Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 16:38:44 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Slide Before You Leap - Part 18 Message-ID: "Admiral. Dr. Beckett," Harlow said as she noticed Al and Sam enter the cafeteria to get something to eat. She and Weitzman had just finished their own late lunch and were now discussing the tour of the Complex. "Won't you join us?" she invited. "We have a few questions we'd like to ask." Al looked at Sam. Sam looked at Al. It was obvious to both that neither wanted to accept the invitation. They did anyway, bringing their lunches to Harlow and Weitzman's table. "Which questions?" Al asked once he and Sam were seated. "Admiral," Weitzman said, "it seems there are certain areas of the complex that you haven't shown us and which are not on our itinerary." He took a paper from his pocket and opened it. "For example, this area here inside the mountain above the complex." Al looked at Weitzman seriously. "I would take you there, Senator. However, it would probably kill us. As you may not know, this complex runs on nuclear energy. That's where the reactor is. The mountain has natural ore deposits which help block in any radiation and, as a precaution, the inside is lined with a five foot thick wall of concrete. Only specialized personnel are allowed there and only with proper equipment." Al looked into Weitzman's eyes. He sensed a trap. "I see," Weitzman replied. "Then can you explain why we are not allowed on the eleventh level?" "Eleventh level?" Al asked. "You must mean the old offices." He looked amused. "That has been shut down for years." "Then you wouldn't mind letting us see it," Harlow put in. Sam's head came up. "You seem concerned, Dr. Beckett," Harlow commented. "I'm just surprised," Sam told her. "That you want to tour a part of the complex that we no longer use." "Then why are there energy readings coming from that level?" Weitzman demanded. "I don't understand," Sam lied. "Electricity, Dr. Beckett," Weitzman told him. "That wonderful commodity that your nuclear reactor generates. We had one of your technicians give us an energy reading for this complex for our review and Lo and Behold! there were peculiarly high readings. Higher than it should have been for all ten levels. Obviously, the eleventh level isn't shut down as you say it is." Now Al looked surprised. "That's impossible," he improvised. "Then let's double-check it," Harlow suggested. Al hesitated. "You're not hiding anything, are you, Admiral?" Weitzman smirked with obvious glee. Al took a breath. "Of course not, Senator," he replied, gaining a hidden look of shock from Sam. "Shall we go now?" "You haven't even touched your meal," Weitzman pointed out. "However, there is no time like the present." Al looked at Sam. Sam stood, followed by Harlow and Weitzman. A silent message passed between Sam and Al. They knew that they had burned their bridges and there was no where to go but down. Without a word, Al and Sam led the senators to the elevator and started down. When they reached the tenth level, the elevator stopped. The doors opened and Al led the way out of the elevator. "Eleventh level, Admiral," Weitzamn pushed. "I had Alpha cut off elevator access to the eleventh level. The only way to get down there is the stairway." He led them to the stairway, giving a corporal a silent order to follow them. "So you ARE hiding something," Harlow commented. "No, Senator," Al told her. "I WAS hiding something but now I'm no longer hiding it." He led them down the stairway and through a door into a corridor. He then led them down the corridor to a door with a glass panel and entered the room. The four Sliders looked up in surprise as Al and Sam entered the lab, followed by two others and a corporal. Quinn stood up from his seat close to Arturo. "Admiral? Dr. Beckett? What's going on?" Weitzman scrutinized the four. "Admiral, who are these people with Dr. Arturo?" He looked at him firmly. "They are not authorized to be here." "No, sir. They are not," Al replied. "They're consultants," Sam put in. "I called for them." "Without committee approval," Weitzman added. "It was my call, Senator," Al told him. "As Chief of Security of this project, I am responsible for willfully allowing them to enter the complex without authorization." Weitzman took a breath and exhaled. He looked at Harlow for a moment to gain her unspoken opinion. He then walked a couple of steps closer to Al. "Admiral, do you realize that what you have done is a court-martial offense?" The Sliders looked in surprise at Al and the senator. "Yes, sir," Al replied. "Wait a minute!" Wade exclaimed. "Wade..." Quinn warned. "You're not going to court-martial him?!" Wade continued, ignoring Quinn. Harlow walked towards her. "And you are?" "Wade Wells," Wade answered. "And I can't believe you'd court-martial someone for trying to help us!" "Help you do what?" Harlow asked. Al had to say something and quick. He knew that if Weitzman heard that they were Sliders he'd think that not only were they crazy but Al was too. "Shall I place myself under arrest, Senator Weitzman? Or would you prefer that pleasure?" Weitzman glared at him. "Corporal, Admiral Calavicci, Dr. Arturo, and Dr. Beckett are under arrest for treason and the other three are under arrest for trespassing on government property. They are to be confined to their quarters until further notice." "Senator," Al put in quickly. "I take full responsibility for all that has happened. These people know nothing about Dr. Beckett's project and they wouldn't even be here if I hadn't flown them here personally." "Your point is, Admiral?" Weitzman asked. "The point is if you arrest all of us and put us all on trial, you'll get the media's attention. That would bring this project to the light of the public and you'd have a huge controversy on your hands." Harlow walked to him, interest on her face. "You had something else in mind?" Al looked at her. "You send the four back to where they came from and you never hear from them again." "The four of them?" Harlow questioned. "The fourth isn't Dr. Arturo," Al told them. "Dr. Arturo is paralyzed from the waist down; this man isn't. He goes with the others to San Francisco. Then you fire me and I resign my commission." "Al!" Sam exclaimed in shock. Al looked at him with compassion. "And what about Dr. Beckett?" Weitzman queried. Al looked at Sam again. "You give Dr. Beckett two weeks with there people." "Why?" Harlow asked. "Because the hearing isn't for another two weeks," Al told her. "And because if you don't, the press WILL know about this project." Weitzman laughed. "You wouldn't dare. It would ruin your career." Al smirked at him. "My career will be over anyway. And telling the press just might bolster Dr. Beckett's career, especially when the press learn of your plans to cut off his funding." "That's blackmail, Admiral," Weitzman glowered. "All I want is for Dr. Beckett to have a chance to prove his theory before the hearing. If he can prove it, he keeps his project and selects a new Chief of Security. If he doesn't prove it... well, that's between you and Dr. Beckett but I'd suggest you just let him go on his way." "And you resign either way," Weitzman said with a glint in his eyes. "It's what you've been waiting for all these years, isn't it?" Al questioned. Harlow looked at Weitzman with question. "What did he mean by that?" Weitzman ignored her, continuing to gaze at Al. "Very well, Admiral," he finally said. "But only under military guard." Al nodded. "Corporal," he said with authority. "Yes, sir?" the corporal replied. "Take note. These are my last orders as an admiral in the United States Navy. One: I am placing myself under house arrest until my resignation which will be given in fourteen days. Two: a guard is to remain within twenty feet of our guests until they are permitted to return to San Francisco at Dr. Beckett's orders. Three: Dr. Beckett may retain freedom of movement within the complex but he will not be allowed to leave the complex for thirteen days." He turned to Weitzman. "Is that satisfactory?" "The four are allowed to leave at Dr. Beckett's orders?" Weitzman questioned. "It's necessary," Al told him. "They have a previous engagement and I do not know when it will be. Dr. Beckett will know later." "Very well. Only if you write your resignation and give it to me immediately." "Post-dated for one week after the hearing," Al added. "Agreed," Weitzman replied. "I would shake your hand but...." "Believe what you will, Senator," Al told him. Weitzman lookied at Harlow. "We're leaving." He quickly left the lab, Harlow following, confusion on her face and on the faces of six of the seven people left in the room. ------------------------- Part 19 next week. Perhaps Part 20 too. Stay tuned. Kat