From: akulsum@aol.com (AKulsum) Newsgroups: alt.tv.quantum-leap.creative Subject: window 4/7 Date: 24 Sep 1996 03:52:45 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Message-Id: <52840d$6rj@newsbf02.news.aol.com> OK, here's the next bit. Keep those comments coming!! Thanks, all! amkt "Window to the Future" pt. IV Verbeena, Gooshie, and Tina all gathered in her small office to discuss the problem at hand. "So....Al is really another leaper?" Gooshie asked the obvious in his nervousness. The little man was always nervous, twisting his hands anxiously. Tina was snapping at her gum agressively, and even Verbeena's foot twitched back and forth. "It would seem so. The problem at hand would seem to be whether or not we let this leaper know that we know. Suggestions?" Tina batted her long lashes and spoke in her usually high, breathy voice. "Well, like, I don't know what to do about the leaper, but doesn't this mean that they have Al?" Verbeena jolted foward in her seat with a small gasp. That was a problem that she hadn't even thought of. But there was nothing she could do about that and there was no sense in worrying over something she had no control of. "I suppose, but we need to focus on the problem at hand. How will-" A choked sob emerged from Tina in her seat in the corner. Verbeena moved over to sit on the arm of her chair and put her arm on her shoulder. "Tina? Tina, they won't kill him. If they did, then the leaper would be stuck here and they wouldn't do that." "Dr. Beeks, Gooshie?" Verbeena cut loose a sigh. "Yes, Ziggy?" "I thought it prudent to inform you that Dr. Beckett has leaped." "Damn." Verbeena swore softly under her breath. Even if the leaper _could_ contact Sam (which he or she couldn't because the brainwaves of the leaper would not match Al's), it was completely out of the question to let them do so. In a way, she counted herself lucky, because that was one less thing the evil leaper could destroy. "I guess....I guess Sam's on his own for this one." "Not necessarily," Gooshie interrupted. "I have been able to contact Dr. Beckett before. There is no reason I should not be able to do so again. We will just have to make certain that the other leaper does not realize we are doing it. They should not even know that Sam leaped." "If you are ready, I will continue to relay the rest of the information," Ziggy said, in a slightly miffed voice. "There's more?" Verbeena groaned. A short pause followed. "Well?" Ziggy sniffed audibly. "Sam Beckett is currently inhabiting the life of Lt. Greg Turner, a technician here at Quantum Leap, on March 13, 2000." The room held it's breath. "Where is he?" Verbeena asked tightly. "He is currently in route to conference room B." "Stop him, Ziggy! If he reaches Al.....and they both find out, all hell could break loose!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Sam had Ziggy locate Al before she had realized the problem at hand, and now he darted down the halls as fast as he possibly could. He didn't entirely remember the way to the conference room, but he had enough of a vague recollection to make his way down the complex network of halls and offices. He had found his way out of the living area and into the office area. As he paused at an intersection, ready to seek Ziggy's assistance in finding the exact room, Verbeena came dashing around the corner with Gooshie and Tina in tow. She was running so fast that she nearly ran into him. Before Sam could say a word, she threw her arms around him like a mother who had found her lost son after five years of diligent searching, which wasn't all that far from the truth. "Sam, " she gasped, fighting back tears. He hugged her tightly, and then embraced Tina and Gooshie. "Sam," Verbeena said before he could even ask what she knew he wanted to, "we have to talk." He felt his whole world crumble apart and Verbeena thanked her lucky stars that Donna was away visiting family someplace....it would make things a lot less complicated, at least for now. She didn't feel it was right to deny them any possible time together. But the look on his face was like a knife in her heart and she wanted to get to someplace private quickly so they could talk. "It's okay, Sam," she whispered in his ear, leading him back to her office. The next hour was spent explaining to Sam the situation at hand. Seeing as they had not reached any conclusions about what to do, and Sam _was_ the project director, after all, they decided to leave the ultimate decision up to him. Frustration clung to his expression and he spoke carefully, not able to completely block out thoughts of what Al must be going through. "I think that....no matter what, we must not let her know we are onto her. Not yet. Let's just wait and see what she's doing before we let her know that we'er onto her." "Her?" Verbeena asked, "you don't think it's Alia, do you?" "No," Sam frowned, "not Alia." He stood up and looked at Gooshie, a sudden hope gleaming in his eyes. "In the meantime, fire up the Imaging Chamber....I don't think there's any reason why I shouldn't be able to contact Al." Gooshie jumped up exitedly, "of course! I don't know why I didn't think of that. The fact that you are not in your body...well, you are, but...what I mean is...." Sam grinned slightly and patted the little scientist on the shoulder. Gooshie smiled back and followed him out of the room. Sam would not have had any problems if he hadn't run into "Al" on the way to the control room. They were walking down the hall, all four of them in a supportive and somewhat defensive clump, when Zoe exited an adjoining hall directly in front of them on the way back to Al's room. "Ah...Dr Beeks," she said with a grin that looked out of place on Al's face. "The senator will be staying for the night. I will be in my quarters updating the budget for my report to her tomorrow if I am needed." She turned a cold gaze on Sam, who froze. Tina nudged him from behind. "Salute," she hissed. Sam clumsily saluted the aura of his friend. Zoe gunted and continued on her way. As soon as she was out of sight, Sam slumped and leaned against Verbeena for physical as well as mental support. She placed a protective hand on his shoulder. "Let's go to the Imaging Chamber," she murmured. She knew that Sam could not be even partially at ease until he could see Al safe and sound for himself. She thanked God or fate or time or whatever that Sam had thought of this. She knew that Gooshie was mentally kicking him for not thinking of the same thing; he had been able to contact Al before. A small sigh escsaped her. She would have a lot of sessions with these people after all this was over....right after she contacted one of her old friends to set up a session for herself. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Zoe worked at her terminal, having bypassed the level where even Ziggy would be aware, and she began to alter. With the aid of Thames, she transferred a healthy sum of the funds into the account of Al Calavicci, and an equal amount into Dr. Sam Beckett's amount. She then proceeded to find a place for all the power the project was sucking up. By the time she finished, it would seem as if the rest of the project thought it was legit, but in fact, Dr. Beckett and his dear friend were staging the entire thing not only to fool the rest of the project, but the United States Government as well. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Deep in the bowels of a very fowl place, a man stood in a hall. The lighting was a eerie blood red that sent shivers up and down his spine, and a desperate fear in his heart. A ceaseless humming that throbbed with the power of intelligence echoed through the hall, causing him to begin walking. Another throb and he began walking faster and faster. One more, and he was at a full run, running from he knew not what, but hoping to God that he was running to something. A very specific something., in fact. "Doctor!" Gooshie shouted so loudly that Sam came to a dead stop in the Imaging Chamber. "Got to find him," Sam breathed, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Verbeena enter the room. "Ziggy?" she asked, "do you have the information you need to begin to form a lock on Admiral Calavicci?" "Yes, Doctor." Even Ziggy seemed a bit subdued. "Then please power down the Imaging Chamber while you do so." There was no verbal answer, but Verbeena saw Sam's stiff shoulders relax a bit and knew that if she touched him, she would only see the blank blue of the Imaging Chamber walls, the same thing she saw right now. She stepped forward and put her arms around Sam, rubbing his back and talking soothingly in his ear. "You're not going to be much help to Al if you let youself get this out of control, Sam," she repremanded gently. Slowly, Sam's breathing returned to normal and he pulled away. "Do you want me to stay?" Verbeena asked. Sam shook his head 'no', but did not speak. Verbeena kissed him gently on the cheek and left the room. "I have a lock," Ziggy said suddenly, and the world snapped into focus around Sam. The sounds were a little softer this time and he presumed that he was further away from the center of the project. He took a step forward, adjusting to the dim light. "Al?" he called softly, as if afraid that someone else would hear him. There was no answer. "Ziggy? I am centered on Al, aren't I?" "Affirmative." "Al?" he called a little louder. There was the gentle sound of movement from the corner and Sam moved cautiously over to seek the cause. The dark form of a person shifted slightly on the floor. Sam thought the man was sleeping, but a glance at the handlink told him that he was not in normal sleep; he was unconscious. Sam choked back any show of emotion as he bent over to examine Al's form. He looked okay, except for his wrist, which was bent at an odd angle. When he looked a little closer, he also saw blood leaking slowly from a small cut on his forehead. *Concussion* Sam thought instantly. How serious was anybody's guess. Sam sat down next to Al. "Ziggy? How long before Al regains consciousness?" "Unknown." Sam frowned. "Guess," he commanded with clenched teeth. Somewhere inside his chest, he could feel the blood pumping faster and faster.... "Doctor, I am unable to determine if or in how long the admiral will wake up." "If?" Sam demanded. "Correct, doctor. He has a severe concussion and his body has taken quite a beating." Sam frowned and again looked for any physical evidence of what Ziggy was reporting. "I am uncertain if he will recover." "Are you saying he might...die?" "No," Ziggy's computerized tone sounded unusually sympathetic. "I predict only a 20% chance that they would allow the leapee to die." Sam didn't have the heart to ask if they would really do anything to prevent it. After all, just because in Project Quantum Leap the welfare of the leaper depended on the leapee and vice versa was no cause to assume that _this_ project had not overcome this. As he bent over his friend, he felt absurdly like a mourner standing over a grave. He leaned against the Imaging Chamber wall and closed his eyes, determined to remain right there until Al regained consciousness. "And you will, Al," he whispered gently, but with an underlying determination. "I know you won't give up. Not when so many people are pulling for you." He raised his eyes skyward. "You can't have him yet. Remember: you owe me one." part 5 is on the way....and once part 7 is out and I'm done with this one, I've got another one just waiting to jump on the NG! It's up to the middle of part 3 already. Thanks, guys! -amkt