Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 17:09:48 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Circles of Fate - Part 16 Message-ID: Quantum Leap "Circles of Fate" Part 16 Sam was tucked underneath the control console in the Control Room. Genine was watching him with curiosity as he tinkered with the console's inners. A few minutes later, Sam reappeared, a satisfied look on his face. "That should do it," he told Genine as he stood. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Genine asked. Sam nodded. "Yes, I am." "So what do I tell Al?" Sam looked seriously at her. "Don't tell him anything," he told her firmly. He picked up the sealed envelope, which he had left on the console, and gave it to her. "Hopefully, this letter will mean nothing to anyone soon." Genine frowned as she accepted the letter from Sam. She watched him as he went into a dressing room and then came out several minutes later in a Fermisuit." "What if the retrieval program doesn't work?" Genine asked him. Sam smiled at her. "It will work, Captain. Ziggy gives it an eighty-four percent chance." Genine looked at him. "Dr. Beckett, if I am going to be your Observer, you're going to have to get used to calling me Genine." Sam laughed. "Then you're going to have to get used to calling me Sam." He went to the control console and activated the Accelerator Chamber. "You know, no one will ever forgive you if you don't return," Genine warned. Sam exhaled and looked at her firmly. "I will never be able to forgive myself if I don't do this. Three people have died, and one is severely injured, because of something I did. I'm not going to sit by and just let it have happened when I can save them." Genine could understand the impulse. There were many instances in her life she wished she could go back and change. But she also knew that changing those instances would changed who she was. Still, if there was a chance to help Al and save the others... She huffed. "I'd promised Al I wouldn't let you do anything like this." She looked at him. "But I, also, consider him one of my best friends. I don't want him to spend the rest of his life that," she said quietly, looking towards the ceiling and thus towards the infirmary. She looked back at Sam. "Let's do this before I change my mind." Sam touched her shoulder. "I promise you, you won't regret it." He started towards the Accelerator Chamber. "I've already set the program for the day before the explosion occurred. Hopefully, I'll be able to prevent the accident from even happening." Genine nodded, going behind the console. "I'll make contact with you as soon as you arrive at your destination. We shouldn't have a problem with the link between us. Al made sure it was very thoroughly done." Sam stopped at the Accelerator Chamber door and looked at Genine. Genine smiled at him. "Good luck, Sam." "Thanks, Genine," Sam replied just before he entered the Accelerator Chamber. Genine gently placed the envelope in her hand onto the control console. She extended her hand over the activation plate which would send Sam into the past. She hesitated for a moment. What if Sam was wrong?" "Ziggy, what are the odds of Dr. Beckett being retrieved?" she asked. "Eighty-three point seven percent," Ziggy replied. Genine closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Please, let me be doing the right thing," she begged Providence before placing her hand firmly on the activation plate, causing a beam of light to shoot up to the sphere above. The light reflected beautifully off of the sphere to create a dazzling pyramid of blue light. Sam felt the tingling sensation with which he was so familiar as it passed over and through him, seeping into his very being. At that very moment, any doubts be may have had vanished quickly. This was the right thing to do. Genine waited with a tinge of worry. Whereas Sam's doubts had vanished the moment he did, Genine's increased the longer she waited for the results of her placing her hand on the activation plate. "Dr. Beckett has successfully leaped," Ziggy finally told her. Genine exhaled with a little relief. "Do you have a lock on him?" Genine asked. "Yes, Captain Strickler," Ziggy replied. "He has leaped to March 12, 2006, exactly nineteen hours before the explosion on Level Eight will occur." Genine paused. "Do you know who he had leaped into?" "Affirmative, Captain," Ziggy told her. "There is a ninety-six percent chance that he has leaped into himself. This, however, reduces the odds of a successful retrieval." Genine suddenly became concerned. "Why?" "Since leaping does create some mind-merging between Dr. Beckett and his host, Dr. Beckett's leaping into himself makes it difficult to distinguish between the neural energies of Dr. Beckett and his younger self. This is especially true because of the closeness of the leap date to our own time. Not enough time has passed to cause enough differences between Dr. Beckett and the guest." Genine nodded with understanding. "And this reduces the odds to..." "Seventy-two point four percent," Ziggy replied. "These odds will continue to drop the longer Dr. Beckett is in himself since time will cause the differentiation to become more unclear as the mind-merging becomes more pronounced." Genine sighed. This wasn't good to say the least. "I need a handlink," Genine instructed Ziggy, who promptly responded to her statement by producing a handlink from the console. "Thank you," Genine told Ziggy as she took the handlink. She looked at the small object carefully as she slowly made her way to the Imaging Chamber door. She had held the handlink before but she had never actually used it. It was a little scary in a way. Taking a deep breath, she entered the Imaging Chamber. "Center me on Dr. Beckett, please, Ziggy," Genine requested. "Yes, Captain," Ziggy replied. A moment later, the blue walls of the Imaging Chamber were replaced by the white walls of Sam's office. Genine looked about at the new surroundings and smiled. It was truly amazing! Everything looked so touchable. She passed her hand through the lab table with fascination. Sam was sitting at the lab table, a slightly confused look on his face. "Sam," Genine said gently to get his attention. Sam jumped, startled. He quickly looked at her. He didn't say anything for a moment. "Ummm... I'm sorry," he told her. "I didn't hear you come in." Genine smiled. "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I startled you." Sam nodded. He looked at her with curiosity. She was in her Naval uniform, right down to her name pin. Sam hesitated. "Was there something I could help you with, Captain... uh... Strickler?" Genine frowned. Something was wrong. "Are you okay, Sam?" she asked. Sam looked at her carefully again, this time noticing the handlink in her hand. He stood up, scrutinizing her. "Who are you? Where's Al?" he demanded. Genine's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean you don't remember what happened?" Sam shook his head slowly. "No, I don't. What happened?" Genine closed her eyes and exhaled. "Oh, boy," she whispered. --------------------------------- Part 17 soon! Katherine