Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 18:55:46 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Choices - Chapter 7 Message-ID: Choices by Katherine Freymuth Copyright 1997 Chapter 7 Al walked into the quarters he kept at the Project's complex. He couldn't go home tonight. There was far too much on his mind and he didn't want to worry Beth with the obviously worried look on his face. He wasn't sure he himself could handle this leap, much less Sam. He could see why Sam was having a problem with this leap. Al himself was the first to protest against Ziggy's projection of Sam's mission. "He's there to do what?!" Al had exclaimed. "Dr. Beckett has leaped into your younger self to insure the death of Dr. Alex Hathorn in the explosion which occurred two days from Dr. Beckett's current time." "Ziggy, if this is some kind of sick joke, I'm not amused." "I do not find any humor in this situation, Admiral." "Good. Because you're going to evaluate the situation again and, this time, you're going to come up with something acceptable." "I have evaluated the situation over thirty times, Admiral, and I have regretfully come to the same conclusion each time. In order for Dr. Beckett to leap, Dr. Hathorn must die in the explosion." As Al had thought about how he was going to break the news to Sam, he also had found himself thinking of why God, Fate, Time, or Whatever would place Sam in such a situation. He came to the conclusion he had given Sam, even though he himself wasn't comfortable with it. He now exhaled as he undressed for bed. It was bad enough that Sam had leaped into the younger Calavicci. Now, Al had to help him cause the death of a very close friend - a friend who he had gone to when he couldn't go to Sam for help. Al didn't like this leap at all and he knew, therefore, that Sam despised it. However, they both had a job to do and it was up to Al to keep them both on track. Al slipped into his bed, wishing that, for once in the past eleven years, a leap could be simple and easy to cope with for both Sam and himself. As usual with a difficult leap, Al didn't sleep well, thought of Sam's leap racing through his mind. Dana sat cross-legged on his hotel room's bed, the binder Zoe had given him in his lap. Not that the temptress was nowhere near him (at least physically), Dana had time to think more clearly. That allowed him to analyze the situation a little more carefully. He carefully read the contents of the binder. He had gotten more than he expected. The document listed not only every incident in which Sam Beckett had changed history but also the name's of many people involved in a project called Quantum Leap. It went into details about the project and about the people involved. Each of the people mentioned had had their histories changed in some way. A small handful had had it happen more than once. Dr. Beckett's and Admiral Calavicci's histories had had the most changes of the staff of Project Quantum Leap. Dana reviews the changed once again, mulling over them like fine wine. June 16, 1975 - Beckett prevents ex-fiancee from leaving him at the alter. Currently married to said woman - Dr. Donna Elesee. April 29, 1960 - caused Diane McBride to gain senatorial seat. Prevented funding from being dropped for PQL October 14-15, 1964 - as a favor to Adm. Calavicci, integrated a man with Down Syndrome into local society. Calavicci's sister had DS, died at age of 16. September 5, 1954 - as favor to Adm., assisted Violet Walters by winning a pool game. Violet is the granddaughter of Charles Walters, a friend of Calavicci. April 1-2, 1969 - 1st attempt to reunite Adm. Calavicci with his 1st wife, Elizabeth Barrows. Attempt failed. November 25-28, 1969 - attempted to prevent father's death and sister's elopement. Attempt failed. April 7-8, 1970 - prevented death of brother Thomas during war in Southeast Asia (Vietnam) September 18, 1999 - returned to present temporarily when Beckett and Calavicci switched places in time. Beckett leaped to prevent Adm. Calavicci's death. June 25-27, 1957 - prevented then Ensign Calavicci from being tried and executed for rape and murder. March 20, 1966 - seduced Connie LaMotta for the purpose of ruining her marriage. Attempt failed. June 15, 1966 - seduces Abagail Fuller. Beckett and Fuller now have an illegitimate child - daughter Samantha Josephine Fuller (see PQL staff listings) December 22, 1971 - prevented rightful foreclosure of land in his hometown, Elk Ridge. September 20-22, 1862 - assisted in the escape of his great-grand-parents, both criminals. April 2, 1969 - succeeded in reuniting Adm. Calavicci with Elizabeth Barrows. They now have four daughters. March 2000 (Adm. Calavicci's time) - assisted Adm. in causing Gen. Albert Whitefeather Burke to be stranded in the past. Burke was leaped 20 years into the past. November 1999 - prevented the deaths of Adm. Calavicci and Commander Genine Strickler, thus keeping PQL running when originally shut down. March 2006 - prevented the deaths of Dr. Donna Elesee, Dr. Alex Hathorn, and Dr. Susan Anders in an accident at PQL, thus preventing the shut down of PQL. March 2006 - current leap - Information incomplete Dana shook his head with some disbelief. *And these are the _known_ changes! How many other times has he changed history to benefit only himself or people he knows?* He smiled. *That woman was right. This IS Pulitzer material. Imagine the hubbub when THIS is revealed! The publis has a right to know about this! Just the idea of time travel! And whe they fuind out how he's using this technology....* "He even raped two women!" he said to himself. He frowned slightly. "But how can I prove this? One of these people that he's... leaped... into has to have something." He flipped through the document and found a list of people Dr. Beckett had leaped into - people who, according to the document had been held captive in the future until the Doctor could finish his work. Beside each name was the person's last known address. Dana smiled widely. "Lady," he said to the woman whose gaze had made his heart beat five times faster, "you've got yourself a very interested reporter." When Janet Kalarco entered her office the next day, the last thing she expected was a phone call from Washington, D.C. The review for the funding was already past and, with Senator Mc Bride as the head of the Congressional Committee, there was more of a chance that funding would be granted during the next hearing in six months. So, what was the problemthat encouraged a phone call? The phone call, unfortunately, was not from Senator McBride but rather from Senator Solomon Weitzman. That usually meant that there was trouble - big trouble. "Admiral, is Calavicci with you?" Weitzman demanded. Janet frowned at the ceiling, from where Weitzman's booming voice was emanating. "It's six o'clock here, Senator. The Admiral is still asleep." "Ex-Admiral," Weitzman corrected. "Wake him," he told her firmly. "We have a very serious problem that must be resolved immediately. Believe me, Admiral. If something isn't done, there will be no more Project Quantum Leap." Chapter 8 coming soon.