Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 17:20:38 -0500 (CDT) From: 2EI5ZEMANP@vms.csd.mu.edu Subject: "In Your Eyes" - Part IV Message-Id: <01H46SAUVB4U90NLAT@vms.csd.mu.edu> IN YOUR EYES Part IV By Philip Zeman 2ei5zemanp@vms.csd.mu.edu After Al had successfully navigated Sam to the high school, he decided to check back in with Neal. As he walked the distance from the Imaging Chamber to the Waiting Room, his thoughts drifted to what Sam had said. "When I looked into his eyes in the mirror, he kind of reminded me of... _me_." `What is it about Neal that is so downright weird? Both Sam and I think Neal is almost an exact replica of Sam. I mean he's youthful-looking when he's in college, but that's not it. He's not in exactly the same field as Sam was. Electrical Engineering, though Sam did build that egotistic hybrid pile of flashing Legos!..." As if sensing his thoughts, Ziggy's voice broke into Al's mood. YOU SEEM PREOCCUPIED, ADMIRAL. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? The last thing the Observer wanted was to be psycho-analyzed by a machine, no matter how intelligent it, or she, was. "Not right now, Ziggy, thanks." The last word was merely a formality. If there _was_ something that Ziggy could do later on, Al didn't want her to be depressed. VERY WELL, ADMIRAL. Al continued walking, passing Gooshie and other members of the Project. When he finally reached his destination, he reminded himself not to call the occupant of the Waiting Room "kid". As the door opened, Neal seemed happy to see the Admiral. "Hi ya Al, nice clothes." Al was smartly dressed in a red coat with matching fedora. His pants were a metallic green, complementing his entire outfit, including his tie. "You really like this, k-Neal?" He almost slipped. "Yeah, I do. Pretty neat stuff. Where'd you get that hat?" "Maybe later, kid. First of all, how are you doing?" "Fine now that that doctor brought me my glasses and some food. Hey, listen, can you tell me what I'm doing here?" Neal was still smiling, but a hint of anxiety had entered his voice. "I can't do that Neal, although I really want to. Listen, can you tell me how you feel about your life right now?" Neal comtemplated this query for a moment. "Well, it's okay, I guess. I mean, college is a pain in the butt of course, but I expected that. Do like being in the band, my director's real nice. Got some great friends, too, though most of them are at different schools. Can't wait for Christmas break so I can do stuff with them again." "That's nice, Neal, but what I really need to know is some of your personal life. How do you feel about -- your looks?" Neal's smile faltered. "You really want to know? It sucks big time! I mean here I am 18 years old, and I got the face of a high school freshman! Every where I go around campus, I can feel people looking at me, saying to themselves `What's that kid doing here?' Maybe I'm just paranoid, but then again, you'd be too if you'd been called `Doogie' one too many times." Al scrunched his eyebrows. "Doogie?" "Yeah, `Doogie' as in 'Doogie Howser, M.D.' you know that ABC series about that teen-age doctor. Surely you've seen it." Al didn't answer, but punched the handlink, curious. The data flowed across the screen, and he muttered, "Doogie Howser, M.D., ABC series canceled in 1993..." "What did you say about 1993?" Al quickly turned off the handlink. "Nothing, Neal. Continue about your friends. What about your friends in high school?" "Oh them? They're a great bunch. Mara and I had great times last year in the jazz band. Tom and Karen? Working with them last year in, um, what did we work together on? Al? What's with my memory?" "It'll pass. Go on." `God, I feel like Dr. Beeks!' Al thought. "Anyway, we worked together last year. And Janet, she's been great. We had blasts at all the dances, Prom especially. And the Florida trip was the best! Oh, man, if we could go back in time and do it all over again..." Al stifled a chuckle. "We had some great times, Al." Neal's voice was considerably nostalgic. He seemed to be lost in thought, so Al took the time to follow up on Ziggy's offer. "I'll be right back, Neal." But the other person in the room seemed not to notice. Al exited the chamber and said, "Ziggy? Are you monitoring?" OF COURSE, ADMIRAL CALAVICCI. "Well, I need you to pull up all of Neal's academic records prior to October 19, 1992. I have a hunch this kid is a genius of some sorts." I'LL HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR YOU IN APPROXIMATELY 12 SECONDS, replied the computer, but Al had re-entered the Waiting Room. "Neal, you said that you and Janet `had' some great times. What did you mean by `had'?" "Oh well, I mean that that stuff is in the past. But no matter what we do, we have fun. She's a great friend." Al grew interested at the line of thought that had just entered his mind. "Is she just a friend, Neal?" "Oh, um, er, hey! Do you have a mirror around here someplace? I must look terrible. My hair needs to be combed or something." Al instinctively glanced over at the mirrored surface that was on the other side of the room, then shifted his attention away, but Neal caught it. "What did you look at Al? I know you're hiding something!" "Neal, I don't think you should really look at yourself right now." But Neal was getting less happy by the moment and he pushed his way past the Observer and looked down. His facial expression went from angry to dumbfounded. "Oh.....my.....God....." Al was attempting to think of something to say when the parallel hybrid computer named Ziggy decided to join the conversation ADMIRAL CALAVICCI, I HAVE COMPLETED YOUR REQUEST. NEAL PHILLIPS WAS MAINLY A STRAIGHT `A' STUDENT THROUGH GRADE SCHOOL, EXCEPT FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION. HE MAINTAINED A 4.000 GRADE POINT AVERAGE THROUGH HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. HIS INTELLIGENT QUOTIENT WAS RATED AT ABOVE AVERAGE, NEARING GENIUS, AT A SCORE OF -- "That's enough Ziggy!" Neal turned to Al, and the Observer saw in his eyes what Sam had seen - a look of intelligence and wonder at everything that had gone on. Then Neal spoke. "Al, what's going on??" Al knew that he'd have to tell him something, and he finally decided to damn the rules and tell him the truth. "Neal, you better sit down for this." When he had done so, the explanation continued. "You are part of a time travel experiment that --" Al searched for the right words, then decided to stick with the original. "-- went a little caca." Neal, true to form as a replica of Sam, replied, "A little _caca_?" "Yes. You are in the future, approximately 7 years from your own time." "Al? Is this image in the mirror the me of the future?" Al shook his head. "No, it's not. Would you like to hear the whole story?" "Sure, I've got nothing better to do." "Well, get prepared. It's a doozy...." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "...So you are telling me that Dr. Beckett is stuck in time? He can't get home?" Neal was bright-eyed after Al's narrative Al was amazed at how well Neal took this all in. "No, as of yet, Sam has still not gotten home. We feel that after he's put right enough wrongs, and has Leaped enough Leaps, he will return. That's our hope." "Wow. Time travel. This is _so cool_! And Ziggy is a parallel, hybrid computer that tracks Dr. Beck-Sam -- do you mind if I call him Sam?" Al shook his head. "Ziggy tracks Sam through space and time? Ziggy?" YES, NEAL? She had been monitoring the entire conversation. If she was appalled that Al told him everything - and if a computer _could_ be appalled - she made no sign of it. "Sam created you? With `fuzzy logic' and other techno-stuff like that?" THAT IS CORRECT. DR. BECKETT IS MY FATHER, AND HE GAVE ME LIFE AND SO MUCH MEMORY THAT I CAN TRACK HIM VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE. Al cleared his throat. "Anywhere, Ziggy? Sure you're not bragging?" YES, ADMIRAL, ANYWHERE. She seemed indignant at the Observer's accusations. Al turned to Neal. "You'll have to excuse her. Sam built in an ego, and that's why she can do what she can do." "Yeah, I noticed that ego bit. Somebody should tell her that nobody's perfect." Ziggy made no noise, but you feel that she was hurt. "I'm sorry Ziggy, just making a joke." Still no response. "Anyway, Al, you say that you can still talk to Sam through holograms in the Imaging Chamber? Mind if I try it out? I'd really like to take a tour of this place. This is a chance of a lifetime!" "Uh, maybe later. Look, I should really go back and check in with Sam. He's been at the dance for about an hour, and he might need some post-game tips." Neal looked confused, but decided not to ask. Then it dawned on him. "The dance! That's right! I'm missing the dance with Janet! She'll never forgive me if she found out! But, then again, she won't know will she? Will I remember this?" Al replied, "We don't know. Probably not. You look disappointed. Something wrong?" "No, just I wish I could remember this whole thing. Well, I'll only have to wait a few years for it to start, won't I?" He laughed, then abruptly stopped. "Al? What wrong is Sam trying to put right?" Al hesitated, then decided that it wasn't the right time to answer that question. "We haven't figured that one out yet. Listen, I have to go. We can talk more later." Neal held out his hand. "Wait, Al! One more thing. If this is a top-secret project and all, why did you tell me everything?" "Neal, in your eyes, I see Sam. There's something about you that's special, just like my buddy is special. You have greatness in your eyes, and wonder, too. And, you remind me of me." Before Neal could ask anything more, Al was gone. He passed Verbena in the corridor. If she was disappointed that Al had told him everything, she didn't say it. Nor did her eyes betray her emotions. Al just kept on walking, and headed for the Imaging Chamber.