Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 14:22:21 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Slide Before You Leap - Part 3 Message-ID: Slide Before You Leap A Quantum Leap/Sliders Crossover by Kat Freymuth Part 3 It was only an hour before two of the four stood to leave the cafe. It looked as if the group was splitting up. Al lowered his coffee cup and watched carefully as Professor Arturo and Wade paid their part of the tab and began to leave. Al dropped a five dollar bill on the table and headed out the door, determined not to lose track of Max's mysterious double. ********** "I'm surprised Wade's not going with you," Rembrandt commented as Arturo and Wade left the cafe. "I think she knows the Professor needs some time away from us," Quinn replied. Rembrandt laughed a bit. "Yeah, we were getting on his nerves a little that last slide." "And on each others too," Quinn added. "You ready?" "Yeah, let's go." The two stood, paid their part of the tab, and left the cafe, heading the opposite direction that Arturo and Wade took. "Looks pretty normal to me," Rembrandt said optimistically. Maybe this slide would be comfortable for a change. "Let get to the park first," Quinn suggested, wanting to feel Rembrandt's optimism but having gone through so mauvh that he knew that none of them were as truly optimistic as they pretended to be. "Good idea," Rembrandt commented. "Easier to see the differences there." The park wasn't much different than the way they were hoping. Just off the park where they were expecting a small pretzel stand was a large pretzel stand which served different coffees such as espresso or cappucino. "This world seems to be obsessed with coffee," Quinn noted. "Did you count how many we passed just getting here?" "Yeah. Makes you wonder about how hyperactive these people might be." "Well," Quinn said, looking about, "we may not be home but it could be worse." "Yeah," Rembrandt replied with conviction. "It already has been several times." Quinn looked at his watch. They weren't to meet Arturo and Wade back at the hotel for another two hours. "Let's take advantage of our time," he told Rembrandt. "Find out a little about this world other than it has a lot of coffee shops." Without a word, he started out of the park. With a sigh, Rembrandt followed. ********** Al followed Arturo and Wade to the local library and waited on the steps in a corner where he could keep an eye on the door but seem completely uninterested. A library wasn't one of the places he would have thought they would have gone to. But, then again, what else was he expecting? Inside the library, Wade and Arturo were finding what they could about this world they had slid into. So far, given the emphasis in the newpapers about the ongoing, as yet three year, fighting in Cuba, it was obvious that this wasn't their world. But how did this world verge down this path of history? Arturo was engrossed deep into a recent history book while Wade decided to check out the Periodical Index. She wanted to know if there were any articles that would help her find out more about their alter-egos in this world. As she looked through the book for their names, she noticed several articles listed under one particular name. It was unusual to find a lot of entries under Rembrandt's name, him having been a famous Rhythm and Blues singer before leaving the Spinning Tops. But it was unusual to find many articles under the Professor's name, especially when they DIDN'T have to do with quantum physics. She decided to investigate further. "Professor," she said a few minutes later as she approached Arturo from behind, "take a look at this." Arturo took the copy from a microfilm that Wade was holding and read the newspaper article dated two years before. "Physics Professor Injure in Hit and Run," he read. "It's you, Professor," Wade told him. "So I see. Apparently my alternate self was hospitalized from an automobile accident. Both of his legs were broken." "This was written two years ago," Wade reminded. "What happened to you since?" "Interesting question which we might explore. Did you find out anything about the rest of us?" "Well, Rembrandt's started a new band called 'Cryin' Man and the Soulfuls'. Looks like he's doing pretty good here. Couldn't find anything about Quinn and me." Well," Arturo told her, "since our resources are newspapers, we can assume that nothing drastic has happened to either of you. At least nothing that it news-worthy." He stood up. "Shal we go? I am sure that Quinn and Mr. Brown are expecting us and that we do have sufficient knowledge of this world to get by for the next two weeks." Wade nodded, retrieving her copy of the article and folding it to fit in her jacket. As the two left the library, Wade noticed out of the corner of her eye a figure she was sure she had seen before. They walked several blocks before Wade stopped and fained tying her shoelaces. "Miss Wells?" Arturo questioned. "Professor, I think we're being followed. A guy with curly balck hair in a black suit and a light blue shirt." Arturo frowned and started to look around. "Are you quite sure?" "Positive. I saw him in the cafe across the street at breakfast and then again as we left the library." Arturo sighed. "I see no one, Miss Wells." "Which only mean that I'm just imaging him or he's really good." Both looked the way they came. "He's there, Professor," Wade said firmly, standing up. "I know he is." "Hi, Max," a gravelly voice said from behind them. Both Wade and Arturo jumped slightly at the voice and turned around. Wade gasped slightly. It was him! "Who the devil are you?" Arturo demanded. The man's eyelids lowered slightly but the smile on his face didn't shift, making him look more menacing than if he was frowning. It was obvious that he didn't like the manner in which he had been spoken to. "Let's talk, 'Professor'," he said sarcastically. "You have a lot to explain." MORE TO COME..... Kat Freymuth krfreymu@mail.uccs.edu