Message-ID: <19990211154451.14723.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Erik Dreiling" Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 07:44:51 PST Subject: Quantum Leap: Reunion (Part 2) Part Two of Six _________________________________________________________________ Stallions Gate, New Mexico. Project Quantum Leap Monday, March 6, 2000 Al Calavicci took his time getting back to the Control Room. He was in no hurry on getting back. He had been deprived of sleep for the past two days, if the dark circles under his eyes were any indication. But he couldn't linger on much longer, for he had to get ready for another meeting with the Committee on funding requests in about four hours. That is what Al loathed the most: facing a bunch of airheads who could care less for the Project. Earlier on they had tryed to shut it down because they thought that it was too dangerous because they had thought that Sam Beckett was killed when he stepped into the Accelerator. But through several miracles Al was able to keep the Project alive. He keyed in the command on the handlink to open the Door and he stepped through. The Door had closed behind him. When he reached the bottom of the ramp he was not suprised to see Gooshie hunched over Ziggy's main terminal with his hands flying about the knobs and buttons. He barely looked up as Al passed by him. Al looked at him and asked, "Has Ziggy got anything yet on why Chris Richardson disappared?" Gooshie quickly glanced at Al and returned to his work. After a brief moment he said, "Not yet, Admiral. She is still performing data searches and it will take her a while to finish." "In a more accurate estimation, Admiral, try back in 7.6 hours. I should have accumilated more data by then.", came a pleasant feminine voice that seemed to come from everywhere. Al knew the sound of that voice all to well and he turned around and looked up at the glowing blue orb that was suspended from above the terminal. The orb produced a quiet hum that seemed almost rhytmic. "What do you mean '7.6 hours'? Usually it takes you a matter of seconds, minutes at the most, to break into the archives. What gives?" "At the moment, Admiral, I am dealing with many data limiting factors and it has caused me to operate at a diminished capacity. Therefore, it has rendered my ability to accquire data at my normal rate." Al continued to hold his gaze at the orb pondering that last statement. He narrowed his eyes and said, "That dosen't make much sense Zig. I mean, you were able to get the police files for the the dissaparence of Chris Richardson." Ziggy didn't bother to answer that one. But instead she said, "I should inform you, Admiral, that Senator Weizman phoned. He told me to tell you that the meeting with the Committee has been postponed until a later date". Al looked suprised as well as relieved. Finally, some good news Al thought to himself. Al nodded and walked over to far left of the cold, cameleon room and pulled up a chair. He just wanted to rest his feet. After he made himself comfortabe he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. His cigar was out and he tossed it into the nearest trash can and patted his pockets for a fresh one. When he had made himself comfortable he asked, "Did Weitzman say why the meeting was postponed? That is not like him. Usually, he would jump at the chance to terminate the Project." "That last statement is untrue to a point, Admiral. You see, although that you were unable to prove to the Committee that Dr. Beckett is actually travelling in time, his absence has left the door open for possibilities to the Committee.", Ziggy replied almost immediatly. Al grumbled a response and got up to go to his quarters. He needed some rest badly. He decided that he would deal with the problems at hand when he was better rested. "I am going to go to my quarters to get some rest. Let me know if you get anything on the Richardsons. I need to know just why Chris left so I can give the information to Sam." Al was half way to the elevator when a thought occured to him. He stopped ,turned around, and asked Ziggy, "Where's Tina? I haven't seen her around all day." "Ms. Martinez-O'Farrel is visiting her father in Alberqurque. She will be back tomorrow afternoon.", Ziggy said. Al thought about this for a second then headed back towards the elevator. He pushed the button that would take him to the ninth level. He greeted two technicians as they depated from the elevator and stepped inside. He let a sigh escape as the door closed behind him. Verbeena Beeks appared around the corner as the elevator that Al was in left. She was wearing a lab coat and underneath she had on a light-purple colored jumpsuit. She had a cup of coffee in one hand and a clipboard firmly clutched between her other hand. She walked over to Gooshie and greeted him. He looked up at her from the terminal and greeted her back. She then walked over to the chair that Al was sitting in earlier and looked at her watch. 6:30 A.M. She sighed and took a sip of her luke warm coffee. "Good morning, Dr. Beeks.", came the pleasant response of Ziggy. "Good morning, Ziggy." Verbeena was looking kind of ragged and had trouble keeping her eyes open. She drained her coffee cup and set it next to her on the floor. A clipboard lay absently on her lap. She stifled a yawn and got up to go over to Gooshie to give him the data that she aquired from Kenny in the Waiting Room. He took it from her and began to input it to Ziggy. "How's our Visitor, Verbeena?", Gooshie asked. Verbeena looked up at him and said, "He's fine at the moment. He has calmed down and suggested that he is dreaming this whole experience. Right now he is tring to get some rest." Gooshie nodded and continued to input the latest data through Ziggy. "Where's Al"? Verbeena asked as she looked about the room. "I haven't seen him around." "Admiral Calavicci is resting at the moment. If you wish, I shall send for him.", Ziggy replied suggestivly Verbeena thought about ths for a moment then replied, "You don't need to do that right now. He really needs his rest." "So do you, Doctor Beeks. Your respitory patterns indicate that you may fall asleep within the next two minutes." Verbeena considered this for a second then got uo from her chair. "I will get some rest later, Ziggy. Right now I have to do some papaerwork in my office and its going to take a while." She then walked out of the Control Room and headed towards the corridor that would lead her to her office. Gooshie was alone in the Control Room. He glanced around, sighed, and continued to input data. This was going to be a very long day. __**__ Kenny Richardson couldn't get much sleep. For the first ten minutes he actually tried to but was unsuccessful. That lady and that naval guy had asked some awfully strange questions. "What year is it, Kenny?" "What???" Please tell me what year it is." "1978." "Where are you from?" He squinted his eyes, as if he had trouble remebering. " Texas...I think." He had never heard anything more ridiculous in his life. No...wait. There was one thing that he just could not believe. "Where am I? I know this isn't Texas." "Well, you see, that one is a bit tough to answer." She took a moment to think of how she would answer that one. "Well, you are part of a...experiment. You have travelled twenty two years into the future. And you have switched places with a scientist." "A scientist." "Yes, a scientist." "Won't people realize that I am gone?" "Well, when you Leaped out your physical aura was left behind and it clung to Dr. Beckett causing people to see him as you. Just the same ,his aura was left behind and you appear to us as him." He gave her a look of disbelief and rejected the whole concept. She then suggested that he look into the mirrored table at his reflection. He complied to prove her wrong. Boy, was he in for a suprise! He had to keep himself from screaming when he saw someone else staring back at him. "This is impossible.", he muttered. "Impossible." She placed a hand tentavly on his shoulder and he recoiled from her. The naval person had gone after him but the lady held him back. "Maybe its best that we give him some privacy, Al. He needs time to adjust." This guy...Al, had something in his hand that made little electronic noises and blinked with different colors. Kenny looked at it curiously, trying to figure out what it was. They both turned around and headed for the door that they had came in. Once they had left Kenny went back to the table and continued to stare at "his" reflection. He had no idea on how to handle this one. __**__ Al lay on his bed on top of the sheets staring at the ceiling. In the past week he had gotten very little sleep and almost no privacy. But now he was alone and it was quiet. He thought about Tina......god did he miss her! The thought of Tina brought a smile to his face and was waiting anxiously for her to return. In the mean time, he just wanted to rest. He closed his eyes and he began to drift into sleep when Ziggy called his name. "Admiral, I think that I should inform you that I have aquired more data pretaining to Dr. Beckett's Leap." Al leaned forward and got up to go over to the monitor that was linked through Ziggy. Al waited for what seemed to be a mintue when he prompted the computer. "Well, Ziggy, what information did you get?" "I have aquired little data on the Richardson family. I will put it up on your monitor momentarily." Al aited as the latest information graced the screen. Al read it and then looked up at Ziggy. "This won't help Sam much, Zig. I need to know why Chris disappared." "As I said earlier, Admiral, that is going to take a while to recieve. If you want you can rely the information to Dr. Beckett. Maybe he can work with it." "Yeah. Maybe." Al walked over to the bathroom and truned on the hot water in his shower. A nice, hot bath woul help out a lot.