From: cluac@csv.warwick.ac.uk (D S Bevan) Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: Water Water Everywhere Part 3 Date: 23 Apr 1994 17:41:11 +0100 Organization: University of Warwick, Coventry, UK Message-Id: <2pbj37$pbf@lily.csv.warwick.ac.uk> Eventually here's the follow-up Special thanks to MAD Mosher for his help on Friday---cheers(Check out his show on Ram-Air if you can....) In this part I have taken a few liberties with Al's Past--hope no-one objects (it's nothing major though...) And so here it is.... `Water Water Everywhere.... Part 3' "What's up?D'you join the circus or something?" Sam looked around to see his friend Al floating on the water.He smirked and shook his head--it constantly amazed him that despite the technology at Project Quantum Leap,Ziggy always somehow managed to place Al either in the middle of something or on the most implausible of surfaces.Al, resplendent in a pair of green slacks and purple shirt-complete with silver tie-looked down at the water,hit a button on the colour cubed handlink and within a few seconds glided toward his friend.Sam looked up at Al with questioning eyes and questions on the tip of his tongue. Before he could start though,the voice said "Marty--catch" and Sam found himself holding a towel."I'm going home now--it's late and we got an early start tomorrow.See you in the morning-and,don't go dreaming of too many sharks now,y'hear?"And with that the Californian accent was gone. Sam sat on the side of the pool--it was obvious now that it wasn't the deep blue sea--and towelled himself off.He looked inquisitively up at Al who was chewing on a cigar and watching the dolphins play. "You know what Sam?I always wanted to join the circus,"Al said wistfully. "Really?I can't see it somehow-" "Well,think about it;you're a kid trapped in a suburban nightmare and every once in a while this magical group of performers would come to town and throw the biggest party ever-" "I never had anything to do with that sort of stuff"Sam interrupted. "Well you were never happy unless you were splitting the atom"said Al facetiously.Ignoring the scowl from Sam,he carried on,lost in his own world. "I used to go with Trudy and some of the other kids from the orphanage..."Al became a little choked with the memories of the past."We used to sit down the front of the big top and watch the ringmaster and his lions.And the clowns and trapeze artists...it was great" Sam smiled--it was rare to see his friend on top of it all--he obviously wasn't having any trouble with Tina or any of his ex-wives. "Al that's great--but what am I doing here?" Right on cue,Al snapped from his dream world and held up the glowing handlink."We don't know yet..." Sam visibly deflated. "...but,"continued Al,"your name is-get this Marty `McFly' Nicholls and it's the 16th of March 1987 and you're in downtown Florida.Maybe you're here to catch some rays and spend some time on the beach..."Al's smile suddenly increased at the thought of spending time on a beach with some bronzed beach beauties.Sam could see where this train of thought was going and decided that it was probably time that he got out of the wet clothes he had been in since the leap-in.He stood up and started toward the door.He looked back for Al,who was still staring at the dolphins. "Where do I go?" "Through that door and to the right--your locker is the third row up, second from the right.I'll be back later--I'm gonna go back and run some scenarios through Ziggy to see if we can find out why you're here."He punched another button on the handlink and disappeared as the Imaging Chamber door shut behind him. To Be Continued.... Next part at the beginning of the week---hopefully... As usual any comments welcome--particularly factual inaccurracies about Al's past would be most welcome for revision purposes... Darren