Organization: Penn State University Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1993 15:02:43 EST From: Message-Id: <93083.150243MRM122@psuvm.psu.edu> Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: Trinity Leap, Part 6 Lines: 216 TRINITY LEAP Part Six "Well, Admiral?" she asked. "I'm Admiral Al Calavicci," Al said. "There is no Admiral Calavicci," she said, "My superiors and contacts checked extensively. Who are you working for?" Her accent showed more. Hints of... German? "Look, kid," Al said, "I hate to break this to you, but the Nazis have lost the war." "Shut up!" she said, "The Third Reich will live forever!" Great, thought Al, she not only a murderess and a spy, but she's psychotic, too. "Listen..." "Who are you working for?" she asked again. She extended the gun a little closer to Al, as if to emphasize her seriousness. "No one!" "Do not try my patience, 'Admiral'! I've been watching you. You'll talk to your allies over some sort of hidden radio. I've seen you 'talking to yourself' too many times for you to deny it!" "Really, no one! I'm... I'm a time traveller." "Do you think I am stupid, or do you just wish to die?" "I'm telling you, it's the truth!" Al said, getting desperate, "I'm a time traveller from the year 1999." Just then the Imaging Chamber door opened, and Sam came through, saying, "Al, Ziggy has a theory on-- Oh boy. Just talk her down, Al." "I don't think that's going to work, Sam." "Talking on your radio, again? Give it to me!" she said. By now it was well into the night, and everyone was getting into position for the test, scheduled at 5 in the morning. Al and the dead soldier could very well go unnoticed in the commotion, and wouldn't be found until after it all. "I can't do that," said Al, "It's... surgically implanted in my head." "Good cover, Al. Keep her talking." "Very interesting. We will make great use of this." "We?" said Al, now getting annoyed, "What do you mean 'we'? Honey, let me get something clear for you. It's OVER for the Nazis. They lost." "Ziggy's coming up with something on this one. Here she's known as Melissa Johnson, but her real name is Julia Urich," said Sam. His hands looked like they wanted to grab the gun from her, as if they didn't know she was only a hologram. "Shut up! For the last time, who do you work for?" she said. "Julia," said Al, "Put down the gun." "How do you know who I am?" she asked, a little shocked. For just a moment, she let her guard down. Al took the opportunity and jumped her, but she was too quick and he couldn't get the gun from her. They wrestled in the desert sand, while Sam shouted encouraging things to Al. Al seemed to be getting the upper hand when the gun went off. *************** "What's the countdown at, son?" "T minus one and quarter hours, General." "Good. How does everything look?" "Clean and clear, sir. Should go fine." "Glad to hear that, son." "It's going to be quite a sight, isn't it, sir?" "That it is. That it is." *************** Julia got up, put the gun back in her coat, and ran off into the desert night. Al lay still on the sand "Al?" said Sam, "Are you okay? Can you hear me? Al?" For a moment, there was nothing, then a groan from Al. "Al! You're alive!" "Brilliant observation, kid. No wonder you're a genius." "How are you?" asked Sam, then he looked himself. The wound was small, and in his stomach, but the blood loss and shock could kill him. Sam looked up at him, "Al, we've got to get you some help." "We can't do that, Sam." said Al, pulling himself towards the jeep, "They might call off the test, and we can have them do that. Is she going to screw up the test, though?" "Ziggy says no." "Then go warn Feynman about her, but tell him NOT to stop the test and also not to do anything about her until after it." "What are you going to do?" asked Sam. "I've got an idea. Just go." Sam pushed a few buttons on the handlink, and disappeared. He reappeared next to Doctor Feynman, who was writing in his notebook in his tent. "Doctor Feynman," said Sam, "I've got to tell you something." "What is it, Sam?" "There's a spy here. Her name is Julia, but she's known as Melissa, the PX serving girl." "Is she going to sabotage the test?" "No, she isn't. But she could cause trouble later. The test HAS to go as planned, so wait until after the test and then deal with her." "All right, Sam. If you think that is what is best." "Thank you, Doctor Feynman. Al and I will probably be gone after the test, so I guess this is goodbye." "Goodbye, Doctor Beckett. I'll look forward to meeting you in the future." "Goodbye," said Sam, and pushed the handlink to return to Al. Al had gotten in the jeep and was driving it towards the Tower. He looked very pale. "Al!" said Sam, "What are you doing?" "Sam, what did you say are the two ways to create a simoleap?" "A severe electrical discharge or... oh, no, Al! You can't be serious." "What does Ziggy give it?" "No, Al! It's too dangerous." "What does Ziggy say?" "Ziggy gives it a 70.3% chance. If you get right on top of it and I'm there as well to leap with you." "It's the only way, Sam." Al said. He was covered with sweat, and needed care. The only way to get it was to leap him home, and soon. "All right, Al. All right." In Al's condition, it took almost an hour to get to the Tower, and then he was worse. "Getting to the bomb will take climbing that ladder, Al. I don't know if you can do that." "I have to, Sam." "Ziggy says if you do, the spotlight will spot you and they'll scrub the test." "Then get rid of the spotlight, there's only nine minutes left!" "How can I do that? I'm just a hologram!" "You're the genius! Find a way!" Al started to work his way to the ladder. Sam pushed the handlink again and jumped to the spotlight tower. "How am I going to get them to move the spotlight? They can't see or hear me." He looked around, then saw his answer. Sleeping outside of the tower, tied to a rope, was a large guard dog. "Hey! Doggie! Hey! Wake up! Hey!" he yelled at the dog. The dog opened his eyes, and looked at Sam, then jumped up and started barking up a storm. Sam yelled some more and danced around the dog, who was barking up a frenzy. The spotlight then moved from the Tower across the desert to the ground right outside. Then a soldier came out of the spotlight tower with his rifle ready. "What's going on? Whose out here?" "Just me!" yelled Sam, "Just little old me, the Raving Hologram!" The dog was in a real frenzy now. "Hey, girl," said the soldier, "Calm down. There's nothing here." "That should be enough," said Sam, and returned to Al. Al was almost at the top of the ladder, and Sam positioned himself at the top of the platform. "Come on, Al! They'll have the spotlight back on here in a minute." "I don't know how... you did it," said Al, straining, "But I don't care." He reached the top. "Get over by the bomb, Al. Hurry! There's only two and half minutes left." "Need to rest," said Al. "You don't have time! Get in there!" Al crawled slowly to the inside of the tower as the spotlight returned to position. "Come on, Al. One minute thirty!" Al had only a few feet to go. Sam started talking to the handlink, "Gushie, get a trauma team into the Imaging Chamber, We're going to need it. And... tell Donna I'm sorry. Just do it, Gushie!" Al started to crawl on top of the bomb, and Sam moved to the same position. "Fifteen seconds to go. Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve." Al had lost consciousness now. "What's that, Ziggy? Drop the handlink? All right. Eight seconds, Al. Don't worry." *************** The soldiers voice droned with stoicness, "Eight seconds. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Blast." The entire sky boiled for the scientists and military men watching in the bunker. A small silence passed, followed by the thunderous sound washing over them. Oppenheimer, in awe and terror of the destruction, whispered, "I am become Death, shatterer of worlds." *************** The great brightness around Sam settled, and he found himself in a pilot's uniform, standing at an airport gate. A familiar looking man came up behind him and said, "Come on, Captain, we better get ready to fly this puppy." "Um... right," said Sam, still disoriented, his memory starting to empty out of his brain. He walked towards the gate slowly. The passengers were in line, waiting to get on the plane. Sam glanced over them, then saw a face he knew. A paranoid, shifty face. He same terrorist from before. Instinctivly, Sam leaped at him, tackling him to the ground, yelling, "Security! This man is a terrorist! Security!" The man, rather shocked, fell to the ground like a ton of bricks. The security came over quickly and picked up the man, and found the gas cannister and mask in his coat. The handcuffed him and carted him off. Sam stood up and brushed himself off. Al, the co-pilot, came over to him. "How did you know?" "Umm... deja vu, I guess." "You're crazy, pal. Just crazy." "That's it, Sam," said a voice behind him, "You did it." Sam turned and saw Gushie. "Gushie? What are you doing here? What happened to Al?" "He's still in bad shape, but the doctors say he's going to be fine. But you stopped the terrorist and the plane crash, which is why you leaped here in the first place. So, get ready to leap." Sam was puzzled by this. "But--" was all he got out before he leaped. THE END  Marshall Ryan Maresca