Date: Thu, 26 Dec 1996 16:22:24 -0700 (MST) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Coup d'Etat - Chapter 22 Message-ID: Chapter 22: Plan of Action Beth was awake when Al returned to the quarters. She was changing into a set of standard issue civies, rolling up the sleeves and cuffs a bit to give her more flexibility. Al smiled, seeing her in navy and khaki. She looked good in anything. "You okay?" Al asked her gently. She looked up at him. She saw the exhaustion in his eyes - the last threshold of hope slowly giving way. "I'm fine," she said honestly. "Just needed a good night's sleep. What about you?" Al took a breath. "We have to take action. I just found out what Burke is doing here." He looked at Beth intensely. "He's trying to start a coup d'etat." "What?" Beth said incredulously. Al nodded. "A military revolution. And he's programmed Ziggy for that goal." "How'd you find out?" "He told me," he told her, much to her surprise. "He doesn't think anyone can stop him now, which isn't far from the truth." Beth went to him. "You're not giving up, are you?" Al frowned at her. "Of course not." He hugged her gently. "We've gone to far to give up now. But with Ziggy completely under Burke's control, we have no way of communicating with the outside. It was tough enough before but now...." He sighed. He looked into her eyes. "We have to act. Tonight. Tell Harry. I'll tell Commander Strickler." Beth nodded. She hugged Al and then turned to leave. "Beth?" Al stopped her. She looked into his eyes. "Be careful. Stay in the infirmary. I don't want you to get in harm's way." Beth smiled at him. "Don't worry about me. I'll be all right." With that, she left the quarters. Al sat on the couch in thought. What did he have? A small band of soldiers, only half of them well-trained and a third of them well-armed. He had a fellow admiral on the outside, working to help him anyway he could. But, he also had no way of contacting him. *Terrific*, Al though. *I've got a great offensive going for me.* The quarter's door opened, startling Al out of his revelry. He looked up to see Genine Strickler walk in, a frown on her face. "The General asked me to update you," she said in a commanding voice as she came in. The sentence was mostly for the guard just outside of Al's quarters. Her tone lowered respectfully was the door was closed. "I just heard about Burke's latest plan. If he succeeds in this, I don't think we'll have a chance against him, sir. Not with the military and the public seeing him as a war hero of the greatest kind." Al stood up. "I agree, Commander. I operate tonight. Get our men ready and in position." "Yes, sir." "Any word from Admiral Beckett?" Al asked hopefully. "No, sir." "Doesn't surprise me." He took a breath. "What about armaments?" Genine exhaled. "Burke's placed security on the two storage rooms that haven't been raided. But, even if we took out the guards, we wouldn't be able to get in the rooms. The doors are electronically sealed and the computer has control of the locks." She took a breath. "Sir, we're going to have to take out the computer first." "Take out?" Al questioned. "You mean destroy." Genine's look indicated that she meant exactly that. "Commander, do you realize what an expensive computer Ziggy is? How many years it took to build her and perfect her? How vital she is to this project? You destroy her and you effectively shut down this project permanently. And I won't let that happen. Is that understood?" "Yes, sir," Genine answered. "But if the computer has complete control of the complex's functions and Burke has control of the computer, what other choice do we have, sir?" Al looked at her firmly. "There's an old saying. 'There's more than one way to skin a cat.'" ************************* Tom Beckett stood at attention before the desk, as befitting an officer before his superior. "Sit down, Admiral," the Secretary of the Navy told him with a smile. "No need for military formalities here. Can I offer you anything? Coffee? Tea?" "No, thank you, sir," Tom replied as he sat down. "So, Admiral," the Secretary asked. "What did you want to see me about?" "We have a problem, sir," Tom started. He seemed to be saying that a lot lately. He opened his briefcase and pulled out a file. He handed it over to the Secretary. "I'm sure you are aware of the situation concerning Admiral Calavicci and his wife. In that file are complete details of the situation, including a transcript of the last message I received from Lieutenant Commander Stricker." The Secretary reviewed the file. "Hmm. Yes. Very thorough. But you surely could have sent a subordinate with this. You have a suggestion to rectify the situation?" Tom took a breath. "Sir, I don't believe that Burke will give up control of the Project Quantum Leap complex." The Secretary looked at Tom. "Are you suggesting that we don't even try to negotiate with him? He's holding the complex and every one in it hostage. Surely he has demands." Tom shook his head. "No, sir. Nothing. And, as you can see from Commander Strickler's report, he's quite determined to use the project for his owns ends." The Secretary shook his head in disbelief. "Change history for his own good? There's no proof that crazy project actually even works." "It works, sir. Believe me. And it's the only thing that explains the issue of the stocks of America Online and the other fast growing industries and why Cheryl Dover claimed she never heard of Burke. She hadn't. A time-traveler had bought those shares, following orders from Burke in the present." The Secretary sighed. "Not a very convincing argument, Admiral. Do you have any _physical_ proof to support it?" Tom hesitated, but not too long to make it seem that he was unsure. *Typical politicians*, he thought sarcastically. "All of my evidence is in the report, sir. Please review it and you'll see my point." He stood up. "I'd like a response as soon as you can, sir. Based on these observations," he indicated the file, "we don't have much time left before Burke succeeds in his plans. If that happens, sir, who knows what Burke will do to those people in that complex." The Secretary thought of Tom's words as he stood up. "I'll consider what you've told me, Admiral." He extended his hand. "I'll give you my response before the end of the day." Tom accepted the hand and shook it. "Thank you, sir." ************************ "Hi, Sam. How's it going?" Sam jumped at the sound of Al's voice. He had been alone in the library of Margaret Havlin's house. Before him was a telephone on which he was about to make a call to Senator Struther, the first of many calls. "Al," Sam said in acknowledgment. He looked at his friend. Al's expression hadn't changed much. There was more confidence in his eyes but he was still very afraid. "Just wanted to check up on you," Al told him. "See how you're doing." Al looked around. "Cosy place. Where's the wife?" "In the kitchen, getting herself a drink," Sam answered. Al slipped his hands into his trousers' pockets. "Just a hop, skip, and a jump away, huh?" He looked odd: no cigar, no choice outfit, and a foreboding look on his face. "No change?" Sam questioned. "Not really." "So, Ziggy still says I'm here to start a war," Sam sighed. "Well, it's not really her fault, you know. She's only doing what she's been programmed to do." He patted himself down and exhaled in disappointment. Out of cigars. "Yeah, but it still doesn't feel right," Sam told him. "I mean, there has to be another reason I'm here or I would have never leaped here in the first place." Al sighed. "I wish I had an answer for you, Sam." He took the handlink out of his trousers' pocket, pushed some buttons, sighed, and put it back in the pocket. "The only thing I can suggest is that you keep your eyes open and go with your guts." "Terrific," Sam muttered. "In the meantime," Al told him, "you'd better make that first phone call." As he said this, Margaret came into the library with a pitcher of tea and two glasses. "Thought you might want some, too," she told Sam. Al looked at her. "Hey, Sam. She's pretty cute. Ahh, to be young and single again." He smiled mischievously. Sam gave him a quick glare before turning to Margaret. "Thanks," he told her. He poured himself a glass and took a drink. Margaret had done the same. "Okay, Sol. You want to tell me why you're here other than Carol kicked you out?" Sam looked at Al for help. Al shrugged helplessly. "I just thought it would be a good idea," Sam told her. "Well, you got that part wrong," Margaret told him. Al rose his eyebrows. "Obviously, she doesn't like you, Sam." He raised the handlink. "I'm gonna go back and see if I can get anything to help you. Just hang in there, okay?" Sam nodded very slightly as Al opened the Imaging Chamber door and disappeared. "Does that nod mean you agree this was a bad idea?" Margaret asked. "No," Sam told her. "I just think we should discuss this." "Okay," Margaret consented. "Go ahead." Sam took a breath. "Why are you so angry with me?" She huffed. "Why? After all you did to me, you have the nerve to ask me that?" Sam looked confused. "Don't give me your little Mr. Innocent look, Sol!" Margaret warned. "You know very well what you did. Leaving us like that for that woman. You didn't even say good-bye!" Sam took a breath. "Maybe I haven't been the best husband..." Margaret gave a brief laugh. "Not the best husband, he says! You're just fortunate that Lucy is a very forgiving soul." "But you're not?" Sam questioned gently. She glared at him. "Not with you." "Then why are you letting me stay here?" Margaret shook her head. "_I'm_ not. Mark is." "Mark?" Sam questioned. "Yes. Mark." She took a breath. "Since he doesn't mind you here, I'll let you stay until you find a place of your own." She looked him in the eyes. "Just promise me one thing." She stood up. "Promise me you won't run off with Lucy." Sam looked at her with confusion. "What do you mean?" "Just what I said," Margaret emphasized. "You bolt with Lucy and I'll..." Sam raised his right hand gently to calm her. "I promise, Margaret. I won't run off with Lucy." Margaret nodded. "I believe you." She looked at the clock on the fireplace mantle. "Damn! Look at the time. I've got a tone of work to do before work tomorrow. Now, I have your promise." Sam nodded. "You have my promise." She nodded as she walked to the door. Giving Sam one last glance, she left the room. Sam exhaled. Whatever he was here to do, it wasn't going to be easy with Margaret around. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay tuned and tell us what you think so far. Chapter 23 is next. Rob and Katherine Freymuth