Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 16:28:31 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Whale - ch 5 Message-ID: Chapter 5 Al was tired. He was sure he needed sleep and a good night in bed with Tina. But who had time for that sort of thing when there were seemingly pointless reports to write for Congress? But it wasn't just the report that was keeping Al up at night. It was also this leap. Both Sam and Al were completely against whaling yet how could Sam prevent it while still working to accomplish his mission? As Al stepped out of the Imaging Chamber, both Gushie and Tina were waiting in the Control Room. Dr. Gushie F. Conelf was hired by Sam as the Project's computer programmer. His main job was to keep Ziggy in top condition both programming and maintenance wise. Al knew that there were only two reasons Gushie would call him out of the Imaging Chamber: one: he had a phone call from Tina (an obvious negative) or, two, there was something wrong happening in the Complex. "What is it, Gushie?" Al asked, rubbing some fatigue out of his eyes. "We did as you requested, Admiral, and ran a complete check on all of our systems." "And you found?" "The communication systems are in perfect working order," Tina answered as if that could be the only answer, a smile of pride on her face. Being that she was the complex's Chief Pulse Communications Technician, it wasn't difficult to understand why she would be so proud. Still, there was a worried sound to her voice that her pride couldn't cover. Al began to worry. "In fact, all systems seem to be in good order..." Gushie paused, preparing himself for Al's reaction to what he was about to say. "Except the security system." Al's eyes widened. "Except security!" he exclaimed. "There appears to be a malfunction in the main security program," Gushie explained. "Some doors won't open..." "Great!" Al muttered sarcastically. "...and some doors won't lock when closed," Gushie finished timidly. "Which doors?" Al asked, suspicious from Gushie's timid manner. "Several quarters, offices, storage rooms..." "Ammunition storage rooms," Tina put in. "...and the Waiting Room." "The Waiting Room," Al muttered, rubbing his right hand over his forehead. "How long until we can have the system repaired?" "Repair alone could take up to a month." "Oh, Gushie!" Al could feel a headache coming on. "Well, I'll just have to have guards placed on the Waiting Room and the storage rooms." "I'm afraid that it's much more serious than that, Admiral," Tina interjected. "How serious?" "The system will completely shut down within twenty-four hours." Al definitely had a headache now. "Are you sure you can't bring it back on line sooner?" "I'm afraid not. The entire security system has to be reprogrammed," Tina told him firmly. Al came to a decision. "We're going to have to limit access to certain areas. I'll take care of all of that. You get started on that security system. I want it operational as soon as possible." Gushie turned and left with a nod. Tina followed immediately to help Gushie in the repairs. "Shit!" Al muttered under his breath, turning away from the door Tina and Gushie left through. This was just what he needed to bring his blood pressure up another notch. "Problems?" a female voice asked from behind him. Al jumped slightly and turned around. "Oh, Donna! You startled me." Dr. Donna Elesee was the co-founder of Project Quantum Leap. She was also Sam Beckett's wife. Or at least she was now. When Sam started leaping four years ago, he was a single man. However, during one of his leaps, he was able to reunite Donna with her estranged father and thus he changed history. Donna's feelings of abandonment by her father had caused her to abandon Sam at the altar. Now, because of Sam's actions during that leaps, she was his wife and co-founder. Al always marveled at how patiently she waited for Sam to return to his own time. "Sorry," she apologized for startling Al. "What's the matter?" Al explained the problem with the security system, not telling her everything that was bothering him, such as the leap itself. "So, what are you going to do?" "I'm going to have to put guards at each level, each storage room, and the Waiting Room." "Do you really think that's necessary?" another voice interjected. Al and Donna looked to see Dr. Samantha Josephine Fuller standing at the main door. Sammy Jo was one of the most brilliant scientists on the Project. This was mostly because she inherited her great IQ from her father, Sam Beckett. Only Al and Ziggy knew who her father was; neither Sam nor Sammy Jo knew. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation," Sammy Jo told Al and Donna in a slight Southern accent, "but I couldn't help overhearing. Do you really think putting a guard on the Waiting Room is necessary, Admiral?" "Do you remember when Leon Stiles escaped from the complex?" Al reminded her. "We can't allow anything like that to happen again. It's only a precaution, just like having a lock on the door. Once the security system goes down, we'll need a guard at the door. We need one even now," Al explained. "So, just relax. I'm just doing my job." Sammy Jo laughed. "Me relax? Admiral Calavicci, you're would tighter than my Mama's pocket watch!" The comment made Al laugh. "Yeah, I guess I am," he nodded. "Ziggy?" he called to the bright blue ball over the main console. "Yes, Admiral?" "Open a complex-wide communications channel. I need to inform everyone about the security problem." Sam's hands were once again immersed in whales meat as he prepared the crew's breakfast. He grimaced as he prepared the meat for breakfast while still wondering how Gregory was planning to keep his eyes on Alik while he was in the kitchen. Then Sam remembered his leap in. He had been looking out the kitchen window. He realized that Gregory had been checking up on Alik when he leaped in. Sam could hear Alik's authoritative voice above the jabber of the other whalers. He was giving orders, trying to keep the Khrushchev close to a whale that had been spotted. The attempt failed (no surprise to Sam); the whale had dived deep into the ocean and could not be found because it swam far to the aft. Sam put some meat into a skillet and let it cook while he glanced out the window. Alik was in plain view. No, he wouldn't try to kill Rustov now when so many people were around and were relying on him. He, like Sam, had to keep his incognito. "This is absolutely terrible!" Al's voice interrupted Sam's watching Alik. "How can you possibly condone this!" Al was looking at the skillet of whales meat. "I don't really have a choice, Al! You know the rules. I have to convince everyone that I'm Gre..." "Take it easy, Sam! I know! That doesn't mean I like it any better!" Sam nodded his head with understanding. "So, what's wrong between you and Tina?" he asked in a haphazard manner. "What makes you think anything is wrong?" Al asked. "No one. You just haven't been yourself lately and that tells me something's going on between you two. So, you want to tell me already?" Al shook his head. "There's nothing wrong between me and Tina except for not getting any time alone, if you know what I mean. No, it's Congress. They think I don't have enough to do already, I guess." "Meaning?" Sam questioned. "Meaning I can't tell you what's going on. You know the rules, Sam. Besides, it has nothing to do with your mission. Trust me." "Al...." "Sam, I'm serious about this. You might inadvertently change something that shouldn't be changed." Sam frowned at him strongly. Al exhaled. "All right. If you must know, we're having slight trouble with the security system." "Trouble with the security system? What kind of trouble?" "Nothing we can't handle," Al muttered quietly. "Oh!" he remembered. "I have something for you. I had Ziggy do a background check on Alik and Captain Rustov. If I were you, I'd stay away from Alik Roulier." "Why's that?" "You know that anti-whaling group Gregory and Alik belong to? It advocates murder, anything to stop whaling." "I know," Sam told him. "I read about it in Gregory's journal. One man even killed his own father." "Did you also read that that man was Alik Roulier?" "Alik killed his own father?" "Hell, he founded that group! This guy's very dangerous, Sam! And even though Gregory knows it and fears him, he refuses to tell us anything about him. Gregory is more loyal to Alik than I am to the Navy and you combined! But he's also loyal to Captain Rustov, which is probably why he wants to prevent Alik from killing him." "I thought you said he didn't say anything about Alik," Sam pointed out. "No, but he said tons about Captain Rustov. What I got from him and Ziggy is that Alik, Gregory, and Rustov have been on at least ten voyages together. Apparently, Rustov liked Alik's commanding skills and kept him on as his first mate. Gregory was probably the best cook he had ever hired. "Now, the thing is," Al continued, "on each of Rustov's voyages with Gregory and Alik, something went wrong. Alik and Gregory had sabotaged each voyage one way or another. One time, the harpoon rigging was ruined. Another time, the engine failed and the Khrushchev had to be towed back to port. But nothing stopped Rustov from going out again. So, this time, Alik is going to kill him, which is completely against Gregory's principles. You know, Gregory's a pretty nice guy, Sam," Al said with a slight smile. "He's just a bit mixed up in the head. Too bad, really." "But he won't say anything about Alik," Sam noted. "Five years of intense loyalty is a little hard to break, Sam," Al pointed out with a smile. "Does Ziggy know when Alik is going to try to kill Captain Rustov?" "No idea," Al answered, shaking his head. "This theory is based completely on Gregory's journals and what he's been telling us. But she says, based on what little we know, it'll probably be today. Since we don't know much about the Khrushchev's disappearance, everything I can tell you in that area is almost pure speculation." "So, you're not really sure about Alik trying to kill Captain Rustov," Sam stated. "We know he wants to and we know his record. And he's the kind of man who tends to get what he wants. I'd still watch him closely. I've gotta go," Al said as he opened the Imaging Chamber door, "So I'll see you later. By the way, your skillet's scorching." With that, the Imaging Chamber door closed as Sam scrambled to the skillet.