Mulder picked up the mini-Ziggy and started punching randomly at the cubes. "I wonder what these things do..." Project Quantum Leap Sam and Al were in the middle of a conversation when Al's surroundings suddenly changed without warning. Startled, the Observer looked around the Imaging Chamber. "Ziggy!" he howled. "Yes, Admiral?" the computer replied, puzzled. "Is there a problem?" "What the hell did you just do?" he demanded. "Center me back on Sam, now!" "But you requested the spatial reconfiguration," she whined. "The hell I did! I was in the middle of a sentence, for God's sake!" There was a brief silence. When the computer spoke again, her voice sounded distinctly embarrassed. "Oh. It appears I was picking up a signal from the other handlink again." Al's face went white. "Get me back to Sam now, and I'll be out as soon as I can. In the meantime, see if you can get a location lock on that thing!" "I am doing my best, Admiral." "I hate to say this, Ziggy, but that's not good enough. If some of our technology is floating around loose somewhere out there, you're going to have to do better. If you don't, we could end up being shut down." Ten seconds later, Sam and his surroundings reappeared around Al, and he began making up a story about 'minor technical difficulties' they were having back at the Project. He hoped Ziggy wouldn't mind TOO much that he was blaming it all on her. Clark's Apartment "With all the other information in here, I can't believe that it doesn't say where in New Mexico the Project is," Lois commented, exasperated. She was flipping through the documentation they had compiled for the tenth or eleventh time that day, still hoping to find something new in it. "Well, there may be only one way to find out," Mulder replied. Scully's eyes narrowed. "What exactly did you have in mind?" "Going to New Mexico." She sighed. "Somehow, that's what I thought." Lois studied the two agents curiously. "All four of us?" Mulder nodded. "This is your investigation, after all," he remarked, leaning lazily against Clark's counter. "We'll charge it to our expense account." A small smile played around the edges of Scully's mouth. "Mulder, if you keep abusing that expense account like this, Skinner's going to close it." "We can pay for our own, you know," Lois interjected calmly. "For that matter, you can skip the plane entirely, couldn't you two?" Mulder grinned. "Theoretically, yes," she replied, with a glance and a wink at Clark. "But seeing as this is my investigation, and you're only here because you're useful to us, I want to keep track of you." Her voice was light and teasing, very different from the open hostility she had displayed towards the agents, especially Mulder, just hours ago. "So, what do you say we head back down to DC, I see about getting us a flight out to New Mexico, give you guys a call when I have something, and we meet you there?" Lois shook her head. "I've got a better idea. Give me a few moments to run over to my apartment and pack, and then Clark and I can just come down there with you now. We'll rent a couple of hotel rooms." Mulder nodded. "That works too. Although you don't have to get a hotel. Clark can stay with me, and I'm sure Scully wouldn't mind putting you up for the night." He glanced at his partner, who nodded. "Clark?" "Works for me." "I should warn you though," Scully added. "Mulder's apartment is far from tidy, so if that's what you're used to, which it seems to be, you might want to reconsider." She smiled. Clark laughed. "If it bothers me too much, I'll just clean it for him," he joked. "So, I guess it's all settled then," Mulder commented. Lois nodded. "I just have to call Perry and tell him we're going out of town on a story." She reached for Clark's phone. "Wait a second..." Scully's voice stopped her. "There's something you're still forgetting. Exactly WHERE in New Mexico are we going?" The other three stopped, stumped. Mulder recovered first, flashing his partner a lopsided smile. "That's what we're going to New Mexico to find out, remember?" To Be Continued... <>< JJ --> Leaper, C-Leaper, Chancer, FoLC, Knightie, developing X-Phile ***Co-Founder and Brigadier General of the Strange Luck Fanfic Brigade*** ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: MAKE THE LEAP IN FIVE--Help bring Quantum Leap to the big screen by 1998! SAVE STRANGE LUCK--visit http://www.unc.edu/~mystery1/ to learn how! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: There are no coincidences in life, only connections we haven't yet seen.