Date: Wed, 9 Jun 93 11:22:15 EDT From: Tracy Finifter To: alt-ql-creative@cisco.com Subject: "A New Face to Reality" Part 5 Message-Id: "A New Face to Reality" by Tracy E. Finifter Part 5 Sandy's next statement brought him back into reality. "What are you talking about, Rachel? There's no man there, and you're Uncle Sam won't be here until 11:30." Rachel didn't pay any attention to her. Instead, the two children walked up to the kneeling Sam and tugged at the shock of hair above his forehead. "You've got funny white hair," the older girl announced. "Um, why don't you girls go back in your rooms and pick out something to wear for today, okay?" Sam suggested through a choked throat. "Okay, Uncle Sam. But I can dress myself, I'm a big girl," Rachel declared. "Yes, I'm sure you are," Sam agreed. The two girls staggered back into the hallway and back to their room. "I wonder what's gotten into them?" Sandy said, after having seemingly forgotten about Sam's 'talking to himself.' Sam stood back up and refocused his attention on Sandy with a sudden look of fear. "What do you mean that Sam will be here at 11:30?" "Are you sure you're feeling okay? Your brother's plane gets in at 11:30. We're going to pick him up at the airport, but not if you keep dawdling all day." Sandy then turned and started heading out of the room. "Oh, boy," Sam sighed. "Hurry up," she called behind her. "Breakfast is ready." "I'll be down in one minute," Sam replied and turned back to Al, his face a mask of panic. "What am I going to do, Al?" "Relax, Sam. Just calm down." But Sam couldn't. He started pacing around the room. "What am I supposed to tell Rachel and Karen? I don't think the 'Angel Sam/Angel Al' routine is going to work this time..." "No, I guess not..." Al conceded. "And what about me? I mean him? I mean the young me?" "Did you have a nick-name?" Al asked suddenly. "What?" Sam asked, thrown off by Al's sudden shift in direction. "No, not that I can remember. What does that have to do with anything?" "That figures. Well, it would just make things easier if we had something to call him." It would also make him his own person, and separate his identity from that of the time-traveler, but that was a reason that Al wasn't about to voice. "So for lack of a better nick-name, let's call him Bingo." Sam grimaced, not thrilled with the choice, but it would have to suffice. "Okay, we'll call him Bingo. But that doesn't solve the problem..." "Stop worrying Sam. Trust me on this one, you can't let the fact that he's you twenty years ago bother you." Sam stopped and took a deep breath. It was all a dream that was becoming a nightmare. So many questions, so many problems, and all hitting too close to home for Sam to remain objective about anything. He stopped his pacing and took another breath. It wouldn't do him any good to get upset by the whole situation. Nothing would be accomplished that way. "You're right," he said. He then eyed Al strangely for a second before continuing. "But you can't be around when he is." "Why not?" "Because he'll be able to see you, that's why not." "How do you know that?" "Remember that New York millionaire, Michael Blake?" He didn't wait for Al's answer. "He was able to see you because our brainwaves had a similar pattern. My brainwaves, I mean his, I mean Bingo's are exactly the same as mine. They'll be no way for Ziggy to just 'fine tune' him out. You can't be around when he is." "All right then. Do you think he'll be able to see who you really are, too?" "No, I don't think so. After all, Blake still saw me as Pearson. I'll just have to hope that Bingo sees me as Tom." Another moment of awkward silence passed before Al spoke up. "What are you going to do?" Sam gritted his teeth with newfound determination. Somewhere from deep inside him came the Beckett strength that he had always admired in his big brother. "I'm going to help them, Al. That's all I can do." "All right then, I'm outta here. You just hang in there. I'll go get on Ziggy's case to give me some more scenarios." "Thank you." Al made no verbal reply as he stepped through the Imaging Chamber door, but his eyes said volumes. *** * Tracy Finifter | "Life is what happens to you while * * finifter@gandalf.rutgers.edu | your busy making other plans." * * Douglass College, Rutgers University | - John Lennon *