From: Jason Eric Dzembo Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 07:41:41 -0400 Message-Id: <9308301141.AA23484@localhost> Al didn't even wait for the Imaging Chamber door to open completely before scrambling underneath it and skidding down the ramp into the Control Room, his heart pounding. "Ziggy!" he shouted, "What happened?" "I don't know, Admiral," Ziggy responded calmly, after hesitating just long enough to emphasize the fact that she disliked not knowing. The computer continued, "My closest conjecture," and paused, probably for effect, before concluding with a carefully measured amount of sorrow in her voice, "is that we lost contact with Dr. Beckett when his EEG went flat." Al's blood ran cold. "You mean..." He trailed off, afraid that saying the words would make them a reality. Softly, Ziggy responded, "I'm afraid so, Admiral. Dr. Beckett is dead." Part VII August 30, 2000 The Control Room was silent except for the humming of Ziggy's primary console, and even that was subdued. Al cleared his throat and asked, hoarsely, "How's the kid?" He was trying to avoid confronting the news of Sam's death directly, by asking remotely connected questions, such as the status of Miriam Ferziger in the Waiting Room. Denial. Hadn't Verbena said denial was a normal reaction to the death of a close friend? "She's unconscious. She was having difficulty breathing and Dr. Beaks went to keep an eye on her. She passed out at the precise instant that Dr. Beckett..." "Never mind!" Al interrupted sharply, "Could you ask Dr. Beaks to meet me in my office when she has a moment?" "Certainly, Admiral," Ziggy responded. Al's gaze met Gooshie's momentarily before looking away and sighing, "And, Ziggy? I think I'll need to talk to Dr. Eleesi, too." _______________________________ "Ziggy?" "Yes, Admiral?" Al hesitated before responding, unsure what his request would accomplish. He was in his office, elbows on his desk, staring into a double shot of vodka, not his first. "What effects did...Miriam's death have on her friends?" "I'm not sure I understand the question, Admiral," Ziggy responded. "Her death!" Al snapped, "Miriam's death! It must have made some sort of impact of her friends. Something positive must have come about as a result of her death, and it would probably occur in her close circle of friends." Ziggy responded gently, "Admiral, I suspect you are trying to rationalize Dr. Beckett's death with 20/20 hindsight. It's true, the aura of Miriam Ferziger will continue to surround Dr. Beckett, even after his demise, and, as such, her friends and family will believe it is she who has died. However, there will be no significant changes to history as a result of this illusion, since Miriam Ferziger died at precisely the same time and in the same manner as Dr. Beckett." Al didn't respond, so Ziggy added, "As we've learned over the last five years, there are some things that just aren't meant to be changed." "Why?" Al asked absently. "That's just the way it is," Ziggy responded simply. Al looked up and gazed at the voice-activated intercom on the edge of his desk. "What kind of answer is that?" he demanded, "Dr. Beckett...Sam gives his life to save a fellow human being, and all you can say is 'that's the way it is'?" "Sometimes," Ziggy responded with a faint air of reproof, "'that's the way it is' is the best explanation." Al returned his gaze to the clear surface of his drink and muttered, "Just tell me what happened to them, Ziggy." The computer must have realized that further discussion would be futile for, after a significant pause, she responded, "You already know what happened to several of her friends, as a result of Dr. Beckett's previous leaps. I will relate the experiences of those with whom Dr. Beckett did not come into contact." Al continued to stare at the desk as he made a "get on with it" gesture with one hand. "Robin Kwong, one of the contributers to Miriam Ferziger's fanzine, _Chain_Reactions_, went on to become an author and a poet, and has received critical acclaim in the literary circles. "Christine White, a friend of Miriam's, residing in Germany at the time of her friend's death, changed jobs in early 1994. She is currently living in England and has a successful career as a technical writer. "Mary Allison, another contributor to Miriam's 'zine, married her fiancee, Michael Wu, on the Saturday following Miriam's death. They are still happily married and she is now a successful..." The recital stopped at a knock on the office door. "Come in," Al grumbled, sliding the shot glass a little further from him, in a vain attempt to cover up the fact that it was his. The door slid open and Verbeena Beaks walked in, her typically calm and controlled manner seeming frayed around the edges. Losing Sam had been a painful blow to everyone at the Project. The way Donna had cried and screamed when Al broke the news... Verbeena stood, uncertainly, frowning. "What is it, Verbeena?" Al demanded, trying not to sound too harsh. There was no reason for him to take the violent emotions generated by Sam's death out on people who were already dealing with emotions of their own. "Admiral, I have a problem," Verbeena replied softly, finally deigning to sit in the chair across the desk from Al. Al looked at her questioningly but didn't comment. "I don't think we're doing the right thing." Al's questioning look intensified and Verbeena sighed, standing again, frustrated. Facing away from Al, she said,"Admiral, I don't think we should be keeping her alive." "You mean Miriam?" Al asked gently. "I mean Miriam," Verbeena agreed, relaxing enough to face him, "Admiral...Al, since the moment she lost conciousness, it's taken everything we've got to keep her alive." She laughed derisively and said, "If you want to call this alive! Her breathing is labored, her heartbeat is irregular and her EEG is erratic." "What are you saying, Verbeena?" Al demanded. Verbeena hesitated, then replied quietly, "I think we should let her go." Al stared then shouted, "You mean you want to just let her die? Verbeena, Sam gave his life to save that woman! If there's anyway she can be kept alive, you can bet we'll do it!" "I don't think there is any way," Verbeena responded, adding, "In fact, I've been discussing it with Dr. Fuller and it's possible that our attempts to save Miriam from her embolism kept her alive beyond her natural lifespan and, somehow, that prevented Dr. Beckett from leaping again before he died. If we hadn't tried so hard to save her, Sam may still be alive now." "And he'd be blaming himself for letting her die," Al muttered. He stood and began to pace, reaching instinctively for a cigar from the top right drawer of his desk. "Damn it, Verbeena, I don't know what to do." "Al," Verbeena responded, "she's alive, but she's suffering. I doubt she'll ever be able to lead a normal life, even if we can find a way to get her back in her own time." She stopped, letting Al draw his own conclusions. He turned away from her and frowned. "Do what you think is best, Verbeena." Verbeena nodded grimly and left the office without a word. Al sat at the desk and stared at the dark computer screen in front of him. "Ziggy?" he asked wearily. "Yes, Admiral?" "Were the futures of any of Miriam's friends or family altered as a result of Sam dying in Miriam's place?" Al asked. There was an undetectable pause as Ziggy rechecked the facts. "No. Their futures are identical to the original history." "So," Al murmured ironically, "Sam won after all. He said he wasn't going to change history. I wish we could have saved her, though." He felt a tear prickling at his eyes and he demanded harshly, "I wish Sam didn't have to die in vain." "Excuse me, Admiral, but I did not say Dr. Beckett failed to change history completely. On the contrary, there is one minor change, which you may find significant. It appears the official report of Miriam Ferziger's death has been reworded." "That's it?" Al asked, glancing up, "All he accomplished was the changing of a couple of words on a piece of government paper?" "It is the only change of which I am aware," Ziggy responded, "and, while its impact is lost on me, the changed words could mean something more to a more emotional entity, such as humans." "What was the change?" Al asked, doubting it could be anything significant. "In the original history, Miriam Ferziger's body was found with a look of fear and pain on her face, as though, in the instant before she died, she was aware of what was about to happen. The coroner's report now states that Miriam Ferziger died with a peaceful expression on her face. As far as anyone is concerned, her death was instantaneous. As the saying goes, she never knew what hit her." Al let out a long sigh and stared at the intercom. Ziggy was right; it was only a small change, but the words would certainly be significant to those who cared for her. It might be little consolation to them, in light of the fact that she was still dead, but it was better than the original future. "Admiral." As Ziggy intruded on Al's thoughts, her voice was tinted with surprise. "Miriam Ferziger has just leaped...."