From: la095at8@csulb.edu (Michael Ejercito) Subject: Oval Office-part 3 Date: 8 Dec 1995 23:42:50 GMT Message-ID: <4aaihq$m4q@garuda.csulb.edu> Summary: Sam leaps into President Dwight David Eisenhower part 3 The Project Quantum Leap control room was in the lowest level of the compound,which was originally built as a temporary seat of government for the President and Congress in the event of a nuclear war. In the center of the room was the supercomputer Ziggy. Ziggy's main processor was inside a plastic sphere suspended from the ceiling by a titanium rod. Through the blue plastic a person could see a network of fiber-optic cables.On the floor was the main console whichwas a plastic box with colored plastic boxes on the top. Ziggy was the most advanced computer on earth. Technicians were watching the many monitors lined up along the walls. Two scientists watching a monitor screen were having a conversation. "So,Jerry,how was your night with Ensign Breck?"Doctor Donna Eleese asked the young man sitting next to her. "It was great,Doctor Eleese. I took her to Marie Callender's on Pine Avenue,"Jerry answered. "I wish Sam would leap home so I could do that,"Donna said to the twenty-four-year-old scientist. Donna was Sam Beckett's wife. They met each other working in Project StarBright in 1983,and were married in 1984. They spent eleven years together until that fateful day in 1995 when Sam stepped into the quantum leap accelerator. He came back in 1998 for a brief while,but had to leap again to save Al. The control room door opened. Al came in with Sam's host. The scientists and Navy personell inside could not see Eisenhower through Sam's aura. Al said to everyone in the control room,"Attention everybody." Everyone looked at Al. "I would like you to meet Dwight Eisenhower." Everyone was surprised. Was that really Dwight Eisenhower in the control room with Al? Al spoke to Eisenhower and said,"This is our control room where we monitor Doctor Beckett's leaps.That big thing over there is the computer Ziggy.Mister Eisenhower,say hello to Ziggy." "Uh,hello Ziggy,"Eisenhower muttered. "Hello,Mister Eisenhower,"a female voice replied. "That computer can talk!"Eisenhower exclaimed. Eisenhower was astonished by the technology. "What wonders exist in the future!" "Actually,computers like that are rare. Ziggy cost over six million dollars. But she is the most advanced computer in the world." Al was the only person in the room who remembers that Sam was originally single in 1995,and that Ziggy had a male voice. But after Sam fixed Donna's life so she married him instead of leaving him at the altar,Donna joined the Project Quantum Leap staff and gave Ziggy a female voice. Only a person who locked on to Sam in the imaging chamber would remember the original history. "How do you monitor Sam?"the former president asked. "Two ways,"Al said. "One way is looking at the computer screens lined up along the wall. They display Sam's status through his aura link with you. The other way,"Al explained,pointing to a door on the wall,"is through the imaging chamber." Al continued his speech."The imaging chamber creates a holographic image of the time where Sam is. This image comes from the aura link he has with you,and his neuron link with me. Now let us go see Sam." They opened the imaging chamber door and entered. Sam was eating a hamburger and French fries in the private dinig room with Eisenhower's wife Mamie. The imaging chamber door opened,and Al and Eisenhower walked inside. "This is the White House! And that is Mamie!"Eisenhower exclaimed. He proceeded to touch Mamie and his hand went through. "You can not touch her because she is a hologram,"Al explained. "She can not see or hear you,either. But Doctor Beckett should be able to see you through his aura link." Sam looked at Al and Eisenhower. He turned to Mamie and said to her,"Excuse me,I have to use the telephone." Mamie replied,"Okay. Just don't take too long." Sam picked up the telephone receiver on the wall and said to Al,"So how is the tour going?" "It is going fine,"Al replied. "Hello,Doctor Beckett,"Eisenhower said to Sam. "How is your job as President going?" "It is going fine. Is there anything I need to know from you?" "Uh..well,I can't remember." Al said to Eisenhower,"You're suffering from neuron shock. It is a side effect of leaping." Eisenhower looked at the dinner table. "This reminds me,when do we get to eat?" "The commissary is next on the tour,"Al responded. "We have to go now. Goodbye,Sam." "Goodbye,Al,"Sam said in response. Al pressed a few buttons on his handlink,and he and Eisenhower disappeared. Mamie said to Sam,"Excuse me,Dwight,but would you mind telling me what that was about?" "I was talking to the secretary of defense about top-secret stuff,"Sam said. He sat down and proceeded to eat his lunch. The commissary is where all of the staff members ate. It was on the first floor. There were many scientists and Navy personell inside having lunch. A wide-screen television on the left to the entrance was on showing the news. "This is the commissary where we eat,"Al explained. He went to a man in the counter and said,"I will have a mushroom pizza and a Coke." "Coming right up,sir,"the man said. "I would like to introduce to you some of our staff. This is Gooshie,our head programmer,"Al said,pointing to the short man with the bad breath. "Hello,Mister Eisenhower,"Gooshie said. "Hello,Gooshie,"Eisenhower replied. Al continued speaking." That is Doctor Verbena Beeks,Doctor Donna Eleese,and Doctor Jerry Alden,"he said,pointing to the three people standing near him. Eisenhower looked at the television and said,"Those pictures are in color!" "We tend to take that for granted,"Doctor Beeks said in response. "But I guess if we came straight from 1955,we would be amazed too." Eisenhower was looking at the television. He saw scenes of combat,with helicopters flying around and tanks blowing up stuff. "What is that?"he asked. "Oh,we are at war. I neglected to mention that. Started two years ago in 1997,"Al answered. "Over what?" "Basically over diamonds. Not just any diamonds-blue diamonds. The war started because some communist country in Africa invaded Zaire. You see,that region has always been a source of strategic materials. The uranium used to build the atomic bombs which exploded over Japan came from that area. Zaire continued to supply the United States with materials such as copper,cobalt,and titanium. And Zaire is the worlds biggest source of type II-b blue diamonds which are used as semiconductors in defense computers. They are the most important military resource in the world today." "In fact,Ziggy uses blue diamonds that came from Zaire as semiconductors,"Gooshie added. "I see,"said Eisenhower,as he ate his hamburger. to be continued in part 4