From: cheryl492@aol.com To: alt-ql-creative@cisco.com Subject: Twist in Time - Part 5 Date: Thu, 03 Jun 93 18:14:57 EDT Message-Id: <9306031814.tn11484@aol.com> Twist in Time Cheryl A. Bellucci Part 5 Sam couldn't help but be apprehensive the next day. From the time he said goodbye to Wayne's mother, making her promise she'd keep an eye on the weather and be extra careful that day, to the time he arrived at the car dealership, he was extremely nervous. But, remembering what Wayne's mother had said about the college scholarship, Sam realized it was important that he not do anything to jeopardize Wayne's job. To Sam's relief, the first job Walt told him to do was to finish washing the row of cars Wayne was working on when Sam leaped in the day before. At least Sam could work by himself, outside, and watch the sky without too many people bothering him. "You finish that row without getting anyone else wet?" Walt asked him when he brought the bucket and sponge back inside. Sam nodded. "Good, now take the charger and check out the red Buick in the front row. Ted said he had trouble getting it started this morning." "Uh, yeah, do you remember where we put it last?" Walt gestured toward the far side of the garage area. "It's where it always is, Wayne. You better find a cure for this spring fever you've developed these past couple of days." Sam walked over to the battery charger and wheeled it out to the lot. He had just opened the hood of the car Walt mentioned when he heard the imaging door open. "Al, did Ziggy figure out what I'm supposed to do yet?" Sam asked, glancing around to see if anyone was watching him. The expression on Al's face said "no" before he even replied. "We've been feeding Ziggy scenarios all night, Sam. We can't pinpoint it down to one particular incident, just that whatever will happen will probably happen on Wayne's walk from the dealership here to the apartment." "It would be great if Ziggy could narrow it down some." Sam sounded frustrated. "Yeah, well Sam, there's just too much data on this one for her to make a definite guess." Al glanced down at the handlink then back up at Sam. "All I can tell you is that according to the original history, both Wayne and his mother come out okay. There must be someone else you're supposed to help." "Like Ziggy is supposed to help me, by telling me who it is!" Sam's sleepness night was catching up to him. He hadn't meant to snap at Al like that. Unfortunately, Al wasn't the only one who heard him. "Wayne, are you okay?" Sam looked up to see Walt standing next to the car. "Yeah, sure. I got the charger hooked up here to the battery. What's next?" "Lunch. I just thought I'd let you know that a bunch of the guys are going down to McDonald's, and we thought you might want to come." Sam shot a nervous glance to Al. After a few button presses, Al looked back at Sam. "Nothing's going to happen until 4:40, Sam, go ahead," Al responded, then added after glancing back down at the handlink, "but, you know, McDonald's is one of the places that will be destroyed, and the -" "Sure, Walt, I'll come." Sam answered the mechanic after taking a second to glare at Al. He was having a hard enough time without Al telling him exactly what buildings were going to be ruined in the storm. If only he knew exactly what to do. "We'll try some more, Sam." Al assured his friend before disappearing behind the imaging chamber door. ---------- Talk around the table during lunch concerned the streaker who had made an unwelcome appearance at the Academy Awards the night before. "Did you see him, Wayne? Just ran down the stage behind David Niven's head, right on camera!" Walt laughed. "No, I was watching the storm," Sam replied. "Yeah, it was kinda wierd, wasn't it, the lightening ran across the sky instead of down to the ground," Ted added. "The weather bureau is calling for more storms today," Sam continued. "And there's a chance that some of them will be severe." Walt chuckled. "Yeah, like all the severe storms they've been calling for all week. Look outside, it's beautiful." "For right now, but the weather we get this afternoon in being formed in the west and south right now. It could change." Sam could tell by the looks on his coworkers' faces that they weren't buying it. "Since when are you a weatherman?" Walt asked. "I thought you were going to college in the fall to become a doctor." "Well, I heard all that stuff on television." Sam decided he wasn't getting anywhere with the conversation, so he dropped the subject. "What do you think, did 'The Godfather, Part II' deserve the Best Picture Oscar?" "'Part II'? Wayne, there's only been one 'Godfather' movie. 'The Sting' won Best Picture." Walt looked at him suspiciously. "Oh yeah. I heard they're making a second part to 'The Godfather'. I heard that stuff -" "On television," more than one of the guys answered for him. "Yeah." Sam went back to concentrating on his sandwich, and just listened to the rest of the lunch conversation.